In the early 2000s, I was a budding teenager struggling to find my place. My parents sent me away from Guam to live with my Grandparents in Hawaii. Who says “no” to moving to the Hawaiian Paradise? Mom and Dad just wanted me to have a better life because, in reality, they were rookie parents and there was not much for me in Guam. If I left for Hawaii, maybe I’d graduate high school or even find my way into a decent community college. The bar was low. I had been living in Honolulu with my grandparents for eight years, helped them clean houses for money, and survived weekly off of the food stamps we’d get from the government. Not much of the hula-dancing-grass-shack-luau Hawaiian paradise you thought, right? But it was for me. Let me explain.

This story starts with my Fijian friend, Jona Qoro (Go-Ro). His family called him “Junia”, the Fijian way to say “Junior.” Jona was the new kid in school who appeared to have gone through puberty and looked suspiciously older than the rest of the seventh-grade class. That’s because he was. He was a year (or maybe two years) older than all the other kids my age. His parents also sent him to Hawaii from Fiji to get a better life. Sound familiar?

I met Jona through a weird serendipitous act of universal fate that will make sense later. The Hawaii school system held him back a grade before starting school in the U.S., which means we weren’t even supposed to have the same classes.

But here’s the twist, there’s two of him. Just imagine if Jona jumped into a portal, hit “copy + paste” and out came his clone. Semi was his name. Like Emmy with an “S”. Say it with me: SEM-MEE.

Yes, Jona and Semi were twins. But if you spent enough time with them, you’d know they couldn’t be more different. Semi craved the spotlight. Jona often avoided it. Semi was a pragmatic leader. Jona was a spontaneous comedian. Semi knew how to talk to the ladies and unfortunately for the ladies, they had to learn how to talk to Jona.

I knew the difference.

In the beginning, I spent much more time with Jona. We were inseparable and had all the same classes. I sat at the front of the classroom, because of course I did and you’d get the impression that Jona befriended me strictly to copy my homework. He certainly did. For every class. But, little did he know, I had no idea what I was doing either. We were in this seventh-grade struggle together.

Jona invited me to his house to do our homework one day. It turned out that the twins lived less than a five-minute walk from me. I approached the address Jona gave me, which led me to a two-story house. The bottom floor looked like an empty garage decorated with some Polynesian blankets, so naturally, I walked up the stairs to knock on the front door. Before I can make it up the stairs, from the bottom floor the blankets pull open and I hear a frantic whisper:

“Ay, John. John. John! Don’t go up there.” It was Jona, with the look of fear plastered all over his face. He forgot to tell me to warn him when I was coming because if I knocked on the door, his uncle “JJ” would be alerted that he had some friends over.

Uncle JJ grew up “old school”. He had no room to tolerate a messy house. JJ was short for Joji. Uncle Joji was bald, jacked, intimidating, and wore these “badass guy” glasses that you could only wear if you were, well, a “badass guy.” Disappointing him was not an option and the twins couldn’t do anything unless their chores were done.

Their chores were never done.

Jona quietly guided me through what ended up being a makeshift bachelor pad they created under the actual house. There was a charm about it. But, make no mistake, AirBNB reviewers today would lose their minds. There was barely any light for us to read our textbooks. The floor was covered with rugs, carpets, and pretty much anything to mask the gravel and dirt underneath. The twins created their individual rooms, using dividers to separate them from a “living room” they designed for the boys to hang. In that little space, there were clothes everywhere, I think there was a TV and shockingly somehow there was even a functioning bathroom. It was clear that they weren’t supposed to be living there. But, making the best of what you had was the norm in Hawaii and at least Uncle JJ gave them a place to stay. I still don’t remember who coined the name, but eventually, our group of friends called this provisional home: “The Coop.”

“Semi, you said Uncle JJ was working today!” Jona screamed quietly across the room.

“I told you to do the dishes, you boci (BO-THEE)!” Semi quietly screamed back.

Disclaimer: Don’t call any Fijian a “boci” if you don’t know them. If you’re not careful, you might end up flat on the ground looking at the sky with one eye… and not by choice.

