Entertainment
How Men Were Destroyed By The Most Popular Movie Of A Generation
By Joshua Tyler
| Updated
During World War 2 millions of American men were forced to march in lockstep to their death. Whether you think the cause was just or not, the truth is that for years these men had no say, no agency, and no independence. When the war was over, those who survived were released from bondage and returned home. They responded by doing what men have always done in those circumstances: by getting away from those who would control them.
The result was the rise of the American suburb, as returning soldiers left the city life of reliance on government apparatuses like public transportation and cramped apartment regulations for a place that promised more breathing room, your own home that you controlled, and the ability to hop in a car and go anywhere you want, anytime you like. The elites who’d been ordering them around during the war were soon unsettled by this shift in American culture and launched a campaign to demonize those returning soldiers and their suburbanite quest to get the hell away from them.
This pushback against suburban flight culminated in a cultural trend that would last for decades, but it first clicked into place with a singular movie that’s still persuading impressionable minds today. This is the story of how The Graduate screenwashed Americans into redefining success as a prison and failure as the real key to happiness.
Sympathy For A Spoiled Brat
The Graduate is about a recent college graduate named Benjamin Braddock. He’s played by a young Dustin Hoffman who, in addition to being a great actor, is also naturally sympathetic. The movie begins as he’s returning home after completing college. Once home, he’s supposed to figure out his next steps, and he hates every minute of it.
We follow Braddock everywhere, and the film makes sure you sympathize with him, even when you shouldn’t. That’s important because Benjamin Braddock acts like an asshole throughout almost the entire movie.
He bails on a party his parents threw to show him how proud they are of him. He mopes around their house, freeloading, and refuses to get a job. He complains when his Dad offers to help him or when his parents say nice things about him. He’s presented with reasonable choices and opportunities, and treats them like an attack on his soul. He stalks and harasses a woman he barely knows, ruins a marriage, and uses everyone around him.
The Graduate excuses Benjamin’s behavior as if it’s everyone else that’s the problem, even though they’re doing nothing to him at all. On paper, Benjamin Braddock is a total tool, but as the Simon & Garfunkel music swells and he slinks through the flatly shot airport, the movie frames him as a victim entering a trap.
The Graduate frames Benjamin as its surrogate, creating a situation where hating him means hating yourself. You won’t do that, so with a little help from creative camera work, your brain assumes Ben’s in the right, even though he’s clearly a passive-aggressive jerk.
How Moral Reframing Turns Bad Into Good
The movie makes that ridiculous flip happen using a persuasion technique called Moral Reframing. Moral Reframing is the persuasive repositioning of behavior, motives, or outcomes so that actions widely seen as harmful, selfish, or unethical are interpreted as virtuous, principled, or necessary by shifting the moral lens through which they are judged.
The Graduate pulls off that reframing because of the way director Mike Nichols shoots and constructs his film. Nichols frequently aligns the camera with Benjamin’s POV, making the audience experience situations from his perspective. Every shot frames him behind glass, water, plastic, or some kind of architecture.
Benjamin often says very little, even when asked questions. In the real world, that behavior would be rude, but Nichols lets pauses linger, making his confusion and anxiety feel authentic and earned rather than what it really is, which is lazy and passive-aggressive.
Affected By Affect Heuristics
Early scenes show adults crowding him, speaking at him rather than to him. The camera stays close to Benjamin, trapping the viewer in his discomfort. Everything Nichols does makes sure you FEEL that he’s trapped by the world around him, and that world is the suburbs. In doing so, he’s taking advantage of something called Affect Heuristics.
Affect Heuristics are a mental shortcut all humans take, in which immediate emotional reactions, such as fear, liking, disgust, or comfort, are substituted for deliberate analysis. That means judgments of things like risk, value, or truth are guided more by feeling than by evidence.
So The Graduate never outright says the suburbs and success are evil. It doesn’t even show most of them (with one big exception, and we’ll get to HER in a minute) doing anything bad. Instead, Nichols uses reframing to make you FEEL his message. And he does it indirectly, so you’ll never notice what he’s doing to you. So while on screen you see nothing but paradise-like suburbs filled with mini mansions, swimming pools, and supportive parents and friends, The Graduate’s director subtly manipulates the audience into FEELING that, despite all evidence, this place of success is actually one of festering rot.
That’s where Mrs. Robinson comes in.
Mrs. Robinson Gets The Blame
Even if you’ve never seen The Graduate, you know who Mrs. Robinson is. An older woman who has known Benjamin since he was a baby decides to seduce him, and she does so aggressively.
She’s played by Anne Bancroft, who was actually only thirty-five at the time. Hoffman, by the way, was twenty-nine. But the movie goes out of its way to age her, while simultaneously de-aging Dustin Hoffman.
Nichols shoots Bancroft in hard, shadow-casting lighting that accentuates cheekbones and facial lines. Heavy eye makeup, dark liner, and sculpted hair add severity rather than youthfulness. In real life, Anne Bancroft was a smokeshow, but in The Graduate, nothing about her is attractive.
I know the movie’s reputation is that she’s some kind of hot MILF seductress, but that’s a marketing distraction. It’s not what the movie wants you to FEEL. The reality is that, compared to Benjamin, she looks much too old, and their entire relationship is a creepy, creepy betrayal.
What’s more, the movie puts all the blame for their creepy relationship on Mrs. Robinson and almost none on Benjamin. The Graduate never says this overtly, but she’s consistently filmed looming over Benjamin, emphasizing power and experience. Low angles and dominant framing make her imposing and authoritative. She’s always placed in adult spaces like dim bars, bedrooms, and cocktail settings that reinforce her status and power as being superior to Benjamin.
The Power Of Symbolic Guilt Transfer
Mrs. Robinson must be creepy, and she must be to blame, because she represents the movie’s true motives. Mrs. Robinson exists in the film to be the chief representative of suburbia, and it’s suburbia that The Graduate is out to destroy. This is Symbolic Guilt Transfer.
Symbolic Guilt Transfer is a persuasion effect in which negative moral judgment or blame attached to a person, image, or symbol is psychologically shifted onto the broader group, place, or idea that the figure is made to represent, causing audiences to condemn the larger target through its symbolic stand-in.
Mrs. Robinson is the rotting, putrid core at the heart of the suburbs. She’s there to make you FEEL negatively about a place, not a person, and it’s all hidden beneath a veneer of smoky-voiced, granny panties seduction.
