- “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” Maintains Momentum in Confident Second Season (February 24, 2026)
Legendary’s MonsterVerse live-action series for Apple TV, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” achieved a franchise first: provide compelling human characters. In the first season, creators Chris Black and Matt Fraction managed to tell a captivating story with a monstrous, globe-trotting scope spanning two timelines: the 1950s and the 2010s. The series follows three branches of the Randa family tree: Keiko (Mari Yamamoto), her son, Hiroshi Randa (Takehiro Hira), and his children, half-siblings Cate (Anna Sawai) and Kentaro (Ren Watabe). It also delves into their involvement in Monarch, a secret organization co-founded by Col. Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell in the 1950s/Kurt Russell in the present day) that supervises titans such as Godzilla and Kong.
“Monarch’s” Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off on Kong Island in 2017, with Keiko, Cate, and Kentaro’s tech-savvy ex-May (Kiersey Clemons) being saved from the interdimensional rift Axis Mundi by Kentaro, Hiroshi, and Monarch worker Tim (Joe Tippet), with the help of Apex Industries, the mega tech rival company introduced in “Godzilla vs. Kong.” After a long-awaited family reunion between the unaged Keiko and her fully-grown son in 2017, Cate is determined to rescue Lee—who sacrificed himself to save them—from Axis Mundi. However, during the rescue effort, they unintentionally let loose a squid-like titan, which they call Titan X, into their realm. Upon his arrival, the family is once again faced with new challenges as they attempt to locate the new Titan and try to stop it. This culminates in another global rat race between Monarch and Apex, who, of course, try to exploit it for their gain.
For Lee and Keiko, it’s not their first time dealing with Titan X. Scenes from their past play out when they first encounter the monster in Santa Soledad, a village that treats it as if it were their God. Moreover, the relationship between Keiko, Lee, and Keiko’s fiancé Bill Randa (Anders Holm) is put to the test as their secrets make ripple effects to impact the family in the present.
The ten-episode season is never dull. It thrusts you into the immediate chaos and gets to the central focus of the new Titan and the ramifications of its arrival, both on a global and an intermediate level within the Randa family. The season’s plot alternates between being a thrilling extension of the MonsterVerse series that raises the stakes and a “Jurassic World” entry (if it were good) while never losing sight of the engaging humanistic elements.
The ensemble continues to deliver fine performances. Kurt and Wyatt Russell, particularly, are standouts, employing their signature charm through Lee Shaw, who serves as the most effective emotional connection between the past and the present. Mari Yamamoto’s portrayal of Keiko is commendable, as she delivers a maternal performance that resonates with her older co-star Takehiro Hira’s Hiroshi—it’s also funny to witness this mother-son dynamic after freshly seeing them play employee and boss in “Rental Family.” Yamamoto also exhibits the same emotional burden of regret and pain toward Kurt Russell’s Lee as Keiko’s younger self did with Wyatt’s Lee.
The young adult cast doesn’t fare as well. While the characters were well-developed during the freshman season, this sophomore season feels like they’re all written like characters straight out of a YA novel. Anna Sawai’s portrayal of Cate is especially empathetic, and her depiction of her PTSD stemming from surviving the G-Day attack feels authentic. However, this season, while understandable in her intense emotions, she feels as if she has slightly regressed. Numerous beats in the season depict her in a state of constant adolescent-like angst, even before she experiences severe guilt for a mistake that she punishes herself for. The same issue also persists with Watabe’s Kentaro and Clemons’ May, who are written as if they’re teens and not twenty-somethings.
After a mid-season turning point, one that throws a titan-sized wedge in the family, “Prey’s” Amber Midthunder makes an entrance as Isabel, a determined, persuasive businesswoman who has deep ties to Apex. She may come late in the game, but Midthunder’s fierce presence taking center stage adds intense chaos to the Titan X rat race.
By now, it’s obvious that the primary focus isn’t on the big ol’ rock-em-sock-em kaijus if you’re a MonsterVerse fan who is only there for the fights. When they do erupt, however, it is of the same high visual quality and exhilarating thrill as the feature counterparts.
