Culture Index: ‘Last Jedi’ Trailer, ‘Fargo’ Returns, ‘Lore’ and More

Noah Hawley returns to Minnesota to explore the dark and twisted world the Coen brothers created in their famous film of the same name. In keeping with the tradition of Fargo jumping from one era to the next, the third season goes back to the 21st Century after season two was set in the Seventies. And instead of Kirsten Dunst supplying the movie star power, now we get Ewan McGregor as brothers Emmit and Ray Stussy. 

Need a podcast to binge on? Are you fascinated by weird local legends, haunted houses, serial killers and/or the history of vampires and other monsters? Have you listened to Lore? You probably should get on that right away. Aaron Mahnke’s award-winning podcast has been consistently good for the last two years. And with an Amazon series based off the show in the works, it’s probably about time you got caught up. 

The co-host of Power 105.1’s morning show The Breakfast Club has never really been known to hold anything back. Now Charlamagne Tha God plays philosopher with his book Black Privilege: Opportunity Comes to Those Who Create It, organized around his eight principles for success. From “Live Your Truth” to “Put the Weed in the Bag,” this is a guide to moving up in the world. 

Since everybody has been saying you should read Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale to help you better digest the dystopian future that it feels like we’re living in, consider picking up Lidia Yuknavitch’s The Book of Joan as soon as you finish up Atwood’s classic. Yuknavitch, the bestselling author of The Small Backs of Children, offers up her work of speculative fiction that, in the words of Roxane Gay, is “a fiercely imaginative retelling of Joan of Arc’s life.”  

This documentary looks at the battle between activist Jane Jacobs and city planner Robert Moses should be catnip to anybody that’s read Robert Caro’s The Power Broker, is interested in the dirt of big city politics or just wants to see New York “back in the day” on film. 

In case you missed it, the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the eighth episode in the space saga, dropped. Take a second, collect your breath and then think about what you learned from watching it.