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"The best video essay source on the web." (Roger Ebert) This web site is built on a mix of original video essays and critical, personal writing about film, TV, and their connection to broader cultural concerns. Co-founded by Matt Zoller Seitz, TV critic for New York Magazine, and Ken Cancelosi, it is overseen by Editor-in-Chief Max Winter.

THE REGULARS

Monthly Archives

COMMUNITY Season Four: A Shaky Start

Blogs

It used to be hard to tell if "Community" was a particularly turbulent show, or if its voracious fans plus a rather public cast and crew combined to give the sense that it had a great deal of behind-the-scenes drama.

By Rowan Kaiser
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February 15, 2013 8:58 AM
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2 Comments

Blogs

Right now, the apocalypse is hip. "Revolution" and "The Walking Dead" are two of television's biggest success stories this season. The former is a surprise success for NBC, which is struggling otherwise, while the latter is breaking cable records on AMC.

By Rowan Kaiser
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October 24, 2012 8:43 AM
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1 Comment

Television

In “The Worst Kind Of Hunter,” Longmire continues muddying its moral waters by separating justice from law.

By Rowan Kaiser
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July 9, 2012 3:50 PM
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0 Comments

Television

There’s an important development in this week’s "Longmire," though it’s not immediately apparent. For the first time, Walt Longmire hits the barriers of what the law can do, and he is willing to work outside the law for justice.

By Rowan Kaiser
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July 2, 2012 9:31 AM
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2 Comments

Television

Longmire’s specific focus on its main character can yield some tense results, as last week’s episode demonstrated effectively. But this approach also leads to difficulties when the scope of the episode is wider.

By Rowan Kaiser
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June 25, 2012 8:33 AM
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0 Comments

Television

Through impressive technical competence, surprising for a show so early in its run, “A Damn Shame” maintains a down-to-earth tone in the story it tells, the characters’ reaction to the story, the way the story is shot, and the way the story is constructed.

By Rowan Kaiser
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June 18, 2012 9:06 AM
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0 Comments

Television

While a mystery procedural isn’t the most revolutionary premise for a television series, there were several aspects of the "Longmire" pilot that indicated it might be particularly interesting. First, it had a distinct visual style.

By Rowan Kaiser
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June 11, 2012 9:58 AM
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0 Comments

Television

One of the key questions facing "Game Of Thrones" the series, as well as its source material, is: “What’s this about?” And by this I mean: “What is this story? How is it being told? Where is this leading?” Certainly there’s drama, and characters change, grow, collapse, or die, but it’s difficult to see a clear structure at times.

By Rowan Kaiser
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June 4, 2012 8:57 AM
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5 Comments

Television

We know what we’re getting when we watch a Game Of Thrones episode, right? We’re getting some beautifully shot scenes, certainly; this has been one of the best-looking shows on television since its premiere. We know that the actors will be good, if not great. We know that we’ll see a wide variety of different, possibly intersecting plots, divided by geography. And we know that while there might be some action, it’ll be parceled out for more drama, more cliffhangers, but probably not catharsis. It’s a decent structure. It’s served the show well, as well as working for other HBO shows like The Wire, Treme, and Boardwalk Empire.

By Rowan Kaiser
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May 28, 2012 8:14 AM
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3 Comments

Television

One of the recurring discussions about this second season of "Game Of Thrones" concerns how much the television show is changed from the novels. While the merits of the specific changes are debatable, a running theme of both my reviews and those of other critics is that the show is more confident in its adaptation, becoming its own entity.