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Ben Travers

@bentravers.bsky.social
29K followers 127 following 489 posts

IndieWire Critic & Deputy Editor, TV • TCA Member • Formerly of a Few Podcasts • He/Him • Ann Dowd calls me “honey” (and don't tell me if she calls everyone that).

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Reposted by Ben Travers
Butlerian Jihadist of House Dornick @shimminykricket.blacksky.app · 10h
Harvard just dropped a study AI productivity in software engineering and it found the average increase in productivity from using Claude code is.....zero and for exactly the reasons you'd think fion.ac/jellyfish.pdf
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Plenty of action in the finale if you know where to look.
[screenshot]
Hal Jordan has sex in nothing but his cowboy boots.

That's it. What? It's important! And despite the ambiguous ending to this eternal mystery, I firmly believe Sheriff Kerry told him to leave them on.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
“Lanterns” good. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Lanterns’ Finale Review: Episode 8 Makes the Hard Choices — and Leaves a Light on For Season 2
The 'Lanterns' finale packs in a ton of information, but keeps the focus on characters over spectacle — and love in all its messy glory. [SPOILERS]
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Absolutely loved "East of Eden." Zoe Kazan nailed it. A rich, aching limited series filled with true, dreadful beauty — and killer performances. (Florence Pugh and Hoon Lee 100%, but don't sleep on Ciarán Hinds.) www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘East of Eden’ Review: Zoe Kazan’s Magnificent Netflix Epic Will Knock You Over
A smart, gorgeous, and richly provocative adaptation of John Steinbeck's classic novel follows an American family across generations.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
My boys 🥹
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Featuring Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector reciting "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" — in character. www.indiewire.com/news/breakin...
indiewire.com
‘The Gilded Age’ Musical Is Finally Happening — as a Christmas Album
Carrie Coon and Morgan Spector join Audra McDonald, Christine Baranski, and more actors from 'The Gilded Age' for a Christmas album out this year.
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Judy Berman @judyberman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
This is going to change lives. People forget that democratizing access to the arts does that, but it really really does.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Sickos yes ha ha ha yes meme
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
“Brothers” is mainly vexing because it’s a bad star vehicle, which is ~insane~ since it only exists because the two stars decided to make a show about themselves. But just because actors play good characters doesn’t mean actors *are* good characters. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Brothers’ Review: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson Can’t Detect Any Truth in Apple’s Limp Meta Comedy
'Brothers,' the new Apple series based on 'a true rumor,' asks if Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson are actually brothers.
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Alison Herman @aherman2006.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
netflix turned charlie and the chocolate factory into a squid game-style reality competition show hosted by an AI gene wilder voice and featuring tall oompa loompas. the results are as nightmarish as you would expect: variety.com/2026/tv/revi...
variety.com
Netflix Competition ‘Wonka’s The Golden Ticket’ Is a Ghoulish Misuse of AI Gene Wilder: TV Review
A Netflix competition show based on Roald Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' uses an AI-generated Gene Wilder in a disastrous gimmick.
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Emily St. James @emilystjams.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
In case you needed another reason to dislike Gavin Newsom, a truly loathsome man, and/or back anybody else in the 2028 Dem primaries.........
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Soraya Nadia McDonald @soraya.press · 20/09/2026
Holy smokes I fuckin' did it. As promised, I hard launched before Yom Kippur, with hours to spare! I am going to take a nap.
soraya.press
Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself
Look at me. I’m the publisher now.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The more I think about it, the more I like Sharon Horgan's "Youth" — which means this review that I wrote four days ago is probably underselling it. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Youth’ Review: Sharon Horgan’s Sharp HBO Comedy Asks What We Really Have to Sacrifice with Age
Sharon Horgan returns to HBO (post-'Divorce') with 'Youth,' a mid-life crisis comedy that's as familiar as it is refreshing, insightful, and funny.
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Joe Adalian @tvmojoe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Read this from Rick: It's the best, most accurate analysis I've read of what this week's 60 MINUTES ratings really mean. And yes, while you're there, sign up -- free or paid. It's a reliably good digest of Nielsen goodness.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Yessssssssss
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
*MY* Criterion edition would include Julia Louis-Dreyfus giving feature-length commentary as Elaine, but she’s just muttering under her breath for two-and-a-half hours, until right before the credits when she screams “I HATE IT!” But I guess this is fine. www.criterion.com/films/33811-...
Criterion cover of “The English Patient”
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
My old pals Philip Jennings, Jimmy James, and Kim Wexler had a big night last night, and I just wanted to enjoy it.
None of these folks are household names (not yet, anyway), and I'm sure producers would've loved to see bigger stars, like Ford, Oscar Isaac, or Carey Mulligan, share their own memorable speeches. But these are the actors that true TV fans are thrilled for, over the moon for, pounding their coffee tables in excitement for - they're critics' favorites, industry veterans, and undeniable discoveries. These are the kind of winners who viewers are behind 110 percent, because when you spend eight hours, or 8o hours, or hundreds more with an actor, seeing them win feels like a family member has taken the stage. That level of time-spent only happens with television, and the Emmys should cherish it accordingly.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Emmys bad, winners good. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
The Emmys Gave TV Fans Winners Worth Cherishing — and a Ceremony for Somebody Else
Rhea Seehorn and Matthew Rhys are Emmy winners tailor-made to thrill TV fans, but the Emmys ceremony meant to honor them had other priorities.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
And stuck with it to the end! Credit for committing, I guess.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
(It's good, actually, that Jon Hamm and Amanda Peet made a joke about no one watching "Your Friends and Neighbors" — the show that got one (1) Emmy nomination ***for Best Drama Series***.)
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Kathryn VanArendonk @kvanaren.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
one person in dentists office: rhys rhys rhys everyone in dentists office: RHYS RHYS RHYS
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Daniel Fienberg @thefienprint.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
HA. Jean Smart held the #Emmys record with eight acting wins solo for... 10 minutes.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
*the* perfect reaction the Buffy "reunion"
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Emmy producers in "let's get this over with" mode from the jump, I see.
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Kate Erbland @katerbland.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
OMG OMG OMG SUNSET COCKTAILS FOR ALLLLLLLLLL
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@NewsJennifer (Jennifer Schulze) @newsjennifer.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Credit to PBS News. This is by far one of the most accurate descriptions of what trump did. None of the sanewashing we saw with so much of the news coverage.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The final season of “Colin From Accounts” is really well made, starting from the very informative, very funny, very first sequence. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Colin from Accounts’ Final Season Is for the F*ck-Ups
The Australian rom com series returns with a third & final season that sees its central couple summoning the courage to decide what's right for them.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Great, moving writing by David here. Eager to see this one. www.indiewire.com/criticism/mo...
indiewire.com
‘Everytime’ Review: Sandra Wollner’s Infinitely Beguiling Portrait of Grief in the Digital Age Is One of the Most Haunting Films of the Decade
Sandra Wollner's unforgettable third feature explores the modern world's changing relationship to death.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Important linkage here:
screenshot:
“• Never forget: Damon Lindelof loves a good dick joke.”