“Monarch’s” season 2 maintains the momentum of its predecessor, marking the best of the MonsterVerse TV series to date. But, like Godzilla’s atomic breath, it takes a while to charge up and deliver a powerful blast.
Whole season screened for review. Season premieres on Apple TV on February 27, 2026.
- “God of War: Sons of Sparta” is a Clunky Footnote in Legacy of Incredible Franchise (February 24, 2026)
Sony wants everyone to love “God of War.” On the one hand, they are hopeful that the in-production Amazon Prime Video series will make the same waves as both that company’s “Fallout” and HBO’s “The Last of Us” did. (“Sons of Anarchy” star Ryan Hurst, who actually voiced Thor in 2022’s “God of War: Ragnarok,” was recently cast as Kratos in the show, by the way.) On the video game front, while we wait for the inevitable next proper game in the hit series, Sony recently announced that they’re remaking the original “God of War” trilogy that really changed gaming in the mid-aughts.
On the day they announced those games are being fully remade (not just technically polished remasters but top-down remakes) at State of Play, they stunned fans and shadow-dropped an entirely new game in “God of War: Sons of Sparta,” now available on the PS5. As a huge “GoW” fan and an even bigger Metroidvania fan (a genre having a moment right now with both “Hollow Knight: Silksong” and the announcement of the return of “Castlevania” from the creators of “Dead Cells”), I was thrilled to play “Sparta.” The excitement wore off pretty quickly.
Let’s get one thing out of the way: “Sons of Sparta” isn’t a horrible game. But it is a game I kept finding myself making excuses to enjoy, because I really wanted to. Even fans of “Sparta” have agreed that it starts remarkably clunky, with several slow hours of what is basically a tutorial as young Kratos gets his powers. The enjoyment of “Sparta” seems to come from whether or not one thinks it ever fully escapes those early growing pains. Yes, some of the gameplay gets smoother largely through repetition, but there are elements of “Sparta” that never reach beyond frustrating, including a story that’s difficult to care about, inconsistent physics, dull combat, and shallow gameplay design. It’s a game with moments that never add up to a sum as interesting as its parts.
“God of War: Sons of Sparta” is an origin story for one of the most famous characters in video game history. It takes place before the previous prequel, 2013’s “God of War: Ascension,” and draws on Greek mythology as its basis (the two acclaimed modern titles drew on Norse mythology instead). It is the story of a young Kratos and his brother Deimos, both living in Sparta. When one of their allies goes missing, they venture out of the city walls to find him, discovering that Laconia is filled with brutal enemies waiting to be stabbed by Kratos’ trusty spear.
Like all Metroidvanias, “Sons of Sparta” is built on a foundation of repetition and backtracking as one gains access to different areas of the map as their powers and tools develop. This is a tougher bit of gaming development than it looks, as games like “Silksong” have so brilliantly embedded upgrades in their storytelling that the player doesn’t feel like they’re just doing something they’ve already done with a bit more power. The world opens up in the “Hollow Knight” games in a manner that makes them masterpieces. On the other hand, “Sons of Sparta” felt like one of the most repetitive experiences of major gaming in years. You’re constantly just doing the same thing over and over again, especially for a large chunk of the game when fast travelling isn’t an option, meaning you literally have to go through the same sections, often from one end of the map to the other, just to progress the story.
The “God of War” games are known for explosive, addictive action. That’s not the case with “Sons of Sparta.” Even boss battles feel more like obligations than the epic, earth-shaking combat for which Kratos is known. Yes, it’s an origin story, but it’s still Kratos, and so being more of a spear-poking kid instead of a Blades of Chaos-swinging killing machine just feels a bit wrong. It’s antithetical to what this series is known for, given how rarely one actually feels like a legend while playing “Sons of Sparta.” No one wants a “God of War” game with low stakes.
