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    ‘Where’s Wanda?’ Is a Charming German Dramedy

    A small-town European murder mystery but more stylish than most — and less miserable.Heike Makatsch and Axel Stein in a scene from “Where’s Wanda?”Apple TV+The Apple TV+ series “Where’s Wanda?” (in German, with subtitles, or dubbed) is another “suburbanites find themselves by committing mild crimes” dramedy, where the comfortably domestic are suddenly in close contact with the Bad Guys and discovering a bit about themselves along the way.But “Wanda” is set atilt because Carlotta (Heike Makatsch) and Dedo (Axel Stein) aren’t trying to make bank in the drug trade or expose white-collar crime. They’re searching for their missing teenage daughter, Wanda (Lea Drinda), and if they have to surveil every house in the neighborhood to achieve what the police can’t, they’ll do it.“Wanda” nails this tonal balance, braiding fish-out-of-water criminal ineptitude and the sexy warmth of a marital adventure with anguish and helplessness. This is not another miserable, high-end missing child drama set among the weepy wealthy. It’s a colorful, quirky caper.Carlotta and Dedo convince themselves they have 100 days to find their daughter, which sets the timer ticking. Their investigative skills are minimal, and the strategies they come up with don’t seem particularly effective — but that’s sort of the point. Of course they have no idea what they’re doing, and of course in a moment of crisis one’s creative problem-solving strategies would suffer. They think Wanda has to be nearby, in someone’s house, and with the eventual help of their son, Ole (Leo Simon), they wind up putting spy cams in their neighbors’ houses, hoping to hear or see something helpful.What they discover is mostly that their neighbors are all odd ducks, which they sort of knew already. Carlotta and Dedo fixate on other couples’ squabbles and compatibility, caving to the allure of voyeurism and jealousy. Even worse, everyone seems to be conducting business as usual — they just get to live their regular lives while Wanda’s family is turned inside out.Part of what keeps the show from being droopy and gloomy is its overt stylishness. Every dang top is textured and sculptural, each house an angular dream. Funky glass jugs and enviable art chairs fill each room, and everyone drives distinctive retro cars. Insular small towns are often murder bogs on European shows, but the citizens of Sundersheim are mostly the goofy kind of weirdos.There are eight episodes, all made available to critics in advance, and as with many contemporary mystery series, it could probably stand to be six. So far two are streaming, and new episodes arrive on Wednesdays. More

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    ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2 Finale Recap: Highs and Lows

    The second season ended in a whirlwind of fire and steel, darkness and light, capping an eight-episode run with many ups and downs.Season 2, Episode 8: ‘Shadow and Flame’If you were to describe “The Rings of Power” in the simplest terms, the show would sound like a parody of prequels. An epic TV drama about how the rings in “The Lord of the Rings” were forged? What’s next? A detailed, multi-season history of Batman’s utility belt?So give the “Rings” creators J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay credit for finding a purpose for their premise — beyond trying to squeeze more money out of a popular I.P., that is. Through two seasons now, they have been telling a complex story about what Middle-earth was like in the years when Sauron was consolidating power. And they have been and exploring how tantalizing and corrupting Sauron’s vision could be to the elves, dwarves, orcs, halflings, wizards and humans within his immediate reach. It’s a story similar to the one J.R.R. Tolkien told in “The Lord of the Rings” but set in a time when Sauron could still perhaps have been bested.Like Season 1, the second season has been a shaky ride, hampered by characters and story lines that never fully popped. But the underlying concept for the series remains strong; and the final two episodes of Season 2 are, on the whole, exciting television.Here are five takeaways and observations from the season finale:Darkness in NumenorIf “Rings of Power” is renewed for a third season — which seems likely, given how much has been invested in it — Numenor will probably have a major role to play in the next phase of the story. I won’t spoil what might happen, assuming that the writers continue to follow Middle-earth history as laid out by Tolkien. But let it suffice to say that Sauron’s plans very much include the island kingdom; and the schism between Pharazon and Elendil will become one of humankind’s defining divisions. This place matters. These people matter.Anyway, I hope you repeated those thoughts to yourself like a mantra as you were saying goodbye to Numenor for this season — after another round of middling political melodrama, of course. The main takeaway from the Numenor scenes this week was that Miriel’s showdown with the Sea Worm did nothing to slow Pharazon’s rise. Instead he has declared the Valar’s “faithful” to be traitors, in league with Sauron.In response, Miriel commands Elendil to leave her behind as a martyr to the cause and to regroup with the faithful outside the city; and she gifts him with a significant old sword called Narsil (“the white flame”). This exodus also gets Elendil away from his daughter, Earien, who now feels terrible about what her loyalty to Pharazon has wrought. (There is a lot of “maybe our great leader isn’t so great” hindsight in “The Lord of the Rings” stories, isn’t there?)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    ‘Saturday Night Live’: 11 Defining Political Sketches

