Game of Thrones Braid Inspo to Sport for the Finale

"Writing does not stop when filming begins," Matt and Ross Duffer, co-creators and co-showrunners, tweeted on May 6. "While we’re excited to start production with our amazing cast and crew, it is not possible during this strike. We hope a fair deal is reached soon so we can all get back to work."

The Duffers went on to confirm in September that pre-production has resumed following the end of the writers' strike, but they won't be able to film until the actors' strike ends.

White Lotus Season 3

The new season of White Lotus was supposed to be on our screens sooner rather than later, but it's been pushed to the next calendar year. "WhiteLotus Season 3, that was going to be ’24 and that’s likely moving into 2025,” said HBO and Max Content Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys, via Deadline.

The Last of Us Season 2

HBO is hoping to begin production on The Last of Us season 2 in 2024, meaning we'll probably see it in 2025.

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight

On May 7, author George R. R. Martin published a blog post confirming that the new Game of Thrones spinoff had ceased pre-production, while season two of House of the Dragon has already begun filming.

"The scripts for the eight s2 episodes were all finished months ago, long before the strike began," Martin says. "The writers have done their jobs; the rest is in the hands of the directors, cast and crew… and of course the dragons)."

They hope to begin production in the spring, via Variety, should the SAG-AFTRA strike end.

Spider-Man 4

During the New York City premiere of A Crowded Room, Tom Holland told Variety that a fourth Spider-Man was in its very early stages of development.

“I can say that we have been having meetings. We’ve put the meetings on pause in solidarity with the writers,” he said. “There’s been multiple conversations had, but at this point it’s very, very early stages.”

The WGA strike may have ended, but we still don't know when this movie could begin filming.

Yellowjackets

Co-creator Ashley Lyle confirmed on Twitter that after one day in the writer's room for season three, pre-production has stopped: "It was amazing, and creatively invigorating, and so much fun, and I’m very excited to get back to it as soon as the #WGA gets a fair deal."

The writer's room is able to get back to work, but we'll have to wait for the actors to get the all clear before filming can begin.

Bunk'd

Deadline confirmed on May 7 that production on this Disney Channel comedy stopped, meaning we can expect a delay in the newest season.

Cobra Kai

Co-creator Jon Hurwitz tweeted on May 2 that production on the next season of this Netflix show stopped. "We hate to strike, but if we must, we strike hard," he said at the time. "Pencils down in the Cobra Kai writers room. No writers on set. These aren't fun times, but it's unfortunately necessary."

However, pre-production can now resume on the final season of the show!

The Marvel film was paused because of the WGA strike, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Abbott Elementary

Writing for Abbott Elementary's third season was intended for May 2, the same day the strike began. Writer Brittani Nichols says in an interview with Democracy Now! that the season could be delayed as a whole (and this was before the actors' strike): "That could change the amount of episodes, which people I’m sure will be very upset about. It could change the air date. It could change a lot of different things.”

“I am a writer. I’m in the WGA. I’m also on strike!" creator, executive producer, and star Quinta Brunson tweeted at the time. "I have no real power here other than to join my union in demanding fair compensation for writers!”

Daredevil: Born Again

After disrupting the series' film schedule on May 8, Daredevil: Born Again shut down for the time being on May 10.

Good Trouble

WGA picketers stopped production for Freeform's Good Trouble on May 9. "They got NO shooting done today. We got this done with a small crew of writers who started at 4am, and the cavalry of the Teamsters grips, electricians, crew etc.," @JorgeCoolReyes tweeted.

Since the actors still can't film, we won't be able to see the rest of the season for an indefinite period of time.

The Chi

The Chi stopped production on May 12 after "@IATSE 476 and @Teamsters Local 727 refused to cross the picket line," @ZaydDohrn tweeted.

Pretty Little Liars: Summer School

Filming for Pretty Little Liars: Summer School has been interrupted by the strike.

Daytime Emmy Awards

On May 16th, The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced that the Daytime Emmy Awards would be postponed.

"We look forward to our community gathering together as one to celebrate our Golden Anniversary and all of the talented nominees and honorees at a later date," President & CEO Adam Sharp said in a statement.

The Emmys are now scheduled for January 15, 2024.