They’ve done this before. In fact, they argued all the time. It is what you do when you’re teenage twin brothers. Competitive ones for that matter. It usually started jokingly. Sometimes I’d even instigate an argument with a simple question like “Who’s faster?”. The joking faded quickly and just like that, Semi’s shirt was wrapped around his head like a bandana as he lined up at the starting line and Jona was already positioned adjacent to him almost immediately, standing barefoot ready to race. According to Jona, he had “faster feet” because he trained them to be stronger than Semi’s. I was the unlucky one to have to stand at the finish line to decide the winner, as they launched into a full sprint while simultaneously arguing about who was faster. Almost always, they finished the race splitting hairs. As part of our brother code, I would never say who won. Regardless of who did win, in the end, we were always laughing. This is what a typical Tuesday with “the boys” looked like.

There were more of us. Our two other friends: Albien, the smart guy who always found his head in the books, and Kekoa, or “Koa” for short, who always found himself tangled between girls. Semi joined a band with Albien, Koa, and our other friend Ikaika (EE-KAI-KA). They called themselves VIBES. But, make sure it’s capitalized and pronounced VIBEZ, with a “Z.” Semi extended the offer multiple times to Jona to join the band. According to Jona, he was “busy.” I can confirm that he certainly was not.

VIBES entered the Washington Middle School talent competition.

SPOILER ALERT: It goes pretty well for them.

I remember vividly how annoyed Jona was with Semi for taking over “The Coop” for one of VIBES’ “corny little boy band” practices. He always made disclaimers to me before we saw them, making fun of their band name and the way Semi would sing for attention. There was something special about this band though. Mainly because the lead singer sounded like he’d been on the radio for years.

VIBES started their “corny” little acapella rehearsal and I like to imagine that precisely in this very moment before Semi opened his mouth to sing, a spotlight beamed onto him from the heavens. I was caught off guard because he started singing the words, Semi had such a soulful voice to accompany his frontman swagger. VIBES was serious about this music thing. When they finished the song, I could see why Semi craved the spotlight. He was meant for it. In the corner of my eye, I could also see Jona. He wasn’t annoyed. Jona was jealous. But, it wasn’t because he couldn’t sing. Some would argue that Jona had a stronger voice because he could hit all the high notes Semi couldn’t. But, despite who you thought sang superior, their voices complemented each other perfectly. Whenever they sang together, you’d get the impression that this was written in some book about their destiny somewhere.

Jona’s stubborn and timid personality kept him from singing harmony with Semi out of spite. But it was evident: Jona loved to sing with his brother. He never admitted this to me. But you intrinsically felt it, he felt it every time they harmonized. It’d give me what us Hawaiians would say: “chicken skin,” or what you’d likely know as “the chills.”

“Why don’t you sing with them?” I asked, puzzled by what ostensibly was his passion. I remember Jona having a frustrating look on his face. Deep inside, Jona knew he and Semi were meant to be under the spotlight… together.

Semi could cast a shadow on pretty much anyone. If Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson stood behind him, you’d guess he was Semi’s abnormally large security guard. He was the lead singer in every band he was in, the captain of the varsity football team and I still believe that if he ran for governor as a fourteen-year-old, he would’ve won. Part of me understood why Jona was so bothered by his twin. But the kicker was, Jona could be all of those things, too. He was just busy copying my algebra homework.

VIBES went on to win the Washington Middle School talent contest, only to get second place in the Hawaii State Talent Competition to an annoyingly awesome fire dancer. You know, the guy you see on those generic postcards you send to your family that gets buried with the rest of the mail? That guy. I digress. But it was clear what VIBES was missing. They knew it. I knew it. Jona knew it.

