What We're Thankful For In 2020

Happy Thanksgiving, Couch fans!

On this, the most delicious and controversial holiday there is (I like to call it Yummy Columbus Day), a few of us wanted to honor the spirit of gratefulness and talk about what we are thankful for from the world of sports and entertainment.

There's no question it's been an incredibly difficult year. A pandemic has ravaged the world, but particularly our country, claiming the lives of so many and the general well-being of even more. The economy tanked as a result, leaving thousands upon thousands out of their jobs. A presidential election, usually a celebration of democracy, this time was an ugly slog of a campaign that saw the loser hurl baseless accusations of fraud. This summer we saw a new wave of police killings and brutality of defenseless black citizens, and a horrifying rise of white-supremacist presence at ensuing protests. And this is strictly the global that we've discussed; many of us have had some sort of personal tragedy, trauma or trial that was only compounded by the context at large.

It seems asinine to try to frame pop culture as somehow significant as an antidote to those incredibly serious issues, so we don't want to try to do that. But we do think what this year has taught us is to indulge in the joy of simple pleasures, be that a sports result, a song, your old favorite movie, or your new favorite TV show. With all that in mind, here are some 2020 moments from the world of entertainment and sport that we specifically want to give thanks for:

Daniel Baas

Television: Formula 1's Thrill Ride Docuseries

This year, I am thankful for one of the first shows that I decided to watch at the beginning of lockdown in March: Formula 1: Drive to Survive. Before this year, I had never been much of a racing fan. Nascar always seemed a bit boring, and I had never encountered much about Formula 1. Kevin Clark of The Ringer recommended the show on a podcast last winter, so I decided to give it a shot.

What an incredible show.

The closest comparison that can be made to this show is HBO’s Hard Knocks. Hard Knocks is a formulaic trip through an NFL training camp every year that follows the same expected rhythms, creating drama from the fates of players on the fringes of the roster. On the other hand, Drive to Survive goes through an entire F1 season, using each race weekend as a focal point for various storylines.

One of the major strengths of the show is its ability to showcase F1 races in a way that makes them accessible to anyone. The drama of an hour and a half race is condensed into cinematic sequences that are second to none. And while the races may be the focal point of most episodes, the drama in the paddock can rival the constant intrigue that most NBA fans are accustomed to.

There are 10 F1 teams, with two drivers per team. Each team has its own unique drama. Because there are only 20 drivers at a given time, the show has the unique ability to let you get to know the drivers, as well as the team principals (essentially general managers), and even some of the team owners.

And unlike major American sports, where free agency begins at a set time and athletes can sign with a new team at that point, F1 drivers can sign their next contract seemingly whenever. This leads to constant rumors and intrigue throughout the sport. Coupled with the unique personalities of the 20 drivers, this makes Drive to Survive that much more interesting.

There are so many ways that a show like this could be one-note or even just plain not good. But Formula 1: Drive to Survive is one of the best sports shows out there. And for that, I am very thankful this year.

Christian Becker

Television: The Emergence of Ted Lasso

I am thankful for Ted Lasso. That charming, lovable, mustache of a man has given me the warm and fuzzies ever since his titular show came on AppleTV+ and surprised the daylights out of me. While it's hard to find things that "unite" us these days, Ted Lasso seems to be the one constant thing that everybody in my life loves (or at least "likes") and for that, I am truly grateful.

Sierra Slaughter

Music: Niall Horan's Best Single

I don’t listen to much music but all the people I do listen to came out with new albums this year! The Mountain Goats, Sufjan Stevens, and Niall Horan. For that I am thankful. Of that list, Niall Horan's Heartbreak Weather is what I’ve probably listened to the most, and his track "Small Talk" is so sexy, h-word (h*rny), feel good, dancey, and really just a fantastic pop song. Also, very thankful that my fav singer (ever) Gallant is releasing new music next week!

Film: The Surprise Delight Of Get Duked!

