The Portland Trail Blazers are in the market for a head coach after ending the Terry Stotts era. A few names have been linked with the position, with one of them — Los Angeles Lakers assistant Jason Kidd — pulling his name out of the running before the search has fully gotten off the ground.
The latest name to pop up in the rumor mill is Brooklyn Nets assistant Mike D’Antoni, who hasn’t been a head coach since the conclusion of the 2019-20 campaign with the Houston Rockets. While D’Antoni is an accomplished coach, Stephen A Smith expressed frustration with him being the latest example of a white coach who is given the benefit of the doubt despite being unable to take a team to the promised land.
“How many damn chances you supposed to get?” Smith asked around the 2:47 mark. “The man coached James Harden, the man coached Steve Nash, the man coached Kobe Bryant. All of these guys he had and not a single trip to the Finals to show for it.”
While Smith made clear that he likes D’Antoni personally and thinks he is a good coach, he pointed out that teams are more patient with white coaches who ultimately come up short.
“I am sick and tired of coaches, white coaches, getting chance, after chance, after chance, after chance,” Smith said. “I’m not saying that Mike D’Antoni doesn’t deserve to be a head coach, I don’t wanna put that out there. Mike D’Antoni, for a lot of teams, but let him go get one of them retreads and make them relevant. Why he always gotta get a Dame Lillard-caliber, or a James Harden-caliber, or a Kobe Bryant-caliber. Why you gotta have someone like that in your stable? Because there are plenty of coaches that don’t have that.”
Gucci Mane is releasing his new album Ice Daddy next week and employs his 1017 Records artist Pooh Shiesty on the single, “Like 34 & 8,” as well as the accompanying music video. The video features the two rappers performing their verses wearing some of their chunkiest jewelry while surrounded by boisterous backup dancers dressed as cheerleaders. They also wear “New 1017” jerseys, paying homage to the inspirations behind the song: Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, who famously wore the numbers when they won their three back-to-back NBA championships for the LA Lakers in 2000-02.
While Gucci and Pooh have indicated some powerful chemistry since the 2020 relaunch of 1017 Records as The New 1017, the last few weeks haven’t been kind to the label’s burgeoning roster of Southern rap stars. It has appeared that Pooh Shiesty really lived the lifestyle he rapped about on songs like “Ugly” and “Lifers,” when Pooh Shiesty was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery after a shooting at King Of Diamonds in Miami. Before that, 1017 artist Foogiano was sentenced to five years in prison after skipping house arrest for a friend’s funeral. It’s been a tough month for Gucci Mane, but overcoming adversity has been his brand for years. He could very well bounce back by Christmas, especially if Ice Daddy performs to the standards he’s set over a decade of consistently fire releases.
In the summer of 2020, Darnella Frazier recorded a video on her cell phone of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on a Black man’s neck. That man was George Floyd, whose tragic death sparked a wave of protests against police violence that dominated headlines last year.
Now, Frazier’s being honored with a special Pulitzer Prize citation (the Pulitzers are the ultimate form of recognition in the world of journalism) for documenting Floyd’s murder. Her special citation was announced (on Friday afternoon) by the organization, along with a statement that praised Frazier “for courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world highlighting the crucial role in citizens in journalistic quests for truth and justice.”
— The Pulitzer Prizes (@PulitzerPrizes) June 11, 2021
It’s rare for citizen journalists to be given this honor, and it comes just a couple of weeks after the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death. Frazier, who was just 17-years-old-when she recorded the event, posted a tribute on Instagram, detailing her experience on that day and how it changed her life forever.
She also testified during the trial against Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was found guilty in April of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Currently, Chauvin is awaiting sentencing, but he faces up to 40 years in prison if punished to the full extent of the law. Frazier’s video has galvanized the Black Lives Matter movement, leading to calls for police reform across the country, something she should and does take pride in.
“Even though this was a traumatic, life-changing experience for me,” Frazier wrote in her post. “I’m proud of myself. If it weren’t for my video, the world wouldn’t have known the truth. I own that. My video didn’t save George Floyd, but it did put his murderer away and off the streets.”
Despite pulling out the big guns by giving Warner Bros. entire 2021 film slate a dual theatrical and streaming release, so far HBO Max‘s biggest draw for the year is one of the oldest tricks in the book: a TV reunion show. According to a new report, Friends: The Reunion absolutely dominated the competition when it comes to bringing in new subscribers for HBO Max.
Based on data released on Friday by the Antenna marketing firm, Friends: The Reunion brought in more subscribers than blockbuster hits like Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Godzilla vs. Kong, and Mortal Kombat. Via The Wrap:
The “Friends” reunion — the first time the main cast were all in the same room together since the NBC comedy’s series finale 17 years ago — overindexed when it came to female sign-ups. Over the three days since its May 27 premiere, new female subs accounted for 57% of the total new sign-ups, compared to 43% over the previous eight weeks, according to Antenna.
Considering Friends: The Reunion was originally scheduled to happen during last year’s launch of HBO Max, it’s interesting to think how well the burgeoning streaming service would be doing if the pandemic hadn’t taken the clearly white-hot event off of the calendar.
However, while Friends is the reigning champ of 2021, for now, the reunion is still dwarfed by Wonder Woman 1984, which is the all-time champ for bringing in new HBO Max subscribers. Based on the data provided by Antenna, WW84 brought in over double the number of new sign-ups that Friends did. Although, that film did have the advantage of premiering during the holiday season, and it had a very limited theatrical release due to the high pandemic numbers in late December, so more of the people who wanted to see it had to access it through the platform.
In The Heights (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — John M. Chu adapts the Broadway musical (that starred Lin Manuel-Miranda) into a feature film that, as our own Mike Ryan writes, may have landed by fate at precisely the right time. The feel-good production is playing simultaneously in theaters and WarnerMedia’s streaming service, so pick your venue accordingly, and then settle in and enjoy Anthony Ramos in the Miranda role while witnessing the kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, and dreams unfold. The message of this film — that communities find their stick-together strength within their individual members — couldn’t be more needed than during our current global situation.
Betty (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — Like a breath of the most refreshing, free-wheeling air possible, HBO’s Betty will soon glide back into our lives. It’s what we really need to heal our pandemic-addled minds, and somehow, director Crystal Moselle managed to gather the Skate Kitchen crew back up for a second season and film on the streets of New York City. The main players are all back — Rachelle Vinberg as Camille, Ajani Russell as Indigo, Dede Lovelace as Janay, Moonbear as Honeybear, and Nina Moran as Kirt — and they’re still making the act of soaring through the streets look like the coolest thing on Earth. In their defense, Betty really is the coolest show on TV these days, and we could all stand to live vicariously these days.
