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The New Who: Best of Enemies

Doctor Who, “Resolution” New Year’s Special 2019 Written by Chris Chibnall Directed by Wayne Yip Starring Jodie Whittaker, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill, and Bradley Walsh Guest Starring Daniel Adegboyega, Nicholas Briggs, Nikesh Patel, and Charlotte Ritchie Original Broadcast 1 January 2019 (60 minutes)     When the BBC announced in October 2018 that Doctor Who […]

The New Who: The Last Battle

Doctor Who, “The Battle of Ranskoor Av Kolos” Series 11, Episode 10 Written by Chris Chibnall Directed by Jamie Childs Starring Jodie Whittaker, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill, and Bradley Walsh Guest Starring Mark Addy, Percelle Ascott, Phyllis Logan, and Samuel Oatley Original Broadcast 9 December 2018 (49 minutes)     Doctor Who’s Series 11—despite the […]

The New Who: When Worlds Elide

Doctor Who, “It Takes You Away” Series 11, Episode 9 Written by Ed Himes Directed by Jamie Childs Starring Jodie Whittaker, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill, and Bradley Walsh Guest Starring Sharon D. Clarke, Kevin Eldon, Christian Rubeck, Lisa Stokke, and Eleanor Wallworks Original Broadcast 2 December 2018 (49 minutes)     No matter how good […]

The New Who: Witchy Women

Doctor Who, “The Witchfinders” Series 11, Episode 8 Written by Joy Wilkinson Directed by Sally Aprahamian Starring Jodie Whittaker, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill, and Bradley Walsh Guest Starring Alan Cumming, Siobhan Finneran, Tricia Kelly, and Tilly Steele Original Broadcast 25 November 2018 (49 minutes)     Thanks to a terrific writing staff assembled by showrunner […]

The New Who: Special Delivery?

Doctor Who, “Kerblam!” Series 11, Episode 7 Written by Pete McTighe Directed by Jennifer Perrott Starring Jodie Whittaker, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill, and Bradley Walsh Guest Starring Julie Hesmondhalgh, Leo Flanagan, Claudia Jessie, and Lee Mack Original Broadcast 18 November 2018 (50 minutes)     Perhaps it was inevitable, given the ongoing controversies about the […]

The New Who: Brexit By Any Other Name

Doctor Who, “Demons of the Punjab” Series 11, Episode 6 Written by Vinay Patel Directed by Jamie Childs Starring Jodie Whittaker, Tosin Cole, Mandip Gill, and Bradley Walsh. Guest Starring Leena Dhingra, Hamza Jeetooa, Amita Suman, and Shane Zaza Original Broadcast 11 November 2018 (50 minutes)     “Demons of the Punjab,” the sixth episode […]

Where Everybody Knows Your Business

Oh, God, here we go. The headline on Nextdoor Waterloo reads “Rooster crows all day long!” All my urban hackles rise, bracing to read a list of nasty, unneighborly gripes from people stuck at home with plenty of energy for vitriol. It was so nice until now, living the past thirteen years in this calm, […]

Making Sense of a Random Universe

“Random,” we say, one eyebrow raised, claiming the slang for anything odd, stray, out of sync. But when big things—like the universe—are defined that way, I feel a sort of vertigo. A literal Adam, Eve, and serpent might stretch credulity, but that deep, resonant off-stage voice giving them instructions? That means we are meant to […]

The Stuff the American Dream Is Made of

      “Attractions and stores at American Dream are temporarily closed.” That online announcement was not meant as metaphor. It refers specifically to the contents of the three-million-square-foot American Dream, a collection of experiences that refuses to call itself a mall. “The psychic center of American social life has shifted from buying things to […]

What Is Lost When Graduation Is Cancelled

Only once have I ever cried when I was supposed to. Not on my wedding day; I was giddy then, breaking that can’t-see-the-bride rule to hug friends and wait for Andrew in the back of church. No, it was the grad school Commencement that got me, that resonant swell of bagpipes that filled the hall […]