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Melanie McFarland (page 4)

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

John Malkovich in "The New Pope" (Gianni Fiorito/HBO)

Blessed be the memes, TV shows and “Conclave” for helping us welcome our first American pope

Melanie McFarland
Jean Smart in "Hacks" (Kenny Laubbaucher/Max)

At long last, “Hacks” flips the table on the bitter mentorship at the heart of the series

Melanie McFarland
Natasha Lyonne as Charlie Cale in "Poker Face" (Peacock)

The throwback comfort of “Poker Face” returns

Melanie McFarland
"Andor" (Lucasfilm/Disney+)

The path to the Death Star is paved with lies: On “Andor,” as on Earth, disinformation defeats truth

Melanie McFarland
"Sinners" (Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures)

The radically divine message of “Sinners”

Melanie McFarland
Vietnam Veteran Jack Ellis (Courtesy of Netflix)

“Turning Point: The Vietnam War” lays bare the arrogance that fueled a lost cause

Melanie McFarland
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
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