Darren Mooney
The Escapist
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Past articles by Darren:
In Its Finale, The Last of Us Is About Agency and Ambiguity
The Last of Us episode 9 finale review: "Look for the Light" offers masterful storytelling at HBO that adapts Joel's choice from the game. → Read More
Scream 4 Turned the Franchise's Cynicism Inwards
Scream 4 turns the franchise cynicism inward for the most extreme meta horror movie experience possible from Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson. → Read More
‘When We Are in Need’ Finds The Last of Us Putting Its Own Spin on Post-Apocalyptic Tropes
The Last of Us episode 8 review: "When We Are in Need" juxtaposes the metaphor of Christian father David with the monstrous cordyceps. → Read More
With Quantumania, Marvel’s Phase 5 Is Off to a Messy Start – The Recap
This Week on The Recap podcast, Marty and Darren discuss Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in a spoiler-filled discussion. → Read More
The Last of Us Episode 6 Review: 'Kin' Is the End of the Wild West
The Last of Us episode 6 review: "Kin" arrives in Wyoming, for the end of the Wild West as Joel confronts what his masculinity means. → Read More
Netflix’s Clampdown on Password Sharing Is a Bluff – or a Deathwish
When Netflix briefly threatened to stop password sharing, the commercial ad revenue at stake makes it clear it was a bluff or deathwish. → Read More
The Last of Us Episode 3 Was a Heartbreaking Masterpiece – The Recap
The Recap podcast: Marty, Darren and Nick discuss HBO's The Last of Us episode 3, "Long Long Time," a heartbreaking masterpiece. → Read More
Poker Face Is an Argument for Episodic Television
Poker Face on Peacock is an argument for episodic television as an art form, which has become bizarrely endangered in the age of streaming. → Read More
In ‘Infected,’ The Last of Us Establishes the Rules of the Game
The Last of Us episode 2 review: "Infected" on HBO, directed by Neil Druckmann, sets the rules and the world like a video game would. → Read More
The Last of Us on HBO Is an Intimate, Character-Driven Story of the End of the World
The Last of Us season 1 review on HBO: This TV show adaptation from Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann is character-driven and superb. → Read More
In ‘Prisoners of Skellin,’ Willow Has a Little Chaotic Magic
Willow episode 6 review: "Prisoners of Skellin" is an enjoyable improvement after the low point of "Wildwood" in the last Disney+ episode. → Read More
Eternals Is an Anti-Superhero Epic
Chloé Zhao uses Eternals to cast a critical eye on the MCU power fantasy and the danger of how its superheroes preserve the status quo. → Read More
Willow Gets Lost in the ‘Wildwood’ for Its Weakest Episode So Far
Willow episode 5 review: "Wildwood" on Disney+ is consumed by sloppy writing and grinds pacing to a halt to deliver plot exposition poorly. → Read More
Our Favorite Movies and TV Shows of 2022
This week on The Recap podcast, Marty Sliva, Darren Mooney, and Nick Calandra discuss their favorite movies and TV shows from 2022. → Read More
The Way of Water Proves 3D Didn’t Fail Studios, Studios Failed 3D
Avatar: The Way of Water uses 3D visuals to fantastic additive effect, reiterating 3D films work when the movies are good and built for it. → Read More
The English Is About the Afterbirth of a Nation
The Amazon & BBC western TV series The English intertwines birth and death in its narrative that serves as a parable for America. → Read More
In the Season Finale, Andor Is the Most Consistent Star Wars Ever
Andor episode 12 review: "Rix Road" is a triumphant season 1 finale, bringing the whole cast and the show's themes together. → Read More
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever & the MCU’s Rocky Phase 4 – The Recap
The Recap podcast: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is the capstone of a rocky MCU Phase 4, and we're discussing what it means moving forward. → Read More
In “Nobody’s Listening!,” Andor Understands That Everyone’s a Prisoner
Andor episode 9 review: "Nobody's Listening!" makes prisoners out of everyone, whether literal or metaphorical. → Read More
Lower Decks Is a Star Trek Show About Work and the Modern Workplace
Star Trek: Lower Decks is fundamentally about work and the modern workplace, echoing The Next Generation but having fresh things to say. → Read More