Lupin: Part 2 (Netflix series) — This (the fancy French heist show starring Omar Sy) turned out to be a smash hit for Netflix in January. The overwhelming reaction even led the streamer to hustle fast to release Part 2, so that everyone could see how the beloved gentleman burglar would take revenge (against Hubert Pelligrini) for the abduction of his son, and by the way, we could probably use a lot more heisting as well? Give it to us. Of course, after that train station switcheroo in last season’s finale, we can expect police to redouble their efforts. So, Assane reenters as the most wanted man in France, and he’ll tempt fate while attending black tie events, high-speed car chases, speeding motorboats, thrown punches, and a trip to the catacombs.
These top streaming picks make excellent appetizers:
Infinite (Paramount+ film) — As hard as it might seem to believe, Mark Wahlberg stabs an airplane in this summer blockbuster movie, directed by Antoine Fuqua, that’s coming straight to your living room tonight. Wahlberg is going up against reincarnated warriors known as “Infinites,” and he might be having flashbacks from multiple lives as well. He’s self-medicating, too, and driving a motorcycle off a cliff, so yeah, get your microwave popcorn ready for this gloriously dumb action film.
Flack: Season 2 (Amazon Prime series) — This series began on Pop TV, and Amazon picked it up for a second season for good reason. This is some damn fine guilty-pleasure escapism, even if it feels like an amalgamation of many shows and movies (includingThe Devil Wears Prada, Scandal, Sex and the City) that you’ve seen before. Anna Paquin, who portrays Robyn, who’s part of a PR agency that’s ridiculously good at hiding the most outrageous celebrity scandals imaginable. The show’s dark but breezy, and this season will see more collisions between work and home life, and as always, there will be love affairs and shady dealings and questionable behavior all around.
And back to the scheduled programming here:
Pause With Sam Jay (Friday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — The Emmy-nominated SNL writer aims to revamp the late-night talk show format with each episode taking place at Sam’s apartment, where she’s throwing a party. Get ready for some feisty conversations and, hopefully, a sense of understanding between those who hold different perspectives.
Fear the Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — The impending sense of doom sends everyone scrambling to end things on their own terms, and there might be a time jump coming.
The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — An on-campus protest, new relationship boundaries, and a girl in need of rescue from a trap house are only the beginning of this week’s issues.
Black Monday (Sunday, Showtime 9:55 p.m.) — Nomi’s possibly too fast for Mo, who soon realizes that he can’t party like he once did, and Dawn fails to get him to stop.
Flatbush Misdemeanors (Sunday, Showtime 10:25 p.m.) — Jasmine’s shaft of Kevin isn’t eased by what the local Brooklyn rapper did, so Kevin takes an utter sh*tload of mushrooms. Oh boy.
Ziwe (Sunday, Showtime 10:53 p.m.) — Ziwe Fumudoh’s former status as a Desus & Mero writer will be no shocker for anyone who catches her new variety series. This week, Adam Pally arrives to discuss Hollywood whitewashing.
Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (Sunday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — Please let John Oliver tackle Ted Cruz and take more swings at Tucker Carlson.
Here are some more fresh streaming picks:
Home Before Dark: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — Young investigative journalist Hilde returns following her small-town move (from Brooklyn), which led to her discovery of a cold case that her father (and everyone else in town) had previously attempted to bury. This season promises to be (literally) explosive, and Hilde will take on a corporation while trying to expose the truth, which could risk her own life and that of her family.
Love Victor: Season 2 (Hulu series) — Simon’s happy ending in the first round shall be followed up by adventures for Victor, the new guy in town, who’s wrestling with his own identity and attempting to fit in while realizing that everyone (whether they admit it or not) is having the same issues. Betsy Brandt is now onboard as Felix’s mother, and expect plenty of melodrama as new relationships cause riffs and jealousy concerning older ones and those that you’d think are firmly in the past. Love is rarely ever easy, but this cast of characters might renew your faith in the concept if you thought you were over romance.
Loki: Season 1 Premiere (Disney+ series+) — Tom Hiddleston has an absolute blast playing the mercurial trickster of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we shall reap the benefits while he helps (and hinders) the Time Variance Authority during the process of cleaning up the timeline. Likewise, Owen Wilson is entertaining as hell (even while saddled with a lot of exposition) as the MCU’s smoothest time cop. This is definitely not the Loki you’re used to (he died in Avengers: Infinity War), but he’s still a delightful scamp, and the show is all about setting up the multiverse. We’re lucky to have this pair to guide us into the future.
Sweet Tooth: Season 1 (Netflix series) — Team Downey (Robert Jr. and Susan) brings us this awe-inspiring story based upon a comic-book by creator Jeff Lemire, who whipped up a post-apocalyptic fairytale about what happens when a great sickness (which is poorly dealt with by humans) ends with a miracle. In this case, this would be the appearance of “hybrids,” babies who are born half-human and half-animal, and we’ll meet a young deer-boy, Gus, (Christian Convery), who teams up with a reluctant protector, Tommy Jepperd (Nonso Anozie), for a cross-country quest. The comic has been described as “Mad Max Meets Bambi,” and Will Forte also plays a pivotal role. You’re in for a real (sweet) treat if you surrender to this adventure.
Amy Schumer is not a professional truck driver, but thanks to a viral post on social media the comedian has had to address both a very vulgar shirt and some very bizarre mentions of vehicular manslaughter. The latest meme to circle the interwebs looks to be an edited image of Schumer as a truck driver with an extremely odd backstory, all in an effort to sell some obscure merchandise.
The whole ordeal revolves around a truck stop called Celinas. Though the initial image in question went viral on Facebook, Celina’s apparently has a Twitter account where identical posts also live. In the image, a woman stands next to a Monster-branded minifridge and looks VERY much like Amy Schumer with a tattoo on her face that the truck stop claims has a tragic backstory. The post says that the woman, apparently named Amelia, won “trucker of the month” and came in to claim her prize while wearing a “truckin -n- f*ckin” novelty tee.
Who says only men can drive trucks?? Big Rig driver Amelia stopped in this morning to turn in her Cranking The Hog Reward Points and redeemed this brand new mini fridge valued at over $500 due to the Monster Energy branding.
— Celina 52 Truck Stop (@celinatruckstop) June 9, 2021
There are a lot of things that seem off about this, initially, starting with the assertion that the minifridge carries a $500 value. Or maybe the “stop pooping in our parking lot” sign in the background. But the thing that tipped many off to it potentially being fake was a follow-up comment on Facebook about the teardrop tattoo on the woman, which is claimed to be there in memory of a pedestrian that was hit and killed by the truck driver when she fell asleep at the wheel.
Quit calling her Amy Schumer. Amy Schumer doesn’t have a tattoo for accidentally running over a pedestrian.
