Succession Made You Decide“Who will win?” is a question as appealing and empty as Tom and Shiv’s apartment. The much harder one has always been, “What kind of show is this?”
In Beef, Therapy Isn’t the AnswerNeither Amy nor Danny can bring themselves to confront the darkness within, until they are forced to do so together.
ByErin Qualey
close read
Succession’s Echoing CrescendoThrough its evocations of the past, “Connor’s Wedding” suggests the Roy children have been subconsciously practicing for this world-exploding moment.
Swarm’s Most Dangerous DevotionThe Prime Video series about a murderous stan falls short in exploring the ways female companionship can be amplified into something more sinister.
ByRoxana Hadadi
finales
The Last of Us Is Faithful to the EndThe season finale’s climax effectively streamlines its source material but illuminates the show’s narrowing adaptational ambition.
ByNicholas Quah
close read
Poker Face Toes the Thin Blue LineIs it possible to make a show about crime and punishment that isn’t copaganda? That’s a mystery season one couldn’t quite solve.
Physical: 100 Isn’t Built to Be BrutalDon’t be fooled by the Squid Game aesthetics: Netflix’s Korean reality competition may just be the best example of good sportsmanship on TV.
The White Lotus’s Watery EndThe season finale plunges into the unknowable depths of Mike White’s favorite symbol.
ByRoxana Hadadi
tv review
South Side Enters Its Golden AgeIn its fantastically funny third season, the Chicago-set comedy exudes a sense of unparalleled confidence.
ByRoxana Hadadi
close read
Luthen Rael Embodies Andor’s Gray SideIn his similarities to Star Wars’ biggest villain, Stellan Skarsgård’s character challenges what we expect and accept from the franchise’s good guys.
ByRoxana Hadadi
finales
Andor Radicalized the Hero’s JourneyTony Gilroy’s prequel series took the world of Star Wars seriously, and in the process found new life within an old text.
ByNicholas Quah
close read
The Crown Did Diana DirtySeason five’s diminishment of the “people’s princess” as petulant and reckless feels like nefarious intent hidden behind fictional license.
ByRoxana Hadadi
finales
The Good Fight Carries OnAfter six seasons spent toying with escapism, the frequently surreal legal drama ends with its feet on the ground.
The Fantasy-Prequel ProblemHouse of the Dragon and The Rings of Power have been presented as shining new jewels in the streaming pantheon. They also belie a lack of imagination.
ByKathryn VanArendonk
fire and blood
Is Queen Alicent Acting in Bad Faith?The presence of a certain seven-pointed star adds an intriguing new wrinkle to House of the Dragon’s Targaryen-Hightower power struggle.
ByRoxana Hadadi
close read
The Hollow Impersonation in BlondeIn life, Marilyn Monroe was a complex artist and human being. In the hands of Ana de Armas, she’s an eternal victim.