    Since the 1970s, the late-night institution has offered up definitive impersonations of American presidents and other politicians. Here are its most memorable political sketches.Much like game-show parodies, fake commercials and the Weekend Update segment, comedic sendups of presidential politics have become a staple of “Saturday Night Live.”Look no further than the sketch that opened the 50th anniversary season last weekend, for which “S.N.L.” tapped its celebrated alumni Maya Rudolph to play Vice President Kamala Harris; Andy Samberg to play her husband, Douglas Emhoff; and Dana Carvey to play President Biden. Jim Gaffigan, the standup comic and actor, was also on hand as Tim Walz and — oh yes — the “S.N.L.” cast members James Austin Johnson and Bowen Yang as Donald Trump and JD Vance.Over nearly half a century, “Saturday Night Live” has had an evolving relationship with the presidency and how to present it on the show. As “S.N.L.” has moved from counterculture to the mainstream, it has been pretty open, as an institution, about which commanders in chief it likes and which ones it doesn’t. Yet in every era of its history, “S.N.L.” has had talented cast members to embody presidents and the people fearless (and foolish) enough to want to seek the White House. (And even then, it still sometimes called on celebrities to play those parts.)Here’s a look back at 11 of the show’s most memorable political sketches.1975‘Christmas at the White House’Chevy Chase’s impersonation of Gerald Ford on “S.N.L.” was by no means definitive, or even all that accurate; he did not so much affect Ford’s mannerisms or voice as simply put on formal clothes. But it demonstrated the show’s immediate power to insinuate itself into the political discourse. Try to think of a distinct moment from Ford’s time in office: Do you hear him saying, “Our long national nightmare is over”? Or do you see Chase tumbling off a ladder onto a Christmas tree?1977‘Ask President Carter’We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    7 Books Like ‘Heartstopper’ to Read After You Binge Season 3 on Netflix

    Earnest love stories by Rainbow Rowell, TJ Klune and Talia Hibbert will tug at your heartstrings while grappling with real, often dark, issues.Break out the heart eyes and rugby kits: The much-anticipated third season of the gushingly earnest teen romantic dramedy “Heartstopper” arrives on Netflix on Oct. 3.The show, based on the best-selling graphic novel series by Alice Oseman, follows Nick Nelson, a golden retriever of a rugby player, and Charlie Spring, a sensitive drummer, who meet-cute one day in homeroom. They and their friends cover every stripe of the L.G.B.T.Q. rainbow. They’re also goofy and anxious and smart and exuberant, all of the things teenagers are as they discover love and attraction for the first time. The show deals frequently with difficult issues — bullying, eating disorders, gender dysphoria, housing insecurity — while also painting an effervescent picture of adolescence that, in a homage to the comics, is sprinkled with hearts and fireworks.There are five volumes of “Heartstopper” — plus two spinoff novellas and a stand-alone novel, “Solitaire,” about Charlie’s prickly, fan-favorite older sister — available to read while you wait for a sixth book (and a potential fourth season). But if you’ve already blown through Oseman’s oeuvre and are craving more young adult love stories that grapple with darker themes, these books are for you.I’d like a grounded, heartfelt love storyAristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the UniverseBy Benjamin Alire SáenzWhen we first meet Aristotle Mendoza, he is 15, bored and miserable, staring down another summer in El Paso. Then he meets Dante Quintana, who teaches Ari how to swim at the community pool. Their friendship blooms from there, growing out of comic books, bus rides and heated debates about the literary merits of Joseph Conrad.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Late Night Sums Up a Strangely Chill VP Debate

