Storytelling
What Makes the Best Pilot Episodes in TV History Tick?
From The Sopranos to Westworld, how the 10 of the best TV shows displayed their game-changing brilliance from their very first episodes.
Storytelling
What Makes Game of Thrones So Addictive?
Every “must-see” TV show uses some of these addictive story tricks, but only Game of Thrones combined them all to create a runaway hit.
Armchair Sociology
Westworld: Reality, A.I., and the God Problem
When I was about 5 or 6, I had a thought that both exhilarated and terrified me. I was riding in the car with my parents, looking out the window, and I thought… How do I know if I’m real? Beyond that… how do I know if “reality” even exists? Read more…
Storytelling
Scandal, Star Wars, and Being “Out of Character”
Why some choices can seem so out of character, they leave fans of stories like Scandal and Star Wars feeling betrayed.
Storytelling
In Defense of Night Court and Other Guilty Pleasures
Here’s why some media gets called a “guilty pleasure,” and why we need to stop saying that.
Storytelling
Why Black Sails Has One of the Best Main Characters in TV History
Here’s why Captain Flint on Black Sails is one of the best-written characters in this current era of Peak TV.
Storytelling
How Good Editing Saved Star Wars
From Star Wars to Casablanca, some of Hollywood’s best-loved classics were saved in the edit. Here are three ways editing can make or break a film.
Storytelling
My Top 10 Most-Read Posts of 2017
From story problems in Blade Runner to the great irony of The Walking Dead, here are my top 10 blog posts that attracted the most readers in 2017.
Storytelling
Why Outlander Is the Show America Needs Now
How do the big differences between two of TV’s most talked-about prestige dramas reflect a vast gap in pop culture?
Storytelling
Why Stranger Things 2 Episode 1 Is Perfect Storytelling
Stranger Things 2 Episode 1 is a textbook example of how to kick off a new season of a beloved show. Here’s why its writing and pacing work so well.