LYNETTE RICE @LYNETTERICE EDITED BY Must List

THE TOP 10 THINGS WE LOVE THIS MONTH ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHIEU BOUREL

KING: STEVE SCHOFIELD/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES By IF ITBLEEDS 1 of the latter), the OCD-suffering of thelatter), theOCD-suffering Erivo inHBO’s recentadaptation memorably portrayed by Cynthia Trilogy and major player intheBillHodges investigator Holly Gibney. A “Constant Readers”—private veryarmy King’s familiarto of a characterwhohasbecome if mostly unsurprising,form. the Master oftheMacabrein fine, short story andnovel, andfinds pying theno-man’s-land betwixt contains fourtalesofterroroccu- Stand byMe belovedas the to thebigscreen and worth andShawshank Redemption № The titularstory showcases The Body Stephen . Hisnewest collection , whichwas brought The Outsider Mist the likes of hearts, thanksto many horrorfans’ occupy aplacein las hewouldstill only wrote novel- IF STEPHEN KING , Rita Hay- (and The ,

wards! and globalcatastrophe—told back- of Chuck dards fascinatinglygnomic, the inventive, andby King’s stan- his book. Faustian bargainsohecanfinish centers onawriterstriking a endured by, well, to the subject ofthe hardships Rat their favorite Appleproduct.And ofburyingsomeone withgers tale aboutthebenefits anddan- Kindle-centric novella nology (seealsohisnovel ambivalent attitude toward tech- while, furtherhighlightsKing’s way. troubled background alongthe know thatKingfillsinalot ofher tees willalsobeinterested to reporter’snews face.Holly devo- with a vanishing mole on aTV Bleeds in sleuth isdrawn intodanger The odd man out? That would be The oddmanout?Thatwouldbe finds theauthorreturning Mr. Harrigan’s Phone —CLARK COLLIS —CLARK after becoming obsessedafter becoming , astoryof choreography authors UR Cell The Life The Life , mean- ) in a , and BOOKS and If

It W●COM EW SHOULD FANSSHOULD WHICH STORY READ FIRST? READ Mr. Harrigan’s Phone YOU’LL LOVE THIS YOU’LL LOVE THIS YOU’LL LOVE THIS YOU’LL LOVE THIS The Life of Chuck Life The IF YOU LIKED IF YOU LIKED IF YOU LIKED IF YOU LIKED

NOVELLA NOVELLA NOVELLA NOVELLA If ItBleeds Rat MAY 2020 ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

9 № № 3 4 THE MUST LIST

ANIMAL CROSSING: MUST FOR KIDS MISSION UNSTOPPABLE NEW HORIZONS WITH MIRANDA COSGROVE

GAMES TV After shooting 95 episodes of

It’s not enough to depict fictitious female superheroes in entertain- ment; it’s better to show real ones. That’s what prompted actress Geena Davis, with the help of philan- thropist Lyda Hill, to executive-

iCarly produce Mission Unstoppable With Miranda Cosgrove—a CBS Saturday-

for , for morning show hosted by the former iCarly star that showcases female engineers, mathematicians, and

: SONY INTERACTIVE AMERICA; MISSION UNSTOPPABLE: LITTON ENTERTAINMENT LITTON MISSION AMERICA; UNSTOPPABLE: : SONY INTERACTIVE astronauts doing all sorts of world- changing stuff. Davis believes their MIRANDA COSGROVE DREAMS lively reports on superstars like Diana Trujillo—the head of the Mars Rover program—have already inspired young viewers in the series’

№ : THATGAMECOMPANY; first season on CBS and its stream- and a call for others to FOR SOME REASON, relocating to a remote island where ing service, CBS All Access. “There’s JOURNEY DRAG’S NEXT ACT join them. “Drag has resources abound, everyone is healthy, and the economy now studies psychology at USC. Sounds about right. a direct correlation between what WE’RE HERE been hidden for so long,” is a paradise of effortless productivity and zero-interest happens on screen and what people says Eureka. “People loans really seems appealing to people right now. Gamers do in real life,” says Davis, who also are finally being exposed cites a study saying 63 percent 2 with an influx of time at home have turned to cuddly capi- to it—they’re starting to of women pursued STEM careers accept that they love talist Tom Nook and his escapist getaway package in because of Gillian Anderson’s TV it, and they’re seeing the record numbers, making New Horizons one of the quickest- forensic-pathologist character, power behind it.” APE/CHUCKLEFISH; : CONCERNED selling Nintendo Switch titles. Have some guilt-free social Dana Scully, on Fox’s The X-Files. The show takes the time by inviting friends to your island to fish, net bugs, “That’s an overwhelming impact.” In its 11-year run, in contemporary drag.” transformation,” says WIGS ON network gloss off an WHEELS chop wood, exchange gifts, or just marvel at your decorat-

