Slate’s Spoiler Specials

Hey, Spoiler Specials listeners, Dana Stevens here. If you haven’t heard the Slate podcast Decoder Ring yet, I urge you to check it out. Hosted by our friend Willa Paskin, each episode cracks a different cultural mystery by examining its history and why it still matters today. In their new season they look at how men’s razors went from one...to two...to five blades! They explore how "method acting" became so misunderstood—there’s more to it than just Jared Leto behaving badly.

And now, we present their latest which I loved. It follows the unlikely path of a 2004 indie flick from director Alexander Payne...off the screen and onto our restaurant menus. Decades later, the American wine industry is still under the influence of “The Sideways Effect." Make sure to subscribe to Decoder Ring wherever you listen, and I hope you enjoy this episode!

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This week’s Spoiler Specials takes on The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Film critic Dana Stevens is joined by Keith Phipps to spoil this action-packed comedy, starring Nicolas Cage as a struggling actor who is desperate to get back on the A list. Nicolas Cage plays Nick Cage, with Tiffany Haddish, Pedro Pascal, and Neil Patrick Harris co-starring. Dana and Keith tell listeners if this self-referential romp went deep enough.

Read Dana’s review of the movie. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate’s Marissa Martinelli and Rebecca Onion spoil season 2 of the Netflix hit Bridgerton. It’s wedding season again, and this time, it’s Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s (Jonathan Bailey) turn to marry. But for the Viscount, finding a wife is more about one’s duty to the family line than love. And Lord Bridgerton thinks he’s found the perfect match in Edwina Sharma (Charithra Chandran). But will her sister Kate (Simone Ashley) approve? With all the drama that unfolds, how will Lady Whistledown keep up with this season’s shenanigans?

Read Rebecca’s review of the second season. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate’s Jeffrey Bloomer and Dan Kois to spoil Deep Water. 

The film opens with marital unease between Vic Van Allen (Ben Affleck) and his wife Melinda (Ana de Armas). Melinda has constant flirtations that Vic moodily tolerates … until he doesn’t. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Cleo Levin

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On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens and former Slate staff writer Karen Han spoil Turning Red, directed by Domee Shi. When 13-year-old Meilin (Rosalie Chiang) starts to experience puberty, she turns into a giant red panda. Little does she know that the matriarchal side of her family has a connection to this mythical creature. Her mother, Ming (Sandra Oh), also has a story about turning into a giant bear when she experiences intense emotions. Will this new revelation bring Meilin and Ming closer? And what will the teenager’s friends think when they find out about her new gift?

Read Dana’s review of the movie. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens and senior editor Sam Adams spoil The Batman. 

After a high-ranking Gotham City politician is murdered in his apartment by a masked figure, Bruce Wayne (Robert Pattinson) investigates the crime alongside police detective James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). It turns out that the murderer is the Riddler (Paul Dano), who is determined to expose the corruption in Gotham’s government by any means necessary. Will the Riddler succeed, or will his plan fall apart? 

How does Robert Pattinson’s Bruce Wayne compare to the others? And was it necessary for this movie to be three hours long? 

Read Dana’s review of the movie. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens and staff writer Heather Schwedel spoil the new rom-com Marry Me. 

Superstar Kat Valdez (Jennifer Lopez) decides to marry her fiancé Bastian (Maluma) in front of a live audience after their successful song “Marry Me” becomes a hit. Before they can say “I do,” things are turned upside down and Kat learns that Bastian isn’t as faithful as he seems. In a plot twist, Kat decides to marry concert attendee Charlie (Owen Wilson) after spotting him in the crowd. Is this marriage real, and could it possibly last? 

You can read Dana’s review of the movie here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate staffers Jeffrey Bloomer, Sam Adams, and Josh Levin spoil the latest Scream movie. 

After high-schooler Tara Carpenter (Jenna Ortega) is attacked and hospitalized by Ghostface, her estranged sister Sam (Melissa Barrera) comes back to town with her boyfriend Ritchie (Jack Quaid). The reunion causes a surprising family secret to be revealed. More mayhem ensues as old characters return to the Scream fold. Who is the new Ghostface—and is this franchise dead?

CORRECTION: After this episode was taped, Jeffrey Bloomer realized that he had misspoken about the familial connections of a key character in Scream 4: That person was Sidney’s cousin, not her niece.

You can read Bloomer’s review of the movie here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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On this week’s Spoiler Specials, Slate staffers Allegra Frank and Rebecca Onion spoil The Lost Daughter. 

Leda Caruso (Olivia Colman) is a college professor on a sunny holiday in Greece. When she meets Nina (Dakota Johnson) and her young daughter on the beach, her observations prompt dark memories of her own early motherhood.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Produced by Asha Saluja and Jasmine Ellis.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staffers Allegra Frank and Sam Adams spoil Spider-Man: No Way Home. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is grappling with being identified as Spider-Man. This not only has consequences for him, but also his girlfriend, Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson (Zendaya), and his best friend Edward “Ned” Leeds (Jacob Batalon) who are rejected from MIT. This inspires Peter to approach Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help. But what happens when it all goes sideways? 

You can read Allegra Frank and Sam Adams’s guide to the movie here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Jasmine Ellis.

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On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Vox editor-at-large and co-creator of the podcast Arden, Emily VanDerWerff.

Twenty years after the events of The Matrix Revolutions, Thomas Anderson, also known as Neo (Keanu Reeves) is once again confronted with a decision to forgo his ordinary life and open his mind to The Matrix. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Slate is having a holiday sale! For a limited time, we’re offering our annual Slate Plus membership at $25 off for your first year. With Slate Plus, you can listen to Spoiler Specials and other Slate podcasts with zero ads, read unlimited articles on Slate.com, and support Slate's journalism. Sign up for Slate Plus now. And if you’re already a member, consider giving the gift of Plus to a fellow Slate fan and they’ll receive all the benefits of membership."

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Asha Saluja with help from June Thomas

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On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate features editor Jeffrey Bloomer to spoil the latest Jane Campion movie, Power of the Dog.

When domineering rancher Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) meets his brother’s new wife Rose (Kirsten Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), he takes an instant dislike to them. Phil tirelessly mocks his new family members until Peter makes an unexpected discovery.  

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

To listen to Spoiler Specials and other Slate podcasts with zero ads, read unlimited articles on Slate.com, and support Slate's journalism, sign up for Slate Plus now.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Cleo Levin.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic. You can read her review here. 

Jeffrey Bloomer is Slate’s features editor.

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On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer Heather Schwedel and New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme to spoil the latest movie from Ridley Scott, House of Gucci.

When Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga), a woman whose glamor belies her working-class lifestyle, meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) at a party, she senses an opportunity for something more. The film follows their romance as it grows, and then morphs into something more sinister.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

To listen to Spoiler Specials and other Slate podcasts with zero ads, read unlimited articles on Slate.com, and support Slate’s journalism, sign up for Slate Plus now. 

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Cleo Levin.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic. You can read her review here. 

Heather Schwedel is a Slate staff writer.

Rachel Syme is a New Yorker staff writer.

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On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams and Slate editorial assistant Nadira Goffe to spoil the newest Marvel film, Eternals.

The Eternals, a group of immortal beings with superpowers, reunite following an unexpected tragedy to fight the evil Deviants.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

To listen to Spoiler Specials and other Slate podcasts with zero ads, read unlimited articles on Slate.com, and support Slate's journalism, sign up for Slate Plus now. 

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Cleo Levin.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic. You can read her review here. 

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor. 

Nadira Goffe is Slate’s editorial assistant. 

Sam and Nadira both contributed to “The Casual Marvel Fan’s Guide to Eternals”

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On the Spoiler Specials podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate senior editor Sam Adams to spoil the new adaptation of the 1965 sci-fi novel Dune.

In the year 10,191, Paul Atreides, along with his family and people, must travel to a dangerous planet at the behest of the emperor of the universe. Once there, violence explodes and Paul must test his training and power to survive.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

To listen to Spoiler Specials and other Slate podcasts with zero ads, read unlimited articles on Slate.com, and support Slate's journalism, sign up for Slate Plus now. For a limited time only, you can get $25 off your first year.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Cleo Levin.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic. You can read her review here. 

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor. You can read his breakdown of the ways to see the movie here. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate senior editor Sam Adams is joined by Laura Miller, a books and culture columnist for Slate, to spoil the new Mike Flanagan miniseries Midnight Mass.

