OK so I don’t usually get super personal on social media mostly because I think my family deserves their privacy, and also because there are — you may be shocked to hear this— a lot of weirdos out there. But since the only person likely to be mortified by this post is me, I think sharing this little bit of info is OK.
Everyone’s sharing their Spotify Wrapped lists on social media (which, let’s not lose sight of the fact that a lot of artists don’t love this company’s business model, and with good reason) and I knew before I got my list what the top song was going to be, because this was the year my youngest went off to college and to say I’ve been moody about it is an understatement. It is a weird time, to be simultaneously proud as hell and sad that this person you used to sing to sleep (I sang Moon River approximately 1 billion times) is now not only infinitely cooler than you, but will be living in another city, meeting people you probably won’t get to know, and sleeping under another roof.
I know this song is about a different kind of love, but it’s about the same kind of loss: of something that isn’t entirely gone, but is forever altered. Harry gets it.
Yes, I am extremely uncool.
Work: I took last week off to spend time with family 10/10 highly recommend.
Watch list (again, a reminder I am in no way trained in film or TV writing, or qualified as a critic, I’m merely an appreciator of good shows):
The season one finale of Andor was as close to perfect as a streaming show gets. Nary a light saber or Skywalker in sight, the good guys (Diego Luna as Andor and Stellan Skarsgård as Luthen were especially great) are rarely lawful good, and, we know how it all ends! But it was rich storytelling about some of the regular people whose everyday lives are affected by the cruelty of the Empire. And what a villain the series has in Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) a mid-level manager who elbowed her way into a top ranking job with raw ambition and an unabated vicious streak (I’d almost admire here if not for all the torture and murdering). Read Charles Pulliam-Moore’s review at The Verge, it’s spot-on. I’ll miss this show until it returns for season two (sometime in 2024?). Grade: A.
After this season of The White Lotus wraps, can we have a season three with just Jennifer Coolidge, Theo James, and Aubrey Plaza, I don’t really even care what it’s about. Sunday’s episode was wild, and not just because of That Scene at the end, but because I legitimately can’t figure out who will end up being the floating body we met in the season premiere; everyone but Daphne has a solid chance at turning up dead for one reason or another (although I have to say I’m worried about Lucia, who is clearly hustling Albie) Also? I knew something was up with the nephew/uncle duo. Grade: B+
I finished the new episodes of Manifest (and I stayed awake!), which is apparently returning to Netflix with a second half to its final season … sometime? It got sillier with every episode but I kept watching even though most of the “clues” stopped making sense back in season two. I finished season five of The Crown, and boo, hiss, I am still #teamDiana (somewhere there are photos of me with her 80s haircut), and agree with Roxana Hadadi at Vulture that this show did the late Princess of Wales dirty. Very disappointing.
What are you watching that’s good? I have Dead to Me, The Good Fight, and Wednesday next up on my list. Recommendations welcomed.
Thanks for reading!