RuPaul’s Drag Race has Having grown far Shangela, 38. “We’re often gritty subculture. VALLEY STARDEW won 13 Emmys and beyond its urban roots, hoping for an entire Each queen “They let us present ing skills. Oh, to live in a world where the museum and the has their own airport are open 24/7, and the worst thing that can happen pushed a subculture to where will it go next? human transformation.” custom-built these people the way we heights taller than Trixie HBO’s new docuseries Like the original Race car on the series wanted them to be pre- is the occasional spider bite. —EVAN LEWIS Mattel’s hair. It’s also We’re Here is betting and Netflix’s Queer sented, from the locals become big business. on red-state America. Eye, Here aspires to be to the queens,” says ViacomCBS plans to The show features a force for acceptance, Stephen Warren, who RELAX! HERE ARE MORE LAID-BACK GAMES

Shangela STUDIOS; : MICROSOFT/MOJANG

move the RuPaul’s Drag folks in six small com- helping participants cope co-created the series HERE WE’RE Race All-Stars spin-off munities such as with rejection, homo- with Johnnie Ingram. The from VH1 to Showtime Gettysburg, Pa., and phobia, and racism while hope, adds Ingram, is MINECRAFT this summer to convert Twin Falls, Idaho, who rocking six-inch stilettos. to bring divided commu- : JOHNNIE INGRAM/HBO (4) Drag Race fans into sub- are gussied up by Race At the end of each epi- Eureka nities together: “Even : NINTENDO; scribers, because, as alums Bob the Drag sode, a newly made- if it’s just one night to company president Bob Queen, Eureka O’Hara, over queen lip-synchs a say: We’re here, we exist, Minecraft Stardew Valley Journey Dreams Anything that Escape big-city Make unspoken Design a whole new Bakish put it: “There’s and Shangela. “We tune at a local bar, both we belong, and we’re can be imagined anxieties on an idyl- bonds on a scenic game, or sample

money and momentum don’t just do a physical a statement of identity Bob staying.” —JOEY NOLFI ANIMAL CROSSING can be built. lic small-town farm. mountain climb. others’ creativity.

10 MAY 2020 EW ●COM EW ●COM MAY 2020 11 Things to Do in Dublin When You’re Red № 6

DRIFTS By Kate Zambreno

BOOKS

It may not be totally appealing, but social dis- tancing has made the reclusive-author lifestyle a lot more achievable. This feverish account of artistic isolation can be

№ read as both a how-to manual and a chilling NORMAL warning about the dan- gers of walling yourself PEOPLE off. The very meta Drifts 5 follows a struggling writer working on a mem- oir about her day-to-day TV life called...Drifts. It’s a life of mostly sitting around—binging TV, bick- Londoner. But Edgar- across the pond before ering with her spouse, Jones still didn’t get becoming a critically and masturbating. (The around to it until the acclaimed best-seller protagonist also walks opportunity arose to Stateside last year. her dog every once in costar in ’s splashy The 12-episode series, a while; no word on adaptation (April 29). directed by Oscar nomi- whether she keeps her- The lyrical romance nee Lenny Abrahamson self six feet away from follows the relationship of (Room) and partly writ- strangers.) As her grip on Marianne (Edgar-Jones) ten by Rooney herself, reality begins to slip, and Connell (Paul Mescal) maintains the book’s Drifts gives us a window over several years, from authenticity, sexiness, into an anxious, lonely high school in small-town and emotional intensity. soul. How relatable. —DC Ireland to college in bus- But it offers something tling Dublin. They fall for new and rich besides. If you haven’t already each other, they break “You have your whole read Sally Rooney’s up, they try things again. character’s psyche best-selling 2018 novel, “They’re intelligent people written in incredible chances are someone who aren’t the best at detail on the page,” has recommended it to communicating,” Edgar- Edgar-Jones explains. you. So it went for British Jones says. “They love “But [TV] is only visual. NORMAL PEOPLE actress Daisy Edgar- each other, but they You have to give away big Jones. “My best friend don’t know how to talk chunks of the story with had bought it for my about the hard stuff.” The a single glance.” Trust : ENDA BOWE/HULU family because it’s her original novel, told from that both she and Mescal favorite book—she’s both characters’ per- do so brilliantly—and that writing her dissertation spectives in alternating they’ll break your heart. on it!” says the native sections, was a sensation —DAVID CANFIELD

12 MAY 2020 EW ●COM № № № THE MUST LIST 7 8 10 CITY OF ANGELS CITY

THE HALF SON OF DC’S STARGIRL OF IT A HITMAN

→ Don’t mistake this for TV MOVIES PODCASTS

CYRANO DE BERGERAC’S much- reinvented tale gets a fresh update, on Netflix May 1. Penny Dreadful This time, Nancy Drew’s Leah Lewis becomes a Gen-Z № version of the lovesick poet—

