The Readiness Is All: True Detective ‘Night Finds You’ (Recap)
“As a creative whole, the second episode of True Detective was darker than its predecessor, and Nic Pizzolatto’s blatant dialogue ensured that casual viewers would get the hint.”
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.”
Intimate Observations: True Detective ‘The Western Book of the Dead’ (Recap)
“This is Los Angeles pulp fiction — not a mystical world of sky monsters and poetic speeches.”
Recap: Hannibal ‘Secondo’
“Hannibal’s origins become comparable to the Joker in The Dark Knight: there are possible explanations for why he is the way he is, but none of them seem to be wholly accurate…”
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: Hannibal ‘Primavera’
“After the intense aesthetic focus of last week’s “Antipasto,” Hannibal’s shift in character focal point for this week’s “Primavera” brings with it a different thematic center: religion.”
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: Hannibal ‘Antipasto’
“Without a definite timeline to hold onto, we’re left to focus on the visual minutiae, and, as always, this might be the most fascinating aspect of Hannibal.”
Recap: Louie ‘The Road Part 2’
Max Bledstein on the ‘Louie’ Season 5 Finale
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.”
Recap: Louie ‘The Road Part 1’
“One assumes that C.K. won’t spend the entire season finale depicting the further redemption of his protagonist, so it’s certainly conceivable that “The Road: Part Two” will bring new dimensions to the arc. As of now, though, it doesn’t appear to offer much.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken’
“Rape is often portrayed as worse than death in popular culture, and unfortunately Game of Thrones uses it often as a device with little framing or exploration.”
Recap: Louie ‘Sleepover’
“Given the time and care C.K. has been dedicating to the development of stories recently on Louie, the vignettes of “Sleepover” almost feel like they all could’ve been the subject of their own episodes.”
Recap: Louie ‘Untitled’
“In “Untitled,” C.K. uses surreal imagery to depict truths about his character’s fears which more realistic storytelling methods never could.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘Sons of the Harpy’
“Maybe our great mistake is believing that Game of Thrones obeys mythological standards rather than refuting them — or believing that just one man will stand, if it will be a man at all.”
Recap: Mad Men ‘Lost Horizon’
“Don Draper is clearly experiencing some type of reawakening, and he can’t jump from a New York City skyscraper if he doesn’t go back. Next week’s episode of Mad Men is titled ‘The Milk and Honey Route’ — a reference to life as a hobo.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘High Sparrow’
“Unlike fairy tales where the prince and princess get married and live ‘happily ever after,’ for many (particularly women), a Game of Thrones union marks the beginning of tragedy.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘The House of Black and White’
“The House of Black and White contains natural beauty and rich compositions that rival the best of cinema.”
Recap: Game of Thrones ‘The Wars to Come’
“The beginning of ‘The Wars to Come’ sets the tone for an episode that interlocks present and past while discarding hopeful ideals of a peaceful future.”
A Man Alone: Mad Men ‘Severance’ (Recap)
“The beginning of Mad Men’s final flight enforced the idea that individuals may physically change but outward appearances don’t always reflect the inner-self.”