The Take
This is the Take. It's where you come to understand more about your favorite movies, shows and culture. Our video essays make the story worlds you enter richer and deeper. Think: Endings Explained, Character Studies, Hidden Messages and Symbols Revealed, Actor and Director Profiles, and more.
We want to share our love of visual culture with the world. So here's our Take.
151
The Sopranos’ Adriana: Why Her Story is The Dar...
The Sopranos’ Adriana La Cerva was beautiful, smart and an early 2000s fashion icon - but above all else, she's remembered for her tragic story. So what is it about her that we love – and that in turn, makes her the perfect tragic character?
12 min
152
The Secret To Elemental's Major Comeback
When Pixar’s Elemental premiered, it was branded a total flop. But then, somehow, everything seemed to turn around... So what’s the truth about Elemental – is it a boring misfire or a heartwarming success? (& What even went wrong to begin with?!)
13 min
153
The Bear: Creating Chaos & Building Tension Thr...
The Bear delivers a masterful Season 2, and if you look (and listen) closer, a big part of what makes it work so well has to do with what we’re hearing. Here's our take on the skillful way the show uses this technique of overlapping dialogue (and noise in general) and how it serves the narrative.
18 min
154
Every Reason Friends’ Phoebe Would Have Made an...
Many of the qualities that made Phoebe Buffay the best Friend would have also made her a great mom - so maybe her shift to wanting to be a soccer mom in the later seasons wasn't really so surprising after all!
11 min
155
Selena Gomez & Mabel Mora: Their Secret Connect...
Mabel Mora is the glue that holds the OMITB podcast together, and Selena Gomez does the same for the show itself! Here’s our Take on Mabel, how Selena brought her to life, and the way they’re more alike than you might have realized.
10 min
156
The Real Princess Diana: Parts Of Her Story You...
Princess Diana was one of the most well known people of the 20th century, but there's still an air of mystery around her life. So today we're taking a deep dive into her story to get a better understand of the People's Princess!
16 min
157
And Just Like That: Season 2 Finale, Samantha’s...
Here’s our take on And Just Like That’s season two finale, what worked and what missed the mark, and that Samantha Jones cameo.
15 min
158
The Suits Resurgence: Analyzing Meghan Markle’s...
Suits has become the surprise hit of the summer, so we're taking a deep dive into one of the characters that make the show so bingeable: Rachel Zane!
12 min
159
The Blind Side v. Reality: How the Film Twisted...
Michael Oher's recent revelation that the family he thought had adopted him actually placed him under a conservatorship has ignited a number of important conversations. Here's our rundown of the case & how it fits into the larger conversations about guardianships.
14 min
160
And Just Like That's 'New Samantha' - Why It Do...
SATC reboot And Just Like That has been struggling to replicate Samantha Jones' special spark. So here are the characters that come the closest to filling her stilettos and the one that might actually have a chance at bringing the sparkle back to the show.
12 min
161
Rihanna’s Hybrid Working Mom Model: New Era, Ne...
Is Rihanna the ultimate example of the changing face of modern motherhood? She can surprisingly teach us a lot about what it means to create your own path as a working mom today.
10 min
162
Depp v Heard, Today: How Opinions Majorly Shift...
Despite recent wins for women in high-profile court cases, the new Netflix Depp v. Heard trial Netflix documentary makes it clear that society hasn’t totally moved on from treating the case as one-sided tabloid fodder. Here’s our take on the aftermath of the media circus, the myth of the “perfect” victim, and how more recent cases are paving a way forward for victims.
11 min
163
Mickey’s Zany History & Disney’s Crucial Copyri...
Today we're taking a look at cultural icon Mickey Mouse's weird & fascinating history, his lasting legacy, & the truth about his rumored entry into the public domain & retirement.
10 min
164
The Wizard of Oz’s Bizarre History & Crazy Adap...
The Wizard of Oz's Dorothy and her friends journeying to the Land of Oz has been adapted into countless sequels, spinoffs, stage musicals, animated specials, and tv series. So what is it about this story that continues to capture the public imagnation?
12 min
165
Dead Reckoning: Why Beating Sequel Fatigue Was ...
Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning has made over $500 million at the box office... and yet is still considered a major *underperformer*. So what went wrong? And what does this film getting outpaced by Barbenheimer mean for Hollywood going forward?
10 min
166
The B**** Incognito Trope: Mean Girls Who Fake ...
She’s beautiful, charming, and sweet as pie… or, at least, that’s what she wants you to think. Whether she’s a Queen Bee we love to hate, a comedic obstacle, or a full on villain, there’s just something about her that keeps movies and shows coming back to the trope.
12 min
167
Did Friends Ever Jump The Shark? - Most Controv...
Friends is a cultural icon, but even its most ardent fans can agree that along with all of the great moments, the show has also had some duds... but did it ever truly Jump the Shark?
11 min
168
And Just Like That Finally Understands What It ...
And Just Like That has been a disappointment to Sex and the City fans since the beginning, but as it nears a second finale… is the show finally starting to get its magic back?!
11 min
169
Online Generations: How When We First Logged On...
In all of the discourse about the difference between generations, people have kind of let out the effect of 'online generations' - that is, the era in which you became a regular user of the internet. Today we're taking a quick look at how *when* we hopped online also had a huge part in shaping us.
13 min
170
How The Graduate’s Quarter-Life Crisis Lasted D...
The Graduate didn’t invent the quarter-life crisis, but it might have been the first movie to really dramatize it. It also laid the groundwork for some of our favorite more recent quarterlife crisis films!
15 min
171
Barbie's Hidden Easter Eggs & Margot Robbie's B...
Barbie had so many great easter eggs and references, both in the film itself *and* the press tour before hand! So today we're taking a look at all of the best Barbie references.
9 min
172
Bromances Are Back On Top: Behind The Trope's R...
Bromance movies exploded in the early 2000s, and then kind of disappeared for a while... Today we're looking at the evolution of male friendships onscreen, and why it’s so valuable for men to feel secure in their bromances!
10 min
173
The Amnesia Trope: When Hollywood Gets It Right...
Amnesia is often used as a plot device on screen, but memory loss in real life often looks quite different from what we see in movies & shows. So what are the real thematic reasons filmmakers keep returning to their Hollywood vision of amnesia?
13 min
174
The Snow White Controversy, Explained: How Holl...
This is the true scoop on the Snow White debacle. Plus, how can Hollywood toe the tumultuous cultural line without overcorrecting in either direction?
13 min
175
Barbie: How Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie & Co. S...
Barbie is the Blockbuster of the summer, and everyone's loving it! But the creative team did run into one obstacle when trying to make the movie of their dreams - so what *really* caused the problem, & how did they do their best to overcome it?
16 min