Riley Flynn returns to his home on an offshore fishing village to find that the local priest has been replaced by a newcomer. The arrival of the magnetic Father Paul Hill brings religious fervor to the town, along with mystery and monstrosity. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

To listen to Spoiler Specials and other Slate podcasts with zero ads, read unlimited articles on Slate.com, and support Slate's journalism, sign up for Slate Plus now. For a limited time only, you can get $25 off your first year.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Cleo Levin and Asha Saluja 

Hosts

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor. You can read his review here. 

Laura Miller is a books and culture columnist for Slate. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Rolling Stone’s chief TV critic and host of the popular podcast Too Long, Didn’t Watch, Alan Sepinwall to spoil the new Sopranos prequel film, The Many Saints of Newark. 

The film follows a young Anthony Soprano, growing up in a very tumultuous era in Newark, N.J. Caught up in the changing times is the uncle he idolizes, Dickie Moltisanti, whose influence over his nephew will help shape the impressionable teenager into the all-powerful mob boss: Tony Soprano.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic. You can read her review here. 

Alan Sepinwall is Rolling Stone’s chief TV critic and host of the popular podcast Too Long, Didn’t Watch. You can read his review here.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by fellow Slate senior editor, Sam Adams, to spoil Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. 

Shang-Chi is living a quiet, normal life in San Francisco working as a valet parking attendant with his best friend Katy when suddenly he’s confronted by his dark past. He soon realizes that it’s up to him and his friends to save the world from ancient soul-eating demons. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Allegra Frank is Slate’s senior editor. You can read her review here. 

Sam Adams is Slate’s senior editor and editor of Slate’s culture blog Brow Beat. You can read his review here.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. 

This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate contributor Isaac Butler and The New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme to spoil Mike White’s The White Lotus.

What happens when a group of extremely privileged and wealthy people arrive at The White Lotus Resort in Hawaii for a week of relaxation in the sun? The answer is nothing good.  

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Dana Stevens is a movie critic at Slate. You can hear her talk more about The White Lotus here. 

Isaac Butler is the co-host of Slate’s Working podcast. You can listen to his interview with the show’s composer here.

Rachel Syme is a staff writer at The New Yorker. You can read her piece about the show here.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. 

This week, Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate’s senior editor Sam Adams to spoil James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, a soft reboot of the original 2016 Suicide Squad. 

What happens when the US government brings together a few of the world’s most dangerous supervillains to save the day? You get chaos, blood, gore and The Suicide Squad. 

 Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Karen Han is a staff writer at Slate. You can read her review here.

Sam Adams is a senior editor at Slate and editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Slate’s web editor Nitish Pahwa to spoil Old, the new thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan. 

When a family takes a relaxing tropical vacation, they make a terrifying discovery. As the children play in the sand on a nearby secluded beach, their parents notice that in the span of just a few hours, their children have suddenly aged. It’s not long before the parents realize that they themselves are aging too! It’s a race against time as they attempt to escape the beach before it’s too late. But can they find a way out? 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Allegra Frank is a senior editor at Slate. 

Nitish Pahwa is a web editor at Slate and you can read his review here. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Slate staff writer, Karen Han, to spoil Space Jam: A New Legacy, the long-awaited sequel to the original 1997 Space Jam starring Michael Jordan. 

This time, LeBron James finds himself trapped in digital space by a rogue AI villain. In order to get back home and save everyone, LeBron must team up with the Looney Tunes gang to win the ultimate high-stakes basketball game and save the day. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Allegra Frank is a senior editor at Slate. 

Karen Han is staff writer at Slate and you can read her review here. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer, Karen Han, to spoil Black Widow, the new Marvel origin story for one of it’s Avengers, Black Widow.  

Who was Black Widow before she became the beloved and troubled hero we’ve all come to know over the years? 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic and you can read her review here.

Karen Han is staff writer at Slate.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens to spoil Luca, the new animated film from Pixar. 

Set in a beautiful seaside town on the Italian Riviera, a young boy named Luca is experiencing an unforgettable summer filled with gelato, pasta and endless scooter rides. Luca shares these adventures with his newfound best friend, but all the fun is threatened by a deeply-held secret: he is a sea monster from another world just below the water's surface.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Karen Han is staff writer at Slate.

Dana Stevens is a movie critic at Slate and you can read her review here.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by associate editor at Slate Marissa Martinelli and Slate’s new editorial intern Sofia Andrade to spoil In the Heights, the new film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s play of the same name. 

Set in Washington Heights, New York, a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies a vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is a magnetic bodega owner (Anthony Ramos) who dreams and sings about a better life.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts:

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic and you can read her review of the film here.

Marissa Martinelli is Slate’s associate editor 

Sofia Andrade is Slate’s editorial intern 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer, Dana Stevens, to spoil Cruella, the new Disney live-action origin story for one of it’s most infamous villains, Cruella de Vil.  

Who was Cruella before she became the Cruella we all know and hate? This teen-friendly backstory holds the answers. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic. 

Karen Han is staff writer at Slate and you can read her review here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Brow Beat nights and weekends editor Matthew Dessem is joined by Slate books and culture columnist Laura Miller to spoil Woman in the Window, the new Netflix thriller based on the book by A. J. Finn.  

Agoraphobic Dr. Anna Fox (Amy Adams) witnesses something she shouldn't while keeping tabs on the Russell family, the seemingly picture perfect clan that lives across the way. What could possibly go wrong? 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Laura Miller is a books and culture columnist for Slate

Matthew Dessem is Slate’s Brow Beat’s nights and weekends editor

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate Brow Beat's nights and weekends editor, Matthew Dessem, to spoil Mortal Kombat, the new action/fantasy movie based on the 1990’s video game. Hunted by the fearsome warrior Sub-Zero, MMA fighter Cole Young finds sanctuary at the temple of Lord Raiden. Training with experienced fighters Liu Kang, Kung Lao and the rogue mercenary Kano, Cole prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions to take on the enemies from Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe.

You can read Karen’s review here.

You can read Matt’s review here.

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Karen Han is a Slate staff writer. 

Matthew Dessem is Slate Brow Beat's nights and weekends editor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Brow Beat nights and weekends editor at Slate, Matthew Dessem, to spoil Godzilla vs. Kong, the new action-packed sci-fi movie from director Adam Wingard.  

Kong and his protectors go on a perilous journey to find his true home but soon find themselves in the path of an enraged Godzilla as he cuts a swath of destruction across the globe. But the initial confrontation between the two titans is only the beginning of the deeper mystery that lies within the center of the earth.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Hosts

Allegra Frank is a Senior Editor at Slate.

Matthew Dessem is Slate’s Brow Beat’s nights and weekends editor

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by New Yorker staff writer Rachel Syme to spoil Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, the new adventure-filled comedy by real life best friends and the writers who brought us Bridesmaids, Kristin Wiig and Annie Mumolo. 

When lifelong best friends and roommates Barb (Annie Mumolo) and Star (Kristin Wiig) leave their Midwestern hometown for the first time ever, they embark on a vacation to Vista Del Mar, Florida. What starts out as a bit of harmless fun in the sun, quickly becomes the most unexpected, bizarre and even dangerous adventure of a lifetime for the pair. Will they ever be the same?

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is a movie critic at Slate.

Rachel Syme is a staff writer at The New Yorker and you can read her review here.

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In the new episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the comedy The Apartment (1960), directed by Billy Wilder.

Other titles mentioned in the episode:

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Butterfield 8 (1960)

Conversations with Wilder

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Ace in the Hole (1951)

Stalag 17 (1953)

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Double Indemnity (1944)

Ball of Fire (1941)

Ninotchka (1939)

Nobody’s Perfect

Brief Encounter (1946)

Fast Times on Ridgemont High (1982)

Dragnet

Bonanza

Columbo

The Crowd (1928)

Gaslight (1944)

Children of Paradise (1946)

Ikiru (1956)

When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Frances Ha (2013)

Manhattan (1979)

Billy Wilder Tapes

Eve’s Bayou (1997)

Dietrich & von Sternberg in Hollywood

Wanda (1970)

Alexandria…Why? (1979)

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Within Our Gates (1920)

One From the Heart (1982)

Email us at [email protected]

Production by Chau Tu.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week Slate staff writer Karen Han is joined by Slate’s senior editor Sam Adams to spoil Zack Snyder’s Justice League, the new four hour artistic cut to its original counterpart.

When Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists newfound ally Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) to face a greater threat than ever before, they have to work quickly to recruit a team to stand against their new enemy. Can the world be saved by this unprecedented league of heroes? Or is it too late?

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Karen Han is a staff writer at Slate and you can read her review here.

Sam Adams is Slate’s senior editor and you can read his review here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s senior editor Allegra Frank is joined by Slate staff writer Rachelle Hampton to spoil Coming 2 America, the sequel to the 1988 hit comedy, Coming to America.

