Amandla Stenberg as Mae in The Acolyte. Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney+ hide caption toggle caption Lucasfilm Ltd./Disney+ Review Pop Culture Happy Hour Is 'The Acolyte' a Star Wars Force to be reckoned with? June 24, 2024 • The new Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte is a murder mystery. Someone is killing great Jedi masters, and while we learn the killer's identity early on, the real mystery driving the series is why they're doing it. It stars Amandla Stenberg as Force-sensitive twins Osha and Mae, and Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae as Osha's former Jedi master. By the time it's finished its eight-episode run, The Acolyte may shed new light on the nature of the Force, and the hidden history of the Jedi. Is 'The Acolyte' a Star Wars Force to be reckoned with? Listen · 23:18 23:18 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965415/1254555101" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Is 'The Acolyte' a Star Wars Force to be reckoned with? Listen · 23:18 23:18 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965415/1254555101" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Julio Torres stars in Fantasmas. HBO hide caption toggle caption HBO Review Pop Culture Happy Hour HBO's 'Fantasmas' is new and different and uniquely itself June 20, 2024 • The brilliant and idiosyncratic new HBO series Fantasmas has a simple plot. Creator and star Julio Torres searches New York City for an earring he lost at a club. In the execution, that quest gets transformed into something epic and surreal and queer in every sense of the word. He keeps bumping into random New Yorkers whose stories play out in a series of sketch-like vignettes. They are played by actors including Emma Stone, Bowen Yang, and Tilda Swinton. HBO's 'Fantasmas' is new and different and uniquely itself Listen · 17:58 17:58 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965257/1254351217" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
HBO's 'Fantasmas' is new and different and uniquely itself Listen · 17:58 17:58 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965257/1254351217" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Luke Newton in a scene from the series Bridgerton. Liam Daniel/Netflix hide caption toggle caption Liam Daniel/Netflix Review Pop Culture Happy Hour 'Bridgerton' closes out a crowded third season June 18, 2024 • The second half of Bridgerton's latest season just dropped on Netflix, and naturally the course of true love continues to not run smoothly. Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) may have finally declared their feelings for each other, but there's still a lot left to figure out. We previously talked about the first part of the third season in May, so today, we're diving in everything that happens in the conclusion. 'Bridgerton' closes out a crowded third season Listen · 18:48 18:48 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965236/1254310296" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Bridgerton' closes out a crowded third season Listen · 18:48 18:48 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965236/1254310296" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Amy Poehler as Joy and Maya Hawke as Anxiety in a scene from Inside Out 2. Pixar hide caption toggle caption Pixar Review Pop Culture Happy Hour 'Inside Out 2' is a Pixar sequel worth celebrating June 14, 2024 • Pixar's Inside Out introduced us to the core emotions inside an 11-year-old girl named Riley. We met Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), and Anger (Lewis Black). In Inside Out 2, Riley is experiencing puberty and a whole new crop of emotions have popped up. Most notably Anxiety (Maya Hawke) who has literally bottled up Riley's original core emotions and sent them hurtling into the back of her mind, where they plot to get back and set things right. 'Inside Out 2' is a Pixar sequel worth celebrating Listen · 21:21 21:21 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965158/1254161082" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Inside Out 2' is a Pixar sequel worth celebrating Listen · 21:21 21:21 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965158/1254161082" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who. Disney Plus hide caption toggle caption Disney Plus Review Pop Culture Happy Hour 'Doctor Who' is enlivened by its new Black, openly queer star June 6, 2024 • The venerable British science fiction series Doctor Who is back with a new season. Ncuti Gatwa — who is Black and openly queer — brings a vibrant energy to the story of an alien who travels through space and time in a blue box. The series, now streaming on Disney+, also features the return of showrunner Russell T. Davies, who birthed the modern era of Doctor Who. But what does this mix of new and old mean for the sci-fi institution? 