• "Bridgerton" season 3 received mixed reviews from fans.
• Some had issues with Penelope and Colin's love story and a character being gender-swapped.
• The backlash prompted author Julia Quinn to defend showrunner Jess Brownell's creative choices.

On paper, "Bridgerton" season three was a roaring success for Netflix, breaking viewership records, driving the social-media conversation, and cementing the romantic drama's status as one of the streamer's most popular series ever.

But on the internet, the reception hasn't been entirely positive.

While many were pleased with the conclusion to the long-simmering friends-to-lovers romance between Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), some took to platforms like TikTok and Reddit to air their grievances with how Polin's romance was handled and the way writers changed key plot points from the source material. They've even started Change.org petitions to rectify some of the "mistakes" they believe the Netflix drama has made.

A few are specifically pointing the finger at Jess Brownell, who took over showrunning duties for the first time this season (series creator Chris Van Dusen was at the helm for seasons one and two). The outcry, particularly over the decision to gender-swap Francesca Bridgerton's (Hannah Dodd) eventual love interest, was so intense it even prompted Julia Quinn, the writer of the original book series, to step in and defend the show.

Of course, some dissent is to be expected from any property with a huge and fervent fan base — particularly one that includes book fans who have been attached to these characters long before we watched Phoebe Dynevor and Regé-Jean Page steam up our screens in 2020.

But could this growing dissatisfaction jeopardize the show? Here's what to know.

A two-part release schedule sidelined Colin and Penelope's story for other character arcs

While "Bridgerton" season one, which focused on the lustful love story between Simon Basset (Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Dynevor), and season two, centered on Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) and Kate Sharma's (Simone Ashley) simmering enemies-to-lovers dynamic, were both released in full on their respective premiere dates in 2020 and 2022, Netflix decided to split season three into two parts.

Breadcrumbing Penelope and Colin's romantic payoff by splitting the season in half with two release dates a month apart had a domino effect on the rest of the season. Not only did it disrupt the couple's momentum in the eyes of fans, but it increased their anticipation of something sexy and spectacular happening in part two to arguably unrealistic levels.

There's no shortage of disgruntled TikTokers poking fun at themselves for getting hyped over part two, only to be massively let down.

"I'm so disappointed honestly by 'Bridgerton' season three, part two," TikToker @lightfrommars said in one video that's been viewed over 770,000 times. "I just felt like it was all so rushed."

"This new showrunner… she dropped the ball. She heavily dropped the ball, in my opinion," she added.

It didn't help that part one, which comprised four episodes, required the writers to juggle multiple narrative balls and set the stage for other storylines.

Large portions of the first half were dedicated to setting up Francesca's burgeoning love story with John Stirling (Victor Alli), Benedict Bridgerton's (Luke Thompson) flirtation with spicy widow Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New), and Anthony and Kate making up for that lack of sex in season two by getting busy all over Bridgerton house — not to mention matriarch Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) making eyes at Lady Danbury's long-lost, invented-for-the-show brother, Lord Anderson (Daniel Francis).

While it's certainly true that more attention was given to subplots this season than in seasons past, there's a reason for that.

Unlike the two love stories featured in the earlier seasons, where one-half of each central couple was a new cast member, Penelope and Colin have both been major characters from the beginning. Though largely in the background, we've watched Penelope pine for Colin (and Colin be an oblivious doof about it) since season one. The show didn't need to spend time introducing and building up their dynamic in season three because it already had.

On top of that, the Lady Whistledown drama — a major part of "Romancing Mister Bridgerton," the book season three was based on — was also adapted before season three, freeing up space for Brownell and the writers to bring in more prominent romantic subplots for the other characters this season.

The Whistledown reveal was changed (and arguably improved) from how it plays out in the book to accommodate this reordering. Viewers learned Penelope's secret identity way back in season one; Eloise Bridgerton found out in season two, which led to the implosion of their friendship. Here, Colin doesn't find out the truth until one of the last episodes of the season. This reordering means we don't get any of the sexual tension present in the book — like Colin being very upset with Penelope, but also extremely horny — that precipitates his proposal of marriage.

In the show, it's reversed; the carriage hookup happens before the Whistledown discovery, as does their first time having sex (the famous mirror scene), essentially making Colin contractually obligated to marry Penelope even though he's miffed at her.

Part two does have the big mirror scene (a furniture-breaking romp that was well-received by fans). But other than that, there were no other sex scenes for the main pairing.

Except some viewers refused to believe that was true.

A change.org petition alleges intimate Polin scenes were removed from the show — but there's no proof

One day after season three, part two was released, a user named "Polin Bridgerton" started a change.org petition demanding that Netflix and Shondaland release "deleted scenes" of Polin that were removed from the final cut. As of writing, the petition has over 71,000 signatures.

The petition also pointed to a Redditor's graphic comparing total screentime for each of the season's couples as proof that Penelope and Colin's fans had been shafted in season three. (According to the graphic's creator, Polin had 99 minutes and 32 seconds of screentime total, putting them just ahead of Kate and Anthony's total screentime across all three seasons, but only 78 minutes and 22 seconds of screentime in season three — a solid five minutes less than Kanthony got to develop their romance in their own season.)