Ellie, a high schooler cursed PENNY , the sequel. You won’t find Eva Green, star of the 2014 series, in a killer corset. It’s a new story, new world, show. with awkwardness instead of DREADFUL: a mega-schnoz. When jock CITY OF Two years before Woody Paul (Daniel Diemer) devel- 9 Harrelson won over ops a crush on popular girl ANGELS hearts with his role as Aster (Alexxis Lemire), he Woody Boyd on NBC’s enlists Ellie to pen his love TV Cheers, his father, notes to her; what he doesn’t Charles, was sentenced to two lifetime sen- know is that she longs for In her first cable-TV role [Series creator] John characters] all move dif- tences for his third Aster too. Writer-director since Game of Thrones, Logan sought to write a ferently. You find a voice, alleged murder —at least Alice Wu manages to weave Natalie Dormer takes great historical drama whether it’s an accent or on record. Woody and DC’S STARGIRL BREAKS NEW tain,” says the character’s creator, contemporary ideas about on a devilish new chal- with the supernatural tone. There is a process his two brothers, Jordan ground for DC Comics—and not Geoff Johns, who is also an execu- race and sexuality into a lenge on Showtime’s City element raising the that happens in that hour and Brett, grew up with just because it’s airing on both DC tive producer. “We see them make of Angels (April 26), a tension. Therefore, he and a half when you’re the Harrelson name Universe (May 18) and The CW mistakes and we see them succeed, sweetly timeless yarn—prov- “spiritual descendant” created Magda, a meta- sitting in the hair-and- smeared with the blood (May 19). While most of DC’s shows and we see them figure out who ing that after more than a of the first Penny Dread- phor for the darker side makeup chair. It’s not just drawn by the lustful hit- are about adult heroes in various they are and who they want to be.” century of remakes, Cyrano ful series that trades of men’s souls. Magda is physical; you’re getting man, or so people are metropolises, this charming Greg With DC’s Stargirl, Johns—also a has a lot of life in him yet. gothic horror for 1930s not the devil incarnate. your brain into it as well. led to believe. In the Berlanti-produced series is more producer on Wonder Woman 1984 Los Angeles. Shape- She’s taken a position upcoming Spotify pod- comparable to Buffy the Vampire and Aquaman—wanted a cinematic shifting demon Magda on mankind: They will It’s interesting to hear cast Son of a Hitman, Slayer. It’s set in Blue Valley, Neb., feel, which “required doing things (Dormer) tries to use always choose the more Magda’s perspective host Jason Kavanaugh a small town that may not be quite differently than other shows.” DC’s her influence to spark a selfish or baser option. and then see how real- and Brett take a deep as idyllic as it looks. While rum- Stargirl is the first Warner Bros. TV race war. Can Det. Tiago For me, it’s certainly world leaders act on the dive into the life of maging through her basement, show to use previsualization, a Vega (Here & Now’s more interesting if you’re coronavirus pandemic. Charles, a professional high schooler Courtney Whitmore technique for rendering effects- Daniel Zovatto) stop it? doing empirical experi- Closing the borders and gambler convicted of

(Brec Bassinger) finds the glowing heavy scenes that’s usually STARGIRL Not if Magda can help it. mentation to see how pointing fingers at other assassinating a federal staff of her stepdad Pat’s (Luke reserved for blockbusters. Here, bad mankind can [be]. countries. I know...just judge. The episodes

Wilson) former partner-in-crime— it’s employed to pull off such eye- CW; : everything being thrown bring to light revelations

Starman (Joel McHale), a deceased poppers as a 15-foot-tall robot suit. THE HALF OF IT Q+A Magda takes three out the window and about Charles’ relation- member of the Justice Society of Says Johns: “Utilizing the same NATALIE DORMER human forms this values having to be ship with the law, why America. She takes the rod to tools we used in the films [allowed season. What do you reassessed [too]. It’s he claimed to have been

become a star-spangled avenger us to] not only have these great, : NETFLIX/KC BAILEY have to do to prepare the whole adage of good involved in the JFK : JUSTIN LUBIN/SHOWTIME : JUSTIN and helps revive the JSA as one emotional, heartwarming stories Why is Magda so for four roles? people can do bad assassination (you read of a new crop of young heroes to but also these visuals that you well suited as a villain Costumes help. Your things. That was true in that right), and what fight bad guys. “I love that they’re haven’t seen in superhero shows to tackle this story’s physicality changes the 1930s, and it’s very his sons believe truly

kids, because kids’ paths are uncer- before.” —CHANCELLOR AGARD DREADFUL PENNY themes? immediately. [The true now. —NICK ROMANO happened. —OMAR SANCHEZ

14 MAY 2020 EW ●COM EW ●COM MAY 2020 15