Entertainment

Netflix’ Bridgerton is fun, raunchy, and visually appealing escapism at its best

The Duke of Hastings is enough reason to binge this show.

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If Jane Austen wrote Gossip Girl, this would probably be it. Bridgerton is Netflix’ latest offering for people looking for a bit of an escape — this time, to the Regency era where life was seemingly less boring than one might imagine.

The show is based on the first book of Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series: ‘The Duke and I’. For comparison’s sake, I found myself reading the book after finishing all of its eight episodes. Personally, I find the small screen adaptation proves to be quite respectful to the canon. Some adjustments were made to make it a slightly better fit for today’s audience.

Seamless in injecting diversity

A racially diverse cast that doesn’t feel forced for the sake of being woke is something I truly appreciated. Show creator Chris Van Dusen reimagined the Bridgertons’ world with people of color having status and power. This was actually addressed by some of the characters, complete with its own narrative that fit — quite seamlessly — into the plot.

I’m pretty sure I speak for a lot of us who watched the show that this was something we welcomed. After all, this adjustment gave us Regé-Jean Page as lead character Simon Basset — the ‘Duke’ the book title refers to. The story revolves around the courtship between him and Bridgerton eldest daughter Daphne, played by Phoebe Dynevor.

*Spoilers are coming. You’ve been warned.*

It’s London in the early 1800s and Daphne has debuted into the marriage market. Despite rave reviews from their print-era version of Gossip Girl, Lady Whistledown, her prospects are looking pretty bleak. The Duke who doesn’t wish to marry to avoid fathering children finds himself in an agreement with Daphne that will make her more popular among potential suitors. And as for him, it will ward off determined mothers from foisting their marriageable daughters on him.

They pretend that they are courting and their ruse eventually leads them to develop feelings for each other. Surprise, surprise. And that’s where things get interesting. Despite the steamy adventures of eldest Bridgerton brother Anthony, things are a little slow during the first few episodes. The fun only starts to pick up midway into the series.

Expect to see Nicola Coughlan of Derry Girls fame as the daughter of Bridgerton neighbors, The Featheringtons. She plays Penelope who’s in love with Colin, one of Daphne’s brothers. I actually love her character and that of another Bridgerton sister — Eloise.

To see what happens to them, however, we’ll have to pray for more seasons of the show. This season is all about Daphne and the Duke of Hastings. I did enjoy the series, especially the parts where they tried to inject as much female empowerment that 1800s London can take. However, I still found some parts of it fell short.

Bridgerton: escapism but still a tad problematic

As a woman living in 2021, it was quite hard to relate to Daphne’s character who had her whole life pegged on marriage and having children. Sure, it’s the Regency era and women had limited options for a good life. So while these things should have been understandable, I felt horrible for Simon when she practically forced him to have children with her.

The act was much worse in the book but thankfully, Van Dusen made this part a tad bearable in the series. I have to admit, I lost much respect for Daphne after that. Without Page playing the Duke, I probably would have lost interest and hit fast forward just to find out who Lady Whistledown is.

At a time when there’s so much more to being a woman and consent is a major issue for both genders, I hope impressionable viewers won’t take Daphne for a role model. There’s always Eloise for this season. Pick her!

Bridgerton is fun, quite raunchy, and pretty exciting thanks to the mystery that is Lady Whistledown. I absolutely loved how cheeky she was.

It’s a visually appealing series with gorgeous sets and costumes in aesthetically pleasing color palettes. Well, except those worn by the Featheringtons. Oh, and did I mention Julie Andrews is the narrating voice of Lady Whistledown? That, in itself, is more than enough reason to grab that remote and give the series a try.

Catch the first season of Bridgerton on Netflix.

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Entertainment

LE SSERAFIM Chaewon flexes Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display

She says the feature is cool

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March 31, 2026

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Collage. Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display | Edited image of Chaewon holding a Galaxy S26 Ultra
Galaxy S26 Ultra Privacy Display | Edited image of Chaewon holding a Galaxy S26 Ultra

LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Chaewon didn’t set out to show off a feature. But somewhere in the middle of a Weverse live, she ended up doing exactly that. It’s a pretty good flex.

In a clip that’s now making the rounds online, Chaewon shared that she recently switched to the Galaxy S26 Ultra and has been enjoying one specific feature in particular:

“I just changed my phone lately to Galaxy S26 Ultra. And it has a privacy screen feature, right? It’s so cool. You really can’t see anything from the side. I show this to everyone I meet and make them jealous.”

It’s just someone genuinely impressed by a feature — and casually flexing it.

