Nina Metz
@ninametz.bsky.social
TV and film critic for the Chicago Tribune
https://www.chicagotribune.com/author/nina-metz/
Newsletter: Nina Watches Everything
https://buttondown.com/NinaWatchesEverything
https://www.chicagotribune.com/author/nina-metz/
Newsletter: Nina Watches Everything
https://buttondown.com/NinaWatchesEverything
Pinned
Nina Metz
@ninametz.bsky.social
· Oct 10
Why is the reboot of “Law & Order” so bad?
It’s as if everyone forgot how to make the show.
buttondown.com
Why is the reboot of “Law & Order” so bad?
I get into it in this week’s newsletter
Read! Subscribe! It’s free!
I get into it in this week’s newsletter
Read! Subscribe! It’s free!
Reposted by Nina Metz
Take the wins where you can.
November 10, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Take the wins where you can.
I have a neighbor who seems to fancy himself a musician but hooboy he's not good at all, whether he's playing his bass guitar or singing while playing his acoustic guitar (his voice is terrible, alas!)
But I just heard him playing the harmonica (badly, of course) and, ya know, I don't mind it!
But I just heard him playing the harmonica (badly, of course) and, ya know, I don't mind it!
November 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
I have a neighbor who seems to fancy himself a musician but hooboy he's not good at all, whether he's playing his bass guitar or singing while playing his acoustic guitar (his voice is terrible, alas!)
But I just heard him playing the harmonica (badly, of course) and, ya know, I don't mind it!
But I just heard him playing the harmonica (badly, of course) and, ya know, I don't mind it!
Reposted by Nina Metz
BREAKING: We won!
Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.
pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.
pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
November 10, 2025 at 5:48 PM
BREAKING: We won!
Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.
pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
Today the 3rd Circuit Court ordered the @post-gazette.com to restore our contract it illegally tore up 5 years ago. That’s our health care, PTO, right to a 40-hr. work week, short-term disability and so much more we’ve struck for 3+ years.
pghguild.com/2025/11/10/p...
She's president of the European Union ffs! 🤦♀️
Scientists just called out Ursula von der Leyen for claiming that AI will match human reasoning by 2026. Her "evidence" consisted, it turns out, of CEO statements from OpenAI, Anthropic and Nvidia. Not research. Marketing materials. 🧵
#AI #PublicServices #TechHype #Politics #NHS #EUPolitics
#AI #PublicServices #TechHype #Politics #NHS #EUPolitics
November 10, 2025 at 6:49 PM
She's president of the European Union ffs! 🤦♀️
Reposted by Nina Metz
Bluesky, a reintroduction!
I’m an investigative reporter @chicagotribune.com covering big stories. Now focused on immigration. But I’ll take any tips about people being hurt by government, junk science, healthcare, business or anybody else. Reach out gpratt@chicagotribune.com or Signal grp.27
I’m an investigative reporter @chicagotribune.com covering big stories. Now focused on immigration. But I’ll take any tips about people being hurt by government, junk science, healthcare, business or anybody else. Reach out gpratt@chicagotribune.com or Signal grp.27
November 10, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Bluesky, a reintroduction!
I’m an investigative reporter @chicagotribune.com covering big stories. Now focused on immigration. But I’ll take any tips about people being hurt by government, junk science, healthcare, business or anybody else. Reach out gpratt@chicagotribune.com or Signal grp.27
I’m an investigative reporter @chicagotribune.com covering big stories. Now focused on immigration. But I’ll take any tips about people being hurt by government, junk science, healthcare, business or anybody else. Reach out gpratt@chicagotribune.com or Signal grp.27
Depressing to see one giant media co gobbling up another in the UK, mirroring what's happening in the US: "Scale itself isn’t the answer. The entertainment business isn’t the same as making widgets"
And TY to Rick for mentioning my newsletter!
(You can read it here buttondown.com/NinaWatchesE...)
And TY to Rick for mentioning my newsletter!
(You can read it here buttondown.com/NinaWatchesE...)
November 10, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Depressing to see one giant media co gobbling up another in the UK, mirroring what's happening in the US: "Scale itself isn’t the answer. The entertainment business isn’t the same as making widgets"
And TY to Rick for mentioning my newsletter!
