Arts & Life

[Waits for the purists to leave.] But yes. Yes, you can totally skip ahead. And it may be the better part of sanity and time management to do it. It’s not always advisable, of course, and there are trade-offs. If you really want to jump into “Game of Thrones” cold …

(Honey, grab a sponge, little Whitaker got fudge on the pre-dented coffee table again.) In part it’s a memoir about her husband’s family’s long association with the island, and about the quaintly ramshackle waterfront house on five and a half acres they were forced to sell for $3 million after …

In addition to staging her latest play, which has already garnered rave reviews and has runs scheduled in Chapel Hill, N.C.; Greenville, S.C.; La Jolla, Calif.; and Houston, Ms. Brunstetter has spent the last couple of years writing for two of the hottest shows on TV: “American Gods,” the Starz …

Photo Okwui Okpokwasili in Andrew Rossi’s documentary “Bronx Gothic,” based on Ms. Okpokwasili’s solo performance of the same title. Credit Grasshopper Film For about the first half-hour of Okwui Okpokwasili’s performance piece “Bronx Gothic,” Ms. Okpokwasili does nothing but vibrate, violently. The sight of her working up a sweat in …

Photo Guatemalan protesters celebrating in “500 Years.” Credit Saul Martinez/Paladin Heavy with emotion yet light on information, “500 Years” has the curious effect of being both passionate and pale. You may find yourself championing its subjects even while feeling confounded by the omission of details by its filmmaker. Video Trailer: …

Photo Larry Pettinelli, the president of Patek Philippe U.S. Credit Daniel Dorsa for The New York Times As Rolls-Royce is to automobiles, Patek Philippe is to watches: exquisitely crafted, rich with legacy, and, with prices starting around $20,000 and quickly moving into the six figures, decidedly out of reach for …

Photo Trevor Noah was not the only late-night host to pounce on President Trump’s trip to Europe. Credit Comedy Central Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown that lets you sleep — and lets us get paid to watch comedy. What do you think of it? What else are …

I was leaving Rome when I received the sad news of Mama’s death. She was approaching 89. The end came swiftly, and she was surrounded by family. You could say it was a good death. But why couldn’t she have lived to 99, or to 109, or forever? Death makes …

Photo DJ Khaled’s “Grateful” earned a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard chart, fending off a new release from Calvin Harris. Credit Jake Michaels for The New York Times The most high-profile new album last week was undoubtedly Jay-Z’s “4:44,” his first release in four years and another …

Photo Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke in “Before Midnight.” Credit Despina Spyrou/Sony Pictures Classics No vacation in sight? Travel to Greece with Celine and Jesse — those indelible characters created by Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke — in “Before Midnight,” the final installment in Richard Linklater’s “Before Trilogy.” (Make it …