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      ‘The Class’ Is a Poignant Docuseries About Covid and College

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      The PBS series is a both a coming-of-age story and a historical document, about the lasting effects on young people of the pandemic shutdown.“The Class” is a six-episode documentary that follows a group of Bay Area high school seniors and their college adviser during the 2020-21 school year. From its opening moments, you know in your bones that the “Where are they now?” updates at the end are going to wreck you, and indeed they do.The mini-series, available on the PBS app and website, is a Covid story, a coming-of-age story and a stress test for how much you can watch someone procrastinate before your brain explodes. (I barely made it.) The students are all ambitious, successful, capable — they get good grades, participate in sports, sing in the choir. But then their school closes for a year during the pandemic, and everyone’s spark dims. Remote learning is awfully remote, and the idea of going to college on Zoom is not particularly motivating.“I think when the dust settles, this is going to be really bad,” sighs Cameron Schmidt-Temple, known by his students as Mr. Cam, their devoted adviser who is the heart — and the tear ducts — of the documentary. He relates deeply to his advisees at Deer Valley: He is an alum, who graduated in 2015, and he is applying to graduate programs, so he knows the indignities of the personal essay. He has so many spreadsheets. He texts, he video chats, he gives pep talk after pep talk. But his Google Calendar invites can do only so much against the entropy of despair.While the emotional access here is unimpeachable, “The Class” can, like its subjects, lose a little focus, and scenes of football and basketball games drag on. We learn very little about the actual academic work the students are doing (or not doing) or how the even more vulnerable and less accomplished students at the school fare.The college application process can be overwhelming in the best of circumstances. And beyond the catastrophes specific to the pandemic, the students here also face tragedies and instability on other fronts; a parent and a mentor both die during the show, and one student sinks into a suicidal depression. The sense of loss grows and grows, so much so that when activities resume at long last, even a flag called on a touchdown play feels like another injustice.“Describe the most significant challenge you have faced,” the essay prompt asks. No wonder the kids have a hard time knowing where to start.SIDE QUESTS“The Class” reminded me a lot of one of the best and most memorable TV documentaries of the past decade, the 10-part 2018 series “America to Me.” That’s available on Amazon Prime Video and the Roku Channel.If you are moved by Mr. Cam’s indefatigable support, you will also be moved by Brittany Wagner, a junior college adviser in the first two seasons of the fantastic series “Last Chance U.” That’s on Netflix. More

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      Late Night on Trump, the Constitution and Playing With Dolls

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      On “Meet the Press” and social media, President Trump gave the hosts a lot of material to choose from, even by his standards.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.Presidents Say the Darndest ThingsDuring a “Meet the Press” interview that aired on Sunday, President Trump was asked whether he had to uphold the Constitution. He replied, “I don’t know.”“Wow, they talked a lot about Biden’s mental decline, but this guy can’t even remember stuff from, like, four months ago,” Seth Meyers said on Monday.“Well, it’s been great, folks, but that’s it — I think we can roll credits on the United States.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“On ‘Millionaire,’ that’d be the warm-up question, like ‘What color is an orange?’ or ‘Name a planet with people on it.’ I mean, if you can’t answer that the president’s supposed to uphold the Constitution, I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t even let you become a citizen.” — JON STEWART“It’s the same answer he gives when they ask where Melania lives: ‘I don’t know, I’d have to ask my lawyers.’” — JIMMY KIMMEL“The Constitution isn’t one of Don Jr.’s birthdays. You can’t just ignore it.” — JIMMY KIMMELTrump, asked about the economy, also doubled down on his suggestion that children could get by with fewer toys. “I don’t think a beautiful baby girl needs — that’s 11 years old needs to have 30 dolls,” he said. “I think they can have three dolls, or four dolls.”“Right, think of them like wives: Two, three, four would be a good number.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“All you need to know about the relationship he has with his daughters and granddaughters is he thinks 11-year-olds still play with dolls.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson. It’s a beautiful 11-year-old baby! You did so well in your 44th trimester.” — STEPHEN COLBERT“In response, Pokémon has rolled out their new slogan: ‘Pokémon, Gotta Catch a Couple!’” — SETH MEYERS“I mean, who runs on a pledge of ‘Let’s make Christmas worse for children’?” — BILL MAHER“A billionaire telling kids they need to cut back on dolls. That is some world-class political messaging right there.” — JIMMY KIMMEL“Every interview now is like an episode of ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things.’” — JIMMY KIMMELThe Punchiest Punchlines (May the Fourth Edition)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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      ‘Forever,’ Plus 7 Things to Watch on TV this Week

