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<!–>An early example is from the movie “Punchline,” when Tom Hanks chokes up telling a club audience that he disappointed his father, failing out of medical school:–> <!–>In “Obvious Child,” Jenny Slate stops joking in one set to say she was cheated on. Things get dark:–> <!–>After his jokes are met with awkward silence, Kumail […] More
The final season of the Netflix hit brought the story to a largely predictable conclusion, with one last twist at the end.This article includes spoilers for all of the final season of “Squid Game.”The final season of Netflix’s international sensation “Squid Game” is officially labeled Season 3. But who are we kidding here? The six episodes that end this series feel very much like a continuation of the seven episodes that aired earlier this year as Season 2, covering the same characters, still in the middle of the same deadly tournament. Nothing new is introduced here in the “Squid Game” homestretch. The show’s writer and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, just connects the last few dots. It’s no wonder then that Season 3 feels so dispiritingly rote.This new set of episodes begins with the show’s protagonist Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) completely demoralized. In Season 1, he had survived a secret competition on a mysterious island — where the losers are killed and the ultimate winner takes home a fortune — for the entertainment of obscenely wealthy “V.I.P.s.” Shaken by the experience, Gi-hun in Season 2 tried to find and expose the tournament’s backers before deciding the only way to destroy the operation would be from the inside, by competing again.The season ended with a massive miscalculation by Gi-hun, as he attempted to lead some other players in an armed revolt against the games’ guards and bosses, unaware that one of his supposed allies, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), was actually the operation’s manager — “the Front Man” — playing incognito in order to keep a close eye on him.At the same time, In-ho’s brother Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-jun) — a former police detective working with Gi-hun to end the games for good — kept searching for the island, unaware that the captain of the boat he chartered was in league with the Front Man and steering him far away from his target.It may not have been the best idea to return In-ho to his Front Man duties at the end of Season 2, separating him from the now-despondent Gi-hun. One of the most rewarding elements of Season 2 were the conversations between In-ho, a misanthropic cynic pretending to be a compassionate human being, and Gi-hun, a fierce idealist determined to prove to the games’ masters that people are not inherently greedy, selfish and shortsighted. With In-ho out of the game and Gi-hun deflated, Season 3 loses some juice right from the start.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
The restaurant’s business challenge in Season 4 — balancing comfort food and haute cuisine — is also a metaphor for the show’s creative issues.This article discusses events through Season 4 of “The Bear,” now available on Hulu.The new season of “The Bear” is the story of a struggling restaurant and a successful restaurant. They are both the same restaurant.The struggling restaurant is, of course, the title establishment. Season 3 ended with the chef Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) speed-reading a crucial newspaper write-up. (There is no better way to flatter critics than to make your cliffhanger about the contents of a review.) Season 4 reveals that it was mostly a pan, and not the nice, carbon-steel kind. Now the Bear is on a ticking clock — an actual, physical clock — counting the seconds until the “parachute” of investment cash runs out.Bustling happily alongside is the beef-sandwich window, a legacy of the restaurant’s origins as the humble neighborhood joint the Original Beef of Chicagoland. Overseen by Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson), an eager, soft-spoken culinary-school dropout, it hands out dripping Italian beef sandwiches to an endless line of customers.Unlike the Bear, the Beef (if we can call it that) is not fancy. It does not change its menu daily. It does not serve flavored steam or desserts that double as magic tricks. It is not trying to dazzle you with technique. It does one satisfying thing, then comes back and does it again. And, Season 4 suggests, it could be the salvation of the foundering business, as Ebraheim’s new consigliere (Rob Reiner) steers it toward becoming a local franchise.When is a sandwich not just a sandwich? “The Bear,” like many shows about creativity, seems to contain its own critique. The dichotomy of the Bear vs. the Beef embodies an argument over how to make art, one that very much applies to this show — and one that is to some extent the show’s subject.It’s about ambition vs. accessibility, change vs. repetition, consistency vs. risk, complexity vs. simplicity. What do you want when you watch TV — a good sandwich or a challenging tasting menu? Beef or Bear?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