It doesn’t help that Deimos is hanging around in most of the battles, doing basically nothing. Why give Kratos a partner when said partner has no real impact on the gameplay? Sure, it looks like he’s swinging away at enemies, but health meters never go down. It’s an example of several places where it feels like “Sons of Sparta” had an interesting idea that never developed into interesting gameplay.
Of course, all of this would have been more tolerable with better mechanics. Worst of all, the upgrades and half of the combat dynamics feel shallow. You can upgrade your gear—the spear, shield, and some random stat-enhancing stuff found throughout the game—but none of it ever feels like it does much. And as much as I kept upgrading my combat skills, it’s basically a button masher where you do the same things over and over again: strike, dodge, parry, strike, repeat. Enemies will glow different colors based on their current attack, indicating if some can be blocked, dodged, etc., and it gives the combat a weird flavor, more like memorizing a pattern over fluid action.
Visually, “Sons of Sparta” is a mixed bag, too. Some of the backgrounds, done in a pixel style, can be gorgeous. And the regions that you unlock have some unique aesthetics, including cold mountains near the top of the map and poisoned swamps near the bottom. While the environments can be engaging, the enemies are often hideous on a design level. Most of them are repetitive and uninspired, and even the bosses can feel half-hearted—there’s one that’s basically just a glowing, green ball of light.
Like most Metroidvanias, some of the repetitive combat of “Sons of Sparta” reaches that addictive spot for fans of the genre, in that I did find myself pushing through what the game does wrong just to open a new region or find a new temple to get a new power. It’s the draw of these games that keeps those of us who love them pushing through, whether it’s to reach that part of the map that remains unopened or get just enough resources to upgrade your favorite weapon. I just wish this one didn’t feel so much like work.
The Publisher provided a review copy of this title. It’s now on PS5.
- Laughs Come Consistently in NBC’s Clever “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (February 23, 2026)
Robert Carlock, the showrunner for “30 Rock” and creator of “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” is back on network TV with a show that could be called “Remember How Funny Tracy Morgan Can Be?” A show built around Morgan’s goofy, likable personality, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” features Carlock’s quick wit, spoofing sports culture and documentary filmmaking while ultimately being about second chances and defying expectations. Most importantly, after some rocky early episodes, it’s a consistently funny show that could stand alongside Carlock’s previously acclaimed creations.
Co-created by Carlock and Sam Means (an Emmy winner for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and writer on “30 Rock” and “Parks and Recreation”), “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” is a mockumentary show that centers on its mockumentarian, a filmmaker named Arthur Tobin (a perfectly-cast Daniel Radcliffe). An Oscar-winning filmmaker, Tobin had a very viral meltdown on the set of a superhero movie that was nothing but blue screens and tennis balls, not actual people.
Shunned by the documentary community, he’s seeking a comeback by making his own “O.J.: Made in America” or “The Last Dance” with a film about Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan), a famous New York Jets player who was booted out of the NFL when he accidentally called a national sports network to discuss his latest bets instead of his bookie. The Jets fell apart from there, and Dinkins became such an enemy in New York that he couldn’t leave the house without getting yelled at by a fan. He hopes Tobin’s movie can give him the comeback he so desires, and maybe even land him in the Hall of Fame.
THE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS — “Pilot” Episode 101 — Pictured: (l-r) Daniel Radcliffe as Arthur Tobin, Erika Alexander as Monica,Tracy Morgan as Reggie Dinkins — (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)
Dinkins has four people circling his life who become major parts of Tobin’s documentary-within-a-show. First, there’s Monica (Erika Alexander), Reggie’s ex-wife, who also still happens to be his agent, trying desperately to hold onto his few remaining scraps of fame while he works on her own to rebuild his legacy. There’s Carmelo (Jalyn Hall), Monica and Reggie’s son, a nice kid who knows how to take advantage of his rich dad and would rather sing in his school’s acapella group than follow pops into sports. There’s Brina (Precious Way), Reggie’s influencer fiancée, a character introduced as a bit disposable, but who proves she’s more than just the flighty, younger girlfriend role.
