I’ll keep this short. I’m back. I know I made a big to-do about leaving — more on that in a second — I’ve decided I want to leverage my Substack to do something I’ve always wanted: a weekly recommendations column. I’m not unique because I consume a lot of media and products, so I’d like to have a space to spotlight things I’m enjoying, so Whys and Wherefores will shift to that. It may, on occasion, be other things, too. But for now, it’s things.
Speaking of leaving, my time away from Substack made me realize the adoption rate for it is exceptionally high at this point and that it’s silly for me to stay away, even with policies in place that I don’t agree with. To wit, I want to keep my Buy Me a Coffee link active and use that to match that amount at the end of the year with a donation to the Harriet Hancock Center Foundation in my college town of Columbia, SC.
With that said, here are five things I’m enjoying this week.
Running
I don’t think I’ve ever considered myself much of a runner, despite the fact that I regularly ran two-milers in high school and college to try and stay in some level of shape. When I moved to DC, I pushed that out to three miles, where it’s remained for the better part of the nine years (!) that I’ve lived here. Around May of last year, I started to push my mileage out a little further, and now, in 2024, I’m trying to have three solid run days: one hour or hour+ run at a slower pace, a faster four-mile run, and a HIIT-focused three-mile run.
Running has always provided a space for clarity; I often find myself being able to problem-solve better when I’m pounding the pavement. But now I feel my body craving it in a way I hadn’t before. I get that cardio sucks, but not every run should involve entering the speed force. Changing that mentality has done wonders for how I approach a run. Plus, now I’m actually using all the winter weather products I’ve accumulated over the years, so it’s nice to ensure that gear isn’t just collecting dust.
True Detective: Night Country
I’ve written a little about the newest season of True D for Men’s Health and The National News, but I want to give it a hearty endorsement here. Not that HBO needs me to advocate for their big winter show, but this new installment is how the show should have progressed after the first. By giving the reigns over to Mexican filmmaker Issa Lopez, the series keeps the same structure but feels radically different. While there are things I like about Pizzolatto’s second and third tenures on the show (mostly the performances — the less said about the story and plot, the better, especially regarding season two), Lopez brings a breath of fresh air that’s desperately needed. HBO should just continue to hand over the show to different creatives moving forward while keeping the bones the same: a duo has to solve a mystery.
In Night Country, which premieres on January 14 on HBO, that pair is Jodie Foster (amazing) and Kali Reis (an incredible find!) and the fictional town of Ennis, Alaska. The settings of Los Angeles for Season 2 and the Ozarks for Season 3 just didn’t feel radically different enough from Season 1’s Louisana Bayou. That’s not the case here. Setting the mystery days during Alaska’s long night when there’s no sunlight helps to heighten the gothic horror elements Lopez is bringing back from the first go-round. Combine that gripping atmosphere with superstar performances from both Foster and Reis, and you’ve got a series that can go toe-to-toe with the Pizz’s original. Damn good stuff.
Cyberpunk 2077
The TL;DR on Cyberpunk 2077 is that developer CD Project Red (the same studio behind The Witcher franchise) rushed to release the game in 2022, and it shipped as a half-finished product. Instead of giving up, CDPR spent the last year and a half working to completely rehabilitate the game, culminating in a new expansion pack, Phantom Liberty, last fall. The resulting work makes 2077 feel like a whole new game, which would have quickly fallen into my game of the year consideration for 2023 had I dug into it earlier. Part of that delay is working through other titles from 2023, like Spider-Man 2 or Tears of the Kingdom, but having recently purchased a Steam Deck makes it a lot easier for me to dig into the game while I’m traveling*.
*In fact, I’m writing this newsletter on a flight to Los Angeles, where I’m keen to finish up so I can pick back up the game.
Cyberpunk is now just a wonderfully engaging execution of story, gameplay, world-building, character, and graphics that I can’t get enough of. I’m hesitant to say too much about the story in case folks haven’t gotten around to playing it, so know that it's a can't-miss if you’re an open-world RPG fan.
Madewell x One of These Days
I’m trying really hard to commit to not buying more clothing this year — more on that in a second — but I’m being tested by the Madewell and One of These Days collaboration. I’ve gotten into more westernwear as of late, thanks to brands like Wythe and One of These Days, because of how wearable it is. It’s helpful that baggier styles peddled by the brands are in style now, but there’s something timeless about good-fitting denim shirts and jeans or a sturdy work coat.
Anyway, Madewell launched a collab with OOTD that’s probably either sold out or close to being sold out by the time this comes out. The printed pants probably aren’t for everyone, but the belt and shirt jacket are excellent executions for anyone to have in their wardrobe right now, even if you aren’t trying to ride the western wave like a buckin’ bronco.
Buying Less
Upon trying to find a place for some finds, I got in Dallas over the holidays (shoutouts to Nylo Wool) and officially hit my breaking point. I simply have too many clothes. Despite making a healthy effort to get rid of things twice a year, I’ve reached a breaking point. Outside of a few lingering orders I placed in December, nothing is on the horizon until I’ve got a better handle on things. This is one of the few resolutions I committed to this year, so we’ll see how it goes.
Quick Links:
Wrote about Marvel’s newest Disney+ series, Echo, and its post-credits scene that makes the whole thing feel like it’s a setup for the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again show.
See you next time.
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