Well, Super Bowl LX (licks) SUCKED. In the two weeks leading up to it, I honestly forgot it was even on because it featured two teams (the Seahawks and the Patriots) that I simply didn’t care about. Usually, I can find SOME rooting interest when my Steelers aren’t involved (and it’s been a minute). But I couldn’t find anything from either of these teams I cared about even slightly. And then the game happened and made everything worse.

At least the halftime show was lit. Yeah, yeah, it was all in Spanish, but so what? It was fun, joyful, celebratory - like a Latin “La La Land.” And I’m old enough to remember there was a REAL reason to hate the Super Bowl halftime show because it featured Up With People.

If you’re on the side that’s upset about Bad Bunny, I’ll explain it to you this way. The NFL wants to expand its presence globally and Bad Bunny is THE most popular artist in the world. It was a business decision. It was capitalism. If you think Kid Rock lip-syncing poorly in jorts has the same international appeal, I don’t know what to tell you.

And one final note before we get to it - Valentine’s Day is Saturday. You’ve got about 48 hours to get your shit together for that special person in your life. Alright, let’s go!

We praise shows for a lot of things. Plot. Acting. Dialogue. Direction. Cinematogrophy. Special Effects. Music. But we don’t talk a lot about another absolutely essential element - pacing. And that element is was the show Hijack, on Apple+, has going for it in spades.

Now, midway through its second season— and I’ll get to that in a bit— Hijack’s first season is seven episodes, and it tells a complete story. Mostly. (Remember, Darth Vader is still alive at the end of Star Wars.)

The reason I mention pacing is because Hijack is a masterclass in it. Each episode introduces a new element that rachets up the tension. Some movies/shows come blasting out of the gate, leaving themselves nowhere to go emotionally. Hijack isn’t slow by any means, but it is deliberate. It doles out the information piecemeal so that you learn a little more about the protagonist (Sam Nelson, played by the always great Idris Elba), the hijackers, and the passengers each episode. By the finale, I was fully invested and even found myself getting a little choked up.

Is Hijack Die Hard? Yeah, it’s Die Hard. But what’s wrong with that? Die Hard is GREAT, and Hijack is the Die Hard formula (everyman hero + smart, ruthless villain + confined space) done well. The show is an Apple production, not a BBC production, but you’d never know it by the way it apes the look and feel of BBC shows (cinematic and European).

Hijack is now midway through its second season. What’s nice about Season 2 is that it builds on what you know from Season 1. You feel something is out of sorts from the very first episode, and your knowledge from Season 1 is used both to confirm and confound your expectations. Hijack is both modern and something of a throwback. I highly recommend you check it out.

Vincent’s Tale is a concept album from Welsh rapper, singer, and musician Ren (full name Ren Gill). Ren blends a LOT of influences - rap, alt rock, folk, funk, and spoken word. He also has a penchant for theatrical storytelling, with many of his songs also being short narrative films. His music touches on themes of mental illness, social systems, addiction, grief, and redemption.

Vincent’s Tale tells the story of two men - Vincent, a troubled man pushed toward a violent act, and Richard, a law enforcement officer dealing with the aftermath. The character Vincent is also a reference to the famously tortured artist, Vincent Van Gogh, with songs on the album (like the one featured below) taking their names from his paintings.

In a day and age where much popular music is simply a variation on the same style and chord structures (MANY Taylor Swift’s songs feature the same 4 chords), Ren is out there doing something bold, experimental, and different. And that deserves to be applauded.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. “Saturday Night Live hasn’t been any good since (insert your date or cast of choice).” It’s a lazy critique that misses the point that SNL has ALWAYS been hit and miss. That’s the nature of sketch comedy. For every “I Drive a Dodge Stratus!!!” there’s a dozen sketches no one remembers.

But over the years there are always cast members who rise above the material. Bill Murray. Eddie Murphy. Will Farrell. Kristen Wiig. Kate McKinnon. Adam Sandler. Bill Hader. Tina Fey. Bill Hartman. John Belushi. Chris Farley. Dana Carvey. Mike Myers. Andy Samberg. Kenan Thompson. The list goes on.

Soon, we’ll be adding Ashley Padilla to that list. She was a featured player last year and this year is a full-time cast member. And she knocks it out of the park in just about every sketch. Some cast members just have an ability to elevate the material. She doesn’t do impersonations (aside from Kristi Noem). And she doesn’t really do “wacky” characters. Her characters, while exaggerated, are more grounded and relatable.

Case in point - her character from a couple of weeks ago - a mom with a confession. If you’ve not seen the sketch, I won’t spoil the confession, but it’s one that’s apt for the times we live in. Through her voice, mannerisms, and facial expressions, she delivers a masterclass in comedic acting. Ashley Padilla is the main reason SNL is worth watching this season.

Scrubs it back! Well, almost back. It returns on February 25th. It’s interesting that it’s being promoted as being “from the maker of Ted Lasso” when Ted Lasso was promoted as being “from the maker of Scrubs.”

Bill Lawrence (Spin City, Scrubs, Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Bad Monkey) specializes in feel-good comedy. Even the dark “Bad Monkey” is filled with light moments of humanity. Dark makes for great drama AND great comedy, but sometimes you need a palate cleanser.

Personally, I’m glad to see Turk & JD (Donald Faison and Zach Braff) liberated from those dreadful T-Mobile commercials. And I am here for more of their bromance antics! I’m also glad to see Sarah Chalke doing something that’s not Rick & Morty (even though she’s FANTASTIC in Rick & Morty). And you can never have enough of John C. McGinley’s acerbic Dr. Cox.

The Scrubs revival is like having a long-lost friend come back into your life. Nostalgia will only take you so far, so hopefully they’ve got some great new stories to tell.

Issue #015 is in the books! It’s possible, if I keep this up, I’m going to reach a crossover point where I have more issues than subscribers. I’ve been reading up on this stuff and, apparently, you’re supposed to spend twice as much time promoting your newsletter as you do writing it. I’ve been spending ZERO time promoting THREE NEW THINGS, so that’s going to need to change. But I can ALWAYS use your help. Tell your friends! Hell, tell your enemies, I’ll take them, too! See you next week.