Little House on the Prairie: Season One (2026)

“This will be our new forever.”

The Little House books were the first series I ever read. When I was eight, all of my friends were binging through them at record speed and I was right there with them. I loved these stories and over the past fifty-some years, I have reread the entire series several times. I have avoided spoilers in this article, but the comments are fair game.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

"Who are those guys?"

What is it about this movie? Why, nearly sixty years after its release, is it still so beloved, so often cited, and watched and rewatched by generations of filmgoers? Of course it’s because it’s a wonderful story brought to life by two iconic actors, but it is more than that. It is a story that resonates, that speaks to people on a level that touches their heart.

The Post

Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press… –The U.S. Bill of Rights, Amendment I

The only way to protect the right to publish is to publish. –Ben Bradlee

The Post is an exciting and intelligent movie about the publishing of the Pentagon Papers by The New York Times (the most influential American newspaper at the time) and The Washington Post (an upstart, mostly local paper with an ambitious editor at the time). Brilliantly directed by Steven Spielberg, the movie turns this historical event into a gripping coming of age thriller even though we all know the ending. At least I am assuming you know the ending, so spoilers ahead.

Bookish: Season One

Does the world really need another mystery series? We have loads set in the US and the UK and, if one is willing to read subtitles, the French and the Italians are doing some smashing series as well.

The Remains of the Day

“The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.”

The Remains of the Day is not an easy novel. Its narrator is pompous and prim, and he makes decisions that are difficult to sympathize with. But by the end, I was crying for this man whom I had once so disliked. And therein lies the problem with the movie. Because it sacrifices a great deal of the nuanced emotion of the novel, it negates any deep feeling at the end.

Doux Top Twenty! Number 8: The X-Files

The X-Files is number 8 in the Doux Top Twenty.

In May 2009, Doux writer Jess Lynde took on a daunting retro project – writing reviews of all nine seasons of The X-Files. She got to season two before asking for help, and several Agents of Doux answered the call: ChrisB, drnanamom, Heather, Juliette and Mallena.

What Once Was Old Is New Again: Night Court and That '90s Show

Red: “Ah, teenagers. I feel for you, son. On the other hand, payback’s a bitch.”

It’s official. With no new ideas, TV producers are re-creating successful sitcoms from the far, far past. This week, two reboots landed – Night Court and That '70s Show, now That '90s Show. One should have been left in the past; the other started well then settled into something fun to watch.

Chris' Best of 2022

"If you would not be forgotten
As soon as you are dead and rotten
Either write things worth reading
Or do things worth the writing."
-- Benjamin Franklin

2022 brought us an extraordinary number of good books, TV shows, and films. When I looked back at what I had enjoyed watching and reading in 2022, I was pleasantly surprised at how extensive the list was. In fact, I had to make some tough choices.

Here are my top ten 2022 cultural moments.

Persuasion

Persuasion is Jane Austen’s fifth novel. Published after her death, it is not as well known as some of her earlier works. It deserves to be. It is more mature and, I would argue, better written than anything else she wrote (OK, except Pride and Prejudice which cannot be improved on in any way).

This Week: Happy Pride from the Agents of Doux!

This week: The Agents of Doux get their Pride on.

ChrisB's Best of 2021

2021 was a long year in which too many things happened too quickly. Occasionally, it would become overwhelming and I would have to lose myself in another world.

The silver lining in all this was that I was able to spend more time than I usually do on books, TV, plays, and movies. It was great to get back into the theaters, both live and cinema. There were quite a few things I enjoyed this year, some unexpected and some old favorites. But, there were some that stood out as the best of the year. The following are the ten things I will return to as 2021 morphs into 2022.

West Side Story (2021)

"You let them take me from you. How do I forgive you for that?"

There are some things that simply should not be remade. Madonna singing "American Pie?" The remake of Psycho? A reboot of Magnum PI? No, no, and again I say, no. You can guess what my reaction was when I heard that Steven Spielberg had chosen to remake one of the most revered movies of all time.

Star Trek The Animated Series: One of Our Planets is Missing

The Agents of Doux are covering The Animated Series with "discussion reviews." Mikey starts us off.

2021 Best Picture Contenders

The best line of the year:

"I didn't want my sailboat to be in the driveway when I died."
-- Nomadland

I love to go to the movies. I actually prefer to go the movies by myself. I sit where I want with a bag of popcorn and a bottle of water and lose myself completely in the story. I tend to laugh out loud and cry at the silliest things. Alone, I don't have to worry about whether my companion is having any fun. If I love the movie, I can give into it completely. If I hate it, I can leave.

For obvious reasons, I did not get to any movies to speak of in 2020. But, for the past few years I have made a point of seeing all the nominated Best Picture movies before the Oscars. To my surprise, when the nominees were announced this year, I had only seen one. I had my work cut out for me.

Downton Abbey: The Movie

Cora: “Just like the old days.”

Sometimes, when a series ends, a subsequent movie is essential. The movie may tie up loose ends and allow the story to come to some kind of a neat conclusion. Sometimes, however, a movie is not needed (or, frankly, even wanted) and can rather mar the memory of what was once great.

The X-Files: Closure

Case: Mulder joins forces with a psychic to try to determine once and for all what happened to his sister.

Destination: Sacramento, California

“I guess I just want it to be over.”

For those of us who have not had the experience, it is impossible to comprehend what someone who has lost a loved one as tragically as Mulder lost Samantha lives with. We can, on the other hand, understand why he has been driven all these years to find her, to find the answers, and to understand precisely what happened all those years ago. We can also understand how tired he is and how much he wants it all to just end.

The X-Files: The Amazing Maleeni

Case: Mulder and Scully take on the case of a magician who has lost his head. Literally.

Destination: Sunny California

“Abracadabra, man.”

For a show that is placed firmly in the world of the paranormal and the unexplained, it is hard to imagine that it took the producers and writers six years to come up with a story based in magic. This episode is the result.

The X-Files: Rush

Case: Young kids with super-speed are misbehaving while Mulder and Scully try to get to the bottom of it all.

Destination: Pittsfield, Virginia

“I was your age once.”

The X-Files took a lot a criticism in the sixth season for being too light, too funny, too soft. As the show ramped up its seventh season, it tried to address this problem and return to its roots, to what had made the show what it is. Did it succeed in this episode?

Castle: Crossfire

“Everything ends in tragedy, even an epic love story like yours.”

Watching this episode reminded me of running into an old boyfriend.

The X-Files: The Sixth Extinction II: Amor Fati

Case: Mulder grows worse as Scully races to find help.

Destination: Washington, D.C.

“Extraordinary men are always tempted by the most ordinary things.”

By this time in the series, the mythology has become so complex and so fractured that it is impossible to take it seriously anymore.