TV OT: Joe Goldberg v. Dexter Morgan: Sizing up TV's serial killer kings. Plus, a critic's conundrum

That's benignant of wherever the similarities end. The shows are fundamentally antithetic successful tone, with "You" leaning into wit and campy astatine times, and the characters' motivations and methods for sidesplitting are incredibly dissimilar.

In 1 corner, you person Joe Goldberg. If I had to delegate a cereal to correspond this serial killer, he'd beryllium Frosted Mini-Wheats — your average, sweet-seeming feline connected the extracurricular with a shredded messiness connected the inside. (Thank you, puerility trauma.) His bloodiest messes hap erstwhile Joe seemingly tries the hardest to debar them. And erstwhile helium does person a plan, it ne'er seems to spell to the mode it was expected to.

In the different country is Dexter Morgan, the Raisin Bran of serial killers due to the fact that helium makes everyone consciousness regular. Dexter refers to his interior murderous monologue arsenic his Dark Passenger, who gets the champion of him erstwhile Dexter believes he's seen a incorrect and looks to equilibrium the scales of justness — a White Knife, if you will. Dexter kills, successful his mind, for the bully of others — and for himself erstwhile necessary. That, successful my mind, is what sets him isolated from Joe the most, and wherefore I'll ever thrust for Team Dexter.

In galore ways, Joe is often guided by the aforesaid DNA that turned Nate into a jerk connected "Ted Lasso" — this content that he's deserving of bully things astatine immoderate outgo due to the fact that he's been wronged successful the past. (There's a crushed that "Ted Lasso" arsenic a fearfulness movie trailer landed truthful well.) Joe has his ain stock of White Knife moments, but his actions are mostly successful work of himself. For each his missteps successful the past, Joe genuinely believes he's deserving of a literate emotion story.

Dexter, meanwhile, knows he's toxic. Though he's tried successful the past to contradict it oregon unreal helium tin flooded it, he's accepted the world of his situation, which is wherefore helium lives successful the woods, arsenic seen successful the previews for "New Blood." I respect that Dexter knew what was not bully for him and, astatine the extremity of the archetypal series, had capable contented to effort to region himself from the situation.

It's thing we should each instrumentality a stab astatine erstwhile necessary.

Should you spot streaming movies successful theaters?

Next, CNN's Brian Lowry connected his professional conundrum.

"For years, I've had an informal policy: Try to reappraisal movies successful theaters and ticker TV shows astatine home, the aforesaid mode the nationalist would presumption them, successful bid to champion service arsenic their surrogate.

Lately, this alternatively elemental maxim -- ticker things the mode that readers mostly volition -- has been tested and blurred, acknowledgment successful portion to the improvement of accumulation models hastened by the pandemic.

Streaming services inactive often propulsion screening their movies successful theaters. Frequently, these outlets put little theatrical runs to suffice films for awards consideration, but let's not kid ourselves: The fig of radical who volition really spot a Netflix oregon Amazon merchandise successful theaters successful the week oregon truthful they're disposable is astir surely dwarfed by however galore volition ticker them successful the comfortableness of home. (Not that we'll ever know, since streamers person been arsenic steadfast astir not sharing box-office totals.)

As it happens, Oct. 22 brings a brace of movies pursuing this model, portion of a question that volition tally done the remainder of the year. 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' features Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy unneurotic successful a lightweight communicative with heavyweight leads that volition walk 2 weeks successful prime theaters earlier landing connected Amazon.

Netflix, similarly, is holding in-person screenings for 'The Harder They Fall,' a star-studded occidental riding into a fewer theaters earlier parking connected the streamer Nov. 3.

Strictly arsenic a applicable matter, I tin wholly recognize wherefore these companies would similar critics to spot their movies successful person. Certain films tin play somewhat otherwise connected a large screen, without noisy distractions.

That said, the bigger information appears to beryllium stroking endowment egos, utilizing screenings and splashy premieres to marque them consciousness similar they've made a movie that volition beryllium judged and spoken of successful the aforesaid enactment arsenic theatrical fare.

Why filmmakers and stars would autumn for that astatine this point, frankly, is somewhat mystifying. Because if the pandemic has demonstrated thing astir movies, it's that they tin garner attraction and praise erstwhile their archetypal vulnerability comes via television, and critics ought to beryllium capable to justice a project's merits -- subjectively, evidently -- without being unduly influenced by the size of the surface upon which they presumption it.

It's worthy noting, too, that studios person further clouded the issue, with Universal's 'Halloween Kills' simultaneously streaming connected Peacock and Warner Bros. (like CNN, portion of WarnerMedia) making its afloat slate disposable connected HBO Max. Given the tepid box-office reception for 'The Sopranos' prequel 'The Many Saints of Newark,' which I did spot successful a theater, bid creator David Chase fundamentally made a movie for streaming contempt his protestations to the contrary.

There's nary one-size-fits-all attack to this discussion, but here's 1 ink-stained wretch's opinion: A critic's superior work is to supply an honorable sentiment to the radical who work their work. What they beryllium to the distributors and filmmakers should beryllium arsenic straightforward: A just hearing.

Netflix, Amazon and those they employment mightiness consciousness amended knowing that their films are playing successful theaters, conscionable similar 'real' movies, adjacent if those lines person go progressively irrelevant.

To critics and filmgoers who similar that option, sound yourselves out. But similar the lion's stock of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon subscribers successful this unusual age, much often than not, I'd similar my meals to go."

The astir almighty beingness successful 'What Happened, Brittany Murphy?'

Screeners for the documentary "What Happened, Brittany Murphy?," which premiered this week connected HBO Max, were made disposable to property up of time. I watched some parts successful a azygous sitting past week and though the doc is abundant successful shortcomings (i.e.: its inclusion of footage of conspiracy-driven YouTubers and gross interviews with retired officials that felt exploitative.) I can't halt reasoning astir histrion Kathy Najimy's portion successful it. Najimy, known for her memorable roles successful movies similar "Sister Act" and "Hocus Pocus," appears passim the documentary speaking astir her beloved person successful a mode that's admirably susceptible and wholly heartbreaking.

She speaks astir everything from her aboriginal interactions with Murphy to their relationship to her regrets. In 1 pugnacious moment, she says she wishes she'd taken a much forceful attack to expressing her concerns for Murphy, wondering "why didn't I conscionable spell implicit determination and sound connected the doorway each time long?"

Najimy is arguably the astir recognizable look successful the portion (though notable filmmakers similar Amy Heckerling and Shawn Levy besides appear) and that's apt for a crushed — and it's apt not due to the fact that the filmmakers didn't scope retired to galore people. It takes courageousness to talk astir friends successful this way, particularly precocious ones and particularly successful Hollywood.

If you've ever been successful the presumption wherever you had to advocator for a person oregon watched arsenic they've been pulled from you, you cognize it's incredibly hard to instrumentality action. And adjacent if you find it successful yourself to bash so, it doesn't ever enactment out. Though the documentary doesn't bash Murphy justice, Najimy intelligibly intended to — portion she was connected this Earth and now. And that's admirable.

Feast connected this

I couldn't decorativeness disconnected this week's file without a delicious recommendation: "La Frontera," a nutrient peculiar from PBS and cook Pati Jinich. This two-part peculiar successful which Jinich travels the U.S./Mexico borderline volition permission my chap Texans bare and homesick astatine the aforesaid time, arsenic she captures the quality of the people, nutrient and culture. Its archetypal occurrence debuted this week and the 2nd airs Oct. 22. Now, who is going to overnight this McAllen, Texas native immoderate brisket and flour tortillas?