Everything we canât stop loving, hating, and thinking about this week in pop culture.
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This Week - The key to life [is Meryl and music](. - A million thoughts on [Kim Cattrallâs return](. - Thereâs [a lot of crying]( in baseball (TV). - [Go see Bottoms](! - My new favorite quote. Only Murders Found the Light One thing that was so great about the first two seasons of [Only Murders in the Building]( was that the show just feltâ¦nice. The most buzzed-about shows on TV in recent years have largely centered around people behaving badly ([Succession]( and [The White Lotus](, for example). Even the best comediesââbest,â naturally, means âKevinâs personal favoritesââseemed particularly brutal, whether itâs because the antics of the main characters were narcissistic or cruel ([The Other Two](), or, in the case of [What We Do in the Shadows](, depraved. I also donât mean that Only Murders is nice in the same aggressive way that a show [like Ted Lasso]( makes its entire mission, alienating many viewers in the process. This is a series about how people are killed and three neighbors exploit the sordid details of the case to create a podcast, the purpose of which is to bring them attention and a sense of personal worth. Oliver (Martin Short), Charles (Steve Martin), and Mabel (Selena Gomez) certainly are not the nicest characters on TV, but theyâre a blast to watch. And thatâs what I mean: Itâs watching Only Murders in the Building that feels nice. Thereâs something about the cadence and tone of the series, which takes the calming lilt of one of the true-crime podcasts it's sending up and sprinkles on the bonkers wackiness of the Martins Short and Steve. You feel warm and cozy, but also transfixed by the performances and the mysteryâthe key difference between a show like this and one you might put on solely for comfort viewing or as background noise while you scroll through your phone. The show also has certain themes that are [unexpectedly profound](, like how crippling loneliness can be, how difficult and scary it is to actively seek connection, and the pain that can creep in when your career and the contributions you make to the world arenât valued as much as they used to be. Those elements contribute a somberness that complements the zaniness of quintessential Short and Martin comedy moments. I guess what Iâm saying is that this show is great. Watching Season 3, whose [fourth episode]( aired this week, Iâve been tickled to discover that the series figured out how to take a show that I already enjoyed and make it even more specifically appealing to me: Make it a musical, and [bring on Meryl Streep](. I have a friend who once said something Iâll never forget. She had just seen a very intense play with her grandmother. If I remember correctly, it was about scientists working against the clock to make an important medical breakthrough. When I saw her after the play, I asked her how it was. âIt was alright,â she said. âI just wish there were songs.â It was validation of a belief Iâve held my entire life: Everything would be better as a musical. As it turns out, thatâs true of Only Murders in the Building too. While, generally speaking, Iâm holding onto the last semblances of my sanity like a Looney Tunes character gripping a branch after falling off a cliff, Iâm still rational enough to know that, in reality, many things would be ludicrously, laughably bad if turned into a musical. (Remember when Joey Tribbiani starred in a musical based on the life of Sigmund Freud on Friends?) In fact, the misguided negotiation that just adding some songs could rescue a bad play is one of the major plots of this season of Only Murders. After his leading man (Paul Rudd) dies and a critic tips him off that his play would have been eviscerated had it actually opened, Oliver decides to turn his latest work, Death Rattle, into a musical. Oliver trying to rework his entire production while composing an original score is an amusing thread to weave through the seasonâs mystery, as the same actors who are now nervously learning new music for Death Rattle are also the prime suspects in the murder that showâs trio is investigating. Oliver, Charles, and Mabel piecing together clues lends Only Murders Season 3 the showâs familiar hijinks. But that each episode now features some of the biggest actors in Hollywood singing some songs on top of that? A treat for me! Well, ostensibly for everyone. But especially for me! The saving grace, however, is that, despite everyone assuming that Oliverâs Death Rattle musical is going to be dead on arrival, the songs themselves are legitimately fantastic. This weekâs episode had Charles rehearsing his characterâs âpatter song,â an exposition-heavy number that he speaks-sings rapidly, like a rap. What we heard of it before Charles blacked out, retreated in his mind to a white panic room, and came to while pantless on stage was really fun! Then thereâs what is already one of the TV highlights of the year for me: the gorgeous lullaby performed by Streep and co-star Ashley Park in Episode 3. I love a Hollywood Mad Libs, and it doesnât get much better than âMeryl Streep and the girl who was always singing for some reason on Emily in Paris make you weep while performing an original song by Sara Bareilles.â That the number is so stirring is one thing. But it also epitomizes just how great Streep is on this show. Meryl Streep, doing some good acting: How original. But Iâm struck by how surprising her character and performance has been. Originally, her Loretta seemed like she was going to be this doddering, struggling actress whose kookiness matched her desperation for a big break. But we learn that sheâs actually kind of cool and sarcastic, with a hardened edge that is far more realistic for someone who has lived in New York City for decades. Sheâs more of a spark plug than I expected, which makes the swoon-worthy beauty of her performance of âLook for the Lightâ that much more mesmerizing. Only Murders is making all the right choices this season. Tina Fey is back and now skewering Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop. [Andrea Martin]( has a major role, which is the best choice any TV series can make. The incestuous mother-son producers played by Linda Emond and Wesley Taylor are a riot. And a major clue to the central mystery hinges on how remarkable Paul Ruddâs agelessly youthful looks are. If I'm going to think about that constantly, itâs only right that the TV series I watch obsess over it too. I Couldnât Help But Wonder⦠We have now experienced the cultural