What to watch when there’s nothing on TV 📺

Hi friends!

How are you? I’m great, because I will soon be embarking upon a European vacation to Germany and Holland! I can’t wait to eat all the sausages and drink all the beer and view all the art. I’ve been practicing German on Duolingo and am currently on a lesson all about professions… well, about five different professions: student, professor, doctor, actor, and server. Apparently those are the only things you can be in Germany? I don’t know how to say “I’m a Creative Strategist for a social content company,” but I can say, “My work is interesting and stressful,” which is the same thing. I do wish they had taught me how to ask where the bathrooms are first, though.

I haven’t been on a real vacation since early December 2023, when my husband Ross and I traveled to Japan, and I haven’t been to Europe since September of 2018, when we spent two weeks in France and Italy. Both were truly bucket list trips and were amazing, although I must admit that sometimes, I prefer a trip with lower expectations. That way, you’re pleasantly surprised. Not that I don’t think I’m going to have fun, but Germany has not been particularly high on my list of places to go. It’s not like I’m a huge fan of German food or a history buff or something. We ended up there because we wanted to go to Europe and didn’t want to go to an overtouristed place like Spain. But one of my favorite trips in recent years was going to Oaxaca over the holidays in 2022, and Oaxaca had (foolishly) not been on my list at all at that point, so I’m hopeful. (By the way, if you’re US-based and looking for a closer/more affordable international destination that also has unbelievable cuisine, don’t sleep on Oaxaca!! Happy to share recs!)

Ross and I have also determined, after much trial and error, that 10 or 11 days is the longest we care to be away from home and our cat, Zadie. After that, we just get tired of eating in restaurants and not sleeping in our own bed and miss our fluffy little daughter. I remember on that two-week trip to France and Italy, feeling a little tired of being on vacation on our final days–which were spent in Venice, of all glorious places. Talk about privileged problems! Venice is obviously amazing and one-of-a-kind, but our hotel room had mosquitoes and I got tired of drinking espresso and we were just kind of vacationed-out.

Luckily, for this upcoming trip, I was able to save up my PTO so I could take off a couple days after we get back from our trip to just be jet lagged and not have to dive right back into work. I’m almost looking forward to those as much as I am the Van Gogh Museum! (I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I’m kidding?)

This week also marked my ninth (9th!!!) wedding anniversary with Ross, which is crazy because I was 29 when I got married, and I’m still in my early 30s?? Nah I’m just joking, people who are afraid to age give me the ick, staying alive on this planet is the most punk rock thing you can do. But anyway, getting married to Ross was one of the best things I’ve ever done, 10/10. Planning a wedding sucked balls, but we don’t have to get into that. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being single and it’s certainly preferable to being with the wrong person (yuck), but being married to the right person? Lots of fun. Just sayin’.

Now that I’ve bored you to tears with my heterosexual married person talk, let’s get into some things:

- Task, season one (HBO Max). I enjoyed the first episode of this new crime drama from the creator of Mare of Easttown, starring Mark Ruffalo, but can I just say? That is the worst title for a TV show I’ve heard in a long, long time. I get that it’s about an FBI task force, but then why not just call it Task Force? That would be more compelling to me than Task. Horrible! Mark Ruffalo is great as usual, although I’m pretty tired by now of seeing alcohol-dependent investigators on my TV screen. It’s such a cliche! I also read the description of this show on IMDB before I saw it, and thought it set a terrible expectation. They described the main subject of the investigation as “an unassuming family man,” but um, no. Dude is sketchy as hell, and clearly failing in his familial obligations. That description made me picture someone like a BTK, who presented as a more buttoned up suburban type. If you saw this dude I’m talking about in Task, you’d be like, “Oh yeah, that dude could be into some illegal shit for sure.” I’m sure I’ll keep watching, because there is nothing on TV right now and why not, but I have notes! Clearly!

- Final Draft (Netflix). This is a Japanese athletic competition show where twenty-five former professional athletes compete in various physical elimination challenges for a grand prize of 30 million yen (or about $100k USD). It also shares a name with the industry standard screenwriting software, which is how you know it’s not an American show. We don’t play about clearances over here! It’s very similar to Physical 100, a Korean competition show that’s also on Netflix, although I like the editing/dubbing on Final Draft better.

I don’t know why, but I love watching these shows of people sweating and pushing their bodies to the limits while I eat an ice cream sandwich on my couch. It’s also interesting to hear a little from these athletes about their experiences transitioning into second careers. The career trajectory of a pro athlete has to be a trip. You train so hard for years to do one thing, and then your ability to do that one thing can end suddenly for so many different reasons out of your control. Then, next thing you know, you’re climbing a mountain on a reality show, trying not to get blown up. Wild!

