diff --git a/webui/static/video/video-side.css b/webui/static/video/video-side.css
index 50bc5630..311ab684 100644
--- a/webui/static/video/video-side.css
+++ b/webui/static/video/video-side.css
@@ -2539,12 +2539,17 @@ body[data-side="video"] #soulsync-toggle { display: none; }
 .vwsh-nebula .wl-orb.orb-md { width: 104px; height: 104px; }
 .vwsh-nebula .wl-orb.orb-lg { width: 124px; height: 124px; }
 
-/* show info bar — synopsis (left) + clickable cast bubbles (right), lazy-loaded */
-.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info:empty { display: none; }
-.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info { display: flex; gap: 20px; align-items: flex-start; text-align: left; margin: 4px 0 18px; }
-.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-syn { flex: 1 1 0; min-width: 0; font-size: 12.5px; line-height: 1.55; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6);
-    display: -webkit-box; -webkit-line-clamp: 6; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; overflow: hidden; }
-.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-cast { flex: 0 0 auto; max-width: 48%; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; gap: 12px 10px; justify-content: flex-end; }
+/* expanded header — synopsis (left) · poster (middle) · cast (right). The side
+   columns hide (:empty) when there's nothing, so a collapsed/cast-less show just
+   shows the centered bubble (nebula grid unchanged). */
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-xhead { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center; gap: 24px; width: 100%; }
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-xhead-mid { flex-shrink: 0; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; gap: 6px; }
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-syn { flex: 0 1 340px; min-width: 0; align-self: center; text-align: left;
+    font-size: 12.5px; line-height: 1.55; color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.62);
+    display: -webkit-box; -webkit-line-clamp: 8; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; overflow: hidden; }
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-cast { flex: 0 1 340px; min-width: 0; align-self: center; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap;
+    gap: 12px 10px; align-content: center; justify-content: flex-start; }
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-syn:empty, .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-cast:empty { display: none; }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-cast { width: 56px; padding: 0; border: none; background: none; cursor: pointer;
     display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; gap: 5px; }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-cast-img { position: relative; width: 46px; height: 46px; border-radius: 50%; overflow: hidden;
@@ -2560,8 +2565,9 @@ body[data-side="video"] #soulsync-toggle { display: none; }
     text-align: center; line-height: 1.2; max-width: 56px; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-cast:hover .vwsh-cast-name { color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.85); }
 @media (max-width: 640px) {
-    .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info { flex-direction: column; }
-    .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-cast { max-width: 100%; justify-content: flex-start; }
+    .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-xhead { flex-direction: column; gap: 14px; }
+    .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-syn { flex-basis: auto; text-align: center; }
+    .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-cast { flex-basis: auto; justify-content: center; }
 }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-info-eyebrow { display: block; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 800; text-transform: uppercase;
     letter-spacing: 0.05em; color: hsl(var(--orb-hue, 230) 80% 76%); margin-bottom: 6px; }
@@ -2595,12 +2601,14 @@ body[data-side="video"] #soulsync-toggle { display: none; }
     border-radius: 10px; background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04); border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06);
     transition: background 0.15s ease, border-color 0.15s ease; }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc:hover { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.07); border-color: hsla(var(--orb-hue, 230), 60%, 55%, 0.35); }
-.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-thumb { flex-shrink: 0; width: 92px; height: 52px; border-radius: 6px; overflow: hidden;
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-thumb { position: relative; flex-shrink: 0; width: 92px; height: 52px; border-radius: 6px; overflow: hidden;
     background: #16161d; border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.08); }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-thumb img { width: 100%; height: 100%; object-fit: cover; display: block; }
-.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-thumb--none { background: repeating-linear-gradient(135deg,
-    rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.04) 0 6px, rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.07) 6px 12px); }
+/* no still → a quiet placeholder (faint icon) instead of loud diagonal stripes */
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-thumb--none { background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.03); }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-thumb--none img { display: none; }
+.vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-thumb--none::after { content: '📺'; position: absolute; inset: 0; display: flex;
+    align-items: center; justify-content: center; font-size: 17px; opacity: 0.22; }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-body { flex: 1; min-width: 0; }
 .vwsh-nebula .vwsh-epc-title { font-size: 12.5px; font-weight: 700; color: #fff; line-height: 1.3;
     display: -webkit-box; -webkit-line-clamp: 2; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; overflow: hidden; }
diff --git a/webui/static/video/video-wishlist.js b/webui/static/video/video-wishlist.js
index 7ddd14de..7e42c338 100644
--- a/webui/static/video/video-wishlist.js
+++ b/webui/static/video/video-wishlist.js
@@ -102,18 +102,25 @@
         var gstyle = 'animation-delay:' + Math.min(idx * 45, 700) + 'ms;--orb-hue:' + hue +
             (sh.poster_url ? ";--vwsh-poster:url('" + esc(sh.poster_url) + "')" : '');
         var prog = total ? Math.max(0, Math.min(1, (sh.done || 0) / total)) : 0;   // #4 acquisition progress
+        // Header is a 3-column row that FLANKS the poster: synopsis (left) · poster
+        // (middle) · cast (right). When collapsed (or no data) the side columns are
+        // empty → hidden → just the centered bubble, so the nebula grid is unchanged.
