Where is Season 3 of 'Only Murders in the Building'? Filming is ...

Spoiler alert! The following contains details from the Season 2 finale of "Only Murders in the Building," "I Know Who Did It."

"Only Murders in the Building" is coming back for Season 3 with even more star power – as if its core cast of Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez wasn't enough.

On Tuesday, Martin shared a snap from set with his legendary castmastes, Season 2's surprise guest star Paul Rudd and a new face: Meryl Streep!

"The filming of Season 3 of 'Only Murders in the Building' has begun! A cast to dream of," he tweeted alongside the pic.

Here's what else we know (so far) about Season 3 of Hulu's hit show.

‘Only Murders In the Building’ Season 2 spoilers:Who killed Bunny and the surprise guest star?

What is Paul Rudd's role in the show?

Rudd first made an appearance in the "Only Murders" Season 2 finale as Broadway star Ben Glenroy.

In the last episode, viewers are taken a year after Charles (Martin), Oliver (Short) and Mabel (Gomez) solved the murder of apartment manager Bunny (Jayne Houdyshell), who died at the end of Season 1.

Charles and Mabel attend the premiere of Oliver’s broadway show starring Charles and Ben, an impolite prominent actor. When the curtain opens, Ben dies soon after giving his opening monologue. Charles is likely to be once again be a suspect in another crime.

“You got to be (expletive) kidding me,” Mabel says as the episode fades to black, teasing a new mystery for the third season: a murder outside the Arconia building.

Fans will likely get more insight into Ben and what led up to his death in the upcoming season.

More Season 2:Cara Delevingne says 'Only Murders in the Building' romance with pal Selena Gomez 'means a lot'

What is Meryl Streep's role?

It's unclear right now what character Streep will play in the new season, but fans (and Gomez) are thrilled.

"OMG!!!! Iconic," replied one fan.

On Tuesday, Gomez shared a TikTok video from set showing off their newest cast member.

"Could this honestly get any better?" Gomez says. The camera pans by cast members before Streep pops into the screen and Gomez’s face turns to fangirl excitement.

"Meet our new and old crew!" she captioned the clip. "Excuse me while I scream in a pillow."

Season 1 review:Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez strike gold in 'Only Murders in the Building'

Season 2 review:'Only Murders in the Building' makes magic again in Season 2

When does 'Only Murders' Season 3 arrive?

Hulu isn't saying yet. The official Hulu account replied to a fan's question about Season 3's arrival on Twitter and wouldn't divulge.

"We don't have any news to share at this time, but we'll definitely share your excitement with our team. For now, make sure the series is included in your WL/My Stuff for all updates."

Hulu confirmed in July that the series would be renewed for a third season. And according to Martin and Gomez, filming has begun.

Steve Martin:Actor talks possible retirement after 'Only Murders in the Building': 'This is weirdly it'

Where can you watch 'Only Murders?'

"Only Murders in the Building" streams exclusively on Hulu. The first two seasons can be binged anytime. Basic Hulu plan runs you $7.99 a month or $79.99 a year. If you want to watch Hulu without ads, the price increases to $14.99 a month.

Contributing: Anthony Robledo

Selena Gomez is 'perfect,' gushes 'Only Murders' co-star Steve Martin

Behind the scenes of their new comedy/mystery, Selena Gomez shared explicit rap songs with her "Only Murders in the Building" co-stars, iconic comedians Steve Martin and Martin Short.

"We had to listen – not had to – we got to listen to 'WAP,' " Martin says, referencing Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion's track. "And what's that other song?"

Kanye West and Lil Pump's "I Love It," Gomez responds in a joint interview, singing some of the unprintable lyrics and then bursting into laughter.

"I thought that was so politically incorrect, you couldn't even think it," Martin says playfully of the lyrics. He says the teaching moments between the castmates "go back and forth."

Martin and Short, in turn, counseled Gomez on boys while filming the 10-episode season. "They were lovely," she says. "We had the best time."

Selena Gomez on why she doesn't handle her social media posts: 6 signs you need to unplug

Selena Gomez says her 'past relationships' have been 'cursed.' Here's why.

The age gap between Gomez, 29, and her co-stars – Martin, 76, and Short, 71 – plays out onscreen in the Hulu series (now streaming, with episodes releasing weekly on Tuesdays). Mabel (Gomez) jokes to her new friends Charles (Martin) and Oliver (Short) that she doesn't know who their high-profile neighbor Sting is. (In real life, Gomez was familiar with – and intimidated by – the former frontman of The Police, who delighted her when he started picking his guitar to accompany her piano on set.)

Critic's take:Review: Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez strike gold in 'Only Murders in the Building'

The mysterious death of a despised resident in his apartment in New York City's Upper West Side inspires the aloof Mabel, once-successful actor Charles and struggling director Oliver to attempt to solve the murder and start a true-crime podcast of their own.

When Martin came up with the idea for the series, he didn't picture himself or Short – his frequent collaborator on movies like "Father of the Bride" and "Three Amigos," in the roles. After being asked by executive producers Dan Fogelman and Jess Rosenthal to act in the series, Martin recruited Short.

“As you said, ‘I know he's available,’” jokes Short, giving a taste of their friendly banter.

“No, I said, ‘No, no, actually he can act,’” Martin says, not missing a beat. “And then Selena came in like this magic potion that you sprinkle over.”

Short says the singer and former Disney Channel star, the only one envisioned for the part, complements the long-running duo.

“I have an energy. Steve has an energy,” he says, “and Selena’s energy was different, and it was (completing) the triangle.”

Martin says he and Short were smitten with Gomez following a script read-through over Zoom.

“After we hung up, Marty and I called each other and said, 'She's fantastic!’” Martin remembers. “That's literally what we said. She is perfect because it's so unlike us.”

Steve Martin hilariously refuses to go unrecognized, even in his pandemic mask

'Father of the Bride' cast reunites 25 years later for sort-of sequel, with new cameos

Martin's co-creator/co-writer John Hoffman ("Grace and Frankie") says the stars' relationship blossomed along with the series' storyline.

“We had the benefit of them discovering each other within the narrative of our show, and that was hugely helpful for them finding their own natural rhythm as a trio,” says Hoffman. “You watch (Gomez) find her way into the pocket of (Short and Martin), and that classic repartee that they can just carry off like breathing.

“Whether it's an emotional thing or whether it's a funny jab or whether it's just a sweet poke,” Hoffman continues, “she found a way to make that all her own and disarm them, and run the train off the tracks for a moment, in the best way.”

Hoffman wanted the mood of “Only Murders” – balancing comedy and crime – to match the unpredictability of the setting.

"If anyone takes a 10-block walk in New York City, you're going to find five tonal shifts that are all pretty extreme," he says. "That's the feel of the show I wanted to create."

The 10 best new TV shows to watch this summer: More 'Monsters Inc,' Martin Short and Steve Martin

The 50 best TV shows to watch on Hulu right now, from 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine' to 'Shrill'

Could there be a second season?

"We're there if they want us," Martin says. "We shouldn't say that, but you know."

"What do you mean?" Short asks his partner. "Why shouldn't you say it?"

"Because then they could say, 'Well, we're cutting your salary. You want to do it so much, we’re not even gonna pay you,'" Martin replies.

"What if you're someone like me who only wants to do it for the money?" Short asks.

Well, then it seems they've learned well from the wisdom of "WAP": "He got some money, then that's where I'm headed."

'We're going to make history':JoJo Siwa to compete on 'Dancing With the Stars' with same-sex partner

Mere home renovations aren't enough:Motel makeovers are the latest in supersized TV boom

The real-life drama behind filming locations for 'Stranger Things ...

CNN —

What do a pub in London, a 113-year-old apartment building in New York City, a former mental hospital in Atlanta, a luxury resort in Hawaii, a sprawling office complex in New Jersey and a mausoleum in one of the South’s largest cemeteries have in common?

On some of this year’s top Emmy-nominated shows, these places play roles as important as any character. And off-screen, they all have their own dramatic stories.

Here’s a glimpse at the real-life locations behind some of TV’s most popular places, and what we learned talking with some of the people who know them best.

A pub where everyone knows your name

Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) shares a toast with Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) at the Crown & Anchor in an episode of "Ted Lasso." Apple TV+

On “Ted Lasso,” The Crown and Anchor is the pub where AFC Richmond fans watch and heckle the team’s matches, where Ted wins a memorable game of darts and where he shares many a folksy American one-liner while sipping a pint in a place that’s quintessentially British.