Finally, there’s the very funny Bobby Moynihan as Rusty, a former teammate who lives with Reggie and supports him through every dumb decision. Moynihan plays Rusty as a wide-eyed bumbler, a sort of vision of if Chris Farley’s character from “Tommy Boy” grew up to be a football player. It’s a funny supporting turn.
As with the acclaimed comedies that Carlock and Means worked on in the past, “Reggie Dinkins” works primarily because of its sharp ensemble, even if it’s a vehicle designed to elevate Morgan’s unique comic timing. Reggie is a classic Morgan character, a guy who may not be the smartest person in the room but someone who becomes easy to root for, especially once Craig Robinson shows up as Reggie’s on-field and now-in-retirement nemesis, a Michael Strahan-esque character who will do whatever it takes to keep Dinkins out of the hall.
HE FALL AND RISE OF REGGIE DINKINS — “Put It on Your Cabbage!” Episode 103 — Pictured: (l-r) Precious Way as Brina, Bobby Moynihan as Rusty Boyd — (Photo by: Scott Gries/NBC)
Morgan gets consistent laughs throughout the first season of “Dinkins,” but so does the entire cast. Radcliffe nails Tobin’s intellectual anxiety, someone who thinks even this project is below him but needs it to resurrect his career, and someone who ends up pretty quickly coming to like Dinkins and his family. Way, Hall, and Moynihan have laughs every episode, but Alexander may actually be the season one MVP as she not only has nuanced comic timing but does great work at grounding a show that sometimes spins off into ridiculous tangents. Alexander plays Monica’s journey completely straight, whether she’s trying to fight her way back into the business management industry or getting addicted to a reality show with Rusty.
Network TV comedy took a hit in the cord-cutting era, but an occasional surprise can burst through the crowd like “Abbott Elementary” and “Ghosts” (and more of you should be watching “St. Denis Medical,” the best comedy currently on the big four). There’d be a bit of TV justice in a show about a fading star trying to reclaim past glory, leading people back to NBC TV comedy, a place that used to define the best of the sitcom form for years. I believe in you, Reggie Dinkins.
Whole season screened for review. The premiere is now on Peacock with the second episode premiering tonight, February 23, weekly from here on.
- CBS’s “CIA” Refuses to Read the Room (February 23, 2026)
It is perhaps not the time for a show about white-guy cops who break the rules to keep the US safe. And yet, that’s what CBS is giving us with “CIA,” a boilerplate spy thriller that doesn’t so much not read the room as exist for the living rooms of twenty+ years ago.
The premise is this: CIA operative Colin Glass (Tom Ellis) needs an FBI buddy to operate on U.S. soil. The powers that be–aka CIA leader Nikki Reynard (Necar Zaedgan) and FBI corner-desk haver Jubal Valentine (Jeremy Sisto)–draft Bill Goodman (Nick Gehlfuss) for the job. In case you’re wondering who’s who, CIA Colin is the bad-boy rule breaker, and FBI Bill is called a “boy scout” more than once in the pilot. Together, they stop terrorist plots.
In the first episode, which includes working with a Venezuelan asset in New York, who Colin “saved” from his own country. Honestly, the idea that the CIA, infamous for destroying democratic states across Latin America, gets to play an unquestionably good hero here had my eyes rolling so far back that my optic nerve was very grateful they only gave critics one episode to screen for review.
“Directed Energy” – When a top-secret weapon is stolen in broad daylight from a U.S. defense contractor, CIA agent Colin Glass is paired with FBI agent Bill Goodman to investigate. Their new partnership gets off to a rocky start, but they soon realize their opposing viewpoints may be their greatest asset, on the series premiere of CIA, Monday, Feb. 23 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). Pictured: Tom Ellis as CIA Case Officer Colin Glass. Photo: Zach Dilgard/CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
So yeah, don’t expect complex geopolitical questions from this one. “CIA” doesn’t even appear to interrogate why the CIA, made for spying on and disrupting nation states, doesn’t typically (or straight-up shouldn’t) mess around inside the U.S., but that’s the show we’re in. It’s as if the last couple of decades hadn’t happened. There’s no hint of the conversation the nation is currently having about the federal government’s domestic overreach, no political nuance whatsoever.
