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9.4

Always a good time to have A Man on the Inside

By: Tim Stevens

Netflix teams with Michael Schur for a heartfelt comedy with an excellent Ted Danson at its center.

9.3

Silo Season 2 give plenty of reasons to go back underground

By: Tim Stevens

AppleTV+’s hushed sci-fi series returns, more contemplative than ever.

8.5

Cut to Interior Chinatown, with flair

By: Tim Stevens

The Hulu series features good performances and plenty of stylish choices but ends up less than the sum of its parts.

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

8.4

Out of My Mind captures ups and downs of disabled tween life

By: Tim Stevens

Disney+’s adaptation of Sharon M. Draper's novel honors its characters largely without treacle.

8.2

The spectacle of Gladiator II wants to whisk you away — Let it.

Ridley Scott’s followiup to his 2000 Oscar-winner is unlikely to repeat at the Awards, but is still an entertaining epic that feels plucked from another era of Hollywood.

7.4

Perhaps now is the best time for Joy

By: Tim Stevens

The period drama benefits from arriving during a very difficult time for reproductive rights.

6.8

A cluttered caseload leads to a scattered Cross

By: Tim Stevens

Aldis Hodge is a perfect fit for the lead, but the overstuffed series somehow has too much and too little to say.

8.0

The Stanford Prison Experiment: Unlocking the Truth staunchly refuses to take sides

By: Tim Stevens

The three-part documentary series explores the landmark psych study in-depth but offers few conclusions.

7.3

There are worse hospitals to visit than St. Denis Medical

By: Tim Stevens

NBC’s latest mockumentary offering delivers some laughs but isn’t yet a top provider.

The 25 Best Films of 2023

The best films of the year include gritty crime dramas, auteurs returning with bold new works, and quirky comedies.

The 25 Best TV Shows of 2023

From aliens to vampires, this year's TV offered bittersweet goodbyes to acclaimed shows and bold debuts from new voices.

The 25 Best TV Shows of 2022

The ongoing refrain of every TV critic, especially come end-of-year time: There’s too much TV. This year is no exception, with networks and streaming services alike competing for our attention with one big-budget, well-crafted set of eight-to-ten-hour stories after another. It’s the kind of model that doesn’t seem built to last, and 2022 might see ... The 25 Best TV Shows of 2022

The 25 Best Films of 2022

From After Yang to Top Gun, we break down our favorite movies of the year.

How to Watch Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North Without Cable

After training camp, Hard Knocks returns in season, but for the first time in its history, chronicling an entire division instead of one team. With AFC North’s winning record last season, the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers all battle for the division crown, bringing some of the greatest rivalries together in ... How to Watch Hard Knocks: In Season With the AFC North Without Cable

How to Watch Outlander Season 7 Part 2 Without Cable

After one whole decade traveling through time, Outlander returns from its break to deliver the rest of season 7. It was quite a wait, but with a longer season, fans are excited to see where the show is going to take the Fraser family next. Where to watch Outlander Season 7 Part 2 The second ... How to Watch Outlander Season 7 Part 2 Without Cable

How to Watch AEW Rampage without Cable (November 1, 2024)

The November 2 edition of AEW Rampage is taped post-Dynamite at Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The previous week would see Ricochet make his case for International Champion Konosuke Takeshita, by handily defeating “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne. The first match announced for this week’s Rampage is high-flying whirlwind action between Lio Rush and Komander, as ... How to Watch AEW Rampage without Cable (November 1, 2024)

How to Watch AEW Collision without Cable (November 2, 2024)

The November 2 edition of AEW Collision takes place at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. The previous week continued Collision’s trend of shining a bigger spotlight on the women’s division than other AEW programming, featuring the AEW return of Penelope Ford after 2 years, a follow-up challenge to Ford by Jamie Hayter, and Anna Jay ... How to Watch AEW Collision without Cable (November 2, 2024)

How to Watch AEW Dynamite without Cable (November 6, 2024)

The November 6 edition of AEW Dynamite takes place at SNHU Arena in Manchester, NH. Fright Night Dynamite the previous week saw Private Party defeat 3-time champs the Young Bucks to become World Tag Team Champions for the first time, plus the debut of Bobby Lashley. The following episode sees AEW originals Jamie Hayter and ... How to Watch AEW Dynamite without Cable (November 6, 2024)

How to Watch WWE NXT without Cable (November 6, 2024)

Due to the US presidential elections on November 5, NXT moves to Wednesday, November 6 held at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena, better known to wrestling fans as the ECW Arena. The previous episode saw NXT Heritage Cup Champion Charlie Dempsey, and NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer & Axiom defend each of their titles successfully; plus ... How to Watch WWE NXT without Cable (November 6, 2024)

How to Watch AEW Rampage without Cable (November 1, 2024)

The November 2 edition of AEW Rampage is taped post-Dynamite at Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The previous week would see Ricochet make his case for International Champion Konosuke Takeshita, by handily defeating “The Prodigy” Nick Wayne. The first match announced for this week’s Rampage is high-flying whirlwind action between Lio Rush and Komander, as ... How to Watch AEW Rampage without Cable (November 1, 2024)

How to Watch AEW Collision without Cable (November 2, 2024)

The November 2 edition of AEW Collision takes place at Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. The previous week continued Collision’s trend of shining a bigger spotlight on the women’s division than other AEW programming, featuring the AEW return of Penelope Ford after 2 years, a follow-up challenge to Ford by Jamie Hayter, and Anna Jay ... How to Watch AEW Collision without Cable (November 2, 2024)

How to Watch AEW Dynamite without Cable (November 6, 2024)

The November 6 edition of AEW Dynamite takes place at SNHU Arena in Manchester, NH. Fright Night Dynamite the previous week saw Private Party defeat 3-time champs the Young Bucks to become World Tag Team Champions for the first time, plus the debut of Bobby Lashley. The following episode sees AEW originals Jamie Hayter and ... How to Watch AEW Dynamite without Cable (November 6, 2024)

How to Watch WWE NXT without Cable (November 6, 2024)

Due to the US presidential elections on November 5, NXT moves to Wednesday, November 6 held at Philadelphia’s 2300 Arena, better known to wrestling fans as the ECW Arena. The previous episode saw NXT Heritage Cup Champion Charlie Dempsey, and NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer & Axiom defend each of their titles successfully; plus ... How to Watch WWE NXT without Cable (November 6, 2024)

How to Watch Smackdown without Cable (November 1, 2024)

The November 1 edition of WWE Smackdown is pre-taped at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY (ahead of Crown Jewel live in Saudi Arabia the next day, November 2nd). The previous week saw a shock title change when MCMG became the new WWE Tag Team Champions, and more matches added to the Crown Jewel card, such ... How to Watch Smackdown without Cable (November 1, 2024)

How to Watch Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 without Cable

Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 takes place Saturday, December 21 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This bout is for Usyk’s Ring Magazine, WBC, WBO, and WBA World Heavyweight Titles, and is a rematch from their bout in May this year where Usyk defeated Fury by split decision for the undisputed title. Usyk ... How to Watch Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury 2 without Cable

The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial

The praises of live TV streaming services don’t need to be further sung. By now, we all know that compared to clunky, commitment-heavy cable, live TV is cheaper and much easier to manage. But just in case you’re still on the fence about jumping over to the other side, or if you’re just unhappy with ... The Best Live TV Streaming Services With Free Trial

The Cheapest Live TV Streaming Services (< $40)

Cord-cutting once carried the promise of reducing live TV costs, but with most services nearing a $100 per month, that statement checks less every day. That said, there is a handful of cord-cutting services with reasonable monthly prices. Below we list them.

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