First off, I want to apologize for being a day late with this week’s THREE NEW THINGS. My wife, Brenda, and I are dealing with a health issue with one of our cats. Jude is a rescue kitten who was born behind a McDonald’s dumpster. Our other two cats— Romeo and Sabrina— are also rescue cats.

The deal you make when you bring home that kitten or puppy is that one day, you’re going to have to wrestle with old age and end-of-life issues. It’s so hard but also so worth it for all the years of joy that they bring you. It seems unfair that we outlive our beloved furry family members, but it’s also inescapable. And in the end, you’re both better for having been in each other’s lives.

If you’ve been following THREE NEW THINGS, then you know most of the new music I post is in the alt and indie rock and pop genres. Most… but not all. Probably my current favorite mainstream artist is Bruno Mars. He sings, he dances, he plays every instrument. He’s kind of the modern-day incarnation of Prince.

Mars also has a deep love of 1970s soft rock and soul. Listening to his music is like taking a time machine back to the days when soft rock dominated the pop charts. And I am here for it! From his work in Silksonic (“Leave The Door Open”), to his duet with Lady Gaga (“Die With A Smile”), to his latest - “I Just Might” - Mars seems intent on reminding us of the days when music was soft, warm, and soulful. Like pretty much everything he releases, his latest (about 10 hours old as I’m writing this) is a delight.

As some of you know, I like to dabble in screenwriting myself. I’ve entered a few in screenplay competitions and have had some success. Nothing that’s led to a development deal, and probably never will, but that’s not why I do it. I do it because I enjoy it. And it’s given me an appreciation for the difficulty of the craft.

I’m going to be honest - when it comes to most things I see on television, I think, “Yeah, I could write that.” But when I watch The Pitt, it feels like calculus. I have no idea how they write a show that complex with so many moving parts. It’s utter chaos, and yet it also makes perfect sense with a narrative that brings all the pieces together. It feels like juggling five balls while walking across a tightrope that’s on fire.

Is it competence porn? Sure. But I love competence porn. That’s what was so great about The West Wing, which has a lot in common with The Pitt. Good, smart, talented people all performing at the highest of levels. I could watch that all day.

And speaking of all day, that’s another thing that makes The Pitt so great - it covers a single day in an ER in real time. Each hour-long episode is one hour of that day. Season 2 takes place on July 4, so you just know a fireworks explosion is going to be coming sooner or later.

If you’ve yet to see Season 1, check it out. And if you have seen Season 1, here are the opening few minutes of Season 2.

This is going to be the first time I’ve covered a show twice. It’s also not a new show. So I’m breaking a couple of THREE NEW THINGS rules here. But BoJack Horseman is so outstanding that I feel it’s okay to make an exception in this case.

When I last reviewed BoJack Horseman, I’d only seen the first two seasons. Now I’m through all six. And, wow, what a ride. I knew the show touched on themes of fame, abuse, guilt, depression, and generational trauma. But even I wasn’t prepared for how dark the show got.

Overall, I think the theme of the show is, is it possible to come back from the very worst things we’ve done, or are those things who we TRULY are? In any other show, the answer would be a redemption story. But in BoJack, the answer seems to be, '“We’re not letting you off that easy. You ARE, in part, the very worst things you’ve done. Just because you feel bad about them doesn’t mean you didn’t do them and don’t own them.”

It’s a hard message. And BoJack really presses the issue because some of the things BoJack (brilliantly voiced by Will Arnett) does are truly horrifying. He’s a wrecking ball. And while he may not INTEND to cause harm to others, he does, through his selfishness and his thoughtless actions.

I’m making the show sound like a downer, but it’s not. It can still be profoundly silly at times. (“You’re a loose cannon, Officer Fuzzyface!”) It’s a show that makes you laugh out loud but makes you think about how your actions or inactions affect others. So, at the end of the day, the message is a positive and uplifting one. Be better, treat people better, and be conscious of the things you do and the impact they have, intended or not.

That’s issue No. 011 in the books! Hard to believe I’ve been at this for nearly three months. Thanks for subscribing! Thanks for reading! And I’ll see you next week!