(You can read it here buttondown.com/NinaWatchesE...)
And TY to Rick for mentioning my newsletter!
(You can read it here buttondown.com/NinaWatchesE...)
Reposted by Nina Metz
If “cruelty is the point” is a totally viable means of governance then it’s also means “kindness above all else” is also viable.
November 10, 2025 at 5:23 PM
If “cruelty is the point” is a totally viable means of governance then it’s also means “kindness above all else” is also viable.
Reposted by Nina Metz
We're probably a year away from someone dropping what they'll describe as a "griping Romeo & Juliet story" about an ICE agent falling for a woman he tear-gassed while kidnapping her father.
It'll be written by a white woman from a law enforcement family, and she'll be *shocked* by the backlash.
It'll be written by a white woman from a law enforcement family, and she'll be *shocked* by the backlash.
They’re going to try, they’re going to find a very popular actor, and they’ll shoot it morosely, and they’ll tell you they’re really trying to “honor the story” of the people they targeted for kidnapping and detention amid this psychological study.
November 10, 2025 at 4:40 PM
We're probably a year away from someone dropping what they'll describe as a "griping Romeo & Juliet story" about an ICE agent falling for a woman he tear-gassed while kidnapping her father.
It'll be written by a white woman from a law enforcement family, and she'll be *shocked* by the backlash.
It'll be written by a white woman from a law enforcement family, and she'll be *shocked* by the backlash.
Reposted by Nina Metz
Had a great convo with an artist I know who’s looking for a way to help out. We talked about how there are images photogs often won’t share right now to avoid incriminating folks & talked about the possibility of trusted artists creating illustrations that don’t reveal people’s real world features.
November 10, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Had a great convo with an artist I know who’s looking for a way to help out. We talked about how there are images photogs often won’t share right now to avoid incriminating folks & talked about the possibility of trusted artists creating illustrations that don’t reveal people’s real world features.
Reposted by Nina Metz
Reposted by Nina Metz
As promised, a lot of Annoying New Wave Guy opinions, but I did come up with some Normal Guy ones after all (namely that Godard’s not much of a character in it!)
boxd.it/bFbSs3
boxd.it/bFbSs3
A review of Nouvelle Vague (2025)
The New Wave is not a look. I'm not even sure it's an aesthetic. And yet, 70 years after Agnes Varda made her first film and 67 years after Chabrol brought the Cahiers crew into it, the primary lesson...
boxd.it
November 10, 2025 at 5:28 PM
As promised, a lot of Annoying New Wave Guy opinions, but I did come up with some Normal Guy ones after all (namely that Godard’s not much of a character in it!)
boxd.it/bFbSs3
boxd.it/bFbSs3
Border Patrol Agents Pose At The Bean For Apparent Photo Op
The photo op came after agents tear-gassed a Little Village street and were spotted in the area numerous times. At the Bean, one agent shouted, “Everyone say, ‘Little Village!'”
Via Block Club @colinbphoto.bsky.social
The photo op came after agents tear-gassed a Little Village street and were spotted in the area numerous times. At the Bean, one agent shouted, “Everyone say, ‘Little Village!'”
Via Block Club @colinbphoto.bsky.social
Border Patrol Agents Pose At The Bean For Apparent Photo Op
The photo op came after agents tear-gassed a Little Village street and were spotted in the area numerous times. At the Bean, one agent shouted, "Everyone say, 'Little Village!'"
blockclubchicago.org
November 10, 2025 at 4:14 PM
Border Patrol Agents Pose At The Bean For Apparent Photo Op
The photo op came after agents tear-gassed a Little Village street and were spotted in the area numerous times. At the Bean, one agent shouted, “Everyone say, ‘Little Village!'”
Via Block Club @colinbphoto.bsky.social
The photo op came after agents tear-gassed a Little Village street and were spotted in the area numerous times. At the Bean, one agent shouted, “Everyone say, ‘Little Village!'”
Via Block Club @colinbphoto.bsky.social
I like this conversation, which is about music criticism specifically but arts/pop culture criticism more generally
This Is Not a Review of Taylor Swift’s New Album. It’s a Review … of the Reviews. | Cannonball
YouTube video by Cannonball with Wesley Morris
www.youtube.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:07 PM
I like this conversation, which is about music criticism specifically but arts/pop culture criticism more generally
She's a decent actor
She does not imo have star charisma (on screen or in her public persona as a celebrity)
And she isn't offering something Hollywood can't find in other actors who have a similar look and level of skill/talent (Amanda Seyfried, Chloe Grace Moretz, etc.)