    Jimmy Fallon said viewers “were expecting a horror movie, but instead, they got a Hallmark movie.”Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous night’s highlights that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now.Debate and SwitchLate-night hosts continued to recap the vice-presidential debate on Wednesday.Jimmy Fallon called it “the craziest debate yet — they actually talked about policy.”“Yeah, this debate turned out to be polite, friendly and intimate — it was jarring. Basically, people were expecting a horror movie, but instead, they got a Hallmark movie.” — JIMMY FALLON“Most people felt that JD Vance had a solid debate. Republicans saw that and were, like, ‘Hey, could we pull a Biden and just go with this guy?’” — JIMMY FALLON“That’s right. Most polls found that JD Vance won the debate. However, all those polls were taken at a Sephora.” — JIMMY FALLON“Great, the entire debate was pointless and irrelevant. So, in a way, it really did prepare them to be vice president.” — MICHAEL KOSTA“In his closing statement at last night’s debate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz thanked viewers for missing ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ For those who are unfamiliar, it’s a reality competition show that will hopefully feature JD Vance next season.” — SETH MEYERSThe Punchiest Punchlines (Trump Backs Out Edition)“Former President Trump broke a 50-year tradition for presidential candidates after he backed out of his scheduled interview with ‘60 Minutes’ because he was worried they’d fact-check him. So if you’re keeping track, Trump said that he’ll stand up to the president of China, but Lesley Stahl is a little too scary.” — JIMMY FALLON“You’d think these guys would be embarrassed to be so against fact-checking. You know, if you include some facts in your sentences when you speak, there’ll be nothing to check.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“He won’t do ‘60 Minutes,’ but if there is a group of doofuses in flat-brimmed hats with a podcast where they call him ‘Bro,’ he will be happy to plug your energy drink on that.” — JIMMY KIMMELThe Bits Worth WatchingIna Garten discussed her new memoir over cosmopolitans with Stephen Colbert on Wednesday’s “Late Show.”What We’re Excited About on Thursday NightPaul Reiser will pop by “Late Night” on Thursday to promote his new buddy comedy, “The Problem With People.”Also, Check This OutSarah Snook won an Olivier Award for “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” which ran in London this year.Marc BrennerThe “Succession” standout Sarah Snook will play all 26 characters in a one-woman stage production of “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” More

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    Ken Page, Who Starred in ‘Cats’ and Voiced Oogie Boogie, Dies at 70

    His career on Broadway spanned decades. But he has probably best known for providing the voice of the boogeyman in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”Ken Page, whose extensive Broadway career included standout roles in “The Wiz” and “Cats,” but whose rich baritone voice reached its widest audience as Oogie Boogie in the perennial hit animated movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” died on Monday at his home in St. Louis. He was 70.His death was confirmed by Dorian Hannaway, a longtime friend. She did not cite a cause.Mr. Page, a St. Louis native, arrived on the New York theater scene in 1975 as the understudy, and later the replacement, in the role of the Lion in “The Wiz.” The next year, his showstopping rendition of “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat” as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in a revival of “Guys and Dolls” brought him his first acclaim.Mr. Page revisited the role of Old Deuteronomy, which he had originated on Broadway. in the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theater’s 2010 production of “Cats.”The Muny“Sometimes it really does happen. Sometimes the fairy tale comes true,” Clive Barnes of The New York Times wrote in 1976. “It happened on Wednesday night at the Broadway Theater to a young unknown, Ken Page.”His many other Broadway credits included the original Broadway productions of “Cats,” in which he played the dignified Old Deuteronomy, and “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” the musical revue built around songs written or recorded by Fats Waller. Offstage, he was probably best known for voicing Oogie Boogie, the infamous boogeyman in Henry Selick and Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion classic, “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” It was a role that Mr. Page would revisit often, in video games and at Halloween celebrations.According to a statement released by his agent, Mr. Page was preparing for upcoming appearances as Oogie Boogie when he died.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    ‘Good Bones’ Review: A Gentrification Drama at Public Theater