A feature that makes sense instantly

The feature Chaewon is referring to is Privacy Display, one of the headline additions on the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

When enabled, it limits the viewing angles of the screen. That way. only the person holding the phone can clearly see what’s on it. Anyone looking from the side gets a dimmed or obscured view.

If you’ve ever used a privacy screen protector, the concept is similar. The difference here is that it’s built directly into the phone and can be toggled on or off, or even set to activate only for specific apps.

It’s a small addition on paper, but one that solves a very real, very common problem — especially if you’re using your phone in public spaces.

Samsung contract renewed?

It’s worth noting that LE SSERAFIM has been using Galaxy smartphones for a while now. That’s likely due to a partnership with Samsung and/or Google.

The music video for their track “Come Over” heavily features the smartphone, along with Google Gemini features integrated into the experience.

Another member, Sakura, also mentioned to fans recently that she has switched phones — from a Galaxy Z Flip to now also using a Galaxy S26 Ultra.


Whether this points to a renewed partnership or just continued preference isn’t something officially confirmed. But moments like Chaewon’s certainly keep Galaxy devices in the spotlight.

It’s easy to imagine the same scenario playing out anywhere — on a commute, in a café, or sitting next to someone who’s just a little too curious about what you’re doing on your phone.

It’s also something we’ve explored ourselves.

In one of our reels, we showed a straightforward demo of how Privacy Display works. We tilted the phone to show how the screen becomes unreadable from the side. In another, we leaned into a more playful skit: someone trying (and failing) to peek at what’s on the screen of the person beside them.


The result is the same. From certain angles, the display practically disappears.

The kind of feature you show off

Privacy Display isn’t the flashiest feature on the Galaxy S26 Ultra. But it’s the kind of feature you end up showing people. Not because you have to — but because it’s surprisingly satisfying to see in action.

If Chaewon’s experience is anything to go by, it’s also the kind of feature that makes people just a little bit jealous.

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Entertainment

Forgotten Island is an upcoming film based on Filipino culture

The film features the talents of H.E.R., Liza Soberano, and Lea Salonga.

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March 26, 2026

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Despite all the Filipino actors in Hollywood today, it’s still difficult to feel scene in an industry where Filipino stories aren’t as abundant. Now, it’s time for the Philippines to shine. DreamWorks Animation has just released the first trailer for Forgotten Island, an upcoming animated film based on Filipino culture.

Played by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, Jo and Raissa are childhood best friends about to go their separate ways after one decides to study abroad. However, during their last night together, they discover a magical portal that takes them to Nakali, the Forgotten Island.

The island calls itself home to an army of creatures from Philippine mythology including The Dreaded Manananggal (voiced by Lea Salonga). Dave Franco also plays a weredog named Raww.

Besides the presence of all these monsters, the island has an even more dangerous quirk. The longer that Jo and Raissa stay on Nakali, the more of their memories are erased until they eventually forget each other. It then becomes a race to find their way home before they lose memories of their friendship forever.

Supporting the main cast, the film will feature the voice talents of Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Jo Koy, Dolly de Leon, Amielyn Abellera, and Ronny Chieng. It will be made by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the prolific team behind the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Forgotten Island premieres in Philippine cinemas on September 23.

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Marvel’s Wonder Man greenlit for a rare second season

The first season holds a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

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March 24, 2026

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Is the Marvel Cinematic Universe back? After years of floundering through Phases Four and Five, Marvel Studios is poised to get its mojo back from a flurry of much-awaited Phase Six projects this year, including the second season of Daredevil: Born Again, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Doomsday. And it all started this year with the critically acclaimed Wonder Man. Now, after the success of that series, a second season is officially in the works.

When its first trailer came out, Wonder Man did not look like anything that Marvel Studios has worked on before. For one, it was incredibly grounded, perhaps overshadowed only by Daredevil: Born Again. Second, it was about the reboot of a fictional superhero movie, itself called Wonder Man.

Actor Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul Mateen II) wants to energize his career by performing in the upcoming Wonder Man revival from acclaimed director Von Kovak (Zlatko Burić). Helping the former is the returning Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who you might remember as the fake Mandarin from Iron Man 3.

Despite how different it looks compared to previous Marvel Studios projects, the series is one of the most acclaimed, currently holding a 91 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Because of this, Wonder Man has received the green light for a second season, via Variety.

A second season is relatively rare for Marvel Studios with its history of one-and-done series. There are some exceptions, though. Loki, for example, ended its run with a second season. Daredevil: Born Again will air its second season very soon (with a third one potentially in the works already).

SEE ALSO: Marvel’s Wolverine gets a release date

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