— Celina 52 Truck Stop (@celinatruckstop) June 10, 2021
That had many, including Snopes, calling shenanigans on the image. And a New York Post story described Schumer herself as “stunned” by the doppelgänger appearing at a Celina, Tennessee truck stop. Schumer did post about the truck stop on Twitter, but didn’t address whether she thought the image was fake or not.
The Post apparently interviewed the “manager” behind the account, who assured them it was all very real and that the teardrop tattoo story was legit as well.
In an interview with The Post, Danny Brine — who claimed to be a truck stop shift manager — said that Amelia’s “teardrop tattoo story is real” and claimed that the rest area is indeed a real place.
However, The Post was unable to verify claims by Brine, who said he doubles as a social media assistant there.
That’s been difficult to verify because, well, it’s almost certainly fake. It seems to be part of a very weird but very active community of people on Facebook that intentionally fake bizarre meme-like images with celebrities involved. Earlier in the year, the same “truck stop” went somewhat viral among hockey fans when a photo of Arizona Coyotes forward Phil Kessel was photoshopped to replace a puck with a can of chewing tobacco as another “trucker of the month.”
CONGRATS to PHIL on being our trucker of the Month for April. He finally stopped in today on his way through and claimed his prize which was 50% off a can of Copenhagen. Thank you for your service and keep dumping them loads!
— Celina 52 Truck Stop (@celinatruckstop) May 25, 2021
It’s important to note the “truck stop” apparently responded to the Post story on Twitter, calling it a “hit piece” with a very winking mention of “fake news” that seems to confirm that this is, indeed, a fairly elaborate bit the “manager” is carrying out over multiple social media platforms for one reason or another.
HIT PIECE BY THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES I NEVER SAID ANY OF THE STUFF QUOTED. DO NOT READ FAKE NEWS -DANNY DAY SHIFT MANAER https://t.co/Y4iydbjmoe
— Celina 52 Truck Stop (@celinatruckstop) June 11, 2021
If you squint hard enough at it all, you can see the fringes of Weird Twitter at play here, complete with bizarre promotions and crude references to ratchet up the absurdity. It’s not all kayfabe, though: They’ve had a bit of fun with this on Twitter and actually acknowledged some of the non-edited images, so it’s safe to say that all of this is probably just a harmless bit of fun. But it’s certainly making things awkward for those they decide to pick as their big winners and duping some less skeptical people of some very weird contests happening down south.
Wheated bourbon is a pretty broad category. To boil it all down, look at it like this: Generally, wheated bourbon refers to bourbon that’s made with the mash bill of primarily corn, with wheat and malted barley as supporting ingredients. The wheat replaces the usual rye content that most standard bourbons have in their mash bills. That all being said, there are plenty of “four grain” bourbons that have both wheat and rye alongside the usual corn and malted barley.
We’re going to focus on the wheated bourbons today and leave the “four grain” expressions for another day.
The ten bottles below represent a mix of classic and original wheated bourbons from big names like Weller and Heaven Hill, alongside some younger craft distilleries from across the nation who are making quality juice based on wheated bourbon’s traditions. Overall, these wheated bourbons should give you a good introduction to the nuances of the style while expanding your bourbon palate.
If you want to try any of these yourself, click on their prices!
Maker’s Mark is one of the most iconic and accessible wheated bourbons out there. The mash bill includes red winter wheat in place of the more standard measure of rye. This expression’s juice is then aged for up to seven years before blending, proofing, bottling, and getting that final dip in red wax.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of those heavily charred oak barrel notes next to classic hints of caramel and vanilla with a grassy underbelly. That grassiness becomes vaguely floral as slightly spiced caramel apples arrive, along with a chewy mouthfeel. The end holds onto the fruit and sweetness as the oak and dried grass stays in your senses.
Bottom Line:
You can find this stuff on pretty much every liquor store shelf. But it’s a damn fine bourbon that works as an easy sipper on the rocks or a solid cocktail base.
This brand was devised by Heaven Hill to be the accessible wheated bourbon of the world — Old Fitzgerald and Pappy having long left mass-accessibility behind. The juice is wheated, of course, and small batched with no age statement.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a note of freshly baked biscuits with butter and toffee dripping from the breadbasket. That butter really becomes creamy as the toffee leads towards rich vanilla, sweet oak, and very slight fruitiness. The real star of the show is the buttery toffee, biscuits, and hint of sweet wood that lingers the most through the short fade.
Bottom Line:
This is a great choice if you’re looking to practice those summer cocktail skills. The flavors run deep and create a great foundation.
Garrison Brothers is a true grain-to-glass experience from Hye, Texas. The juice is a wheated bourbon made with local grains. That spirit is then aged under the beating heat of a hot Texas sun before the barrels are small-batched, proofed with local water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a caramel apple note on the nose next to a bit of dry straw, worn leather, and … what feels like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. That cereal nature continues through the palate with a sugary and buttery shortbread note mingling with hints of vanilla cake frosted with lemon cream leading to a touch of orange oils. The end is very long and warm with a bit of cinnamon that ultimately leads back to the caramel apples plus just a touch of dry campfire smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the easiest and boldest sipper on the list, though we prefer it with a rock or two to cool it down. Still, this is a whiskey as wild as Texas and works any way you want to drink it from shots to cocktails.
This craft whiskey from Colorado takes the idea of wheated bourbon to the very edge of its limits. The mash bill carries a whopping 45 percent wheat, pushing this very close to being a wheated whiskey. The juice is then aged for an undisclosed amount of years before it’s batched and cut down to proof with that soft Rocky Mountain spring water Colorado is known for.
Tasting Notes:
You’re drawn in by a big bowl of vanilla ice cream drizzled with salted caramel sauce next to a very faint hint of dried florals. The palate builds on that ice cream, creating a sundae with crushed almonds, creamy toffee brittle, and a hint of eggnog spice. The end is medium-length with a touch of that buttery sweetness carrying the sip to a warm end.
Bottom Line:
This is a super easy sipper, even without water or ice. It also makes for a great cocktail base. In the end, it’s a good example of how far the distiller can push the creaminess of a wheat-forward whiskey.
This expression from Buffalo Trace’s distillery is the “original” wheated bourbon. The wheat helps the bourbon soften a bit. But you’re really paying for all the knowledge and expertise from Buffalo Trace’s distillers, blenders, and nosers, who join forces to help make this a very approachable bottle of whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel creates a foundation on the nose with hints of honey and vanilla. Notes of butterscotch arrive alongside more honey, soft cedar, and a distant echo of florals. The wood and vanilla return and mingle with the honey as the long, warming finish (that classic “Kentucky hug”) takes its time coming and going.
