Carly, Dan and George look back at the year and have compiled their collective top three things for different categories. If you ask George, which no one did, 2020 was the year of reflection, of getting to it, of George’s confusion, of not making much money, of pleasure, of notebooks, of sourdough, of the ‘gram, of disintermediation, a year like no other, of Zoom, of joy, the year TV and movies really came into their own, of consistency as a KPI, of One Direction, the year we learned that rules are meant to be broken, the year people loved the internet, of pour-over coffee, and—drumroll please for Dan’s contribution—the year of the rundle. (You’re welcome, Josef)
Album
Carly
- Jessie Reyez: Before Love Came to Kill Us because Reyez’s style and look and approach to music kept her coming back for more throughout the year
Dan
- Alex Dezen: For a Good Time because his ethos of rapid creation and distribution inspired Dan and helped him get through the early phase of the pandemic
George
- The Replacements: Don’t Tell a Soul because it encapsulates the tragedy and comedy of the sad and beautiful world that we live in and had him grabbing for his guitar and playing along
Book
Carly
- Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way because it has transformed her, and she’s using that word literally, and has helped her form new habits she hopes she maintains forever
George
- The Baking with Rosehill Sourdough recipe eBook that comes in a PDF format, is updated frequently, and has led him to feeling like a real life sourdough baker. Honorable mention goes to A Gentleman in Moscow
Dan
- David Epstein’s Range: Why Generalists Triumph In A Specialized World because having a bunch of skills rather than a single expertise is how he’s lived his life and it’s reassuring to see how it’s worked for others too
TV Show
Dan
- Staged because it’s exactly what he wants to see out of creatives: a passion project. It will also bring him back to this truly weird time when he revisits the show five or 10 years in the future (PS season 2 is coming soon!). A very honorable mention goes to Ted Lasso
George
- Veep because this year he needed to laugh at night and rewatching it with Carly, who poo pooed it at first, let him experience it all over again (shout out to Sally Phillips who plays Minna Häkkinen, one of the best characters of all time)
Carly
- Jeopardy, a show she’s always loved but watched differently knowing how ill Alex Trebek was, the spirit he brought to the show, and how the contestants treated him as well. He was a true treasure and will be so missed by so many
Podcast
Carly
- My Favorite Murder for being so consistent, hilarious, sweet, interesting and important. Blending survivor stories with legal milestones, for spreading the importance of going to therapy, and for sharing their really special friendship with the world. Very honorable mention goes to Reply All
George
- Cocaine and Rhinestones for being such a great slice of Americana, for its incredibly in depth research that goes into every episode and for the fact that the host, Tyler Mahan Coe, threw himself so fully into the project and it has since become one of the most popular and top rated music podcasts
Dan
- Pivot not because it brought him the most joy per episode, but because Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway are both experts and bring a perspective he doesn’t have. It also became a main source of where he got his news, letting him log off and know that he could turn to them (and their guests) for the biggest stories of the year
Other
Dan
- Yerba Mate, something he’s been drinking at least once a day, everyday that has gotten him through these long days with the caffeine he needs without drinking actual coffee. He recommends the Orange Exuberance, which was never George’s nickname
George
- K-Pop stans because they brought him a lot of joy, like when they took on the All Lives Matter protests, when they took on the Proud Boys, and when they took on the Trump rallies
Carly
- Aaptiv for guided workouts and sleep meditations, for keeping her sane and getting her on a more regular workout schedule during lockdowns but also for the first time kind of ever
A big thank you to everyone that has listened and spent so much time with us this year. You are definitely one of our top three things.