'Doctor Who' is enlivened by its new Black, openly queer star Listen · 26:36 26:36 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965021/1253713782" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Doctor Who' is enlivened by its new Black, openly queer star Listen · 26:36 26:36 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965021/1253713782" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Laurence Fishburne as Doc Rivers in Clipped. Kelsey McNeal/FX hide caption toggle caption Kelsey McNeal/FX Review Pop Culture Happy Hour 'Clipped' recreates an embarrassing NBA scandal June 5, 2024 • The new FX limited series Clipped tells the story of Donald Sterling, the then-owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, who was outed as a racist. Sterling's girlfriend – who was Black and Mexican – secretly recorded their conversations. When those tapes leaked, he was embroiled in a scandal that upended the NBA – an industry that profits off the star power of its majority Black players. The series stars Ed O'Neill and Laurence Fishburne as the owner and the head coach who clashed as it all went down. 'Clipped' recreates an embarrassing NBA scandal Listen · 21:20 21:20 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965013/1253616208" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Clipped' recreates an embarrassing NBA scandal Listen · 21:20 21:20 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197965013/1253616208" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Hoa Xuande in The Sympathizer. HBO Max hide caption toggle caption HBO Max Review Pop Culture Happy Hour Does 'The Sympathizer' worthily adapt its acclaimed book? May 23, 2024 • It's rare to find a series with such an impeccable pedigree as HBO's The Sympathizer. It's based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, co-created by auteur director Park Chan-wook, and features Robert Downey, Jr. in four supporting roles. Set during and after the Vietnam war, the series follows a man (Hoa Xuande) juggling a position with the South Vietnamese military and one as a spy for the North Vietnamese. But is it a worthy adaptation? Does 'The Sympathizer' worthily adapt its acclaimed book? Listen · 17:46 17:46 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964774/1252929143" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Does 'The Sympathizer' worthily adapt its acclaimed book? Listen · 17:46 17:46 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964774/1252929143" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton. Netflix hide caption toggle caption Netflix Review Pop Culture Happy Hour The sexy sex is back in 'Bridgerton' season 3 May 20, 2024 • The Netflix series Bridgerton is back, as gossipy and over-the-top as ever. Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and her crush on childhood best friend Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) take center-stage. When Penelope is determined to find a husband, Colin wants to help her and they start spending extra time together. But where will this lead? Well, you know the answer to that. It's all about the journey, and the clothes, and the nudity, and obviously, the Queen's hair. The sexy sex is back in 'Bridgerton' season 3 Listen · 21:56 21:56 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964707/1252103638" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
The sexy sex is back in 'Bridgerton' season 3 Listen · 21:56 21:56 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964707/1252103638" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in Back to Black. Olli Upton/Focus Features hide caption toggle caption Olli Upton/Focus Features Review Pop Culture Happy Hour 'Back to Black' misses Amy Winehouse's point of view May 17, 2024 • The new music biopic Back to Black chronicles the life of singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse. The film stars Marisa Abela, and follows Winehouse as she records her breakthrough album, gets married, and struggles with addiction. But does the movie do justice to the singer and her music? 'Back to Black' misses Amy Winehouse's point of view Listen · 24:04 24:04 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964632/1251860708" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Back to Black' misses Amy Winehouse's point of view Listen · 24:04 24:04 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964632/1251860708" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Stand-up comic W. Kamau Bell is featured in Black Twitter: A People's History. Hulu/Disney hide caption toggle caption Hulu/Disney Review Pop Culture Happy Hour Looking to the past and future of Black Twitter May 15, 2024 • For years, Black Twitter was the watering hole. It was where we could pop off jokes about Olivia and Fitz on Scandal. It's also where you could call out social injustices. It was both a state of mind and a state of being online. A new Hulu docuseries called Black Twitter: A People's History puts the massive global reach of that space into perspective. But what's changed now that it's owned by Elon Musk? Looking to the past and future of Black Twitter Listen · 22:09 22:09 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964557/1251430038" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Looking to the past and future of Black Twitter Listen · 22:09 22:09 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964557/1251430038" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Owen Teague as Noa in the film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. 