Welcome to 2024! It’s so wild we’re already in February. I don’t know if it’s also because I’m a mom to a tiny human now, but time seems to be moving crazy fast. My daughter turns 1(!) this month and I’m simultaneously relieved we made it through our first year of parenthood and super emotional that my baby won’t technically be a baby anymore ;). Nia took her first steps tonight, so chuffed with herself, and I cheered so loud while weeping on the inside. I’m told this is normal, this bittersweet balance between joy and sad nostalgia, but it doesn’t make it any easier.
I hope you’re healthy and well and happy in your corner of the world too, leaning into the joy, sadness, and all the emotions in between as a constant reminder that we are lucky to be alive.
I’ve been consuming some great content lately (it’s awards season!) so it was hard to whittle this issue down to my 3 recommendations to watch, but here we go:
Recommendation #1: Fargo Season 5 (FX, Hulu)
Even if you’re not a fan of Fargo, either the 1996 movie by the Coen brothers, or the television series created & written by Noah Hawley, do yourself a favor and watch Fargo’s most recent season (5th) because it is quite frankly one of the best seasons in television history. I mean it. If your next question is, “But Kals, don’t I need to watch the previous seasons to know what’s going on?” My immediate answer would be, “Absolutely not. Each season is a standalone, self-contained narrative, set in a different time period with completely different characters, and while some are brilliant (season 1 was another standout for me), nothing will move you from start to finish like season 5 will.” Fargo is ultimately a universal conversation on morality, good vs evil, greed & discontent, and each season of the television series looks at the story from a different vantage point, through the lens of a different main character.
Fargo’s latest season, which concluded this past month, stars Juno Temple, Jon Hamm & Jennifer Jason Leigh and while it’s all of the aforementioned description, it’s also a deeper treatment of forgiveness, kindness, and goodness. The season finale (discussed by here the Rolling Stone in great detail) is one of the best television finales I’ve seen, ever. A podcast I listen to often, Armchair Expert, loved this season so much, they hosted a Fargo Week this week, interviewing Juno Temple, Jon Hamm & Noah Hawley in successive episodes. I’m a superfan of Juno in particular (who isn’t after her run in Ted Lasso?), so sharing that pod below.
Recommendation #2: Slow Horses, Season 3 (Apple TV+)
Another television series I’ve loved since the beginning is Slow Horses, a British drama on Apple TV+ that follows a team of misfit MI5 agents who have all been relegated to the reject house named “Slough House” for various reasons. Unlike my Fargo recommendation, this is a show you should watch from Season 1 onwards, but Season 3 just finished before Christmas, and it was...*chef’s kiss*. Just so, so good. (I’d rank the seasons so far best to worst as Season 3, Season 1, and Season 2.) The seasons are short, so a full series binge is completely doable, trust me.
Slow Horses, which stars Gary Oldman (one of the greatest actors ever), is a mindbending spy thriller that I hope you enjoy as much I (and my entire family) did. If interested, I also loved Gary Oldman’s interview on his entire career as well as his portrayal of Jackson Lamb (his Slow Horses’ character) for one of my favorite long-form interview podcasts Happy Sad Confused:
Recommendation #3: Trevor Noah, Where Was I (Netflix)
Obviously, I’m a Trevor Noah superfan, given I recommended this man’s podcast on my last Rabbit Hole (and told you how his book, Born a Crime, is one of my favorite books), but truly, his latest comedy special, which debuted on Netflix during the Christmas holidays, was hilarious. Trevor (we’re friends on a first name basis in my head), makes such astute and true observations about America that this special will make you think while you’re laughing until you’re crying. 10/10 recommend, especially when you need a dose of funny as a break from the world today.
That’s all from me, friends. Happy February!
xx
Kals