I loved the trilogy by Deborah Harkness the same way I loved the Twilight saga books (not the films) by Stephanie Meyer. Vampires and witches may be silly, but if written with the kind of conviction displayed in Harkness’ and Meyer’s books, then they become as real as anyone you know. I find the television series to be severely abbreviated though the casting of the leads is perfect. I had to re-read (with pleasure), the last book in the trilogy if only to relive all the action in it that didn’t make it on screen.

When I was in high school, looks and social status determined where you stood; today, it’s still the same, except that the playing field has been somewhat leveled with a slew of arsenals like social media and woke culture. Sadly, the outcomes are also the same- no one comes out any better than the other. And shockingly, the tricks to surviving haven’t changed as well; make sensible choices, listen to your parents and don’t engage in sex until you’re absolutely ready and informed. Just masturbate because it’s perfectly alright (photo by Eddy Chen, HBO).

Just started on the 1st episode and it’s a slow burn, but the premise is intriguing- would you work for a company that requires you to have your brain surgically altered so that there’s a separation of your work and personal lives, with no knowledge of the other? Is this finally the solution to the work-life balance that everyone is obsessed about?

Somewhere along the way, the Byrde family got lost in traversing the road of family loyalty and personal gain. When the road becomes a maze, what do you do? What do you do when every other road ends up being a cliff and you only have 5 seconds to come up with a plan that would prevent you from hurtling into the abyss? How would you feel when situations like this occur on a weekly basis? This is the stuff of waking nightmares, and I can’t seem to look away.

It’s unfair- on any level actually- to compare the Americans with the Brits. For sure, I don’t think I’ll ever fall in love with any of the characters here the same way I’ve fallen in love with the cast over at Downton. But like a neighbour, I can’t keep my eyes and ears away from knowing their business (photo by Alison Cohen Rosa HBO).