If you're considering joining The Long Arc: Looking Season 1, which starts next Tuesday, June 30 — I haven't actually talked about the most important thing. Why a 10-week commitment lets us have a better conversation than something you can drop in and out of. So let me walk you through the long arc you — and the group — will go through, too. (Yup, I'm not just talking about the long arc of a season of TV!) In Week 1, you'll start learning how to investigate this show. As soon as you join,...

Quick question for you, Reader — Have you ever walked away from an episode of TV knowing something about a character without being entirely sure how you learned it? Most of us can tell when a character feels lost, comfortable, trapped, hopeful, uncertain, or in love. We don't usually stop to ask how the show taught us that. And even if we did, where would we start? Because it's usually not any one thing. It's how the dialogue, performances, costumes, shot choices, directing, and editing all...

I've spent the last couple of weeks talking about Looking, the show I've programmed for the inaugural season of The Long Arc this summer. But I haven't really answered a pretty basic question yet... What does it actually feel like to be inside The Long Arc? Over the first eight weeks, we'll watch one episode a week. Before each episode, you'll get the question we'll be exploring. Then, we'll gather online to investigate it together. Not by debating interpretations. But by getting curious...