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Season 1 – Explained

Play trailer Poster for Season 1 – Explained May 2018 Documentary Special Interest Nature Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
News site Vox is behind this series that puts the spotlight on topical issues that impact people's lives. The docuseries -- which features episodes that generally range from 15 to 20 minutes in length -- aims to dig deeper into topics, questions and ideas that aren't often part of the daily news cycle. Among the subjects covered are the rise of cryptocurrency, why diets fail, and the world of K-pop music.
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Explained — Season 1

Critics Reviews

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Steve Greene IndieWire 05/25/2018
B+
It's not a revolutionary idea, but this explainer model has specific value in a growing, search-based relationship to knowledge that produces bite-sized understandings of vast-reaching concepts. Go to Full Review Melissa Camacho Common Sense Media 05/18/2020
3/5
Uneven, edgy docu series explores mature themes. Go to Full Review Sean Mulvihill FanboyNation.com 10/29/2018
4/5
Explained will never be a substitute for in-depth reading and reporting, but it's a densely informative documentary series with the ability to disrupt the echo chambers that dominate the discourse. Go to Full Review Kahron Spearman The Daily Dot 05/30/2018
3/5
Delivers in every episode... Explained is a flat-out winner. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Daniel W @RocknManDan Feb 27 Amazing, fun and easy to follow. Good music. It doesnt loose your interest. Very educational. I believe they should show this series to every gradeschool kid! See more Andrea K 05/29/2023 I love the concept and variety of topics so imagine my disappointment when I was ready to watch a few episodes and learn something new, but instead was unable to follow any narration due to the content being drowned out by should be background music but turned into a score of competing noise. The music is unnecessarily loud and beyond distracting. It almost sounds like you're watching the show on a laptop and have different and unrelated music playing in another tab. Unfortunately it made me not want to finish even one episode. See more chris f 04/18/2020 A great series of documentaries by the fantastic Vox team. This is awesome journalism, and really is Vox's team really flexing their muscles. A whole feature regarding good narration, straight fax, and unique topics laid out intelligently. Can't ask for much more. See more 10/11/2019 The bias is clearly there in some of the topics of the show. Choosing "expert" opinions by those who clearly lean in a certain direction, with the no opposing viewpoints to find balance in the show. But the strictly empirical stuff, the science without the political bias was very good. Given those episodes, a 4 sometimes 5 but overall season-wise was brought down by the obvious bias episodes. See more 10/02/2019 This is a really informative show. Thanks for sharing it with everyone. See more 09/09/2019 So informative, and great choice of topics to cover! See more Read all reviews
Explained — Season 1

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Ezra Klein

Creator

Estelle Caswell

Narrator

Maria Bello

Narrator

Christian Slater

Narrator

Yara Shahidi

Narrator

Kevin Smith

Narrator

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 23, 2018 Monogamy Experts and everyday couples weight in on shifting cultural norms related to biology and promiscuity. Details Episode 2 Aired May 23, 2018 Designer DNA Specialists in the field discuss the high stakes and ethical controversies of gene editing. Details Episode 3 Aired May 23, 2018 The Racial Wealth Gap Cory Booker and others discuss how slavery, housing discrimination and centuries of inequality have compounded to create a racial wealth gap. Details Episode 4 Aired May 30, 2018 K-Pop Exploring the global music phenomenon from South Korea; elaborate music videos and complicated choreography. Details Episode 5 Aired Jun 6, 2018 Cryptocurrency Exploring and explaining the concept of cryptocurrency, which has turned many early adopters into billionaires, and whether it is the future of money in the digital world. Details Episode 6 Aired Jun 13, 2018 Why Diets Fail Experts look at marketing, food environments and genes to explain why diets are often unsuccessful. Details Episode 7 Aired Jun 20, 2018 The Stock Market Finance specialists discuss stock market history, valuations, CEO incentives and whether the market accurately reflects the status of the economy. Details Episode 8 Aired Jun 27, 2018 eSports Fans, shoutcasters and esports icons break down modern video games and the explosive popularity of competitive gaming. Details Episode 9 Aired Jul 4, 2018 Extraterrestrial Life Despite decades of searching, extraterrestrial life is yet to be discovered; scientists discuss the reasons for this, including speculation that aliens might not want to be found. Details Episode 10 Aired Jul 11, 2018 Exclamation Point Linguists and copy editors explore how the exclamation point has adapted across history, literature and internet-speak. Details Episode 11 Aired Jul 18, 2018 Cricket Cricket experts look at how the confusing sport became so popular and discuss its evolution in becoming more accessible, entertaining and profitable. Details Episode 12 Aired Jul 25, 2018 Weed Marijuana experts discuss the rise of potent "sexually frustrated" cannabis plants, the quest for consistency in weed strains and the history of hemp. Details Episode 13 Aired Aug 1, 2018 Tattoo They've been used to command respect, punish criminals and mark achievements; tattooists speak about the origins of tattoo traditions and rituals. Details Episode 14 Aired Aug 8, 2018 Astrology A look at the history and science of astrology, zodiac signs and horoscopes. Details Episode 15 Aired Aug 15, 2018 Can We Live Forever? Experts discuss how developments in science, even the French lilac, hold clues to uncovering the secrets to extending the human lifespan. Details Episode 16 Aired Aug 22, 2018 The Female Orgasm The female orgasm is more elusive when a man is involved; exploring the reasons why and how women are embracing hands-on solutions. Details Episode 17 Aired Aug 29, 2018 Political Correctness Experts discuss the concepts behind political correctness, which sometimes feels like a tug-of-war between inclusivity and free speech. Details Episode 18 Aired Sep 5, 2018 Why Women Are Paid Less Hillary Clinton and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the cultural norms at the center of the worldwide gender pay gap, including the "motherhood penalty." Details Episode 19 Aired Sep 12, 2018 The World's Water Crisis The global water crisis is at an inflection point; determining how to price the world's most valuable resource while also ensuring access to it as a human right. Details Episode 20 Aired Sep 19, 2018 Music Researchers discuss when sound becomes music, why people are uniquely able to master musicality, rhythm, octaves, and the magic of song and dance. Details

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Explained — Season 1

Explained Explained Explained View more photos

Season Info

Creator
Ezra Klein
Network
Netflix
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Documentary, Special Interest, Nature
Original Language
English
Release Date
May 23, 2018
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