Today the show has been embraced by a new generation, and it shaped new age of TV that pushed new boundaries in terms of narrative and formal expectations & demands—what @jmittell.bsky.social labels "complex tv." And today the ending is often cited as one of the best of all time 4/4

Some thought the cable had gone out. Many were angry their long investment in the saga was to be left unresolved: was Tony assassinated? Does he just go on as before? Creator David Chase defended the ending as preserving the uncertainty that shaped the lives of the characters since episode 1. 3/4

In the last scene, Tony is with his family at a diner; “Don’t Stop Believin’” plays in the background. The camera cuts between Tony’s POV, the entrance, & other patrons. Just as his daughter Meadow is about to enter, Tony looks up—& the screen cuts to black before the credits roll in silence. 2/4

Donald's transformation from a slacker in the Idle Hour Club in THE WISE LITTLE HEN to an *almost* respectable middle-class citizen is fascinating. "Almost," because Donald remains a bachelor and both his childcare duties & lack of a career marks him a marginal figure in 1950s Duckburg/America. 3/3

From this minor role, Donald's popularity will go on to rival that of Mickey himself, even starring in his own series of animated shorts. Beginning in 1943, Carl Barks will take Donald on a remarkable series of comic book adventures with his nephews and his irascible Uncle Scrooge. 2/3

It goes without saying that the novel is having something of a moment in 2025.

The novel gifted popular culture with many words and concepts including: Big Brother, doublespeak, Thought Police—not to mention "Orwellian" and "1984." 2/2

The show ended in 1942 following the entrance of the US into World War II. But its popularity laid the foundation for further advancements in educational public radio and tv—culminating with the signing of the 1967 Public Broadcasting Act & the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting 2/2

My last visit to a drive-in was 27 years ago, in Newton, Iowa, at the Valle Drive-in, infant son in tow. MEN IN BLACK, I think, although the star of the show was a tremendous storm that had everyone huddled in their cars scanning the skies for tornadoes. It was awesome—I must do that again 4/4

Today there are around 120 drive-ins in the U.S., in 25 states. Their ongoing survival, however attenuated, speaks to something unique about the experience, despite so many more convenient and frankly better ways to watch movies if the point is, well, watching the movie. 3/4

By the 1970s, with gas skyrocketing and cars getting smaller (and less comfortable for hanging out for a double feature with your friends), the drive-in began to decline—accelerating following in the 80s with VHS and in early 21st century with DVD and then streaming. 2/4