WIRE Buzz: Pokemon Target pack opened; Umbrella Academy cast reads the comics; free Netflix content
Remember that pack of first generation Pokémon cards a fan discovered under a shelf at Target? Well, Mr. Gio Martin decided to open the 20-year-old find on Leonhart's YouTube channel and see what was inside. While there were no holos within, it was still a nostalgic thrill to see the old school designs for the following contents: Seel, Plus Power Trainer Card, Persian, Jigglypuff, Bulbasaur, Switch Trainer Card, Spearow, Psychic Energy, Caterpie, Leaf Energy, Scoop Up Trainer Card.
Despite the fact that the Base Set 2 pack had been sitting in two decades worth of floor wax and other filth, the cards inside were (aside from a little bit of gunk on Caterpie) in near-pristine condition.
"It wasn't a Charizard like everybody was hoping, but then again, if we had pulled that, Leon, I feel like people would have just been talking too much," Martin says in the video below. "Like: 'How did they get the Charizard out of there, too?!'"
During the stream, Martin also admitted that people had been reaching out to him with monetary offers (some of them upwards of $1,000) for the discovery.
Even if you have finished binging Season 2 already, The Umbrella Academy fun doesn't need to end so soon.
Thanks to a new video from Netflix, fans of the series can dive into the Dark Horse source material with cast members Justin Min ("Ben Hargreeves/The Horror"), Emmy Raver-Lampman ("Allison Hargreeves/The Rumor"), and Aidan Gallagher ("Number Five"). In this virtual read-through, the actors take us into the final installment of the "Dallas" comic book story arc, which was the main source of inspiration for the show's sophomore season.
Take a look:
Having dropped at the end of July, The Umbrella Academy's second TV installment received better reviews than its predecessor, netting it a 90 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Set in the early 1960s, the new season follows the Hargreeves siblings as their presence in the past messes with the space-time continuum, thus causing a nuclear conflict between the United States and Soviet Union.
Gerard Way (of My Chemical Romance fame) and Gabriel Bá co-created the Dark Horse comic upon which the series is based. "The whole show feels like it leveled up with this new season, the creative team is more aware of what it is. I feel like we really know what the show is now, but there are tons of surprises," Way exclusively told SYFY WIRE last month.
And while we're on the subject on Netflix, here's some very good news for you: the streaming titan is making certain shows and films available for free. Yes, you heard that right — free!
Simply head over to the "Watch Free" page and you'll receive access to the first episodes of small screen programs like Stranger Things, The Boss Baby: Back in Business, and Our Planet. As for feature films, Bird Box and Murder Mystery are among the pro bono offerings that are meant to entice new subscribers to the streaming service. Shoutout Endgadget for bringing this to our attention.
You may have noticed above that we said you'd only get to watch the "first episode" of certain shows. Sadly, that's true. These freebies are only meant as incentives, not complete binge opportunities. Still, a free sample (especially a 48-minute bite of Hawkins, Indiana, circa the 1980s) is always welcome.