“Star Trek: Picard” Forges New Bonds From Old Ones on “Nepenthe”

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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.

“Star Trek Picard” Tries to Roll Sevens in “Stardust City Rag”

Seven of Nine slings guns and runs a heist in an episode that's tonally all over the map.

Doctor Who: “The Haunting of Villa Diodati” Gets Cyber-Spooky

A low-key historical ghost story turns into some lore-building terror for the Doctor. Okay, so the Oscars, a busy social schedule, and the lingering effects of Sundance flu meant I managed to skip last week’s Doctor Who, “Can You Hear Me?”, but suffice to say it was a strong, but scattershot hour that soared best ... Doctor Who: “The Haunting of Villa Diodati” Gets Cyber-Spooky

Review: Shaun the Sheep Flocks To Shear Sci-Fi Fun With “Farmageddon”

Aardman is back with another charming children's romp in the Shaun the Sheep series.

Star Trek Picard Episode 4: “Absolute Candor” Mines Its Hero’s Regrets

The show finally finds its groove with a detour, an abandoned boy, and a lost cause.

Star Trek Picard: “The End Is the Beginning” Stumbles to Gather Its Crew

Synthetic threats and synthetic relationships pepper Picard's "gather the team" episode.

Doctor Who: “Praxeus” Makes For Serviceable Space Filler

Season 12 continues its upward trajectory with a perfectly-fine adventure with a few interesting supporting players.

Festivals

Sundance 2020: “Possessor” Is a Grab Bag of Sci-Fi Clichés

Brandon Cronenberg's second feature is a po-faced collection of genre tropes that wastes its cast and a modest sense of style.

“Star Trek: Picard” Goes Fine, But Not Boldly

Patrick Stewart returns to his iconic role in a new Star Trek series in desperate need of a shakedown cruise.

Color Out of Space: Home on Deranged

Richard Stanley makes his feature directing return with a can’t-miss combination of Nicolas Cage and H.P. Lovecraft.

Columns

Criterion Corner: “Antonio Gaudi” “Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman”

A re-release of an architecture doc and a thrilling box set of Karel Zeman's imaginative special effects work number among Criterion's offerings this month.

“Nikola Tesla’s Night of Terror” Puts “Doctor Who” Back on Track

Spurned inventors and a chilling villain make for one of the most coherent, moving episodes of Whittaker's tenure.

In Space, No One Can Hear You Ask for a Refund on “Avenue 5”

Armando Iannucci's followup to Veep takes on the vagaries of corporate culture in deep space.

Doctor Who: “Orphan 55” Brings Out the Dregs of the Show

The latest episode tries to be a corridor-chasing lark and a climate change allegory and fails mightily at both.

“Underwater” Is a Deep-Sea Dive Into Mediocrity

Kristen Stewart battles a sinking sealab and aquatic beasties in this drab, but workable deep-sea thriller.

Doctor Who: “Spyfall Part 2” Rights the Ship In a Big Way

A spotty first half turns into a thrilling, crackerjack conclusion, and a startling set up for the new season.

Doctor Who Season 12 Premiere Recap: “Spyfall” Is a Masterful Caper

The long-running BBC series returns for a rushed, flashy season premiere with an audacious twist that might just turn the show around.

Box Office Report

Box Office Report: “Star Wars” Stays On Top With $72 Million

The closing chapter of the Star Wars sequel trilogy maintains a steady second-weekend box office haul.

Features

Every Episode of “The Mandalorian”, Ranked

From the first time we meet Baby Yoda to the final trek of the Razor Crest, we look back at the highs and lows of The Mandalorian's first season.

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