We can talk and drink, as long as we talk about anything but the game and drink. Coach Beard, talking to fellow pub-goers

What it is real life: The Prince’s Head pub in London’s Richmond borough

The backstory you haven’t heard: British actor Emmy McMorrow already loved her neighborhood and its local watering holes. But she says it wasn’t until an American tourist asked her to snap a photo of him on a bench there that she realized a TV show was featuring Richmond’s charms on-screen. Now McMorrow leads tours of exterior “Ted Lasso” shooting locations (interior scenes are shot in a studio), and she says the pub is always a favorite destination.

American tourists have taken to stopping by the Prince's Head pub in London's Richmond borough to have the same pint that Ted drinks and commune with the locals. Hollie Adams/Bloomberg/Getty Images

“It’s the thing everyone wants to see…because it’s the heart of the show,” she says. “The pub is like our community center. It’s like the heart of the British community. It’s your friends. It’s your community.”

The team behind “Ted Lasso” built an in-studio version of the pub for filming the show. “It does really, really look like the (actual) pub,” McMorrow says. And visitors to the real location may now even spot bartenders wearing shirts supporting the fictional “AFC Richmond” club.

How history shaped it: The pub’s history in the neighborhood dates back well over a century. It sits on Richmond Green, which, according to a borough history website, has been surrounded by houses and commercial establishments “for 400 years at least.”

A stately New York landmark known for a ‘long history of disputes’

Mabel (Selena Gomez), Oliver (Martin Short) and Charles (Steve Martin) confer in the Arconia's courtyard in the first episode of "Only Murders in the Building." Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

We’re the heroes of this building. Before us, you could be killed in your own apartment, and no one would know it. Oliver Putnam, trumpeting the trio's podcasting success

On “Only Murders in the Building,” the Arconia is full of quirky, only-in-New York personalities, with a gorgeous interior courtyard and an unfortunate track record of homicide.

What it is in real life: The Belnord, an apartment building on New York’s Upper West Side

The backstory you haven’t heard: The Belnord spans a full block in Manhattan and, even before becoming the setting for the hit Hulu series starring Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez, it was catching the attention of passersby.

The Belnord spans a full block on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Mark Abramson/Bloomberg/Getty Images

“It’s sort of thrilling just to walk by it,” says Julia Vitullo-Martin, who’s lived at the Belnord since 1975 and is the executive director of the Belnord Landmark Conservancy.

“The archways lead to our wonderful courtyard. It’s such an extraordinary amenity in New York, because every square inch counts, and here we have 22,000 square feet of courtyard space,” Vitullo-Martin says.

These days, Vitullo-Martin says many a fan of the show can be seen snapping a selfie near the archways.

At first, she says, many residents of the building bristled at the idea of filming near their homes. But eventually they struck a deal with producers that only exterior scenes would be shot there, Vitullo-Martin says, and that residents of the Belnord would have the chance to be cast as extras on the show.

"It's sort of thrilling just to walk by it," longtime resident Julia Vitullo-Martin says of The Belnord. Patrick McMullan/Getty Images

How history shaped it: Construction of the Belnord finished in 1909. In addition to its beauty, the building is also known for a “long history of disputes,” Vitullo-Martin says. Luxury condos in the building now sell for millions of dollars. But for years, a notorious slumlord who controlled the property wouldn’t even let residents spruce up their own units. “Under the stealth of night people would sneak in a new appliance via 87th street to their apartments. Because what were you going to do?” Vitullo-Martin recalls.

In the 1990s, she says, a new owner found the building in “terrible disrepair,” with its storied courtyard caving in. His investment turned the Belnord’s fortunes around. And now the Hulu show has given Realtors another selling point.

An abandoned mental hospital, reborn as a government lab

Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) undergoes testing inside the Hawkins Lab on "Stranger Things." Netflix

In the Hawkins National Laboratory, a secretive government-run facility featured in “Stranger Things,” scientists conduct mind control experiments, subjects are held against their will and its basement tunnels connect to a creepy alternate dimension called the Upside Down.

Let’s burn that lab to the ground. Nancy Wheeler, vowing to avenge her best friend's death

What it is in real life: “Building A” on Emory University’s Briarcliff Campus

The backstory you haven’t heard: In addition to its pivotal role in “Stranger Things,” the brutalist building has appeared in many other film and television productions. “I had a production designer once refer to Building A as an exoskeleton that’s perfect for making it into just about any kind of institutional setting they need – from a bustling hospital to a sedate bank lobby to a nondescript government office,” the university’s head of film production and management recently told Emory magazine. “And the building’s interiors are so varied you can shoot a number of scenes right next to each other and they’ll look like they’ve been filmed at completely different locations.”

But the building’s days as a popular filming site appear to be numbered. The Emory Wheel student newspaper recently reported that Building A is slated to be demolished as part of plans to renovate the Briarcliff campus into a senior living community.

Building A on Emory University's Briarcliff campus has become a popular filming location for "Stranger Things" and other productions. Kay Hinton/Emory University

How history shaped it: The 42-acre property where the building sits was originally the site of the vast estate of Coca Cola heir Asa Candler Jr. The Georgia Mental Health Institute was built there in the 1960s and served as a treatment center for decades. A brochure for the institute once boasted of the building’s “ultra-modern design” and the state’s “forward looking attitude in the field of mental health.”

After the institute shut down, it was used as an office building by Emory faculty. In 2001, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution described one professor’s attempts to create a cozier environment by adding rugs, leather furniture and ficus trees to the space, noting there were still “steel grids over the windows that kept the suicidal from leaping and the criminally insane from escaping.”

A luxury resort that found new life during a pandemic lockdown

Shane Patton (Jake Lacy) tries to catch the attention of fellow guests Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) and Paula (Brittany O'Grady) at one of the luxury resort's pools in the "White Lotus." HBO

The resort in “The White Lotus” features numerous beachfront amenities, jaw-dropping views of Hawaii’s natural beauty and brightly colored rooms that reflect the personalities of the characters staying in them. It’s a gorgeous destination, but the show’s protagonists quickly find trouble in paradise.

You still have the infinity pool, the waterfall pool and the fountain pool. hotel manager Armond trying to reassure an angry guest

What it is in real life: Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

The backstory you haven’t heard: The coronavirus pandemic had virtually shut down tourism around the globe, and a state order forced the Four Seasons Resort Maui and other Hawaii hotels to close their doors temporarily. The normally fully booked resort was still closed when an HBO team asked about shooting “The White Lotus” there.

The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea has seen an increase in interest from travelers after appearing in "The White Lotus," spokeswoman Crissa Hiranaga says Courtesy Four Seasons Resort Maui

“We took a leap of faith that this was the right thing to do at a really strange time, and it all worked out amazingly,” says Crissa Hiranaga, a spokeswoman for the resort.

Suddenly having a large block of rooms reserved for the show and its production staff “was the best way to reopen the hotel, get people back on the payroll and do it in a super safe way,” Hiranaga says.

There are some big differences between the satire’s storyline and a real-life stay in the hotel, she says – and the room décor is much kitschier than the Four Seasons’ more modern style.

“It makes it look a little bit garish,” Hiranaga says.

Even though “The White Lotus” depicts dream vacations gone awry, Hiranaga says the real-life resort has still seen a recent increase in interest from travelers. And the show comes up frequently with visitors, too.

Like the fictional White Lotus, the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea boasts numerous pools, fountains and dramatic ocean views. Courtesy Four Seasons Resort Maui

“You can’t walk around the property without hearing people talk about it,” she says.

At one of the resort’s bars, now there’s even an off-menu cocktail dubbed “The White Lotus.”

How history shaped it: The Hawaiian property, which opened in 1990, was the Four Seasons’ first-ever resort, Hiranaga says.

A research lab that inspired Nobel prize-winning discoveries

Mark Scout (Adam Scott) heads into work at Lumon's corporate headquarters on "Severance." Apple

On “Severance,” a long driveway and vast parking lot lead Mark Scout back to Lumon’s corporate headquarters every day. He walks through a desolate, modern atrium before taking an elevator into a mysterious world of cubicles and white, windowless corridors.

Every time you find yourself here, it’s because you chose to come back. Mark S., attempting to reassure an anxious new coworker

What it is in real life: Bell Works, a redeveloped mixed use office space in Holmdel, New Jersey

The backstory you haven’t heard: The original aim for the building complex, which opened in the early 1960s, was to “bring about 6,000 of the greatest minds in the world together,” Ralph Zucker says. Back then it was Bell Labs, a famed research hub known for groundbreaking discoveries. Now it’s Bell Works, a redeveloped office complex that includes a food hall and numerous other amenities.

