I’m going to learn hard this week into the newish aspect of Three New Things. Because sometimes there are great new things that you just miss. That’s true even for me - a guy who loves new things so much he made a whole newletter about it.

There’s so much content out there these days that it’s impossible to consume it all, even if that’s all you did. And that should definitely not be all you do. That’s part of the reason THREE NEW THINGS exists - to guide you to the new things that are worth your time because your time is split a lot of different ways.

So hope in the Wayback Machine with me as we travel back to the year 2014! And 2022. And a little time in the past. 2024.

I had long heard that BoJack Horseman was something of a masterpiece, combining darkly hilarious humor with deep pathos. And that assessment is entirely correct based on my experience with the first two seasons. There’s a joke in season one that’s going to give you a solid indication as to whether or not BoJack Horseman is your kind of show. My wife, Brenda, and I DIED at this joke, but your mileage may vary.

So, BoJack (played by Will Arnett) is a horse (more of a horse-MAN really, hence the name) who starred in a terrible 1990s sitcom called Horsin’ Around. In this animated show, people and animal-people (they all have hands and feet and stand on two legs) co-exist, date, marry, have children, etc. BoJack meets an owl named Wanda (voiced by Lisa Kudrow) who’s been in a coma for 30 years. BoJack likes that about her because she’s not up-to-date on his checkered past. They’re on their first date when BoJack tells Wanda…

BOJACK: I’ve not been with a woman in a long time.

WANDA: I haven’t had sex in 30 years. I hope.

“I hope” is a DARK joke but Brenda and I were rolling. Because BoJack is our kind of show. If you find a joke like that deeply offensive, that’s alright, because not all shows are for all people. But I love humor that pushes people into uncomfortable spaces.

The other thing that makes BoJack such a standout is its exploration of human behavior and psychological frailty. And it regularly drops gems like this one…

WANDA: When you look at someone through rose-colored glasses, all the red flags just look like flags.

Or this one on the subject of personal growth and self-improvement…

JOGGER: It gets easier. Every day it gets a little easier. But you gotta do it every day. That’s the hard part.

So, it’s a show of big laughs and big themes. I’m pretty late to BoJack Horseman, but I’m glad that it’s now on my radar because shows that are this funny and this profound don’t come around often.

My Spotify Wrapped listed my top subgenre of music as Alternative Pop. And this week was a pretty solid week for Alternative Pop. I discovered three new songs that I’ve had on repeat and one, in particular, that’s in the running for my favorite song of the year. I think all three of the songs I’m going to feature in this issue could be filed under the heading of, “Why aren’t these hit songs?” They’re all very mainstream and melodic. But times change. Music changes. The kids take over. And what might have been a hit 20 years ago isn’t a hit today.

Let’s start with the song-of-the-year candidate. “I Don’t Know You Like I Used To” by Mercury was originally released in 2023. But it was re-recorded in 2025. It’s interesting to compare the two versions of the song. The first is a lot more raw, which many people will prefer. The version I’m going to post is the re-record, which features more lush production values and some electronic flourishes (including an interesting moment where the song seems to glitch). I’m not sure I’ve heard a better chorus all year than the one featured in “I Don’t Know You Like I Used To.” It’s big, sweeping, beautiful, melancholic, but also upbeat at the same time.

Kai Bosch first landed on my radar earlier this year. His music can best be described as alternative synth pop. What is alternative synth pop? It’s a very club-influenced form of alt rock, with dance beats, breathy singing, and heavy use of electronics. “Popstar of Your Dreams” is his latest song and maybe the best one he’s released so far.

Last up is Dani Marchio with “Daydreamer.” This is the most “sugary pop confection” of the three songs this week. But like “I Don’t Know You Like I Used To” and “Popstar of Your Dreams,” it features big, lush production values that build as the song goes.

For ALL the best songs of 2025 (mostly 2025) be sure to check out the THREE NEW THINGS playlist on Spotify. Just click on the 3!

If you’re a gamer and your spouse is also a gamer, then you’re living the dream. But it’s not always easy to find games to play together. Diablo IV is one such game.

Diablo IV has two features, which are rare in video games, and even rarer to be featured together. First, it’s a couch co-op game. That means you don’t have to be online, on separate consoles or computers, to play together. You just sit on the couch together and play, sharing the same screen. Old school.

The second feature is that it’s not a split-screen game. Split-screen games can be challenging because two different feeds and perspectives are playing at the same time. If you don’t lock in, it can be easy to get lost and look at the wrong part of the screen.

So, Diablo IV lets you and a friend play together with both your characters sharing a single screen. This makes for an ideal couch co-op experience. But beyond that, what kind of gaming experience does Diablo IV provide?

Diablo IV is a dark fantasy RPG, hack and slash, loot grinder. If you remember the old arcade game Gauntlet - it’s like a modern-day version of that. Essentially, you run around a grim world as either a Barbarian, Druid, Necromancer, Sorcerer, Rogue, or Spiritborn (a spear-wielding jungle warrior), smashing shit and collecting loot, which you can use to upgrade your gear so you can smash more shit and collect more loot.

While there is a story that gets you caught up in the middle of a lover’s quarrel between the daughter of the devil and a fallen paladin, Diablo IV is much more action-oriented than, say, a Baldur’s Gate 3. There aren’t a lot of choices beyond a few different playstyles and a whole lot of outfits (which my wife calls “Fashion Plates for men”), but that works for a game like Diablo IV. Sometimes simple and hypnotic is exactly the experience you’re looking for.

So grab your girl or guy, plop yourself down on the couch with a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, turn off your brain, and get ready to break shit!

We went down memory lane to the early 2020s for most of this issue of THREE NEW THINGS, so why not end with something so brand new that it literally popped online just minutes before the publication of this week’s newsletter - the Supergirl Trailer!

Personally, I love this summer’s Superman film. Nothing against Man of Steel, which I also like quite a bit, but Superman really understood the character in a way Man of Steel didn’t. James Gunn got that Superman’s real power is his unshakable kindness. And I loved the Silver Age wacky sci-fi world that Gunn’s version of Superman exists in.

Supergirl makes a hilarious (and inebriated) cameo at the very end of Superman. It makes sense when you realize that - unlike Superman - Supergirl actually witnessed the destruction of their home planet, Krypton. She’s younger than Superman only because his ship made it to Earth sooner than hers did.

My understanding is that Supergirl is based on the comic Woman of Tomorrow, perhaps the most celebrated Supergirl story. It’s also going to feature a villain/antihero that DC fans have been wanting to see on screen for decades - Lobo, played by Jason Momoa.

The Supergirl trailer has a very Guardians of The Galaxy vibe to it even though NOT directed by James Gunn. We’ll have to wait until summer to know whether or the movie is actually any good, but its safe to say the Snyderbros (look them up… or don’t) will not be impressed.

That brings us to the end of Issue #008. Hard to believe it’s been two months. Tune in next week when I’ll cover the 2025 Game of the Year, which will be announced tonight (December 11). Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the heavy frontrunner, but surprises do happen from time to time. I’ll also review the movie F1, which makes its streaming service debut on Apple+ Friday, December 12. See you next week!