narrative
The vibes aren't shifting
Why the right-wing effort to change the narrative is already flailing.
Emily St. James
Emily St. James is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in Vox, The A.V. Club, and the New York Times. She is the co-creator of the podcast Arden and a writer on the TV series Yellowjackets.
Heated Rivalry
Heated Rivalry: Episode 1, "Rookies"
Our new recap series debuts with hot hockey boys, an innovative approach to narrative time, and Canada's own Leslie Feist.
No Other Choice
Episodes Monday Rundown January 5–11 2026
This week: No Other Choice, Resurrection, and some great video essays.
trauma
The only way to fix ICE is to get rid of it
The nation's traumatized response to 9/11 has spiraled utterly out of control.
newsletter updates
Episodes is 10. Check out our new look!
Plus: A HUGE sale. Subscribe today!
Rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown December 22 2025–January 4 2026
This week: Hamnet, 2Topia, and more Little Women than you can even imagine.
emily rogers
How to make risotto
The cis recipe blogger version of Emily St. James from another timeline greets another year.
Rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown December 15–21 2025
This week: Wicked's unsolvable second act, Train Dreams' hallucinatory magic, and a whole bunch of Christmas stuff.
Mailbag
December mailbag!
This month: Rob Reiner favorites, new Oscar categories, and holiday stories crying out for the Rankin-Bass treatment.
winter
Always winter, never Christmas: 21 snowy entertainments without a Santa in sight
Celebrate winter - and NOTHING ELSE - with our list of recommendations.
Rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown December 8–14 2025
This week: Pluribus and the trauma plot, Disney and the YA-ification of everything, and 1985's strangest Christmas movie.
Episodes 6.0
Submit your December mailbag questions!
It's that time again!