This week’s Editor’s Note is simply a Kristen Kish stan account. The Top Chef season 10 winner had a massive chef’s hat to fill when she stepped in as the Bravo series’ new host for season 21. No one was ever going to match Padma Lakshmi’s vibe, and Kish didn’t even try. Instead she made it entirely her own, her experience as a cheftestant bringing a whole new level of empathy (and tears) to this week’s finale. If you’d put the show on ice, maybe it’s time to take another bite. —Patrick Gomez, Editor-in-Chief

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Getty Images; Apple TV; Netflix

AppleTV+ / Courtesy Everett

In filmmaker Erica Tremblay’s native Cayuga tongue, the word aunt translates to “little mother.” Her stunning and deeply moving feature directorial debut (in theaters now, on Apple TV+ June 28) traces the bond between Jax (Lily Gladstone), an Indigenous woman caring for her teenage niece, Roki (Isabel DeRoy-Olson), after Roki's mom goes missing. When social workers close in and threaten to tear the two apart, they hit the road in search of Roki’s mother in hopes of making it back in time for the mother-daughter dance at the powwow. You’ll want to call your auntie. —Jessica Wang, Staff Writer

netflix

From director Greg Whiteley (Cheer) comes this riveting Netflix docuseries (out now) chronicling the tryout process for the 2023 squad. Veterans must re-audition annually against fresh-faced rookies for a coveted spot. Kelli Finglass, DCC's ruthlessly frank director, lords over it all. Come for the high kicks, and brace for the heartbreak. —Kristen Baldwin, TV Critic

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Here’s something I didn’t know I needed: Sabrina Carpenter, singer of my favorite 2024 pop song, covering my other favorite pop song of 2024. Chappell Roan's original is a melodramatic shot-shooting anthem, and the "Espresso" singer plays up the track's melancholy without turning maudlin. If you think you can find a better mash-up of pure pop goodness, I have three words for you. —Chuck Kerr, Creative Director

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This recent release from Anna Dorn (Vagablonde, Exalted) is the funniest book I’ve read this year. An homage to lesbian pulp, the novel follows freshly canceled author Astrid Dahl as she struggles to stay sober — and single — while she cleans up her writing career. —Morgan Sanguedolce, Associate Producer

warner bros.

This Max series (now in its second season) gets the most important thing about the Man of Steel: that Clark Kent is a hottie with a body. The animated hit really leans into the Smallville hunk’s himbo-ness while providing a fresh take on an old character. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, Staff Writer