The COVID-19 coronavirus has changed everyday life for billions of people around the world since it first began to rear its ugly head early this year. And as much as we all wish it would end, it doesn't seem destined to do so anytime soon. The virus is already creeping up on 20 million confirmed cases and over 700,000 deaths, and the number of actual infections is sure to be considerably higher.
This year has sucked for everyone thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, and though billions of people have been affected, business owners are among those most vulnerable to the devastating economic effects of the outbreak. Many businesses around the world have either remained closed or are operating on a very safety-first basis that has impacted their ability to generate the same level of profit they once did.
2020 has been a rough year for everyone, and it really doesn't seem interested in getting much better. The COVID-19 coronavirus has put millions out of jobs, closed an immense amount of businesses indefinitely, and resulted in extreme changes to how everyone socializes. This is especially true in the pandemic's epicenter of the United States where case numbers have reached nearly 5 million and deaths are sitting at 160,000. New infections continue to skyrocket in many states as well, as the debate wages on between whether the economy or public safety should take precedence.
Sony's PlayStation 5 announcement included plenty of games that helped to further guarantee them all of the support they needed from their already dedicated fanbase. Huge titles like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon Forbidden West and the long-awaited Demon's Souls remake have injected hype into the gaming world during a time when it matters most.
Netflix's biggest content drops typically come on the very first day of a new month, and August was no different in that regard. Extremely popular flicks like Seabiscuit, Mad Max and Being John Malkovich landed on the 1st, but not every new arrival hits Netflix's Top 10 most-watched movies list.
The Umbrella Academy has been one hell of a hit for Netflix since its debut last year, and its recently-released second season is faring exceptionally well already. As expected, it's been dominating the platform since its July 31st launch, but it's also sitting at a very impressive 90% on Rotten Tomatoes right now, proving that critics are enjoying the show's sophomore season right alongside the extremely positive reception from fans.
The Walking Dead features some actors with exceptional range and a phenomenal on-screen presence, and they're the backbone of the show's drama when zombies aren't keeping everyone tense. And while the past season and a half has remained quite entertaining thanks to the ongoing excellent performances of series mainstays, there's no doubt been a hole left in the heart of the show since the mysterious disappearance of Rick Grimes, who was presumed dead after destroying a bridge to stop a zombie horde but was actually air-lifted out by a mysterious helicopter.
The Walking Dead hasn't made such an impact on pop culture for just being another zombie show. Instead, its success has largely come from its ability to make us care about the bevy of characters it's introduced over the past decade, always giving us a reason to tune in each week in hopes of seeing the next piece of our favorite survivor's story arc. Of course, this means we've all become equally invested in the romantic relationships these folks have engaged in, and in doing so, we've learned that those relationships can quickly come to an end at any moment at the hands of a zombie or human villain.
The Walking Dead has never hurt for compelling characters throughout the past decade, always finding a way to keep us coming back week after week to see what our darling survivors are up to again. But it's a dangerous world these character inhabit, and we always know that no one on the show is truly safe from death. We've lost a lot of wonderful people along the way, including fan favorites like Glenn and Abraham, who were murdered at the hands of the now-reformed Negan, who himself has since become a lovable and sympathetic antihero of sorts.
