Laurie Ulster
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
If you love the idea of an old-fashioned Star Trek that lives up to today’s standards of inclusion and diversity (so, minus the ‘60s sexism), this is going to be right up your alley.
Watching Star Trek: Picard? Binge These Q and Guinan Episodes First
Q (John de Lancie) and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) are back in S2 of Star Trek: Picard, so let’s revisit the memorable TNG episodes featuring these two fan-favorite characters.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary will catch you off guard and surprise you. It captures the balance between comedy and heart, much like its mockumentary predecessors—but with a new spin, because the work these characters are doing truly matters.
The Center Seat
A combination of a deep dive and a crash course into Star Trek from its inception up through the early 2000s, covering the shows, movies, and the phenomenon itself.
Star Trek: Prodigy
The values of Star Trek, and then some: unity, diversity, individuality, optimism, idealism and hope. What more could you ask for? How about the return of Captain Janeway? Yeah, it’s got that too.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
An action-packed sci-fi comedy set in a Star Trek universe that it both reveres and lovingly mocks.
Why Star Trek: Picard Works Better as a Binge
To understand the power of the Star Trek franchise, binge watch Picard. The time is right.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, a Musical About Grief, Is Perfect for Our Time
At its heart, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist is a musical about navigating grief. Because of that, it makes a beeline through the clutter of my thoughts and reaches straight into my heart.
Laurie Ulster
Eddington is a pandemic parable. But what is it trying to say?
Set in May 2020 in a fictional New Mexico town, Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix’s new film Eddington draws some parallels to two of the biggest breakout shows of the past decade: The Last of Us and The Walking Dead. It’s a story about a virus that’s less about death and more about exposing the living.
A Watercooler Watch: Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything
Before social media and podcasts, there was one undeniable truth about news-making interviews: if a story mattered, Barbara Walters would be the one to tell it. Landing a one-on-one with her didn’t just mean publicity, it meant you had become part of a national conversation. But while the interview signified that you had made it,
A Need-to-Know Guide to The Buccaneers
Was life in the Gilded Age all that gilded? In the HBO Max series, penned by Downton Abbey’s creator Julian Fellowes, the focus is on the class divide between America’s old money aristocrats and new money industrialists, and the often exhausting rules of “society.” Apple TV’s The Buccaneers, which just returned for its second season,
A Watercooler Guide to The Phoenician Scheme: Wes Anderson’s Oil-Baron Fever Dream
Wes Anderson films are easy to spot, but not always easy to describe. Watching them feels like stepping inside a handcrafted diorama of history: symmetrical, stylized, and slightly sentimental. From the wry narration and sharp color palettes to his signature whip pans and deadpan dialogue, Anderson crafts cinematic worlds where emotions are bottled then uncorked
A Need-to-Know Guide to And Just Like That…
It’s been a two year wait, but Carrie Bradshaw and her tribe of fabulous fifty-somethings are finally back with their third season. You’d be forgiven if you lost track of the Sex and the City sequel and its storylines. But with summer’s planes, trains, and automobiles and rained-in weekends, And Just Like That might be
Bring Her Back
A psychological horror film with standout performances, Bring Her Back isn’t just about summoning the dead, it’s about confronting the parts of ourselves we lose in the process. The Philippou brothers have crafted a film that dares to ask whether the true horror lies in what we’re willing to do in the name of love.
The Something for Everyone Show: Poker Face is Back
Can’t agree on what to watch together? Consider putting on your Poker Face. Peacock’s acclaimed mystery-of-the-week series created by Rian Johnson (best known for Star Wars: The Last Jedi and, most relevant here, the Glass Onion films) and starring Natasha Lyonne, is finally back for another season after two long years. That’s great news for
It’s not HBO, it’s The Pitt: How streamers are embracing old TV network models
“It’s not TV, it’s HBO.” Remember that old tagline? For nearly all of its history, broadcast television has been fighting against the perception that it’s subordinate to film as a storytelling medium. Television was just media for the masses, as opposed to the more erudite aficionados of cinema (who, by the way, poured into theaters
Inside Out
With so many of us facing unfamiliar, anxiety-ridden situations today, Inside Out can serve as a useful prompt for the entire family to acknowledge our emotional experiences — sparking insight and helping us cope with change.
The Rise of Phoenixes (Tiānshèng Cháng Gē)
Appealing characters, dazzling costumes, lightning-fast martial arts – and a plot with so many twists and turns, you’ll need a notebook to keep track.
Love is Blind
Not nearly as catty as The Bachelor and a lot less out there than Married at First Sight, it seems that love really might be blind after all — and this show’s ready to renew our faith in falling in love.
Workin’ Moms
When you can’t make it out of the house to attend a support group for new moms, this can be a great substitute. By showing the human side of motherhood, the series helps normalize maternal ambivalence, “mommy guilt,” and the pressure many women feel to be “perfect” moms.
The Painter and the Thief
An enthralling true story about forgiveness and redemption that plays with point of view – while ultimately leaving you on a hopeful note.
His Dark Materials
An important coming-of-age story about the relationship between adults and children that’s relevant in any world.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist
An inventive new comedy-drama for anyone that wants something insanely out of this world but also a little bit relatable.
Mythic Quest
A fun comedy that’s surprisingly layered and balanced with genuine emotional beats. Gamers and non-gamers alike should have fun with the humor and eccentric characters who stick with you.