In the September 13 newsletter:
Russell Wilson's embarrassing return to Seattle, Don't Worry Darling and a brief history of troubled Hollywood productions, and remembering our colleague and friend Jonathan Tjarks.

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Five Takeaways From Russell Wilson’s Disappointing Return to Seattle

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Wilson’s first game as a Bronco came with sloppy penalties, questionable decisions from his head coach, and an opponent in the Seahawks that looked better than advertised.

[Nora Princiotti looks at Russell Wilson's season-opening loss to his former team.]

Don’t Worry Darling Isn't the First Movie to Be Swallowed by Itself

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As long as Hollywood has been around there have been troubled productions. Sorting through the rubble of one like Olivia Wilde’s upcoming film has traditionally taken a very long time.

[Keith Phipps on Don't Worry Darling and other troubled Hollywood sets.]

NFL Week 1 Hype Check: Which Teams Lived Up to Their Offseason Billing—and Which Didn’t?

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After a summer of unprecedented player movement and plenty of buzz over upgraded players, units, and teams, it’s time to see which look as good as (or better than) expected, and which look much worse.

[Steven Ruiz checks in after Week 1 of the NFL season.]

House of the Dragon Needs to Get Out More

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Like the book it’s based on, HBO’s series focuses on one family that’s largely confined to court. Rhaenyra’s foray in Episode 4 showed how much more alive Westeros feels when the characters escape their stuffy surroundings.

[Ben Lindbergh on what works in the fourth episode of the Game of Thrones spinoff.]

Steven Spielberg Prints the Legend

Universal Pictures/Ringer illustration

The master director’s essayistic, autobiographical film The Fabelmans may be little more than a victory lap. Still, no one sees things quite like he can.

[Adam Nayman reviews Steven Spielberg's much-anticipated new film.]

Jonathan Tjarks, 1987-2022

Courtesy of the Tjarks family

The Ringer’s beloved friend and colleague Jonathan Tjarks passed away on Saturday night. Jon is survived by his wife, Melissa, and his son, Jackson. He was one of the first people hired at The Ringer when we began the company, and was one of our most steadfast voices over the years. His loss is incalculable, and our thoughts are with Jon’s family during this time.

If you want to help, we’ll direct you to this GoFundMe page, which directly assists the Tjarks family. We would also like to reshare Jon’s astonishing piece from March, in which he wrote with such clarity, humor, and wisdom about his cancer diagnosis, his family, and his future. Our futures are dimmer without him. Please keep his family in your thoughts.

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