Set in the royal country of Zamunda, newly-crowned King Akeem (Eddie Murphy) and his trusted confidante Semmi (Arsenio Hall) embark on an adventure that has them traversing the globe from their great African nation to the borough of Queens, New York - where it all began.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Allegra Frank is Slate’s senior editor.

Rachelle Hampton is a staff writer at Slate.  

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate features editor Jeffrey Bloomer and New York Times correspondent Ruth Graham to spoil Saint Maud, the feature film debut from writer and director Rose Glass. 

In this extremely eerie horror film, we meet Maud, (played by Morfydd Clark) a reclusive young nurse charged with the hospice care of Amanda, (Jennifer Ehle) a former dancer who has been diagnosed with cancer. At first, they find commonality in their religious beliefs. But will Maud’s newfound faith guide her and Amanda toward a path of healing? Or is something more sinister at play? 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is a movie critic at Slate.

Jeffrey Bloomer is Slate’s features editor.

Ruth Graham is a New York Times correspondent. 

You can read Jeffrey Bloomer’s review here

You can reach Dana Stevens review here

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s TV critic Willa Paskin is joined by Slate writer and podcast host Nichole Perkins to spoil Bridgerton, the new period drama series on Netflix, produced by Shonda Rhimes. 

In this re-imagined adaptation of the romance novels by Julia Quinn, eight close-knit siblings of the powerful Bridgerton family attempt to find love. But the age-old question remains: will they? Or won’t they? 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Willa Paskin is a Slate TV critic.

Nichole Perkins is the writer and host of Slate’s new podcast This is Good for You. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Slate staff writer Karen Han to spoil Promising Young Woman, the feature film debut from writer and director Emerald Fennell. 

In this visually captivating world, we meet Cassie, (played by Carey Mulligan) a wickedly smart and tantalizingly cunning young woman, living a secret double life by night. But is she a hero? Or a morally corrupt villain? 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Karen Han is staff writer at Slate.

Dana Stevens is a movie critic at Slate.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Karen Han is joined by Slate writer and editor Dan Kois to spoil Soul, the new animated film from Pixar. After landing himself in the realm of the “great beyond”, middle school band teacher Joe Gardner tries desperately to make it back to Earth in time for his Jazz gig. But his journey takes a turn when he tries to help a new friend find their passion. Will Joe make it back to Earth and get to his gig on time? Or is he doomed to remain in the great beyond forever? 

You can read Dan Kois review here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts:

Karen Han is staff writer at Slate.

Dan Kois is an editor and writer at Slate.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Flashback is usually for Slate Plus members only. To listen to other episodes of the show, sign up for Slate Plus.

In the new episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), directed by David Lean.

Other titles mentioned in the episode:

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Ben Hur (1959)

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Marvel’s The Avengers (2012)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

The Lord of the Rings trilogy

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Brief Encounter (1946)

Ryan’s Daughter (1970)

Dedicated Maniac

Passage to India (1984)

The Elephant Man (1980)

Out of Sight (1998)

A Man for All Seasons (1966)

Nicholas and Alexandra (1971)

Birth of a Nation (1915)

The Searchers (1956)

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Prometheus (2012)

There Will Be Blood (2008)

Funny Girl (1968)

Macbeth

Casablanca (1943)

The Parent Trap (1998)

On the next episode: Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday (2006).

Comments or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]

Production by Chau Tu.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Dana Stevens is joined by Slate’s Brow Beat’s nights and weekends editor Matthew Dessem to spoil Mank, the new film about the making of another film, Citizen Kane. Will Herman Mankiewicz, a troubled alcoholic (played by Gary Oldman), finish his script in time for his deadline? Will anyone like the film? And how does a California Governor's race fit into it all?  

You can read Dana Stevens here.

You can read Matthew Dessem’s review here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

Matthew Dessem is Slate’s Brow Beat’s night and weekends editor.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Christina Cauterucci and June Thomas discuss Happiest Season, a charming new Christmas rom-com from writer-director Clea DuVall that premiered on Hulu on Nov. 25. Harper Caldwell (Mackenzie Davis) invites her girlfriend, Abby (Kristen Stewart) home for Christmas. Right before they arrive, Harper shares that the people in her hometown, or even in her family, don’t know that she’s gay. And since her father is running for mayor, the couple has to keep their relationship a secret. How will Abby navigate the holiday season while hiding her authentic self? What impact will the holiday weekend have on the lovebirds and their relationship?

Read Christina Cauterucci’s review.

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast Production by Jasmine Ellis. 

Hosts

Christina Cauterucci is a Slate staff writer and co-host of the Outward podcast. 

June Thomas is senior managing producer of the Slate Podcast network and co-host of the Working podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Sam Adams is joined by Slate’s new staff writer Karen Han to spoil Freaky, the new body-switching slasher film. Think Friday the 13th meets Freaky Friday. Will high school outcast, Millie (played by Kathryn Newton), find her way back into her own body? Or will she be stuck in the body of a 6’5 serial killer (played by Vince Vaughn) forever? 

You can read Karen Han’s review here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Sam Adams is an editor for Slate’s culture blog Brow Beat.

Karen Han is a Slate staff writer.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Dana Stevens is joined by Slate’s Sam Adams to spoil Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Sacha Baron Cohen’s long awaited sequel to Borat. Can Borat find his way through America to deliver a very special gift to Vice President Mike Pence? How will Borat navigate COVID 19 in a foreign country? Is Borat still funny when nothing shocks us anymore in the year 2020? 

You can hear Dana’s review on Culture Gabfest here.

You can read Sam Adam’s review here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Morgan Flannery. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Hosts

Dana Stevens is a Slate movie critic.

Sam Adams is an editor for Slate’s culture blog Brow Beat.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Slate staffers Sam Adams and Laura Miller spoil The Haunting of Bly Manor. 

An American governess (Victoria Pedretti) signs on two care for two orphaned children in a remote English mansion. But she finds the house is haunted by a malevolent presence, and the children may be as well. Sam Adams and Laura Miller break down Netflix’s followup to The Haunting of Hill House, which takes its inspiration from Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw and his other classic ghost stories.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Marissa Martinelli and Laura Miller spoil Enola Holmes. 

Enola, who likes to remind people that her name spelled backwards is ‘alone,’ wakes up to find her mother missing. While Enola is determined to investigate her mother’s disappearance, it’s up to Mycroft and Sherlock to figure out what to do with their little sister. Can Enola outwit her intelligent brothers and break free from the stuffy, proper future Mycroft sets out for her? 

Plus, Marissa and Laura delve into other, more transgressive, Holmes stories with female protagonists. 

You can read Laura Miller’s review here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. 

This week, Slate’s Sam Adams and Vox’s Film Critic Alissa Wilkinson spoil Tenet. Christopher Nolan’s time-bending thriller is visually spectacular yet incredibly confusing. 

The main character, played by John David Washington, simply referred to as the Protagonist is a CIA operative who becomes entangled with Tenet, a secret organization that’s fighting a future that’s actively attempting to destroy the world. The Protagonist suddenly finds himself in a world where things, and even people, can be inverted to travel backwards through time. Can the Protagonist save the world before it’s too late? How does Nolan incorporate palindromes within the movie’s structure? And what parallels can be drawn to Bill & Ted? 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Read Sam Adams’ review here. 

Read Alissa Wilkinson’s review here. 

Need more explanation? Check out Sam’s explainer here. 

Check out Alissa’s fascinating palindrome piece here. 

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Dana Stevens and Matthew Dessem spoil I’m Thinking of Ending Things. Charlie Kaufman starts the film following a young couple, Lucy (Jessie Buckley) and Jake (Jesse Plemons) driving on a snowy evening to meet and have dinner with Jake’s parents. Lucy is already second guessing the trip since she doesn’t know if she wants to stay with Jake, who oddly seems to physically react when she thinks about breaking things off with him. Kaufman intersects their journey with the experiences of a janitor at a high school. Things start to get weird when the couple arrives at Jake’s childhood home. As the movie progresses, the characters become untethered from time and the film calls into question if Lucy and Jake even exist. And what does the janitor have to do with anything?

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Television Critic Willa Paskin is joined by Vulture Staff Writer Angelica Jade Bastién to spoil I May Destroy You. Michaela Coel is at the heart of this series. Besides writing and producing the show, she directed many episodes and plays the main character, Arabella Essiedu. Coel covers consent, rape, friendship, and empathy, in a complex, yet compelling, way that really humanizes Arabella. 