The petition even lists out some of the scenes they say were cut, including:

• Colin going home with Penelope after he finds her at the modiste, which leads to an angry kissing scene
• Polin laying in bed together talking about publishing Colin's manuscripts
• Colin whispering sweet nothings to Pen in front of the mirror, kissing her neck and being playful
• Long intimate montage in episode 8 (including a scene in which Colin goes down on Pen)

The problem? There's no proof any of these scenes actually existed.

One Business Insider reporter who viewed screeners of all four episodes in part two ahead of release can confirm that none of these moments were present in pre-release episode cuts provided to journalists.

And if you don't trust us, at least trust Nicola Coughlan, who very clearly swatted down this deleted-scene theory in a reply to a fan's comment on Instagram.

Executive producer Tom Verica also denied the existence of deleted footage, writing on Instagram, "Not sure where this all came from but these claims are false. The supposed scenes … don't exist."

The petition to release extra scenes — whether they exist or not — points to fans' broader issues with Polin's love story this season.

"I don't even know why Penelope likes Colin," TikToker notwildlin said in a video begging for a flashback or more backstory giving context for Penelope's feelings for him.

Another TikToker named Maia Douglas posted several videos, including one over nine minutes long breaking down her issues with how Polin was portrayed in season three. Douglas specifically accused showrunner Jess Brownell of centering herself by spending so much time developing Francesca's eventual queer love story, and of being fatphobic for not having faith in the actors, specifically Coughlan as Penelope, to bring the chemistry required for more romantic scenes.

Douglas pointed to Brownell's quotes in an interview saying that she saw herself as a queer woman in Francesca's story in the books and wanted to plant the seeds for the future season where Francesca would be the lead and fall in love with a woman — Michaela Stirling, a gender-swapped version of the character Michael Stirling from the books.

"They did not believe in this season. They did everything to distract us from the main couple because they thought they needed the bells and whistles because this could've been a letdown," Douglas said in one video.

Another TikToker, Marie Soledad, noted that "Bridgerton showrunner fatphobia" had even started trending on the platform. But she urged creators to lay off Brownell, pointing out that the showrunner and Netflix had already diverted from the source material to make the story less fatphobic (in the books, Colin and Penelope's romance starts after she's lost a significant amount of weight).

There's also another subsection of fans who are threatening to boycott future seasons of the show: the ride-or-die Francesca and Michael fans who adore her book, "When He Was Wicked," and are devastated not to see Francesca's eventual romance play out on screen the way they imagined it would.

While there is a contingent of fans who are angry about Brownell's decision to give Francesca a queer love story for homophobic and misogynoiristic reasons, others, many of whom are collectively mourning in the subreddit r/FranchaelStirling, maintain that they're upset about the radical changes to the character that will need to happen to accommodate the switch and are insisting that they won't watch Francesca's eventual season because they aren't getting the Michael Stirling they hoped for. (Never mind the fact that Julia Quinn, who wrote all the books, has wholeheartedly endorsed the queer love story for Francesca.)

The Franchael fans have started their own change.org petition, demanding that the writers restore Michael Stirling for the Netflix series.

"I am not against the LGBTQ+ community in any way shape or form," wrote Abbie Mills, who started the petition. "So if that's why you're here, you may want to find a different petition to sign. We're just book lovers here, who want them to stay as close to print as possible. Michael, we will continue to work to bring you to our screens!"

Complaints from 'Bridgerton' fans could affect the show — though it's probably safe for now

While Netflix has only committed to four seasons of "Bridgerton" at this point, it's unlikely they'll can their crown jewel prematurely.

Quinn's books provide material for eight seasons, and Van Dusen has said that creating eight seasons would be the ultimate goal. In terms of viewer interest, the numbers don't lie: Season three opened with 45.1 million views, marking the show's best launch to date and putting "Bridgerton" on track to topple "Stranger Things" as Netflix's biggest TV series ever. "Bridgerton" season three also topped Nielsen's streaming chart, with 2.19 billion viewing minutes. From a publicity and marketing standpoint, the show has also been a home run.

With "Stranger Things" coming to an end with season five in late 2025 or 2026, Netflix isn't about to put all its eggs in the "Wednesday" basket. (Jenna Ortega is busy, and Netflix conspicuously didn't lock down a multi-season renewal — just season two so far.)

So no matter how mad the "Bridgerton" fans are — and how much some factions may insist they're not watching anymore — I'd put my money on the romantic drama's continuation. In addition to satiating those who have been clamoring for a prominent queer love story on the show for years, Francesca's storyline in her eventual season will likely draw in a brand new audience who never watched the show before because they never saw themselves represented in it.

If anything, the controversy may even propel "Bridgerton" to new heights. Hey, it's happened before.

• Phoebe Gates, 21, is the youngest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates. 
• She has over 240,000 followers on TikTok, where she posts about her life and passions. 
• The Stanford graduate has her eye on a career in fashion and is dating Paul McCartney's grandson.

As one of the richest people in the world, Bill Gates is a household name, and now we're getting to know his youngest daughter, 21-year-old Phoebe, too.

Through her social-media pages, Phoebe Gates has been sharing her life with her hundreds of thousands of followers, from her stances on national issues to videos of bubble-tea dates with her dad.

With parents like Bill and Melinda Gates, it's no surprise that she appears to be an overachiever: This month, she graduated from Stanford University after wrapping up her degree in three years. She's already teased the release of her sustainable fashion tech platform, has attended fashion weeks around the globe, and has become an outspoken social activist. Oh, and she's dating Paul McCartney's grandson.

