Myles McNutt
@memles.bsky.social
Media Scholar at Old Dominion University and Editor-in-Chief of TV criticism newsletter Episodic Medium
Shoutout to @lilywrites.bsky.social who agreed to be onboarded to Episodic Medium giving up many of her holidays to cover #StrangerThings. Honor her sacrifice—including $40 of AMC snacks* consumed at an atrocious viewing angle—by subscribing to read her take on the finale.
Review: Stranger Things, "The Rightside Up" | Season 5, Episode 8
"How do we know it's true?" / "We don't."
www.episodicmedium.tv
January 2, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Shoutout to @lilywrites.bsky.social who agreed to be onboarded to Episodic Medium giving up many of her holidays to cover #StrangerThings. Honor her sacrifice—including $40 of AMC snacks* consumed at an atrocious viewing angle—by subscribing to read her take on the finale.
My primary #StrangerThings take is that a show this committed to conspicuous music licensing cutting the hell out of the two biggest needle drops in its finale was A Choice.
January 1, 2026 at 6:10 PM
My primary #StrangerThings take is that a show this committed to conspicuous music licensing cutting the hell out of the two biggest needle drops in its finale was A Choice.
TFW you’re constantly criticized for your protagonists being too old so you stick this dude in the crowd at graduation. #StrangerThings
January 1, 2026 at 3:04 AM
TFW you’re constantly criticized for your protagonists being too old so you stick this dude in the crowd at graduation. #StrangerThings
As it seems Marty Supreme* is the latest film to reactivate the discourse about Box Office Reporting, I'm just going to link (not for the first time this month) to the conversation I had with @kristenwarner.bsky.social about Sinners vs. the Asterisk People.
* Yes, there's an asterisk here too.
* Yes, there's an asterisk here too.
Week-to-Week: Sinners' Box Office vs. the Asterisk People
Kristen Warner returns to break down the discourse around the contentious performance of Ryan Coogler's latest film
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 30, 2025 at 12:49 AM
As it seems Marty Supreme* is the latest film to reactivate the discourse about Box Office Reporting, I'm just going to link (not for the first time this month) to the conversation I had with @kristenwarner.bsky.social about Sinners vs. the Asterisk People.
* Yes, there's an asterisk here too.
* Yes, there's an asterisk here too.
The AI Slop Jigsaw Puzzle situation is as bad as you’ve heard. Choose your fighter!
December 29, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The AI Slop Jigsaw Puzzle situation is as bad as you’ve heard. Choose your fighter!
Reposted by Myles McNutt
I've spent the last two weeks pouring cold water on people speculating about #HeatedRivalry's award hopes, so this holiday newsletter explores why people care, the technicalities that make it impossible, and the one U.S. award it's allowed to compete for.
Week-to-Week: The Cold Reality of Heated Rivalry's Award Hopes
And the one U.S. award the show is 100% eligible for
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 27, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I've spent the last two weeks pouring cold water on people speculating about #HeatedRivalry's award hopes, so this holiday newsletter explores why people care, the technicalities that make it impossible, and the one U.S. award it's allowed to compete for.
This is actively false: the version of 60 Minutes that aired in primetime as a simulcast was the same as what CBS aired, but they had prescheduled the clipped version of the segment for their digital platform before it was pulled, and no one thought to remove it. There's no evidence of intent.
December 27, 2025 at 8:54 PM
This is actively false: the version of 60 Minutes that aired in primetime as a simulcast was the same as what CBS aired, but they had prescheduled the clipped version of the segment for their digital platform before it was pulled, and no one thought to remove it. There's no evidence of intent.
I've spent the last two weeks pouring cold water on people speculating about #HeatedRivalry's award hopes, so this holiday newsletter explores why people care, the technicalities that make it impossible, and the one U.S. award it's allowed to compete for.
Week-to-Week: The Cold Reality of Heated Rivalry's Award Hopes
And the one U.S. award the show is 100% eligible for
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 27, 2025 at 8:32 PM
I've spent the last two weeks pouring cold water on people speculating about #HeatedRivalry's award hopes, so this holiday newsletter explores why people care, the technicalities that make it impossible, and the one U.S. award it's allowed to compete for.
I’ll bite: the Avatar films are as successful as they because they don’t come with the expectation they need to become a part of your personality to enjoy them, and don’t require homework to go to the movies at a time of year when people ritually go to the movies.