Semi got his wish and it wasn’t long before I found myself sitting in on VIBES “corny little boy band” practice with their newest band member: Jona. I’d show up to “The Coop ‘’ while Jona had already done his homework (on his own) and they were already deep into a Boyz-2-Men-Esque acapella harmony. VIBES was instantly better with him. He could hit the falsetto note that would’ve cracked anyone else’s voice had they tried. . He was the missing piece. With him, they were so good that Uncle JJ was unphased that they didn’t do their chores. His jovial personality created a new dynamic. A dynamic that was less… serious.

The new “Jona-fied” VIBES sang everywhere. They sang at every high school event, birthday party, belated birthday party, and of course, church. They basically did a concert tour of all the churches on the island. You can see it in Jona’s face now. He was happy. It’s where he belonged.

Eventually, they sang at my grandfather’s funeral. It was when I needed their beautiful voices the most. They knew my pops needed a proper send-off.

You might be wondering what I did while they went off to win the world with their talents. Believe me, I tried to be the sixth member of the band. It was hard being in the crowd when your best friends were on stage connecting through their love of music. Let’s just say I can’t hold a key even if autotune was surgically implanted in my body. I didn’t quite fit VIBES. The truth is, I was their support. Jona realized this and let me borrow his guitar from time to time. He’d show me how to play the songs they played. You could tell this was important to him because he endured hours on hours of my, let’s just say, off-key singing. It was like he was trying to find a place for me in the band. We’d spend all night laughing at “The Coop”, learning the songs he knew I liked, like Jack Johnson’s “Banana Pancakes” and Sade’s “By Your Side.” I still play those songs twenty years later.

As time went by, we graduated high school and the twins outgrew VIBES. It was inevitable that they would continue their journey to the big stage. They formed a band with our ridiculously tall Tongan friend Sione (SEE-OH-NAY), a wildly talented drummer friend, Travis, and called themselves: Na Drua. In Fijian, it means “Twins.” No brainer, right?

The bigger Na Drua got, the further they drifted away from “The Coop.” Our group of best friends started to drift away, too. Koa started a band called “Cityside” and left for San Diego. Albien graduated from an engineering school in Chicago and got married shortly after. As for me, a random trip to Los Angeles with my brother Dustin showed me that my destiny was to stay there to tell stories. The twins took Na Drua globally. They released an LP and started headlining shows to do what they were always meant to: sing. Together.

Before I knew it, five years had passed since the last time I had a real conversation with either of the twins. They each settled down in Utah, with beautiful families of their own. Yeah, I guess we’d stay in touch on social media. We’d exchange the occasional “Brah! How are you doing?” or “I’m proud of you, brother!” every time we reached a milestone in life. Several weeks ago I even got engaged and received a message on Facebook from Jona.

“Congrats my brother! I’m so happy for you.”

I just gave it a “thumbs up.” It was the last I heard from him.

A few weeks later, I received a phone call from my sister.

“I’m sorry about Jona,” she said. Just like that, I learned Jona had passed away.

I called Semi a few days after I got the news because I knew that this would be a difficult time for him. He answered, and we picked up right where we left off — this time recalling old stories about how funny our lives were with our brother, Jona.

Through reminiscing, we were instantly transported back to The Coop, laughing about the time we went “ghost hunting.” During our “hunt,” we heard a noise and the five of us started running to the car. When we looked back to see if something was chasing us, we could only see Albien trailing behind stumbling down a steep hill. We laughed about the time we’d all drink the gross Polynesian root, “kava,” late through the nights at The Coop only to be throwing up at football practice because we got too drunk off of its effects. Rookies. We thought back to the moment VIBES immediately improved when Jona joined the band. We were intrinsically connected through the recollections of our past.

“Those were the days.” Semi’s laugh then started to get softer.

He’d go on to tell me how it happened. How Jona passed away. But, it didn’t matter.

“When I see ‘Junia’, I’m going to punch him in the face,” Semi said to me. He sounded serious, because you know he was. Deep inside, it was clear to us that we’d both see Jona again.

It’s been thirteen years since I’ve lived in Hawaii and yet, it’s still “home” to me. Not because my family lives there. Not because it’s where both my high school and college alma mater are. Hawaii is my home because of these memories, because of people like my brother Jona.

