10/22/21
This week: SO much good TV. No really, it’s going to be a busy weekend.
TRENDS THIS WEEK
Youtube Timothée Chalamet & Zendaya Take The BFF Test
Letterboxd HALLOWEEN KILLS
TikTok #scarystories
Spotify Adele - Easy On Me
Netflix YOU
Twitter DUNE
Life & Culture
My favorite Internet phenomenon going on right now is TikTok-famous Noodle the pug, and his “bones” or “no bones” daily determinations, which tell his followers what kind of day to have. Noodle is a 13-year-old dog who has become somewhat similar to Groundhog Day’s Punxsutawney Phil. Every day, Jon Graz, his owner, helps Noodle into a standing position, and whether he flops back down in his bed, or stays standing, gives his viewers advice on how to tackle the day. Typically, on a no bones day he will remind everyone to take it easy, practice self-care, and treat themselves and others with kindness. While on a bones day, he’ll remind us to treat ourselves and celebrate a little bit. The trend is very cute and even inspired this rather catchy song, which kind of reminds me of an ad jingle.
And, two of the best TikToks I saw on the app this week: this one tells the saga of two cats clearly in the early stages of dating, and this one shows the high stakes and excitement that come with a group of teenage boys getting random pedestrians to attempt a jump shot.
—Darlene Kenney, Digital Strategist
Film
This week, I watched BERGMAN ISLAND (trailer here) from French filmmaker Mia Hansen-Love. Although this is Hansen-Love’s English-language debut, it still features the bucolic setting, natural pacing, and irresistible aesthetics that are hallmarks of French cinema. The story follows filmmaking couple Chris (played by Vicky Krieps) and Tony (played by Tim Roth), who travel to Faro, an island in the Baltic Sea where Swedish director Ingmar Bergman famously lived. There, they each work on their individual writing projects, but Chris struggles with writer’s block and missing her daughter June, all the while grappling with her purpose as a female filmmaker. In what seems to be a semi-autobiographical story that explores the relationship between real life and art, we follow the female protagonist as she moves away from her famous director husband’s shadow to make a name for herself. In a 2018 interview, Hansen-Love said that what she most admires in her favorite filmmakers is “precisely their sense of independence, how they created their own language and how they plunged into themselves to make their own films." BERGMAN ISLAND captures just that: a self-determination to tell your own stories from your own perspective in order to make art that is authentically and uniquely yours. This movie will make you want to leave everything behind to live a simple, idyllic island life, and get you thinking about what it means to be in love, make art, and live a life that’s worthwhile.
—Aimee Pham, Production & Development Intern
TV
Netflix’s YOU (trailer here) is back and better than ever! Season 3 takes murderous newlyweds (and new parents) Joe and Love to an idyllic Northern California suburb. They try to adapt to their surroundings and embrace the mundanity of suburban life, but of course, ultimately struggle to break free of their toxic tendencies. This season delves deeper into the lead characters’ motives while elevating the thriller elements. The stakes are higher for Joe and Love—they have to clean up the messes they create in order to protect their marriage and their son. Every cliffhanger and unexpected twist will leave you wondering, “How are they going to get out of this one?” Plus, these 10 episodes feature the show’s most dynamic and fully formed supporting characters yet, including pretentious mommy blogger Sherry and naïve yet anguished college kid Theo. The biggest flaw of this latest season is that the writers nearly make Joe a likable voice of reason through his grounded and funny narration—let’s not forget that Joe is a vicious stalker/murderer! But still, this makes for an excellent weekend binge.
—Dustin Sloane, Development Assistant
The critically acclaimed and Emmy-winning THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB (trailer here), based on the iconic book series by Ann. M Martin, returned last Monday for its second season. Adding two new members to the club (the hilarious and scene-stealing Mallory, and the effortlessly charming Jessi), the show continues to explore an array of complex themes with wit and charm in abundance. Whether it’s spotlighting pure teen angst, the challenges of living with diabetes, or the realities of integrating with another family when a single parent remarries, the show is an absolute masterclass in empathetic storytelling and representation. I was particularly blown away by episode 2x07, “Claudia and the Sad Goodbye,” which deftly depicts Claudia Kishi’s grief as she mourns the loss of a beloved family member. Between Momona Tamada’s stellar performance, the cultural specificity in the Kishi family’s grief, and a moving revelation from Claudia’s sister, the penultimate episode of the season will almost certainly leave you with a lump in your throat. Topical without ever being condescending, and colorful but never frivolous, THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB season 2 is a crossover hit that’s guaranteed to bring some sunshine to your weekend.
