Heated Rivalry: Episode 4, "Rose"

A girlfriend? For Shane?? Lily and guest critic Olivia Wood discuss the ins and outs of Shane Hollander's attempted heterosexuality

Episodes Monday Rundown January 26–February 1 2026

This week: Blue Moon, Song Sung Blue, and some other movies that don't have the word "blue" in their titles.

Who gets to be existential on Severance?

In sidelining Helly, Severance's second season lost out on some of its most compelling themes.

The first time The Simpsons could have ended

Our new series on great TV episodes of the 21st century begins with a would-be series finale.

Heated Rivalry: Episode 3, "Hunter"

A big frame shift brings with it big questions about plot structures, the closet, and smoothies.

Episodes Monday Rundown January 19–25 2026

This week: The Testament of Ann Lee, Die My Love, and a pair of comfort watches fit for a terrible week.

January mailbag!

This month: Oscars, Oscars, Oscars! Plus, meditative TV, tarot as a storytelling device, and more.

Heated Rivalry: Episode 2, "Olympians"

As Shane and Ilya go to the Sochi Olympics, Lily and Emily talk point-of-view, the things only queer romance can do, and how much the show actually cares about hockey.

Republicans think they know Minnesota better than Minnesotans. They’re wrong

Try as they might, there is no secret conservative side of Minneapolis that Republican violence can uncover.

Episodes Monday Rundown January 12–18 2026

This week: The Housemaid, The Bone Temple, and two very different fantasy novels.

Submit your January mailbag questions!

It's that time again!

Pluribus isn't an allegory for anything. It's smarter than that

Pluribus' superpower, and its best feature in a media landscape full of too-obvious themes, is its use of elastic metaphor.