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      The Netflix show based on a Judy Blume book comes to streaming. And tune into E! for all the red-carpet looks of the Met Gala.Between streaming and cable, there is a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that air or stream this week, May 5-11. Details and times are subject to change.Yearning.Judy Blume’s novel “Forever” has certainly made a splash in the literary world since its publication in 1975. The book, which focuses primarily on teenage sexuality, has often been banned or censored in schools and libraries because of the protagonist’s use of birth control. Now Netflix is coming out with a television adaptation, which is set in 2018 Los Angeles and follows the love story of two Black teenagers, Keisha Clark (Lovie Simone) and Justin Edwards (Michael Cooper Jr.), while they also explore their identities and aspirations. Streaming Thursday on Netflix.Lights, Camera, Fashion.Anna Wintour at the 2024 Met Gala.Jamie Mccarthy/Getty ImagesThe first Monday in May can only mean one thing: It is time for celebrities and fashion designers to adorn themselves in creative, lavish outfits and celebrate the Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute at the annual Met Gala. This year’s theme is “Tailored for You,” which is tied to the institute’s new exhibition “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” Alongside the Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, this year’s chairs are Colman Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, ASAP Rocky, Pharrell Williams and LeBron James. The Met Gala red carpet will be streaming live, so we can all sit back and admire (or judge) the looks from the comfort of our homes. Monday at 6 p.m. on E!Catching a liar.Natasha Lyonne returns for a second season of “Poker Face,” in which she stars as Charlie, a woman who has a special ability to detect when people are lying. And like the first one, this season will serve as a spotting exercise for all the familiar faces, including Cynthia Erivo, John Mulaney and John Cho. Charlie will be back on the road and investigating murders that happen at alligator farms, funeral homes, grade-school talent shows and more. Streaming Thursday on Peacock.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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      ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2, Episode 4: Seattle Slew

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      This week brings an expedition full of harrowing action and emotional revelations.Season 2, Episode 4It’s comforting to know that long after the collapse of civilization, certain TV clichés will persist. Like: If a woman vomits unexpectedly in one episode, in the next episode we will find out she is pregnant.So it goes with Dina, who puked in last week’s “The Last of Us” after stumbling across some human corpses, and noted at the time that her reaction was unusual, given that she often sees (and smells) dead people. Sure enough, in this week’s episode, Dina finds some pregnancy tests in a Seattle drugstore and gives several a try. They all come up positive.Dina does not say anything to Ellie — or to those of us watching at home who had not already guessed her secret — until close to the end of the episode, after the two of them have narrowly escaped multiple waves of Wolves and zombies. Her confession retroactively lends weight to everything these two women have just gone through. They have so much more at risk now.As was the case last week, a good portion of this episode is spent watching Dina and Ellie’s relationship blossom. They bounce sardonic, deadpan repartee back and forth. (Ellie, when Dina is exploring on her own: “Shout if something tries to kill you.” Dina: “That’s the plan.”) They share stories from their pasts, with Dina confessing that when she was little she told her mother she liked both boys and girls — to which her mom said, “No, you like boys.” They also fall into each other’s arms, making passionate love.Overall, there are three major revelations that Dina and Ellie share. One is the pregnancy. The other is that they have feelings for each other. And because of extenuating circumstances, Ellie also reveals to Dina that she is immune from the cordyceps infection. (I will come back to that later.)Unlike last week, all the charming chitchat is balanced with harrowing action. Dina and Ellie’s expedition into Seattle gets off to a quiet start, highlighted by a trip to an abandoned music store, where Ellie serenades Dina with a lovely acoustic rendition of A-ha’s “Take on Me.” The scene is beautifully staged and lit, with sunshine streaming in from a weed-and-moss-covered hole in the wall. At the end, Dina says Joel taught Ellie well. In a quiet voice laden with meaning, Ellie responds, “He did.”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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      Will Hutchins, Gentle Cowboy Lawman in ‘Sugarfoot,’ Dies at 94

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      He starred in one of the westerns that dominated TV in the late 1950s. After losing traction in Hollywood, he became a traveling clown.Will Hutchins, who had a comically genteel starring role during the craze for television westerns in the 1950s, playing a sheriff who favored cherry soda over whiskey on “Sugarfoot,” died on April 21 in Manhasset, N.Y., on the North Shore of Long Island. He was 94.The cause was respiratory failure, his wife, Barbara Hutchins, said in a funeral home death notice.In 1958 and ’59, eight of the top 10 shows on TV were westerns. The best known included “Cheyenne” and “Maverick.” Mr. Hutchins was part of the stampede: “Sugarfoot” premiered on ABC in 1957 and ran for four seasons.The show was produced by Warner Brothers, which took its name and theme music from an otherwise unrelated 1951 western movie starring Randolph Scott. The title refers to a man of the Wild West who seems so unsuited to shootouts and cattle wrangling that he cannot be called even a “tenderfoot.”Mr. Hutchins’s character, Tom Brewster, was the sugarfoot in question: an Eastern law student seeking his fortune as a sheriff who sidles up to the saloon bar to order a sarsaparilla (Wild West root beer) “with a dash of cherry.” He abhors violence, tries to stop women from throwing themselves at him and lovingly gives up his share of drinking water for his horse.Gil Perkins, left, with Mr. Hutchins in a scene from a 1958 episode of “Sugarfoot” titled “The Hunted.” ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content, via Getty ImagesMr. Hutchins played the role for comedy, following up a villain’s insult with a dramatic pause, only to critique the man for not being “sociable.” Other dramatic moments prompted him to lecture Westerners about problems with their “disposition.”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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      ‘S.N.L.’: Trump Celebrates 100 Years (Oops! Days) in Office