Boring Is The Worst
But what are the suburbs really? Everyone has a nice house, they have friends, and aside from Mrs. Robinson, they seem happy and well-adjusted. The suburban lifestyle is so obviously superior to the crowded, restrictive, crime-ridden city alternatives people were familiar with in 1967 that there really was no way to attack that honestly.
So instead, The Graduate makes them dull. Boring. It makes you think BORING is the worst. That boring rots the soul, that boring turns you into Mrs. Robinson. The camera lingers on beige walls, manicured lawns, polite smiles. It sells the idea that nice things are inherently empty and creates an inverted morality in which good is bad and bad is good.
Things snowball as the movie goes on, with Benjamin basically going insane. He becomes a full-on stalker, harassing Mrs. Robinson’s daughter, who behaves like a brain-dead zombie and follows his commands for basically no reason.
Through it all, the movie’s groovy Simon & Garfunkel-powered soundtrack blares, and to audiences back then, that music felt hip and cool, a signal that Benjamin is on the right track. Seen through a modern lens, that endless 60s soundtrack sounds haunting and disturbing, and the film takes on the form of a horror movie as Benjamin increasingly acts irrationally, violently, and abusively.
Because the film was stylish, funny, and backed by a soundtrack that felt modern and restless, the teenage Boomers who piled into its audience didn’t see it as a horror movie. It felt edgy, it felt cool. It felt right. And so The Graduate spread a message of insanity and irresponsibility as optimal, based entirely on feeling and vibes. It packaged and sold a ridiculous anti-suburb, anti-responsibility lie that made success look cowardly and respect look like conformity.
Hollywood Provides Impressionable Minds Social Proof That The Graduate Is Right
The Graduate worked, and the Hollywood elite rewarded it for pushing exactly the right message. Mike Nichols won the Academy Award for Best Director, while the film earned additional Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, and Best Actress for Anne Bancroft.
It exploded into one of the era’s biggest hits, grossing over $100 million worldwide, an extraordinary figure for the late 1960s, and becoming the highest-grossing film of 1967. It’s still regarded by the modern-day press as one of the greatest films of all time, and if you ask most average Boomers about it, they’ll probably tell you The Graduate changed their entire life.
Perhaps more importantly, The Graduate’s runaway success signaled a shift toward youth-oriented propaganda and helped usher in the New Hollywood era, which led to even more manipulative films, like The Stepford Wives, which you can learn more about right here on this channel.
The Ultimate Straw Man
The powers that be couldn’t argue against the Greatest Generation’s post-World War II success, so they constructed a straw man and made people hate it. The Graduate was that straw man, a symbol of everything that stood in opposition to America’s post-War prosperity. You can’t fight a symbol.
Mike Nichols claims his intent was only to show the confusion of youth, but it’s unlikely he’s being honest. That being his only goal doesn’t explain Mrs. Robinson, or the movie’s over-the-top finish, in which Benjamin wards off suburbanites with a giant cross, as if they’re daywalking vampires.
Permanently Implanted With Catharsis
In that finale, by the way, which is the film’s propaganda masterstroke, The Graduate hard-codes all the bad ideas it’s been planting in its audience’s brains by giving them catharsis. Catharsis is an engineered emotional purge that converts built-up tension into relief, binding the audience to whatever action, character, or idea triggered the release.
So when Benjamin storms a wedding, releasing all the tension the movie’s been building up by thumbing his nose at everything, it’s like The Graduate just hit the “save program” button in your brain. It’s why The Graduate still lives rent-free in your Boomer grandparents’ heads, and why there’s no shaking them out of it.
The last we see of Benjamin, he’s boarding a bus with the girl he stalked, Mrs. Robinson’s daughter. He’s abandoned the freedom with responsibility of the suburbs and set out on an uncertain journey into nothingness. For Benjamin, oblivion is better than opportunity.
For the audience, freedom of choice is now a prison, and basic level responsibility is a curse. Congratulations, future welfare moochers, you’ve been Screenwashed.
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Anyone who’s shopped markdown sections knows the challenge of digging through a jumble of trends and colors to find pieces you’ll wear over and over. As spring begins and our closets get a revamp, we’re looking to Nordstrom’s sales section for elevated essentials that can be dressed up or down for any occasion. Right now, the retailer’s markdowns are made up of plenty of versatile styles that never get discounted — but, surprisingly, are finally on sale now.
Luckily for you, we found a range of standout essentials and everyday pieces to love. We’ve got our eyes on chic ballet flats from Cole Haan and stylish jackets from Lauren Ralph Lauren that are so classic and timeless, we couldn’t believe they were marked down! Below, discover the top pieces from rich mom staples to office-friendly separates that will earn their place in your wardrobe this season and even more seasons to come.
Designer Pieces Majorly Marked Down at Nordstrom
1. Take up to 60% off Coach
Our Pick: The two-toned hardware on this metal Coach bangle brings the subtle style a cool, elevated finish that can be mixed and matched in any jewelry stack.
Check out all Coach deals included in the sale here!
2. Take up to 72% off Vince Camuto
Our Pick: When it comes to blouses, this Vince Camuto top is perfect for everyday wear. Its light fabric and pretty ruffles look elegant and expensive, despite its 50% markdown.
Check out all Vince Camuto deals included in the sale here!
3. Take up to 50% off Adidas
Our Pick: Suede sneakers are a must-have for everyday wear, like this Adidas pair. The style comes in a wide range of colors, all grounded by practical rubber soles.
Check out all Adidas deals included in the sale here!
4. Take up to 60% off Tory Burch
Our Pick: These chic Tory Burch slides are crafted from smooth leather, with lightweight soles and stitched monograms for a practical and detailed finish.
Check out all Tory Burch deals included in the sale here!
5. Take up to 60% off Levi’s
Our Pick: Levi’s is known for denim, but the brand also makes stylish outerwear like this faux leather bomber jacket. The soft, relaxed style is perfect for layering and is marked down by 33% right now.
Check out all Levi’s deals included in the sale here!
Who says you have to live in an expensive zip code to channel rich mom energy? The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (happening now through August 3) is packed with stylish deals that prove otherwise. From slouchy designer bags to flattering jeans, these sale picks bring their quiet, confident and well-dressed energy — without the five-figure price […]
6. Take up to 62% off ASTR the Label
Our Pick: Dress up your midseason outfits with a midi skirt like this ASTR the Label style. The pull-on piece has an elegant, flowing silhouette that’s a major steal with its 60% markdown.