She does not imo have star charisma (on screen or in her public persona as a celebrity)
And she isn't offering something Hollywood can't find in other actors who have a similar look and level of skill/talent (Amanda Seyfried, Chloe Grace Moretz, etc.)
Is Sydney Sweeney that good of an actress for this kind of commotion?
November 10, 2025 at 1:54 PM
She's a decent actor
She does not imo have star charisma (on screen or in her public persona as a celebrity)
And she isn't offering something Hollywood can't find in other actors who have a similar look and level of skill/talent (Amanda Seyfried, Chloe Grace Moretz, etc.)
She does not imo have star charisma (on screen or in her public persona as a celebrity)
And she isn't offering something Hollywood can't find in other actors who have a similar look and level of skill/talent (Amanda Seyfried, Chloe Grace Moretz, etc.)
It's really interesting to see the neutral-to-excited response on social media to Kris Kardashian's 70th birthday party over the weekend which was, as they say, a star-studded affair
Of note: The party was hosted by Jeff Bezos at his $165 million LA mansion
Of note: The party was hosted by Jeff Bezos at his $165 million LA mansion
November 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
It's really interesting to see the neutral-to-excited response on social media to Kris Kardashian's 70th birthday party over the weekend which was, as they say, a star-studded affair
Of note: The party was hosted by Jeff Bezos at his $165 million LA mansion
Of note: The party was hosted by Jeff Bezos at his $165 million LA mansion
Reposted by Nina Metz
And now we know why the shutdown is ending.
The Federal Aviation Administration will limit business jets and other private flights to some of the country’s largest airports to ease strains on air-traffic personnel.
FAA Limits Private Aircraft Flights at Major Airports
The restrictions will affect private jet flights at a dozen airports, including Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, and Chicago’s O’Hare, according to the National Business Aviation Association trade group.
on.wsj.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:11 PM
And now we know why the shutdown is ending.
Reposted by Nina Metz
This from Jen is good. I also listened to this podcast (on her rec) and in addition to everything she says, I was gobsmacked by how naive the host was about this guy EVEN AFTER being scammed by him.
New Note from a Hired Pen: I listened to The Wedding Scammer from The Ringer. I wasn't surprised the conman started by stiffing freelancers, nor that he used the same excuse I've heard a dozen times before jenamiller.com/notes-from-a...
Notes from a Hired Pen: Listen to the words of a man who scams freelancers - Jen A. Miller
Readers! Last week, I took a few days off to frolic in the woods of western Pennsylvania. On my drive back, I started listening to The Wedding Scammer, a 2023 podcast from the Ringer. The title is a...
jenamiller.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:14 PM
This from Jen is good. I also listened to this podcast (on her rec) and in addition to everything she says, I was gobsmacked by how naive the host was about this guy EVEN AFTER being scammed by him.
Reposted by Nina Metz
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
November 9, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer.
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
He is a computer safety researcher.
And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine.
In under 1600 words.
aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...
Reposted by Nina Metz
Uh...huh!
So it's not enough that Rambo is getting an origin story he really doesn't need (mainly because FIRST BLOOD *is* his origin story), but they're going to take the "kinder and lighter" approach to showing what happened to Rambo in Vietnam that left him deeply traumatized in the first place?
So it's not enough that Rambo is getting an origin story he really doesn't need (mainly because FIRST BLOOD *is* his origin story), but they're going to take the "kinder and lighter" approach to showing what happened to Rambo in Vietnam that left him deeply traumatized in the first place?
November 9, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Uh...huh!
So it's not enough that Rambo is getting an origin story he really doesn't need (mainly because FIRST BLOOD *is* his origin story), but they're going to take the "kinder and lighter" approach to showing what happened to Rambo in Vietnam that left him deeply traumatized in the first place?
So it's not enough that Rambo is getting an origin story he really doesn't need (mainly because FIRST BLOOD *is* his origin story), but they're going to take the "kinder and lighter" approach to showing what happened to Rambo in Vietnam that left him deeply traumatized in the first place?
