Skip to Content

Watch

This Way Up


The one unfortunate thing about Fleabag was its timing. We got to watch the camera pan up close on Phoebe Waller-Bridge when the world was well off, or at least comparably so, not knowing how much that show’s comedic lift would help right about now. Here, then, is the next best thing, another story of a young woman (played by Aisling Bea, who also wrote the six-episode series) and her sister (Sharon Horgan, who co-created the show) living in London. In this case, they’re Irish Catholic, and the episodes follow Aine (Bea) trying to pull her life together after a nervous breakdown. With this simple story line, This Way Up delivers laugh-out-loud humor and serious conversations on mental health in equal measure. (It will take you at least five minutes to realize that the institution the sisters are complaining about in the first episode’s opening scene is a rehab center, not a spa.) Channel 4 (in the U.K.) and Hulu (U.S.) have just confirmed that the show will return for a second season, making this the perfect time to catch up on the first. (hulu.com) —Julia Vitale

Test

Vault Coronavirus Kit


Waiting in an endless line for a coronavirus test proves the age-old maxim “Time is money.” Which is why I stockpile Vault Health P.C.R. saliva tests. The process is simple: once you’ve received your kit, spit into a tube under the Zoom supervision of a Vault staffer, package the biohazard using the included pre-paid expedited-shipping label, and drop it off at your local UPS. Results are promised to arrive within 48 to 72 hours of receipt, though I’ve occasionally gotten them within a matter of hours. ($119 per test, vaulthealth.com) —Ashley Baker

Play

Imposter!


Board games have been enjoying a renaissance, and the trend is set to continue as lockdowns persist into the New Year. Quick to learn and totally addictive, Imposter! is won through debating, bluffing, and logic. Set in the Earl of Simpleton’s country estate, the game uses brightly illustrated character cards—Sir Randolph Busihands, or Snobsford the butler, for example—that make playing feel like stepping into the pages of a P. G. Wodehouse novel. Best enjoyed with three or more people, it’s ideal for lively family gatherings. ($14, clarendongames.com) —Bridget Arsenault

Drink

Good Vodka


One man’s agricultural by-product is another man’s treasure. Last year, fellow distillers and friends Tristan Willey and Mark Byrne launched Good Vodka, a spirit made from the typically discarded fruit of the coffee tree. It’s currently available at an assortment of fine purveyors in New York and California, and the company has plans to expand soon. Now you can drink responsibly and sustainably. Plus, it lives up to its name not just in terms of ethics: Good Vodka actually tastes quite good. (locations at goodvodka.com) —Daisy Alioto

Issue No. 80
January 23, 2021
Loading issue contents …
Issue No. 80
January 23, 2021