Check out all ASTR the Label deals included in the sale here!
7. Take up to 85% off Good American
Our Pick: This lightweight Good American blazer means business with its tailored, stretchy silhouette. At 56% off, it affordably makes a fashionable statement in and out of the office.
Check out all Good American deals included in the sale here!
8. Take up to 60% off Karl Lagerfeld Paris
Our Pick: Soft, fluffy faux fur is given an approachable twist from this Karl Lagerfeld Paris jacket, a zip-up style that’s elevated by a classic collar — plus, it’s currently 40% off.
Check out all Karl Lagerfeld Paris deals included in the sale here!
9. Take up to 78% off Jeffrey Campbell
Our Pick: Whether you’re leading work meetings or on a date night, these Jeffrey Campbell pumps are sophisticated and effortless while sitting at an approachable height.
Check out all Jeffrey Campbell deals included in the sale here!
10. Take up to 60% off Commando
Our Pick: This faux leather Commando knee-length skirt is perfect for day-to-night wear. Hailing from the female-founded brand loved by Kendall Jenner and Meg Ryan, the style features comfortable built-in shorts for extra support while remaining sleek and sharp.
Check out all Commando deals included in the sale here!
11. Take up to 60% off Cole Haan
Our Pick: If you need a perfect flat for spring, look no further than this sweet suede Cole Haan style that’s accented by elegant bows.
Check out all Cole Haan deals included in the sale here!
12. Take up to 72% off AllSaints
Our Pick: This long-sleeved AllSaints T-shirt is made with soft cotton for a smooth feel and fit, creating a perfect layering base.
Check out all AllSaints deals included in the sale here!
13. Take up to 70% off Dolce Vita
Our Pick: Everyone needs an everyday bag like this Dolce Vita shoulder bag. The roomy, expandable style easily carries all of your essentials and comes in versatile neutral colors that complement any outfit.
Check out all Dolce Vita deals included in the sale here!
14. Take up to 70% off Lauren Ralph Lauren
Our Pick: From work to nights out, this timeless Lauren Ralph Lauren cotton-blend coat is a wardrobe classic that’s elevated by a chic attached belt and buttoned cuffs.
Check out all Lauren Ralph Lauren deals included in the sale here!
15. Take up to 60% off Pistola
Our Pick: With classic stripes and clean neutral tones, this Pistola cotton sweater makes a subtly detailed layering piece you’ll reach for over and over again.
Check out all Pistola deals included in the sale here!
16. Take up to 60% off French Connection
Our Pick: Elevate your cold-weather wardrobe with this effortless French Connection sweater dress. The knit style’s maxi silhouette and soft fabric make it sophisticated, cozy and easy to dress up or down.
Check out all French Connection deals included in the sale here!
17. Take up to 50% off Jessica Simpson
Our Pick: These breezy Jessica Simpson sandals include thick block heels and platform soles for a fashion-forward height boost. Knotted straps bring a hint of bohemian glamour, a bonus alongside their under-$50 price tag.
Check out all Jessica Simpson deals included in the sale here!
There’s nothing like the relief of slipping into comfortable, stylish sneakers. Celebrities like Katie Holmes and Nicky Hilton Rothschild have all been spotted wearing classic Adidas sneakers, and the celebrity-loved brand teamed up with Nordstrom to release a limited edition collection. The new styles include updated colorways and trendy silhouettes, ranging from the beloved Samba to […]
Prince William was reportedly ready to take down the press after topless photos of Kate Middleton were secretly taken and published during a 2012 vacation in France.
According to a new book, the incident highlighted his long-standing frustration with intrusive media coverage shaped by his mother Princess Diana‘s experience.
At the time, Prince William was said to have been visibly upset with the incident and reached out to his father and grandmother to alert them of his plans fight the press.
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Prince William Was ‘Ready To Go To War’ With The Press
William was reportedly “ready to go to war with the press” after private photos of Kate sunbathing topless in the South of France were secretly taken and published.
The revelation comes from Russell Myers, author of “William and Catherine,” which explores how the couple has navigated challenges within the royal family.
The incident reportedly occurred in 2012, a year after William and Kate’s wedding, during a brief getaway to the Château d’Autet in Provence.
While sunbathing at the 19th-century lodge, a paparazzo captured images of Kate without her knowledge. Soon after, the French magazine Closer published the photos, shocking the couple and prompting a swift response.
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According to Myers, William, horrified by “the utter violation,” immediately contacted his father, then-Prince Charles, and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, signaling his intent to pursue legal action.
“Years before, William had gone against the grain when he warned the Fleet Street photographers that he would not tolerate a life of intrusion,” Myers explained, per Fox News Digital, noting William’s long-standing frustration with invasive media coverage, shaped by witnessing the relentless press scrutiny of his mother, Princess Diana.
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The Future King Took A Firm Stand Against Paparazzi To Protect Kate’s Privacy
The publication of the photos reportedly pushed William to adopt a firm stance against intrusive press behavior.
He instructed lawyers to seek the maximum legal damages, which were ultimately directed to charity.
While Kate remained composed in public, Palace insiders described William as visibly upset, demanding to be updated on every step of the legal proceedings.
The couple faced continued exposure, with other outlets like the Italian magazine Chi and the Irish edition of the Daily Star later publishing the images.
According to Myers, “palace staff reacted furiously, suggesting the clock had been turned back 15 years to the dark days of Princess Diana being hounded to her death by the paparazzi,” calling the coverage “grotesque and unjustifiable.”
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Prince William And Kate Were Awarded $117K In Damages Over The Photo Incident
Despite the palace’s lawsuit, Closer refused to budge, as they insisted the topless images they published were harmless and showed William and Kate in their normal life during their vacation.
“The photographs we have selected are by no means degrading,” the magazine said at the time, per The Standard. “They show a beautiful, in love, modern holidaying young couple in their normal life. The article reports on the couple’s recent stay in the South of France.”
A French court, in 2017, ultimately awarded William and Kate €100,000 [$117,892.55] in damages due to the publishing of the photos. This was a far cry from the €1.5 million [$1.7 million] the royal couple had sued for. The court also fined two staffers a combined €90,000 [$106,077.60].
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The ruling is said to have “pleased” Kensington Palace and sent a clear message: William would always defend Kate’s privacy.