Bottom Line:
This is where every wheated whiskey journey should probably begin (or end) since this is the “original.” Hell, this is where Pappy got his recipe for Van Winkle, giving this juice the nickname, “The Poor Man’s Pappy.”
This whiskey hails from the Barton 1792 Distillery and uses its bespoke yeast to distill a rumored “high-wheat” bourbon. The juice is aged for an undisclosed amount of time before it’s batched, proofed, and bottled in 1792 classy throwback art deco bottles.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a blend of fruit on the nose — orange zest and ripe red cherry — that mixes with holiday spices and a touch of soft cedar. The taste has a soft vanilla/caramel vibe next to more cedar, prunes, and roasted almonds all leading towards a silken mouthfeel. The end is creamy vanilla pudding with caramel sauce next to pops of cedar, spice, and an old leather tobacco pouch.
Bottom Line:
This is freakin’ smooth. There’s nary a rough edge and you’re left with a soft and embracing whiskey sipping experience. This also slays in a Manhattan.
This small-town craft distillery is making some of the finest grain-to-glass whiskey on the market. Their signature bourbon is a wheated bourbon that utilizes grains grown within 100 miles of the Wyoming distillery. The juice is aged for at least four years before it’s small-batched, proofed with local water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
The vanilla and caramel on the nose are creamy to the point of feeling like a stiff pudding with a hint of wildflowers. The palate holds onto those flowers and pudding while adding cinnamon sticks warming in browned butter with a note of cedar. That spice broadens out to a Christmas spice vibe as a buttery toffee sweetness and mouthfeel lead you toward a finish that’s just the right length.
Bottom Line:
This is a super easy sipper that has a little crafty funkiness with those floral notes. It’s interesting while still being 100 percent accessible, sippable, and mixable.
This release from Redemption is their take on MGP’s 45 percent winter wheat bourbon. Redemption’s team brings four-year-old barrels in-house and then masterfully blends them in small batches until they get just the right notes.
Tasting Notes:
That crafty wheat floral note greets you and then leans into brisket with hints of bitter coffee and a touch of nougat, cedar, and vanilla bean. The palate holds onto those notes while swerving towards a peppery spice blend with almost a lime leaf savoriness. The end is long and has a slightly warm biscuit edge that circles back towards the nougat and vanilla.
Bottom Line:
The high levels of wheat really make this a unique sip of whiskey. None of the notes overwhelm and all make a certain sort of sense in the glass, especially with a little water or ice.
West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler Big Level feels like a classic wheated bourbon. The mash bill utilizes 21 percent winter wheat. The juice is aged for five long years before the whiskey is batched, slightly proofed with soft water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is distinctly nutty with a real pecan pie vibe with Caro corn syrup holding the pie filling together and a lard pie crust supporting that filling. The taste holds onto that but it becomes more of a pecan waffle with pancake syrup, butter, and mild eggnog spices that’s damn close to a Waffle House pecan waffle. The sweetness and butter combine for a toffee finish that’s mildly warm and very soft.
Bottom Line:
This is sweet and nutty with a malty base. It’s really hard not to love if you’re looking for something a little like a warm hug on a cold day.
Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Prime is the entry point to the extremely high highpoints of the Old Fitz’s bottled-in-bond decanters. This is pretty standard stuff that’s made to be drunk. There’s a 20 percent wheated mash bill, standard aging and batching, and, as you can see, it’s cheap.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a distinct minty vibe on the nose that’s more like gum than fresh sprigs that leads towards a caramel corn whiff. The palate sort of reminds you of sugar cookies dotted with those hard silver candy ball things with a touch of candied corn and slight tobacco warmth. The end is pretty soft with hints back towards the mint and one last caramel corn flourish.
Bottom Line:
This is a workhorse whiskey. Yes, you can drink it on the rocks or in a highball if you’re in a hurry. But really, this is a mixer that’s cheap. Though, you might have to go to Kentucky to find it at exactly this price.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
Last Sunday, the United States Men’s National Team won the inaugural CONCACAF Nations League final, knocking off a battle-tested Mexico side in extra time, 3-2. It was a thrilling game, the latest in what has been an historic rivalry between the United States and Mexico on the pitch. And as someone who has experienced these matches in a number of different formats — as a player, as a spectator, and now as a broadcaster — Maurice Edu is keenly aware of how special the whole thing was.
“I think I’m finally recovered from what was a crazy final, but even more so, a pretty crazy week, a fun week, a reunion of sorts for me, personally,” Edu told Uproxx Sports over Zoom on Friday morning.
The final was a chance for Edu and the CBS Sports crew to show off its presentation for these sorts of CONCACAF matches, and the early returns couldn’t have been more promising. Edu sat in the booth with Andres Cordero, while a number of others — Kate Abdo, Marcelo Balboa, Nico Cantor, Jenny Chu, Charlie Davies, Clint Dempsey, Janelly Farias, Adrian Garcia-Marquez, Oguchi Onyewu — covered things from just about every possible angle.
“Getting the chance to be back with guys that were former teammates — Clint, Gooch, Charlie,” Edu says. “And then, I’ve worked with Kate before, Kate’s amazing. It was a really fun group to be around, a really diverse group, everyone really welcoming and excited for the opportunity. And it just seemed very, very natural from the from the onset, even before we got on camera, just off camera stuff, the interaction between everyone. That was me meeting Dre for the first time, I knew Adrian already from working with him before getting the chance to link up again with Nico and Jenny. As I said before, Kate and Marcelo, and having a current Mexican Women’s National Team player in Janelly involved added another amazing voice and perspective to our crew. She was fun and incredible to work with, and I loved her banter and analysis back-and-forth with Charlie and I.
“So it was a great group of people to bring along and to be a part of this,” Edu continues. “And we’re all excited about how things went and how it turned out, the feedback we got, and more importantly, what a final game to be a part of.”
With the benefit of a few days to look back on the whole thing — Edu says he’s re-watched the final and plans on doing his third viewing on Friday — we caught up with the former USMNT midfielder to discuss a match that he believes will go down as one of the best between the rival sides.
It’s been a little under a week since the final. Have you totally processed just how good that game was yet, both as someone who was there broadcasting it, and as a former national team player who has seen a lot of really good games between the US and Mexico?
I think now I have. In the moment, you’re lost in the game, you just get so caught up in the game. And you’re right, there were just so many variables, so many … you try to predict these kind of matches beforehand, talking about it in the pre-game and what to look for. But this game threw you a bunch of curveballs. And I think from our perspective, having played in those kind of games, but then even just taking a step back and just being a fan, it was just a beautiful game to watch.