20th Century Studios hide caption toggle caption 20th Century Studios Review Pop Culture Happy Hour 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' swings us back to a familiar franchise May 10, 2024 • Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes follows Noa (Owen Teague), an extraordinary chimpanzee whose clan is enslaved by a mercenary ape king named Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand). As he sets out to gets them back, he's joined by a sage orangutan (Peter Maykin) and a scavenging human (Freya Allan). The movie is set hundreds of years after the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy, but the spirit of Andy Serkis' revolutionary character Caeser still looms large over this new film. 'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' swings us back to a familiar franchise Listen · 23:35 23:35 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964530/1250205937" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes' swings us back to a familiar franchise Listen · 23:35 23:35 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964530/1250205937" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Drake onstage during Drake's Till Death Do Us Part rap battle in 2021. Amy Sussman/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Amy Sussman/Getty Images Pop Culture Happy Hour We process the explosive Drake-Kendrick beef May 9, 2024 • 2024 seems destined to go down as the Year of Pop Culture Grievances. Megan vs. Nicki. Beyoncé vs. Nashville. But above all: Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake, who are currently engaged in the nastiest lyrical warfare rap fans have seen in a minute. Today, we're talking about all the pettiness: Why so much beef, and what makes a good battle? And is there ever a clear "winner" in these battles? We process the explosive Drake-Kendrick beef Listen · 21:47 21:47 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964460/1250059986" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
We process the explosive Drake-Kendrick beef Listen · 21:47 21:47 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964460/1250059986" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Radical Optimism is the latest album from Dua Lipa. Tyrone Lebon/Courtesy of the artist hide caption toggle caption Tyrone Lebon/Courtesy of the artist Review Pop Culture Happy Hour Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' is loaded with hyper-catchy bangers May 8, 2024 • The British singer Dua Lipa has become one of the world's biggest pop stars. Now, she's back with Radical Optimism, a sort of concept record about moving through life with a more mature and constructive attitude. But it's also a pretty straightforward collection of grievance-free, hyper-catchy bangers. Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' is loaded with hyper-catchy bangers Listen · 21:31 21:31 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964457/1249759402" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Dua Lipa's 'Radical Optimism' is loaded with hyper-catchy bangers Listen · 21:31 21:31 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1197964457/1249759402" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
Jerrod Carmichael in his new HBO series. HBO Max hide caption toggle caption HBO Max Review Pop Culture Happy Hour 'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' exploits pain for good May 6, 2024 • In Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show, the comedian doubles down on the uncomfortable intimacy of his stand up special Rothaniel, where he came out publicly as gay for the first time. Jerrod Carmichael gets a film crew to follow him around as he bares his soul to the camera as he cheats on his boyfriend and forces his parents into deeply uncomfortable conversations. The HBO series is funny and poignant. But it isn't a spotless, media-managed facade. It's a portrait of a man who absolutely delights in letting us know just how flawed and selfish he is. 'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' exploits pain for good Listen · 26:46 26:46 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198005138/1248910868" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
'Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show' exploits pain for good Listen · 26:46 26:46 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198005138/1248910868" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
George Rexstrew as Edwin Payne in Dead Boy Detectives. Netflix hide caption toggle caption Netflix Review Pop Culture Happy Hour In 'Dead Boy Detectives,' two best mates reject their deadly fates April 29, 2024 • The new show Dead Boy Detectives is a spinoff of Neil Gaiman's beloved series The Sandman – both the comic and the Netflix series. It's about a pair of detective ghosts (played by George Rexstrew and Jayden Revri) who refuse to move on to the afterlife. Aided by a young psychic (Kassius Nelson), they stick around and solve mysteries that will resolve the unfinished business of other ghosts. In 'Dead Boy Detectives,' two best mates reject their deadly fates Listen · 18:40 18:40 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198005101/1247506824" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript
In 'Dead Boy Detectives,' two best mates reject their deadly fates Listen · 18:40 18:40 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1198005101/1247506824" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript