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Melanie McFarland (page 2)

Melanie McFarland is Salon's award-winning senior culture critic. Follow her on Bluesky: @McTelevision

John Oliver of "Last Week Tonight" (left) and Bill Owens (right) of "60 Minutes" (Photo illustration by Salon / Getty Images/broadcastertr / Courtesy HBO / Courtesy Paramount)

What’s happening at “60 Minutes” matters to anyone who cares about protecting free speech

Melanie McFarland
Diego Luna in "Andor" (Lucasfilm/Disney+)

The inspiring end of “Andor” shows us how great rebellions begin

Melanie McFarland
Pedro Pascal and Kaitlyn Dever in "The Last of Us" (Liane Hentscher/HBO)

A bloody tragedy on “The Last of Us” is a familiar move for HBO

Melanie McFarland
Nathan Fielder in "The Rehearsal" (John P. Johnson/HBO)

“The Rehearsal” gets more ambitious—and less funny

Melanie McFarland
The NS-31 crew prior to their flight. Left to right: Lauren Sánchez, Katy Perry, Aisha Bowe, Kerianne Flynn, Gayle King and Amanda Nguyễn. (Blue Origin)

Blue Origin’s all-woman space flight made history, but not in the way it’s promoting

Melanie McFarland
David Thewlis as Sherlock Holmes in "Sherlock & Daughter" (Fionn McCann/Starlings Entertainment)

The evergreen appeal of Sherlock Holmes helps us make sense of a perilously illogical world

Melanie McFarland
Isabela Merced and Bella Ramsey in "The Last of Us" (Liane Hentscher/HBO)

Barricade your heart because “The Last of Us” is on a mission to break it

Melanie McFarland
Jon Hamm in "Your Friends and Neighbors" (Apple TV+)

“Your Friends & Neighbors” lets Jon Hamm sell you the life you can’t afford

Melanie McFarland
Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder in "Hacks" (Courtesy of Max)

“Hacks” provides lessons in unlearning the rules of showbiz

Melanie McFarland
Elisabeth Moss in "The Handmaid's Tale" (Disney/Steve Wilkie)

Do we need to watch the final season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” when America’s writing its own?

Melanie McFarland
"Lazarus" (Courtesy of Adult Swim )

With “Lazarus,” the creative force behind “Cowboy Bebop” soothes our present vibe with his own

Melanie McFarland
(l-r) Amber Ruffin and Seth Meyers during the sketch "Both Sides" on Monday, March 31, 2025 (Lloyd Bishop/NBC)

Fired White House Correspondents’ dinner host Amber Ruffin has learned her lesson. The WHCA has not

Melanie McFarland
Special Collections at the Boston Public Library (Lucie Faulknor)

“Reading builds empathy”: The case for saving America’s libraries

Melanie McFarland
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks in front of a photo of drag queen Lil Miss Hot Mess during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on March 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

MTG pitting Elon’s DOGE against NPR and PBS is a literal hot mess

Melanie McFarland
David Mitchell in "Ludwig" (Courtesy of BBC/Big Talk Studios)

In “Ludwig,” being a detective is tough—and leaving the house is tougher

Melanie McFarland
Parker Posey in "The White Lotus" (Courtesy of HBO)

On “The White Lotus,” the Ratliffs ooze the kind of idle rich ignorance that’s killing us

Melanie McFarland
Adam Scott and Britt Lower in "Severance" (Apple TV+)

Goats, guts and a glorious day: “Severance” closes with a man divided

Melanie McFarland
Uzo Aduba as Cordelia Cupp in "The Residence" (Jessica Brooks/Netflix)

“The Residence” makes its White House mystery quaint and cozy by removing its institutional romance

Melanie McFarland
Merritt Wever and Zach Cherry in "Severance" (Courtesy of Apple TV+)

“Severance” and the horrors of RTO: The case against bringing your best self to work

Melanie McFarland
Andrew Schulz in the Netflix comedy special, "Life." (Courtesy of Netflix)

Everything’s permissible and nobody’s accountable now: Welcome to the age of anything goes

Melanie McFarland
Tayler Byrd and Ashley Moore in "Temptation Island" (Courtesy of Netflix)

“Temptation Island” is the land of broken hearts and promises, making it America’s truest reality TV

Melanie McFarland
Carrie Coon, Leslie Bibb and Michelle Monaghan in "The White Lotus" (Fabio Lovino/HBO)

“The White Lotus” frenemies make a strong case for vacationing alone

Melanie McFarland
Joy Reid speaks during the 2024 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ Presented By Coca-Cola® at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center on July 07, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE)

As the media landscape shrinks, the right-wing bullhorn only gets louder

Melanie McFarland
Daniel Martin and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex in "With Love, Meghan" (Courtesy of Netflix)

Meghan Markle doesn’t elevate how-to TV, giving the haters more to hate

Melanie McFarland
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