         return '<div class="wl-orb-group" data-vwsh-group data-vwsh-tmdb="' + esc(sh.tmdb_id) + '" style="' + gstyle + '">' +
             '<button class="wl-orb-remove" type="button" data-vwsh-rm="show" data-tmdb="' + esc(sh.tmdb_id) + '" title="Remove show">&#10005;</button>' +
-            '<div class="wl-orb-tooltip">' + esc(sh.title) + '<br><span>' + eps + '</span></div>' +
-            '<div class="wl-orb ' + orbSize(total) + '" data-vwsh-orb style="--vwsh-prog:' + prog + '">' +
-                '<div class="wl-orb-glow"></div>' + img + '<div class="wl-orb-ring"></div>' +
-                '<div class="vwsh-prog"></div>' +
+            '<div class="vwsh-xhead">' +
+                '<div class="vwsh-info-syn" data-vwsh-syn></div>' +
+                '<div class="vwsh-xhead-mid">' +
+                    '<div class="wl-orb-tooltip">' + esc(sh.title) + '<br><span>' + eps + '</span></div>' +
+                    '<div class="wl-orb ' + orbSize(total) + '" data-vwsh-orb style="--vwsh-prog:' + prog + '">' +
+                        '<div class="wl-orb-glow"></div>' + img + '<div class="wl-orb-ring"></div>' +
+                        '<div class="vwsh-prog"></div>' +
+                    '</div>' +
+                    '<div class="wl-orb-label" data-vwsh-open-show data-vwsh-src="' + src + '" data-vwsh-id="' + esc(openId) + '" title="' + esc(sh.title) + '">' + esc(sh.title) + '</div>' +
+                    '<div class="wl-orb-meta">' + eps + (sh.done ? ' · ' + sh.done + ' done' : '') + '</div>' +
+                '</div>' +
+                '<div class="vwsh-info-cast" data-vwsh-cast></div>' +
             '</div>' +
-            '<div class="wl-orb-label" data-vwsh-open-show data-vwsh-src="' + src + '" data-vwsh-id="' + esc(openId) + '" title="' + esc(sh.title) + '">' + esc(sh.title) + '</div>' +
-            '<div class="wl-orb-meta">' + eps + (sh.done ? ' · ' + sh.done + ' done' : '') + '</div>' +
-            '<div class="wl-orb-expanded">' +
-                '<div class="vwsh-info" data-vwsh-info></div>' +
-                '<div class="vwsh-seasons">' + seasons + '</div></div>' +
+            '<div class="wl-orb-expanded"><div class="vwsh-seasons">' + seasons + '</div></div>' +
         '</div>';
     }
 
@@ -141,7 +148,9 @@
     }
     // sel = a selected episode object (episode synopsis + guest cast), or null (show synopsis + show cast).
     function renderInfoBar(group, tmdb, sel) {
-        var info = group && group.querySelector('[data-vwsh-info]'); if (!info) return;
+        var synEl = group && group.querySelector('[data-vwsh-syn]');
+        var castEl = group && group.querySelector('[data-vwsh-cast]');
+        if (!synEl || !castEl) return;
         var si = state.showInfo[tmdb] || {};
         var eyebrow, overview, castArr;
         if (sel) {
@@ -156,10 +165,10 @@
         } else {
             eyebrow = ''; overview = si.overview || ''; castArr = si.cast || [];
         }
-        var left = '<div class="vwsh-info-syn">' +
-            (eyebrow ? '<span class="vwsh-info-eyebrow">' + esc(eyebrow) + '</span>' : '') +
-            esc(overview) + '</div>';
-        info.innerHTML = left + (castArr.length ? '<div class="vwsh-info-cast">' + castBubbles(castArr) + '</div>' : '');
+        // Side columns are independent so each hides (:empty) when it has nothing.
+        synEl.innerHTML = (eyebrow || overview)
+            ? ((eyebrow ? '<span class="vwsh-info-eyebrow">' + esc(eyebrow) + '</span>' : '') + esc(overview)) : '';
+        castEl.innerHTML = castArr.length ? castBubbles(castArr) : '';
         // lazily fetch the episode's guest stars, then re-render if still selected
         if (sel && sel._guests === undefined) {
             sel._guests = null;