Review: The Libertarianism of Firefly
What if our interplanetary future involved train heists, legal sex work, and a lot of running from the feds?
Television
The Fractal, Fractious Politics of The Expanse
Taking humanity from Earth to the stars isn't easy.
Review: When Homer Simpson Went to Space
"Deep Space Homer" aired only eight years after the real-life Challenger disaster.
This Court Case Could Make It a Crime To Be a Journalist in Texas
Priscilla Villarreal found herself in a jail cell for publishing two routine stories. A federal court still can't decide what to do about that.
The Lincoln Project Demonstrates How Anti-Trump Fixation Can Lead to Lousy Policy
Reflexive opposition to the 45th president was terrible for Covid policy and basic ethics.
This Election Day, Listen to the Betting Market Instead of Pundit Predictions
Over time, betting has been a better predictor than polls, pundits, statistical models, and everything else.
Violence Begets War on the House of the Dragon Finale
Who doesn't want Rhaenyra to go full Targaryen?
Review: Better Call Saul Could Only Happen Under Drug Prohibition
The black market for drugs empowers bad actors while imposing serious burdens on innocents.
Review: The Sandman and the Joys of Being Human
The series deals with themes of fate, freedom, and choice.
In Netflix's Dahmer, Incompetent Police Fail To Catch a Serial Killer
The show depicts the killer's gruesome crimes but lays some of the blame on the Milwaukee police who failed for so long to catch him.
How Faithful Is The Rings of Power to J.R.R. Tolkien's Anti-Statism?
Between the books and the new TV series, we see two different visions of freedom.
Review: Slow Horses Thriller Displays the Dangers of Bureaucracy
The British spy series shows the lengths to which government overseers will go to protect themselves.
Review: Prohibition Makes for Good TV but Bad Government Policy
Peaky Blinders reminds us that when the government bans or artificially limits a resource, control of that resource often gets decided through violence.
What If We Tried Anarchy? HBO's The Anarchists Explores.
"There really is no panacea, either technological like cryptocurrency or philosophical like anarchism," says director Todd Schramke.
Thoughts on the First Episode of "House of the Dragon"
It's early going. But the first episode is a promising start to HBO's prequel to the famous "Game of Thrones" series.
The Ballad of Rachel Maddow, Eddie Chiles, and J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs
Friday A/V Club: One cable host's capacity for unearned smugness
Netflix Files Copyright Lawsuit Against Creators of Unofficial Bridgerton Musical
The company alleges the composers ignored multiple warnings to cease commercial production of the musical.
The G Word Begs Americans To Fall Back in Love with Uncle Sam
Adam Conover and President Barack Obama want to unruin the federal government. But they’re not really willing to truly consider that it’s too big and too wasteful.
Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Era of Cultural Stagflation
On streaming and the big screen, we're paying more for less, even as new ideas seem few and far between.
What John Oliver Gets Wrong About Rising Rents
The comedian largely ignores laws against new supply while arguing we should declare housing a federally funded, government-provided human right.
Stellar Casting Elevates Boomer Spy Thriller The Old Man
This chilling cat-and-mouse hunt between Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow is worth your attention.
Dark Winds Brings Tony Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police Mysteries to the Small Screen
Novel series gets six-episode launch on AMC.
Review: The Dropout
Hulu's limited TV series on Elizabeth Holmes shows how regulators failed to catch massive, dangerous medical fraud.
Review: Winning Time
The absurdly enjoyable TV drama shows how managers transformed the NBA in the 1980s.
HBO's Wild Irma Vep Adaptation Skewers Modern Films
Just don’t expect a whole lot of plot coherence.
David E. Kelley Brings Legal Thriller The Lincoln Lawyer to Netflix
Adaptation of Michael Connelly’s book series is punchy, clever, and entertaining.
The Ipcress File Abandons Its Satirical Roots for Spy Thriller Hijinks
The drama is engaging, but fans of the book should prepare for a wildly different story.
Romance and Sci-Fi Tangle in The Time Traveler's Wife
The latest attempt to adapt the novel comes as an HBO miniseries.
Review: South Park
The veteran satirists tackle major issues in America's increasingly divisive culture war with no condescension, cringe, or partisan preference.
Review: Inventing Anna
Some critics have described Anna Delvey as a "symptom" of the "disease" of "capitalism"—not simply a selfish crook eager for money and fame.
In Conversations with Friends, the Topics Always Revolve Around Sex
Hulu adaptation of 2017 book thrives on quality performances.
Cutesy Gay Teen Romance Heartstopper Subverts Absolutely Nothing, and That's Great
Netflix’s latest LGBT hit would absolutely be appropriate to show in any Florida high school, or anywhere else.
Serial Killer Thriller Shining Girls Lulls You to Sleep Before Blowing Your Mind
If you can get past the first few plodding, confusing hours, entertainment awaits.
61st Street Dramatizes Chicago's Brutal, Hostile Criminal Justice System
The innocent and guilty alike are ground down by cynical, self-serving officials.
The Book of Boba Fett
The Empire has dominated the Star Wars franchise's narrative, but the characters who inhabit that universe simply live their lives.
Outer Range Adds Eerie Supernatural Twist to Modern Ranch Drama
Josh Brolin stars in mysterious new Amazon Prime show.
Ozark
A show about an American heartland scourged by black-market drugs, vice, politics, and bureaucratic power
Nathan Rabin: Why Gen X Is Super Media-Literate
The Joy of Trash author talks about how D.A.R.E., bad TV, Weird Al Yankovic, and 9/11 created a generation of ironic idealists.
Nathan Rabin: Confessions of a Trash-Culture Connoisseur
Nathan Rabin celebrates The Joy of Trash—and Gen X irony and cynicism—one terrible movie, book, and TV show at a time.
A Dark Look at Modern Teen Culture Roots True-Crime Retelling of The Girl From Plainville
A character study of the Massachusetts girl who convinced her boyfriend to kill himself
The Wheel of Time
Looked at one way, it's a lesser Game of Thrones. Looked at another, it's a show about governance and social power in the absence of contemporary governmental institutions.
Minx Is a Witty Treatise on Early Feminism
The new comedy explores women's liberation, the world of publishing, and sex.
That Dirty Black Bag Shows Exactly Why Spaghetti Westerns Died
Witless plots and pointless violence aren’t nearly as enthralling these days.
The Thing About Pam Turns an Actual Murder Into a Campy Melodrama
One of Dateline NBC’s favorite true crime cases gets a wild mini-series adaptation.
This Is Us
Randall's actions hint at the dark side of people who are just trying to make things better for everyone—regardless of whether their victims want the help.
SNL to Liberals: It's OK To Question Nonsensical Mask Mandates
Mocking COVID public health theater is finally going mainstream.
Budget Horror Movie Hellbender Gives Viewers Plenty To Chew On
Watch out for those tequila worms.