“[At the beginning of the relationship], she felt, ‘If I’m going to put myself forward for something like this, then I not only need the support of William, but also the support of the institution,’” the royal author, Myers, told Fox News Digital. “And as I tell in the book, William was absolutely integral to that, to say to her, ‘I will support you,’ and to have the mechanism of the palace supporting her as well.
Myers also highlighted that the strong institutional support Kate received early on set her apart from her brother-in-law, Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, who did not benefit from the same level of guidance and protection.
Prince William And Kate Middleton Show Concern For King Charles’ Health Amid Andrew Crisis
Today, William and Kate are parents of three children and continue to support King Charles III, navigating public duties while protecting their family life.
Sources tell Fox News Digital that the couple is particularly concerned about the king’s health following the arrest of former Prince Andrew, fearing the added stress could affect him.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said William and Catherine are “extremely concerned about the way the crisis over Andrew Mountbatten Windsor is developing and the effect this is having on the King’s health,” noting that Charles is already facing serious health challenges.
On Sunday night at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTAs), the couple’s first public outing since Andrew’s arrest, William admitted he was not in a calm frame of mind.
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When asked about watching the historical drama “Hamnet,” he said he “needed to be in quite a calm state” and would postpone viewing, reflecting the stress he is under as both a royal and BAFTA president.
Prince William And Kate’s Conduct Is Key To The Monarchy’s Future Amid Andrew Crisis, Experts Say
Royals expert Ian Pelham Turner described William’s comment as “indicative” of the intense pressure the family is under.
He explained that the monarchy is navigating an “unprecedented crisis,” balancing “public duties whilst fighting a rearguard action over the Andrew allegations and trying to distance themselves from what Andrew has allegedly done to bring the Firm into disrepute.”
He added that the family is effectively “walking on eggshells,” aware that new allegations could emerge at any moment.
Hilary Fordwich added that declining public opinion of the monarchy is contributing to William’s stress. She noted that William and Kate’s exemplary conduct and moral integrity have been crucial in sustaining the monarchy’s credibility.
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“Prince William and Princess Catherine have remained not only out of any scandal, but their conduct, sense of duty, and moral standards are impeccable. Just what will save the monarchy?” she said.
Black Mirror is arguably one of Netflix’s biggest hits, both in the realm of science fiction shows and the streamer’s slate of original programming. Most of its episodes, which tackle everything from the pitfalls of artificial intelligence to how social media is becoming entwined with our lives, have received critical praise and even awards nominations. Series creator Charlie Brooker recently confirmed that Black Mirror will be returning for Season 8, meaning that sci-fi fans will be in for more chilling tales about technology. Long before it was a mainstay in Netflix queues, Black Mirror started out life on cable television — specifically, Channel 4.
Brooker launched Black Mirror after working on comedy-based shows for other British channels, and decided to take his talents in the opposite direction with an anthology drama series. He cites The Twilight Zone as his biggest influence, specifically how Rod Serling would use science fiction and fantasy as a metaphor for real-life issues:
“In Serling’s day, the atom bomb, civil rights, McCarthyism, psychiatry and the space race were of primary concern. Today he’d be writing about terrorism, the economy, the media, privacy and our relationship with technology…That’s what we’re aiming for with Black Mirror: each episode has a different cast, a different setting, even a different reality. But they’re all about the way we live now – and the way we might be living in 10 minutes’ time if we’re clumsy.”
While Black Mirror is primarily a sci-fi series, it still keeps the wicked streak of black humor that permeates Brooker’s earlier work. Case in point: the premiere episode, “The National Anthem”, has a member of the Royal Family kidnapped and the only way for her to be freed is if the Prime Minister commits a lewd act with a pig. It was both a sign that Black Mirror was going to be unlike anything on TV, and foreshadowed why it moved to Netflix.
Budget Issues Led to Netflix Picking Up ‘Black Mirror’
Black Mirror was able to score two seasons on Channel 4, and received equal parts praise and complaints, due to the aforementioned season premiere. It was even one of the most complained-about shows of 2011, which is an honor that’s rather fitting for the series. Yet Charlie Brooker and his producing partner Annabel Jones were told by Channel 4 that Black Mirror was facing budget restraints, and needed a co-producer to continue. This led to a bidding war involving different cable networks, including HBO and AMC, yet Netflix won out at the last minute.
The Netflix deal included a bigger budget and a bigger range of guest stars for Black Mirror. It also led to some of the show’s most iconic episodes, particularly Season 3’s “San Junipero” and Season 4’s “U.S.S. Callister“. Moving to Netflix also gave Brooker the freedom to push the series’ boundaries, including basing each season around a different theme and even releasing an interactive film with Bandersnatch. Such attempts wouldn’t have been possible on Channel 4, but Brooker was determined to make the most of his deal with Netflix, and it paid off in waves.
I Don’t Care If You Hate Sci-Fi, This Dystopian Netflix Series Will Change Your Mind
It’ll make you question everything.
‘Black Mirror’ Was One of Netflix’s Biggest Success Stories
Black Mirror‘s biggest claim to fame is that it arguably helped cement Netflix, and the idea of streaming, as a major force in the entertainment world when its third season premiered in 2016. Not only did 2016 mark the debut of fellow sci-fi hit Stranger Things, but it was also when the streamer became available worldwide — allowing a larger audience to see more of its original programming and the films it had acquired. This meant that Black Mirror had the kind of reach that wouldn’t have been available on Channel 4, allowing it to transcend from a cult hit to a smash hit nearly overnight.
While people will no doubt be tuning into Black Mirror Season 8, a decade has once again changed how people watch television. Streaming services are getting more expensive, and cable is having a tough time as more people are deciding to cut the cord. It’s highly unlikely that Charlie Brooker could have made the same deal for Black Mirror now that he did then, but the series more than likely will keep its sharp edge when it returns for Season 8.
- Release Date
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December 4, 2011
- Network
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Channel 4, Netflix
- Directors
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Owen Harris, Toby Haynes, James Hawes, David Slade, Carl Tibbetts, Ally Pankiw, Bryn Higgins, Dan Trachtenberg, Euros Lyn, Jodie Foster, Joe Wright, John Hillcoat, Sam Miller, Tim Van Patten, Uta Briesewitz, Colm McCarthy, Jakob Verbruggen, James Watkins, John Crowley, Otto Bathurst, Anne Sewitsky, Brian Welsh
- Writers
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Jesse Armstrong
Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was allegedly under the influence of cocaine, fentanyl, marijuana and alcohol during an alleged confrontation with a truck driver last October, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly.