The closest we get is a moment when Colin and Bill first confront each other. Nikki, as their lead, mitigates the tension by saying, “Why don’t we all put everything back in our pants and focus?” If that strikes you as edgy gender politics, then “CIA” may be the show for you. If it seems like the type of faux provocation that had its moment before HBO started experimenting with its name, well, that tells you everything you need to know.
On the upside, the show does better with an LGBTQ+ subplot that humanizes rather than tokenizes. The action sequences are also serviceable. The stakes are high–people foam at the mouth, New York is threatened, a sympathetic helicopter pilot is in danger–and while many of the beats are predictable, the resolutions still feel good. Heart rate goes up; heart rate goes down. There’s a bit of fun spycraft as well, with some undercover ops, secret relationships, and off-the-books doctors.
“Directed Energy” – When a top-secret weapon is stolen in broad daylight from a U.S. defense contractor, CIA agent Colin Glass is paired with FBI agent Bill Goodman to investigate. Their new partnership gets off to a rocky start, but they soon realize their opposing viewpoints may be their greatest asset, on the series premiere of CIA, Monday, Feb. 23 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT). Pictured: Necar Zadegan as Deputy Chief of Station Nikki Reynard. Mark Schafer/CBS ©2026 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
To be fair, Ellis and Gehfluss do well with their respective stock characters. The camera particularly loves Ellis, and he commands the screen whenever he’s on it. That said, the pilot doesn’t give him much more to do than stomp about–although his character does get a couple of glimmers of complexity. Only future episodes will tell.
Still, a show can have those elements and be thoughtful too! But “CIA” isn’t reaching for “Homeland” or “The Americans” territory. Its ambition is more “CSI: Miami.”
Which is fine. You do you, CBS. But I don’t think “CIA” is going to break through. It’s decidedly too milquetoast for that. No, this is a series for an imagined audience who still has bunny ears, chasing a network signal. It’s not for our cut-cord reality where we have countless choices of what to watch. Certainly, if you want to start a new spy show, there are better options. Same for a network procedural–let me suggest “Will Trent” or CBS’s own “Matlock” if a throwback vibe suits you.
Because the thing is, not every show needs to be genre-pushing, thought-provoking art. But if you’re not going to make something new, you do at least need to make something quality. And an important part of quality is understanding the audience, moment, and subject matter. “CIA” does none of that.
Might the fans of “NCIS: Sydney” tune in because it’s on after “FBI”? Yes, but I’d hardly call that a success.
One episode screened for review. Premieres tonight, February 23 on CBS.
- Chaz Ebert Remembers Reverend Jesse Jackson: Oct 8, 1941 – February 17, 2026 (February 20, 2026)
In the early morning of Tuesday, February 17th, Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., completed his assignment on earth, and surrounded by loving family members, took his last breath. He had a lifetime to figure out his assignment, and step-by-step, he did.
Born in humble circumstances in Greenville, South Carolina, no one could have predicted that he would become this larger-than-life presence, not only on a local or national level, but internationally. I would dare say that his name was known on all seven continents. Looking back over Reverend Jackson’s life, it is quite clear that words like “Giant” or “Icon” sometimes seemed too small. He was quite simply a towering figure whether in the civil rights movement, in the war against poverty, in the fight for education, in the movement for social and economic justice, and on the world stage, in the quest for peace.
His son, U.S. Representative Jonathan Jackson, recalled at a press conference how his father went through three name changes. (Born to Helen Burns and Noah Robinson, he has been known as Jesse Burns, Jesse Robinson and Jesse Jackson, taking his stepfather Charles Henry Jackson’s last name in 1957.) During his years of advocating for causes of freedom, justice and peace, he figured out that no matter your name, no matter your race or your circumstances of birth, you are somebody. And, indeed, his rousing, ringing slogan “I AM SOMEBODY,” became a rallying cry that he had us shout back in response to him. “We all are,” he said, “God’s Child.”
