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Mike Flanagan has managed to take Stephen King’s masterpiece and turn it into a whole mythology of our current social moment. Some episodes hit harder than expected, and the scene with the guidance counselor in episode 2 as he introduces her to the library left me a whole blubbering mess. This is a powerful indictment on our era, a call to kindness, and a cautionary tale for those who make a mockery (or worse) of connection and care. It seems that Flanagan has his own storyline that he weaves underneath King’s, and I’m not certain it is compelling enough to explore on its own, or that it adds overly much to the rest of the brilliant tale he weaves. Even so, this is a masterpiece. It’s not creepy, jump-scare horror, but the horror of everyday life reflected in an unsparing and unapologetic reckoning.

Ted Lasso  season 4 is everything I wanted it to be, even though (Tracy Ullman’s character and performance was underwhelming and only left me feeling the loss of Anthony Head all the more acutely).  Richmond forever.

The beauty of this show cannot be limited to—or defined by—the Troubles. And yet, set in 70s Ireland, the Troubles get into everything, Hearts are broken, lives are mangled, and fates unravel.