I’ve created a new habit to start my day with a 9 A.M. movie, and amidst that, I stumbled on this movie on Amazon Prime a few months ago. When I watched Get Duked! I laughed harder than I have all year. I gasped. I cheered. I had a genuinely amazing time... 5 star film! My Dad works from home in the same room as the television and he “forced himself not to look at the screen” because he saw how much fun I was having at 9 A.M. and wanted to watch it later. Fast forward to the next night: he turns it on, and guess who sits down to watch it...again...less than 48 hours later. Get Duked!’s rewatchability is also 5 stars. If you want to watch this, please just trust me, don’t look it up, don't watch the trailer, just give it a go! Honorable mention for the best movie I rented so far: Feels Good Man, the documentary about Pepe the Frog. Dark.

Television: The Return Of Search Party

It’s been two years since Search Party left TBS, even though the 3rd season was complete. HBO Max picked it up and we finally got to see our messy and annoying friends back! John Reynolds marry me challenge! I’m thankful for the courtroom scene where we get the whole "pancaked vs. murdered" debacle. If you know, you know. Even better news... HBO Max just announced we’re getting Search Party season 4 in January! It’s the least they can do for us!

Daniel Woodiwiss

Sports: Liverpool's Title Wait Is Over

To be honest, as in any other realm of culture, there wasn't a whole lot for this avid sports fan to cheer this year. My beloved Tar Heels capped off their worst basketball season in 20 years (it was so bad I openly cheered when March Madness was cancelled), while the football program's most-anticipated season in years got a wrench thrown in it when the schedule was scrapped and shuffled around due to COVID. Meanwhile, the Lakers won the NBA Finals, the Packers choked in the playoffs again, and the Summer Olympics were cancelled. So, yeah, I was in need of some good news. And fortunately, in June that came, when the Premier League announced they were resuming matches and concluding the 2019-20 season that was so inevitably going to end in Liverpool's triumph. A mere week after play restarted, that triumph became official, thanks to Liverpool's resounding win over Crystal Palace being shortly followed by 2nd-place Manchester City's defeat to Chelsea. I hate that it had to be delayed, that celebrations couldn't take place in front of a packed, impassioned stadium of fans, but nothing could destroy the sweet feeling of my favorite team ending their famous 30-year quest for the English title.

Music: Fleet Foxes Are Back, In A (Quietly) Big Way

2020 has been short on album-- or even single -- releases that have truly excited me, and also short on records that I considered better than just 'pretty good.' This would typically bum me out, but considering the greater context of pandemic, quarantine, civil protest, etc. I'm not going to be too hard on my favorite artists and bands for not taking this time to go into the studio and drop a whole lot of high-quality music. Thus it was nothing more than an extremely pleasant surprise to hear in late September that my favorite folk-rockers Fleet Foxes were on the verge of releasing a new album, their first in over 3 years, and just their second in a decade. Considering the few albums I had been really excited to listen to this year turned out to be just okay, and the few albums I found great from this year weren't ones I had a whole lot of anticipation for, it was an even more pleasant surprise that this album exceeded my expectations. Shore sees Fleet Foxes simultaneously returning to the brilliant harmonies and musicality that made them so great in the first place, and expanding in depth of both sound and lyrics, with themes of both pained wistfulness and inspired hope rolling throughout the album. Coming towards the tail-end of such an immensely difficult year, it was a real treat.

Film: Just...Everything About Palm Springs

Like most everyone who isn't a professional Film critic, I have caught only a few new movies this year, and instead much of quarantine time cycling through old favorites. However, after hearing buzz from friends and family about Palm Springs, my brother and I decided to buck our trend of rewatches and gave it a try, and man, were we glad we did. Its mid-pandemic release was actually perfectly timed, as the central plot of being stuck in the same setting in a never-ending time loop seemed to encapsulate how most of America was feeling, but with a whole lot more love and humor. The entire movie was perfectly cast, but Andy Samberg and Cristin Millotti, who did 90% of the leg work, were both so terrific. And while the film could have run the risk of being overly cynical, overly sappy, overly crude, or a carbon copy of Groundhog Day, it forged its own way with appropriate doses of each. Just a delightful movie.

Tell us what you’re thankful for! We’d love to discover new things that are special to you! And remember on this holiday weekend if you are able, don't be a spreader, don’t participate in Black Friday, and feel free to mourn for those who were murdered by the European settlers and maybe even donate to an Indigenous-Rights Organization.