1. Britney Spears and Aaron Paul bonded over the word "bitch"
Over the past few years, two pop-cultural figures have laid claim to the word "bitch": Britney Spears, who turned "It's Britney, bitch" into a national catchphrase, and Aaron Paul, who used the word in every other sentence as Breaking Bad's Jesse Pinkman. Now that Spears' new single called — what else? — "Work Bitch" has been released, the grand conjunction finally happened: Paul tweeted at Spears with the hashtag "#DanceBitch," prompting Spears to reply that she's a "huge fan" and invite Paul to dance with her sometime. Somewhere, Freddy Kruger is sitting alone by a telephone, waiting for them to call. [E! Online]
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2. Showtime refused to let Dexter kill off Dexter
After eight long seasons, Showtime's Dexter finally limped to its conclusion earlier this year, with an ending that saw the titular serial killer escape to a new life as a lumberjack after driving a boat into a hurricane. (None of that was a joke.) But if you're one of the many viewers who were surprised that Dexter ended the series unscathed, you can thank the higher-ups at Showtime, who mandated that the character couldn't be killed. "When we told them the arc for the last season, they just said, 'Just to be clear, he's going to live,'" revealed producer John Goldwyn in an interview with Vulture. So you should probably get ready for him to pop up on Homeland later this season, when it's revealed that he and Brody have been in cahoots all along. [Vulture]
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3. Critics aren't big on the new Bridget Jones book
Last week, Bridget Jones fans were in an uproar over the news that author Helen Fielding had decided to kill off romantic protagonist Mark Darcy in the third novel of the franchise, Mad About the Boy. And now that critics have finally read the book, was the decision the right one? Not according to the Telegraph, which compiled a round-up of dismal notices for the book that included complaints about the "all wrong" tone and the "pile-up of cliches." But it's not all bad news: One reviewer noted the presence of a "running fart joke," so any eight-year-old boys who happen to pick up the novel are sure to be pleased. [Telegraph]
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4. Frances McDormand's character won't be in that Fargo TV show
It's been months since FX said "you betcha" to a TV show based on 1996's Minnesota-set neo-noir Fargo. But fans of the movie might be surprised to learn that the series won't include the movie's most iconic character: Police chief Marge Gunderson, a role for which original star Frances McDormand earned an Academy Award. "She's not in it. It's not a retelling of the same story, because on so many levels that would be foolish," said MGM executive Roma Khanna — as foolish, say, as remaking one of the most acclaimed movies of the 1990s at all. [The Hollywood Reporter]
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5. Carrie producers terrified coffee shop patrons into seeing their movie
If you prefer your morning coffee with a side of existential terror, you might want to check out New York City's 'sNice cafe the next time you're in town. In a viral prank designed to promote the upcoming Carrie remake, the coffee shop allowed a special effects team to design an elaborate stunt in which a "patron" suffered a psychic freakout that sent books flying off the shelves and one man floating toward the ceiling. Of course, the incident was entirely staged with a variety of special effects — but just to be safe, you might want to check your next latte for pig's blood. [Daily News]