Arabella is a young writer and influencer working on her second book when her drink was drugged and raped while at a bar in London. The series follows her as she works through the aftermath of her assault. Does Arabella regain her full memories of her sexual assault? Will she be able to finish her book? Will she accept the help from another acquaintance who she believes to have raped her? How does she use fantasy to imagine a better resolution for herself than reality can give her? 

You can read Willa’s review here. 

You can read Angelica’s review here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens, Slate’s movie critic, is joined by Isaac Butler, writer, theater director, and co-host of Slate’s podcast Working, to spoil An American Pickle. Seth Rogen stars as Herschel Greenbaum, a man who wakes up after being preserved in pickle brine for a century, and Ben Greenbaum, Herschel’s only living descendant. Can Herschel adapt to the contemporary world? Will Ben and Herschel bond despite generational and value differences? How convincing is Seth Rogen as both of these men?

You can read Marissa Martinelli’s interview with An American Pickle’s prop master here.

You can read Matthew Dessem’s piece on pickle related catastrophes here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s movie critic Dana Stevens is joined by Willa Paskin, Slate’s television critic, and Sam Adams, a senior editor at Slate and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat, to spoil Palm Springs. At first, Palm Springs seems like a fun wedding rom-com until Nyles (Andy Samberg) is shot with a bow and arrow while fooling around in the desert with Sarah (Cristin Milioti). Injured, he crawls into a nearby cave and tells Sarah not to follow him. She ignores his warning and is pulled into his infinite time loop. Will she follow Nyles’ lead and make peace with the situation? Why is Nyles being hunted? Why is Sarah so desperate to find a way out? And what is with those dinosaurs? 

You can read Sam’s interview with the theoretical physicist who consulted on the movie here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens, Slate’s movie critic, is joined by Sam Adams, a senior editor at Slate and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat, and Tom Scocca, Slate's politics editor. They dive into Jon Stewart’s comedy starring Steve Carell as an out-of-touch political operative who decides that a former marine would make a great Democratic candidate for mayor in Deerlaken, Wisconsin. It creates a proxy battleground in rural Wisconsin as Carell’s Republican counterpart, played by Rose Byrne, ups the ante. Stewart practically perfected political commentary woven with jokes during his time on The Daily Show. But can he harness that same nuance as a director? And how does the movie’s big twist affect Stewart’s message about unchecked money in politics? 

You can read Sam Adams’ review here. 

You can read Tom Scocca’s piece on the twist here.  

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. For a very special LIVE episode of Spoiler Specials, Slate’s Dana Stevens was joined by Sam Adams, Rachelle Hampton and Rebecca Onion to spoil the Hamilton movie that’s streaming on Disney+. They discuss how well the show has aged, historical inaccuracies, colorblind casting, and even the ending scene that doesn’t appear on the album. 

You can read Sam Adams’ dive into the ending here. 

You can hear more analysis from Dana Stevens here.  

You can even read Marissa Martinelli’s argument to not watch the film here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. A huge thank you to Faith Smith and Britt Pullie for producing the Slate Live event. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens, Slate’s movie critic, is joined by Aisha Harris, writer and editor for The New York Times’ Opinion section to spoil Da 5 Bloods.

Spike Lee’s newest film follows a group of Black Vietnam War veterans as they reunite years later. The group returns to Vietnam to find the remains of Stormin’ Norman, their commander who died during the war. While they are there, they try to retrieve a lost cache of CIA gold. At first the search seems easy–too easy. But soon familial tensions, lingering PTSD, and environmental hazards start complicating the mission. How many of the remaining Bloods will make it back out of the jungle?

Plus: Dana and Aisha break down Spike Lee’s employment of numerous film techniques, including an innovative use of four different aspect ratios. 

You can read Sam Adams’ review here. 

You can read Matthew Dessem’s piece on the aspect ratios here.

You can also read Matthew Dessem’s piece on the real story behind the landmine scene here. 

If you want to hear more analysis of Da 5 Bloods, listen to Slate’s Culture Gabfest here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. We have a very special episode this week! Sam Adams is joined by Laura Miller to discuss the new Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Suzanne Collins’ new novel explores President Snow’s origin and descent into one dimensional villainy seen in the Hunger Games trilogy. The story departs from the YA dystopian genre that Collins’ trilogy helped shape. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a more sophisticated, philosophical examination of human nature and the battle of nature versus nurture. How does Coriolanus Snow regain the power and money his family lost during the war? What is his role in the spectacularization of the Hunger Games? What can The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes teach readers about the realities of living in a surveillance state? 

You can read Laura Miller’s review here. 

You can also read Lara Miller’s explanation of the unusual names in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes here.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Sam Adams is joined by Willa Paskin and Rachelle Hampton to spoil The Lovebirds, a romantic comedy starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. Leilani (Issa Rae) and Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) are a couple on the brink of a break up when they find themselves caught up in a murder mystery. 

You can read Sam Adam’s review here.

You can read Rachelle Hampton’s investigation into how ripped Kumail was during The Lovebirds here.

You can read Cornelia Channing’s milkshake investigation here.  

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate’s Sam Adams, Matthew Dessem, and Daniel Schroeder spoil Hollywood. Ryan Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan reimagine a more inclusive golden-age of filmmaking. While the first couple episodes of the Netflix series stay relatively grounded in reality, the series takes a sharp right turn into self-serving fantasy by simplifying the fight for equality and progress within Hollywood. 

You can read Sam Adam’s review here. 

You can read Matthew Dessem’s Fact Versus Fiction here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate podcast producer Daniel Schroeder and Slate staff writer Rachelle Hampton discuss Netflix’s new reality dating show: Too Hot to Handle. Ten attractive contestants are thrown together on an island to compete over a $100,000 prize. To win the money, they need to form bonds that are more than skin deep. The catch is they can’t have any sexual contact - even with themselves - for the remainder of “the retreat.” For every sexual encounter, the group loses money out of the prize pot. Can the sexy singles restrain themselves, even when workshops and drama challenges their resolve? 

You can read Rachelle Hampton’s review here.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Sam Adams is joined by Slate’s Television Critic Willa Paskin to spoil Netflix’s hit documentary series Tiger King. The hit series is an increasingly sordid tale of wild characters conning each other out of zoos. The show’s standout character is Joe Exotic, whose charisma and personality are made for reality television. He has a long time feud with Carole Baskin, who runs the nonprofit Big Cat Rescue and is actively trying to shut private zoos down. Will Carole succeed? What happens when Joe tries to hire someone to murder Carole? And when will anyone focus on the questionable conditions forced on the big cats?

You can read Sam Adams’ review here and his story about the artists behind Joe Exotic’s music here. 

You can read Willa Paskin’s piece about Carole Baskin here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staffers Marissa Martinelli, Daniel Schroeder, and Megan Kallstrom spoil Star Trek: Picard, which picks up years after Admiral Jean-Luc Picard has separated from Starfleet over ideological differences. The Star Trek legend has retreated into retirement on Earth when the daughter of an old friend—the android Data—shows up, leading Picard to amass a new crew to track down her sister before sinister forces beat him to it.

You can read Marissa Martinelli’s review here.

You can read Megan Kallstrom’s piece here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Flashback is usually available only to Slate Plus members. Sign up now to listen to the archive and future episodes.

In the new episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the psychological drama What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), directed by Robert Aldrich.

Other titles mentioned in the episode:

Sunset Boulevard (1950), directed by Billy Wilder

Limelight (1952), directed by Charlie Chaplin

All About Eve (1950), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Singing in the Rain (1952), directed by Gene Kelly

Gypsy (1962), directed by Mervin LeRoy

Mommie Dearest (1981), directed by Frank Perry

Feud (2017), created by Ryan Murphy

Parachute Jumper (1933), directed by Alfred E. Green

Sadie McKee (1934), directed by Clarence Brown

Psycho (1960), directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Witness for the Prosecution (1957), directed by Billy Wilder

The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), directed by Orson Welles

Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), directed by Robert Aldrich

What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969), directed by Lee H. Katzin and Bernard Girard

Kiss Me Deadly (1955), directed by Robert Aldrich

Three Days of the Condor (1975), directed by Sydney Pollack

Comments or suggestions? Email us at [email protected]

Production by Chau Tu.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate Senior Editor Sam Adams is joined by Slate Staff Writer Rebecca Onion to spoil Contagion, Steven Soderbergh’s 2011 pandemic movie. Not dissimilar to the coronavirus, the fictional virus, MEV-1, started off transferring from infected animals to humans. MEV-1 infected Gwyneth Paltrow’s character on a work trip. Then she traveled back to the Midwest, spreading the virus. Can the institutions in charge find a vaccine before the virus decimates society? 