When I was a high school student in Chicago in the 1960s, I was inspired to attend sessions at what was then called Operation Breadbasket on the South Side of Chicago. It may have resembled a church service, but its focus was community uplift and activism. This was truly a grassroots organization, an offshoot of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (“SCLC”). They advocated for jobs, housing, education and equal opportunity. I and other students were welcomed warmly by the unstoppable Reverend Willie Barrow, a short dynamo of a woman who had a knack for organizing and inspiring audiences. She was the mother of the organization. She encouraged us to come back even as we went away to college, and law school and we always did. We all loved her.
Over the years, the organization evolved from Operation Breadbasket (after breaking away from SCLC) to People United to Save (and later Serve) Humanity—also known as Operation Push—and finally, to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. At these gatherings, we were enthralled by a young, tall handsome speaker named Jesse Jackson. He was already becoming known on the national stage. I marched with Dr King when he came to Chicago to promote Open Housing in 1966. Jesse Jackson was there. We knew that he was a protege of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and indeed, was on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis,Tennessee when Dr. King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968.
His oratory was electric, fiery and passionate. And whether he wore a big Afro and daishiki, or a business suit, he commanded attention. It is my theory that he was born to his leadership position with some special annointing that was not of this earth. No matter the gathering, in Washington D.C. at the Congressional Black Caucus meetings, or at the campaign offices of soon-to-be Mayor of Chicago, Harold Washington, or at a Prayer Breakfast for Black History Month, I noticed that other speakers seemed to retreat a bit when he entered the room. No one wanted to follow his speeches. I often wondered how he came up with his slogans so quickly, “you may be born in the slums, but the slums are not born in you,” “never look down on a man unless you are helping him up,” and so many more. But the enduring slogans “I AM SOMEBODY,” and “KEEP HOPE ALIVE,” promised us a better future, and encouraged us to never give up.
You can see his leadership in the amazing documentary “Nation Time” by William Greaves, which was shot in 1972 at the National Black Political Convention. Mayor Richard Hatcher invited a cross section of leaders to Gary, Indiana to discuss the future of politics for Black Americans while the Democratic National Convention was meeting in Chicago. At various times we see everyone from Coretta Scott King and Betty Shabazz, to Amiri Baraka, Dick Gregory, Harry Belafonte and Isaac Hayes. It makes one wonder if we could gather a coalition like that today.
Even earlier, his leadership style was on display in 1960 when he organized the Greenville Eight, a group of Black students to go to the Public Library in Greenville, South Carolina to check out books. It seems impossible to believe now, but back then you could not check out a book in the Public Library if you were Black. At first, the library chose to shut down altogether rather than to serve the students. But, at some point, the library became open to all.
He led an astonishing life, surviving both the negatives and the positives of one who puts himself on the line. As he is honored in tributes around the globe, I also recalled those times when some leaders thought he flew too close to the sun, and waged campaigns to take him down a peg. We later learned that rumors may have been planted to cause us to doubt him, or to feel ambivalent about him. (Who planted the rumors, I don’t know, some said the FBI.) There were the constant questions “Why did he have to show up at every major incident? Was he just looking for publicity?” The press tried to minimize him, marginalize him and perhaps, sweep him to the side. But whatever life force he came into this world with enabled him to overcome all of that. Underestimate his intelligence, strategic brilliance and persistence at your own peril. He was not perfect, he made mistakes. But as Reverend Jackson himself said, he was not the perfect servant, he was a Public Servant. And he did not back down.
In hindsight, we needed Reverend Jackson to shine a light on inequality. He showed up because he cared and because he thought he could make a difference. We appreciated the totality of what he did, and he became a hero to us. Who among us can say we helped to get hostages released from Syria? I bet Navy Lt. Robert Goodman was happy to have Reverend Jackson advocating for him. Who among us can say we helped secure the release of 22 Americans held in Cuba under Fidel Castro or traveled with then-Congressman Rod Blagojevich to meet with Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic to secure the release of others?
