Kathryn VanArendonk Author Archive
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Kathryn VanArendonk

Critic
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@kvanaren
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Kathryn is a critic who writes about TV and comedy. She gets mad when people say TV is a 10 hour movie.

  1. comedy review
    Why Did John Mulaney Make a Children’s TV Special?In his new Netflix special, the comedian is his truest self.
  2. tv review
    10 Things You Won’t See in The WitcherNetflix doesn’t want us talking about what happens in The Witcher, so here’s some stuff that definitely doesn’t happen in The Witcher.
  3. what were the 2010s?
    What Did We Just Watch?A 257-show guide to Prestige, Peak, and every other kind of TV from the past decade.
  4. kids and tv
    Which Streaming Services Do Parents Really Need? What has better original kids’ stuff, Hulu or Prime? Where the heck is Sesame Street?
  5. kids and tv
    What Should Your Kids Be Watching?The streaming wars are coming for children, which means more minefields — and more excellent television.
  6. close reads
    Watchmen Gave Us All the AnswersDid we need them?
  7. toys
    We Demand a Real Plush Baby Yoda Toy, DisneyAnd we want it now.
  8. comedy review
    Michelle Wolf Plays the ClassicsIn Joke Show, Wolf takes familiar premises and chips away at them until she creates something legitimately new.
  9. best of 2019
    The 10 Best Comedy Specials of 2019Our favorite hour-long specials of the year featuring Wanda Sykes, Anthony Jeselnik, Julio Torres, and more.
  10. tv review
    The L Word Returns As the More Inclusive, Less Radical Generation QShowtime’s revival of the early-2000s series feels less daring and more familiar than its predecessor, and that’s its own form of achievement.
  11. stand-up
    Should Comedians Have Audiences Sign NDAs?We dive into the Hot Take Vortex created by Pete Davidson’s recent decision.
  12. emergency discussion
    Is His Dark Materials Finally Getting Good?Philip Pullman hive, activate!
  13. comedy review
    The New One Buries Mike Birbiglia, and It Will Bury You, TooThe comedian’s new special is a gorgeous longform piece of storytelling. It’s also very funny.
  14. star wars
    An Illustrated Guide to Baby Yoda in The MandalorianThe cutest li’l baby in the galaxy.
  15. politics
    Congrats to Whomever Had A$AP Rocky on Their Impeachment Bingo CardThe latest confirmation that we live in the strangest, most confusing time.
  16. behind the scenes
    Meet The Crown’s Royal Protocol AdviserFondly referred to as “Major Dave,” Royal Household veteran David Rankin-Hunt is on hand to ensure the series’ ceremonial details are spot on.
  17. acting
    Gaze Upon Olivia Colman’s Single, Perfect Tear on The CrownNot only did she summon Elizabeth’s glorious tear without any makeup or SFX cheats, she timed it perfectly on multiple takes.
  18. encounter
    Tobias Menzies Can Tell a Story Without a WordThe Crown star once dreamed of being a mime. Onscreen, he speaks mostly with his face.
  19. the mandalorian
    Just a Whole Bunch of Questions About Baby YodaAnd what it means for the Star Wars universe.
  20. tv review
    High School Musical Swallows Itself WholeThe Disney+ original High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is as absurdly referential as its convoluted title suggests.
  21. vulture festival 2019
    Hang In There One Day at a Time Fans, The Show Will be Back Soon!On its new home, Pop TV.
  22. emergency discussion
    All Hail Dickinson, a TV Show Made Specifically for Literary WeirdosWe feel like we’re being trolled.
  23. backstories
    How Mimi Leder Made The Morning Show Look Real, Onscreen and OffDefining the look of Apple’s flagship drama wasn’t easy.
  24. the little mermaid live-ish
    The Highs and Lows of the (Barely) Live Little MermaidBreaking down the best, worst, and most baffling moments of ABC’s live-action and animated experiment.
  25. comedy review
    In Lobby Baby, Seth Meyers Transforms Into His Truest Self: Consummate Wife GuyVisually and narratively, the Netflix special makes the late-night host a sidekick in his own life.
