The year 2019 was a lot. We got the end of not one, not two, but three of the biggest franchises of all time:Â Avengers: Endgame closed out another chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars concluded the Skywalker saga with mixed results, and the series finale of Game of Thrones left a lasting impression, for better or worse. We wrote about a lot of stuff this year, but also told stories through some pretty cool videos.
Here is our list of some of our favourite videos we produced this year”whether it was testing a local against a Spider-Man fan on their NYC knowledge, an interview with Bruce Campbell about the problem with superheroes, or a deep dive into Child’s Play‘s thematic ties to the Satanic Panic of the 1980s.
When our resident Spider-Man expert James Whitbrook visited New York for Toy Fair 2019, we decided to put him to the test against our former senior video producer Danielle Steinberg (who we miss terribly!) to see who knows more about NYC landmarks. It turns out that comics and video games can prepare you for the real world!
The Three Game of Thrones Characters Whose Entire Lives Led to “The Long Night”
Game of Thrones’ “worst television moments of 2019, but you’ve got to admit at the time it still had quite the impact.
Not for the lighting, or lack thereof, but rather for how it brought the stories of three Game of Thrones characters to a fitting close. As part of our Last Night’s Watch series, this video examined how Arya, Theon, and Melisandre’s destinies were fulfilled during the longest of nights.
The Game of Thrones Has Been Won
Here’s a little insider secret: We had no idea who was going to win the Game of Thrones, so we’d prepared posts and videos for every main character who was still alive by the series finale (we turned the others into character look-backs, which you can watch here). When it turned out that Bran Stark had been named the next King of Westeros, we were ready”at least to publish a video. In truth, none of us were ready for Bran the Broken, which is still a terrible name.
Why We Will Always Love the Humble Heroism of Captain Picard
Captain Picard Day isn’t just a silly one-off joke from Star Trek: The Next Generation, it’s a day to celebrate one of the kindest, strongest, and greatest individuals in Starfleet, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). With Star Trek: Picard on the horizon, it’s never been a better time to look back at what makes this man so great.
We Build the Lego Stranger Things Set and Now We’re in the Upside Down
When Gizmodo’s video team builds a Lego set, we don’t just put a couple of pieces together and call it a day. We go all in.
All the Marvellous Cosplay We Spotted at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Day 2
Gizmodo continued to deliver with tons of cosplay coverage from San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con!
The Handmaid’s Tale: Where Did Things Go Wrong
The Handmaid’s Tale ended its third season on a disappointing note, so much so that it was named one of our worst shows of 2019. In this video essay, we examined the biggest mistakes The Handmaid’s Tale made in its third season and what it says about the changing direction of the series.
The Ember Island Slay-ers: Breaking Down a Fiery Avatar: The Last Airbender Drag Performance
Miss Nerd New York, Megami, sat down with us to break down her amazing Avatar: The Last Airbender performance from FlameCon, showing how she paid tribute to one of the greatest animated shows of all time with lots of dancing, posing, and style.
Adam Savage Talks to Us About His Latest Secret Cosplay, Fandom, and More
It wouldn’t be Comic Con without a secret cameo from Adam Savage! The maker and former Mythbusters star came to our studio at New York Comic Con to chat with Gizmodo’s Beth Elderkin about his No-Face Incognito Cosplay build, what excites him about cosplaying, and where he sees fandom going in the future.