Here's what we know about her life and interests based on what she's shared on TikTok.

Phoebe Gates is the youngest daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates.

Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, who married in 1994 and divorced in 2021, have three children: Jennifer, 28, Rory, 25, and Phoebe, 21. The children all went to Seattle's Lakeside School, a private high school their father also attended, and are now on different trajectories.

Jennifer is a decorated equestrian who just graduated from medical school, while Rory is a congressional analyst, according to a 2023 Puck report. While her brother stays out of the spotlight, Phoebe is sharing her life online, and has ambitions in the fashion industry.

The three Gates children will inherit at least some of their parents' wealth: Bill Gates has said he plans to leave them "only" $10 million each.

"I definitely think leaving kids massive amounts of money is not a favor to them," Gates said in a 2013 Reddit "Ask Me Anything." "Warren Buffett was part of an article in Fortune talking about this in 1986 before I met him, and it made me think about it and decide he was right."

Today, nearly five decades after cofounding Microsoft, Bill Gates has a fortune of about $134 billion, according to Forbes. He left Microsoft's board in 2020 — although is still reportedly "intimately involved" at the company — and has remained focused on the Gates Foundation, which he once ran with French Gates. She also became a billionaire following their divorce.

 

She shares glimpses of her parents on her social media pages, which have accumulated hundreds of thousands of followers.

As of June 2024, Phoebe Gates has 424,000 followers on Instagram and 244,000 followers on TikTok.

A day after posting a video of her sharing bubble tea with her dad in October 2023, she gained over 59,000 TikTok followers, according to analytics website Social Blade.

"Father-daughter bubble tea time," read a caption under the TikTok post.

In the clip, which has received 16.7 million views on TikTok and uses "As It Was" by Harry Styles as a backing track, Phoebe sits opposite her billionaire father as they both poke straws into cups of bubble tea and smile at one another overlooking a Manhattan skyline.

Bill Gates has made appearances on other creators' TikTok accounts in the past, often participating in math or art challenges, although he does not have an account himself.

Gates just graduated from Stanford University, and she has previously vlogged about her college life.

In an interview with the sustainable fashion brand Reformation, which Gates promoted on her Instagram page in March 2023, the billionaire's daughter said she was majoring in human biology at Stanford University. 

She has previously showcased her dorm room and filmed vlog-style updates about her life at college. In one clip posted in December 2022, she filmed herself riding a bike to a stats class, later showing herself making a very student-esque pasta dish for dinner.

In June 2024, she graduated after just three years, Nylon reported. At the ceremony, her mom, Melinda Gates, gave the commencement speech.

Phoebe Gates blogged her day for Nylon, sharing that she celebrated the milestone with a party attended by her mom and dad.

"So grateful to have my parents by my side on this day," she wrote.

She is passionate about sustainable fashion and is pursuing entrepreneurial opportunities in the industry.

On TikTok, Gates has previously posted about attending fashion week in Copenhagen and New York. She has also shared informational clips about sustainable fashion and promoted buying secondhand clothes. 

According to Vogue, Gates is co-launching her own fashion platform, called Phia, with her fellow Stanford student and roommate Sophia Kianni (pictured above left). The outlet reported that it has already landed a partnership with fashion house Stella McCartney for a bag collection that will celebrate women in tennis.

Gates has become an outspoken social activist.

One of the topics Gates has frequently addressed on her TikTok page is reproductive health and advocating for abortion rights.

She has previously posted clips of herself speaking about access to contraception at events, including Goalkeepers, hosted by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In a video she shared in December, her mother asked her why she was an advocate for reproductive health.

"I think for me, coming for age in this country, our generation has been put in a spot where a lot of times we feel quite a bit powerless," Phoebe Gates said. "You know, not having the freedom to make choices about your own reproductive health, your own … your very own body."

She also spoke out on TikTok against the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

In the summer of 2022, she also posted clips that she said were from a trip to Rwanda with the healthcare nonprofit Partners in Health, saying she learned about the country's healthcare system.

She appears to be following in her mom's footsteps, calling her an "inspiration."

The 21-year-old activist appears to be taking after her parents, especially her mother, who has advocated for access to birth control around the world for many years.

While Bill Gates appears in only a few of her TikToks, her mom has been featured much more prominently on her account. 

Phoebe Gates has posted several snippets on TikTok that show her discussing access to contraception with Melinda. 

"So you're a huge advocate for contraceptives. I mean, you've always hammered this into me since I was a child, about deciding for my body and having body autonomy," Phoebe Gates said in a clip posted in January 2023, where Melinda talked about the importance of access to family planning.

In an on-screen caption on a TikTok post from September 2022, Gates referred to her mother as her "inspiration." 

She is dating Paul McCartney's grandson, Arthur.

In her June 2024 graduation diary for Nylon, Gates shared photos of herself with her boyfriend, Arthur Donald. Alongside one of the images, she joked that he "cleans up nicely," while in another, he carried her on his back.

Donald, 25, is the oldest of Paul McCartney's eight grandchildren, People reported. He is the son of the Beatles' star's daughter Mary and her ex-husband, Alistair Donald.