You can read Rebecca Onion’s piece about the lessons to take from Contagion here.

You can read Sam Adams’ interview with the screenwriter here. 

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Forrest Wickman is joined by Sam Adams and Marissa Martinelli to discuss Onward. Ian and Barley Lightfoot are elf brothers in a modernized magical realm. On Ian’s birthday he receives a gift that will allow him and his older brother to bring back their father for a day. But the spell goes wrong and they are left with half a dad. Can Ian and Barley work together to find the Phoenix Gem and make their father whole before the day is over?

You can read Sam Adams’ article about the movie’s “exclusively gay moment” here.

Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Slate Plus members get ad-free podcasts and access to exclusive shows like Dana Stevens’ classic movies podcast Flashback. Sign up now to listen and support our work.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Marissa Martinelli and Heather Schwedel discuss Emma. Though certainly not the first adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel, director Autumn de Wilde’s film humanizes the familiar characters and departs at times from the source material to bring a certain freshness to this comedy. Will Emma’s meddling still result in matchmaking errors? How far does she have to go to right her wrongs? And what’s with the inopportune nosebleed?

You can read Marissa Martinelli’s review here.

Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens is joined by June Thomas and Dan Kois to discuss Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Marianne is hired to paint Héloïse’s wedding portrait. But Héloïse can’t know she’s being painted. As the two grow closer, will Marianne come clean? Will their feelings affect the painting that’s supposed to be sent to Héloïse’s potential husband? What happens when the job is finished?

You can read Dana Stevens’ review here.

You can read Matthew Dessem’s piece about the film’s music here.

Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

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In the new episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the psychological thriller The Silence of the Lambs (1991), directed by Jonathan Demme.

Flashback is available in full only to Slate Plus members. Sign up now to listen to the rest of this episode and all the others.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Sam Adams is joined by Benjamin Frisch, Rachelle Hampton and Daniel Schroeder to discuss The Witcher, Netflix’s popular new show about a monster hunter. This show isn’t the first adaptation from Andrzej Sapkowski’s work; video games based on The Witcher have been released starting in 2007. Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill) is a monster hunter with supernatural powers. But, what exactly is a witcher? How will the Law of Surprise bring people together? Will Geralt ever find the girl in the forest who he is destined to find? And what kind of transformation comes at the cost of removing one’s womb? 

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Hosts

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat.

Benjamin Frisch is the producer of Slate's Culture Gabfest and the author of the graphic novel The Fun Family.

Rachelle Hampton is a Slate editorial assistant.

Daniel Schroeder is a Slate podcast producer and freelance writer.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Sam Adams and Marissa Martinelli discuss Cats, the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, which was based on poems by T.S. Eliot. Many jokes have been made about Tom Hooper’s Cats, mostly stemming from the “digital fur technology.” After the premiere, Universal Pictures released an updated version with “some improved visual effects.” But the 1981 musical wasn’t free from criticism either - yet it was still a hit. Does the movie adaptation have more of a plot? Does the star-studded cast add to the many cat introductions? Which cat at the jellicle ball will be picked for another life? And what exactly does jellicle mean? 

You can read Marissa Martinelli’s review here. 

You can read Dana Stevens’ review here. 

You can read Violet Kim interview with Cats’ ‘feline movement expert’ here and read the investigation into how many times the Cats in Cats Say “Cats” here.  

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Hosts

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat.

Marissa Martinelli is a Slate assistant editor.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens and Rachel Syme discuss Little Women. Arriving just in time for Christmas, Greta Gerwig plays with the March sisters’ timeline while staying true to Amy, Jo, Beth and Meg’s adventures. Will they find their own ways? Will Jo (Saoirse Ronan) end up with Laurie (Timothée Chalamet)? What comes of Jo’s writing? 

You can read Dana Stevens’ review here. 

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

Rachel Syme is a writer in Brooklyn.

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In this special bonus episode of Outward, Bryan and a guest panel of multigenerational gay men devote a whole hour to The Inheritance, a seven-hour, two-part play by Matthew Lopez that won many awards for its recent run in London and is currently dominating discussions on Broadway. There will be spoilers!

While it’s length, ambition, and engagement with the AIDS crisis have invited comparisons to Tony Kushner’s “gay fantasia on national themes” Angels in America, The Inheritance’s driving concern is a bit more personal: If gay men think of ourselves as a community spanning generations, what happens when a huge swath of that community is lost to plague, the survivors deeply traumatized, and younger cohorts must therefore come of age and figure out what it means to be gay in the wake of a tragedy that shapes everything around us? Borrowing a line from E.M. Forester’s Howard’s End, on which the play is based, The Inheritance desperately wants gay men to “connect” across age and loss — but is that kind of connection really possible?

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens is joined by Forrest Wickman, Sam Adams and Marissa Martinelli to discuss Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Director J.J. Abrams seemed committed to fan service; even if it made the final episode of the Skywalker saga worthy of some eyerolls. Well, committed to fans - except those shipping Poe and Finn - despite the film touting the franchise's first same-sex kiss. With the final battle looming, will Rey discover who she really is? Will she be persuaded by Kylo Ren to join the dark side? Or will they join forces? And how does ‘forcetiming’ play into all of this?   

You can read Sam Adams’ review here. 

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

Forrest Wickman is Slate’s culture editor.

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat.

Marissa Martinelli is a Slate assistant editor.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens, Jeffrey Bloomer and Heather Schwedel discuss Uncut Gems. 

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), owner of a small jewelry store in Manhattan, racked up a gambling debt while the rest of his life is collapsing. He’s trying to avoid creditors when his shop receives an illegal gem from Ethiopia. This rock, Ratner thinks, is his ticket out of debt. He temporarily trades Kevin Garnett, of the Boston Celtics, the rock for Garnett’s NBA Championship. Ratner pawns the ring to bet on the championship game. Will The Celtics win? Will Garnett get his ring back? Will Ratner finally get out of debt?  

You can read Dana Stevens’ review here. 

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast Production by Rosemary Belson. 

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

Jeffrey Bloomer is a Slate senior editor. He edits and writes for the human interest and culture sections.

Heather Schwedel is a Slate staff writer.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens and Sam Adams discuss Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story. Charlie and Nicole have decided to end their marriage. Now they need to figure out how to get a divorce. Can they keep the proceedings civil or will it escalate to a fraught situation as divorce lawyers pit them against each other? Will Charlie have to uproot his life to maintain custody? What will happen to the kid? At the end of the divorce, will they even be able to remember why they fell in love in the first place? 

You can read Dana Stevens’ review here. 

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast Production by Rosemary Belson. 

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens and Forrest Wickman discuss Knives Out, the whodunnit from Rian Johnson. Renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey’s death following his 85th birthday party sparks a twisted hunt for the murderer. The suspects: his own family. Can celebrity detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) pin down Thrombey’s eccentric family intent on avoiding suspicion. What happens when they find out Harlan’s personal nurse, Marta, will receive his fortune? And what role does ICE have in a potential motive? 

You can read Dana Stevens’ review here. 

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast Production by Rosemary Belson. 

Hosts

Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

Forrest Wickman is Slate’s culture editor.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. Sam Adams and Marissa Martinelli spoil Frozen 2. Weird things keep happening in the kingdom of Arendelle resulting from a generations long standoff. Elsa and Anna figure out what is happening by retracing family history. Meanwhile, Elsa keeps hearing a call that may help her understand not only her powers, but the root of the fued. Can Elsa make it north on her own? Plus, a nihilistic Olaf, magic wardrobe changes and poor proposal planning. 

You can read Sam Adams’ review here.

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Hosts

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat.

Marissa Martinelli is a Slate assistant editor.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Sam Adams and Matthew Dessem spoil Doctor Sleep. Dan Torrance is now an adult. But he’s still majorly affected by what happened in Overlook Hotel. He unites with a girl who has a strong shining, which makes them both a target of a cult looking to feed on their steam. Can Dan and Abra fend off Rose The Hat? And will another round with the ghosts at the Overlook Hotel make Dan a dull boy? 

You can read Sam Adams’ review here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Hosts

Sam Adams is a Slate senior editor and the editor of Slate’s culture blog, Brow Beat.

Matthew Dessem is Brow Beat’s nights and weekends editor and the author of a biography of screenwriter and director Clyde Bruckman.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Slate staffers Marissa Martinelli, Inkoo Kang and Heather Schwedel spoil Last Christmas. Emilia Clarke’s character, Kate, is a walking disaster. She’s working as Santa’s elf when she meets Tom (Henry Golding), who tries to help her get back on her feet. He’s charming and handsome. And he has a good heart. Something they both share. But what’s Tom’s real motive? Why does Kate’s heart feel funky? And what does Brexit have to do with any of this?

