Whether experienced as a courtroom, a competitive talent show, or a theater of the absurd, critical reviews – “crits” – are a galvanizing, confrontational, and memorable rite of passage in architectural education. The crit stages a drama in which students are asked to present and defend their work in front of an audience of peers, teachers, and external experts. Although it is often a source of acute discomfort, the crit is also a tool of instruction, a forum for exchange, and a scene of discovery. A close analysis of the crit uncovers radical possibilities in experimental teaching, process-driven design, and the presentation of architectural ideas. At the same time, this analysis reveals fault lines in global architectural discourse and education, its historical dissemination, and its contemporary discontents. This issue of gta papers presents both a critique and a celebration of this storied rite.