Netflix airs the documentary series on the bike race and various networks release shark stories.Between streaming and cable, there is a seemingly endless variety of things to watch. Here is a selection of TV shows and specials that are airing or streaming this week, June 30-July 6. Details and times are subject to change.Wide-ranging documentaries.On July 7, 2005, London’s public transportation system was targeted in an attack that involved four suicide bombings during morning rush hour. The terrorist attack killed 52 people and nearly 800 were injured. The new four-part documentary series “Attack on London: Hunting the 7/7 Bombers” shares unseen footage and features interviews with politicians, emergency workers and relatives of the victims to tell the story of the attack and the aftermath. Streaming Tuesday on Netflix.The summer Olympics happen once every four years, but if you are looking for a yearly sport to get invested in, the Tour de France might be for you. Airing on NBC and streaming on Peacock this month, the annual men’s race, with multiple stages over the course of approximately 2,000 miles and 23 days, not only tests the endurance of athletes but also provides scenic views around France. A new season of the documentary series “Tour de France: Unchained” gives an in-depth look at the 2024 race, following several different teams and athletes. Streaming Wednesday on Netflix.In 1971, Ms. magazine was co-founded by Gloria Steinem and was first published as an insert in New York magazine. By January 1972, the first stand-alone issue was released on a monthly basis. The three-part series “Dear Ms.: A Revolution in Print” looks at the magazine’s founding and its history as a publication that focuses on women-centered issues, including abortion, work balance and sexual politics in a primarily male-dominated space. The documentary also features interviews with Steinem, her co-founders Letty Cottin Pogrebin and Pat Carbine, and the first editor of the magazine, Suzanne Braun Levine. Wednesday at 9 p.m. on HBO and streaming on Max.Reality check-in.If you thought we had seen enough of this group of Swig-sipping, drama-creating ladies of MomTok, you were sorely mistaken. Nearly two months since the second season aired, the women of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” are back for a reunion this week, hosted by Nick Viall of “The Bachelor” fame. Lots of fights, feuds and snarky quips have continued with the group after the show has aired, so there is lots left to discuss. Let’s just hope that no one makes them play another round of pregnancy test roulette. Streaming Tuesday on Hulu.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
The Netflix hit has left a lasting legacy as a major cultural export, but also one that exposed some unsettling aspects of Korean society.Contains spoilers for Season 3 of “Squid Game.”On Friday, fans around the world tuned in for the third and last season of the juggernaut Netflix series “Squid Game.”Since 2021, they’ve watched as hundreds of contestants played deadly versions of children’s games in an attempt to win a cash prize of 45.6 billion won, around $33 million.At the grisly end of Season 3’s six episodes, its beloved protagonist Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), was dead, and its villains were very much alive and thriving.For some viewers in South Korea, where the show is set, that fell short of delivering the justice they were hoping for.After eagerly waiting half a year since the cliffhanger ending of Season 2, Kim Young Eun, a 24-year-old university student in Seoul, watched the entire season with her boyfriend at a comic book cafe, just hours after its release on Friday night.The Piggy Bank, where prize money is deposited each time a player dies on the show, was part of the fan event in Seoul on Saturday. Jun Michael Park for The New York TimesWe 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
Once you’ve spent some time on the track with Brad Pitt, steer your way toward these other suspenseful racing movies and shows.For racing fans, Brad Pitt fans and those in between, the drama “F1” has made its way to theaters. Pitt stars as Sonny Hayes, an aging driver enlisted to save a failing team fronted by a young hot shot (Damson Idris). The fast-paced movie aims for authenticity with help from a notable pro: Lewis Hamilton — the face of Formula One and a seven-time world champion — advised on technical details and has a producer credit. For those who have seen “F1,” and are looking to get their next full-throttle fix, these movies and shows, all available to stream, are worth a spin.‘Grand Prix’ (1966)James Garner in “Grand Prix.”MGMStream it on Watch TCM. Rent or buy it on major platforms.Heralded as the lead car to which all racing films follow, John Frankenheimer’s movie broke ground with its innovative use of vehicle-mounted cameras, jarring real-life footage and quick-jump editing (now a staple in the genre). “Grand Prix” throws viewers into the action with first-person driver perspective; the camera cars reached nearly 200 miles per hour during shoots. The film’s star, James Garner, drove in every race and even caught fire during a filmed crash. Viewers would be forgiven for fast-forwarding through the sleepy love stories to skip right to the action, which earned “Grand Prix” three Oscars in technical categories. This racing-movie primer checks many boxes: speed, glamour, drama and a slick opening sequence in Monaco, F1’s undisputed Valhalla.‘Senna: No Fear. No Limits. No Equal.’ (2011)Ayrton Senna in the documentary “Senna.”Universal PicturesStream it on Netflix.No documentary captures the heart of F1 better than “Senna,” which won two BAFTAs and masterfully weaves the story of Ayrton Senna da Silva, the Brazilian racer who figures prominently on F1’s Mt. Rushmore. Including never-before-seen footage from the Formula One archive, along with personal footage, the doc follows young Ayrton, seemingly born to race, as he relocates to Europe, battles discrimination and later, battles Formula One itself for driver safety. The model-handsome Senna typified the daring nature of F1 as he quickly became unstoppable in the rain, which can debilitate drivers. His three world championship wins made him a one-word brand and put Brazil on the racing map. Sadly, Senna’s determination to keep drivers safe was marked by his own tragic death in a 1994 crash. Poignant and powerful, “Senna” transcends racing as it documents a worldwide icon gone too soon.‘Rush’ (2013)Chris Hemsworth, center, as James Hunt in “Rush.”Jaap Buitendijk/Universal PicturesRent or buy it on major platforms.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