Who would have listened if Reverend Jackson wasn’t there, knocking on corporate doors and demanding they open their boards and executive suits to women and African Americans and people of all races? Likewise, he helped to integrate newsrooms and broadcast booths for those who were qualified, but who had not been afforded those opportunities previously. When he advocated for the ownership of sports teams, and business franchises some accused him of being an opportunist. But his answer was resounding—economic prosperity was to be shared in the hands of the many rather than the few. What he was voicing were views that he shared with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, specifically that there are no civil rights without economic rights!
In Hollywood, he advocated for opening unions to people of color and giving more roles on screens to African-American actors. He also advocated for more executive roles in studios so that Black people would be in positions to green-light projects. He did all of this many years before the #OscarsSoWhite became popular. Some thought his advocacy hurt the cause. But later many came around to appreciating his willingness to vocalize the inequalities. And, indeed, I was a witness to the celebrations of his birthdays by the Hollywood community at the Beverly Hilton Hotel some Octobers. Eventually everyone came around to the realization that he just wanted to help.
It is difficult to believe that one man did all of that and so much more. Over the 84 years of Reverend Jackson’s life it is as if he were “Zelig,” the mythical character in the mockumentary Woody Allen movie the human chameleon who happened to be in all the significant places in history at just the right time. But Jesse Jackson was no myth. He was the real deal. When you were in his presence you just knew that his celebrity was no accident. He spoke with the moral authority of one who had the interest of others at heart. And by being so heartfelt his speeches inspired you, moved you and compelled you to do something to make the world a better place. HE WAS SOMEBODY!
In Chicago, we claimed him as our own, and some of the TV stations said that he would often pop in unannounced to talk about an initiative or to get airtime. And you know what? They gave it to him. He not only commanded it, but he earned it, and you always knew that no matter what he did, it was not going to be boring. And that what ever cause he was espousing was likely to be one that deserved the attention. He was an astute student of the times and of what was needed to help move society forward.
We were both surprised and touched by the copious tears Reverend Jackson shed in Grant Park in Chicago, the night we knew Barack Obama was becoming our nation’s first Black President. Rev. Jackson must have had doubts whether he would ever see that in his lifetime. He had spent years building coalitions to register people to vote, with some suggesting this week that he had more impact on registration than anyone in history. He and we knew that he had fought, and marched and been jailed and rebuked along the way to help make that path for President Obama.
When “Captain Fantastic” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, I was struck by how Viggo Mortensen’s character in the movie wore a t-shirt that read, “Jesse Jackson ’88.” I got a chance to talk with Mortensen about it afterward, and he told me that it was, in fact, his own shirt that he had from when he campaigned for Jackson—as I did—during his 1988 presidential bid. In fact I knocked on doors and campaigned for Reverend Jackson in both his 1984 and 1988 campaigns for President. So many young people believed in him and believed he could make a difference. What none of us knew at the time is that his assignment was not to make a difference as a polittician. Something much broader was his destiny.
Even after Reverend Jackson announced that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s he kept showing up to fight for justice when it mattered. (It was a misdiagnosis. He had progressive supranuclear palsy). After all of his years of service it was so rewarding to see the warm enthusiastic response that he received at the last Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago in 2024. When he was wheeled on stage, big smile, shaking hands with all who crossed his path, I and everyone around me were in tears. It felt like a moment for a superhero.
We admired him for putting his own freedom and health on the line when it mattered. But what did his family think? It was obvious that Reverend Jackson loved his family and they loved him. They were aware of his place in the world and his drive to improve things. However, I did wonder whether his wife Jackie and his children Santita, Jesse Jr, Jonathan, Yusef, Jacqueline and Ashley would have preferred that he didn’t give so much of himself all the time. At the press conference, Santita said when she called him “Reverend” he corrected her and said to call him “Daddy.” His family life was precious to him and to them. It was reassuring to hear her say it. His family was his refuge.