[“a good dick joke” links to another article]
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
"Jazz. That can’t be good." lol good “Lanterns” tonight www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Lanterns’ Review: Episode 4 Is All About ‘The Weenie'(s) — Spoilers
Each weenie tells a story, and each story tells us a lot about "Lanterns."
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Kate Erbland @katerbland.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
The Telluride secret screening is even more wild than we imagined: www.indiewire.com/news/festiva...
indiewire.com
A24 Reveals Telluride Secret Screening: It’s Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s Documentary About Elizabeth Holmes
The filmmaker visited the convicted fraudster in prison.
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Ellie Mae O'Hagan @elliemaeohagan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
I love the dedication in My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinhem
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Melanie McFarland @mctelevision.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
What struck me is how accurately "OutKast" portrays the "twice as good for half as much" reality that Black parents drill into high-achievers like John Stewart. Props to Vanessa Baden Kelly's 🎯writing for that.
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Rick Porter @rickporter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
New at The Data Stream: Does IP mining really work better than just making original shows? (Not really!) Subscribe for more stuff like this, plus weekly ratings and premiere date guides and whatnot.
thedatastream.tv
What working the IP mines gets you
Shows based on existing intellectual property don't have a much greater success rate than original ideas.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
I love watching “Dark Matter” for its beautiful and bonkers shots of Chicago, but the rest of Season 2 is such a mess it made me question Apple’s entire approach to sci-fi TV. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Dark Matter’ Season 2 Tests the Limits of Apple TV’s Sci-Fi Obsession
After two years away, 'Dark Matter' Season 2 is a convoluted follow-up that illustrates the risks of Apple's high-concept blockbuster TV strategy.
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Denny Carter @dennycarter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
amazing stuff
"This government hates us and wants us dead," Kathleen Hanna remarked during Bikini
Kill's set. "They don't give a shit about anybody's healthcare. They don't care if we're dying in parking lots of curable illnesses.
They don't give a shit. They don't care if our rights are taken away. They're ripping people off the streets. I'm not gonna tell you all the bad things! But I am gonna say it makes it hard for me in my body sometimes to have a good time. 'Cause it's hard to turn it off. And I was thinking that on the way here. I was like,
'What a gift.' What a gift we have to be able to play for you. What a gift Olivia has given all of us to do this festival.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
It’s clear how much the people behind “Adults” care about making a great sitcom — and I respect that, because I love sitcoms. Season 2 is a big improvement, but it’s not there yet. Strong changes. Still has room to grow. I got in the weeds with this one: www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Adults’ Season 2 Review: FX’s Gen-Z Sitcom Hits a Much-Needed Growth Spurt
After a rough debut, co-creators Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw lean on classic sitcom tropes and elevate their strongest characters.
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Daniel Fienberg @thefienprint.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The new season should up Quincy Tyler Bernstine to full co-lead status and some effort should be made to bring Steve Way back, however narratively complicated that might be.
hollywoodreporter.com
‘Furious’ Renewed for Second Season at Hulu
The thriller from creator Elizabeth Meriwether and star Emmy Rossum wraps its first run on Aug. 31.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
On the last day of Emmy voting, I wrote a "will win / should win" with @marcusjones.bsky.social about the Best Series races. It's short, but we did not skimp on the hot takes! www.indiewire.com/awards/predi...
indiewire.com
We Pick Which Series Will Win and/or Should Win at the 2026 Primetime Emmys
IndieWire Awards Editor Marcus Jones and TV Critic Ben Travers debate which series will win and which series should win at the 2026 Primetime Emmys.
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Lisa Hanawalt @handle.invalid · 25/08/2026
New signed, limited edition prints in my shop : ) lisahanawalt.bigcartel.com/category/pri...
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Eric Vilas-Boas @ericvb.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
just in from the happiest workplace on earth (h/t @puck.news)