Jona would hate me if I spent my days crying about him. So, let me leave you with a memory that makes me laugh every time I think about it.

There was a day in high school when we skipped class to go to the movie theater. It was early in the afternoon and the only showtime that was available was for a movie called “The Ring”. We hadn’t seen the trailer, so we had no idea that it was a horror movie. Despite the theater being completely empty, we sat right next to each other. In the scene when the scary little girl teleported out of the TV to kill one of the main characters, it gave Jona a huge jump scare. As he jumped, I looked over at him, and instead of acknowledging that he got scared as a normal human being would, he pretended to be dancing… in the middle of a horror movie. In this empty theater, we instantly burst into laughter together.

If you asked me where I’m from, I might be quick to say: “Hawaii.” But, not because of what you think. Not because the weather is incredible, the people are welcoming, or because the surf is perfect. Hawaii is home because of memories at The Coop. It’s a collection of memories that include barbecues with my Ohana, late-night beach parties with my brother Dustin, and eating Hawaiian French toast with my Pops. This is my Hawaii. My paradise.

I reflect fondly on that day with Jona. In the grand scheme of life, it’s just one of those microcosmic experiences that you might say was another day at the movies. But for me, it was just us boys, living in the Hawaiian paradise.

Here’s a little taste of what sitting across from the twins playing music at The Coop was like. Enjoy. https://youtu.be/4GeVzckdj7E

Resume. Cover Letter. Work Experience. Repeat

Like a lot of us in the world, it’s become the official anthem to my quarantine. A paralyzing melody my trackpad has memorized in the process of my job hunt. But I have to say, it’s been a great alternative to the popular unemployment hit:

“Unfortunately, we can’t bring you back, womp, womp, womp”

I can’t remember the rest of the lyrics because halfway through my former boss laying me off, I was trying to figure out my Linkedin password. For the record, I have seventeen unique passwords.

Not trying to be overly dramatic here, but, it has been a stressful few weeks. Getting laid off during a pandemic is zero levels of fun. I’m not sure what is harder to do at this point, staying positive while trying not to let anxiety overthrow my focus or resisting the urge to eat an entire pepperoni pizza (or two).

Let’s Get Through This Together.

Maybe someday I’ll write about how disappointed I am about being let go by a company that I poured my heart and soul into. For now, I have only two goals:

1. Secure a job. My aim within this goal is to find a job that allows me to do what I love to do: be creative.
2. Stay motivated. How I maintain my creativity is important. It’s easy to get complacent when Netflix just dropped a bonus episode of Tiger King.

I’ve had some time to go through the emotional rollercoaster that is being unemployed. These goals are what’s keeping me sane. I‘ve spent some of my hundreds of hours of free time having conversations with people I trust. My friends, my family and for the purpose of keeping the focus on my goals, my mentors. The good ones will give you their unfiltered opinions & advice. One, in particular, called me out for allowing myself to apply for jobs I’m overqualified for. I get it. Settling for something less is just as bad as being unemployed. But, income is income, especially during these times.

I know from experience, that scrolling through job boards can feel debilitating, and filtering jobs that make sense for you can be paralyzing, which is why I’ve decided to ask the right questions to help you (and me) figure out the next steps.

What are you actually good at?

The world is upside down and with social distancing, you’re the only person who could literally pat yourself on the back. So why not now? What are the awesome skills that got you here? What accomplishments brought you to this point in your career? They don’t have to be mind-blowing, but it’s important that they are realistic. List three things that define your skillset. I’ll go first:

• Creativity: The beautiful thing about creativity is that you could put your own perspective on things. I’ve been lucky to work in content positions that have allowed me to craft my creativity.
• Production: I moved to Los Angeles to be a Director. On route to that, I’ve held jobs as an editor, a videographer and producer. Because of that, I’ve learned the ins & outs of production.
• Social Media: No, I’m not a Tik Tok influencer. But, I’ve managed accounts for Playboy, Bellator MMA and a cannabis brand called ISLAND. The obstacles all three of those brands faced are enough to run an episode of American Ninja Warrior, I’ve had the privilege to get to the finish line.