Bell Works, shown here during a 2018 job fair, aims to give workers more reasons to come to the office. Stephen Speranza/The New York Times/Redux

“If you come here on any given day, you might see a flash mob doing a dance routine, you’ll see a ballet class, you’ll see people playing a random pick-up game of basketball right in the middle of the atrium,” says Zucker, a partner in Bell Works and CEO of Inspired by Somerset Development.

On “Severance,” Lumon gets its workers to come back time and again by making them forget what their office is like through a dystopian medical procedure.

The interior scenes of "Severance," which feature stark white corridors and creepy, claustrophobic spaces, were filmed in a studio. Apple TV+

Zucker says the Bell Works team is taking a friendlier approach with its 2-million-square-foot building.

“We create a place that people can’t wait to come back to,” he says.

How history shaped it: Before its recent redevelopment, the Bell Labs complex was home to numerous groundbreaking discoveries, Zucker says. Among them, former Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s Nobel prize-winning research on laser cooling. Inside, this legacy endures on a wall that reminds visitors of the many patents from scientists who worked there.

The mausoleum built by a Coca-Cola heir

Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) stands flanked by armed guards at the home of drug lord Omar Navarro on "Ozark." Netflix

On “Ozark,” the gothic architecture and ornate doorways of Omar Navarro’s mansion often loom in the background during the drug lord’s calls with Wendy and Marty Byrde, and when the show’s protagonists meet with him in Mexico.

Welcome. Thank you for coming. I hope you had a pleasant journey. Omar Navarro, greeting Marty and Wendy a split second before they're met with a shocking surprise upon arriving at his home

What it is in real life: Westview Abbey, a mausoleum at an Atlanta cemetery.

The backstory you haven’t heard: The building was designed in Spanish Plateresque style, which Westview Cemetery Director of Administration Jeff Clemmons notes was known “for detailed and extensive ornamentation around doorways, windows and arcades.” Its three floors boast more than 70 stained glass windows, its crypts are covered by more than 35 types of marble and grand chandeliers illuminate the space, Clemmons writes in a history of the cemetery. The abbey’s memorial chapel hosts funerals and concerts, in addition to serving as a popular filming location for “Ozark” and other shows.

Westview Abbey in Atlanta is one of the largest mausoleum's in the country. Derek Storm/Everett Collection

How history shaped it: Coca-Cola heir Asa “Buddie” Candler Jr. – who Clemmons describes as “an avid yachtsman, car and aviation enthusiast and big game hunter” – ran the cemetery for 18 years and led the construction of Westview Abbey in the 1940s. The mausoleum is one of the largest in the country, with more than 11,000 crypts inside.

Catherine E. Shoichet Austin Steele
Catherine E. Shoichet
Austin Steele

Steve Martin has no regrets about 19 f-bombs in 'Planes, Trains and ...

For devoted fans, no Thanksgiving is complete without a helping of "Planes, Trains and Automobiles," which turned 35 on Friday.

The plight of Steve Martin's uptight advertising executive Neal Page – who finds himself stranded by travel delays with shower-curtain-ring salesman Del Griffith (comedy legend John Candy) and is just trying to get home to his family turkey dinner – is essential holiday viewing.

“Around Thanksgiving, it's kind of omnipresent," says Martin of the 1987 classic road comedy – now available in a 4K Ultra home release – that has been imbued with even more emotion after the deaths of Candy in 1994 and writer/director John Hughes in 2009.

"It's tragic," Martin says. "I'd like them to see how this movie has this momentum. When it came out, it did fine. But it was almost a bigger hit 10 years after."

Martin, 77, spoke to USA TODAY about insisting on shooting a car-rental scene without f-bombs, and the deleted scene he still misses.

'This is weirdly it':Steve Martin talks possible retirement after 'Only Murders in the Building'

Question: "Planes" was shot over 87 frigid days in climates from Buffalo, New York, to Braidwood, Illinois. How much real travel bled into the movie?

Answer: Everything in the movie happened while shooting the movie: missed connections, missed planes. So much moving around. We were supposed to shoot in one town, but there was no snow, so we moved everything to Buffalo. Part of the movie's joke is that John Candy's Del is wearing a parka while I'm wearing a suit. And it was truly 14 degrees when I'm hiking across that field after the train breaks down.

Five new books: Michelle Obama uplifts with 'The Light We Carry,' Steve Martin gets laughs

There's a deleted plane scene of John Candy riffing about the effects of "Psycho" on the shower-ring business. How much of the movie was ad-libbing?

There was a lot of ad-libbing, because John Hughes loved it. He wouldn't cut. These are the days of film, so you'd do a scene and hear the film run out (makes spinning noise). John and I would look into each other's eyes like, "Do we keep going?" Then we'd have to shoot ad-lib reaction shots and the day would be extended to 16 hours. This started as a 145-page script. Eventually, we realized that the movie was moving so slowly and weeks behind. John and I made an agreement: no more ad-libbing.

Did either of you break into laughter, especially during the ad-libs?

We laughed a lot. But we did the laughing part before rolling to get that out of our system as we'd work out what we were going to do. The scene in the motel bed with "those aren't pillows" we came up with on the set, and then we shot it.

It's funny how comfortable you two look snuggled up in that motel bed. How was that to shoot?

We were comfortable with each other, we liked each other. He would make me laugh. It's hard to explain why this was funny, but we were together so much that we would come onto the set and fake beat each other up. Sort of take the frustration out of lengthy days, but laughing.

'The Fabelmans' review:Steven Spielberg puts his life on screen, in rousing fashion

Was there ad-lib takes in Neal's famous rental car tirade?

I did not ad-lib. There's a certain rhythm to John's writing. And if you start just saying the f-word anytime you want, it's just going to fall out of whack and not be poetic.

You write in your new book, "Number One Is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions," that you shot that scene without the f-bombs?

I just thought it was practical. In those days, airplanes had cleaned-up versions. I said to (Hughes), "They're going to need it for airplanes." So we shot it. No swears. It was like, "I want a car right now!" As far as I know, it never saw the light of day or an airplane.

Fast-forward to a now-classic scene. So clearly no regrets about the f-bombs pushing the movie to rated R?

No, it's a famed scene. Mike Nichols, the great director, told me once, "In every movie you do, there should be a scene where you say to yourself, can we do that?" That certainly applies here.

What to watch this Thanksgiving holiday weekend:From a new 'Knives Out' to 'Devotion'

Is there a cut scene you really miss even now?

There's a scene at the very end where I go back to find John's character sitting alone in the train station. That's when the truth comes out. He doesn't have a home, he just travels. Then he said, "Usually, I'm fine. But around the holidays, I usually attach myself to someone. But this time, I couldn't let go." It's a very touching scene. I remember sitting across from John thinking, "Wow, this guy is killing this."

I was surprised the scene was trimmed way down. I never understood why and I didn't ask John because that's his business.

Timothée Chalamet:'Bones and All' star talks cannibalism, gore and ... Lucky Charms?

We pick the best TV shows of 2021, from 'Ted Lasso' to 'Mare of ...

In 2021, TV came back roaring.

After the production delays, rescheduled premieres and "Tiger King" obsession that defined TV in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 was slightly more normal on the small screen. Production resumed, and broadcast networks debuted their fall TV shows on time. "Succession" (finally) returned for Season 3. The Emmys were held in person, and all the favorites won.

And as much as the usual schedule of TV programming resumed, the quality of new shows improved after a disappointing 2020. Here's our take on 19 top picks of this year.

The only shocking 'Tiger King' 2 reveal:'We came up with a plan to decapitate' Joe Exotic

Why you can't stop watching rich people disintegrate on 'Succession,' 'Real Housewives'

(Bravo)

In its 18th season, one of the strengths of the reality cooking competition is its ability to adapt and change as it has aged. Who knew that filming under pandemic conditions, which required a small group of guest judges (all former contestants and winners) to appear in each episode and to keep the challenges even more focused on this year’s setting in Portland, Oregon , made “Chef” the best it's been in years. Diversifying the cuisine, from Pan-African to Native American, made the reality series feel not only fresh but vital. The season was marred by the sexual harassment allegations against the winner, Gabe Erales, but the innovation, community and creativity that the quarantined season inspired suggest “Chef" can continue for years.

