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February's onslaught of new horror comedies got us thinking about the trickiest and most rewarding subgenre of horror. Despite their modern sensibilities, they all feel like throwbacks or reactions to earlier eras. Are horror comedies always riffing on established tropes and aesthetics? Are there any non-referential modern horror comedies? What is the identity of original horror comedies in the 2020s?

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This chapter has a little something for both of us. Maggie gets to talk about dreams and Cam gets to lose himself in the endless rabbit warren of philosophy. But it all comes down to this: is it really the dearly departed Ned Stark who visits his kids in their dreams? What would this spiritual confirmation mean for the supernatural aspect of this world? Souls, the afterlife, ghosts – it's all up for grabs now. And what's all this suddenly about the children of the forest? Are they a way for Bran to process his grief, or a tease of what's to come in his long and winding journey?

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The fifth Dune novel feels like a master of the craft finishing his central story and then just continuing to explore the world he created. This is another swirling, violent meditation on inescapable cycles of history, with an ever greater focus on the concept of manufactured immortality. Heretics of Dune is both the least essential and the most impassioned book in the series.

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Spoiler alert: Ned Stark is finally dead. The chapter we've all been waiting for and dreading is finally here, and this episode tackles the one question that we're both consumed by. Why does he die in an Arya chapter, instead of a Sansa chapter, or - you know - an Eddard chapter. Lighting our way towards an answer is a whole cavalcade of thoughts, theories, and literary analysis. Let's dig in!

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Billions is the best show you haven't seen — and that's either because it aired on Showtime or because you assumed it was a Succession clone. Our mission in this episode is to correct these impressions, because not only is Billions nothing like Succession, it is also the hidden gem of prestige television dramas. Topics include: episodic storytelling, rewatchability, signature dialogue styles, scope vs. scale, and revised comparisons to Mad Men / The Sopranos.

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As we race towards the finale of A Game of Thrones, the supernatural elements are coming out to play. This chapter alone gives us blood magic, fatal prophecies, and dancing witches. Cam follows these threads to finally uncover what might be the root of this novel's constant Macbeth echoes. Maggie takes a look at the curious role that fear plays in this chapter, as it variously induces Dany's labor and separates her from everyone around her. We also consider the continued specter of Jon Snow across these pages.

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Season of Witchcraft is all about 'fun factor,' from the campy purple aesthetic to the loot piñata gameplay. The classes are better than ever too, as Maggie rolls her third Rogue and Cam makes his triumphant, dreaded return to the Barbarian. But there's a tension underlying this season that complicates our experience: the constant, escalating grind through Headhunts. This latest installment of our ongoing Diablo IV coverage zooms out to consider the state of the game, the committed casual experience, and how the game could continue to improve!

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Another week, another battle, another curveball! Cam's analyzing the subversive, pointedly indirect way that GRRM stages his battles. Maggie takes a look at the ongoing bad luck of the Starks for its historical and religious implications. Are they actually cursed? Have they been forsaken by the Old Gods?

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Happy Valentine's Day, it's time to discuss the messiest love triangle of the decade! Cam argues that Challengers is an intricate restaging of Shakespeare's Macbeth — where no one is allowed to die. This wrinkle presents fresh insights about both works of art, and some creative character mapping reveals an unexpected, revelatory Lady Macbeth hiding in plain sight. Maggie analyzes the strategic deployment of color through the film, as it both clarifies and complicates the relationships between our three characters. She also takes a close look at the film's music and sound design, arguing that they act as a stand-in for absent characters and unrequited passions.

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Despite winning the battle, the big loser of this chapter is Tywin Lannister. His money, power, and more "civilized" brand of evil undercut his wins and guarantee his family's losses. Our discussion catalogues these failures and the seeds of mistrust that have broken the house that should easily dominate the Seven Kingdoms. In the chaos of battle, last week's Dothraki horrors are quietly displaced from Tyrion's mountain men into his innermost circle.

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