Kathryn VanArendonk Author Archive
Give A Gift
MOST RECENT ARTICLES BY:

Kathryn VanArendonk

Critic
See all their articles from across New York Magazine
@kvanaren
[email protected]

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

  1. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: Go Have Sex, Alba!It’s poignant that a series so rooted in Alba’s convictions about virginity and purity has finally ended up here.
  2. tv review
    In Not Normal, Wanda Sykes Does Not Come to PlayThe stand-up is in peak form when she gets personal in her new Netflix special.
  3. hot milk boy speaks
    Game of Thrones’ Lino Facioli Loves Those Hot Robin Arryn Memes“This is the best I’ve ever had it in terms of memes. Being that weird kid on Game of Thrones, I was like, ‘How do I deal with this?’”
  4. overnights
    The Bachelorette Recap: She Wants a Bold ManWhen the men are subjected to a pageant competition, Luke P. demonstrates his true talent: Getting a frontrunner edit on a dating reality show.
  5. game of thrones
    King Bran? Really?Bran Stark is oddly fitting as the ruler of Westeros for one simple reason: He is not a person.
  6. spoilers
    The Game of Thrones Finale, in 18 Essential GIFsThere was ice, there was fire, and there was A Song of Ice and Fire.
  7. *stares awkwardly*
    In Praise of Bran Stark, a Total WeirdoI love Weird Bran and you should, too.
  8. finales
    Penny Never Wanted Kids on The Big Bang Theory, So Why Did She Wind Up Pregnant?In an otherwise heartwarming finale, this was a huge misstep.
  9. tv review
    The Big Bang Theory Was a Pop-Culture Black HoleIt was a dominant sitcom that sucked in nerd culture, but never reflected back anything it absorbed.
  10. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: Jane the Anti-HeroHaving checked off one of its last major telenovela boxes — the amnesia plot — the show has Jane struggle with a far more typical human experience.
  11. nope nope nope!
    At Least Game of Thrones Gave Us This One Perfect GIFIt’s a beautiful, hilarious shot, the one funny moment in the bleak spectacle that is “The Bells.”
  12. close reads
    Game of Thrones Finally Got Its Mad QueenEven if Daenerys was destined for madness all along, it’s still a painfully stale trope.
  13. spoilers
    The Biggest Moments From This Week’s Game of Thrones“The Bells” was full of fire, blood, and death. Here are the most important moments that happened amid the chaos.
  14. close reads
    Jane the Virgin Had to Leave Miami to Get Back to ItselfJane’s excursion to Montana allows it to play with being a different sort of series entirely, and ultimately reaffirm what kind of series it is.
  15. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: Bad ReceptionA trip to a secluded Montana ranch finally gives Jane — and the series — some clarity about the Michael-Raphael situation.
  16. gone but not forgotten
    RIP Game of Thrones Coffee Cup, Which Has Disappeared ForeverHBO has edited it out.
  17. vulture investigates
    Is the Coffee Cup in Game of Thrones Actually From Starbucks?No it isn’t, and I don’t even think it’s coffee.
  18. tv review
    The Spanish Princess Is Worth Watching for the Hats AloneThe story and characters, on the other hand, still need some work.
  19. close reads
    Game of Thrones Did Brienne and Missandei Dirty“The Last of the Starks” is full of depressing beats for the show’s female characters.
  20. tv review
    Netflix’s Dead to Me Is Highly Watchable, But Is That Enough?The new thriller/comedy starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini goes down easy, but the season as a whole feels weirdly underbaked.
  21. game of thrones
    What the Battle of Winterfell Would Have Looked Like If It Weren’t So Damn DarkThis week’s Game of Thrones was shrouded in darkness that obscured some key moments, so we’re shedding some light on the situation.
  22. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: Whoa, Too Much Baggage!Remember how much sex fretting there used to be on this show? Look how far we’ve come!
  23. comedy review
    Anthony Jeselnik Uses His New Netflix Special to Punch Himself in the FaceSliding between two truths is a virtuosic skill, and Jeselnik is a master.
  24. spoilers
    Every Game of Thrones Character Who Died in the Battle of WinterfellIt’s a Westeros snuff film, basically.
  25. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: Here I Am, Once AgainIt’s time to talk about the love triangle — again.
  26. rants
    No, Game of Thrones Didn’t Do a Bottle EpisodeThis is important.
  27. tv review