December 27, 2025 at 4:05 PM
I’ll bite: the Avatar films are as successful as they because they don’t come with the expectation they need to become a part of your personality to enjoy them, and don’t require homework to go to the movies at a time of year when people ritually go to the movies.
I love that the comments on this DC Facebook post are split between people confused because they don’t know #HeatedRivalry exists and people who never saw #Joker2 and are thus doubly lost.
December 27, 2025 at 5:14 AM
I love that the comments on this DC Facebook post are split between people confused because they don’t know #HeatedRivalry exists and people who never saw #Joker2 and are thus doubly lost.
I can tell I'm going to spend the next 15 months checking the Kindle charts and lamenting people denying themselves the most satisfying narrative experience of the Game Changers series: watching Ilya in the background of Role Model knowing you'll get context in The Long Game. #HeatedRivalry
December 27, 2025 at 4:06 AM
I can tell I'm going to spend the next 15 months checking the Kindle charts and lamenting people denying themselves the most satisfying narrative experience of the Game Changers series: watching Ilya in the background of Role Model knowing you'll get context in The Long Game. #HeatedRivalry
Reposted by Myles McNutt
You know that the Crave social team are Gen Z and not millennials because I had to make these myself. #HeatedRivalry
December 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
You know that the Crave social team are Gen Z and not millennials because I had to make these myself. #HeatedRivalry
Say what you will about #StrangerThings, but something this big coming to an end is something you want to discuss.
No better space than in the comments of @lilywrites.bsky.social's reviews at Episodic Medium.
No better space than in the comments of @lilywrites.bsky.social's reviews at Episodic Medium.
Review: Stranger Things, "Shock Jock" | Season 5, Episode 5
Let me Google that for you
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 26, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Say what you will about #StrangerThings, but something this big coming to an end is something you want to discuss.
No better space than in the comments of @lilywrites.bsky.social's reviews at Episodic Medium.
No better space than in the comments of @lilywrites.bsky.social's reviews at Episodic Medium.
Okay, we're hashing it out in the comments of my #HeatedRivalry finale review: how old do you think Scott Hunter is circa 2017 in the show?
December 26, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Okay, we're hashing it out in the comments of my #HeatedRivalry finale review: how old do you think Scott Hunter is circa 2017 in the show?
You know that the Crave social team are Gen Z and not millennials because I had to make these myself. #HeatedRivalry
December 26, 2025 at 5:15 PM
You know that the Crave social team are Gen Z and not millennials because I had to make these myself. #HeatedRivalry
The #HeatedRivalry finale pays off the emotional arc of Shane and Ilya’s journey with purpose and clarity.
So much so, in fact, that I struggle with how they’ll continue the story in subsequent seasons without serious intervention.
My review of the finale is up for Episodic Medium subscribers.
So much so, in fact, that I struggle with how they’ll continue the story in subsequent seasons without serious intervention.
My review of the finale is up for Episodic Medium subscribers.
Review: Heated Rivalry, "The Cottage" | Season 1, Episode 6
An emotional triumph creates narrative uncertainties
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 26, 2025 at 1:18 PM
The #HeatedRivalry finale pays off the emotional arc of Shane and Ilya’s journey with purpose and clarity.
So much so, in fact, that I struggle with how they’ll continue the story in subsequent seasons without serious intervention.
My review of the finale is up for Episodic Medium subscribers.
So much so, in fact, that I struggle with how they’ll continue the story in subsequent seasons without serious intervention.
My review of the finale is up for Episodic Medium subscribers.
To think that two months ago #HeatedRivalry was going to be confined to Canada, and now I’m scheduling 3600 words to go up at 1am and all my social feeds are talking about the cottage.
What a time to be alive.
What a time to be alive.
December 26, 2025 at 2:21 AM
To think that two months ago #HeatedRivalry was going to be confined to Canada, and now I’m scheduling 3600 words to go up at 1am and all my social feeds are talking about the cottage.
What a time to be alive.
What a time to be alive.
Addendum for those I've seen wondering about #HeatedRivalry Golden Globes: they have the same rule re: foreign productions, and if I'm reading this right, the show would also not be eligible next year because the rule allowing it to submit despite finishing airing this calendar year will be dead?
December 24, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Addendum for those I've seen wondering about #HeatedRivalry Golden Globes: they have the same rule re: foreign productions, and if I'm reading this right, the show would also not be eligible next year because the rule allowing it to submit despite finishing airing this calendar year will be dead?
