Criticism Is Dead

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The Morning Show, Love Life, and Eternals backlash Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

We discuss The Morning Show and Love Life, two very different shows exploring complicated relationships.

02:40 The Morning Show, streaming on Apple TV+, surprisingly stuck the landing in season 1, but it remains to be seen whether the mess of storylines in season 2 can congeal into a coherent, intelligent whole.

22:42 Love Life, streaming on HBO Max, is pulling off a really good season 2, thanks to quality writing, direction, performances, and more.

37:51 Plus, culture notes about why critics seem to be sour on Eternals (and why fans are sour on critics being sour on Eternals).

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Dune, Space Sweepers, and spoiler panic Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Dune and Space Sweepers, two space operas set against the backdrop of the powerful elite exploiting people and planets.

03:50 Dune, playing in theaters and on HBO Max, is a masterful adaptation of a complex story long considered unfilmable. (P.S. Here are the two pieces about Dune Pelin wants you to read.)

32:27 Space Sweepers, streaming on Netflix, has some good elements, but ultimately squanders its potential as the first Korean space blockbuster.

41:59 Plus, culture notes about fans and studios/networks becoming increasingly fussy about spoilers.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Maid, The Premise, and culture grab bag Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Maid and The Premise, two shows about the fabric of American society, both socioeconomic and cultural.

03:00 Maid, a Netflix limited series, is a stark, compelling, uncomfortably realistic depiction of what poverty looks like.

28:47 The satirical anthology series The Premise, streaming on Hulu, is wildly uneven but redeemed by one standout episode.

38:45 Plus, culture notes served quibi (“quick bites”)-style this week: some mea culpas, updates, and excitement about works we may have passed judgment on earlier. ...

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Squid Game, Foundation, and the next James Bond Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Squid Game and Foundation, two shows about the follies of human nature.

NOTE: Sorry for the audio quality on Jenny's end, it was a freak accident, the cause of which is still unknown (but could very well be human error, I'm sorry).

03:20 Korean survival drama Squid Game, streaming on Netflix, is a word-of-mouth sensation, an international hit, and thrilling as fuck.

24:13 Sci-fi epic Foundation, new on Apple TV+, faces an uphill battle in adapting Isaac Asimov's sprawling galactic saga for the small screen.

38:13 Plus, culture notes about who could be the next James Bond after Daniel Craig giddily leaves this franchise in the dust?

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Sex Education, Columbus, and getting Pratted Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Sex Education and Columbus, a series and a film about coming of age, in a sense.

04:51 Sex Education, on Netflix, is not only delightfully raunchy and silly, but it also may be the healthiest depiction of sexual identity and exploration on TV.

24:18 Columbus, available VOD or on Topic on Amazon Video, is a quiet portrait of how two lives can intersect and prompt change in each other — helped along here by modernist architecture.

41:44 Plus, culture notes about "which normal guy celeb will get 'Pratted' next?" And a shout out to the workers of IATSE.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Riders of Justice, Pig, and Emmys Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Riders of Justice and Pig, two films about men dealing with grief.

04:13 Riders of Justice, streaming on Hulu, picks apart the tropes of the “middle-aged man revenge action thriller” in such an elegant, intelligent, and darkly hilarious way.

23:33 Pig, a hero’s journey of porcine proportions available VOD, sketches out a character portrait of a chef-turned-recluse.

39:35 Plus, culture notes about the Emmys, which have already happened by now, but not when we recorded this.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Only Murders in the Building, The Guilty, and Met Gala gossip Sep 14, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Only Murders in the Building _and _The Guilty, a show and a movie about trying to solve a case from the periphery.

03:53 Only Murders in the Building, streaming on Hulu, is neither particularly ambitious nor rigorous, but it's a winning combination of famous actors, whimsy, and New York charm. (Note: Our discussion only covers eps 1–4; also, sorry, the episodes drop on Tuesdays not Mondays!)

19:16 The Guilty, available on Hulu, is an absolutely riveting crime thriller made all the more impressive by a tight concept and even tighter quarters.

32:36 Plus, culture notes about Met Gala gossip (ALLEGEDLY, CAN NEITHER CONFIRM NOR DENY).

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Reservation Dogs, Rutherford Falls, and Ted Lasso discourse Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Reservation Dogs and Rutherford Falls, two recent shows that present very different contemporary Native stories.

04:07 Reservation Dogs, streaming on FX on Hulu, is about a ragtag group of Native teens striving to escape their rural Oklahoma hometown.

28:26 Rutherford Falls, streaming on Peacock, is about a white man and a Native woman whose friendship is tested by a conflict going back centuries.

40:46 Plus, culture notes about what it is about Ted Lasso season 2 that has struck a nerve in broader culture. Here is a smart piece about the whole thing by Alison Herman of the Ringer:

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

The Chair, Making the Cut, and new celeb coupling dropped Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

We discuss The Chair _and _Making the Cut, two shows about making it work within an ultimately capitalist institution.

02:35 The Chair, a new Netflix miniseries, does a good job showcasing — on both a micro and macro level — how an institution like a university cannot easily be changed, but rather changes the individual. (Also: Sandra Oh!!!)

22:38 Making the Cut is Amazon's high-budget answer to Project Runway, only even more rooted in the naked goal of commercial profit.

41:26 Plus, just some light culture notes about Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum :)

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

Together Together, Dead Pigs, and peak anthology Aug 17, 2021

Show notes

We discuss Together Together _and _Dead Pigs, two films about what money can or cannot buy.

04:25 Together Together, streaming on Hulu, is a gentle exploration of how an intimate process like pregnancy can sit awkwardly as a transactional affair.

19:19 Dead Pigs, available VOD or on Mubi, puts a wry slant on familiar themes in modern Chinese cinema: urbanization, globalization, and ultimately money.

36:51 Plus, culture notes about this abundance of anthology series we’re seeing.

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Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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