Storytelling
Cobra Kai: How to Build Character Through Internal Conflict
Cobra Kai’s pilot episode shows why every villain thinks he’s the hero of his own story… and why he’s also his own worst enemy.
Storytelling
The 3 Biggest Storytelling Problems in Shazam!
A hero is only as good as his villain, and that’s where Shazam’s plot problems start.
Storytelling
Captain Marvel: A Genius Lesson in Story Structure
Captain Marvel offers a smart answer to a hard storytelling question: how do you make a compelling movie about the world’s strongest hero?
Armchair Sociology
Steve Harrington, Jaime Lannister, and the Secret to Writing a Redemption Arc
How did Steve Harrington become one of the most popular characters on Stranger Things?
Armchair Sociology
Why We Replaced Heroes with Antiheroes
From Superman to Iron Man, the difference between a hero and an antihero was always clear.. until now. Here’s what changed, and why it matters.
Armchair Sociology
The Key to Understanding Pixar’s Incredibles Movies
The Incredibles movies explore complicated themes and complex characters — but are they also full of contradictions?
Storytelling
10 Ways Iron Man’s Plot Created the Marvel Movie Formula
10 years after Marvel Studios released Iron Man, here’s how that movie’s success has been duplicated in every MCU film since.
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
Does Every Marvel Movie Tell the Same Story?
Thor: Ragnarok is basically a blueprint for how to make a Marvel movie… and that’s a problem. Here’s why every Marvel movie tells the same story.
Storytelling
How Game of Thrones Uses Scene Structure to Reveal Character and Theme
From politics to survival, here are three ways the Season Seven premiere of Game of Thrones uses story structure to define its characters’ motivations.