A weekend to remember
- 27 May 2022
- This weekend is something of a return to the Before Times. I plan to watch a binge-worthy show on Netflix, a surefire blockbuster in theaters, and a soccer final held in a full stadium.
Stranger Things 4
It’s been almost three years since the release of Stranger Things 3. Writing that sentence feels weird. I’ve watched this show every spring or summer for the past few years, and doing so has helped my sanity. It is like pop-culture therapy. I don’t mind the campy tone of the third season, because it fits the mid-1980s zeitgeist that its episodes depict. I’m curious to see which direction this penultimate season takes.
Top Gun: Maverick
I have vivid, though limited, memory of Top Gun being in theaters. It’s exactly the type of movie that Stranger Things 3 emulates, but its campy tone is authentic and earnest. The previews for this sequel haven’t excited me, but the early reviews that I’ve seen are enthusiastically positive. It reportedly has genuine emotion, and not just because of the context within its universe. It seems to have an appropriate level of gravitas.
Champions League final
I always watch, or at least follow, the culmination of the biggest competition in club soccer. I’m not a fan of Liverpool or Real Madrid, but their matchup is a compelling one. Both clubs have storied histories, and both are current powerhouses. This final is a re-match of the 2018 final. Watching as a neutral viewer has its perks: I don’t worry about my favored side losing. I’m fortunate to have enjoyed the opposite result last year and, unforgettably, 10 years ago.