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Jen Chaney

TV Critic
@chaneyj
[email protected]

Vulture and New York TV critic Jen Chaney previously worked for the Washington Post and has bylines at the New York Times and Vanity Fair. She also wrote As If: The Complete Oral History of Clueless.

  1. tv review
    A Compelling Staircase Comes to Netflix, But Doesn’t Bring ClosureThe true-crime series landmark is fascinating, even as it raises questions that it never answers.
  2. Killing Eve, Ocean’s 8, and the New Femininity of ‘Strong Female Characters’How TV shows and films are taking the “strong female protagonist” into new, blatantly feminine territory.
  3. tv review
    Dietland Is a Darkly Comic Satire With a Feminist MessageThe AMC series is a refreshingly odd indictment of the fashion industry, abusive men, and … well, a bunch of other things.
  4. tv review
    Succession Is a Biting Portrait of Untrustworthy Power PlayersIn each episode, HBO droll family drama gets more compelling.
  5. No, Samantha Bee’s Joke Isn’t the Same As Roseanne Barr’s TweetSaying that both women deserve to be fired suggests their offenses are identical. They are not.
  6. close reads
    ‘With or Without You’ Was the Perfect Choice for The Americans FinaleGiven the connection between the lyrics and the story, it’s a perfect song selection. But there are U2-related reasons that make it even more fitting.
  7. The Tragedy of Henry Jennings in The Americans Series FinaleHenry was the show’s punch line for years, but in the end, his role paid off in a massively emotional way.
  8. oral history
    An Oral History of The Americans Series FinaleBehind “START,” one of the finest series-enders of the modern TV era.
  9. Where Will Paige Jennings Be in 10 Years? Holly Taylor Has a TheoryIt involves vodka and cats.
  10. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Is As Ambitious and Zany As EverWhile targeting #MeToo and toxic masculinity, the Netflix comedy continues to deliver welcome doses of the absurd.
  11. HBO’s John McCain Documentary Is Both Reverent and CandidJohn McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls is fairly honest about McCain’s sins as well as his strengths.
  12. 2018 Is the Summer of #MeToo TVStories about harassment and imbalances of power will be all over your screens this season.
  13. 9 Shows to Stream Right Now Before Summer TV Comes BackYour summer-TV prep begins now.
  14. Not a Lot of Reasons to Watch 13 Reasons Why Season TwoThe Hannah Baker story continues, whether it should or not.
  15. The Frustrating Portrait of Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong in Netflix’s Evil GeniusThis true-crime series is fascinating, but also points to problematic attitudes toward the mentally ill, especially when they’re female.
  16. There Are Two Ways to Read Earn’s Choice in the Atlanta FinaleIs that ending triumphant or proof that Earn is still stuck?
  17. tv review
    Patrick Melrose: This Is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Brain on DrugsI fully expect Cumberbatch will get an Emmy nomination for his performance here.
  18. Why The Americans Keeps Reminding Us Someone Important Is Going to DieYou can feel in your bones as you watch that things will not end happily for everyone.
  19. On the Set of The Americans Gamechanging Episode, ‘Harvest’It’s the beginning of the end.
  20. chat room
    The Americans’ Keidrich Sellati on Playing the Neglected Jennings ChildAnd the time Matthew Rhys made him cry.
  21. tv review
    Sweetbitter: Eat Drink 20-Something WomanSweetbitter, the new Starz series based on Stephanie Danler’s novel, may not satisfy all your cravings.
  22. Vida Is a Fresh, Latinx Take on GentrificationIn only six episodes, the Starz series says a lot about cultural, sexual, and ethnic orientation.
  23. The Rain Is a Gripping Apocalyptic Drama, But It’s a Bit Too FamiliarIf you’re up for another grim TV show about the end of the world, Netflix has the Danish show for you!
  24. tv review
    Cobra Kai Is a Clever, Reverent Update to The Karate KidThe new YouTube Red series will remind you of The Karate Kid, but it’s also an interesting look at nostalgia.