- The Four Seasons (Netflix). I know I’m like the last person on Earth to watch this show, but I finally did (and binged it all in one day, too), and I loved it! I love stories about friend groups and stories about grown-ups, and this is a story about a grown-up friend group where one couple splits up and it royally fucks up the dynamic. It reminded me a lot of Friends From College, another Netflix series I loved. It’s a Tina Fey show, but it doesn’t have the frenetic comedic pace of a 30 Rock or a Kimmy Schmidt. The edge that Four Seasons has for me is that a lot of the fall scenes were shot at my beloved alma mater, Vassar College–although the scenes in town definitely weren’t, lol. Poughkeepsie is not that charming! Also, Colman Domingo is in it, and he is so wonderful in everything. I’m not sure why/how they’re making a second season, but I’m sure I’ll watch it.

- Sirens (Netflix). This rich person dark comedy limited series starring Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, and Meghann Fahy was pretty good! You know, with that cast, that the acting was on-point. I think the writing felt a little over-the-top in the beginning, but it felt like it hit a more comfortable stride by the end… only to have an ending that, I felt, came out of nowhere. The whole thing is based on a play by Molly Smith Metzler, the creator and showrunner of Maid, which I find somewhat fascinating, since the location is such a character in the show. Did you watch Sirens? What did you think?

- The Great British Baking Show, season 13 (Netflix). It’s baaack!!! And not a moment too soon. In these trying times, I really need to watch British people who are a million times better at baking than I am freak out over fondant, it’s a balm to the soul. Although I have to say, every year they have college students competing on the show, and I am always flabbergasted by their talent. I could barely make brownies from a box when I was in college, let alone layer cakes with the structural integrity of a California craftsman (and sugar glass stained windows to boot)! If you’re watching, who are you rooting for? I mean, besides Nataliia (because duh).

- NYX Buttermelt Highlight ($12). This drugstore highlighter is sooo beautiful and it comes in all different colors, from classic (champagne) to avant garde (green, purple). I have it in green and pink, and they’re both stunning, glowy and buildable and so smooth on the skin. The only thing that’s annoying is the plastic packaging, it’s a bit finicky to open, but for $12, I’ll give it to them.

One NYX product I tried recently that I absolutely hate, however, is their Smushy Matte Lip Balm in “She’s Serving” ($9). I assumed it was going to be like one of those lip tint products that are popular in Asian beauty, that come with an applicator, but instead, it comes in a squeezy tube like those lip balms from Summer Fridays and La Neige. The problem with this product is that it is HIGHLY pigmented, and with a squeezy tube, you just cannot get a precise application. I looked like the old lady from Weapons the first time I tried this product! I absolutely hate it and do not recommend it! Save your coins!

- Phlur Cherry Stem Eau de Parfum ($32-$99). I’ve been getting more into scents this year, and I was super curious about this new cherry perfume from Phlur since I fell in love with Tom Ford’s disgustingly named but amazing smelling Lost Cherry fragrance. However, even a small bottle of Lost Cherry is like $255, so fuuuck that! I’d obviously love a cheaper alternative, and Phlur’s Cherry Stem is it, I think! It smells sooooo good, like a juicy cherry that dries down to light florals. Honestly, I kind of hate floral scents, but I really like this one because it’s not overpowering or dusty or old lady-ish. Dare I say, it’s actually rather dark and sexy. 

This is the second Phlur scent I’ve been into after discovering their Heavy Cream body mist ($25-$38) earlier this year, which smells like diving into a delicious pile of whipped cream. It literally smells like an ice cream shop. And since I used to work in an ice cream shop, long, long ago, it’s a smell I’m familiar with and love. The only thing that’s a bummer about that product is that since it’s a body mist and not a perfume, it doesn’t have the most longevity.

- White Barn 3-Wick Candle in “Cranberry Woods” ($26.95). I quite honestly own too many candles right now, but I have to say, this “Cranberry Woods” candle I got at Bath and Body Works is PERFECT for fall! It smells like both cranberries and pine at the same time, which really works for me. Living in Los Angeles, our colder weather doesn’t start until late October, so this is getting me in that autumnal mood even though it’s still like 89 degrees F outside (that’s 32 for you Celsius folks). Bath and Body Works is one of those stores that is always having a sale on something, so if you don’t want to pay full price for this, just wait a couple days.

Alright, that’s it for now! The next newsletter might take a bit longer to get to you because of my travels, but I hope you won’t begrudge me some time off.

If you have a second, I’d love it if you’d like or comment on this post–just click this link to go to the post page. This post is public, so feel free to share it on social media, or forward it to a friend.

Until next time—auf wiedersehen!

Love,

Liz

XOXO

P.S. If you have any last minute TV show or podcast recs I can binge on the plane(s), please do let me know!