What are you passionate about? Be honest.

Back to my first goal.

“…find a job that allows me to do what I love to do.”

Do what you love to do. What is that? I interpret this section as the perfect place to put your interests. Write ALL of your interests down and narrow them to your top three. As for me:

• Art: Specifically film & music. Yeah, I know. Who doesn’t love those things? But, I truly am obsessed. I love the production process all the way to the finished product. Without art, I’m truly lost.
• Exercise: Over the last year, running has been a beacon of light. And shout out to YouTube workouts, they’ve been heaven sent, especially during the quarantine.
• Culture: I know this is a wide net. But sports, food, and podcasts are all tied. What do they have in common? They’re all expressive results of culture.

What do you want to be known for?

Jump to the future. Yes, I see you floating in Walter White levels of money, too. But who are you? What is that today’s version of yourself would be proud of? Write three things that you want to be remembered for.

• Creating meaningful content: No, I’m not looking to change the world. It would be nice. But, this is more about creating content that doesn’t go away forever. I want to be able to create content that has a lasting effect on at least one person.
• Working with great people & brands: This is important. It seems like a no brainer. But trust me, this isn’t always available. I want to be known for being a part of a brand that has a positive impact. I also want to work alongside people who don’t negative agendas.
• Being a good leader: I truly see myself as a lead by example type of leader. But, sometimes that is harder than it sounds. One of my main career goals is to learn the skills to be able to manage a successful team.

Now What?

At this point, we’ve both laid out what we’re good at, what we love and how we want to be remembered. Now picture those three questions in a Venn diagram. What’s at the center?

For me, I think it’s clear. It’s a scary time, but, I still need to find a career that allows me to flex my creativity. I come from a background where people have said: “You have to have one job and stick with it.” Well, that’s not true. That’s why creativity is so important to me. I think that today, people have things that they want to express, and you need to have a wide range of tools. And filmmaking, music, food, all that stuff, they’re all tools. I want to be remembered for using all of these tools for a brand that creates meaningful shit.

Your turn.

I really don’t know how to end an exercise like this. I do know a few things though. It’s not going to get you a job overnight. It’s not going to give you all the answers you need. But, I do know, that if you got to this point, you will be thinking about your next moves. What are you good at? What are you passionate about? What do you want to be known for? Repeat.

In a world where COVID- 19 has put the world on hold and nothing makes sense anymore. Sports has been shut down, Wrestlemania is a two-night event held in an empty arena and the UFC has to cancel Khabib vs Ferguson for the fifth time. Now, I don’t want to make light of the pandemic, however — I think it’s the perfect time for a crossover event between the UFC & Bellator. I know what you’re thinking, these fights make zero sense for the UFC or to anyone really. Wrong. You better believe Scott Coker and the crew at Bellator are ready for war against Dana and the UFC and there’s no better time for it. Let’s put on fights that won’t affect future matchups for each promotion. Besides, we did this before with Pride and Strikeforce and both organizations have dominated the UFC title picture. That being said, I thought it would be a fun exercise to create a dream card pitting some of the best fighters of each promotion against each other.

Conor McGregor vs Patricio Pitbull (Lightweight)

The most popular fighter in the world Conor “Notorious” McGregor vs perennial underdog (no pun intended) Patricio Pitbull. Pitbull has been barking up the SBG tree for years and believe me when I say this, this is a terrible matchup for the “Notorious” one. In a weird way, Pitbull reminds me a lot of McGregor. The two-class champ Pitbull is a counter striker with a heavy left hand, but add a strong takedown defense with some black belt BJJ, I think he poses some problems for the former champ-champ. Conor will have the size and reach advantage and will need to put the pressure on to win this fight. Expect fireworks in this one.