I’m shocked that it took until 800k before a meaningful gap—still under 5%—emerged between the actor playing the exciting character and the actor playing the canonically boring one. Impressive. #HeatedRivalry
December 24, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I’m shocked that it took until 800k before a meaningful gap—still under 5%—emerged between the actor playing the exciting character and the actor playing the canonically boring one. Impressive. #HeatedRivalry
It was a pleasure to edit @donnadb.bsky.social's #Pluribus reviews this season, and special thanks to Apple for being weird about episodic stills and forcing me to take screenshots instead—as enjoyable as an annoyance could be.
Her review of the finale is here for Episodic Medium subscribers.
Her review of the finale is here for Episodic Medium subscribers.
Review: Pluribus, "La Chica o el Mundo" | Season 1, Episode 9
Trust the machine that says "Unknown word or name," not the one that acts like your friend
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 24, 2025 at 7:58 PM
It was a pleasure to edit @donnadb.bsky.social's #Pluribus reviews this season, and special thanks to Apple for being weird about episodic stills and forcing me to take screenshots instead—as enjoyable as an annoyance could be.
Her review of the finale is here for Episodic Medium subscribers.
Her review of the finale is here for Episodic Medium subscribers.
A final reminder for your last minute holiday gifting needs (or if you need some distraction from the holidays and want to read the great things my contributors wrote this year).
It's the end of 2025, and that means it's time to spotlight the amazing work of Episodic Medium's contributors.
I've removed the paywall on a review by each, meaning here's 17 great reviews (and one of mine) from this year, plus 10% off yearly subscriptions (and gift subscriptions).
I've removed the paywall on a review by each, meaning here's 17 great reviews (and one of mine) from this year, plus 10% off yearly subscriptions (and gift subscriptions).
Year-to-Year: 18 Gifts of Criticism by Episodic Medium's Contributors
And a special Gift Subscription offer for your holiday needs
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 24, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A final reminder for your last minute holiday gifting needs (or if you need some distraction from the holidays and want to read the great things my contributors wrote this year).
My entire life has been building to this week, when I get to embed Hinterland Who’s Who into a review for entirely necessary reasons. #IYKYK #HeatedRivalry
Hinterland Who's Who: The Loon
YouTube video by NationalFilmBoardFan
youtu.be
December 23, 2025 at 12:02 PM
My entire life has been building to this week, when I get to embed Hinterland Who’s Who into a review for entirely necessary reasons. #IYKYK #HeatedRivalry
Reposted by Myles McNutt
The question of whether Heated Rivalry can win Emmys is actually far more complicated than I ever expected — but don't give up hope yet! Huge thanks to @memles.bsky.social for inspiring this piece and giving expert Canadian TV guidance
I Think ‘Heated Rivalry’ Deserves Emmy Recognition — Too Bad About This Catch
The breakout drama, streaming on HBO Max and Canada’s Crave, might be put in the penalty box for TV’s biggest awards
theankler.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:05 PM
The question of whether Heated Rivalry can win Emmys is actually far more complicated than I ever expected — but don't give up hope yet! Huge thanks to @memles.bsky.social for inspiring this piece and giving expert Canadian TV guidance
It’s the holidays and I have a decent amount of actual work to do, but just know I want to write an entire newsletter about the perspective choices being made in the grammar on the Instagram account for Simon Cowell’s Netflix boy band.
December 22, 2025 at 3:54 AM
It’s the holidays and I have a decent amount of actual work to do, but just know I want to write an entire newsletter about the perspective choices being made in the grammar on the Instagram account for Simon Cowell’s Netflix boy band.
Reposted by Myles McNutt
I appreciate that, because of how things shake out with contributor names, I get to truly wrap up this spotlight.
It's the end of 2025, and that means it's time to spotlight the amazing work of Episodic Medium's contributors.
I've removed the paywall on a review by each, meaning here's 17 great reviews (and one of mine) from this year, plus 10% off yearly subscriptions (and gift subscriptions).
I've removed the paywall on a review by each, meaning here's 17 great reviews (and one of mine) from this year, plus 10% off yearly subscriptions (and gift subscriptions).
Year-to-Year: 18 Gifts of Criticism by Episodic Medium's Contributors
And a special Gift Subscription offer for your holiday needs
www.episodicmedium.tv
December 17, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I appreciate that, because of how things shake out with contributor names, I get to truly wrap up this spotlight.