Criticism Is Dead

Latest Episodes:

The White Lotus, The Menu, and Andor and political praxis Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

We discuss The White Lotus season 2 and The Menu, two works highlighting the relationship between those who serve and those who take from the silver platter.

02:39 The White Lotus’s second season, streaming on HBO Max, is even better than the first, poking with a sharper, slyer stick at sex, power, and gender dynamics.

23:01 The Menu, currently in theaters, sufficiently skewers foodie culture and fine-dining fetishism, but fails to cut as deeply elsewhere.

37:58 Plus, culture notes about Andor, which has found itself in the middle of a squabble on the left about mass-culture art and revolutionary politics.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

The Banshees of Inisherin, See How They Run, and more Twitter thoughts Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

We discuss The Banshees of Inisherin and See How They Run, two films that raise the question of the importance of art over lives lived.

03:28 The Banshees of Inisherin, playing in theaters, finds equal parts comedy, tragedy, and emotional resonance in the dissolution of a friendship.

24:49 See How They Run, streaming on HBO Max, is a tight parcel of a self-aware whodunit that’s carried by its cast.

39:24 Plus, culture notes about Twitter, part 2 (please kill us). (#GetJennyto10kBeforeTwitterDies)

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Andor, Paterson, and the Twitter question Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

We discuss Andor and Paterson, a series and a film that hone in on the details of ordinary people’s lives.

06:20 Andor, streaming on Disney+, is not just great Star Wars television — it’s great television, period.

22:46 In Paterson, streaming on Amazon Prime Video, characters and viewers alike find art and beauty in everyday circumstances.

35:53 Plus, culture notes about what comes after Twitter (if anything).

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Derry Girls, The Mole, and Corden vs. McNally Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

We discuss Derry Girls and The Mole, two shows about groups of people trying to get what they want, episode after episode.

02:28 Derry Girls, streaming on Netflix in the U.S., strikes a sweet balance between teenage self-obsession and adulthood.

21:11 The Mole — Netflix’s revival of the early-aughts reality competition show — has some flaws, but is ultimately a fun ride for anyone who likes puzzles, heists, and gameplay.

42:04 Plus, culture notes about James Corden getting banned (possibly twice?) from Balthazar.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Tár, Los Espookys, and Richard Brody Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

We discuss Tár and Los Espookys, a film and a series about what lies beneath the surface of a performance.

01:46 Tár, playing in theaters, is an ambitious, relentless, engrossing film about art — and the great and terrible artist.

26:48 Los Espookys, available on HBO, is a gem of a surreal, absurdist, magical realist comedy series.

39:31 Plus, culture notes about our favorite curmudgeon/New Yorker critic Richard Brody’s very strange week.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

House of the Dragon vs. The Rings of Power Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

We discuss House of the Dragon and The Rings of Power, two IP-franchise fantasy shows striving to become part of TV history for their respective networks.

03:55 HBO’s House of the Dragon may be smaller in scale, but its soapiness and focus on two women makes for an intriguing, at times delightful, watch.

26:07 Amazon Prime Video’s The Rings of Power starts off slow, but it builds a world so lush, so rich, so grand in its scale and mythology, that it’s worth tuning in.

42:54 So, ultimately, which series is better?

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Grab bag: Industry, Bad Sisters, Selling the OC, and more Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Grab bag episode! This is our first ~expanded~ version of our occasional watchlist dumps. We’ve been watching a lot of stuff, not all of which can make it into our main episodes, so why not put it all here?

03:19 Industry s2 on HBO Max

10:48 Selling the OC on Netflix

16:30 The Resort finale on Peacock

18:45 Black Bird on Apple TV+

22:02 What We Do in the Shadows s4 on Hulu

24:12 Only Murders in the Building s2 on Hulu

26:48 Bad Sisters on Apple TV+

31:08 Never Have I Ever s3 on Netflix

33:46 This Is Going to Hurt on AMC+

36:47 This Fool on Hulu

38:48 Mo on Netflix

43:15 Junior Bake Off on Netflix

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Rap Sh!t, Yi Yi, and worrying about Don't Worry Darling Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

We discuss Rap Sh!t and Yi Yi, a series and a film about life’s choices and how they shape you as a person.

02:34 Rap Sh!t, streaming on HBO Max, is a solid sophomore series from Issa Rae that portrays the tireless hustle that go into pursuing one’s dream.

20:02 Yi Yi, available on Criterion, is a meditative, bittersweet, stunning work of cinema about the currents of life.

38:12 Plus, culture notes about the trials and tribulations of Don’t Worry Darling, which — reminder — won’t be out for another three weeks!!!

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

The Sandman, The Resort, and that 'Bodies Bodies Bodies' tussle Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

We discuss The Sandman and The Resort, two shows that straddle the line between reality and fantasy.

02:20 The Sandman, streaming on Netflix, is dark yet whimsical, fantastical yet human.

26:07 The Resort, streaming on Peacock, is a colorful mystery romp with a heart of magical realism strangeness.

42:14 Plus, culture notes about the Lena Wilson/Amandla Stenberg thing lol.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

The Rehearsal, Love Island, and late summer/early fall preview Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

On this extra-long episode, we discuss The Rehearsal and Love Island, two shows that put into question how reality is depicted onscreen.

04:15 The Rehearsal, streaming on HBO Max, is a docuseries of breathtaking scale and intricacy that toys with the genre’s inextricable question of manipulation.

32:57 The U.K.’s premier reality dating competition show Love Island, streaming on Hulu in the U.S., says the quiet part about relationships out loud.

55:07 Plus, a few things we’re looking forward to watching in the upcoming weeks/months.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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