On a personal level, when Roger was in the hospital for eight months, Reverend Jackson and Father Michael Pfleger of Chicago’s St. Sabina Church would come and pray with him. No one knew this, it was just something that they did, and we appreciated it. Reverend Jackson’s friendship with Roger had preceded Roger’s hospitalization, and they had a respect for each other. At Roger’s funeral, Reverend Jackson couldn’t attend, but his son Jonathan read a speech that he had written to honor him. He hailed Roger as a “soldier with a pen” who championed the work of Black filmmakers. “Roger respected what we had to say about ourselves,” he said. “It was not his story, but he understood the value of an important film was authenticity and not the fact that it depicted your interests.”
The last time I saw Reverend Jackson was March 25, 2025, when I was invited to attend a celebration of him when he received the George W. Bush Award hosted by the Points of Light Foundation. His niece Brenda Robinson and so many others spoke beautifully about Reverend Jackson’s work, and about his ability to reach across the aisle to work with former President Bush. By this time, he had lost his ability to speak, but his eyes, his actions and his firm handshake conveyed all you needed to know. Sitting there with Mrs. Jackson and his family, he was the picture of contentment and of a life well-lived.
I convey my deepest, deepest sympathy to Mrs. Jackson, and to all of his family. May He Rest In Heavenly Bliss.
================SEVERAL CELEBRATIONS OF LIFE ARE SCHEDULED FOR HIM STARTING NEXT WEEK: For more information about the services, go to JesseJacksonLegacy.com
His family said that all are welcome, no matter your beliefs, just leave politics at the door.
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Lying in State at Rainbow PUSH CoalitionLocation: 930 E 50th St, Chicago, IL 60615Time: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Friday, February 27, 2026
The People’s Celebration at House of HopeLocation: 752 E 114th St, Chicago, IL 60628Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PMDoors Open at 9:00 AM
Sunday, March 1 through Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Formal services in South Carolina and Washington, D.C.
Friday, March 6, 2026
The People’s Celebration at House of HopeLocation: 752 E. 114th Street, Chicago, IL 60628Doors Open at 9:00 AM
Saturday, March 7, 2026
Private Homegoing Services at Rainbow PUSHLocation: 930 E 50th St, Chicago, IL 60615No time given, but a livestream of the services will be shared for the public.
We also wanted to share some thoughts from friends of RogerEbert.com about the Reverend Jackson:
As a child growing up in the Midwest during the ‘70s, the Reverend Jesse Jackson who was inextricably tied to the city of Chicago, represented hope. He was a national leader who looked like me, talked like me and represented every element of my Blackness. Sure, we knew of and studied Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in school, but Jackson was the living and breathing embodiment of King’s dream. Jackson instilled pride and a belief that yes, you can do anything if you put your mind to it including running for the presidency of the United States. Thank you Mr. Jackson for helping a young Black boy believe in himself. – Shawn Edwards
I attended Howard University with Santita Jackson, so my perspective is a little different. Although many will speak on his political legacy, I believe his biggest legacy was as Santita’s Dad. Rev. Jackson supported and encouraged her to join the political arena in a very different lane than her siblings. She is outspoken and in a class of her own…just like her Dad. Their bond was and is unbreakable. – Carla Renata
My heavens! I met the Reverend Jesse Jackon a couple times and thought about him last week because of some work I’ve done about Dr. King, and some recollection of the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign. He spoke at our high school during Operation PUSH’s heyday. The girls in the auditorium went nuts. He was a talented athlete, a gifted orator’s whose DNC keynote address brought me to the verge of tears, and a human bridge to the most contentious confrontations of the Civil Rights Movement, not only in The Deep South, but in hate-filled Gage Park. My condolences to his loved ones, especially Jesse, Jr., a fellow former St. Albans Bulldog. His dad is irreplaceable. – Bijan Bayne