He grew up in London and attended Yale University, according to People. He is an investor at the Collaborative Fund, a venture capital firm "for entrepreneurs pushing the world forward," according to its website.

Gates and Donald were also pictured together at the premiere of "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans" held in New York City in January.

• Toyota launched new Land Cruiser in the US, reviving the iconic SUV .
• The original Land Cruiser, known for its durability, debuted in the 1950s.
• The latest model aims to blend the classic ruggedness with modern features.

The original Land Cruiser launched in the 1950s and rightly earned a reputation as an unbreakable beast of a car. It was everything an SUV was supposed to be.

It was so hardy that the United Nations relied on it in war-torn and famine-ravaged parts of the world. Those white UN Land Cruisers are an image burned into my teenage mind as the ultimate, go-anywhere reliability.

After a few decades, these rugged benefits got expensive. Land Cruisers started costing almost $100,000. And they began to get a little old compared to the competition.

Then, they disappeared in the US and fans freaked out.

But in 2023, Toyota announced a new Land Cruiser, which went on sale in the US earlier this year.

I recently test-drove the Land Cruiser 1958 for a week in Silicon Valley, through a loaner from Toyota.

I also zipped around in it with my neighbor Julie, who owned a Land Cruiser for about 20 years and adored it.

First impression: It's cool!

It looks really cool, with a 1980's boxy retro design. A bit like the new Ford Bronco, but less extreme and more practical.

'This one better be a tank.'

Julie, my neighbor, had high expectations.

"My old Land Cruiser was a tank," she said when I told her I was going to test drive the new version. "This one better be a tank."

Music to Toyota's ears .

When I picked Julie up on a Friday afternoon, this was her first impression: "It looks like a Range Rover," she said. "It does feel tank-ish."

I imagine this is music to Toyota's ears.

$56,000 vs $98,000.

I told Julie the starting price of roughly $56,000.

"Wow, mine was $62,000 back in 2001, and the newer ones were $100,000. My neighbor had one that was $98,000," she said.

How many car companies take a legendary brand and knock at least $30,000 off the sticker price? This was a big risk to take by Toyota. What did it give up by making this new SUV less expensive?

No third row.

The main difference: There's no third row seating available in the new Land Cruiser.

This will be a significant loss for some customers and longtime Land Cruiser fans. More on this later, from Julie and myself.

Here's Julie desperately searching for any signs of a third row:

No, there isn't a third row Julie, sorry.

Towing capacity is lower, too.

The 2020 Land Cruiser had maximum towing capacity of 8,100 pounds. The new version has 6,000.

In the back, there's not a massive amount of room.

Getting three fully grown adults in the back may be a slight squeeze, especially as there's a wide central bump in the floor which leaves less room for three pairs of feet.

Rear legroom was tighter than I expected.

Julie pushed her front passenger seat all the way back. Then, I jumped in the back to check out the legroom.

It wasn't uncomfortable, but there wasn't a massive amount of extra room for my legs back there.

The new Land Cruiser only seats 5.

The older Land Cruisers could fit 8 people using the third row of seats. The maximum with the new version is 5 adults.

The interior of the new Land Cruiser 1958 has a lot of plastic.

I didn't mind this. It added to the overall retro, rugged vibe of the vehicle.

Julie also noted that her old Land Cruiser had fancy wood-style veneer that eventually "went bad."

Let's talk about the Land Cruiser's sun visors.

Sometimes it's the little things that matter.

When she first got into the new Land Cruiser 1958, Julie very quickly checked the sun visors. Her old Land Cruiser had a double visor, where you could put one to the side and still have another for your front-facing needs. This kept the sun out of her eyes on winding roads.

Julie was a little disappointed this feature was missing on the new model.

The new Land Cruiser's engine is an effective turbo-hybrid mashup.

The new Land Cruiser has a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine. That doesn't sound like much for a big SUV. The previous Land Cruiser model had a 5.7 liter V8.

However, the 2024 version has a turbo and an electric power plant. So this turbo-hybrid mashup ends up with 326 horsepower and 465 foot-pounds of torque at a pretty low 1,700 RPM.

That compares to the 2020 Land Cruiser, which had 381 horsepower and 401 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 RPM.

The result: Driving the 2024 Land Cruiser is an engaging combination of truck feel and modern smoothness.

At low speeds, the hybrid engine is quiet and calm. Press the accelerator down and you get truck-style grunt and a satisfying prod of low-end torque and speed.

Gas mileage is a lot better with the new Land Cruiser.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is about 800 pounds lighter than the 2020 model.

While still feeling sturdy, you get much better gas mileage. 22 mpg in the city and 25 on the highway, according to the official numbers. The older model got 13 and 17 mpg.

Note: The new Land Cruiser needs premium gasoline.

I loved driving the Land Cruiser 1958.

The steering was light and accurate at low speed. Perfect for zipping around town and parking.

At higher speeds, the steering firmed up nicely and remained accurate and responsive.

The best part: The Land Cruiser rolls slightly and rumbles as you drive around. In a good way. It feels like you're driving a sturdy, capable SUV, but it's also really easy to maneuver. A real pleasure.

"It feels like a heavy well-made truck that doesn't drive like a truck," Julie said. Well put.

The trunk is large, although not as big as the previous Land Cruiser.

There are 37.5 cubic feet of in the back trunk of the new Land Cruiser. With daily use, this was more than enough space.