Attorneys for Perry Tole, 69, cite a “preliminary investigation” that revealed Sanchez, 39, had taken “multiple illegal substances.”
“[This is] including but not limited to cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, and alcohol,” the filing reads. “Plaintiff has cause to believe that one or more of these substances may have been consumed in one of Huse’s establishments, which caused or contributed to Sanchez’s impairment and his subsequent negligent and/or knowing conduct.”
Sanchez and Tole were both hospitalized after the incident with Sanchez sustaining multiple stab wounds.
Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was not in attendance at a pretrial hearing as he prepares to face charges in relation to a violent incident in Indianapolis earlier this month. “Thank you for allowing our client to be excused from today’s hearing,” Sanchez’s attorney Tim Delaney said inside a Marion County, Indiana, courtroom on Wednesday, […]
The filing did not include direct evidence that Sanchez knowingly and purposefully ingested the illegal substances, but called for an additional investigation. Sanchez’s attorney, Andrew M. McNeil, denied the allegations in a statement to Us.
“These are allegations in a civil filing, nothing more, and they should be treated accordingly,” the statement read. “Allegations are not evidence. The truth will be determined by facts and evidence presented at trial, and we look forward to presenting them at the appropriate time.”
The incident occurred in Indianapolis, Indiana, while Sanchez was in town to cover the Colts’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders the following day for Fox Sports. He is accused of accosting Tole, a truck driver, who was backing his vehicle into a hotel’s loading dock. Sanchez allegedly entered the truck without permission, preventing Tole from exiting. He is then accused of shoving Tole, who allegedly sprayed the former quarterback with pepper spray before he pulled a knife to defend himself.
Sanchez was booked in an Indianapolis jail and charged with three misdemeanors: battery resulting in injury, public intoxication and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle. Prosecutors added a felony 5 charge days later, which carries a penalty of one to five years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has pleaded not guilty after being charged for his alleged role in a violent attack in downtown Indianapolis. Sanchez, 38, waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Tuesday, October 7, according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. He pleaded not guilty to all charges, according to The Athletic. […]
Fox Sports fired Sanchez in November amid the fallout from his arrest.
“We can confirm that Mark Sanchez is no longer with the network,” a Fox Sports spokesperson told Us at the time. “There will be no further comment at this time.”
Sanchez himself released a statement to Us through his brother, Nick Sanchez Jr., addressing his departure.
“It’s been a long month for Mark as he continues to recover from serious injuries while also grieving the loss of a close friend,” Nick wrote. “While the recent news — and its timing — is understandably disappointing, our priority remains his continued healing and recovery. Mark deeply values his time at Fox and the exceptional colleagues he’s had the privilege to work with. Those relationships are meaningful and will endure.”
Sanchez’s trial, which was originally slated for March 2026, will now begin April 9. The delay was the result of Sanchez’s lawyers, which requested a continuance of the case. Further delays are still possible, according to NBC Sports.
Hulu is starting the month of March in a good place, and hot off the heels of a successful revival of a classic show.
Scrubs is back for a brand new series on ABC, and that means it’s exclusively streaming on Hulu and climbing the charts.
That’s the only series on Watch With Us‘ picks for the three popular Hulu movies and TV shows to binge-watch this week.
Our other selections include a new science fiction movie and a Pixar film on loan from Disney+.
It’s March, which means it’s Moira Rose’s favorite season — “awards.” The 98th Annual Academy Awards is scheduled to take place on March 15, and Hulu is celebrating all month long with a slew of great movies and series for your viewing pleasure. Watch With Us has compiled a complete list of the new movies […]
‘In the Blink of an Eye’ (2026)
Pixar’s Andrew Stanton, who directed classics like Finding Nemo and WALL-E, makes his second attempt at live-action with In the Blink of an Eye, an ambitious sci-fi that opens with the beginning of the universe and life as we know it. From there, it slows down quite a bit to focus on three different storylines. In the first, viewers are introduced to a Neanderthal family, Thorn (Jorge Vargas) and Hera (Tanaya Beatty), as well as their daughter, Lark (Skywalker Hughes), and an infant child.
During the present-day sequences, anthropologist Claire (Rashida Jones) discovers bones that might belong to a member of the Neanderthal family while juggling relationship issues and a deep-seated sadness about the pending death of a loved one. And in the future, a woman named Coakley (Kate McKinnon) is charged with escorting embryos to humanity’s new home. How do these three tales link to one another thematically and otherwise? You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.
In the Blink of an Eye is streaming on Hulu.
‘Scrubs’ (2026)
Life comes at you fast in the new Scrubs revival. Fifteen years after leaving Sacred Heart Hospital, Dr. John “J.D.” Dorian (Zach Braff) is no longer married to the love of his life, Dr. Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke). J.D. has built his own life and charted his own career in medicine, which has now unexpectedly brought him back to Sacred Heart as the new Chief of Medicine and his ex-wife’s boss.
Most of the original Scrubs cast is reprising their roles for the highly anticipated revival — but who else is new to the show? Scrubs, which originally aired from 2001 to 2010, followed the lives of employees at the fictional Sacred Heart Hospital. The hit series starred Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, Donald Faison, Judy Reyes, […]
J.D. is delighted to be reunited with his best friend, Dr. Chris Turk (Donald Faison), and a lot of familiar faces from the first series. But now, J.D. has to navigate trickier subjects that won’t always make him popular among his staff. At the same time, J.D. and the other veterans have to train a new generation of doctors and nurses at Sacred Heart, most of whom may clash with their perspectives on just about everything.
Scrubs is streaming on Hulu.
‘Toy Story’ (1995)
Computer animation has come a long way in the last three decades, but Toy Story was revolutionary when it hit theaters in 1995. Pixar delivered the first-ever feature-length 3D animated film, and it’s an all-time classic. Tom Hanks lends his voice to Woody, a cowboy doll who is comfortably assured of his place as the favorite toy of a young boy named Andy Davis (John Morris).
Any feeling of security goes out the window when Andy is gifted a new toy, Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen), a Space Ranger who has no idea that he’s an action figure. Suddenly, Woody is shuffled to the side while Buzz becomes Andy’s new favorite. To reclaim his place in the toy hierarchy, Woody takes some drastic actions that may keep him and Buzz from ever seeing their friends again. If they want to make it back to Andy, Woody and Buzz will have to work together.
Toy Story is streaming on Hulu.
