The concept for Netflix’s mindbending dark comedy, Russian Doll, is a simple one: a woman is forced to die and relive the night of her 36th birthday party in a seemingly endless cycle. The concept is great. It has a clear goal attached to a clear conflict, a sense of…

One of the most reliably tense and unpredictable shows on recent television has been Netflix’s Ozark, a crime genre show that combines traditional stories about drug empires with themes of family, loyalty, and deeper questions of humanity. The first half of it’s fourth season dropped a bit ago, and I…

Flashbacks are, undeniably, one of the hardest tricks to master in screenwriting. More often than not, they serve as expository distractions which halt the momentum of the story’s central plot. Very rarely do you get a show in which flashbacks are utilized often with entirely positive results. …

Do you ever read something that makes you mad? Not because it’s out of touch or crude, but simply because it’s so good that you struggle to understand how anyone, much less you, could be able to reach such astonishing levels? That’s how I feel everytime I read Greta Gerwig’s…

This past week I’ve been watching Master of None’s third season which, so far, is profoundly spectacular. It’s not nearly as funny as the first two seasons, but it also isn’t trying to be. Rather, it’s seeking, in every form, to tell a wholly human story. (SPOILERS AHEAD) As a…

Here’s a scene from a gem of a show I’ve recently found on Netflix- Feel Good. It’s funny, heartfelt, and attacks each topic with tenderness and humanity, while also maintaining a relatively lighthearted rom-com structure. The Scene: Season 1, Episode 4 of Feel Good The Writers: Mae Martin & Joe…

Written By: Alan Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel, & Todd Philips Scene Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TAGAPKuoGo Scene Context: Peter, because of Ethan, has been put on a no-fly list and now must travel cross-country with him if he hopes to see his wife give birth. Peter was just beat up, partly due to Ethan’s…

With my summer goals focused around expanding my portfolio and, mainly, working on spec scripts for upcoming fellowships, I’ve begun studying the shows I’ve been watching more than I usually do. If you’ve been following this blog, you’d know that I’ve recently gotten really into Killing Eve, so much so…

You know a genre that almost always has wonderfully strong writing but often is undermined due to the assumed “lowbrow” nature of it’s work? Romantic comedies. These films take on the perilous task of telling a story which is both emotionally engaging while also being funny and relatively lighthearted. …