Explained - Season 3
Season 3
Episodes
Sugar
Once crucial for survival, sugar now poses a health risk. Is there a way to satisfy our primeval craving for sweetness in a healthy, balanced way?
Royalty
How do monarchies survive when they no longer wield power? By presenting a royal fairy tale that may not reflect the reality of the past — or present.
Flags
A flag can unite, divide and terrorize. Explore how a piece of cloth transformed into a powerful symbol of both love and hate, freedom and oppression.
Dogs
Who's a good dog? They all are! From puppy-dog eyes to feats of heroism, see how canines evolved into humankind's best friends and sources of pure love.
The End of Oil
Oil led to huge advancements — and vast inequities. As the planet warms, why is it so hard to turn away from fossil fuels, and can it be done in time?
Chess
For centuries, chess has captured hearts and minds — and pawns — and it's more popular than ever. What makes this ever-changing board game so special?
Your Skin
Don't panic, but our skin plays host to trillions of bacteria, fungi, mites and other microscopic guests. Go beyond skin-deep with our largest organ.
Apologies
Apologizing is tough, and in this era of public mea culpas, forgiveness isn't guaranteed. What makes for a good apology, and why does it hold such power?
Hurricanes
As the planet warms, hurricanes could become even more dangerous and destructive. What can be done to survive and minimize the threat of these storms?
Plastic Surgery
The Instagram face. A shapely posterior. Cosmetic surgery can make the latest beauty trends a reality. Explore its origins and effects, inside and out.
Dance Crazes
From the waltz to voguing, dance crazes have connected people throughout history. But when a dance catches on, who gets the credit — and compensation?
Time
Time flies... sometimes. Its passage can seem to speed up and slow down. Why do we experience time the way we do, and how do we take back some control?
Country Music
Dirt roads. Pickup trucks. Hip-hop? As the borders around country music shift, who decides what defines the popular genre, and who gets to be a star?
Fairy Tales
Fairy tales have survived thousands of years for a reason. Explore their far-flung history and how the stories speak to fundamental human concerns.
Recently Updated Shows
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
12-year-old modern demigod Percy Jackson has just come to terms with his newfound supernatural powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. Now Percy must trek across America to find it and restore order to Olympus.
Dark Winds
Based on the iconic Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds is a psychological thriller that follows two Navajo police officers in the 1970s Southwest, as their search for clues in a grisly double murder case forces them to challenge their own spiritual beliefs and come to terms with the trauma of their pasts.
Elsbeth
Elsbeth follows Elsbeth Tascioni, an astute but unconventional attorney who utilizes her singular point of view to make unique observations and corner brilliant criminals alongside the NYPD. After leaving her successful legal career in Chicago to tackle a new investigative role in New York City, Elsbeth finds herself jockeying with the toast of the NYPD, Captain C.W. Wagner, a charismatic and revered leader. Working alongside Elsbeth is Officer Kaya Blanke, a stoic and ethical officer who quickly develops an appreciation for Elsbeth's insightful and offbeat ways.
Shrinking
Shrinking follows a grieving therapist who starts to break the rules and tell his clients exactly what he thinks. Ignoring his training and ethics, he finds himself making huge, tumultuous changes to people's lives... including his own.
Dept. Q
DCI Carl Morck is a brilliant cop but a terrible colleague. His razor-sharp sarcasm has made him no friends in Edinburgh police. After a shooting that leaves a young PC dead, and his partner paralysed, he finds himself exiled to the basement and the sole member of Department Q; a newly formed cold case unit. The department is a PR stunt, there to distract the public from the failures of an under-resourced, failing police force that is glad to see the back of him. But more by accident than design, Carl starts to build a gang of waifs and strays who have everything to prove. So, when the stone-cold trail of a prominent civil servant who disappeared several years ago starts to heat up, Carl is back doing what he does best - rattling cages and refusing to take no for an answer.