Criticism Is Dead

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

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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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

We discuss The Green Knight and The White Lotus, two quality works about how things go awry far from home.

04:50 The Green Knight, playing in theaters now, is an out-of-this-world adaptation of the chivalric tale that asks one ultimate question: Are you going to step up or pussy out?

27:13 The White Lotus, a miniseries on HBO Max, is an intriguing character/relationship study that is both satirical yet sincere, cynical yet sympathetic.

45:19 Plus, culture notes about Drake's sweater.

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

We discuss Gossip Girl, the loose sequel to the 2007 series, and The Pursuit of Love, the TV adaptation of the 1945 novel.

05:32 Gossip Girl, streaming on HBO Max, was maybe always going to be a doomed attempt to cash in on nostalgia.

23:56 The Pursuit of Love, streaming on Amazon Video, is a period drama with modern sensibilities.

37:47 Plus, culture notes about the lawsuit that sent shockwaves throughout the industry and made us begrudgingly say, “Good for you, ScarJo.”

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

We discuss Never Have I Ever, a teen romcom drama about an Indian American girl, and Thoroughbreds, a dark comedy thriller about two white teen girls up to no good.

05:05 Never Have I Ever, streaming on Netflix, is strongest when it goes beyond the silly high school tropes to touch on issues of grief, family, and mental health.

22:48 Thoroughbreds, available on Hulu + Live TV or on VOD, is an unexpectedly clever portrait of privilege and sociopathy.

37:49 Plus, culture notes about the Olympics that we're not watching except through Olympic Village TikTok. (We'll link some examples in our newsletter!)

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Follow us on Twitter and Instagram. For extended show notes — including links that we reference, plus more — subscribe to our Substack. Inquiries, complaints, and recs for what to watch can go to [email protected].

Music: REEKAH

Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu

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