The Penguin

The Batman spinoff series, was shut down for the day on May 16. Picketers also came to strike "outside a Harlem cemetery, to defend Gotham from The Penguin," according to a tweet from @warrenleightTV.

Severance

Season two of the series, starring Adam Scott , Britt Lower, and Patricia Arquette has paused production. But that didn't stop the cast from joining the picket line!

Emily in Paris

Filming for the new season of the hit Netflix show has been delayed, via Variety, but they're hoping to resume production on Emily in Paris season 4 in the new year.

Yellowstone

The final episodes of Yellowstone have been delayed to November 2024.

Miranda’s newfound quest for understanding her sexuality (which we totally love, BTW) has led to some abrupt relationships, (truly) unexpected nudity, and (worst of all) the end of her relationship with longtime husband Steve.

Even with the divorce, Miranda’s character could have evolved in so many incredible ways. We would have loved to see her embrace single life and spark an even closer bond with Carrie, or un-retired and become an absolute law-making girlboss, or become a dolphin trainer in Thailand (Are there even dolphins in Thailand?)…just about anything other than her seemingly instantaneous relationship with Carrie’s podcast producer and bicoastal move.

More than anything, though, Miranda’s classic sensibility, quick wit, and iconically dry sarcasm have been replaced by a shell of her former self, whose only personality seems to come from what’s politically accurate to say. The OG SATC characters had chemistry that made us believe that Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha, and Miranda were IRL friends figuring life out in NYC. Now, there is a major disconnect between the old and new versions of the characters – something that the AJLT team needs to figure out, and sooner than later.

Unfortunately, Miranda isn’t the only female character MAX seems to slight. Just look at Khaleesi in Game of Thrones — she went from freeing slaves to setting fire to everyone and everything in the blink of an eye. Or Succession’s Shiv, who made a massive left turn at the end of the series, leaving fans famished for their favorite dysfunctional sibling dynamic. Like real life, female characters should be flawed, but it seems that these iconic women transition from shattering-glass-ceilings to becoming borderline “hysterical,” for no other reason than the writer’s decision. Make it make sense, MAX!

What did the ending of The Challengers mean?

There is a lot of tension between Tashi, Art, and Patrick throughout the movie, and it all builds to the titular Challenger match. It's Art vs. Patrick, and they're playing for way more than just the title and the money (though of course, they're definitely playing for the title and the money) — this is one final chance to prove themselves to Tashi, who's sitting court-side looking very unimpressed.

Both men lose their cool during different sets, but it's in the third and final set that everything comes to a head. At the end of the match, Patrick confesses to sleeping with Tashi using a tennis ball and racket signal only Art recognizes. For a split second Art is is complete shock, and I expected him to completely lose it. And, technically, he does, but in a totally unexpected way. Rather than jump the net and punch Patrick in the face, Art channels his emotions into his tennis, and the fury he feels actually allows him break through whatever slump he's been stuck in.

Unable to have a conversation about Patrick's secret, Art and Patrick talk with their serves and returns. And because Tashi doesn't catch the signal, for the first time in the whole movie, she's cut out of the conversation.

Did Tashi love Art and Patrick?

Tashi's been pulling the strings ever since she met Art and Patrick, and she's never not been in control. After Patrick sends the signal, she knows something is going on between them, she just doesn't know what — and it unnerves her. Thanks to Zendaya's expert subtlety, the twitch of her eyebrow or the particularly anxious way she grips her hands are the only things that give her away. But her confusion, and the men's anger, quickly turn to pure joy in the final moments of the movie.

Patrick and Art end up playing so intensely that they meet at the net and embrace, prompting Tashi's iconic tennis yell before she gives one of her first genuine laughs of the film and the screen cuts to black. The first time I saw the movie, I thought "What?!" but the more I think about it, the clearer the Challengers ending is.

Patrick and Art (whose relationship begins six or seven years before the movie opens) haven't spoken since the big fight surrounding Tashi's injury, and their hug proves they're just happy to be playing together again. It's what they've always loved, and their fight over Tashi almost ended it forever. Tashi's pure elation shows she's happy to watch some good tennis, especially after she failed to help Art break out of his rut.

We've only seen Tashi scream like that once before, when she admits to a perfect tennis match. While Tashi does care for Patrick and Art, the end of Challengers proves the characters' true love was never really each other — it was always the game.