  26. vulture recommends
    Slings and Arrows Was Like Nothing Else on TelevisionAnd you can finally stream it online again.
  27. wait what?
    Just a Few of My 1 Million Questions About SeeHow does fashion work in a blind society? Why would you name a very important character Jerlamarel? How much is Apple paying Alfre Woodard to be here?
  28. tv review
    For All Mankind Is Lost in SpaceApple TV+’s alternate-history space-race drama struggles to live up to the promise of its premise.
  29. tv review
    His Dark Materials Is a Gorgeous Adaptation in Need of a PurposeHBO’s imagining of Philip Pullman’s book trilogy boasts unabashedly lovely visuals, strong performances, and seemingly no idea what to do with either.
  30. tv review
    Dickinson Is a Different, Better Kind of Origin StoryThe new Apple TV+ comedy starring Hailee Steinfeld is the sexy, queer, goth coming-of-age tale of your surrealist dreams.
  31. profile
    Don’t Call Helena Bonham Carter QuirkyIn The Crown, she plays Princess Margaret in her tabloid-hounded middle age. Some of it seems familiar.
  32. comedy review
    In Stage Fright, Jenny Slate Shows Us HerselfThe comedian gets personal in her new Netflix special.
  33. how mysterious!
    Emergence’s Showrunners on How to Build a Puzzle-Box ShowStep 1: Don’t be afraid to answer your mysteries.
  34. close reads
    Every Succession Episode Is a Contained ExplosionThe series turns each hour into a distinct battleground, where characters vying for their own self-interest are also inextricably linked.
  35. spoilers
    A GIF Journey Through Succession’s Glorious, Shocking FinaleIt was everything I could have possibly dreamed, and more.
  36. tv review
    Looking for Alaska Is the Rare Adaptation That Improves on the OriginalHulu’s long-gestating miniseries adaptation of John Green’s 2005 YA novel moves the story closer to what it perhaps should’ve been in the first place.
  37. comedy review
    The Great Depresh Is Proof That Comedy Doesn’t Have to WoundGary Gulman’s HBO special is equally happy, sad, dark, and hilarious.
  38. honk!
    The Creators of Untitled Goose Game Just Wanted to Make a Funny GameSomehow it became so much more.
  39. tv review
    Bless the Harts Shakes Up Animation DominationThe promising new series from Emily Spivey is suggestive of what Fox’s Sunday night animation block has been, and what it could be in the future.
  40. legacies
    Transparent Changed TV As an Art FormIt defined an entire genre of TV comedy and opened new avenues for TV storytelling.
  41. shopping
    Jennifer Lawrence Thinks You Need a Copper Fondue Set [UPDATED]The actress has posted a wedding registry on Amazon.
  42. close reads
    The Doctors Made ER Great. The Nurses Made It Radical.County General’s nursing staff represented a reconsideration of who matters most in a hospital, and which stories are worth telling.
  43. tv review
    A Little Late With Lilly Singh Is a Promising BeginningThe first week suggests that Singh is charismatic and original enough to pull this off.
  44. emmys 2019
    The Highs, Lows, and Whoas of a Deeply Chaotic Emmy AwardsWithout a host, there were bumps and awkward moments aplenty, but the scattershot ceremony still hit a few bull’s-eyes.
  45. emmys 2019
    Natasha Lyonne’s Claps Are Expressive and RadiantGive her an Emmy for this hand work.
  46. predictions
    Who’s Gonna Win at the 2019 Emmys? And Who Should Really Win?Our expert predictions.
  47. emmys 2019
    Stop Giving Game of Thrones Emmys AlreadyAt this point, giving the era-defining series an award feels more like a shrug than a cause for celebration.
  48. hidden treasures
    Someone Just Found John Milton’s Copy of Shakespeare, Which Is Absolutely NutsThis is a big f*cking deal.
  49. encounter
    A Walk With a Miserable Merritt WeverThe new Netflix drama Unbelievable proves she’s a star. She’s still getting used to that.
  50. tv review
    Bill Burr’s New Stand-up Special Is So Much Better Than Its First 4 MinutesPaper Tiger is a thoughtful and surprising set on shame and emotional repression.
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