The Land Cruiser 1958 has round headlights.

The midrange Land Cruiser, which starts at around $62,000, has square headlights.

The model I drove, the 1958, has round headlights. Both look really cool.

The Land Cruiser 1958 comes with fabric seats.

I wasn't bothered with this. This is a tough, go-anywhere style SUV. It's not a Rolls-Royce.

There are fancier seats in the more expensive Land Cruiser, along with optional leather seats as part of a larger option package.

The rear window of the Land Cruiser opens independently.

To open this window, you press a cool corner button. A nice design touch.

There's more than enough room in here for groceries, luggage, and other bulky items.

Still, the 2020 Land Cruiser model had more than 40 cubic feet of room in the trunk without the third row.

The roof rack is an optional.

Adding this roof rack costs $1,440. My test car came with other extras, too, including skid plates, cargo and floor mats, and rock rails.

All together, these extras added about $3,600 to the base price of $55,950. And with delivery, handling, and processing fees, the grand total was $59,574.

The roof rack and rock rails looked cool, but you don't need these really.

The wheels are solid and relatively chunky.

I'd probably add chunkier tires, which would make the new Land Cruiser look even more rugged.

Bigger wheels are available on the more expensive versions of this new SUV.

The new Land Cruiser has big, chunky wing mirrors.

Julie wanted the mirrors to be a little wider. Instead, they are unusually tall.

The air vents are another nice design touch. You could say they're cool.

The main instrument panel has handy switches and knobs that are satisfying to use.

The rear seats fold up and are held with a strap.

This is similar to how the back seats go up in old Land Cruisers.

A medium-sized touchscreen was clear and easy to use.

There's a larger touchscreen in the more expensive new Land Cruiser, which starts at about $62,000.

The new Land Cruiser is basically the same size as the old model.

The 2024 Land Cruiser is 193.8 inches long, while the 2020 model was 194.9 inches. The new version is actually about 2 inches higher.

(This picture I took includes a much older version of the Land Cruiser, by the way).

The width of the new model is almost exactly the same as the old Land Cruiser.

The 2020 Land Cruiser was 78 inches wide, while the new model is 77.9 inches in width.

Toyota should add a third row seat option to the new Land Cruiser.

Julie's major grumble with the new Land Cruiser was the lack of a third row of seats.

One of the reasons she loved her old Land Cruiser was that she could easily drive around a lot of kids and still feel safe. It could seat 8 people, while the 2024 Land Cruiser can only fit 5.

"It might be a deal killer if I was still running a lot of kids around," Julie told me. "If your kids have friends that need a ride too, you're out of luck."

She has a Toyota Highlander these days and that vehicle can carry 7 people.

Not including a third row, or at least an option for this, seems like a wasted opportunity.

I asked Toyota about this, and they said there's no third row currently offered in the US for the new Land Cruiser. And they "can't comment on future product."

Final verdict:

I loved the Toyota Land Cruiser 1958.

After a few days with this vehicle, I smiled every time I got in it. When I had to give it back to Toyota, I was sad — as you can see in this photo.

Why did I love it so much?

It's got the retro rugged vibe just right.

It's sturdy enough for Land Cruiser fans, and its ride is a perfect combination of rumbling truck and smooth car.

I have driven the new Ford Bronco quite a bit, and it's not as good. Sorry Ford.

My only real request: Add a third row option.

I'll leave the final words to Julie, my neighbor and longtime Land Cruiser fan.

"Oh why didn't I wait!?" she said while I drove her around in the Land Cruiser 1958.

She has a Toyota Highlander right now, and she's regretting that purchase now.

"Ask them if they'll trade mine in," she said.

• A Chevy dealership has been posting TikToks about its employees in the style of "The Office."
• They're well-executed and charming, showing the bumbling marketing staff's hijinks.
• I will not apologize for enjoying quality marketing content! Sue me!

Forget Season 3 of "The Bear." The workplace drama I'm now highly invested in is from the Mohawk Chevrolet dealership in Ballston Spa, New York.

The dealer's TikTok feed typically features videos you'd expect: information about cars and some introductions to the people who sell them. The three-person marketing team in charge of posting to social media would sometimes try to jump on a TikTok trend or some other kind of lighthearted fare.

So far, nothing out of the ordinary for a car dealership, this one founded in 1919 with the slogan "We go out of our way to please you."

But then, somehow, they made a masterpiece — a mockumentary about the dealership in the style of "The Office."

So far, they've released six parts, but Part 5 is the pinnacle and has gone viral on TikTok:

Are we suckers for being charmed and amused by a piece of advertising? Sure. But what joy do we have left if we can't smile at the creativity of the small team in the marketing department of a Chevy dealership near Saratoga?

I spoke with the dealership's Nathanael Greklek, Ben Bushen, and Grace Kerber, who starred in the video and were part of its production team.

Their inspiration? Things that actually happened during their workdays, they told me.

Kerber does indeed always want to be the one to drive the trucks whenever they have to move one around the lot. The day before, she and Bushen got stuck making a (nearly) 38-point turn trying to pull a Silverado out of a tight space. And Bushen does tend to get car sick if he's in the passenger seat.