I was thoroughly impressed by the character that I saw from the players, and to answer your question specifically, yeah, I think now that I’ve had a chance to just sit back, have conversations with people, look at the game again, it’s kind of a wow moment, right? To be a part of that game, to have our voices attached to that game. I think this is obviously going to be a classic game in the U.S.-Mexico rivalry, and so to have our voices be attached to that when this game is being replayed 5, 10 years from now, I think it’s one that you look back on, you could just smile and be proud of what we did. But also, what happened on the pitch, because without that, our part is almost null and void.
So it’s just, overall, it turned out to be an incredible event for all parties involved, and yes, I think now I can finally, truly appreciate what we did and what we witnessed.
How many times have you gone back and watched it?
I’m gonna watch it again today, that’ll be my third time. [laughs]
You’ve played against Mexico, you’ve seen plenty of games between the U.S. and Mexico. Was there anything that this game had that all of those best games — the Dos a Ceros, the Gold Cup finals, those really cagey matches at the Azteca — all share?
You know, we approach this game — I think everyone, fans, media — everyone approached this game as like, “this will be the real test for this U.S. team,” right? They’ve gone through a year of playing friendlies where they looked impressive, in just about every game, but the first game that they played against a better, a higher-level opponent was against Switzerland [in the lead-up to the Nations League], and there was mixed emotions coming out of that game, mixed feelings about … there were some positives, but then a lot of negatives as well.
And so this was gonna be the measuring stick in terms of how prepared are they, really, for qualifying and all the variables and all the craziness that goes on with CONCACAF qualifying, and I think we left this game feeling really pleased. There’s, of course, the predictable scuffles that happened between U.S. and Mexico. There’s the unpredictable — you go down a goal in the first minute of the game, and then you finally find the character within this squad, and you see them battle and fight back. We knew that this team was talented, we knew that they could score unbelievable goals, that they could create attacking-wise, they were really blessed in terms of this generation of players. I think the question mark that we all had was how are they in terms of dealing with adversity, and where’s their character, how is their mentality? And we left this game feeling good, I left this game feeling really good.
Are there still things that can be improved? Of course, but I think just from the back-and-forth, sway of the game, going down a goal, coming back, going down a goal, coming back, getting the go-ahead goal, the the passion the fans — as I said, there’s so many games that I played in on home soil where it’s just predominantly Mexican fans, and the American voices are just … they’re muted out, because it’s just such a dominating presence for the Mexican fans.
But that wasn’t the case in this game, it was a back-and-forth, a good little sway. And from my perspective, I think this is one of the things that I really enjoy about calling games and being on the media side of things, although I do miss playing. When you’re playing, you see the atmosphere, you feel the energy, but there are certain things that you miss that you can’t focus on, because you’re in the midst of the game, and things happen so quickly, so you have tunnel vision.
But from my perspective, now, having a chance to hone in on different things that are happening in the crowd and seeing the fans and actually fully appreciating them, it adds a different layer of beauty to the game from my standpoint, and this is a rivalry that sometimes, we hype it up so much, and then it’s hard to measure up to, but this one lived up to it and even beyond that. Again, I won’t stop echoing the sentiments of pride that I felt being a part of it, but then also, the pride that I felt being an American on that day and watching these players compete and do what they did.
And then in terms of what we saw in the match, I mean, you keep mentioning they went down 1-0 and and came back. Well, they were down 2-0 for a stretch of 90 seconds there. But the goal gets disallowed, Gio comes back, scores in the next passage of play. And I thought that kind of changed the dynamic of the match. Would you agree with that, and were there other moments that you thought really defined what the U.S. was able to do in this match?
I definitely think that was a defining moment. If you go 2-0 down at that point, it’s really deflating. Being in front of home fans, that may be quite a storm, and then Mexican fans’ presence starts to be a little bit more dominating, and then your back’s against the wall, you have to start taking a little bit more risk, and that opens the game up, and then a potential third goal could come. VAR played a role in this game on a few different occasions, and on that one, they got it right. And so I think you’re right, that gave them a little bit of life. Gio young kid, 18 years old, he makes his presence known and gets a tying goal, and I think that was just that little boost of confidence in this group, that kind of spark for them to get going again. And by and large, I think they gave as good as they got in this game, and ultimately, they found a way to be the better side, to quiet all the doubters, to show that although Mexico was the more experienced side — they’d won the Gold Cup in 2019 — that this team was hungry and that this tournament meant something.
I think there was a little underlying theme where people were trying to discredit how important this tournament actually was. And these players, both sides, both teams competed with heart and showed that this tournament meant something, that regardless of what’s at stake, when it’s U.S.-Mexico, you don’t need that added little incentive to go out there and compete. But having a trophy and having an opportunity to walk across the stage, and have your opponent watch you walk across that stage, there’s nothing better than that feeling.
So Dre Cordero said that you mentioned, right as extra time started, that we’re learning a lot about this young team. What were — both at that time and now that we’ve had a few days to process it, that you’ve had the chance go back to watch it — the biggest thing or things that you think that we learned about this version of the United States men’s national team?
They’re hard. They’re a team that’s resilient, they’re a team that has heart, they have character, and these kind of games, a lot of it is a test of mentality. You can get caught up in the antics that that go into these games, and that can throw you off your game, but I think that they … when it came time to scrap, they’re ready to scrap, when it came time to show a little bit of flair, a little bit of taking risk in the final third, take chances to create, they did that. When it came time to be resolute defensively, they did that as well. So there were so many boxes that they ticked that impressed me.
And then even looking at Gregg Berhalter, he was, I think, one of the figures in this match who was probably, a lot of eyes were focused on him. Like, what was he going to do with this game? Was this game gonna be a defining moment for him? If they didn’t win this game, I think a lot of fingers would have been pointed at him, and you know what? I think tactically he made some good decisions. He played with a formation that was flexible, that allowed them to get the best out of this group of players. And ultimately, it was a match against Mexico, with a trophy on the line, and he won. And by the way, he was wearing Travis Scott 6s, so he gets a he gets a big thumbs up in my book for that.
Okay, so that was gonna be my last question, but I’ll bump this up now — what made you happier, literally anything on the pitch or that moment when you realized Gregg was in the Travis Scott 6s?
I’m a sneakerhead, so. [laughs] We’ve been seeing this trend in MLS and a little bit in Europe as well, where coaches are taking a little bit more pride, they’re showing a little bit of swag in how they present themselves on the sideline. And so, when I saw that, I couldn’t wait to get it in. I was trying to tap Dre and trying to figure out a way to get that on air, for sure. And then the moment presented itself because Gregg was just active on the sideline, trying to get the ball back in play as quickly as possible, chasing down balls and throwing them to the players. And as soon as I saw that, I said, “yup, I gotta highlight this, I have to shout it out.” Because I’m sure there are viewers watching who were like, “there’s no way he’s wearing those, it can’t be.” Like, I haven’t even worn mine yet, and this guy’s wearing them on air in the Nations League final. So for sure, I had to shout that out, and I’m glad that he wore them, and I’m glad that they won, because then, it just makes for an even more memorable moment.