You can read Inkoo Kang’s review here.

Note: As the title indicates, this podcast contains spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast production by Rosemary Belson. 

Hosts

Marissa Martinelli is a Slate assistant editor.

Inkoo Kang is a staff writer in Slate’s culture department. She writes about movies, television, and more.

Heather Schwedel is a Slate staff writer.

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens, Forrest Wickman and Sam Adams discuss the sixth installment in the Terminator series, Terminator: Dark Fate. Despite the sequels in between, T6 picks up where Terminator 2: Judgment Day left off. Sarah Connor is back and joined in the fight against Terminators by a Rev-9, a technologically advanced human and, of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator. But will James Cameron’s return be enough to revitalize this nostalgic franchise? Or are audiences ready to say “hasta la vista” to the Terminator?

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Forrest Wickman, Sam Adams and Dan Kois discuss Jojo Rabbit. Taika Waitit’s Nazi spoof takes a comedic look at how people, even children, get caught up in movements fueled by hateful ideology. But does the comedic lens allow for sympathization? As a young member of Hitler Youth nearing the end of WWII, Jojo Betzler, invents an imaginary friend... Hitler. What happens when Jojo discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his family home? And how does Jojo navigate those challenging his ideology and the imminent fall of Nazi Germany?

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. In this extra special bonus episode, J. Smith-Cameron, aka Queen Gerri herself, and the New York Times Magazine’s Taffy Brodesser-Akner join Felix and Emily to discuss which of her lines were actually improvised, how she reacted to the Roman/Gerri storyline, what kinds of storylines and scenes were cut from the season, and more insights and hilarious tidbits from the show. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens, Forrest Wickman and Inkoo Kang discuss Parasite. With Hitchcock-like quality, Bong Joon-ho plays with the audience in the upstairs / downstairs dive into economic inequality. The Kims, stuck on their low social rung jump at the opportunity to latch onto an affluent family. But how long can they keep the ruse up? What will they do to keep up the charade?

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Willa Paskin and Sam Adams spoil El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. After a relatively successful series finale, will El Camino be just as satisfying for Breaking Bad fans? Picking up where the series ended, Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) is free and trying to figure out his next move. But after everything can Jesse truly start over?

You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, spoilers galore.

Email us at [email protected].

Podcast Production by Rosemary Belson. 

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Lizzie O’Leary and John Collins to speculate on the “blood sacrifice”, analyze Roman’s newfound competency and reveal which Roy Family member they are.

‘Shiv Roy’s Turtlenecks Will Destroy You’ by Emilia Petrarca 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, Dana Stevens, Forrest Wickman and Sam Adams discuss Joker. Though this bleak origin story is a departure from the traditional DC superhero movies, Arthur Fleck’s (Joaquin Phoenix) descent from mentally ill clown to murderous villain is clichéd and uncomfortable to watch. But is it just one bad day that leads Arthur down this path? Or is it a consequence of broken system failing to help someone in need?

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Sarah Ellison and Gabe Roth to discuss Kendall’s new lady, the plot against Rhea and, of course, “Ken WA”.

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Lydia Polgreen of HuffPost and her wife Candace Feit.

They discuss the extremely watchable horribleness of Caroline, Logan and Rhea’s mysterious relationship and the reasoning behind of Candace’s tweet claiming that Succession is “the queerest show on tv (without any queer storylines)”. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. This week, June Thomas and Seth Stevenson discuss Downton Abbey--the movie. It’s been four years since viewers visited the upstairs or downstairs of Downton. Much to our critics’ delight, seemingly nothing has changed, save for Lady Mary’s hairdo. As Downton Abbey prepares for the royal visitors, quips fly and schemes are afoot. But will the servants clash with the unsavory, arrogant royal retainers? And will Downton survive the visit with its dignity intact?  

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Taffy Brodesser-Akner of the New York Times. They discuss Rhea’s role in the whole succession question, the meaning of “Argestes” and the many reasons to love Gerri. 

Why Isn’t Anyone Talking About Roman’s Quirky Sits on Succession? by Megh Wight

Let’s Talk About the Clothes on “Succession” by Rachel Syme

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Jacob Weisberg, former editor of Slate, and Katie Baker of The Ringer.

'It's a Woman's World: The True Heroes of Succession" by Katie Baker

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Jeffrey Bloomer, Laura Bradley, and Jack Hamilton discuss It: Chapter Two. They talk about the movie’s opening anti-gay hate crime, all the bizarre changes to the adult lives of the Losers’ Club, and whether Bill Hader really has a shot at an Oscar. Jack, Slate’s resident Stephen King scholar, also explains why the author’s work is suddenly ubiquitous again.

Podcast production by Phil Surkis

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Slate’s own Allison Benedikt.

Follow: @felixsalmon, @Three_Guineas,@abenedikt 

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the

superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode

with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Slate’s

resident Succession stan, June Thomas.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams, Inkoo Kang and Nitish Pahwa spoil Blinded By the Light. How does it compare to past Gurinder Chada fare? Is the movie overstuffed? Does it really want to be a full fledged musical? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Asha Saluja.

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession, HBO’s wonderful drama about the lives of the superrich Roy family, so every Monday we’ll be discussing the previous night’s episode with spoiler-filled glee. This week, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by Ryan McCarthy - who, as the former Editor in Chief of Vice, has a slightly personal connection to this episode.

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Slate Money is obsessed with Succession. So we're going to be recapping and discussing the latest episode of Season 2 every week. 

For the season premiere, Felix Salmon and Emily Peck are joined by journalist Edmund Lee to talk about the real world counterparts to the characters, proper yachting attire, and all the best Kendall Roy insults. 

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slate critics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. In this week’s episode, Forrest Wickman and Sam Adams discuss the first ever Fast & Furious spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw. Are Hobbs and Shaw really that different? Exactly how many tow trucks equal one helicopter? Why did The Rock need someone to throw him a t-shirt before the final fight scene?

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On the Spoiler Special podcast, Slatecritics discuss movies, the occasional TV show, and, once in a blue moon, another podcast, in full spoiler-filled detail. In this week’s episode, Dana Stevens, Inkoo Kang and Mathew Dessem spoil Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. Will this really be Tarantino’s second to last movie? Is Cliff Booth a total Kato Kaelin? And what’s that ending all about? Listen to discuss!

 You can also check out past Spoiler Specials, and you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Note: As the title indicates, each installment contains spoilers galore.

Email: [email protected]

Podcast production by Jessamine Molli. 

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens, Sam Adams and Daniel Schroeder spoil Midsommar. What’s the least lame way to pronounce the title of the movie? Is the film too similar to Hereditary? Is the plot too telegraphed? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Merritt Jacob.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams, Inkoo Kang and Alex Barasch spoil Spider: Far From Home. Does Jake Gyllenhaal make for a good villain? How does the movie’s depiction of high school stack up? Where does the MCU got from now? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Cameron Drews.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams, Inkoo Kang and Chris Molanphy spoil Yesterday. What’s wrong with the movie’s vision of the 2019 music landscape? What was Eleonor Rigby about again? Who’s the best Beatle? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Merritt Jacob.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dan Kois, Forrest Wickman and Marissa Martinelli spoil Toy Story 4. What’s the logic of the Toy Story Universe? As we ask of all sequels, does this one deserve to exist? Does the movie succeed as a rom-com?   

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Merritt Jacob.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens, Inkoo Kang and Sam Adams spoil Late Night starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson. What do they make of the movie’s take on “diversity hires”? What exactly happened to Hugh Dancy’s character? What did they think of the Slate name check? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Merritt Jacob.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Marissa Martinelli, Inkoo Kang and Heather Schwedel spoil Always Be My Maybe starring Ali Wong and Randall Park. What is the movie’s stance on food authenticity? What did they think of the Keanu cameo? Is it weird that Netflix references Netflix in its own movies? 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Merritt Jacob.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Marissa Martinelli, Inkoo Kang and Heather Schwedel spoil the Amazon Prime Original series Fleabag. Is the hot priest really that hot? Should there be a season 3? Is the show deserving off all of the hype? All that and more, in spoiler filled detail.

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Cameron Drews.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens, Jeffrey Bloomer and Christina Cauterucci spoil Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut Booksmart. Does the movie push to teen comedy genre forward? Is the high school depicted in the film realistic? How accurate are the queer characters in the film? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineering by Merritt Jacob.

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In the second episode of Flashback, movie critics Dana Stevens and K. Austin Collins discuss the 1970 film Wanda, directed by Barbara Loden.

