The Real Crisis of The Pitt
What the hit show’s approach to Dr. Robby reveals
Culture
What I Saw Inside the Kennedy Center
I spent 10 months working at the institution because I thought I could help protect it. What I observed there is far worse than the public knows.
The Quiet Way Authoritarianism Begins to Crumble
Among the many reasons for Viktor Orbán’s defeat was the rural clubs where citizens relearned democratic habits.
Don’t Just Replace Chavez—Rethink Monuments
It’s time for tributes to leave the great-man theory of history behind.
The Comedian Dismantling the Alpha-Male Persona
Tim Robinson has figured out how to make abrasive men sympathetic.
The Limits of the Year’s Most Heartbreaking Film
Hamnet imagines the inspiration for Hamlet as a tragic, punishing love story.
Stranger Things Comes to an Exhausting End
The Netflix show is back for a final season, but its brand is forever.
The Racist, AI-Generated Future of Entertainment
The bigotry of a new animated series demonstrates the alarming possibilities of artificial intelligence.
The Great Mystery of Drumming
It’s about the flow of Time, not just keeping the beat.
The Misunderstanding of Perfidia
In One Battle After Another, the character leans into—and away from—stereotype, to brash effect.
Make Culture Weird Again
Even failures and half steps will be more interesting than the boring stuff.
What Sam Shepard Couldn’t Outrun
The actor, playwright, and self-made cowboy was also a poet of masculine angst.
This Beautiful Confusion
A poem
The Wicked Bubble Has Burst
The musical started on a high note but ends on a drastically lower one.