Yeah, when I went back and rewatched, you said that and I immediately like went on to Twitter to search. I was like, “Oh, damn, go Gregg.”
When it comes to the players, was there anyone that confirmed your priors on them for better or worse over the course of these matches?
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Ethan Horvath stood out, right? I don’t think people really, truly understand how hard it is to do what he just did. To come into a game cold, you can get a couple of shots taken at you on the sideline real quick, throw a couple balls back and forth with the trainer, but there’s no replicating coming into a match as a keeper. And for a keeper, especially that level of intensity of a match, you don’t always get a chance to feel your way into the game, and you’re tested early, and he stood up to the challenge, he made some big saves throughout the course of extra time and regulation. And then that moment, the penalty kick, and it’s Andres Guardado who steps to take it, an experienced player, captain of the Mexican national team, been involved with the Mexican national team for I don’t even know how many years at this point.
So I think at that point, every Mexican fan in the crowd was probably feeling really confident, going against a keeper who had just been subbed in, wasn’t the starting keeper, hasn’t been playing regularly with his club team, as well. So what a massive moment for him, a kid who’s from Denver, as well. I just thought that he took his moment. I think within the national team, and sports in general, it’s about just being ready when your name is called upon, maybe cliche to say it, but it’s reality — being ready when your name is called upon and, and taking advantage of your opportunity.
Now, does that leapfrog him into the number one spot? No, but I think what it does do is it maybe asks a few more questions of Gregg in terms of, look, there’s a little bit more competition for this spot. In my mind, I still think Zack Steffen is a clear number one, but I think even Ethan Horvath did himself a world of good with that performance.
I look at other guys, I was happy to see Tyler Adams finally getting back. He’s a guy that I think has been missed through these last few games and his presence in the team, it just brings a whole different dynamic to what that team is capable of. I think without him, it maybe forces Weston McKennie to be a little bit more honest defensively and maybe take a deeper … in my mind, I would prefer him to take a deeper starting position. But with Tyler on the pitch, I think it gives him a green light, it gives Weston a green light to go and express himself, to go and cover all the ground that we know he can cover, to make those runs out of midfield that he does so well. And that’s because Tyler has the ability to cover so much ground, to put out fires, to really protect that back four, to be that linchpin between the backline and the attack and starting transition moments.
And the other one that I think I would probably mention would be Gio Reyna. I think he showed a level of confidence, of fearlessness. Are there things he can improve on? For sure, he’s only 18 years old, and I think when we assess him, we forget about that, which is probably the biggest compliment that you could pay him, is that you don’t really take into account his age when you’re talking about him, until you have a second where you’re like, “wait a minute, he’s only 18, there’s still a lot more to come.” I tell you what, at 18, I was nowhere near making the national team, nowhere near starting in a match for the national team, scoring a goal and in any kind of final. So, I give him a tremendous amount of credit, the progression that we’ve seen, the level of confidence that we’ve seen, again, to shine in moments, to take risks, to be that confident player at such a young age, I’m really excited for what the future holds for him.
Yeah, and I think the thing that surprised me the most, kind of broadly, was that you saw a bunch of guys who’ve never been in this situation. Like, Mexico had Memo Ochoa, they had Hector Herrera, they had Andres Guardado, all these guys who have been in these matches before. And there’s some bumps, but Gio looked up for the moment, Weston McKennie looked up for the moment, Tyler Adams, Tim Weah comes on and looked up for the moment, all these guys. I think the biggest compliment you probably pay is that all of them seemed like it wasn’t their first huge match against Mexico.
What I would say to that is they needed this game, right? They needed this game collectively, they needed it individually, because you’re right, this was the first game for quite a few of them and against Mexico. But more importantly, this is the first trophy that they’ve won collectively as a national team. And I think that’s important. I think we sometimes neglect the importance of developing and fostering a winning mentality. We think that just because players are maybe individual winners, that they won with their club teams, that that mentality just naturally transitions over. Well, no, it takes moments like this, it takes moments where you’re forced to deal with adversity, you galvanize as a group, you look each other in the eye, and you figure out a way that, hey, we’re gonna figure out a way to get this done, and they had that moment. They had that moment.
And so that’s why now, going into into qualifying, I’m really bullish. I was already bullish about this group, anyway, but I’m excited now for qualifying to get started. I think they needed that match, it was a chance to mature, to grow, to progress, to take another step in the right direction. And from a confidence standpoint, now, you’re right, they could look at each other and say, “we’ve been in the trenches, we played against an experienced side, a side that was probably pegged to beat us, and we figured out, we got it done in the biggest moment on home soil.” And when you talk about the confidence for a group of young players, moments like this are massive.
We’re getting into a really big summer for them, there is the Gold Cup, World Cup qualifying is about to start up, all these guys are going to be going back to their clubs, those sorts of things. Are there any big outstanding questions of the national team, or do you have the belief that there’s a sense of stability in the players and the coaches and the program as a whole?
I think that there’s always going to be variables that come into play. Guys are going to go back to the club teams and you’re worried about them staying healthy and all those kinds of things as well. I think the Gold Cup is interesting, because we’re gonna see a different roster, it’s an opportunity now for some guys, more so MLS players I would imagine, who are now going to get an opportunity to start knocking on that door a little bit louder, announcing themselves to Gregg Berhalter and saying that we want to be more than depth pieces, we want to be involved in that 23-man roster, we want to be involved and playing in qualifying. And so, I look at it from a holistic approach of there were a lot of questions answered by this first group of players who we have kind of deemed as the A-group, per se.
But within that, the squad, the group of this whole generation, I think, is a pretty deep one. And now there’s an opportunity with the Gold Cup, a chance to win another trophy this summer, first of all, which speaks highly for the whole program and what they’re trying to accomplish and the direction they’re trying to go. And then again, I just talked about opportunity — opportunity for Gregg to see more players, for Gregg to test out more players, for more players to impress and show themselves well in front of Gregg. Because in the back of everyone’s mind, although they want to win a trophy, they want to win the Gold Cup, these players are competing because they want to be involved in World Cup qualifiers and ultimately, knock on wood, the World Cup.
So every opportunity that you get to represent your country, whether it’s a competitive match or a friendly match, you can’t take it lightly. And with the Gold Cup being that last chance before qualifiers, these players are going to be out there trying to show that they want to be a part of those qualifiers.
Yeah, and then ultimately, if Matt Turner gets his name in the goalkeeper pool, Miles Robinson at centerback, all these dudes, iron sharpens iron. The best possible thing that could happen is another eight guys throw their names in the hat this summer.
