Pop Culture Happy Hour : NPR

'Game Of Thrones' Finale, Season 8, Episode 6: 'No One Is Very Happy'

Having well and truly landed, Queen Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) surveys the ruins of King's Landing on the final episode of Game of Thrones. HBO hide caption

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HBO

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'Game Of Thrones' Finale, Season 8, Episode 6: 'No One Is Very Happy'

May 20, 2019 • After eight seasons, 73 episodes and a whole lot of characters saying "bend the knee" all the time, HBO's massive fantasy series is finally over.

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) in the series finale of Game of Thrones. HBO hide caption

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'Game Of Thrones' Comes To An End

May 20, 2019 • After eight seasons, 73 episodes, and way too many characters busting out the phrase "bend the knee" all the time, HBO's Game of Thrones has come to an end. And there's a lot to unpack.

'Game Of Thrones' Comes To An End

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'Catch-22' May Not Be By The Book, But It Understands Brutality

Christopher Abbott plays Yossarian in Hulu's adaptation of Catch-22., which doesn't capture the satirical tone of the novel. Philipe Antonello/Hulu hide caption

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'Catch-22' May Not Be By The Book, But It Understands Brutality

May 18, 2019 • Hulu's adaptation of Catch-22 may not be Catch-22 as you know it, but it stands as an often-effective anti-war drama.

Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick in John Wick: Chapter 3--Parabellum. Summit Entertainment hide caption

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Summit Entertainment

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John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum

May 17, 2019 • Once upon a time, a man named John Wick retired from his successful career as an assassin. But then he returned to it. And across what's now a three-film series, he's been having a heck of a week ever since.

John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum

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If You Only See One Detective-Themed Pikachu Movie This Year...

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If You Only See One Detective-Themed Pikachu Movie This Year...

May 15, 2019 • The Pokémon universe has brought the world television cartoons, trading cards, video games, plush toys, the mobile-game sensation Pokemon GO, and a string of animated movies. Now, the franchise makes the leap into live action with a big-budget summer blockbuster called Pokemon Detective Pikachu.

If You Only See One Detective-Themed Pikachu Movie This Year...

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 5: 'Let It Be Fear'

Big spears/Horse ears/Gol-den Companyyyyy: Harry Strickland (Marc Rissmann) — seriously, that's his name, Harry Strickland — leads an army of mercenaries in the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones. HBO hide caption

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 5: 'Let It Be Fear'

May 13, 2019 • In the series' penultimate episode, the quality of mercy gets seriously strained. And stabbed. And set aflame. And razed. And several characters meet their final fates.

Adam Sandler hosted Saturday Night Live on May 4, 2019. Will Heath/Will Heath/NBC hide caption

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Will Heath/Will Heath/NBC

Pop Culture Happy Hour

People We're Pulling For

May 10, 2019 • Everyone needs inspiration. And we need it too. So from time to time, we pause just to single out some of the people whose work we're appreciating. People from whom we want more. We call this segment People We're Pulling For.

People We're Pulling For

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In 'Long Shot', Charlize Theron And Seth Rogen Mix Love And Politics

Charlotte Field (Charlize Theron) and Fred Flarsky (Seth Rogen) in Long Shot. Hector Alvarez/Lionsgate hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'Long Shot', Charlize Theron And Seth Rogen Mix Love And Politics

May 8, 2019 • While summer is a time of spectacles and sequels, there is always time for love. The new romantic comedy Long Shot stars Charlize Theron as a beautiful and sophisticated presidential candidate and Seth Rogen as the grubby speechwriter with her on the campaign trail.

In 'Long Shot', Charlize Theron And Seth Rogen Mix Love And Politics

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 4: 'Vomiting Is Not Celebrating'

Boy, Mike Brady really let himself go, hunh? Schemin' seaman Euron (Pilou Asbaek) and cunning Queen Cersei (Lena Headey) look awful pleased with themselves on Game of Thrones. Helen Sloan/HBO hide caption

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 4: 'Vomiting Is Not Celebrating'

May 6, 2019 • In the fourth episode of the series' final season, our heroes celebrate their hard-won victory over Evil Snow Miser, prepare for the next battle and suffer some distressing casualties.

Friendship And Grief Drive The Strong And Surprising 'Dead To Me'

Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate star as fast friends in Netflix's new comedy-drama Dead to Me. Saeed Adyani/Netflix hide caption

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Friendship And Grief Drive The Strong And Surprising 'Dead To Me'

May 4, 2019 • The new Netflix series starring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini begins as an encounter in grief counseling and goes ... well, all over the place after that.