This podcast will soon be available for Slate Plus members only. Visit slate.com/flashback to sign up and subscribe now.

Production by Chau Tu.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams, Forrest Wickman, and Matthew Dessem discuss the action movie John Wick III. Does the laughable extremism of the violence in the movie, excuse the actual violence in the movie? Are stunt dogs really that talented or was that CGI? What was that ending and does it even matter?

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, June Thomas is joined by podcast producers, Daniel Schroeder and Benjamin Frisch to discuss Pokémon: Detective Pikachu. The hosts share their extensive knowledge of the Pokémon universe as they try to break down to lore for Pokémon newbies. They also share their thoughts on the Pokémon world as depicted in the movie and why plot doesn't really make much sense. 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens is joined by Forrest Wickman and New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie to discuss Avengers: End Game. How does movie Thanos differ from comic book Thanos? We know the “de-snappening” is coming, but how do they pull it off? Was this a satisfying end game? 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Marissa Martinelli, Daniel Schroeder and Rachelle Hampton discuss After, the teen romance film based off of One Direction fan fiction. Where, exactly, was this movie set? Can we be sure half of the script wasn’t made by a text generator? How does the movie compare to its predecessors like Twilight?

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineered by Merritt Jacob.

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In this latest episode of Slate’s weekly Game of Thrones podcast, Sam Adams, June Thomas, and Dan Kois recap the season 8 premiere, “Winterfell.” The three chat about all the reunions, Dany’s faults, Cersei’s war strategy, whether the Night King is actually a good leader, and the Worst Person in Westeros.

To subscribe to the Game of Thrones TV Club and follow all of Slate's Game of Thrones coverage, visit slate.com/gameofthrones.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Marissa Martinelli, Inkoo Kang and Heather Schwedel review Little. They talk the logistics of body switching movies, the zany fashion choices and Marsai Martin’s star power. 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineered by Merritt Jacob. 

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams and Marissa Martinelli review Shazam! Where does this movie fit into the larger DC comic universe? What ever happened to Justice League 2? Also, what was that post credits scene about? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineered by Merritt Jacob. 

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens and Vanity Fair film critic, K Austin Collins discuss Us. They discuss why we should embrace the films imperfections, how this movie wants to be unpacked, and Lupita Nyong’o’s masterful performance. 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. Engineered by Merritt Jacob. 

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Dana Stevens, Marissa Martinelli and Jonathan Fischer spoil the latest Marvel movie, Captain Marvel. 

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder

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In this week’s episode, Marissa Martinelli is joined by Slate culture intern Aja Hoggatt and Slate staff write Heather Schwedel to discuss Isn’t It Romantic. Was this movie even a parody? When did we first realize that that was not Chris Hemsworth? Is this going to be the new way of the rom-com? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast Production by Danielle Hewitt.

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In this week’s episode, Willa Paskin is joined by Dana Stevens and Rachel Syme to discuss the Netflix original series Russian Doll. What does this show have to say about New York City? Would the show still work without Natasha Lyonne? Will we watch the second season? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens, Inkoo Kang and Forrest Wickman discuss Lego Movie 2:The Second Part. Is there any logic to the Lego universe? What does the movie have to say about toxic masculinity? And what was WNBA superstar Sheryl Swoopes doing there? Listen to them discuss below. 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams teams up with Slate Senior Editor Jeffrey Bloomer and the Editor in Chief of Screen Crush, Matt Singer to discuss the new M. Night Shyamalan movie, Glass. This is the third film in a trilogy that began with Unbreakable in 2000 and picked up again in 2016’s Split. The premise of all three movies is that comic-book-like superheroes live among us and have for centuries, but they keep a low profile and sometimes don’t even know they have powers. Does this film have the power to sway the favor of Sam, Jeffrey and Matt? This show gives you the power to find that out!

Podcast production by Phil Surkis

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams and Vulture staff writer Kathryn Van Arendonk discuss the new Black Mirror interactive episode “Bandersnatch”. Do we really want interactive content from Netflix? Is there a base version of “Bandersnatch”? Does Black Mirror have to always assume the worst possible outcome? Make the decision and listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

This episode is brought to you by Slack, the collaboration hub for work. Learn more at Slack.com. 

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dan Kois and TV editor at the New York Times, Aisha Harris, discuss Mary Poppins Returns. How does the film stack up to the original? How bad is Lin Manuel-Miranda’s cockney accent? Is there a bigger conspiracy behind Julie Andrews declining to cameo? Listen to them discuss!

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

This episode is brought to you by Helix, a new kind of DNA testing. Try today for a deep discount at helix.com/spoilers.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens discusses The Favourite with Washington Post columnist, Alexandra Petri. 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams discusses The Ballad of Buster Scruggs with the author of The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together, Adam Nayman. 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dan Kois and Jeffrey Bloomer discuss the second installment of Fantastic Beasts franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt. 

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This week on Spoiler Specials Dana Stevens and Sam Adams discuss Luca Guadagnino's remake of Suspiria.

Podcast Production by Danielle Hewitt. 

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In a special bonus Halloween episode of Spoiler Specials, Sam Adams, Jeffrey Bloomer and Christina Cauterucci discuss the 11th installment in the Halloween franchise. 

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Assistant Editor Marissa Martinelli, Editorial Assistant Rachelle Hampton and Culture writer Inkoo Kang discuss The Hate U Give, the movie starring Amandla Stenberg based on the best selling novel by Angie Thomas.

This episode is brought to you by I Travel For, a new podcast that explores what inspires us to travel. Listen and subscribe today at https://apple.co/2DPEWJE.

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This week on Spoiler Specials, Dana Stevens chats with Rachel Syme about Bradley Cooper's remake of A Star is Born. 

Produced by Danielle Hewitt. Production assistant provided by Cameron Drews. 

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In this week's Slate senior editor Jeffrey Bloomer, Slate critic Inkoo Kang and assistant editor Marissa Martinelli discuss the Paul Feig mystery-thriller A Simple Favor. Which suit did Blake Lively wear best? Is the answer all of them? Were there even other people in this movie?

All that and more on Slate's Spoiler Specials.

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Daniel Schroeder, June Thomas and Vox culture writer Constance Grady spoil Insatiable.

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Slate culture editor Forrest Wickman, Slate staff writer Inkoo Kang, and New York Times Culture Desk assistant TV editor Aisha Harris spoil Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman.

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt.

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Dana Stevens, Sam Adam, and Forrest Wickman spoil Mission: Impossible-Fallout. 

Podcast Production by Danielle Hewitt and Shasha Léonard. 

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Dana Stevens and June Thomas spoil Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Podcast production by Danielle Hewitt and Daniel Schroeder. 

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Christina Cauterucci, Veralyn Williams and Lena Wilson spoil the second season of The Handmaid's Tale.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder and Shasha Léonard.

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Willa Paskin, Sam Adams, Jonathan Fischer and Rachelle Hampton spoil the second season of Westworld.

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Dana Stevens, Rachel Syme, and Lena Wilson spoil Hereditary. 

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder

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Marissa Martinelli, Aisha Harris, Inkoo Kang, and Carmen Russo spoil Ocean's 8. 

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder

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Marissa Martinelli, June Thomas, Veralyn Williams and Lena Wilson spoil 13 Reasons Why. 

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder

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Forrest Wickman, Marissa Martinelli, and Sam Adams spoil Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Podcast production by Daniel Schroeder.

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Forrest Wickman, Marissa Martinelli and Sam Adams spoil Deadpool 2.

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Dana Stevens, Jonathan Fischer, and Forrest Wickman spoil Avengers: Infinity War.

Production by Daniel Schroeder

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Dana Stevens, Laura Hudson, Dawnthea Price, and Forrest Wickman spoil Ready Player One.

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June Thomas talks with showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, costume designer Katie Irish, and producing director Chris Long about Episode 601 of The Americans, "Dead Hand." 

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX. 

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Dana Stevens, Forrest Wickman, and Inkoo Kang spoil Wes Anderson's Isle of Dogs.

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Susan Matthews, Dan Engber, Jacob Brogan, Kirsten Berg and Alex Barasch sit down for a science-filled spoiler special all about Blue Planet II.

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Dana Stevens, Aisha Harris and Forrest Wickman spoil A Wrinkle in Time, discussing how it translate from book to screen, if children will actually like it, and what the deal is with that flying lettuce.

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Dana Stevens, Inkoo Kang and Marissa Martinelli spoil Annihilation, discussing what's behind the Shimmer, how DNA works, and the weird Annihilation noise.

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Aisha Harris, Jamelle Bouie and Veralyn Williams spoil Black Panther.