Oh, for sure. The best-case scenario for Gregg is that he has more competition, he has more questions to answer, right? I think there’s probably, and I can’t speak for him, but there is a handful of names that are probably inked in that first XI. And then from there, there’s spots up for grabs, whether it’s the number nine position, whether it’s, I don’t know, centerback or whatever that looks like, there are spots up for grabs, and these guys have to approach it with that mentality, that this is my chance to force Gregg’s hand in some way, to make him make a difficult decision. And from Gregg standpoint, it’s a great position to be in, where you have a deep group of players — young players, because of course, you’re thinking about the here and now, but ultimately, we’re also trying to forecast things into the future.
But more importantly, the initial focus for everyone in the group, the fans because of what happened last time, is to qualify for this next World Cup.
It seems that every so often, the “Mount Rushmore” conversation resurfaces on Twitter, bringing with it another round of debate. Over the past few weeks, Mount Rushmore memes have returned in a big way thanks to a Rap Caviar post about the Mount Rushmore of the 2010s. While that debate mainly revolved around the absence of Nicki Minaj, the latest iteration has inspired even more spirited debate thanks to a generational disconnect and the controversial inclusion of one much newer rapper, Lil Baby.
The new meme posits the “GOATs of Atlanta” — i.e. the “greatest of all time” rap acts from The Big Peach — as Jeezy, Future, Rich Homie Quan, and Lil Baby. Leaving aside the fact that no rapper who debuted before 2000 appears, fans opposed Lil Baby’s inclusion, as the younger rapper has only had two studio album releases since breaking out in 2018 with Harder Than Ever. While Lil Baby has expanded his catalog with joint albums like Voice Of The Heroes with Lil Durk and Drip Harder with Gunna.
Hip-hop fans were also put off by the omission of higher-profile faces like Gucci Mane, Ludacris, Outkast, and T.I. Some fans also questioned the inclusion of Rich Homie Quan, whose contributions, while notable, were also decidedly limited thanks to Quan’s relatively short run of impactful hits.
That’s a question you’ll never have to ask while watching any of the shows on this list because each series toes the line between the two genres, almost effortlessly. That means that animated shows about celebrity horses double as deeply poignant meditations on grief and depression while stories about a hired hitman and women in prison lighten things up with the kind of absurdist humor you’d typically find on a late-night sketch series. These are dramedies, the shows that exist in the in-between, delivering the best comedy and drama has to offer and they’re all good.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a household name now – one synonymous with a certain Barack Obama-inspired masturbation scene – and it’s because of this irreverent British comedy series that was born on the stage. Waller-Bridge plays the titular Fleabag, a young woman navigating life in London who often turns to sex to cope with her grief and nihilistic depression. The first season is excellent, the second is some of the best television we’ve seen in years complete with a Hot Priest (Andrew Scott) and Sian Clifford who gives a breakout performance and manages to pull off a truly tragic haircut while doing it.
For fans who only know Bill Hader from his Saturday Night Live days, his HBO dramedy Barry might be a bit of a shock. We’re a long way from Stefon and the Weekend Update desk, but the change in venue has opened up Hader’s comedy in an exciting, disturbingly twisted way. He plays a Midwestern hitman who travels to Los Angeles for work and ends up immersing himself in a local acting class that challenges his own weird status quo. Henry Winkler plays his no-nonsense acting coach and the two have some brilliant chemistry on screen, but the real treat is watching how Hader manages to make us care about his moral black-hole of an antihero.
Breaking Bad is regarded as one of the most influential dramas of the past decade but its successor, Better Call Saul, is something different. A hybrid of laugh-out-loud comedic antics and jarringly emotional drama, Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have proven they’re capable of once again creating complex characters driven by a dichotomy of motivators by making Bob Odenkirk’s titular character a sympathetic, problem-causing antihero. Reveling in Saul’s self-destruction is equally as fun as rooting for him to win.
This fantasy mystery about a pie maker with the ability to bring the dead back to life was way ahead of its time – and not just because it manages to perfectly blend the genres of comedy and drama while also delivering entertaining musical numbers and trippy visuals. It’s the kind of niche fare you’d expect to find as a web series, or a Netflix special, not a show on ABC. And still, for the two seasons, it was on, it worked. Not only did it work, but it also gave us Lee Pace as a well-meaning baker who becomes the hero of this forensic fantasy by bringing murder victims back from the dead to solve how they died. It’s the kind of quirky, romantic show we’ll probably never see again.
Jean Smart is dominating the content over on HBO and HBO Max but her best work is undoubtedly this dramedy adventure. Smart plays Deborah Vance, a legendary stand-up comedian on her last leg whose Vegas show needs some help. Enter Ava (Hannah Einbinder), a young, up-and-coming comic in need of an image makeover. Their odd-couple dynamic is the draw here as their personalities and generational divides clash backstage. Einbinder more than holds her own, which is high praise because Smart’s never been better.
This Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini-starring dramedy might be the show responsible for ushering in a new genre: the grief-com. Applegate plays a woman whose husband is killed in a terrible hit-and-run accident. She’s mad as hell – that he’s dead and that their picture-perfect life turned out to be a lie. Cardellini plays her sunnily optimistic new friend, a woman she meets in her grief group who helps her get over her grief before revealing she’s the cause of it. The two go on a wild adventure filled with criminal coverups, more murder, and lots of wine but there’s some surprisingly thoughtful story beats hidden below all that bleak humor that helps this show pack a punch.
We like to define this criminally underrated FX series as “a show that will kick you in the balls and then pass you a mimosa.” If you’ve seen it, you’ll understand. If you haven’t … well, do you need more incentive than that tagline? Really? Aya Cash and Chris Geere play a laughably toxic couple who you kind of root for over the course of five seasons. We say “kind of” because both of them are the human equivalent of “trash juice” and they consistently make terrible life choices that end up hurting their friends and each other. Still, there are few comedies that so aptly mock modern habits of adulthood while still treating their characters with compassion which makes this show really stand out from the heap of other millennial-driven comedy series.
To understand the genius of Donald Glover’s sometimes-comedy series, you simply have to watch it. The show follows Glover’s Earn, a young black man living in the titular city who starts off as basically homeless, struggling to manage the rap career of his cousin, Paper Boi (and excellent Brian Tyree Henry). Over the course of the first and second season, Earn wrestles with issues of race, classism, and his own sense of self-worth. It sounds heavy, it often is, but there’s just enough humor here to help things digest smoothly.
BoJack Horseman is not what you think it is. An animated comedy about a talking horse trying to recapture his early days of fame in L.A. is what you think it is, but that’s just the veneer – the hook to grab you and reel you in before the show drops its very funny, often devastatingly sad meditation on depression, anxiety, regret, loss, and the consequences of childhood trauma. It’s an animated sitcom about a washed-up horse, and somehow, it’s also an incredibly profound look at the grittier parts of life. It’s like nothing you’ll find on TV right now.
Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult star in this period dramedy that riffs heavily off the vibe of Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-nominated flick, The Favourite. Hoult has a hell of a lot of fun playing a sadistic sociopath who just so happens to be the Emperor of Russia. Fanning is his hopeful bride-to-be who comes to the palace looking for love and ends up launching a coup and a plot to murder her new husband. It’s a deliciously fun show filled with absurd characters and too many memeable quotes to count.
Amy Sherman-Palladino is a pro when it comes to crafting heartfelt dramedies with edge and she proves that with this Amazon Prime series starring Rachel Brosnahan and Alex Borstein. Both women are at the top of their game with Brosnahan playing Midge Maisel, the perfect upper Westside housewife who decides to pursue her dream of stand up after her husband leaves her. Borstein plays Susie, her tough and scrappy booker who helps her navigate the male-dominated, heavily sexist scene. There’s a lot of fast-talking, quick-witted comedy that disguises the heavier dramatic moments and makes them land even harder.
On its surface, Patriot is a spy dramedy, a show about a man named John Tavner (Michael Dorman), who works undercover for the CIA. His cover is as an engineer for a pipe company. His real mission is to transport materials and money for the agency. He’s good at one, not so great at the other, and plenty of mishaps derail his driving goal along the way – think murder investigations, unruly co-workers, and, oh yeah, his dad. It’s a fairly dark comedy and it might not be for everyone, but it definitely deserves a place on this list.
Ramy Youssef has a gift for taking the most singular of experiences – growing up Muslim in the post 9/11 age while straddling the line between his millennial generation and his immigrant roots – and somehow making it universally relatable. His semi-autobiographically dramedy that follows his character, Ramy, living in New Jersey, searching for his purpose and a deeper connection to his faith, only gets better with more seasons, and more focus on his family members. There are some really outrageous comedic bits sprinkled throughout, but there are also some seriously heavy storylines that should probably come with a warning before viewing.
This long-running Showtime series is one of the few incidences where an American adaptation of a cult-favorite British TV series actually does its material justice – and then expands on it, giving us an unreservedly honest look at how hard it is to live in poverty. That’s where the Gallaghers are when we meet them, a screwed-up brood of abandoned kids trying to make ends meet while facing everything from drug addictions to mental illness and an absentee father who can’t help but make their whole situation worse. It doesn’t sound funny, but it is … sometimes.
Yes, this is a mockumentary about a group of thousand-year-old vampires rooming together in a Staten Island mansion. Yes, it’s from the comedic geniuses known as Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. And yes, at one point the characters mistake a Super Bowl party for a Superb Owl party. But despite the rib-tickling antics of its main cast — Nandor (Kayvan Novak), Nadja (Natasia Demetriou), and Laszlo (Matt Berry) rep for the undead while Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) serves as their familiar and Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) sucks the life out of every room he’s in, quite literally – there’s still the heart and high stakes here to qualify it as a dramedy in our eyes.
M.A.S.H. is one of the first TV shows to toe the previously well-defined line between comedy and drama and even decades later, the dichotomy of its premise still holds up. Following a group of doctors and support staff stationed in South Korea during the Korean war, the series tackled everything from patriotism and a sense of duty to criticism of America’s role in various world wars. It’s one of the most beloved, most-watched TV series of our time for a reason.
There are a lot of medical dramas on TV but, oddly enough, none of them hit the deeply emotional notes as well as this NBC series. We know you probably thought it was a strict comedy because the episodes that get quoted and the memes that are generated now often focus on its absurd humor. There’s plenty of that, but there are also some of TV’s most likable characters forming friendships, navigating work-life balance, and teaching us life lessons along the way.
One of the worst decisions some nameless TV executive over at NBC ever made was to cancel this coming-of-age dramedy from Judd Apatow after just one season. It’s been 20 years since the show first aired and somehow, it still holds up. That’s because of its cast and creators – names like Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, Paul Feig, Busy Phillips, and more who now rule the comedy game but back then, convincingly played a group of high school outcasts surviving painfully relatable rites of passage. It’s also because the stories, while inherently funny, are also authentic and timeless, a fairly complicated formula this show somehow nails on its first try.
This Jenji Kohan-created prison dramedy was one of the first stellar offerings from Netflix when the streaming service first broke ground. It’s also still one of the best original shows the platform’s given fans. Progressively smart, bitingly funny, heartbreakingly sad – OITNB storylines run the emotional gamut, but they all work to humanize people we too often throw away.
When you’re adapting one of cinema’s most beloved crime thrillers, one crafted by the Coen Brothers no less, you’ve got to take some risks. Noah Hawley does that. His version of Fargo calls back to the film’s premise in the small details but it’s chock full of surprising storylines, shocking violence, prestige talent, and some wildly original character names. It’s eccentricity married with bloody melodrama – the best of both worlds for dramedy fans.
If the team from Black Mirror tried to do a rom-com, it’d look something like this. Cristin Milioti (Palm Springs), plays Hazel, a thirty-something woman on the run after 10 years in a suffocating marriage to Byron Gogol (Billy Magnussen), a controlling tech billionaire. But escaping her bad relationship is kind of hard with your Silicon Valley lover has implanted a chip in your brain. The show tackles some serious themes – emotional abuse, grief, how tech isolates us, etc – but it always does it with a healthy dose of ridiculousness.
There’s a reason Senator Elizabeth Warren stans this sports dramedy series starring Dwayne Johnson. Not only is the action star at his comedic best playing Spencer Strasmore, a former NFL player who embarks on a new career as a financial manager to pro athletes in the show’s premiere, but the whole vibe of this show is Entourage on steroids. In other words, get ready to laugh your a** off at some raunchy, physical humor and witty one-liners while ogling expensive suits, fast cars, million-dollar mansions, and a yacht or two.
Michaela Watkins does not get the credit she deserves which is one reason why we were adamant about praising this Hulu dramedy. She’s terrific in it, after all, playing a forty-something mom whose husband just left her so she and her daughter move in with her womanizing brother – the co-creator of a dating website. There’s an organic, improvised feel to the series, which alternates between funny and heartbreaking as it seeks to find the humor in the devastation of loss and the awkward challenges of finding someone new.
The premise of this HBO gem – which began as a popular web series – isn’t especially inventive. It’s just the story of an unsure, twenty-something Black woman trying to have it all. And yet, Issa Rae manages to infuse just the right amount of authentic melodrama and absurd situational comedy to make it feel refreshingly different. Come for Rae, stay for the witty insight into female friendship.
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our truckers
vs Mexico 
! Enough said! 
(@QuezzyQuez707) 
(@JayWittDaJuice) 