  25. Unsolved Creator on What Really Happened to Tupac and Biggie“The Tupac of it all is really quite simple,” but “the Biggie of it all, that’s more complicated.”
  26. No, Michelle Wolf Didn’t Mock Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s LooksWhy the criticism of Wolf’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner roast is so maddening.
  27. tv review
    Netflix’s Bobby Kennedy for President Will Break Your HeartIf you didn’t live through the ‘60s, this docuseries captures what it was like to witness the rise and fall of RFK.
  28. close reads
    The Utter Shock of Philip and Paige’s Fight on The AmericansThe father-daughter sparring match is instantly one of the show’s most memorable scenes.
  29. The Unerring Power of ‘This Woman’s Work’Kate Bush’s ballad has a fascinating history in movies and TV shows, and The Handmaid’s Tale gives it new relevance.
  30. Miriam Shor on The Americans and the ‘Joy’ of Puking All Over Keri RussellThe Americans actress talks her big role in the final season of FX’s spy drama.
  31. vulture lists
    The Very Best Schoolhouse Rock Songs by Bob DoroughBob Dorough, who died this week at age 94, wrote and performed some of the most beloved Schoolhouse Rock songs.
  32. Theater Kids Are Everywhere on TV and in MoviesDrama club is officially the coolest extracurricular.
  33. The Handmaid’s Tale Is Back and Still BrutalThe second season of the Hulu series is intense, upsetting, and once again elevated by a wrenching performance by Elisabeth Moss.
  34. Lost in Space Gets a Fine, But Not Must-Watch RebootThere is still plenty of danger, Will Robinson. Also: lots of Parker Posey.
  35. chat room
    Noah Emmerich Won’t Miss Playing Stan on The Americans“Stan’s ready for a job change. Maybe he can open up a surf shop in Hawaii.”
  36. The Simpsons’ Apu Response Is What Happens When You’re on the Air for Too LongWhen you’ve been on TV for nearly 30 years, it’s hard to come across as the rebellious outsider sticking it to the man.
  37. Killing Eve Is Instantly Addictive TelevisionIt has the potential to be BBC America’s new Orphan Black.
  38. Roseanne Is a Political Series and Let’s Not Pretend OtherwiseIn its second week, the sitcom is actually even more political than it was in its first episode.
  39. The Last O.G. Is a Hopeful Comedy That Brings Tracy Morgan Back to TVMorgan returns in this engaging comedy, and Tiffany Haddish is along for the ride.
  40. tv review
    The Pilot for The Crossing Is Trying to Be the Next LostIt’s unclear so far whether the intriguing premise will be worth the commitment.
  41. Jesus Christ Superstar Live: The Highs and the LowsAnd the very deep Vs.
  42. The Wild Wild Country Directors Still Wonder Who Is Right and Wrong TooPlus, how they got all their footage, and what was left out.
  43. The Importance of Peter Gabriel to The AmericansThe sound of his voice functions like an alarm the show is sounding to make sure we pay attention.
  44. The Americans Team Walks Us Through Their Favorite Alter EgosMatthew Rhys hates Clark!
  45. tv review
    Alex, Inc. Is a Show About Podcasting That’s Not Worth the DownloadIt’s really a too-cute family sitcom disguised as a workplace comedy.
  46. Splitting Up Together May Not Be Worth the CommitmentJenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson go through divorce in the nicest way possible.
  47. Roseanne Is Back Wearing a Trump Hat, But Showing Progressive TendenciesRoseanne still does what it did well in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but with a stronger political streak.
  48. Silicon Valley Is Savage About T.J. Miller’s CharacterIt’s a slightly milder version of what Chuck Lorre did to Charlie Sheen’s character on Two and a Half Men.
  49. tv review
    Barry’s Killer Comedy Is a Great Showcase for Bill HaderThe tone is tricky, but Hader’s new HBO show will get under your skin.
  50. Silicon Valley Season 5 Doesn’t Need T.J. MillerErlich is gone, but Pied Piper bumbles on.
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