The idea for an "Office" parody came to the team after another coworker did a prank hiding tiny plastic ducks around the dealership, which made the marketing team think it would be good for a video. Bushen, the in-house video editor, is a huge fan of the sitcom and was able to pull off the feel.

That this video was a hit came as a pleasant surprise, they told me. The video has around 1.8 million views, which isn't a mega-hit in TikTok terms, but certainly is way more than a typical local dealer. (In comparison, the official Chevrolet account only has a few videos that have cracked a million views, and those were ones with celebrities like Guy Fieri.)

But is a viral video from a local car dealership actually good for sales?

Kerber told me they don't expect these videos to win over someone whopping for a Honda or a BMW — "If they want a Chevy, they're going to buy a Chevy," she said.

They've gotten comments from people outside the Saratoga area saying they plan to drive hours just to buy from their dealership based on their funny videos. (They also deliver, they let me know.)

"Part of doing these fun videos is it makes people feel like they know you and are comfortable going there, and they love the environment from what they see online, and that's where they might want to get their next car," Kerber said.

• Michelle Obama isn't happy about how the Bidens have treated Hunter's ex, Kathleen Buhle, Axios reported.
• The former first lady has been quiet about Biden's campaign, with her husband attending events solo.
• Both Michelle Obama's spokespeople and the White House denied the report.

At a time when President Joe Biden needs all the political allies he can get, Michelle Obama is upset with his family over its treatment of Kathleen Buhle, her close friend and Hunter Biden's ex-wife, anonymous sources told Axios.

According to the sources — whose claims Michelle Obama's spokespeople and the White House denied — the former first lady has refrained from campaigning for the president partly because of her friendship with Buhle, who the Bidens have distanced themselves from in the years since her divorce.

The women became friends during the Obama administration and have remained close.

As Axios noted, Hunter Biden wrote in his memoir that the two women used to work out and have cocktails together during the Obama administration. Michelle Obama also appeared to mention Buhle in her own book, writing that she still takes regular walks with her friend Kathleen.

Though Michelle Obama did repost President Biden's campaign announcement on Twitter in 2023, she hasn't tweeted about the election since.

Meanwhile, Barack Obama has appeared solo at campaign fundraisers and a recent state dinner.

Since splitting from Hunter Biden in 2017, Buhle has remained on the outskirts of the Biden clan. She testified at her ex-husband's recent criminal trial, which resulted in three guilty verdicts for federal gun crimes.

Though the president has staunchly supported his son, the saga — including Buhle's testimony about the younger Biden's drug use during their marriage — has added an additional level of drama to the reelection campaign. It marked the first time that the child of a sitting president was convicted of a crime.

Michelle Obama's representatives and the White House have denied any tension between the families, instead attributing the former first lady's absence from the presidential campaign to her distaste for partisan politics. In 2018, Michelle Obama launched a nonpartisan voter engagement organization, When We All Vote, where she has since focused much of her political energy.

"Mrs. Obama has already said she supports President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign," Crystal Carson, the communications director for Michelle Obama, said in a statement. "She is friends with Kathleen and with the Bidens. Two things can be true."

Carson pointed Business Insider to the fact that Jill Biden attended the funeral of Michelle Obama's mother on Monday as evidence of the families' continued closeness. Obama's spokesperson also affirmed Michelle Obama's support for the president earlier this spring amid unsubstantiated speculation that the former first lady planned to run in his stead.

Andrew Bates, deputy press secretary at the White House, said in a statement to Business Insider that the "former President and First Lady have been two of the strongest supporters of President Biden's leadership and agenda."

Bates said that the anonymous sources, whoever they are, aren't familiar with the substance of the relations between the Biden and Obama families.

Michelle Obama may soon become more present in Biden's reelection campaign, as Axios reported that one of her top aides recently met with a White House aide to discuss increasing her involvement.

There may be some precedent to Michelle Obama getting involved later in the election cycle. She waited until August 2020 to start consistently posting her support during the first Biden-Trump match-up.

• NBC will use an AI version of Al Michaels to cover the Paris Olympics this summer.
• Michaels was skeptical at first but agreed to the proposal once he heard his AI voice, reports say.
• The AI recaps will be available on Peacock and contain customized event highlights.

The Summer Olympics in Paris will feature an element of artificial intelligence.

NBC, the network carrying the Summer Olympics next month, is home to several sportscasting legends who grace American televisions every few years for the Olympic games.

This year, NBC is creating an AI version of Al Michaels, one of those acclaimed reporters.

"Frankly, it was astonishing. It was amazing," Michaels, 79, told Vanity Fair. "And it was a little bit frightening."

The AI version of Michaels will create the daily recaps available on Peacock, NBC's streaming service. Michaels told Vanity Fair that he was initially "very skeptical" about the idea when NBC's top brass approached him about it, but he was convinced once he heard his artificial voice.

"It was not only close, it was almost 2% off perfect," Michaels told Vanity Fair. "It sounded like what I might say in certain situations."

The news comes amid ongoing concerns in the media industry about artificial intelligence replacing jobs. Hollywood writers went on strike for almost 150 days in 2023 in part to gain protection from AI taking their work. An NBC spokesperson told CNN that Michaels was being compensated for the use of his voice to train the AI.

NBC said in a press release that the AI would "provide fans with their own customized playlist featuring highlights of the events most relevant to them from the previous day."