Disney won’t cover your significant other: Now that Disney C.E.O. Josh D’Amaro is done putting on a magical show at D23, here’s the reality at the company: More than 200,000 employees were just notified that starting in 2027, they can no longer enroll their spouse on the company insurance plan if that spouse has a job that offers any kind of healthcare (even if it’s much crappier). The move effectively kicks thousands of people off the Disney plans, many to inferior coverage, a shift that will likely impact lower-paid workers and hourly employees most. It’s just one of several changes coming to the happiest studio on Earth via its so-called “Total Rewards,” which sounds like a casino loyalty program but refers to Disney’s internal perks and compensation system. Why? “Like many companies, we’re navigating a number of factors, including rising healthcare costs, evolving employee needs, and shifts across our industry,” an internal communication reads. Translation: Stop whining, Eeyores. You’re lucky you have a job.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Spoke to Nick Offerman about a little show called “Death by Lightning.” www.indiewire.com/awards/consi...
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
lol yesssss
screenshot: “I’m as proud of it as anything I’ve ever written, and I hope readers at least appreciate how much good kissing it has,” St. James says.
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Liz Shannon Miller @lizshannonmiller.com · 18/08/2026
As teased last night: I am publishing my first novel, HOW TO BUILD A ROBOT (BOYFRIEND) on Sept. 1st! Link to read more: www.robot-boyfriend.com Link to pre-order: www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFKPGFJ5
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Courtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 17/08/2026
Every time someone says "but how will we afford it?" I want to ask them how we are affording it now, and in many cases, the answer is that we aren't.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Nah, you’ll be fine. They draw on plenty from the comics, but what you need to know is all onscreen.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Fun fact (that may surprise those of you who remember my reviews of past superhero series): I love Green Lantern. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
It's all a bit fishy, and between the case, the characters, and the larger Green Lantern mythology, questions stack up quickly across the first few episodes. Keeping track of who's who, what happened when, and how a glowing green ring manifests objects with the power of its wearer's will can be overwhelming for nyone without a doctorate in DC Comics (and, frankly, even for those of us who grew up reciting the oath). There are clunky moments where characters speak in thesis statements, and the larger stakes can get lost amid the individual dynamics.
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I am also on the weekly “Lanterns” beat. www.indiewire.com/criticism/sh...
indiewire.com
‘Lanterns’ Review: Episode 1 Lights Up Small-Town America with Big Mysteries and a Massive Twist — Spoilers
HBO's gritty "Green Lantern" series premiere is a rollicking introduction despite overloading on information and ending on a big ol' downer. [RECAP]
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Liz Shannon Miller @lizshannonmiller.com · 15/08/2026
So I think I undersold my interview with Chris Carter about his #XFiles: I Want to Believe director's cut. Please enjoy the section that multiple readers have quoted back to me with exclamation points. consequence.net/2026/08/x-fi...
I Want to Believe features the now-retired FBI agents getting dragged back into one more case, involving a mad scientist with an interest in transplanting heads in the quest for immortality. In terms of justifying the decision to cut scenes and even lines focused on the relationship between his two lead characters, Carter said that Seasons 10 and 11 of the show, revived in the 2010s, gave X-Files fans “their fill of Mulder and Scully and their relationship. Scully reveals she’s pregnant at the end of Season 11, so you know they’re sleeping together, so that doesn’t need to be any great shocker in the movie.”

In Seasons 10 and 11, Mulder and Scully are depicted as living independently from each other, with exactly one confirmed sexual encounter over the course of 16 episodes (included seemingly to set up that pregnancy reveal). But that appears to be the level of romance that Carter feels is true to the core of the series.

“I always felt that the studio didn’t really know The X-Files very well when they greenlit this movie originally,” he says. “They forced us to put that romantic element in there, when it took away from the good X-Files story. In this cut, I simply wanted to take the weight off of the one thing and put it on the darker story.”
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Ben Travers @bentravers.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Honestly you kept it together better than anyone should. (And now I wade into the *new* interview… 🫠)
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