Your Guide To Free Comic Book Day 2019: Best Bets For Every Reader

Ron Ackins checks out back issues at Philadelphia's Fat Jack's Comicrypt on Free Comic Book Day 2012. Be like Ron. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

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Matt Rourke/AP

Your Guide To Free Comic Book Day 2019: Best Bets For Every Reader

May 3, 2019 • Once again, we provide you with capsule reviews of the 53(!) books that comics shops will be handing out this Saturday, May 4th.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping And Comedies About Music

Andy Samberg plays Conner4Real in Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Universal Pictures hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping And Comedies About Music

May 3, 2019 • We revisit our 2016 discussion of the film Popstar. We The also look at back at other films that find humor in the foibles of musicians.

Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping And Comedies About Music

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Elizabeth Holmes And Theranos In Pop Culture

Elizabeth Holmes, the founder and former CEO of Theranos, is currently facing fraud charges. HBO hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Elizabeth Holmes And Theranos In Pop Culture

May 1, 2019 • Nothing fascinates the world like a meteoric rise. Except, of course, for a spectacular fall. The story of the Silicon Valley startup Theranos and its young founder Elizabeth Holmes has both. And the coverage it's received has been huge. There's the book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, the podcast The Dropout, and the HBO documentary The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley. Today we look at three ways of telling the same story.

Elizabeth Holmes And Theranos In Pop Culture

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 3: 'At Least We're Already In A Crypt'

Varys (Conleth Hill) and Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) commiserate over how very, very safe they are, down in the Winterfell crypts, because they are dumb. Helen Sloan/HBO hide caption

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 3: 'At Least We're Already In A Crypt'

April 29, 2019 • The Battle of Winterfell is finally here, and it's the most brutal episode of the series yet — one that comes with a body count and a surprise, truly shattering conclusion.

The Record-Breaking Box Office Of 'Avengers: Endgame,' By The (Huge) Numbers

Chris Evans as Captain America in Avengers: Endgame. And yes, Cap, these are apparently the real numbers. Film Frame/Marvel Studios hide caption

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The Record-Breaking Box Office Of 'Avengers: Endgame,' By The (Huge) Numbers

April 28, 2019 • Nobody is surprised that Avengers: Endgame is a hit, but even by superhero standards, it's had an enormous debut weekend, both in the U.S. and internationally.

'Avengers: Endgame' Is A Satisfying Super-Wrap

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Avengers: Endgame' Is A Satisfying Super-Wrap

April 26, 2019 • The Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought us Iron Man movies, Thor movies, Captain America movies, Avengers movies, and many other superhero franchises over the last decade, and they all feed into one epic that ties up many of the loose ends. Today we're talking the juggernaut to end all juggernauts, Avengers: Endgame.

'Avengers: Endgame' Is A Satisfying Super-Wrap

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Mourning Has Broken Them: 'Avengers: Endgame'

I ... was Iron Man: A stranded-in-space Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) shares a somber moment with his suit's A.I. Marvel Studios hide caption

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Mourning Has Broken Them: 'Avengers: Endgame'

April 24, 2019 • The culmination of the Avengers franchise proves a remarkably intimate and somber affair until it concludes with a climactic battle more thrilling than anything superhero cinema has delivered to date.

Mourning Has Broken Them: 'Avengers: Endgame'

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 2: 'Think Back To Where We Started'

Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) in his cups (well, goblets, technically) on Game of Thrones. HBO hide caption

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'Game Of Thrones' Season 8, Episode 2: 'Think Back To Where We Started'

April 22, 2019 • On the eve of the biggest battle yet, the series pauses for an episode that delivers old-school Game of Thrones thrills: characters talking in rooms — including a milestone Jaime/Brienne moment.

Beyoncé performs onstage at Coachella on April 14, 2018. Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Coachella hide caption

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

We Celebrate Beyoncé's 'Homecoming'

April 22, 2019 • On Wednesday, Beyoncé released two major projects. On Netflix, a new documentary captures the process of putting on headlining appearances at last year's Coachella Music Festival. She also surprise-released a double-length live album that contains just some of the highlights from Beyoncé's two ambitious Coachella performances. Both projects are called Homecoming, and they help immortalize a huge stage show full of dancers and drum lines and impeccable choreography and songs that reach across Beyoncé's career.

We Celebrate Beyoncé's 'Homecoming'

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In 'Someone Great,' The Greatest Someone Might Be Your Best Pal

Gina Rodriguez, DeWanda Wise and Brittany Snow star in Someone Great. Sarah Shatz/Netflix hide caption

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Sarah Shatz/Netflix

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In 'Someone Great,' The Greatest Someone Might Be Your Best Pal

April 19, 2019 • Gina Rodriguez stars in Someone Great, a Netflix comedy that follows three friends trying to have one last adventure before everything changes for good.

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our Summer Movie Preview

April 19, 2019 • It's time again for our summer movie preview. We'll take a shot at guessing hits and misses, and we'll tell you what we can't wait to see.

Our Summer Movie Preview

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

We Offer Some Pop Culture Advice

April 17, 2019 • Today we open up the vault to finally bring you a segment we recorded back in 2016 with our pal Audie Cornish. You'll hear us live in Seattle offering advice on some classic pop culture problems.

We Offer Some Pop Culture Advice

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