(ABC)

Producers Lee Daniels and Saladin K. Patterson took on the monumental task of bringing a beloved sitcom back to life in a way that is both respectful and reminiscent of the original, but also its own unique series. Few remakes are as creatively successful as their new "Years," which follows a middle-class Black family in Montgomery, Alabama, in the late 1960s. Thoughtfully written and expertly acted by an ensemble led by Dulé Hill ("Psych" and "The West Wing"), "Wonder" is a wonder in the world of TV reboots.

Why Lee Daniels and ABC brought 'The Wonder Years' back with a Black family in the 1960s

17. 'Everything’s Gonna Be Okay'

(Freeform)

Not many TV series set in the modern era have smoothly incorporated the COVID-19 pandemic into their storylines, but Freeform’s teen dramedy was adept at conveying the seriousness of real life. In Season 2, “Everything," created by and starring Australian comedian Josh Thomas, continues the story of Nicholas (Thomas), a 20-something who becomes a guardian of his sisters Genevieve (Maeve Press) and Matilda (Kayla Cromer), who is on the autism spectrum, after their father dies. Although “Everything” spends much of Season 2 in quarantine, the show's humor isn't diminished. In fact, the claustrophobia of pandemic life served to enhance the show’s sense of humor and capacity for hijinks. Freeform canceled the series, but “Everything” will have a legacy as one of the most beloved series that never had time to age out of its brilliance.

Aidy Bryant on ‘wishful’ rewrites of her life on ‘Shrill’ and ‘overblown’ Elon Musk ‘SNL’ saga

16. 'Shrill'

(Hulu)

Aidy Bryant’s Hulu comedy saved the best for last. Its third and final season is a superb sendoff, featuring some of the actress's best work, along with banner scripts from the writers (including Bryant). Based on Lindy West’s memoir, “Shrill” started as a more singularly focused series about Annie (Bryant), a fat woman who spent most of her life trying to hide because of her weight, only to finally realize that while society was wrong for discriminating against her, she was never a bad person for being fat. In Season 3, Annie continues on that journey, navigating life as a single woman who's finally confident and self-assured. But it's the scene-stealing performance of Lolly Adefope, as Annie’s roommate, Fran – who becomes more of a lead than a supporting character this year – that elevates Season 3. The eight-episode season wraps up the story with care, but it’s hard not to want more.

(Peacock)

Created by Meredith Scardino and executive-produced by the “30 Rock” team of Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, “Girls” is a sweet comedy about a has-been 1990s girl pop group – played by Sara Bareilles, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Busy Philipps and Paula Pell – that tries to make it again in middle age. Occasionally, the series is nostalgic to a fault, but mostly it's a spot-on parody of what the music industry (and Hollywood) does to women who reach a certain age. With hilarious earworms (“Dream Girlfriends” and “The Splingy”), a cast brimming with energy and chemistry, “Girls” is the kind of happy-go-lucky sitcom that's perfect for a post-“Ted Lasso” world.

Emmys 2021 snubs:'Girls5Eva,' Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke and more

14. 'What We Do in the Shadows'

(FX)

Although it started off unevenly, the third season of FX's riotous vampire mockumentary offered some of its best episodes ever, from its character payoff to the sheer number of jokes that the writers packed into a half hour. With great performances, clever physical and aesthetic jokes and a cast perfectly in sync, "Shadows" has become one of TV's most reliably funny comedies.

13. 'Evil'

(Paramount+)

The second season of this supernatural thriller, from creators Robert and Michelle King ("The Good Wife"), started out strong and declined slightly in its second half. Still, a mostly good season of "Evil" is vastly better than much of what else is on television. The move to Paramount+ from CBS made it weirder, more horrifying and more ambitious, daring to go to further depths in its horror and mystical elements. It never lost the core appeal of its main characters, played by Katja Herbers, Mike Colter and Aasif Mandvi, even as the mythology became more complicated.

'She's perfect':Steve Martin praises his rap teacher, 'Only Murders' co-star Selena Gomez

'Reservation Dogs':FX's Oklahoma comedy shows 'Indigenous people are really funny'

(Hulu)

Steve Martin and Martin Short brought their considerable talents and longtime comedic partnership to TV with a little help from Selena Gomez for an endearing, breezy end-of-summer series. All play loners, residents of a swanky Manhattan apartment building who bond as lovers of true-crime podcasts. When there's a suspicious death in the building, they band together to solve it (while making their own podcast about it, of course). The 10-episode first season improves with each episode, building to a satisfying conclusion that leaves you wanting a second season, already in the works.

(FX on Hulu)

This dark comedy about a quartet of rebellious and delinquent Indigenous teens who live on a reservation in Oklahoma is utterly unique. It's not just that there are few shows on TV created by or about Indigenous people, but the specific tone, pacing and style "Reservation" carves out for itself is novel. Moody, meandering and meaningful, the series is about kids who are stuck in their hometown – and desperate to beg, borrow or steal enough money to get out – and each episode perfectly highlights that feeling of being trapped. It's a joy to watch, especially in its quietest moments.

(Netflix)

Margaret Qualley ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood") and her real-life mom Andie MacDowell star in this adaptation of Stephanie Land's memoir ("Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother's Will to Survive") about her life as a single mother who escapes an abusive relationship, only to wind up homeless and desperate, and eventually makes ends meet as a housekeeper. The drama offers a blistering portrayal of the realities of poverty as seen through the eyes of Alex (Qualley), who suffers a series of angering and unjust events as she tries to protect herself and her young daughter. It's hard to watch at times, but even harder to look away.

Kate Winslet on HBO’s ‘Mare of Easttown,’ her ‘Titanic’ accent and funny nickname from Jack Black

(HBO)

Kate Winslet shed her posh English accent for the dialect of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in this crime drama, with fantastic results. Winslet plays a local detective battling personal demons while investigating the murder of a young girl and the disappearance of two others, but it's far more than your basic prestige cop show. More compelling than the central mystery is Mare’s family life, including her struggle with trauma after the death of her son by suicide. The supporting cast deepens the narrative, including Jean Smart as Mare’s Fruit Ninja-slaying mother and Evan Peters as a young and hungry detective who's called in to help with the case and develops a puppy-dog crush on her. Layered, intimate and fully committed to its Philadelphia setting, “Mare” is so much better than it appears on the surface.

(Netflix)

The dark thriller about impoverished, desperate people competing in deadly children's games for the chance to win a fortune became the rare thing on TV in 2021: a bonafide word-of-mouth hit. Not even Netflix was prepared for how big this South Korean drama became as it surged to the top of the streamer's charts. And "Squid" has the substance to back up all the hype and memes. There is a visceral, gripping feeling to the series, which traffics in gore but also deep psychological horror and disturbances. The series will return for a second season by popular demand, and it's one of the few times art and commerce are so serendipitously aligned – and in a satirical series that deftly skewers capitalism, no less.

'Squid Game':Why everyone is obsessed with Netflix's brutal South Korean horror series

(Apple TV+)

Plenty of TV shows that hit it big with audiences, critics and Emmy voters in their first season flounder in their second, but thankfully, producer and star Jason Sudeikis' "Lasso" isn't one of them. The comedy, about an American football coach drafted to lead a British soccer team, was a warm light of positivity in 2020, a deeply funny and meaningful show with lovable characters. In its second season, the tone turned serious as the writers explored a deeper story about mental health and trauma. But in spite of Ted's journey, the ethos was never lost, and a smart finale set up what is sure to be a terrific third season.

(HBO)

Cringeworthy, hilarious and genuinely shocking, the breakout HBO summer miniseries became a sleeper social-media hit, thanks to its impeccably cast stars and creator Mike White’s (“Enlightened") acerbic brand of comedy. Dreamed up by White as a series that could be easily filmed under COVID-19-safe protocols, was well-written, well-acted and shot against a gorgeous Hawaiian backdrop. “Lotus” follows guests and staff at a Hawaiian resort in the days leading up to a mysterious death on the premises. But the series is so much more than a murder mystery or an upstairs/downstairs drama. “Lotus” is satire at its best – a biting critique of the uber-wealthy that is nonetheless realistic about who has the power in our capitalist culture. (Spoiler alert: it’s the people with all the money.)

