Weekend Whats

What to Watch: From the creators of For All Mankind comes Star City on AppleTV, which imagines a future (from the Soviet perspective) in which the Soviets got to the Moon first. You don’t need to have watched For All Mankind first to enjoy Star City. But you’ll probably want to start on that show next.

+ What to Read: I first heard about Vijay Gupta’s memoir, Restrung: A Memoir of Music and Transformation from my friend Joel Stein’s newsletter. “By age twenty-five, Vijay Gupta had lived several lifetimes: he played Carnegie Hall at eight, studied at Juilliard and Yale before most had finished high school, joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at nineteen, gave a celebrated TED Talk seen by millions, and launched a nonprofit. But behind the accolades was estrangement, addiction, and a private unraveling.” In addition to being a great musician, Gupta is also an excellent writer. This is a very personal story about personal achievements, family relationships, and how music really connects us, from symphony halls to Skid Row. (Bonus content: What Skid Row Taught Acclaimed Violinist Vijay Gupta About Music.)

+ What to Doc: Rafa on Netflix is a four-part docuseries on the rise and injuries of Rafael Nadal. This docuseries is part of a trend of docs essentially produced with their subjects, so you don’t necessarily get any hard-hitting insights. But if you’re into tennis, you will definitely enjoy this look at the mental and physical challenges faced by one of the greats. (FWIW, his trainer Uncle Toni has basically the same mentality as my pilates teacher.)