Kyle Larson vs The Double

 

I've been to the Indy 500 probably 20 times, maybe more. It is an absolute exhausting day as a fan. The race may run from noon until 3, but the day typically starts around 6 AM and doesn't usually finish until 6 PM, sometimes later. Fighting through the crowds to get to the track, during the race, and getting home is exhausting. Throw in the emotional ups and downs from the race itself, and I nearly need two days to recover. I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to be a driver in the race. To expand on that, think about what Kyle Larson did - twice. He began the day in Indianapolis for the Indy 500, ran the race, then flew to Charlotte, NC to participate in NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. The first year he attempted this, the Indy 500 was massively delayed by rain, and by the time he reached Charlotte the same storm from Indy had also reached Charlotte, preventing him from racing in NASCAR's night race. The second year he attempted this feat, he crashed in the Indy 500. Thus, he didn't complete all 1,100 miles in any attempt. Regardless, to even attempt "The Double" is a feat in itself that only a handful of other drivers have tried.

In addition to the logistical and emotional and physical challenges of "The Double", this documentary highlighted Kyle as both a racer and a person. I admittedly don't watch much NASCAR. But I know that Kyle is a great driver, and I've always been fascinated by how much dirt track racing he still does while competing at the highest level of stock car racing. I have definitely become a Larson fan after watching this documentary and after his attempts at "The Double". I think it takes a ton of courage to strap yourself into an Indycar and race at IMS at those speeds, especially when open-wheeled racing isn't your background. He's a true racer, and he has become my favorite NASCAR driver because of these efforts.

Clarkson's Farm (Season 5)

 

Season 5 of Clarkson's Farm begins with Jeremy in the hospital and ends with Jeremy in the hospital. He had a cardiac event initially, and then was subsequently diagnosed with prostate cancer. Here's to hoping that he is OK. Otherwise, the dust has settled from the events surrounding the opening of his pub in season 4. With that being said, we're back to focusing on farming on season 5. Jeremy has taken an interest in advancing the technology on his farm, which has him and Kaleb taking a trip to Holland to discuss new equipment. He ends up selling one of his older Lambo tractors, and purchases an automated tractor and planter, both of which are super cool. Kaleb also buys his own combine to help with harvest. Otherwise, it's the same fun and foolery that you'd expect on Clarkson's Farm in season 5. 

Silo (Season 3)

 

After the slow pace that led to major cliffhangers in Silo season 2, season 3 finally pushed the plot forward in meaningful ways. Season 3 follows two plot timelines. In the main or current timeline, we follow Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) in the aftermath of returning to her main silo after visiting silo 17. She learns about the rebellion that occurred in silo 17 and about the silo's ability to dispense poison to kill its inhabitants. When she returns to her home silo 18, however, she has her memory wiped at the direction of Camille in IT and the "AI Supercomputer" running the silo. As the season progresses, Juliette slowly regains her memory, and more importantly Bernard (Tim Robbins) realizes that the "AI Supercomputer" is actually just a human, likely located in Silo 1.

The second timeline follows a US Senator who has a sister that is a pilot for the military. She's involved in an incident in Iran where her plane crashes and her memory is wiped (sounds a bit like what happened to Juliette's memory). Her senator brother becomes interested in what happens and starts a personal investigation. He crosses paths with a reporter who is also interested in what happened (Jessica Henwick). As the season progresses, their poking around attracts the attention of those building the Silos. They are asked to join the Silo project, but decline. However, they accept an invitation to tour the Silos. As they enter the silos to begin the tour, the bomb is dropped annihilating the surrounding area. The creators of the Silo either knew the bomb was going to be dropped, or were themselves responsible for the bomb being dropped. 

As the current and past timelines merge, it is confirmed that the voice behind the "AI Supercomputer" is a human, as Bernard suspects. The voice turns out to be the Doctor who treated the senator's wife after the Iran incident by wiping her memory, and occasionally the Senator himself voices the computer. What we don't know is the reason for the bomb. We now know why people are in the silos, but what we don't know is the motivation behind them or why they are hellbent on keeping people in the silos. I'm sure we will learn more about this in the fourth and final season. After the reveal that the people who built the Silos are (likely) responsible for the bomb, it is hard not to compare this to Fallout. I think the big difference is that people roam outside of the Vaults in Fallout, whereas they are being forced to stay in the silos in Silo. But the general concept feels very similar. 

Your Friends and Neighbors (Season 2)

 

James Marsden's character Owen Ashe was just what the doctor ordered for Your Friends and Neighbors (YFaN) season 2. The way season 1 concluded, it was difficult to understand how they would push forward with a plot for season 2. Queue up the arrival of Owen Ashe, an ultra-wealthy (even compared to the current residents) newcomer to the neighborhood with a mysterious and potentially dark background. John Hamm's character Coop continues robbing his neighbors, and the main plot of season 2 starts when Ashe catches Coop robbing a valuable book from his house. Ashe essentially blackmails Coop, convincing him to invest a large sum of money (like $400 million large) into an investment (or is it a hedge?) fund that is ran by Coop's former employer from season 1. This gets Coop somewhat back into the investment game, but as the season progresses, we start to uncover that Ashe is possibly hiding some skeletons in his closet from his past. In addition, the consequences of Coop's choices are starting to show, especially with his oldest daughter and closest friends, one of which join him in his robbery business. Coop is no longer working alone, which complicates things greatly. All of this comes to a crashing halt, when billionaire Ashe ends up dying by slipping when the group gets into an argument regarding his investments. The season ends with Ashe dead in the bottom of a pond, and everyone else moving on with their lives. 

The final scene shows a fisherman likely finding Ashe's drowned car, so I'm sure the fallout of this accident and Ashe's background will be revealed in season 3. The end also hints that Olivia Munn's character Sam maybe leaving town, I would guess implying that she is leaving the show. I hope this isn't true, because I like her quite a bit as an actor and she isn't in a lot of other shows that cross my television. I'm looking forward to seeing the fallout in season 3. I also have to mention that I cannot get over how these people live. I know they're wealthy, but the parties and social gatherings blow my mind. I know it is a TV show and for entertainment, and they can't have people just sitting on the couch and watching TV all of the time, but do people really live like this? My social tank would be empty all of the time.