Reposted by Nina Metz
A local community group here in Lexington, KY - CivicLex - sponsored a screening of this documentary this past week, with sponsorship from dozens of other community clubs + groups at our community-owned and operated (non-profit) Kentucky Theatre. Hundreds attended! Democracy depends on community!
November 9, 2025 at 4:47 PM
A local community group here in Lexington, KY - CivicLex - sponsored a screening of this documentary this past week, with sponsorship from dozens of other community clubs + groups at our community-owned and operated (non-profit) Kentucky Theatre. Hundreds attended! Democracy depends on community!
Reposted by Nina Metz
It’s such a depressing bellwether that “Squid Game” has a reality show spinoff … but the tagline for the show encapsulates a general sentiment that so many powers-that-be are cultivating — they WANT us lonely
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/07/l...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/07/l...
November 7, 2025 at 12:48 PM
It’s such a depressing bellwether that “Squid Game” has a reality show spinoff … but the tagline for the show encapsulates a general sentiment that so many powers-that-be are cultivating — they WANT us lonely
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/07/l...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/07/l...
Reposted by Nina Metz
Column: Forget the male loneliness panic. On TV, it’s women grappling with profound loneliness. Hollywood, it seems, is picking up on something that professional opinion-havers are not
Some thoughts on "I Love LA," "Pluribus" and, yes, even the fizzy rom-com "Nobody Wants This"
Gift link
Some thoughts on "I Love LA," "Pluribus" and, yes, even the fizzy rom-com "Nobody Wants This"
Gift link
Column: Women grapple with profound loneliness in a trio of new TV shows
HBO’s “I Love LA” and Apple’s “Pluribus” explore female loneliness, even if that’s not how they’re promoted.
www.chicagotribune.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Column: Forget the male loneliness panic. On TV, it’s women grappling with profound loneliness. Hollywood, it seems, is picking up on something that professional opinion-havers are not
Some thoughts on "I Love LA," "Pluribus" and, yes, even the fizzy rom-com "Nobody Wants This"
Gift link
Some thoughts on "I Love LA," "Pluribus" and, yes, even the fizzy rom-com "Nobody Wants This"
Gift link
Reposted by Nina Metz
This week’s newsletter:
Celebrities are meeting the moment with a mixture of self-interest and evasion. Celebrities will not save us
Read! Subscribe! It’s free!
Celebrities are meeting the moment with a mixture of self-interest and evasion. Celebrities will not save us
Read! Subscribe! It’s free!
Celebrities will not save us
Celebrities are meeting the moment with a mixture of self-interest and evasion
buttondown.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:15 PM
This week’s newsletter:
Celebrities are meeting the moment with a mixture of self-interest and evasion. Celebrities will not save us
Read! Subscribe! It’s free!
Celebrities are meeting the moment with a mixture of self-interest and evasion. Celebrities will not save us
Read! Subscribe! It’s free!
Everyone commenting that nobody wants this — nor does it address the reasons people no longer shop there — is obviously right! But I wanna point out another thing:
This very nefariously transfers ~blame~ for the company’s performance (ahem, repercussions for its choices) onto store employees
This very nefariously transfers ~blame~ for the company’s performance (ahem, repercussions for its choices) onto store employees
"Store employees are now required to smile if they are within 10 feet of a shopper.
They also must make eye contact with and wave to or greet the customer.
If they’re within four feet, the employee should ask how the customer’s day is going or if they need help."
🙄 Won't stop the boycott, y'all.
They also must make eye contact with and wave to or greet the customer.
If they’re within four feet, the employee should ask how the customer’s day is going or if they need help."
🙄 Won't stop the boycott, y'all.
Target is now requiring its employees to smile more
As the holiday season fast approaches, Target is urging its employees to add a little more “jolly” to their work routine.
www.wilx.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Everyone commenting that nobody wants this — nor does it address the reasons people no longer shop there — is obviously right! But I wanna point out another thing:
This very nefariously transfers ~blame~ for the company’s performance (ahem, repercussions for its choices) onto store employees
This very nefariously transfers ~blame~ for the company’s performance (ahem, repercussions for its choices) onto store employees