    Netflix’s Street Food Serves Up Artful Cuisine With a Side of DespairThis otherwise familiar documentary series is distinguished by the tales of poverty, survival, and eventual triumph looming over its featured chefs.
  28. tv review
    In His First Special in 20 Years, Howie Mandel Surfs the CrowdIn his recent special, Mandel is most himself when pinging his energy off someone else.
  29. to ser with love
    Go on an Emotional Journey As Brienne Becomes a Knight on Game of Thrones“Arise, Brienne of Tarth, a Knight of The Seven Kingdoms.”
  30. close reads
    Game of Thrones Finally Let Arya Be a TeenagerYay for a sweet sex scene!
  31. tv review
    HBO’s Gentleman Jack Is a Modern Lesbian Tale Trapped in a 19th-Century WorldThe setting of HBO’s new period drama may be genteel and steady, but protagonist Anne Lister, a.k.a. the “first modern lesbian,” is decidedly not.
  32. tv review
    Ramy Isn’t Telling a Universal Story. That’s Why It’s So Good.Ramy Youssef’s new Hulu comedy is fantastically adept at identifying the absurdities in its protagonist’s many overlapping, often conflicting roles.
  33. explain yourselves
    The Magicians Knew That Shocking Death Would Upset Fans. Here’s Why They Did It.“We don’t want to say anyone is right or wrong for having strong feelings about any element of this. We sympathize with everybody.”
  34. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: My Nerves Can’t Take This!The real crux of the amnesiac-Michael story line is finally, excruciatingly revealed, and Jane and Rafael are ripped to shreds in the process.
  35. vulture lists
    5 Great TV Episodes to Watch After Paying Your TaxesFrom The Simpsons to The Honeymooners, sitcoms have mined the comedy of Tax Day for decades.
  36. game of thrones
    All the Major Callbacks in the Game of Thrones Season PremiereFrom Ed Sheeran to that damned spiral symbol.
  37. game of reunions
    A GIF Guide to Game of Thrones’ Reunion-Filled PremiereSeason 8 kicked off with a bunch of long-awaited reunions, ranging from heartwarming to kind of awkward to … whatever Bran is doing.
  38. the beginning of the end
    This Is the Best Game of Thrones Premiere Since the PilotIt gives me hope that this final season will be a return to what made the series work so well at the start.
  39. astrolabes!
    Why Game of Thrones Season 8 Got a New Title Sequence“We’ve been dying to give this thing a facelift. We’ve been looking at the same thing for almost nine years.”
  40. interactive tv
    It Isn’t Easy Keeping Bear Grylls SafeIs You vs. Wild real? The Netflix interactive show “created” scenarios for Bear Grylls, but he has actually poisoned himself.
  41. for your consideration
    Meanwhile, The Good Fight Put Twerking Roy Cohn in Its Schoolhouse Rock CartoonsFrom Russian trolls to Nazi frogs, The Good Fight is tackling politics with goofy musical interludes.
  42. tv review
    No, You Can’t Kill Bear Grylls in His Netflix Interactive ShowYou vs. Wild offers viewer-players a mishmash of survival-themed reality and fiction that escapes both categories to become something else entirely.
  43. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: Soul Mates?A classic Jane the Virgin emotional balancing act leans into the uncertainty Jane, and viewers, feel toward MichaelJason.
  44. tv review
    Netflix’s Special Lives Up to Its NameRyan O’Connell’s significantly autobiographical series about a gay man with cerebral palsy finding his way is introspective, gutsy, and far too brief.
  45. dramatic reveals
    4 Simple Questions We Have About the New Bachelorette PromoIs this a Taylor Swift video?
  46. overnights
    Jane the Virgin Recap: Boot Scootin’ and Catholic GuiltWith her initial shock over MichaelJason’s return behind her, Jane is forced to face some deep-down truths — and to go line dancing.
  47. tv review
    Kevin Hart’s Irresponsible Is Hilarious, But Feels IncompleteHart’s new special has some solidly funny moments, but its roller-coaster pace is its biggest weakness.
  48. oh boy!
    Talking With Scott Bakula About Quantum Leap’s 30th Anniversary“If indeed we lived this way, of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes, the planet would be a different place.”
  49. tv review
    In Veep’s Final Season, How Low Will Selina Meyer Go?The HBO comedy is still as hilarious and razor-sharp as ever.
  50. tv review
    Abby’s Feels Like a Vintage Sitcom in Need of Fresh AirThe Michael Schur–produced NBC sitcom is very transparently a Cheers update, but it’s still figuring out the “update” part.
More Articles