Entertainment
10 Classic Rock Albums To Listen to If You Love Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Album of All Time
You might not usually like listening to music that’s many decades old, but even if that’s the case, there’s a not bad chance you make an exception for Fleetwood Mac. If not, that’s okay, but that guess/assumption is made because Fleetwood Mac feels particularly approachable for a pop/rock band of their era (when they were at their peak, in other words), and some of the band’s music is pretty close to timeless. In fact, they’ve got an entire album – 1977’s Rumours – that really does feel timeless from start to finish.
It’s boring to call it the band’s best album, but it is, though that’s not a suggestion that other memorable releases of Fleetwood Mac’s were bad or anything. There’s one other album of theirs included below, plus some other albums that might scratch the same itch. They’re broadly definable as rock, but often a mellower sort of rock, in line with the pop/soft rock sound of Rumours. So, if you want Led Zeppelin or Metallica or something harder, maybe look elsewhere.
10
‘Aja’ (1977)
Steely Dan
Steely Dan is a strange band, much of that coming about because they epitomize a genre that is genuinely called “yacht rock,” and because they’re literally called Steely Dan. Who calls a band Steely Dan? It turns out, there is a reason, or a source of that name, but if you go digging trying to find out, you might regret it. It’s a possible case of “the less you know, the better.”
Aja is being included here because it is a mellow sort of rock that you kind of just put on and zone out to.
Of all the Steely Dan albums, Aja tends to get brought up as their best, or maybe the album of theirs most worthy of classic status. It’s being included here because it is a mellow sort of rock that you kind of just put on and zone out to. So, the lyrics here don’t tend to be as affecting as what you might find on those hard-hitting Fleetwood Mac songs, nor some of the other albums mentioned here, yet the energy/vibe is kind of similar, and Aja was also released the same year as Rumours, so…
9
‘The Nightfly’ (1982)
Donald Fagen
Hopefully not too much of a hot take, but Donald Fagen’s solo album, The Nightfly, might be better than any of the other albums he did as part of Steely Dan. There’s even more of a lean toward pop here, over rock (rock of the yacht variety or otherwise), and it’s all almost a bit too smooth. Yet The Nightfly makes it work, or maybe it’s just that the shortcomings are easier to overlook when you’ve got a song as great as “I.G.Y.” kicking the whole thing off.
Lyrically, this one’s got quite a bit going for it, with the unusual and bittersweet way it looks toward the future, but from the past, and then you listen to it now, and it still sounds kind of futuristic lyrically, yet you put it in the past even more because it just sounds so ‘80s. Anyway, the rest of the album’s also very good. It shouldn’t be overlooked, just because it’s a Donald Fagen solo album rather than a proper/full-on Steely Dan one.
8
‘Tusk’ (1979)
Fleetwood Mac
Two years on from Rumours, Fleetwood Mac kept the momentum going to some extent, with Tusk, as there are songs here that are appealing in similar ways to many of the songs from Rumours, though it’s also a bit rougher and more intense at other times. It’s a double album, running for nearly 74 minutes, and with 20 tracks all up, so there are, pretty much literally, twice as many opportunities to play around and experiment a bit.
Tusk doesn’t experiment to the same extent as, say, the self-titled Beatles album that was also famously a double album, but nothing else in popular music history really does, so you can’t hold that against Tusk. Maybe Tusk is more comparable to the eclectic and ambitious London Calling, by The Clash, which is a great punk/rock album here, but harder to recommend when you’re specifically talking about Rumours-esque albums. For obvious reasons, Tusk is, on the other hand, not difficult to include here.
7
‘Graceland’ (1986)
Paul Simon
Very mellow as a rock album, and probably more pop, all the while also having other influences from a wide variety of genres, here’s Graceland, which could well be the best album Paul Simon was involved with (and that does include those he did while part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel). It’s musically creative and then lyrically, Graceland also tackles a whole bunch of topics, with some songs being socially conscious, and others being a little more introspective.
It feels like a product of its time, just not really in a bad way. Like, the quality of the songwriting and most of the production holds up; you can just tell, in some ways, it’s an album that’s now about four decades old (and counting). But then again, the thing still sounds great and largely delivers, so complaining about Graceland feels a little like nitpicking, in the end.
6
‘Tapestry’ (1971)
Carole King
The softness of the rock here is so soft it might well be a marshmallow, yet it’s still a classic and probably the kind of thing most people who like Fleetwood Mac would also like, so here’s Tapestry, by Carole King. It leans more toward the singer-songwriter side of things, with soft rock being a secondary genre, and it is quite mellow and gentle in sound, while having introspective and sometimes bittersweet lyrics that aren’t afraid to get emotional.
It was a classic of its time, and the sort of thing everyone over a certain age surely knows about, since it was monumentally popular in terms of sales and critical acclaim, yet King’s not always talked about as much in some modern-day online circles as much as Joni Mitchell (Blue could’ve gone here, yet describing that as being even rock-adjacent feels like more of a stretch than putting Tapestry in this spot).
5
‘After the Gold Rush’ (1970)
Neil Young
It was difficult here, as with Neil Young, After the Gold Rush does not feel as rock-focused as some of his other classic albums (like the kinda-sorta live album that is Rust Never Sleeps), though there is still some rock here. It’s folk rock, and occasionally harder rock, and often downbeat. Still counts, though. And it is indeed a gentle album and an oftentimes moving one as well.
Further, After the Gold Rush is an amazing album. It was originally at the top of this ranking, but then it was a bit like, “Wait, why put an album that good not near the end of the ranking, if it’s a ranking?” And “top” here means the bottom. Like, the bottom as in #10. And the top of the ranking is at the bottom of the page. #1 is the top of the ranking but at the bottom of the page. Confused? Just listen to After the Gold Rush, it’ll make everything feel okay again.
4
‘Hats’ (1989)
The Blue Nile
It’s hard to know what to say about Hats by The Blue Nile beyond being all, “Damn, this thing was really ahead of its time and stuff,” which isn’t very meaningful commentary, but it doesn’t make it wrong. It’s ahead of its time in some ways while also feeling very in line with certain traits associated with music in the 1980s, just in a unique way and with a certain atmosphere that sets it apart from its contemporaries.
The music here belongs to a genre called “sophisti-pop,” and that might make it far removed from rock, and even soft rock, yet it’s too emotionally stirring to not include here. Rumours is heartfelt and an emotional roller-coaster, and so is Hats. Further, Fleetwood Mac kind of dipped their toes into the sophisti-pop genre in at least a few songs on their 1987 album, Tango in the Night, so maybe that counts for something.