How HBO satire 'The White Lotus' hit uncomfortably close to home for creator Mike White

5. 'We Are Lady Parts'

(Peacock)

Short, pithy and outrageously funny, Peacock’s British import about an all-Muslim girl punk band in London is both far too unacknowledged for its brilliance and the best original series Peacock has released so far. The series kicks off with the band's search for a lead guitarist, which leads to the discovery of Amina (Anjana Vasan), a shy player with stage fright who's unlucky in love. The young cast has wonderful chemistry, the music is lively and the writing feels utterly unique.

(HBO Max)

All hail Jean Smart. The veteran actress received acclaim and a well-deserved Emmy for her superb HBO Max comedy. As Deb Vance, a Joan Rivers-style comedian with a Las Vegas residency and a QVC empire, Smart is in her element and at her best, a prickly diva with hidden depths. When Deb’s residency is threatened, she is forced to take on Ava (Hannah Einbinder, a revelation), a young, self-centered comedy writer who is similarly coerced into working with Deb after a dumb tweet leaves her jobless. The two actors make an electric pair, and the show combines sharp wit with a great deal of realism and emotion.

(HBO Max)

Succinct, accomplished and desperately affecting, this British import from creator Russell T. Davies (“Queer as Folk”) is a stirring chronicle of the 1980s AIDS crisis. As told from the point of view of a group of young gay men living in London, “Sin” chooses character over exploitative tragedy when dramatizing how AIDS ripped through their lives, whether or not they were infected by the disease. The group includes Ritchie (Olly Alexander), a young, charming actor who first refuses to believe a disease could kill only gay men; Roscoe (Omari Douglas), who fled his conservative family for freedom and love; and Colin (Callum Scott Howells), a naïve young tailor tagging along with the cool kids who's tickled to be included. Perfectly paced, set to the beat of '80s pop bangers and the neon lights of dance clubs, “Sin” transcends the label of mere “AIDS drama.”

'I was always a late bloomer':Jean Smart on her new comedy 'Hacks,' becoming the queen of HBO at 69

Review:HBO Max's AIDS crisis drama 'It's A Sin' is the best show of 2021 so far

(Amazon)

Brutal, unflinching, hopeful and epic, Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is a tour de force miniseries that was criminally overlooked at this year’s Emmy awards. Combining “Moonlight” director Jenkins’ distinct style with Whitehead’s ahistorical, yet deeply familiar, story of a literal railroad, "Underground" centers on Cora (Thuso Mbedu), an enslaved woman who takes a train toward freedom but finds horrifying facets of America along her way. With Mbedu’s performance, the haunting score and Jenkins’ direction, “Underground” is a worthy if sometimes difficult journey.

(Apple TV+)

Apple’s alternate history of the space race, which posits what might have happened had the Soviet Union beaten the U.S. to the moon and the competition for the final frontier never ended, was a smart, appealing series in its first season. In this year’s second season, however, it rocketed ahead to a possible spot on a list of TV’s all-time great dramas. That’s thanks to a sprawling, effortlessly talented cast led by Joel Kinnaman, a plausible alternate reality, superb writing and riveting action set pieces. The series is at its best in the second-season finale, involving a U.S.-Soviet standoff in space with the stakes of the Cuban missile crisis. “Mankind” asks big questions and doesn’t shy away from the worst tendencies of 20th-century America, all without careening into pedantic and patronizing territory. "Mankind" truly flies.

'I know how fraught those images are':Barry Jenkins on portraying slavery in 'The Underground Railroad'

'For All Mankind' fact check:How Apple TV's space series mirrors real moon-landing history

What you didn't see at the Emmys: Will Smith stage warning ...

LOS ANGELES – Not all the drama was televised during the Emmy Awards Monday night.

At 26, Zendaya made history as the youngest two-time acting winner after nabbing another best actress Emmy for "Euphoria," , while Michael Keaton forgave his doubters during his acceptance speech after winning his Emmy for "Dopesick."

But much of the action took place during off-camera moments at the Microsoft Theater as Hollywood's biggest stars wined, dined and schmoozed on tables surrounding the Emmy stages, surrounded by window panels of the Los Angeles skyline below a twinkling ceiling of white lights.

Here's what you didn't see during the broadcast.

Emmys 2022 winners list:'Succession,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'The White Lotus' and more big wins

Best and worst moments: See the top moments of the 2022 Emmy Awards

Emmy producer: Stay off the stage, no bad dancing for the camera

There wasn't going to be an Emmy stage incident Monday night.

Nearly six months since Will Smith's Oscar stage attack on Chris Rock, Emmy producer, writer and comedian Chris Spencer vowed dire consequences to any potential stage offenders during the pre-show audience warm-up session.

"If any of you come onto this stage, just know that you will get your (butt) kicked," Spencer said, joking that the audience was filled with MMA fighters ready to enforce the law. "Just know if there's a will, there's a way. And that way is going to be a trophy aside your head."

Spencer also laid down the law on 45-second award acceptance speeches, saying that the song "Hit the Road Jack" would play if long-winded winners ignored the first polite warning music.

"If you go over 45 seconds, you are going to be interrupted by this song," he said.

Bad dancers in the audience were asked not to shake it during the musical opening number.

"If you can't dance, sit your (butt) down," Spencer said. "The camera needs to capture people who can dance."

Backstage at the 2022 Emmys: Quinta Brunson jokes she might 'punch' Jimmy Kimmel

Who was that announcing the Emmys? What to know about comedian Sam Jay.

Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short killed it in the building

Watching the "Only Murders in the Building" crew during the Emmys was like watching an episode of the Hulu series. Selena Gomez arrived late to the show, zipping into her empty seat at the "Murders" table with apologies during the first commercial break. Her nominated co-stars Martin Short and Steve Martin immediately jumped to attention with big smiles and hugs, and the trio began posing for pictures. Then the crew chatted and laugh through the show as fellow actors, such as "Succession" star Brian Cox, paid visits.

They smiled even as the butt of jokes from the stage, and through losing out on their Emmy. Both Martin and Short stood up to applaud and shake hands with the passing Jason Sudeikis, as the "Ted Lasso" star took the award for best actor in a comedy. Later, Short gallantly jumped from his seat to escort Jean Smart up the stage steps to accept her "Hacks" Emmy.

Emmys 2022:'Succession' wins best drama, 'Ted Lasso' takes top comedy for second time

That beautiful stage bar was fake

The bartender skit with Kumail Nanjiani might not have worked during the show. But there was no denying that multi-level, fully lit stage bar was impressive. The bar was, however, a stage prop.

A sign warned potential customers before the show, "Sorry folks, this is not a real bar." Spencer also warned, "This bar is not real, do not touch this."

Not to worry: The stars had plenty of real bars in the venue and bottles of wine on the table.

'This is what believing looks like':Sheryl Lee Ralph schools Emmys with 'Abbott Elementary' win

Henry Winkler photobombs Zendaya, Lizzo while taking selfie

Superstar Zendaya became an even hotter celestial being with her Emmy win. After the "Euphoria" star made a low-key return to her table, Lizzo decided to make a congratulatory visit during the commercial break, clutching her own Emmy for "Lizzo's Watch Out For The Big Grrrls."

As the two new Emmy-winners hugged and posed for pictures, a giggling "Barry" star Henry Winkler popped up behind them and pulled off a double-photobomb – not only appearing in the duo's pictures, but filming himself in the act with his own phone.

Zendaya caught on and laughingly chided Winkler, who returned to his table still cracking up at his own gag. Lizzo made her way back to her own seat, requiring two friends to carry her lengthy gown train through the crowd of tables.

During the same short break, Andrew Garfield ventured over for Zendaya greetings, staying to talk until the stage announcer warned that the telecast was seconds away. Garfield broke away, and sauntered across the stage to his own seat just in time.

From Amanda Seyfried to Zendaya:The 10 best dressed celebs at 2022 Emmy Awards

It's about damn time:Lizzo celebrates on-screen representation in Emmys acceptance speech

Michael Keaton congratulates after-party band during their song

Keaton wowed on stage during his "Dopesick" acceptance speech, then rocked out at the Governor's Gala that followed the awards next door. Keaton kept his head down as he pulled his date through the crowd to the bar for drinks – and then back to a table – as if on a mission to celebrate. As the live band played, Keaton got the fever. He sprinted up to the stage beaming and high-fived each of the four singers midsong to congratulate them for their vocal performances.

But the after-party's biggest stars were the "Ted Lasso" crew, who stayed together en masse long after the crowd thinned out. Emmy winners Brett Goldstein and Sudeikis celebrated with the crew and fellow stars such as Hannah Waddingham. With four big wins, including best comedy, there was a virtual herd of "Ted Lasso" Emmys placed on the table. Appreciative fans posed for pictures with the stars, even holding the Emmy trophies, before the raucous crew finally headed for the exits.

