Maggie Smith, Star of Stage, Film and ‘Downton Abbey,’ Dies at 89

In a sad turn of events, Maggie Smith – the exceptionally talented actress known for her captivating performances that often outshone others, who received an Oscar for “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” in 1969 and found a new generation of admirers as the Countess of Grantham in “Downton Abbey” and Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series – passed away on Friday. She was 89 years old.

Game of Thrones vet Kristian Nairn likes House of the Dragon, but thinks season 2 was “different”

Approximately five years have passed since the conclusion of “Game of Thrones”, yet HBO has continued to ignite interest with spinoff series such as “House of the Dragon“, taking place a century prior to the original tale in Westeros, where dragons were still abundant. The initial season was warmly received by fans, who delighted in encountering fresh characters wielding power, while the second season garnered mixed reviews, though it generally held its ground, particularly episodes like “The Red Dragon and the Gold”, which showcased an unparalleled onscreen dragon-versus-dragon battle.