3
‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs’ (1970)
Derek and The Dominos
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs rocks the hardest of all the albums featured here, and so, yes, it probably qualifies most as “classic rock” in the traditional sense, and to a greater extent than Rumours. If the sound isn’t too Rumours, why include it, then? Well, lyrically, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is almost aggressively about love and its hardships (it’s in the album’s title and all), and so it works as a possible break-up album in a comparable way to Rumours.
The title track, “Layla,” demonstrates this particularly well, and it deserved to be part of the album’s title, since it is the clear standout moment on Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. This is also the only album Derek and the Dominos ever released, but Eric Clapton, as the short-lived band’s short-lived frontman, has certainly done a good many other things in the world of rock over the decades, including doing his own solo/acoustic version of “Layla” that is straight-up not nearly as good as the Derek and the Dominos one.
2
‘Hounds of Love’ (1985)
Kate Bush
It feels a little silly trying to tie Kate Bush to any genre, though if you really want to argue that Hounds of Love is too far removed from rock (like, any kind), then you’re welcome to. But it’s here because it’s a moving and creative album that’s very easy to appreciate and enjoy, even when it’s being kind of unusual and even borderline-challenging (see the album’s second half, for example).
Hounds of Love also has some absolute all-timer tracks on it, with “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” being the inevitable standout, though “Cloudbusting” really isn’t too far behind, quality-wise. Whatever Kate Bush was doing here, it’s never really been replicated since. Words can only go so far, when it comes to Hounds of Love, and it’s as much of a classic for its decade as Rumours was for the entirety of the 1970s.
1
‘Steve McQueen’ (1985)
Prefab Sprout
Back to the sophisti-pop genre, with emotions being unapologetically broad and big, here’s Steve McQueen (don’t mix it up with that actor guy, nor the filmmaker of the same name), which is a bit more rock-focused than Hats. It’s got a bit of energy in some of its tracks, while also having mellower ones too, and the balance here is pulled off incredibly well.
The band behind Steve McQueen, Prefab Sprout, is not nearly as popular nowadays as Fleetwood Mac, but at their best, they do scratch the same itch, and Steve McQueen is ultimately the band at their best. The first half of this album is genuinely perfect, and then the second half being “merely” very good is forgivable. As far as gentle (and maybe even sentimental) pop/rock music of the ‘70s/’80s is concerned, it doesn’t get much better than this album.
Entertainment
“SNL”'s Ashley Padilla opens up about how she became Diane Keaton's assistant and what the acting legend taught her
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Oscar-winning actress Keaton died in October at 79.
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
By definition, child actors are often typecast by the roles that helped make them famous. The perfect example of this is Macaulay Culkin. He’s done great work in everything from Saved to Fallout, but everyone will always associate him with Home Alone. That’s a shame because most of this talented actor’s best work occurs far outside that seminal holiday classic.
For example, My Girl (1991) is a movie that taught an entire generation of moviegoers to cry thanks to its poignant portrayal of adolescent love and heartbreak. Culkin is excellent throughout, and his co-lead Anna Chlumsky helped cement this drama as the must-see children’s film of the ‘90s. When you’re ready to summon some serious nostalgia and see two of the best child actors in Hollywood history performing their hearts out, all you have to do is stream My Girl on Netflix.
Your Childhood Is Just A Click Away
The premise of My Girl is that the titular girl, Vada Margaret Sultenfuss, is the daughter of the local funeral parlor owner, and she’s dealing with constant hypochondria and a general obsession with death. What takes her mind off things is her growing friendship with a local boy who is allergic to just about everything. But even with their powers combined, she’ll have trouble accomplishing her primary goal: keeping her widower father from finding love with his new makeup artist.
For one of the ‘90s most impactful films, My Girl has a lean cast filled with big names, starting with Dan Aykroyd (best known for Ghostbusters) as a widower struggling with raising a daughter and running a funeral parlor. His life perks up when he begins dating a funeral makeup maven played by Jamie Lee Curtis (best known for Halloween). Together, these veteran actors provide a kind of emotional anchor for what is basically a children’s movie.
The Mac Is Back
Speaking of which, the performances from McCaulay Culkin (best known for Home Alone) and Anna Chlumsky (best known for Veep) provide the heart and soul of My Girl. They give powerful performances that belie their young ages, and they each capture the pangs of adolescent awkwardness in different ways. The actors have wonderful chemistry with each other, and they do a great job of portraying the best thing in the world for an outcast kid: feeling less alone because you finally found a fellow weirdo to hang out with.
While it ended up being a critical disappointment (more on this in a moment), My Girl was a major box office success, earning $121.5 million against a budget of only $17 million. This made a sequel downright inevitable, but the follow-up film My Girl 2 ended up being both a critical and commercial bomb. Fortunately, the sequel’s failure didn’t overshadow the importance of the original film, one which demonstrated just how heartfelt and emotionally impactful a children’s movie could be.
Critics Pronounced It Dead
Even though it’s considered a masterpiece by millennials, the reviewers weren’t kind to My Girl when it first came out. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 57 percent, with critics primarily complaining about the needlessly tearjerking climax of the film. Those same critics did acknowledge, however, that the sweet story was quite appealing and that the film is elevated by surprisingly nuanced performances from lead actors Macaulay Culkin and Anna Chlumsky.
In revisiting My Girl, I am more struck than ever before by the simple fact that the reviewers got it completely wrong with this one. Obviously, the movie is a tear-jerker, and it has a jaw-dropping ending that absolutely ruined those of us who watched the film as children. But given how many profoundly sad films (ranging from Schindler’s List to Moonlight) have gone on to win Best Picture Oscars, it’s clear that making audiences cry doesn’t mean that a film is bad.
All The Feels, All The Tears
While My Girl doesn’t pack the full weight of those Academy Award winners, it does deserve its flowers for telling an almost universally relatable coming-of-age story. There’s a reason that so many of us see ourselves in Anna Chlumsky’s character. All of the heartbreak and confusion that she goes through is an echo of what all of us experience growing up. This is our collective childhood onscreen, and seeing your own awkward youth captured so perfectly onscreen may have you crying long before this film’s shocking climax.