"Each compilation will feature clips from NBCU's Olympics coverage and be narrated by a high-quality A.I. re-creation of Michaels' voice, which was trained using his past appearances on NBC and matches his signature expertise and elocution," NBC said.

The personalized clips will have about 10 minutes of content, and the recaps will be reviewed by NBCU editors "for quality assurance and accuracy before recaps are made available to users."

Opening ceremonies for the Paris Olympics begin July 26.

• Researchers found seven stars in our galaxy that might host alien megastructures called Dyson spheres.
• But these stars' strange behavior could also be explained by other phenomena, like clouds of dust.
• They'll need much more evidence to confirm that Dyson spheres truly surround these stars. 

In the search for intelligent alien life, finding a Dyson sphere would be like hitting the jackpot.

Theoretically, super-advanced alien societies could build these giant, ultra-high-tech megastructures around their host stars to harness solar energy.

Scientists have yet to find proof that Dyson spheres exist. But if they are real, we should be able to spot them, and researchers have been hunting for decades ever since physicist Freeman Dyson first theorized the idea in 1960.

Now, research published in the peer-reviewed journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society has identified seven stars in our galaxy that exhibit some unusual behavior, which the team can't easily explain with natural phenomenon.

What exactly is a Dyson sphere?

Despite what the name suggests, a Dyson sphere isn't necessarily one solid sphere that encases a star, although the most advanced ones could be.

Most likely, "these are satellites with very broad surfaces floating around the star," Suman Majumdar, study co-author and associate professor of astronomy, astrophysics, and space engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, told Business Insider.

This design would grant an intelligent society access to an unlimited energy source, allowing their population and industry to grow exponentially, according to Dyson's original theory.

The design also means there would be gaps between the satellites where some of the star's radiation could sneak through. And the rest of the light, the satellites would absorb and re-radiate back into space as pulses of infrared radiation known as infrared excess emissions, or IEEs, which could be a way of detecting a distant Dyson sphere from Earth.

For their study, Majumdar and colleagues analyzed more than 5 million stars throughout the Milky Way that exhibit IEEs. But Dyson spheres aren't the only possible explanation.

"There's a lot of reasons that stars might have extra infrared emission. Typically, it's because they're extremely young, and they have a protoplanetary disk," which is a disk of rotating gas and dust around a new star that radiates infrared light, Jason Wright, study co-author and professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State University, told BI.

There are other natural explanations for IEEs, too. That's why the research team had to rule out so many stars from their original list of 5 million Dyson sphere candidates, eventually leaving them with seven that exhibit IEEs they can't easily explain and that could, potentially, host these alien megastructures.

However, future research will need to rule out all other possible explanations first.

Hunting for Dyson spheres

To identify these seven strong Dyson sphere candidates, the researchers used a computer system to sift through a mountain of data collected by Gaia. This European Space Agency satellite is creating a three-dimensional map of more than a billion stars in our galaxy and beyond.

Data from this highly comprehensive survey allowed the research team to select a pool of millions of stars that exhibit IEEs and gradually weed out all the ones that could be explained by natural phenomena.

"It took more than a year to go through this," Majumdar said.

Without Gaia and the massive amount of data it collects, this study wouldn't have been possible.

"I'm really excited for this big data era, like all the big surveys that are coming out — all the things we can learn from this data by looking at it in different ways," Tabetha Boyajian, an associate professor of astrophysics at Louisiana State University who did not work on this study, told BI.

Next, the researchers will look closer at these seven strong Dyson sphere candidates using spectroscopic analysis, Majumdar said. This technique can reveal new information about the radiation these stars emit, and help the researchers rule out other possible explanations for their IEEs.

"It would take a lot of rigor to be able to say confidently that this is not something that nature is doing, it's something that an advanced civilization is doing," Boyajian said.

In the meantime, Gaia continues its survey, populating the database with even more stars for Dyson sphere hunters like Majumdar and Wright, so their search is far from over. In fact, it might just be getting started.

"The same analysis can be actually done on the newer candidates that are populating the catalog," Majumdar said.

• The 10-episode third season of FX's "The Bear" was released in full Wednesday night.
• The new episodes pick up immediately after the events of the season 2 finale.
• Most critics agree that the series is still one of the best on TV, but season 3 is flawed.

The reviews are in for season three of FX's "The Bear," and critics are torn.

The critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning series created by Christopher Storer returned with 10 new episodes on Wednesday night. The new episodes pick up immediately after the events of the season two finale.

Chef Carmen Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), aka Carmy, has finally gotten out of the walk-in fridge that he got trapped in during his friends and family preview night in the season two finale. Now that the Original Beef of Chicagoland has been transformed into a fine-dining restaurant and renamed The Bear, Carmy has his sights set on getting a Michelin star at any cost.

The result is a season that's received mixed reviews from critics, who agree that the show is still a standout but is showing signs of wear.

Here's a rundown of what critics are saying.

The slower pace will be jarring to fans who have become accustomed to the show's signature frenetic energy.

