A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: Episode 1, "The Hedge Knight"
In the first edition of our new recap series, Westeros' tallest, most anxious knight decides to make a name for himself.
Latest
The Last Samurai is about so much more than education
Helen DeWitt's modern classic is as much about things that can't be taught as it is about Ancient Greek.
Woodworking mailbag!
Emily celebrates the paperback release of her novel Woodworking by answering your many burning questions!
Episodes Monday Rundown May 18–24 2026
This week: the Colbert finale, Olivia Rodrigo, and a triptych of heterosexuality.
Submit your questions for a special Woodworking mailbag!
Hello beloved subscribers! Emily's first novel, Woodworking, is out in paperback on Tuesday, May 26. It's an exciting occasion, and, to celebrate, we've got a special Episodes mailbag lined up for that day. All questions about Woodworking — the creative process, the book tour, whether
One big thing hockey romance Off Campus and horror movie Obsession have in common
Which way, lonely man?
How The Office made cringe comedy appeal to almost everybody
Could you make this show today? No. But not for the reasons you assume.
Pluribus is a masterclass in how to write loneliness
There's no moment of human connection that will save Carol Sturka from herself.
Episodes Monday Rundown May 11–17 2026
This week: Obsession, Hokum, and The Sheep Detectives!
May mailbag!
This month: Star Wars Day, media for springtime, and why everyone's doing dream ballets these days.
There is no magic button to press
So we're gonna have to do this ourselves
Episodes Monday Rundown May 4–10 2026
This week: The Devil Wears Prada 2, For All Mankind, and a haunting religious vision.
Mailbag
Submit your May mailbag questions!
It's that time again!
review
The shot in Blue Heron that still makes me cry days later
The film about one family navigating an impossible situation does remarkable things with memory and storytelling.
26 Episodes
The Sopranos finale could have been made yesterday
Whatever happens to Tony Soprano in the series finale, we're still living in his world.
pluribus
Pluribus: Episode 9, "La Chica o El Mundo"
Save the world, or get the girl? Maybe it's not that simple.
Rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown April 27–May 3 2026
This week: Charlie Kaufman, Martin Scorsese, Spike Jonze, and a gorgeously melancholic kids' show.
The Drama
The Drama can't decide what it's about
A movie this well-crafted ought to have more going for it than shock value.
interview
Want a romcom that goes to some very real, complicated places? Try Girl Next Door.
Rachel Meredith, author of Emily's favorite romance novel of 2025, discusses wedding ridiculous premises to real psychological heft.
pluribus
Pluribus: Episode 8, "Charm Offensive"
Everything costs something.
Rundown
Episodes Monday Rundown April 20–26 2026
This week: The Drama, Project Hail Mary, and some true classics of literature.
review
Project Hail Mary isn't competence porn. It's a love story.
The film's relationships matter more than its equations. You wouldn't know it from the discourse.
26 Episodes
How I Met Your Mother is one last message from a pre-Recession world
And other theories on why this once-beloved sitcom hasn't quite endured