    A new play from James Ijames, who won a Pulitzer for his “Fat Ham,” has intriguing ideas about identity and community that never fully take shape.In the immortal words of Joni Mitchell, “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” In James Ijames’s “Good Bones,” which opened on Tuesday at the Public Theater in Manhattan, it’s not a parking lot that’s the issue but a sports complex. This project is being nudged along by Aisha (Susan Kelechi Watson), a former local who is promoting the arena and building a luxe new home in her old hood as a way to revitalize it.Still, “Joni Mitchell never lies,” at least according to Earl (Khris Davis), the contractor working on Aisha’s house. Earl has fond memories of the housing project (in an unspecified city) known to its residents as the Heat. Aisha doesn’t; she sees the Heat as a place of fear, crime and lost prospects, and doesn’t mourn its potential replacement. Now, with her husband, Travis (Mamoudou Athie), she has returned to help transform the Heat into the up-and-coming neighborhood of Fennbrook. Oh, but their fabulous home may be haunted.“Good Bones” has great foundations: It’s a play about property and community exclusively featuring Black characters, and Black characters from different ends of the economic spectrum. How often do we see stories featuring the gentrified and the gentrifiers, all of whom are the same skin color? But “Good Bones” is meager with its plot and noncommittal in its intrigue, so even when the play offers its wry charms and astute reflections, it feels largely stuck in place.This production, directed by Saheem Ali, opens with a Brontë vibe; Aisha wanders in a shift dress through her in-progress modern mansion, with plastic sheets draping down from the high ceilings so the characters move through a haze of construction material. (Don’t worry, the sheets are gradually ripped down throughout the play to expose an Ikea showcase-worthy kitchen and dining room, beautifully designed by Maruti Evans.) The follow-through is a little less impressive.There’s an argument about kitchen knobs (Travis wants the handcrafted $40 ones; Aisha wants to stick to their budget) and whether they should have kids. Earl brings his sister Carmen (Téa Guarino) over for dinner. Occasionally Aisha hears a ghoulish giggle or watches her French doors spookily open on their own. But even our protagonist comically shrugs off these humble hauntings. (“I ain’t got time for this,” she snaps, turning on her heel.)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

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    Vance and Walz’s Battle of the Network Co-Stars

    In what could be the last prime-time showdown of the 2024 campaign, the supporting players performed against type.If a presidential election is a TV series — and partly it is, like it or not — then the vice-presidential debate is usually a departure episode: an installment that briefly shifts focus to a couple of side characters. It might be memorable or forgettable, but it is generally skippable.Tuesday’s debate between Senator JD Vance of Ohio and Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota was a bit different. With only Kamala Harris having committed to an Oct. 23 debate proffered by CNN and Donald J. Trump having thus far declined, it may well have been the last big prime-time moment until election night.It was not, however, a bombshell-packed season-ender. The change in cast produced a change in style, in a spirited but often surprisingly collegial debate whose attacks were largely aimed offstage, at the leaders of the ticket.This was not the debate one might have expected from these candidates, each chosen in part for his media presence. Mr. Vance has been combative in TV interviews, embodying the trolling spirit of Mr. Trump’s most extremely online surrogates. Mr. Walz shot to fame on the strength of his cable news appearances and quirky viral videos, playing the down-to-earth happy warrior who mocked opponents as “weird.”Neither performed to type on the CBS stage. Mr. Vance, who can be cutting and snide in TV interviews (and has been notorious for insults like “childless cat ladies”), answered smoothly and kept mainly cordial to his opponent. Mr. Walz, while peppering his answers with folksy touches — “My pro tip of the day is this” — spoke in a nervous rush, with fewer flashes of “Coach Walz” pep.A decade of Trump has conditioned us to think of debates as rounds of Mortal Kombat, with dire rhetoric and imagery to match. Here, there was a lot of “I agree” and “I think this is a healthy conversation” amid the factual disputes and prepared critiques of the top of the ticket. You might briefly have forgotten this was America in the year 2024.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More