"At times, the show mirrors its titular restaurant's diminished mojo. Season three is too comfortable reliving the past instead of facing the future. A certain amount of self-reflection is healthy, but too much, especially on TV, causes stagnation, and 'The Bear' drags out too many questions for its own good." — Ben Travers, IndieWire

"Indecision can be exciting and I found the risks 'The Bear' takes in these 10 episodes to be thrilling. But if you're hoping to see things progress at an adrenalized rate, this is a season in limbo that reflects its main characters and their respective holding patterns." — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

"This 10-episode season is slower in narrative pace than viewers might be used to, taking stock of its characters' pasts and focusing on trauma reconciliation while setting up an uncertain future for the Michelin-aspiring restaurant — and an electric season four." — Michel Ghanem, TheWrap

The show's main trio of Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edibiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach continues to deliver award-worthy performances.

"Edebiri perfectly captures Sydney's hesitation about attaching herself to Carmy as his obsessive focus on quality and achievement turns self-destructive." — Linda Holmes, NPR

"White is as impeccably frenzied and weary as ever, never softening the character's escalating flaws. Moss-Bachrach continues his push toward making Richie the show's hero, never fully erasing the character's diminishing flaws. Except that Sydney is obviously the show's real hero and Edebiri continues to deliver hilarious and heartbreaking earnestness like nobody else." — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

Episodes focused on Tina Marrero and Natalie Berzatto are standouts of the season, and Edebiri is earning praise for directing the former.

"Edebiri's performance remains phenomenal, but she notches one of Season 3's biggest victories behind the camera. In 'Napkins,' she directs a showcase for struggling sous-chef Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) that gracefully reveals the vulnerabilities that constantly grind on her sense of security and worth. It's a beautiful and powerful short story about the power of fate and connection." — Tara Bennett, IGN

"Amid all the mania of the series' infamous kitchen scenes there are also quieter moments, like in an episode that gives beef-sandwich-line-cook-turned-fancy-schmancy-sous-chef Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) a heart-wrenching backstory and another set far away from the kitchen with a returning guest star. They are powerful and understated, the very best 'The Bear' can be." — Kelly Lawler, USA Today

"In a more heartening counterweight to last year's 'Seven Fishes,' this season's stand-alone flashback gives insight into how sous chef Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) came to join the team, and Carmy's sister Natalie (Abby Elliott) gets a long-overdue spotlight when she goes into labor with her first child." — Alison Herman, Variety

"'Ice Chips' is an intimate counterpoint to last season's 'Fishes' booking Elliott's seat at the 2025 Emmys." — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

There are too many cameos from celebrities and real-life chefs.

"It's understandable that the show wants to make a spectacle of how beloved it is by the real food world and how much star chefs want to elbow their way into episodes. But unsurprisingly, 'The Bear' gets its best acting work from actors. And detouring into celebrity cameos is tricky at a moment when time with the main cast feels precious and the story is gaining steam." — Linda Holmes, NPR

"At a certain point, such flourishes start to cross the line from enhancing the authenticity of 'The Bear' to hindering its core mission. The finale, in particular, affords so much screen time to these visiting dignitaries that most protagonists get short shrift, just as the show should be planting the seeds for next season or at least tying off the one we've just watched." — Alison Herman, Variety

"The finale embodies too many of season three's hiccups by overindulging on food celebrities and ending with an unearned 'to be continued.'" — Ben Travers, IndieWire

The season concludes with various unresolved threads and a frustrating cliffhanger in the form of a "to be continued" title card.

"It doesn't resolve either the main plot threads or the emotional tangles that have been built over these ten episodes. That's a choice the people behind the show have made, and it candidly seems like a perilous one for a project that presumably won't come back for many months." — Linda Holmes, NPR

"Everything and everyone is left unresolved, something that could've been avoided with even just a little advancement for the main characters. Storer and company have left themselves with so much to unpack and address in season four." — Tara Bennett, IGN

"Depending on your perspective, it will either be audacious or unforgivable how many things from season two are still unresolved at the end of the third season." — Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter

"The Bear" feels uneven, stuck, and lacking in meaningful progression.

"The Bear is still compulsively watchable, but its third season is frustrating, and creator Christopher Storer's choice to slow the frantic pace of the show's plot and character arcs is jarring and confusing." — Tara Bennett, IGN

"Season three is also, a little like its head chef Carmen 'Carmy' Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), a little overinflated and self-important after all the hype and praise." — Kelly Lawler, USA Today

"At its best, 'The Bear' remains innovative, excellent, and so vividly rendered that it can feel delicious to watch. But the season also feels confusing, overdone, and inconsistent at some points." — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone

"The cast are still exceptional – particularly Moss-Bachrach and Edebiri, elevated to TV's A-list since the show first aired — but the show is starting to feel repetitious. 'The Beef evolves with the city,' a restaurant critic for the Chicago Telegraph writes, on the new restaurant's opening. 'The Bear,' however, feels stuck in a loop of its own creation." — Nick Hilton, The Independent

Season three is flawed, but "The Bear" is still indisputably one of the best shows on TV.

"'The Bear' season three doesn't quite strike the right balance (like the previous season did), but it serves up enough suitable side dishes to satiate diners until things really get cooking again." — Ben Travers, IndieWire

"'The Bear' may not have the same sense of intense urgency in season three but it feels no less exciting to return to this textured world of culinary wonder with a cast that's always worth watching." — Michel Ghanem, TheWrap

"This remains one of the best shows on TV right now, but season three can't quite replicate the recipe that made seasons one and two so stellar. That doesn't mean you won't be hungry for more whenever the show returns for season four." — Chris Evangelista, Slash Film