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Melanie McFarland (page 8)

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

Emmy Awards Trophy between Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige on "Shogun" and Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto on "The Bear." (Photo illustration by Salon/Getty Images/Katie Yu/FX Networks)

The 76th Emmy Award nominations: Why our critic’s list of gripes is a lot shorter than usual

Melanie McFarland
Dr. Ruth Westheimer of 'Ask Dr. Ruth' speaks onstage during the Hulu Panel during the Winter TCA 2019 on February 11, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Hulu)

The politics of Dr. Ruth Westheimer

Melanie McFarland
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal pose for the movie "When Harry Met Sally" circa 1989. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The questions “When Harry Met Sally” make us consider today

Melanie McFarland
Finding Mr. Christmas (Hallmark Media/Kim Nunneley)

After making the yuletide gay, Hallmark is bringing tidings of comfort and joy to reality TV

Melanie McFarland
Actor/comdedian Louis C.K. attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted By Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California. (Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty Images)

“It’s hard to look away from how damning it is”: Louis C.K. doc on why his wrongdoing still matters

Melanie McFarland
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Richie and Jeremy Allen White as Army in "The Bear" (FX)

We sampled that Orwellian butter from “The Bear.” If you can, you should too

Melanie McFarland
Gayle Rankin as Alys Rivers in "House of the Dragon" (HBO)

Through Alys Rivers and Mysaria, “House of the Dragon” shows the power of being a nobody

Melanie McFarland
Ewan Mitchell as Aemond Targaryen in "House of the Dragon" (HBO)

Who really pays the cost when “House of the Dragon” dances

Melanie McFarland
'Forrest Gump' 1994 directed by Robert Zemeckis. (Sunset Boulevard/Getty Images)

“Stupid is as stupid does”: The Gumpification of America, 30 years later

Melanie McFarland
The Boys (Prime Video)

Thanks to the Supreme Court’s rulings “The Boys” dystopian America is closer to reality than ever

Melanie McFarland
Joel McHale in "The Bear" (FX)

“The Bear” confronts Carmy’s nightmare: A boss who believes in creating excellence through pain

Melanie McFarland
Emma D'Arcy as Rhaenyra Targaryen in "House of the Dragon" (HBO)

“House of the Dragon” director Geeta Vasant Patel triumphs by fueling dragon fire with feeling

Melanie McFarland
Breakin' on the One (Andscape)

“Breakdancing is an American art form”: From its origins in 1980s New York to the Paris Olympics

Melanie McFarland
Jeremy Allen White as Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto and Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Adamu in "The Bear" (Chuck Hodes/FX)

“The Bear” brings Syd and Carmy to a boiling point, but here’s why they can’t be endgame

Melanie McFarland
U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump participate in the CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

CNN’s first televised presidential debate of 2024 was not a good look for America

Melanie McFarland
Jeremy Allen White as Carmy in "The Bear" (FX)

Hungry as ever, “The Bear” is still the excellent TV dish everyone wants to devour and discuss

Melanie McFarland
Fabien Frankel as Ser Criston Cooke and Luke Tittnsor as Ser Arryk Cargill in "House of the Dragon" (HBO) (HBO)

Death is cheap on “House of the Dragon”

Melanie McFarland
Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC)

“When the robots get scary,” AMC’s “Orphan Black: Echoes” asks what makes us human

Melanie McFarland
Andrew McCarthy in "Brats" (AMC)

By making peace with The Brat Pack, “Brats” shows Generation X how to let go

Melanie McFarland
Susan Heyward as Sister Sage in "The Boys" (Prime Video)

“The Boys” introduces Sister Sage, a Black woman who is not going to save you this time

Melanie McFarland
Daniel Francis as Lord Anderson and Adjoa Andoh as Lady Agatha Danbury in "Bridgerton" (Liam Daniel/Netflix)

“That is not history”: Adjoa Andoh, the other “Bridgerton” queen, challenges the usual period dramas

Melanie McFarland
Matt Smith in "House of the Dragon" (Ollie Upton/HBO)

“House of the Dragon” returns but lacks the storytelling fire to make us care who gets burned

Melanie McFarland
Luke Thompson as Benedict Bridgerton and Hannah New as Lady Tilley Arnold in "Bridgerton" (Netflix)

A “Bridgerton” happy ending hints at long-anticipated queer romances ahead

Melanie McFarland
Star Wars: The Acolyte (Lucasfilm Ltd. / Disney+)

“The Acolyte” follows the Thread to tell a tragic Jedi story from the witches’ perspective

Melanie McFarland
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