Essays on TV and film — exploring stories, characters, and the choices behind them.
You know the image even if you have never set foot in Pompeii. A body curled on its side in the ash, knees drawn up, caught in the instant the mountain took it. For the better part of three centuries those plaster casts have taught the world one lesson about the city: that death … Read more
Most TV revivals are a bad idea wearing a beloved name. They show up two decades late, trade on your affection, and leave the original looking a little worse for the visit. Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair is the rare exception. The four-episode revival landed on Hulu in April and immediately became the … Read more
The Handmaid’s Tale ended in 2025 after eight years, and rather than let Gilead fade, Hulu has handed the story to the next generation. The Testaments, based on Margaret Atwood’s 2019 sequel novel, finished its first season on May 27 and was renewed for a second before the finale even aired. It has already pulled … Read more