Tonight, the last two episodes of this season’s “Bosch: Legacy” drop on Amazon Prime Video – the final episodes of the series, which over the past 10 years, through two iterations, has, for my money, been one of the best things on television.
I’ll have more to say about this next week, after I’ve watched them. But for now, I am sad.
Prime Video dropped a new movie last weekend that is best described as dumb fun. “G20” stars Viola Davis as a US President who also is a military veteran – when terrorists storm and take over a meeting of the G20 nations, her President Danielle Sutton evades them and uses her skills to fight back and save both her family and fellow leaders.
Think “Air Force One” blended with “Die Hard.” The movie is nothing if not derivative, but also reasonably diverting. Not a terrible way to spend a Saturday night.
I’ve also watched the first two episodes of “Your Friends & Neighbors” on Apple TV+, about a hedge fund executive (Jon Hamm) who is fired, finds it impossible to get a new job, has expenses way beyond his means, and turns to crime – specifically stealing jewelry from his rich friends and neighbors – to stay afloat.
I didn’t love the pilot/first episode – it seemed like a too-self-conscious class commentary critique of over-the-top capitalism. Plus, the jokes didn’t all work. But the second episode seemed to mellow out a bit, and had a different tone that seemed a little less strident. It reminded me of how “Shrinking” evolved from its first episode, becoming something far more interesting. So I’m going to give it time.
Finally, I recommend to you a recent New York Times essay by Roger Rosenblatt, who has had a wonderful career as a journalist, essayist, novelist and nonfiction writer. It was entitled “How to Be a Happy 85-Year-Old (Like Me),” and he wrote:
“In 2000, I published a book called ‘Rules for Aging,’ a sort of how-to guide for navigating the later years of one’s life. I was 60 at the time and thought that I knew a thing or two about being old. Twenty-five years later, I just finished a sequel, which reflects my advice for growing very, very old. (I have been doing a lot of that lately.) It took me 85 years to learn these things, but I believe they’re applicable at any age.”
Since reading his Times list of 10 rules, which you can check out here, I’ve downloaded his “Rules for Aging” book to my iPad. But I also want to excerpt two of new rules here, because even though I’m a decade-and-a-half younger, they resonated with me.
4. Get a dog. Just do it. Dogs are rarely trouble. They take more naps than you do, and they listen to you intently. That’s because they think you might have food, to satisfy their bottomless appetites. Care not about their motives. No creature on Earth will ever find you more fascinating than your dog does.
10. Start and end every day by listening to Louis Armstrong. “West End Blues” or anything, really. I won’t tell you why. But you’ll thank me.
As I write this, my dog Spenser is lying on the bed across the room, snoring gently, at peace with the world. If I want to feed him, he’ll get up. If I want to take him for a walk, he’ll bounce around the room. He’s the best.
And, after reading Rosenblatt’s essay, I downloaded “The Essential Louis Armstrong,” and have listened to “West End Blues” every morning and night. And he’s right – it lifts the spirit and makes one believe that a world in which such sounds can exist must be okay. Or at least salvageable.
So thanks, Mr. Rosenblatt.
That’s it for this week. I’ll see you Monday.
Sláinte!!
The post OffBeat: Bosch, Dogs, & “West End Blues” appeared first on MNB.
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