And Not to Yield

For five seasons, Sheriff Walt Longmire and his team have shown us the honor and the price of fighting for justice in this world. This Friday, their story comes to a close as   Longmire ’ s sixth and final season drops. The modernized Western-mystery series balances that old-school storytelling with a direct and unflinching take on real injustices, from the challenges and persecution Native American communities face to the brutal nature of trauma. This ain’t your daddy’s Old West.  Longmire  is a Western for this generation, "Cowboys and Indians" fighting side by side for truth in a world that tries to bury it. As Walt’s daughter advises: if you must go out, at least do it on your own terms. All five seasons are available on Netflix, so you can catch up and watch Longmire end his story on his own terms. Originally posted 11/16/17 at Latest and Greatest

All aboard! Kenneth Branagh steers Agatha Christie’s  Murder on the Orient Express  as both director and detective. It’s up to Hercule Poirot to puzzle out whodunnit, and how, with a train full of travelers and a locked door. The wheels turning in your mind will be more than enough to warm you up on this chilly November weekend. For those who like their murder more visceral than cerebral,  Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri  is a darkly comic take on what happens after. The critics are already seeing Oscars written in the raw performances and complex story. A companion piece to last week’s  A Bad Moms Christmas ,  Daddy’s Home 2  takes holiday drama up a notch with wacky stunts and dueling dads! Originally posted 11/10/17 on Latest and Greatest

New Zealand director Taika Waititi ( What We Do In The Shadows ) brings us his quirky vision of the God of Thunder in  Thor: Ragnarok ! Colorful in every sense of the word, this chapter in the MCU finds Thor embracing his title once again to defend Asgard from Cate Blanchett’s villainess, Hela. Ready for the holiday season to begin, but tired of the traditional fare? Bad Moms and Grandmoms break with tradition and invite you to make the holidays your own in  A Bad Moms Christmas ! If you like your weekends a bit more studious, catch Woody Harrelson’s captivating turn as  LBJ .  Rob Reiner’s Lyndon B. Johnson biopic is a complex and compelling character study. Not at all a story about LBJ’s wife,  Lady Bird   is a lovingly-crafted coming-of-age story featuring Saoirse Ronan that surprised the critics at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Originally posted 11/3/17 on Latest and Greatest

Batten down the hatches, kids, because the tidal wave of weird is bearing down on Hawkins, Indiana once again. The acclaimed genre mash-up of adolescent adventure tale, teenage horror movie, and adult conspiracy thriller is back, much to the Internet’s delight. But don’t expect a mere remake of the first season; the Duffer Brothers have been very clear that this is a separate story that builds on the first.  Think the tone and genre change of Aliens after Alien, they say . (Beware spoilers at the link!) Hollywood may be to blame for audiences’ sequel wariness, but with these creators and this cast, there is nothing to fear. Well, except for that huge looming shadow. That’s pretty freaky.  All episodes are currently streaming on Netflix, so grab your baseball bat and your trusty monster-hunting friends and venture into the Upside Down. Originally posted 10/27/17 on Latest and Greatest

If  you were the one who told spooky stories around the campfire with a flashlight held under your chin or just one of the few who listened intently, staring at the flame so you wouldn’t be tempted to look for what was hiding in the deep, dark woods, you’ll enjoy the   Lore podcast . Every episode, host Aaron Mahnke offers up tales linked by a topic with a hint of the inexplicable, just enough ambiguity to make you look twice at the shadow in the doorway, or check over your shoulder if you’re walking alone. From the still-lingering legends of serial killers to the nature of communal fear, Lore exposes what is really lurking in the dark. And if you’re already a long-time fan of the podcast, head over to Amazon Prime to stream the  Lore anthology series  that just dropped today! Originally posted 10/13/17 on Latest and Greatest

Everyone seems to go through a mythology and folklore phase as a kid. Whether you were interested in Greco-Roman, Arthurian, or Egyptian (like me), the  Myths & Legends  podcast   retells all those classic stories in a modern voice. From the misadventures of Loki to tales from Nepalese folklore, this podcast weaves stories for you like Scheherazade herself.  Originally posted 9/15/17 on Latest and Greatest

For anyone who misses  Reading Rainbow  or  Star Trek: TNG , or if you just love listening to short stories read in a soothing voice, hit up  LeVar Burton Reads . As you’ve probably guessed, LeVar Burton picks a short story every week and reads it aloud in his trademark lovely voice. He usually wraps it up with his impressions or a talking point and has even had an author on to discuss their piece. I highly recommend the Neil Gaiman story “Chivalry” and Lesley Nneka Arimah’s “What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky.” Originally posted 8/25/17 on Latest and Greatest