Plus, My Girl packs a surprising amount of warm nostalgia and genuine comedy into its relatively svelte runtime. The soundtrack helps you perfectly immerse yourself in its period setting, bringing the early ‘70s to vibrant life with confidence and style. Thanks to its heart, humor, and show-stopping performances, My Girl is like a warm childhood blanket that you’ll want to wrap yourself in while completely tuning out the outside world.
Will you agree that My Girl is a perfect coming-of-age classic, or would you rather fight off a swarm of bees than watch this one through to the end? You won’t know until you grab the remote and stream this 90’s heartbreaker for yourself on Netflix. Just be sure to keep a few tissues handy, because your eyes will definitely get misty before the credits roll!
Hillary Clinton
Ghislaine Was At Chelsea’s Wedding
… But Only as a ‘Plus-One’
Published
Hillary Clinton finally addressed the photo of Ghislaine Maxwell attending her daughter Chelsea Clinton‘s 2010 wedding … but Hillary said she doesn’t recall Ghislaine being there, and that she was only invited as a plus one.
In a deposition with the House Oversight Committee last week, Hillary said, “She was there as a guest of Ted Waitt — someone we had known for 30 years I believe — who was a strong supporter of my husband, and became a friend.”
Hillary added … “There were more than 500 people at the wedding, so other than that picture of her at the wedding, I have no recollection of talking with her. I was pretty focused on my daughter.”
As we previously reported … Hillary says she does “not recall ever encountering” Epstein and claims the Oversight Committee used her to “distract attention from President Trump‘s actions.”
Her husband, Bill Clinton, was also deposed and claimed ignorance of Epstein’s crimes until 2008, by which time Bill says he had already stopped associating with Epstein.
Both Bill and Hillary claim no wrongdoing.
Entertainment
‘Law & Order’ Has Nothing on This Near-Perfect Crime Series That Completely Changed TV 33 Years Ago
The police procedural has a long and storied history, from the days of Dragnet to the recent premiere of CIA on CBS. The latter series is the latest creation from Hollywood heavyweight Dick Wolf, the man behind the One Chicago universe and the all-encompassing giant that is the Law & Order franchise. Like any procedural that wants to separate themselves from the pack, the flagship Law & Order series had a unique spin that used a “ripped from the headlines” formula, with episodes split between the police work of the first half that’s needed to bring criminals to justice through the courtroom drama of the second half. Yet the series of the Law & Order universe have nothing on Homicide: Life on the Street, a largely forgotten crime drama that changed the police procedural — and, by extension, television — forever.
‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Brings the Brutal Reality of Police Work to Television
At its simplest, Homicide: Life on the Street, which premiered in 1993, follows the experiences of the detectives in a fictional Baltimore Police Department homicide unit, based on a non-fiction book by Baltimore Sun reporter David Simon, who spent a year shadowing the day-to-day proceedings of the real Baltimore P.D. Homicide Unit (and served as consultant and co-producer). Those detectives, led by Lieutenant Al Giardello (Yaphet Kotto), include Beau Felton (Daniel Baldwin), Tim Bayliss (Kyle Secor), Frank Pembleton (Andre Braugher), and John Munch (Richard Belzer), among a host of others.
There’s nothing simplistic about Homicide: Life on the Street. From the start, it was set up to showcase the ugly reality of working on a homicide unit: the psychological toll, cynicism, paperwork, the hours of interrogation spent talking, the dark humor, and the often-quarrelsome relationships between partners. Homicide: Life on the Street also dared to show the numbing indifference that real homicide detectives approach each case, with Simon saying:
“The greatest lie, I think, in dramatic TV is the cop who stands over a body and pulls up the sheet and mutters, ‘Damn’ and looks down sadly. To a real homicide detective, it’s just a day’s work.”
The on-location shooting in Baltimore, filmed using hand-held cameras, gave viewers that same front-line feel that Simon himself witnessed over his year with the homicide unit. All of it was seamlessly brought together to honor the truth of the thankless — yet necessary — role of a homicide detective.
‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Radically Changed the Police Procedural Going Forward
Homicide: Life on the Street was a radical departure from the glamorization of the police detective that beset television police procedurals historically, and one of the few shows to accurately bring the reality of that world to viewers (surprisingly, sitcom Barney Miller is cited as another). However, both NYPD Blue, which premiered the same year, and Law & Order, a 3-year veteran at that point, had also claimed a “gritty reality” through complex characters and boundary-pushing elements, a more Hollywood-ized reality than that of Homicide: Life on the Street.
But those series still featured cases that were largely wrapped up within the hour. Homicide: Life on the Street didn’t play by those rules, with a penchant for following concurrent investigations within an episode, some of which were resolved and some of which, as happens in real life, remained unsolved. The most prominent example of the latter comes with the first season episode “Three Men and Adena,” where the investigation into the death of an 11-year-old girl falls apart after 12 hours spent interrogating Risley Tucker (Moses Gunn in his last role) goes nowhere. Coupled with the ambiguity regarding Tucker’s guilt, the episode challenged the idea of a case-of-the-week with an antagonist that falls clearly into black hat territory.
2 Years Before ‘The Wire,’ Its Creator Made a Gritty 6-Part HBO Crime Miniseries That Aged Perfectly
David Simon is the master of the crime genre.
Homicide: Life on the Street proved that the police procedural didn’t need action pieces or neatly-wrapped stories, but rather focused on intelligent, intense, dialogue-driven scenes in the hands of a stellar cast, most notably Andre Braugher, who earned a Primetime Emmy Award in 1998. Braugher is charismatic in the role, with a deliberate and impeccable timing that radiated intensity and confidence — the same things he would utilize effectively is his self-parody role of Captain Ray Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
‘Law & Order’ and ‘Homicide: Life on the Street’ Had Crossover Episodes
Interestingly, despite their difference in approaches, Homicide: Life on the Street and Law & Order held three sets of crossover episodes, the first of which, a two-part event across the former’s “For God and Country” and the latter’s “Charm City,” aired in February 1996. That opened the door for Belzer’s John Munch to join Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 1999, which, in turn, was opened after NBC cancelled Homicide: Life on the Street the same year.
David Simon would find vindication, however, when he created and produced famed crime drama The Wire, which utilized and expanded on his vision of truthfulness, finding a more willing partner in HBO than with NBC, who decried the risks and disregard for the rules of police procedurals (per The Guardian). Homicide: Life on the Street may have lost the battle, with police procedurals falling back to the case-of-the-week format, but it won the war by paving the way for series that defy conventional wisdom to deliver intelligent, challenging stories, and for that alone it should be celebrated.
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