Special Ops: Lioness’ Final Bite LingersMost of Taylor Sheridan’s convoluted CIA thriller left my brain immediately, but there’s one moment I can’t stop thinking about.
close read
Where Does Dark Winds Go From Here?Season two ends with a subversion of one of the series’ guiding principles — and opens up all kinds of avenues for another season.
Project Runway Is Falling Out of FashionAn all-stars season dogged by inconsistent judging suggests the reality-competition stalwart has become that which it hates most: dated.
unscripted unrest
Reckoning With RealityBethenny Frankel’s call to arms raises a tricky question for Bravolebrities, producers, and audiences alike: How would a union change reality TV?
Telemarketers Calls It Like It Sees ItThe scrappy, compulsively watchable series upends a corrupt industry — and what we expect from documentaries in the first place.
Full Circle’s Artful EndBy opening and closing on the same two images, the Solomon/Soderbergh series examines the lies that fueled two families’ decades of delusions.
Get Onboard With HijackOver halfway in and still churning out new twists, the Idris Elba thriller exhibits all the hallmarks of an entertainingly pulpy summer watch.
Boots Riley Wants a ConversationWith I’m a Virgo, the agitator, activist, and first-time TV creator hopes to “ramp up the contradictions in people’s lives.”
Class of ’09 Leaves Its Biggest Case UnsolvedIn its pursuit of the threat AI poses to the criminal-justice system, the miniseries stumbles into an indictment of that threat’s root cause.
Deviant, Devious, DorkDoes The Idol want us to fear Tedros Tedros or laugh at him? And why can’t The Weeknd sell either?
backstories
How Clone High Rose From the DeadAn oral history of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s vexed animation experiment and its unlikely return 20 years later.
profile
The Way Devery Jacobs Tells ItShe may play an impulsive teen on Reservation Dogs, but the actress, writer, and director understands the value of control.
reality check
The Tragic ZeroIn trying and failing to craft a romantic-hero narrative, Vanderpump Rules’ Tom Sandoval broke the No. 1 rule of reality TV.
emergency discussion
It’s the End of Top Chef As We Know ItWith Padma Lakshmi’s departure, the venerable series is losing something irreplaceable. But its latest season hints at an even deeper identity crisis.
with open wounds
What Was That Hug Really About?Like all the best parts of Succession, Kendall and Roman’s stitch-popping embrace in the series finale is open to interpretation.
she-eo
It Was Never Going to Be ShivHer strongest move in Succession turned out to be the lock on her self-constructed cage.
How Is Succession Going to Wrap This All Up?The finale must answer the CEO question, settle dangling subplots, and find a country for Connor’s ambassadorship in just 90 minutes.
buzz buzz hmmm
Our Spooky, Sexy Yellowjackets TheoriesSeason two’s penultimate episode has it all: a Heaven’s Gate reference, a Smashing Pumpkins needle drop, and a shockingly tragic death.
