Dante Fried Chicken, Los Angeles
Sign Above Studio Entrance to “The Daily Show with John Stewart”
Contributed by Kavi Montanaro
“Damages” (Season 2)
“There is a reference to Dante in the TV show Damages with Glenn Close. In Season 2, episode 12 (‘Look What He Dug Up This Time’), scientist David Purcell repents for having falsified a report on contaminated water on behalf of finance tycoon Kendrik, who in exchange is protecting Purcell from a murder charge. Purcell decides to confess everything to the police after telling Kendrik about the nine circles of hell, and commenting upon the damned souls’ ability to see the future and the past, but not the present. Of course, Kendrik does not get the reference and tells Purcell that he is out of his mind.” –Matteo Soranzo, McGill University
Supernatural on the CW
In a 2010 episode of the TV show Supernatural, the alpha vampire makes a reference to Dante citing the very real location of Purgatory. The vampire says that the King of Hell is looking for this place because it is where the souls of vampires, and other creatures, go when they die; and he is also interested in it because of its proximity to heaven. –Taylor Beaver
See the article by Sandra Gonzalez in Entertainment Weekly, November 6, 2010
Contributed by Taylor Beaver (University of Texas at Austin, ’11)
Season 5, Episode 10 of Supernatural, is titled “Abandon All Hope. . .” and aired in 2009.
Contributed by Stella Mattioli, University of Virginia, ’15
Law and Order SVU
On a recent Law and Order SVU re-run, detective Elliot visits a (criminal) artist’s studio, and looking around at the paintings, which mix colorful abstract forms and realistic human violence, he says, “Looks like Dante’s Inferno meets Newsweek.”