Highland Park gunman admitted to firing on parade crowd and ...

CNN —

The gunman in Monday’s massacre at a Fourth of July parade in the Illinois city of Highland Park admitted he carried out the attack, killing seven and wounding dozens of others, prosecutors said in court Wednesday.

Robert E. Crimo III, 21, told authorities in a voluntary statement that he “looked down his sights, aimed and opened fire” on paradegoers, emptying two 30-round magazines before loading his weapon with a third and firing again, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Ben Dillon alleged during a virtual bail hearing.

A judge ordered Crimo, who appeared at the hearing wearing black, to be held without bail on seven charges of first-degree murder. A conviction would result in a sentence of life imprisonment without parole, but more charges could be filed in the future, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said.

“For each individual that was hurt, people can anticipate an attempted murder charge as well as an aggravated battery with a firearm charge,” Rinehart said in a news conference following the hearing. He added: “Every time he fires a bullet at an individual, he is committing aggravated discharge of a weapon, whether he hit someone or not. There will be many more charges coming in the coming weeks.”

Crimo was appointed a public defender and is due in court again July 28.

According to authorities, the shooter opened fire from a rooftop on a Highland Park business as the parade was underway just after 10 a.m. CT on Monday.

Crimo dressed in women’s clothing to conceal his identity and used makeup to cover his tattoos, investigators believe. He left the roof and blended in with the fleeing crowd, Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesperson Chris Covelli previously said.

Five people shot at the parade were pronounced dead at the scene, officials said, and two people hospitalized succumbed to wounds. A total of 39 patients were transported to medical facilities “by either ambulance or other means,” according to Jim Anthony with NorthShore University Health System, and two patients remain hospitalized as of Wednesday afternoon.

Surveillance video from the scene showed a person running west with a black bag over the shoulder immediately after the shooting, Dillon said Wednesday, outlining the events of July Fourth. While the individual was running, an object wrapped in cloth fell to the pavement. The subject left the object and continued running.

When it was recovered, authorities identified the object as a Smith & Wesson M&P15 semi-automatic rifle, Dillon said. One round was in the chamber, but there was no magazine inserted.

On the rooftop, investigators recovered the three 30-round magazines and 83 shell casings, Dillon said.

Complete coverage of the Highland Park shooting

Chairs, bicycles, strollers and balloons were left behind at the scene of the mass shooting in Highland Park. Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/TNS/Getty Images

Shooter ‘seriously contemplated’ committing a second shooting

Crimo is believed by authorities to have planned the attack for weeks, and the rifle he used and another he allegedly had when he was arrested by police appear to have been purchased legally in Illinois, Covelli said. Other guns were recovered from his home in nearby Highwood.

There could have been even more carnage: According to a police spokesperson, Crimo drove to Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday following the Illinois shooting, and contemplated an attack.

Crimo saw “a celebration that was occurring … and he seriously contemplated using the firearm he had in his vehicle to commit another shooting in Madison,” Covelli told reporters after Wednesday’s hearing, identifying the weapon as a Kel-Tec rifle, a foldable carbine available as a 9 mm or .40 caliber. Crimo had approximately 60 rounds of ammunition in his car at the time, Covelli said.

Authorities have released this image of a gun that was located in Crimo's car after he was taken into custody Monday evening. Lake County Major Crime Task Force

“We don’t have information to suggest he planned on driving to Madison initially to commit another attack. (But) we do believe that he was driving around following the first attack and saw the celebration,” Covelli said.

“Indications are that he hadn’t put enough thought or research into it,” Covelli said.

Covelli again declined to address the suspect’s motive, telling reporters he didn’t want to go into specific details about what Crimo told investigators.

“However, he had some type of affinity towards the numbers 4 and 7, and the inverse was 7/4,” Covelli said, referring to Monday’s date, July 4. According to Covelli, Crimo’s affinity “comes from music that he’s interested in.”

Officials have no information to suggest Monday’s shooting was “racially motivated, motivated by religion, or any other protected status,” Covelli said.

Gunman had prior contact with police

As another community reels after a shocking mass shooting, the town’s mayor is questioning how the gunman was able to purchase weapons given his previous encounters with law enforcement.

Yet information released by state and local police shows the shooter previously required officer intervention over threats of violence and mental health concerns.

Crimo had two encounters with police in 2019 over fears for his safety and that of others, information that prompted Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering to wonder how Crimo was able to later legally obtain firearms.

The Highland Park Police Department received a report in April 2019 that Crimo had earlier attempted suicide, Covelli said Tuesday. Police spoke with Crimo and his parents and the matter was handled by mental health professionals, he said.

In September that year, a relative reported that Crimo threatened family members – to “kill everyone” – and had a collection of knives, Covelli said. Police removed 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from their home.

Highland Park police submitted a “Clear and Present Danger” report about the visit to the Illinois State Police, the state agency said. Family members were not willing to file additional complaints, the state police said in a Tuesday news release.

The knives confiscated by Highland Park police were returned the same day after Crimo’s father claimed they were his, the state police said.

Over the next two years, Crimo legally purchased five guns, according to Covelli – including rifles, pistols and possibly a shotgun. State police confirmed Tuesday that Crimo passed four background checks between June 2020 and September 2021 when purchasing firearms, which included checks of the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

To buy guns in Illinois, people need a Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card. Crimo was under 21, so he was sponsored by his father, state police said. Crimo’s application was not denied as there was “insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger” at the time.

Rinehart, the Lake County state’s attorney, told a CNN reporter at the news conference he didn’t want to comment on whether there could be charges for Crimo’s father or other relatives.

CNN legal analyst Areva Martin said parents historically haven’t been charged in mass shootings until recently, as in the case of a 15-year-old who allegedly killed four fellow students at a Michigan high school in November.

Parents Jennifer and James Crumbley have each pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors say their negligence allowed their son, Ethan, access to the weapon used in that mass shooting.

Martin said Illinois prosecutors would have to establish reasonable foreseeability if they want to prosecute Crimo’s father.

“The question this prosecutor’s going to have to ask (is) was it reasonably foreseeable that someone who had made a suicide attempt and who had threatened to kill others would lead that person … to commit the crime against the paradegoers,” she said.

“And if the answer to that question is yes … there definitely could be manslaughter charges filed against his dad, who did sign that consent form and gave consent for him to gain access to the high-powered weapon and weapons that were used.”

Mayor Rotering – who said she knew the shooter as a boy in a Cub Scouts pack she’d led – said she is “looking forward to an explanation” of how Crimo was able to obtain guns, saying Highland Park police had filed the necessary reports.

“We know that in other countries people suffer from mental illness, they suffer from anger, maybe they play violent video games, but they can’t get their hands on these weapons of war and they can’t bring this kind of carnage to their hometowns. This has to stop,” the mayor told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Tuesday, noting the state has “red flag” laws but adding people need to speak up if they see warning signs.

The only offense included in the shooter’s legal history was a January 2016 ordinance violation for possession of tobacco, police said, which occurred when he was a juvenile.

A woman views the candles and flowers left the victims of the parade shooting on July 5, 2022 in Highland Park. Taylor Glascock for CNN

7 victims identified by officials

Authorities identified six of the seven victims killed in the shooting on Tuesday, and a seventh was identified Wednesday:

• 64-year-old Katherine Goldstein of Highland Park

• 35-year-old Irina McCarthy of Highland Park

• 37-year-old Kevin McCarthy of Highland Park

• 63-year-old Jacquelyn Sundheim of Highland Park

• 88-year-old Stephen Straus of Highland Park

• 78-year-old Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza of Morelos, Mexico

• 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo of Waukegan, Illinois

Irina and Kevin McCarthy were with their 2-year-old son, Aiden, who was found alive and taken to safety, their family told CNN.

Aiden survived because his father shielded him with his body, his grandfather, Michael Levberg, told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Aiden was taken to a police station, and Levberg picked him up, the grandfather told the Chicago Tribune.

“When I picked him up, he said, ‘Are Mommy and Daddy coming soon?” Levberg said Tuesday, according to the Tribune. “He doesn’t understand.”

Travis Caldwell Jason Hanna Dakin Andone

New York Post: Father of Highland Park gunman wants his son to ...

CNN —

Days after a gunman killed seven and wounded dozens more in a rampage at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, the shooter’s father told the New York Post he wants his son to serve a long prison sentence.

