Playing Soldiers
An Afghanistan veteran reckons with growing up on G.I. Joe and growing tired of American war drums.
TV
Big Little Lies Gets Tough
The HBO show’s second season feels bleaker and is harder on its characters.
The Loudest Voice Stars A Very Simple Monster
The new miniseries casts Roger Ailes and Fox News as all-powerful architects of political disaster. The truth is more complicated.
Hulu’s Das Boot Gets Lost at Sea
The new remake of a World War II epic falls victim to the conventions of prestige TV.
The Outlaw World of Deadwood
Why the HBO show’s visions of chaos and order endure
Relevance Ruined The Handmaid’s Tale
In its pursuit of the zeitgeist, the Hulu show forgot about storytelling.
The Enduring Horror of Chernobyl
The new HBO series raises the specter of an uninhabitable continent.
The Unstoppable Rise of Phoebe Waller-Bridge
The creator of "Killing Eve" returns with a second (and final) season of "Fleabag," the series that made her an international star.
Top Billing
For too long, Gwen Verdon missed out on her share of the spotlight.
The Best, Most Inaccessible Show on Television
Much like “Twin Peaks,” “The OA” is a visual vortex that raises more questions than it answers.
The Act Illuminates a Lethal Bond
A new drama about the murder of Dee Dee Blanchard renders an abusive relationship with brutal clarity.
The Anguish of the “Old Millennial”
“The Other Two” portrays a micro-generation that’s too young for Gen X complacency and too old for YouTube fame.
The Jussie Smollett Smokescreen
Several major stories this week revealed deep truths about this political moment in America. None pertained to the TV actor.
The Nerdy, Ruthless Parodies of Documentary Now!
The show’s new season lays bare the pretensions of beloved films.
Russian Doll Is a Spiky Comedy About Self-Destruction
In the new Netflix show, Natasha Lyonne plays a droll, chain-smoking New Yorker, caught in a Groundhog Day-esque loop.
The Exhausting Minimalism of Tidying Up
Three new makeover shows hover on the border of entertainment and economic survivalism.
Television Learned the Wrong Lessons From The Sopranos
As the groundbreaking show celebrates its 20th anniversary, prestige TV has never been more ubiquitous—or insipid. What happened?
In True Detective, Mahershala Ali Plays the Moody Brooder to Perfection
Season three of the time-jumping, philosophically inclined series repeats season one's tricks, but gets a boost from its new leading man.
You’re the Worst’s Brilliant, Imperfect Ending
Two of the most flawed characters on television plan a wedding.
Mrs. Maisel’s Redeeming Bravado
In its second season, critics have rightly pointed out the hit show’s weaknesses. So why is it still so watchable?
