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A Familiar World of Gentle Lunacy

I stole this ^ from Magda Szabó because it perfectly describes what you'll find here. Sign up for emails if you want to receive the same bullshit in your inbox.

Recommendations ⸱ Lindsay Pugh

Friday Night Dinner, 4.25.25

Another bullshit week in suck city. But you know what... the sun is shining, it's warm enough to sit outside with "Notes to John," and the universe has blessed us with a new Palladino show. There are still bright spots even when it's awful.
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Recommendations ⸱ Lindsay Pugh

Friday Night Dinner, 4.18.25

Approximately 10,000 horrible things happened this week, so I asked some friends to send me pictures of their pets as a palate cleanser: Leia uses buttons to communicate and once kicked guests out of her house by repeatedly pressing the "all done" button until they vamoosed. Mouse
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Recommendations ⸱ Lindsay Pugh

Friday Night Dinner, 4.11.25

"Sending emails two Fridays in a row? Is she on a new brain drug?" No, I'm simply using my leisure time wisely to avoid crushing ennui and spiritual vacancy. Whether or not it's working is up for debate, but it's been fun
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TV ⸱ Lindsay Pugh

'My Brilliant Friend' Season 1, Episode 8: The Promise

Quick summary: In "The Fiancés," Lila embraces the idea of becoming Mrs. Carracci, proudly declaring that she and Stefano have decided to "rise above the Solaras." By "The Promise," all delusions of this Michelle Obama-style high road are shattered. The first crack occurs when
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Recommendations ⸱ Lindsay Pugh

Friday Night Dinner, 4.4.25

Picture it: you're at my house for Friday night dinner. I've guzzled 1 dirty martini and now we're sitting down to glazed woodcock with a side of truffled goose head. Because I'm just as smart and worldly as the Kennedys, I'
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Recommendations ⸱ Lindsay Pugh

Smooth brain content 🧶

Greetings from hell! My old therapist once told me that I probably have a bleakly accurate outlook on the world, but that being right does nothing to improve my life. I'm trying to remind myself of that as America crumbles under the weight of its collective stupidity. Since
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Yale, janitor, in 100 years we'll all be dead. It's all the same.

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'My Brilliant Friend' Season 1, Episode 7: The Fiancés

Quick summary: This episode zips through an entire year, beginning with Elena's return home from Ischia (1959) and ending the following summer (1960). Back in the neighborhood, she's surprised to learn that Lila has been cozying up to Stefano, the grocer who threatened to rip out
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'My Brilliant Friend' Season 1, Episode 6: The Island

Quick summary: Elena enjoys a few blissful weeks in Ischia before the Sarratore family arrives at Nella's (Nunzia Schiano) and fucks up the vibe. At first, Nino is missing and Marisa (Miriam D'Angelo) reveals that he plans the summer so that he and his father, Donato,
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'My Brilliant Friend' Season 1, Episode 5: The Shoes

Quick summary: Marcello emerges as the frontrunner in the bid for Lila's affections. When charming her doesn't work, he ingratiates himself with Rino, who just last episode called the Solara brothers, "worthless pieces of shit." As Lila suspects, Rino is willing to do anything
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'My Brilliant Friend' Season 1, Episode 4: Dissolving Margins

Quick summary: If the neighborhood politics weren't clear before, they come into stark focus by the end of this episode. Over the course of two parties, the atmosphere becomes increasingly dire, especially for Lila. Initially, it seems like the rione's younger generation is willing to move
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'My Brilliant Friend' Season 1, Episode 3: The Metamorphoses

Quick summary: During (Elena's dream of) Don Achille's funeral procession, the children of the neighborhood grow up: the young cast is replaced with an older one and many fantasies (e.g. Louisa May Alcott) give way to practical reality. With Elena (Margherita Mazzucco) in middle school
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'My Brilliant Friend' Season 1, Episode 2: The Money

Quick summary: "The Money" begins where "The Dolls" ends: with Elena and Lila outside Don Achille's (Antonio Pennarella) door, steeling themselves for a confrontation. Predictably, this middle-aged mobster is clueless about their dolls and sends them away with a wad of condolence cash, which
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