Prediction: McGregor, TKO Rd 3

Tony Ferguson vs Douglas Lima (Welterweight)

Two of the hottest fighters in their perspective promotions, both with a resume that reads violence across the board. Yes, I know that Tony Ferguson is a Lightweight, but, this list needed to start off weird. I could see ‘El Cucuy’ taking this fight anyway. Douglas Lima is the consensus most underrated fighter in the world, and that comes with a chip on his shoulder that often leads to exciting knockouts. Who better to match him up with than the boogeyman himself? Ferguson, who is on a twelve fight winning streak, is an expert at Lima’s kryptonite: wrestling. But, can he get into Douglas Lima’s range without eating a spoonful of a right hand? Sign me up.

Prediction: Lima, KO Rd 3

Stipe Miocic vs Ryan Bader (Heavyweight)

This one is for the “Baddest Man on the Planet” moniker. UFC Heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic vs Bellator Heavyweight champ Ryan Bader. Miocic is arguably the best heavyweight of all-time, but the competition is slim in UFC’s weight class. “Darth” Bader won the Heavyweight Grand Prix and wrecked the competition since leaving the UFC. Both in their physical primes, I could see this matchup ending easily in the first round.

Prediction: Bader, TKO Rd 1

Valentina Shevchenko vs Ilima-Lei MacFarlane (Flyweight)

I absolutely need to see this fight. No fight on this list has the potential of actually happening more than this one. Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko is more confident than ever and her striking is second to none in her weight class, enter the “Ilimanator”, a fighter destined for greatness. Hawaii’s Ilima-Lei poses a threat on the ground that Shevchenko could have an issue with. I’m ready for it. I see “instant classic” written all over this one. Side note: let’s have them do a dance-off after this is all said and done.

Prediction: MacFarlane, Sub Rd 4

Israel Adesanya vs Gegard Mousasi (Middleweight)

If the UFC hadn’t let go of Gegard Mousasi, I think we would’ve seen this fight happen already. It is clear that the UFC believes “Izzy” is the next star, and for good reason. He’s exciting while still tactical and has the “it” factor promotors dream of. Can he handle the experience of Dutch striker, Mousasi? I think this one is a back and forth affair with some high moments for each fighter. My heart says Izzy has the striking advantage, but my brain says Mousasi pieces him up. Either way, I’ll get the popcorn ready.

Prediction: Adesanya, UD

Khabib vs Michael Chandler (Lightweight)

I spent a long time mulling over who I think would be a good matchup for Khabib. The truth is, Khabib isn’t a favorable matchup for anyone in Bellator’s lightweight division… except for Bellator staple, Michael Chandler. Who can handle the pressure that Khabib constantly brings? A fighter who offers the same amount of pressure. Chandler has the NCAA wrestling pedigree to matchup up with the UFC lightweight King and isn’t afraid to strike. Khabib makes people give up, but I find it hard to believe it will be that easy against the heart of Michael Chandler.

Prediction: Khabib, UD

Jorge Masvidal vs. Michael Venom Page (Welterweight)

BMF vs. MVP. The build-up will be amazing. The stare down will be filled with adrenaline. Combine the tenacity of the resurrected Masvidal with the creativity of the exciting Bri, Michael Venom Page, this fight will be entertaining from start to finish. One debate could finally be settled: Who has the better flying knee knockout?

Prediction: Masvidal, Split Decision

Henry Cejudo vs AJ McKee (Featherweight)

Bellator has a lot of bright prospects in their lighter weight classes, none more bright than 16–0 twenty-four-year-old AJ McKee. Give him Triple C, the king of the lightweight classes Henry Cejudo. Henry Cejudo’s obvious strength is his wrestling. But, trust me on this one, McKee’s wrestling is damn good. Cejudo can knock you out in a flash if you’re paying too much attention to his Olympic level wrestling. McKee has spent his whole life training for this moment. Better believe he is more than ready.