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      The Sharpie that never runs dry takes aim at interracial couples in commercials and a declaration normalizing May-December romances.In the first 100 days of his second term, President Trump has already signed more executive orders than any other modern president, and this weekend, “Saturday Night Live” offered its suggestions for even more.This broadcast, hosted by Quinta Brunson and featuring the musical guest Benson Boone, started with a rousing voice-over proclaiming that Trump’s first 100 days “have been the most dynamic since F.D.R.”During that same interval in the 1930s, the voice-over said, President Franklin D. Roosevelt “created vital government departments, forged new alliances and established our nation’s social safety net.”President Trump, the voice-over added, “did the same thing, only in reverse.”Enter James Austin Johnson, in his recurring role as Trump, congratulating himself for these accomplishments.“It’s me, your favorite president and perhaps your next pope,” he said. “Conclave! Well, it’s been 100 years since I became president. Excuse me, days. Wow, feels longer.”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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      Melissa Gorga Talks Sprinkle Cookies and ‘Real Housewives’ Ending

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      The feud between Melissa Gorga and Teresa Giudice, her “Real Housewives of New Jersey” castmate and sister-in-law, has been simmering for more than a decade.Giudice takes pains to point out Gorga’s perceived transgressions, citing rumors of infidelity, gold-digging and a past life as a stripper (all of which Gorga has denied) in fights that became recurring story lines for the show and that divided fans into Team Teresa and Team Melissa.A dispute in Season 3 (shot in 2011) came to summarize the innocuous events that could set off accusations of bad taste when Giudice complained to family and friends that Gorga brought a subpar choice of cookie to her holiday gathering. “She came to my house Christmas Day, and she brought me sprinkle cookies,” Giudice said, specifying that she preferred pignoli cookies, before adding: “Melissa. No one touched the cookies you brought. I threw them in the garbage!”Gorga used the dis as a springboard for Let’s Sprinkle by MG, a direct-to-consumer line of upscale butter cookies with sprinkles — running $29.99 for a box of a dozen — that she says has brought in over half a million dollars in revenue since its December launch. Beyond being a recurring reference on the show, the sprinkle cookies are also an offscreen calling card for audience members firmly on Team Melissa.The sprinkle cookies have become a calling card for audience members firmly on Team Melissa.Yael Malka for The New York TimesGorga and Giudice are no longer talking after a bitter last season that divided the cast so deeply that they could not gather to film the all-important reunion show. It’s uncertain who will return to the series, and there are whispers that the cast will be overhauled, as has happened with the New York and Atlanta franchises.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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      Did a TV Show Hurt You? ‘Fix-Its’ Offer Justice

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      This article includes spoilers for “Daredevil: Born Again,” “Severance,” “The Last of Us” and “The White Lotus.”As a longtime player of the Last of Us video game series, Sam Gaitan knew the death was coming. Still, the brutal murder of Joel in a recent episode of the HBO adaptation hit her hard. It was already midnight when she went on Tumblr to read fan reactions. Then, in a fit of inspiration, she started writing.“I was a wreck, and I needed to get those strong emotions out,” Gaitan, a tattooist and artist, said in a recent phone interview. By 5 a.m., she had written 3,761 words featuring Joel and Red, an original character Gaitan had previously created, and an alternative scenario that spares Joel from his onscreen fate.Writing under the alias oh_persephone, she posted the story on AO3, an online repository for fan fiction and other fan-created art, and crashed until her dogs woke her up the next morning.“It probably wasn’t the most coherent thing I’ve written,” she said, laughing. “But I figured other people could use it as much as I did.”In this alternative plot to “The Last of Us,” Joel, the beloved male lead played by Pedro Pascal, avoids being detained and murdered by a rival group.He is saved by Red, an invented heroine who convinces the gunmen that Joel is already dead and sends them off.“Joel’s eyes were on her, watching, a breath away from being up and ready to fight if needed,” oh_persephone writes. “They were both tightly wound coils, waiting to explode.”

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