—Neal Mulani, Development Assistant
Probably one of the most anticipated shows of 2021, SUCCESSION (trailer here) is finally back with its long-awaited Season 3. After an intense S2 ending that left us with a betrayal and a cliffhanger, the HBO show returned with an episode that did not disappoint. For those of you who are not familiar with this epic satirical comedy-drama, it follows the Logan Family (loosely based on the Murdoch family, with some hints of Redstone thrown in) as they navigate a cut-throat grudge match to determine who will take over the family business . Created by Jesse Armstrong, SUCCESSION wins its audience with dark comedic humor, witty writing, characters that you hate to love but can’t stop following, impeccable performances, and some truly iconic theme music. Never have I considered myself a fan of stories that follow dysfunctional uber-riches, but SUCCESSION changed that for me. It’s bitterly funny, deliciously entertaining, and in the end it is up to you to decide if it’s comedy or a tragedy at heart.
—Mimi Li, Development Assistant
The time has come. One of my favorite shows of all time is coming to an end. The final season of INSECURE (trailer here) premieres on HBO Max this Sunday. This show truly holds a special place in my heart. As an awkward Black girl myself, I fell in love with Issa Rae while watching her web series "Awkward Black Girl" and followed her career when the first season of Insecure debuted in 2016. It's easy enough to say the brilliance of this series lies in the fact that it’s hilarious (it is) or because it broke the mold (it did). But, the reason I talk incessantly about INSECURE is that it’s so specific—thus making it universally relatable. This show doesn't shy away from the awkwardness, the heartbreak, or the laugh-so-hard-you-start-to-cry moments that shape all of our lives. At its center, it's a group of young Black women living in LA. They navigate friendships and relationships with the added obstacle of each of them being in a different stage of their lives. I truly see myself in each member of our core cast: Issa, Molly, Kelli, and Tiffany. This beloved comedy will be truly missed after this last season, but don't worry, if you're like me you’ll always be able to revisit Season 3's "High-like" episode every time you think of Coachella season ;)
—Erin Harris, Development Assistant
Comedy
A little levity feels like exactly what we all need right about now, and Nate Bargatze has plenty of silly, feel-good jokes for us in his spring 2021 special, THE GREATEST AVERAGE AMERICAN (trailer here). If you’ve never heard of Bargatze, he’s a Tennessee-born comic who doesn’t curse or touch politics. He calmly jokes about everyday slip-ups like he’s Sebastian Maniscalco on valium. Meaning, if you like TED LASSO, Nate Bargatze is your guy. Typically, I prefer stand-up that pushes the envelope, but even I chuckled through these bits about concussions, kids' homework, and a legendary waffle snafu. Plus, it’s perfect for your family-friendly Thanksgiving watchlist..
—Daniel Shifren, Production & Development Intern
Theater
Lucas Hnath’s play DANA H, which just opened on Broadway, is wholly unlike anything else I’ve seen in a theater. The show tells the true story of the titular Dana’s kidnapping by her former patient; Dana had worked as a chaplain in a Florida hospital’s psych unit, and her patient was a white supremacist and meth addict. The story is fascinating, artfully told, and very upsetting. The tension in the piece is compounded by the revelation that Dana is actually the playwright Hnath’s mother, and that she purposely kept Hnath in the dark for the five months of her kidnapping and the subsequent two-and-a-half years she spent on the run afterward, hiding among a construction crew. What’s even more remarkable—if you can believe!—is that the entire piece is lip synced by the actress Deirdre O’Connell; she performs along with the track of an interview that Hnath conducted with his mother over several days in 2015. If it sounds gimmicky, I promise it isn’t. O’Connell is a captivating performer, and you will forget about the lip-syncing altogether within the first few minutes of the piece. I’m so happy that this harrowing, heartbreaking, but ultimately optimistic story has made its way to Broadway.
—Julia Hammer, Director of Production