Prediction: McKee, TKO Rd 3

THE REST OF THE CARD

Nate Diaz vs Paul Daley

I’m all for pushing for Strikeforce storylines. Diaz, Sub Rd 2

Daniel Cormier vs Fedor

Who’s the greatest Heavyweight of all time? Strikeforce’s finest. Cormier, TKO Rd 1

Amanda Nunes vs Cyborg 2

I have a feeling if you ran this fight 100 times this is still 50/50. Cyborg, UD

Alexander Volkanovski vs Emanuel Sanchez

Both fighters push the pace and neither knows how to have a boring fight. Volkanovski, SD

Max Holloway vs Daniel Weichel

Both rely on being the bigger, taller fighter. The chess match would be fun to watch. Halloway, UD

Shawn O’Malley vs James Gallagher

Battle of the top young prospects. After the “Strabanimal” weathers the striking onslaught, he resorts to his world-class BJJ. Gallagher, SUB 2

You just spent seven bizarre hours with Joe Exotic and the wild cast and characters of “Tiger King”. Like many of you, I thought there was a lot to take in and aside from the fact that every tiger sanctuary is a de facto sex cult, Tiger King simply reminds me of the pre-streaming days when we all tuned in and watched TV at the same time. Now that we’re in quarantine and (still) scrolling the never-ending homepages of Netflix, Hulu, and HBO can feel debilitating — choice can be paralyzing — which is why I decided to drop you some recs. Let’s get through this together.

Succession — HBO Now

If you haven’t hopped on to the Succession hype train yet. ALL ABOARD! I resisted this binge for as long as I could until I literally couldn’t cruise the internet without crossing a “Cousin Greg” meme. You’ll understand, soon. It’s like watching Game of Thrones happening in present-day New York City and instead of dragons or white walkers you can replace them with sociopathic children of a mega mogul, all trying to be heir to the prestigious media conglomerate, Waystar Royco. If you need a laugh while digesting a complex narrative, hop on the Succession hype train as the rest of us.

Let me know when you get to the brilliance that is the underground-bachelor-party-rave episode.

Fleabag — Amazon

This one is viciously funny and outright original. The show is about a young British woman played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge navigating life after (spoiler alert) losing her best friend. It’s a quick watch, reserve a weekend for it. Every episode is twenty-five minutes long and the is dark and emotionally complicated and made all the better by clever pacing/editing and the lead’s constant need to talk to the camera, usually during the most unlikely moments.

Fleabag spends twenty-five minutes at the dinner table and somehow is more satisfying than the season finale of GOT.

Ugly Delicious — Netflix

If you’re an Anthony Bourdain fan, this show’s for you. Hosted by the founder of the Momofuku, Dave Chang, every episode seamlessly ties in iconic dishes from around the world and how they blend into the cultural zeitgeist. If you have an appreciation for food and culture, it gets emotional. Let me know when you get to the Japan episode (get your tissues ready). You can get through both seasons in twelve episodes and features appearances by Steve Yuen, Bill Simmons, and Padma Lakshmi.

UD joins Parts Unknown, Huang’s World and F*ck That’s Delicious in shows that make you think you can cook.

End of the F*cking World — Netflix

You’re probably going to need to open your mind for EOTFW. The plot is unsettling, as it follows a young sociopathic teenage boy with an urge to murder, who meets a young teenage girl who feels like she doesn’t belong in this world. But don’t let that deter you. The story is hilarious, thrilling and heartfelt all wrapped in one and oddly relatable. It’s a brisk (demented) two-season watch, with, in my opinion, one of the most complete endings a show can execute. If you like the artistic, quirky stylings of Wes Anderson or Taika Waititi, End of the F*cking World gives you all the quirk you crave during this Quarantine. The ending. The F*cking ending.

Black Mirror — Netflix

I used to think something was wrong with me for loving a show so dark as Black Mirror. But, I couldn’t think of a show more recommendable during these weird times. It’s an anthology centered around the question, “what happens if technology goes too far?”. While each episode is different, the tone of the show leaves you questioning the reality you live in today. The ideas are complex, while often relatable. With themes centered around social media, government surveillance, and video games, Black Mirror will open your eyes to the uneasy reality that we are living in today.

Black Mirror Season 3 is the “My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy” of the series. A true work of art, depending on who you ask.