Yellow barricade tape stretched down the sidewalks along Central Avenue, the main route for the Fourth of July parade that was shattered by gunfire. Authorities said the gunman fired a semi-automatic rifle from a business rooftop at crowds below before fleeing the scene.

Robert E. Crimo III, 21, who was arrested later Monday in connection with the shooting in suburban Chicago, admitted to authorities he was the gunman, prosecutors alleged Wednesday during a court hearing where a judge denied Crimo bond.

He faces seven counts of first-degree murder and a sentence of life in prison, if convicted. Illinois abolished capital punishment in 2011.

“I want a long sentence,” the suspect’s father, Robert Crimo Jr., said, according to a report by the Post. “That’s life. You know you have consequences for actions. He made a choice. He didn’t have to do that.”

Crimo will face additional charges for those he wounded, along with the murder charges already filed, Lake County State’s Attorney Eric Rinehart said. “It’s vital to the healing of this community that every single victim receives justice,” Rinehart told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer on Wednesday.

Also revealed publicly Wednesday: After the shooting, Crimo drove to Wisconsin’s capital of Madison on Monday and contemplated a shooting there before deciding against it, authorities said. That might have been one of two narrowly avoided mass gun attacks at July Fourth celebrations nationwide. Police in Virginia say a tip may have foiled a separate attack plot, unrelated to Crimo, in Richmond.

In Highland Park, residents have been paying their respects in the days following the shooting to those killed or wounded, with some overcome with emotion, others kneeling in prayer.

A mourner visits a memorial for the victims of a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade, on Wednesday in Highland Park, Illinois. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

Hundreds gathered at a candlelight vigil Wednesday night at nearby Everts Park, where a multitude of orange ribbons – signifying gun violence awareness – were seen hanging as “Amazing Grace” was played on bagpipes.

As the grieving continues, more people are coming forward to share their experiences the morning of the shooting, including Lily Wathen, who was about to begin marching in the parade when gunfire broke out. Her grandparents were sitting “right across from where the shooter” was located, she told CNN.

“Every single year of my life, we’ve gone to this parade, and they wanted to be there specifically so that when I passed by in the parade, I would be able to find them there,” Wathen said.

Her grandfather was struck by shrapnel in his shoulder, barely missing his lungs, but doctors say he will make a full recovery, she said.

The trauma of the event, however, has “shaken a lot of people up,” she said. “It’s hard to say how we’ll be in a year, but for right now, it’s scary to even think about going back.”

Two people wounded remained hospitalized at NorthShore University Health System facilities as of Wednesday afternoon and were in stable condition, according to spokesperson Jim Anthony. A total of 39 people had been treated for injuries, he said, and an 8-year-old boy was transferred to UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital, which confirmed the child is in critical but stable condition.

A woman views the candles and flowers left for the victims of the July 4th parade shooting on Tuesday, July 5, 2022 in Highland Park, Illinois. Taylor Glascock for CNN A woman lights a candle at a memorial for the victims. Taylor Glascock for CNN Ellie Zuckerman, left, 18, holds her friend Ava Turner , 17, during a vigil for the victims on July 5. Taylor Glascock for CNN Elizabeth Zweiback cries during a candlelight vigil for the victims. Zweiback and her husband were marching in the parade with the Maureen Township food bank when the attack started. "We ran for our lives," she said. Taylor Glascock for CNN Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to a crowd of journalists and onlookers on July 5. "Yesterday, it should have been a day to come together with family and friends to celebrate our nation's independence and instead, that community suffered a violent tragedy," Harris said, adding that "we need to stop this violence." Taylor Glascock for CNN Journalists and residents listen during a press conference on July 5. Taylor Glascock for CNN A Lake Forest police officer walks down Central Avenue in Highland Park on July 4. Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/AP Members of the FBI evidence response team work at the scene a day after the shooting in downtown Highland Park on July 5. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP According to authorities, suspect Robert E. Crimo III was taken into custody near Lake Forest, Illinois, just before 8 p.m. ET. WLS A body is transported from the scene of the shooting on July 4. Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/AP Students are escorted by police officers to safety after a mass shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade on Monday. Nam Y. Huh/AP Law enforcement officers searched a building for the man suspected of shooting multiple people on Monday in Highland Park, Illinois, who was still at large. Nam Y. Huh/AP Law enforcement officers help evacuate people from a store in Highland Park on Monday. Brian Cassella/AP Officers on the scene after a shooting in Highland Park. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images Officers investigate the scene of the shooting. Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Sgt. Chris Covelli of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force speaks to the media. Youngrae Kiim/AFP/Getty images A woman wipes tears after a shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade. Nam Y. Huh/AP Law enforcement officers investigate the scene of the shooting. Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Chairs and bicycles lie abandoned after people fled the scene. Police said they recovered a rifle on the roof where they believe the shooter was located. Tannen Maury/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock A police officer reacts as he walks in downtown Highland Park after the shooting on July 4. Nam Y. Huh/AP Police gather at the scene of the shooting in Highland Park on Monday. WLS-TV/ABC7/Reuters In pictures: 4th of July shooting in Highland Park, Illinois Prev Next

Suspect’s father thought he would use weapons at shooting range, report says

The suspect’s father decided to sponsor his son’s firearm owner’s identification card (FOID), a document needed to buy a weapon in Illinois, because he thought his son would take the weapons to a shooting range, the New York Post reported.

“He bought everything on his own, and they’re registered to him,” Crimo Jr. told the Post.

“They make me like I groomed him to do all this,” he said, according to the report, which comes amid questions over whether Crimo’s parents could face charges. “I’ve been here my whole life, and I’m gonna stay here, hold my head up high, because I didn’t do anything wrong.”

In a separate interview with ABC News, Crimo Jr. acknowledged he “filled out the consent form to allow my son to go through the process that the Illinois State Police have in place for an individual to obtain a FOID card.”

“They do background checks,” he said. “Whatever that entails, I’m not exactly sure. And either you’re approved or denied, and he was approved.”

CNN’s calls to Crimo Jr. have not been returned. Crimo Jr.’s attorney, Steve Greenberg, told CNN they would not be making any further public comments, “but the parents will continue to speak with law-enforcement and to assist them.”

Rinehart, the county state’s attorney, told CNN on Thursday there is no criminal liability for sponsoring someone’s FOID, but added the office is still going through evidence “in terms of who knew what when.”

“There’s different ways to look at potential criminal liability in this case,” Rinehart said. “There’s not a, per se, violation of law if you vouch for somebody in a FOID card and they end up doing something terrible like this. But, having said that, we are continuing to investigate the case and continuing to explore all options.”

In addition to wanting to see his son serve a long sentence, Crimo Jr. told the Post he is “furious” over his alleged actions, adding that the night before the shooting, the two discussed a 22-year-old Danish man suspected of shooting and killing three people at a mall outside Copenhagen on Sunday.

“He goes, ‘Yeah, that guy is an idiot.’ That’s what he said!” Crimo Jr. recalled, saying his son added, “People like that … (commit mass shootings) to amp up the people that want to ban all guns.”

“I talked to him 13 hours before (Monday’s massacre). That’s why I guess I’m in such shock. … Like, did he have a psychiatric break or something?” Crimo Jr. said, per the Post.

The suspected shooter’s uncle, Paul Crimo, told CNN on Thursday that his nephew “showed no aggression towards me or nothing.”

“There’s no indications of nothing, that I saw, that would lead to all this,” he told CNN. The uncle added that he did not know where his nephew got the money to pay for the guns he purchased and said he had no knowledge of them.

“He lives in the back apartment, we don’t see each other,” he said.

“I’m sorry, I mean, from the bottom of my heart, I mean, I’m devastated and my heart, my thoughts and prayers goes out to all the victims, the families and everybody that got hurt, the community, everybody,” the uncle added.

Suspect contemplated second attack, police say

Following the shooting in Highland Park, Crimo left the scene and drove to Madison, Wisconsin, where he “seriously contemplated” committing another shooting, according to Lake County Major Crime Task Force Deputy Chief Chris Covelli.

The firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered near the scene, but Crimo had another gun in his vehicle during his arrest, police said. That weapon was a Kel-Tec rifle, Covelli said Wednesday. Crimo had approximately 60 rounds of ammunition in his car at the time, Covelli added.