event of the century: Kim Cattrallâs 70-second [phone call cameo]( on [And Just Like That](. (Listen, if Donald Trump is allowed to be [215 pounds](, that scene is allowed to be called historic.) If you havenât watched this major moment, hereâs a quick recap: After several years of a so-called âfeud,â Cattrall returned to the Sex and the City follow-up for one scene as Samantha Jones, her iconic character. She calls Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) to explain that she had planned to fly to New York from London to toast Carrieâs last night in her old apartment, but her flight was delayed. Then she surfaced an old inside joke from a classic SATC episode. (My fingers never flew faster than they took to the group text when the words âAnnabelle Bronsteinâ came out of Kim Cattrallâs lips.) Itâs for the best, as the baggage surrounding Cattrallâs appearance was so heavy it likely would have grounded Samanthaâs plan anyway. So that raises the question: Was the scene worth it? For the love of God and Jimmy Choo, yes. To me, nothing is more relatable than two former close friends, as they get older, falling slightly out of touch, feeling guilty about it, reconciling over sporadic texts, and then one feeling intense emotion over a moment that harkens back to history, like Carrie moving out of her apartment. People are so attached to the characters of Sex and the City that they forget reality: Relationships change as time moves on. There are plenty of reasons to criticize And Just Like That, but my least favorite is â[Insert main character] would never behave that way.â Thatâs ludicrous. At any moment of the day, Kevin Fallon from 20 years ago would be astonished by his behavior now, let alone who he is and isnât still in close contact with. Itâs called getting older. (And the truth is that peopleâs most annoying and alienating tendencies intensify with time.) âMiranda would never act like that⦠Carrie wouldnât stand for such a thing...â Nonsense! The smartest thing that And Just Like That did was acknowledge that these characters have changed; itâs the fans who are stuck in the past. Iâve found And Just Like That to be a sort of Rorschach test for how people feel about aging, or what they think constitutes a happy ending. Their indignance over certain plot lines typically, I feel, is rooted in their own denial. Or fear. Itâs a harsh truth for a series that we hold so dear because itâs always been a fantasy. Anyway, âtwo Cosmopolitansââstat! Thereâs No Crying in Television People ask me all the time, âWhatâs a good show to binge right now?â I have one perfect answer: Itâs [A League of Their Own](. The Prime Video series [is exciting]( because it so intrinsically feels like the Penny Marshall film starring Tom Hanks and [Geena Davis]( that itâs based on, but also thrillingly digs deeper into the characters and the fascinating aspects of the time period itâs set in. The series is both a testament to how wonderful this period of countless streaming services and the opportunity for endless content isâthe fact that the show existsâand how this time is utterly maddening. Thatâs why I was devastated when Prime Videeo [announced this week]( that a previously planned second season for A League of Their Own was canceled. In its statement, Prime Video blamed the decision on the concurrent strikes happening in Hollywood. It needs to be said that such a statement is HORSESHIT, a hollow attempt at villainizing workers who are owed the rights and compensation that greedy executives are denying them. Nothing needs to be canceled because of the strikes; a fair agreement needs to happen because of the strikes. As A League of Their Own co-creator Abbi Jacobson [said]( in her own response to the statement, âTo blame this cancellation on the strike (which is an essential fight for fair wages, protections, and working conditions, etcâ¦) is bullshit and cowardly.â The point is that, like the movie it was based on, this is a fantastic, nearly flawless series. You should watch it. Iâm really sad itâs not coming back. Itâs a show that matters. And I encourage you to read this [thread from co-creator Will Graham](, which elucidates exactly why. Get Thee to a Theater The movies are back, yâall! It was [reported this week]( that Barbie is going to overtake The Super Mario Bros. Movie as the highest grossing release in the U.S. this year, with both crossing the $1 billion box-office marker. I donât want to brag, but clearly 7-year-old Kevin is Hollywoodâs greatest tastemaker. All we need is a billion-dollar movie inspired by my Captain Planet lunch box to confirm it. But this shouldnât stop at Barbie. The new raunchy and surprising [teen comedy Bottoms]( is out this weekend. As I learned while watching its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, itâs a film that demands a raucous audience who guffaws, gasps, and claps at its jokes and twists. (Donât let what happened to [Booksmart](, another genius film from the genre that died on the vine in cinemas, happen to Bottoms too.) While youâre at it, go see [Passages](, to support independent cinema. Or [Talk to Me](, one of the most fun horror movies of the year. Go buy movie tickets. Make theaters crowded again. You wonât regret it. A Mantra My new therapist is just [this quote]( from Patricia Clarkson from a recent interview. âMy mother said, âPatty, I just don't want you to wake up at 50 and be unhappy.â I woke up at 50 in stilettos and a thong,â â she said, laughing. âIâve had a great sexy-ass life.â More From The Daily Beastâs Obsessed In honor of the relationship drama in the And Just Like That finale, we ranked all of the garbage boyfriends from the Sex and the City universe. [Read more](. As passionately as people love that Nicole Kidman AMC ad, they also HATE the Regal Cinemas one featuring movie quotes. We found out why. [Read more](. I just think that everyone needs to know that the Riverdale writers revealed in its final hour that the show's four horny main characters were once in a quad relationship. [Read more](. [See This] - You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah: Adam Sandler remembered that [he could be funny](! (Now on Netflix)
- Star Wars: Ahsoka : Just make sure you have a Star Wars [Wikipedia page up]( while youâre watching. (Now on Disney+)
- Bottoms: Donât overthink it. Sometimes, fun movies [are just fun](. (Now in theaters) [Skip This] - Gran Turismo: Youâd think a movie based on a popular video game [would be more exciting](. (Now in theaters) Like our take on what to watch?
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