I feel like a man reviewing the Sex and the City film is totally valid. Or two Australian men reviewing a Sex and the City sequel on a podcast, every week for a year.

I'm a big Silicon Valley fan — it doesn't hurt that I'm a programmer in Silicon Valley, and they get so much right. It's the antidote to the thousand times someone told me I'd love the Big Bang Theory because "it's all about nerds." I binged SV and Veep the moment HBO Now came out.

After seeing Aloha in theatres, even a C+ seems generous. This was a totally incomprehensible mess of a film — it made me beg for Elizabethtown.

I have plenty of qualms with the Serial phenomenon, particularly the obsessive, creepy internet community it spawned. And as an avid podcast listener, I really disliked how something so new and obvious was suddenly getting cred for being "the best."

I met many people IRL who listened to it, and after I finally caved and listened, found myself evangelizing to many others. So by the power of anecdotal evidence, I proclaim the show popular.

Minus the uniquely-internet-fueled vitriol you seem to have for the other commenter, I do agree with you that the list is a little disjoint. But I didn't get the sense that the authors were actually calling the Truman Show a sell-out flick — it's hugely acclaimed, and Alex's "his talent never faded" line was clearly…

Ridley Scott was the first name that came to mind for me as well. Though it's not clear that Hollywood success is what ruined him: he had decades of acclaim in between Alien and Gladiator, and somehow that didn't cramp his style. Hell, even later stuff like American Gangster was distinct enough, and he had nothing to…

I know this is a terrible situation, but the e e cummings comparison was golden.

Insert obligatory scene where Gyllenhaal's Joker looks at a picture of Heath's Joker and says "I wish I knew how to quit you"

As someone who's gone through the Sand Hill Shuffle myself, I have to say that this episode totally nailed the details. (I can't say the same for all of Season 1.)

I agree with so much of this, EXCEPT your placement of Full Force Galesburg. Listen to Original Air-Blue Gown, then Snow Owl, then Twin Human Highway Flares, then Weekend in Western Illinois. All gorgeous. Flip its place with Life Of The World To Come and I'm in.

Yet again, a brilliant review for an episode I personally felt very little for. Even when I feel like the show is coasting, these reviews give me something to think about. Thanks!

I wouldn't have reasonably expected it to make the top 20, but I am sad to see no love for Short Term 12. A beautiful film which I've found myself coming back to far, far more frequently than I care to admit. (If you want to see me slather affection all over that movie, see my Letterboxd review )

I may be tired, but I laughed out loud at least three times reading this article. Well played, Sam Barsanti.

It's possible to summarize just about anything in two sentences, or to spend six years and a dissertation dissecting it. Both are useful and valid. I'm very happy with the balance AVC strikes.
(EDIT: meant to reply to the OP)

She sort of forced herself into that role, didn't she? With the Avon account?

I'm pretty positive the AV club don't moderate comments — certainly not for critiquing the writing.

I choose to interpret this list as "Most broadly influential" rather than "best", in which case I'm pretty cool with all the choices. Except Spoon beating The Strokes. Also, even though you already threw Deathcab in there, I feel like Postal Service was more of a widely-mimicked sensation than Phoenix.

Mad Men article + Hold Steady reference = AV Club gold.

This week's Mad Men coverage has been uniformly excellent. Great job to the AVC writers!