When Crimo located another celebration in the Madison area, he “seriously contemplated using the firearm he had in his vehicle to commit another shooting,” Covelli said, though “indications are that he hadn’t put enough thought and research into it.”

The FBI alerted Madison police Monday afternoon that Crimo was on the run and may be in the area, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said Wednesday. “We feel for the grieving families in Highland Park and all those forever impacted by the events of Monday’s shooting. We recognize tragedy very well could have taken place in our own community,” said Barnes.

After he was detained Monday evening in northern Illinois, Crimo “went into details about what he had done; he admitted to what he had done” in voluntary statements during questioning to Highland Park police, Covelli said.

Crimo was appointed a public defender and is due in court again July 28.

Covelli declined to address the suspect’s motive Wednesday, telling reporters he didn’t want to go into specific details about what Crimo told investigators.

“However, he had some type of affinity towards the numbers 4 and 7, and the inverse was 7/4,” Covelli said, referring to Monday’s date, July 4. Crimo’s affinity “comes from music that he’s interested in,” said Covelli.

Video Ad Feedback 'Chilling': CNN's Josh Campbell describes gunman's demeanor at hearing 01:05 - Source: CNN

Crimo had prior contact with police

Crimo had purchased weapons in Illinois despite two encounters with police in 2019 over fears for his safety and that of others, information released by state and local police shows.

Highland Park police received a report in April 2019 that Crimo had earlier attempted suicide, Covelli said Tuesday. Police spoke with Crimo and his parents and the matter was handled by mental health professionals, he said.

In September that year, a relative reported Crimo threatened family members – to “kill everyone” – and had a collection of knives, Covelli said. Police removed 16 knives, a dagger and a sword from their home.

The knives were “just a collection,” Crimo Jr. told the Post. “You know, I used to collect coins and baseball cards.”

Highland Park police submitted a “Clear and Present Danger” report about the visit to the Illinois State Police, the state agency said. Family members were not willing to file additional complaints, the state police said in a Tuesday news release.

The knives confiscated by Highland Park police were returned the same day after Crimo’s father said they were his, the state police said.

Over the next two years, Crimo legally purchased five guns, according to Covelli – including rifles, pistols and possibly a shotgun. Crimo passed four background checks between June 2020 and September 2021 when buying firearms, which included checks of the federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System, state police said Tuesday.

Crimo’s application for a FOID card – sponsored by his father because his son was under 21 – was not denied because there was “insufficient basis to establish a clear and present danger” at the time, state police said.

Rinehart, the Lake County state’s attorney, declined to comment Wednesday on whether Crimo’s father or other relatives could face charges.

Parents of accused shooters historically haven’t been charged in mass shootings until recently – as in the case of a 15-year-old accused of killing four fellow students at a Michigan high school in November, CNN legal analyst Areva Martin said.

Michigan prosecutors say the negligence of parents Jennifer and James Crumbley allowed their son, Ethan, access to the weapon used in that mass shooting. Each has pleaded not guilty to four counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Illinois prosecutors would have to establish reasonable foreseeability if they want to prosecute Crimo’s father, Martin said.

“The question this prosecutor’s going to have to ask (is) was it reasonably foreseeable that someone who had made a suicide attempt and who had threatened to kill others would lead that person … to commit the crime against the paradegoers,” she said.

“And if the answer to that question is yes … there definitely could be manslaughter charges filed against his dad, who did sign that consent form and gave consent for him to gain access to the high-powered weapon and weapons that were used.”

Travis Caldwell Joe Sutton Rebekah Riess

'Stranger Things' Season 4 recap: Who died? What's next for ...

Spoiler alert! The following contains details from the "Stranger Things 4" finale, Episodes 8 and 9.

You can stop holding your breath! Steve didn’t die!

The final two episodes of Season 4 of Netflix’s "Stranger Things" (streaming now) sent fans into a frenzy of uncertainty over whether their favorite character will live to see another season. Fans of Steve (Joe Keery), Robin (Maya Hawke) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) can now breathe a sigh of relief for the fifth and final season.

The same unfortunately can’t be said for lovers of Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn), the free-spirited unapologetic leader of the HellFire club that fans impulsively cherished since the season premiere.

In a heroic effort to distract the demogorgons so his friends could kill Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower), Eddie meets his demise after being brutally murdered in the Upside Down. Dustin screaming at the loss of his friend and idol — moments after Eddie told him to never change — made the scene all the more heartbreaking. Dustin tells Eddie’s uncle that his son died a hero and stayed true to himself.

Max (Sadie Sink) came close to joining Eddie in the afterlife after being possessed and nearly killed by Vecna/Henry/001 without the power of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.”

Review:'Stranger Things 4' loses its magic, and the overlong finale doesn't help

That song:Kate Bush reacts after 'Stranger Things' gives 'Running Up That Hill' a 'whole new lease of life'

Showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer, who wrote and directed both episodes, temporarily convince fans that Max is dead as Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) shrieks and holds her still twisted body. After Max’s heart stops beating for a minute, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) uses her powers to bring Max back to life.

The end of Episode 8 includes the death of Eleven’s twisted “Papa” aka Dr. Martin Brenner (Matthew Modine), who is shot repeatedly by military soldiers sent to kill Eleven, who eventually kills them by crashing their helicopter to the ground.

Unpacking those 'Stranger Things' fights

After realizing she is supposed to be the fourth victim to open a gate from the Upside Down to Hawkins, Max volunteers to be bait for Vecna. She takes off her headphones so Vecna can possess her mind while Nancy, Steve and Robin try to burn his body.

Eleven helps Max by fighting Vecna in the Upside Down while her body is in a tub at a Surfer Boy Pizza restaurant across the country, with Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) and Argyle (Eduardo Franco) assisting her.

To make matters worse, Jason (Mason Dye) threatens to ruin the plan by holding Lucas at gunpoint and demanding he wake up Max, convinced that all the killings going on are related to Lucas and his friend's HellFire club. Lucas brawls with Jason, fighting for his and everyone else’s life before managing to knock Jason unconscious.

Violence warning: 'Stranger Things' receives 'graphic violence' warning ahead of Season 4 after Uvalde shooting

Copying allegations:Is ‘Stranger Things’ a rip-off? Aspiring screenwriter sues Netflix, Duffer brothers for script similarities

Vecna almost defeats Eleven, trapping her and forcing her to watch as he tries to kill Max, but Will’s words of belief and vulnerability enable Eleven to triumph. Steve and Robyn succeed at burning Vecna’s physical body while Nancy fires at him with a shotgun, defeating him at last (or at least for this episode).

Meanwhile in the Russian prison, Hopper (David Harbour) slays a full-size demogorgon with a sword. Enzo (Tom Wlaschiha) and Yuri (Nikola Djuricko) rescue Hopper and Joyce (Winona Ryder) via helicopter. It’s also worth mentioning Murray (Brett Gelman) scorched multiple demogorgons with a flamethrower.

Joyce and Hopper make it home to Hawkins and reunite with their children.

What to expect from Season 5

Season 4 ends with Hawkins enduring mass destruction caused by Vecna's gate to the Upside Down. The characters see particles floating everywhere, flower fields dying and dark clouds with red lighting consuming the town as Vecna succeeds at opening the gate.

With a death toll of 22, hospitals flooded and many residents still missing, it's clear the characters are in for one last wild ride for the final season.

Max remains in a coma surrounded by friends, with doctors unsure if she will ever wake up again. Eleven grabs her hand and appears to try to communicate telepathically. Yet with her technically still living, fans can hopefully see her wake up in Season 5.

During Mike and Will’s conversation, Mike says Eleven isn’t used to losing the way she did with Vecna, and Will informs him that she will have another chance.

“Now that I’m here in Hawkins, I can feel him and he’s hurt. He’s hurting but he’s still alive,” Will tells Mike. “He’s not going to stop ever. Not until he’s taken everything and everyone. We have to kill him.”

See also: How the 'Stranger Things' kids navigate monster personal drama, 'shared trauma' in Season 4

More: Winona Ryder talks being a 'Stranger Things' mom and Gen X icon: 'I was never the first choice'

The final season likely will show Eleven and the rest of the characters attempting to defeat Vecna for good with a clearer understanding of who he is and his weaknesses.

Unlike the previous three seasons, which end with most of the characters oblivious to the next season’s conflict, Season 4's cliffhanger promises fans a climatic final installment. Hopefully the residents of Hawkins will have peace in the end — but not before more destruction.

Photos: People we've lost in 2022 | CNN

1. How relevant is this ad to you?

Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues