Devious Dialogues: Mike Thorn and Anya Stanley on the ‘Child’s Play’ Franchise
Mike Thorn and A.M. (Anya) Novak look back at the series entries and provide their thoughts on the newest addition.
Two Drink Minimum: Humor and the Influences of ‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
“As reference humor and pop song needle drops become ironic jokes in and of themselves, stories like Kubo will outlive them all by having just a bit of substance behind the gags.”
Long May She Reign: Game of Thrones ‘The Winds of Winter’ (Recap)
“Where ‘Battle of the Bastards’ stumbled by offering simplistic resolutions to complicated problems, ‘The Winds of Winter’ soars by reveling in the dark ambiguities of Westeros’ violent brutality.”
Violent Vengeance: Game of Thrones ‘Battle of the Bastards’ (Recap)
“Game of Thrones has long thrived on the ambiguous moralities and complex psychologies of its anti-heroes, but ‘Battle of the Bastards’ pushes its current season towards culminating in a jarringly tidy climax.”
At a Juncture: Game of Thrones ‘No One’ (Recap)
“After the emotional revelation of the origin of Hodor’s name, HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ has been in a bit of an awkward place.”
Another Return: Game of Thrones ‘The Broken Man’ (Recap)
“One can only hope that Game of Thrones has exhausted its season quotient of character reappearances ostensibly designed to catch us some degree of off-guard, but perhaps future cold opens are coming.”
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: Game of Thrones ‘Blood of My Blood’ (Recap)
“After the twin climaxes of last week’s Hodor reveal and Daenerys’ enflamed emergence in the preceding episode, it was only natural for HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’ to need a bit of a breather.”
Seizing Power: Game of Thrones ‘The Door’ (Recap)
“Jon Snow may be the one who comes back to life, but it’s the women of Westeros who are increasingly shaping the direction of Season Six.”
The Unburnt: Game of Thrones ‘Book of the Stranger’ (Recap)
“And just like that, things are looking up for Season Six.”
Post-Resurrection: Game of Thrones ‘Oathbreaker’ (Recap)
“Will the execution weigh on Jon as he experiences life beyond the Night’s Watch?”
Rebirth: Game of Thrones ‘Home’ (Recap)
“As good as Game of Thrones can be at revealing shades of grey in ostensibly irredeemable characters, the show is equally adept (if not more so) at making its villains as detestable as can be.”
Exposition Is Coming: Game of Thrones ‘The Red Woman’ (Recap)
“There’s a lot of expository detail, and little development in the singular arcs beyond the exposition.”
Recap: Girls ‘Love Stories’ and ‘I Love You Baby’
“Season 5 of HBO’s ‘Girls’ is now done, and so it is time to bestow upon it ‘one of the all-time best seasons of TV’ accolades.”
Recap: Girls ‘Old Loves’
“The fourth episode of Girls’ still-terrific fifth season is the first point at which the end of the series comes into sharp focus.”
Vague Visages’ Q.V. Hough and Max Bledstein Discuss ‘Narcos’
A Conversation about Netflix’s Polarizing Series
True Detective ‘Black Maps and Motel Rooms’ (A Vague Visages Staff Precap)
A Conversation Between Vague Visages’ Q.V. Hough, Dylan Moses Griffin and Max Bledstein
Recap: Hannibal ‘Aperitivo’
“This week’s hour was the first of the season not directed by Vincenzo Natali, and his aesthetic sensibility/attention to detail feels missing throughout the episode.”
Game of Thrones Recap: ‘Mother’s Mercy’
“Game of Thrones may disappear from the conversation for brief lulls, but it always returns with full force — it is doing something right.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘The Dance of Dragons’
“Now in its fifth season, Game of Thrones has long settled in the category of dread built on anticipation.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘The Gift’
“The threat of rape hangs over all the women of Game of Thrones, and it is beginning to weigh on the audience.”