Lalo Schifrin, the Grammy-winning Argentine-born composer who evoked the ticking, ominous suspense of espionage with his indelible theme to the television series “Mission: Impossible” as well as scored movies like “Cool Hand Luke,” “Bullitt” and “Dirty Harry,” died on Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 93.His wife, Donna, said the cause of his death, in a hospital, was complications of pneumonia.Mr. Schifrin had a startlingly diverse career as a composer, arranger and conductor in a wide range of genres — from classical to jazz to Latin to folk to rock to hip-hop to electronic to the ancient music of the Aztecs.He conducted symphony orchestras in London and Vienna, and philharmonic orchestras in Tel Aviv, Paris and Los Angeles. He arranged music for the Three Tenors. He provided what The Washington Post called the music of “rebellious cool” for Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and Clint Eastwood.When Mr. Schifrin won an honorary Academy Award in 2018, it was given to him by Clint Eastwood, a frequent collaborator.Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesBut the prolific Mr. Schifrin, who wrote more than 100 film and television scores, was best known for “Mission: Impossible.” Interpretations of his propulsive theme have also been featured in the eight movies in the “Mission: Impossible” series, starring Tom Cruise, which began in 1996.Like John Williams, whose many compositions for film include the theme from “Jaws,” Mr. Schifrin was a master of creating jittery unease and peril. Both composers worked with a recognizable style and a distinct purpose.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
A ton of great titles are leaving next month for U.S. subscribers, many of them very soon. Catch them while you can.Several beloved television series are leaving Netflix in the United States this month, so get your binges going. Also departing: an uproarious film version of a classic TV comedy, the prequel to an action movie favorite and the sensational hit movie about a doll and her friends.A ton of the titles this month are leaving on July 1, so we’ve rounded up those at the bottom. But as a result, the list will be a little tighter — and shorter lived — than usual. (Dates reflect the first day titles are unavailable and are subject to change.)‘Insecure’ Seasons 1-5 (July 3)Stream it here.The funny and talented Issa Rae broke out from niche online personality to mainstream juggernaut with this acclaimed and popular HBO comedy series, on which she was co-creator, showrunner and star. Her character (also named Issa) spends the series struggling with her unsatisfying career, continuing romantic woes and roller-coaster relationship with her longtime best friend, Molly (the endlessly entertaining Yvonne Orji). What could have easily been a Black “Sex and the City” is lent nuance, texture and richness by Rae and her writers’ deft intermingling of serious social, sexual and racial themes, turning this half-hour comedy into a pointed portrait of the American Black experience in the late Obama and early Trump eras.‘The Addams Family’ (July 5)Stream it here.Barry Sonnenfeld graduated from being one of the best cinematographers on the scene — he shot such distinctive and stylish efforts as “Raising Arizona” and “When Harry Met Sally” — to one of our quirkiest directors with this hit adaptation of the beloved ’60s television series, itself culled from the cult comic strips of Charles Addams. His whirling cameras, striking angles and rapid-fire pacing prove an ideal match for Addams’s weird world, but this isn’t just an exercise in aesthetics; the casting is the key to bringing these characters to life. Raul Julia and Anjelica Huston find the perfect mixture of cheerful darkness and playful romance as Gomez and Morticia Addams, Christopher Lloyd gives Uncle Fester a delightful innocence, and Christina Ricci found her breakthrough role as the deadpan daughter Wednesday.‘This Is Us’ Seasons 1-6 (July 8)Stream it here.When “This Is Us” debuted in 2016, The New York Times described it as “skillful, shameless tear jerking,” and that description was apt throughout its six-season run. Its creator, Dan Fogelman, borrows its setup from films like “Short Cuts” and “Magnolia”: interwoven stories of seemingly unrelated strangers, bound together by random chance (in this case, four characters who share a date of birth). The show isn’t exactly subtle — the tragedies and troubles come down like the sheets of rain that seems to accompany every emotional moment — but it delivers what it promises, and the stellar cast (including Sterling K. Brown, Justin Hartley, Chrissy Metz, Mandy Moore, Chris Sullivan and Milo Ventimiglia) elevates many of the cornier moments.‘Barbie’ (July 15)Stream it here.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