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Willa Paskin and Inkoo Kang spoil Steven Soderbergh's new series Mosaic.

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Slate's TV critic Willa Paskin, tech and culture writer Inkoo Kang, and Browbeat editor Sam Adams spoil the newest season of Black Mirror.

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Dana Stevens and Rachel Syme spoil Paul Thomas Anderson's Phantom Thread, and discuss all the clothes, tensions, and mushrooms that make up this film.

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On this week's episode, Forrest Wickman and Sam Adams join Dana Stevens in spoiling Star Wars: The Last Jedi. They tackle who Rey's parents are, the real abilities of a Jedi, and porgs.

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On this Spoiler Special, Dana Stevens sits down with Sam Adams to spoil The Shape of Water. 

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Slate movie critic Dana Stevens and Slate senior editor Jonathan Fischer spoil the latest installment in the DC universe, Justice League.

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Dana Stevens, Dan Kois, and Jonathan Fischer spoil Marvel and Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok. 

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Slate TV critic Willa Paskin, Brow Beat nights and weekends editor Matthew Dessem, and managing producer of Slate podcasts June Thomas discuss the fourth and final season of AMC's Halt and Catch Fire. Warning: This podcast contains spoilers. Lots of spoilers.

Email: [email protected]

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Slate movie critic Dana Stevens, culture editor Forrest Wickman, and Brow Beat editor Sam Adams discuss Blade Runner 2049, directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford. Warning: This podcast contains spoilers. Lots of spoilers.

Email: [email protected]

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Slate movie critic Dana Stevens, culture editor Forrest Wickman, and Brow Beat editor Sam Adams discuss Mother!, directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem. Warning: This podcast contains spoilers. Lots of spoilers.

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Slate movie critic Dana Stevens and culture writers Aisha Harris and Sam Adams discuss It, director Andy Muschietti’s take on the Stephen King novel, starring Bill Skarsgard and a host of young actors. Warning: This podcast contains spoilers. Lots of spoilers.

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Kerri Russell (Elizabeth) and Matthew Rhys (Philip) join June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to discuss the season finale, plus Matthew Rhys's favorite on-set moments, the reason Keri Russell says she enjoys acting now more than ever, and the challenges of sculpting a season finale that sits in the sweet spot of satisfying, but not too satisfying. 

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX. 

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Producing director Chris Long joins June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to discuss his unique process for getting the best performances out of actors. Plus, Costa Ronin (Oleg) stops by to talk about his big scene with Stan Beeman from last night's episode.

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.

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Spy craft consultant (and author) H. Keith Melton joins June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to discuss his collection of authentic KGB spy gear, and how he advises the show on everything from lock picking techniques, to what type of camera the characters should be using.

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX. 

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Composer Nathan Barr joins June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to discuss his process for composing the show's score.  In addition to performing some of his unique custom-made instruments like the sympathetic drone cello, Barr breaks down the Emmy-nominated main title theme.

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.

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The CEO of FX Networks, John Landgraf, and the VP of Current Series at FX Networks, Colette Wilson, join June Thomas and showrunners Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields to talk about the process of creating The Americans, the importance of storytellers, and the significance of the movie, The Day After.

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.

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Matthew Rhys (Philip/Clark) joins June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to talk about his Americans directorial debut, which also happened to be one of his character's most intense episodes. Plus, Allison Wright (Martha) stops by to share some parting words for Martha.

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX. 

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This is a free preview of Slate’s Game of Thrones podcast, a TV Club series that’s just for Slate Plus members. If you are not yet a member and would like to listen along as we recap each episode of the show’s sixth season, learn more at Slate.com/GameofThrones.

In this edition of the podcast, Dan Kois, Willa Paskin, and Mac Rogers recap Episode 2 of Season 6.

Previously: Episode 1

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Alison Wright (Martha) joins joins June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to talk about poor Martha, and what it feels like to finally face the truth.

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX. 

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Masha Gessen is responsible Russian translation on The Americans. She joins June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to talk about the beauty of authentic subtitles, the difficulties that Phillip and Elizabeth would have faced when perfecting their Americans accents, and the honesty in The Americans' portrayal of the Communist sexual revolution. 

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.

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Noah Emmerich (Stan Beeman) joins June Thomas and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to talk about the awkwardness of directing a steamy sex scene between co-stars (and real life couple) Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell, plus the story of how he got a David Bowie song onto the show two days before Bowie passed away.

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode. New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX.

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Costa Robin (Oleg) joins June and show runners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg to discuss last night's episode, plus what it's like auditioning for a bilingual role, and which language he prefers to act in. 

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Gabe and Katy, who were as surprised as you were that this turned out to be the finale of Serial's second season, reflect on the Bowe Bergdahl story and its implications, before turning their attention to the exciting possibilities for Season 3. Thanks to all of you for tuning in to our second season of the Spoiler Special!

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Former FBI counter intelligence agent Richard Kollmar joins June and the J's to talk about what it's really like to try and turn KGB spies. Plus, line producer Mary Rae Thewlis and Sr. VP of Productions for Fox 21 Bob Lemchen stop by to discuss their roles in episode 403.  

Note: This podcast contains spoilers and is meant to be enjoyed after you watch the episode.  New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm on FX. 

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Former KGB secret agent Jack Barsky stops by to compare his own experiences as a spy with those of Phillip and Elizabeth, from recruitment and training, to having two different families while living next door to the FBI.

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Episode 10 of "Serial" finds the Bowe Bergdahl story zoomed out to its furthest point yet, and Gabe and Katy explain why they think that makes it the strongest part of Season 2 so far. 

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Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys stop by for a quick conversation with June about the beginning of the season. Writers and executive producers Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg share tricks for disguising Russell's baby bump on camera, the themes they hope to hit in season four, and the unique challenges of writing a season premiere.

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Gabe and Katy struggle with the ever-shifting frame of season 2’s narrative. What is the real story Koenig and company are driving at? Is there any other way to approach a situation as complicated as Bowe Bergdahl’s?

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Gabe and Katy dive into this week's two-part episode of "Serial," in which a clearer - and somewhat depressing - picture of Bowe Bergdahl begins to emerge.

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Gabe and Katy discuss the successes and failures of Serial's recent series of mini-episodes updating us on Adnan Syed's hearing in Baltimore. What, if anything, does the series add to our understanding of Season 1, and where does it leave us emotionally?

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Gabe and Katy are once again joined by former Army officer Adrian Bonenberger to discuss the realities of life on base in Afghanistan, and whether Bowe’s concerns were realistic or idealistic. Plus: fond memories of Season 1, as awakened by today’s surprise release of a mini-episode updating us on Adnan’s retrial hearings in Baltimore.

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Gabe and Katy talk about the many appealing new characters introduced in this week's episode, and try to suss out the major themes of the season thus far. Plus: listener emails!

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This is a free preview of Slate's Downton Abbey podcast, a TV Club series that’s just for Slate Plus members. If you are not yet a member and you'd like to listen along as we recap each episode of the show’s final season, learn more at slate.com/downton.

In this edition of their members-only TV Club podcast, Outward Editor June Thomas and contributing writer Seth Stevenson discuss the third episode of Season 6 of Downton Abbey.

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New York Magazine’s Carl Swanson joins us to share behind-the-scenes insights on the making of Serial’s new season, gleaned from his recent interviews with Sarah Koenig and the production team. Plus: is Serial still appointment listening, or is this season’s narrative somehow less compelling, despite its broadened scope?

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Crack open some Veuve Clicquot and enjoy this free preview of Slate's Downton Abbey podcast, a TV club series that's just for Slate Plus members. If you are not yet a member and you'd like to listen along as we recap each episode of the show’s final season, learn more at Slate.com/Downton.

In this edition of the podcast, Outward Editor June Thomas and contributing writer Seth Stevenson discuss the Season 6 premiere.

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Gabe is joined by Slate’s Jacob Brogan and June Thomas to examine the deepening question of whether or not Bowe Bergdahl is a trustworthy narrator. After an episode that sees him struggle mightily to survive at the hands of the Taliban, it’s becoming harder to doubt him. Plus: listener reactions to episode 2.

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Slate's Dana Stevens, Forrest Wickman, and Jamelle Bouie dive into the latest film in the Star Wars saga --- Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.

WARNING: This podcast contains spoilers.

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Gabe and Katy wrestle with their feelings of empathy for Bowe Bergdahl, despite the fact that he plainly endangered the lives of many of his fellow soldiers. The question, of course, is why? Author Brendan Koerner, who has written extensively on the phenomenon of military desertion, joins us to offer some theories. Plus: listener responses to last week’s show.

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