BINGELY STREAMING

THE GODMOTHER

Novel + iHeart Radio

Spotify

We love a good kingpin podcast and in The Godmother, we are transported to the 1930s where Lucky Luciano is one of the most notorious mobsters of his time. He was taken down by a rookie prosecutor. Eunice Carter was one of the first Black women ever to be a prosecutor in America.

With her world and office being centered in the Harlem Renaissance, she navigates the world which is a blend of corruption that is rampant in downtown Manhattan politics along with the nuances of a racial and sexist pre-Civil Rights American social structure and society.

As a pioneer in what would be known as the “trial of the century” that has been previously lost to history.

In this podcast we learn how Eunice, a writer, social worker, mother, teacher, sister, socialite, political candidate, community organizer and previously known pioneer made her mark in this case as well as a far reaching legacy, search for justice and an undeterred ambition.

EXPATS

Amazon Original

Prime Video

In the limited series Expats, we are introduced to those who have taken residency in Hong Kong. On the surface, we see successful men and women at work, home, and at play. We watch as they engage in their surroundings and even enjoy the aesthetics of their wardrobe, homes, and the way they relax!

But throughout the episodes, we see that the goals and ambitions of the women in a multifaceted group are challenged by a series of events that bind as well as fragment them.

This complex web takes place between two friends with increased tension and a young woman who was initially there to assist their lives while becoming a catalyst to a chain of events that will affect all their lives as well as those that are related to them!

What is the balance between blame and accountability and where does forgiveness come into play - at what cost?

Although we hope that there will be a second season of this immersive series, you can watch all episodes in the perfect binge now!

UNTOLD: THE RETREAT

Financial Times

Apple

From the special investigations team at the Financial Times, Untold is a new podcast that we can't wait to see future stories. In Untold: The Retreat, host Madison Marriage looks at the Goenka network which promotes a form of intensive meditation known as Vipassana. Numerous people go on these retreats every year; however, there are those that attend and suffer while there as well as when they have returned. Some have described feeling terror or a break with reality that makes it difficult for them to cope and ultimately, they are no longer the people they were prior to going to the retreat. The investigative team follows the leads to see what is going on in this wellness space.

Read the FEB ISSUE #98 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY BOOKS in mag.

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY | MARIA STEN

This month's cover editorial is with actress and writer, Maria Sten. Throughout her career she has used her passion for creativity to navigate her interests whether it was being Miss Denmark 2008 and then representing her country at Miss Universe, working as a model and a dancer until connecting with her passion for storytelling!

For fans of Big Sky, she wrote for this crime genre series that took place in Montana; those who enjoy immersive podcasts, she included her voice work in QCODE's Narcissa; and she's currently in Prime Video's Reacher whose second season is streaming now and we're excited to see that not only is the third season greenlit, but it is already in production, and of course her character, Frances Neagley will be back!

We wanted to find out more about how she got into the industry as a writer and actress, the stories she likes to tell, how she gets inspired, being on Reacher, its success, working on projects she's passionate about, and more.

We also enjoyed our cover shoot with her at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge in NoLita which has been on our list to transport us as we navigate the winter weeks ahead.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We have been a fan of yours across the Narcissa podcast, your work as a writer with Big Sky and obviously with Reacher! But before we delve into that, in our research we saw that you were Miss Denmark 2008 and competed at Miss Universe as well, you were a dancer, and a model. What made you want to do that and to ultimately, dig deeper into entertainment as a writer and a producer.

MARIA STEN: You know, that’s a good question. I think that one thing that is true to my life and has always been true is that I have just zero chill. So I just want to do stuff all the time. I want to work, I want to challenge myself all the time and I want to grow. I came to NY when I was 18 to be a dancer and obviously when you come to NY as an immigrant, I did not have papers and I was working very hard to try and build my career and to build sort of a profile for myself so that I was able to get papers, and I was going back to Denmark and then randomly, Miss Denmark opportunity came up and I thought, sure why not? I won and then they said, do you want to go to Vietnam for 1 month and do Miss Universe? I thought, how could I say no to that? I think it was sort of a strange roundabout way as I don’t think that I consider myself to be a pageant girl per se, but it was such an incredible experience and I got to meet these amazing women from all over the world and I do still know a lot of people in that community. So you never know when these once in a lifetime experiences – how they can come about! For me, that was just something that I couldn’t say no to.

Then I think that from then on evolving into a dancer and then music, acting which I had done when I was a teenager and as a child a little bit. I sort of realized that these were the things that I wanted to do for my life. The desire to write came as a necessity to do so as I didn’t really feel that I could really stretch with the opportunities that were offered to me. Black women in the industry, at least at the time, it was more limited what we were offered. It still is in terms of opportunities, but of course, it is better now. I just wanted to write to play in the same roles that my other colleagues were able to play in as well. Then people apparently thought that I should be a writer! So now, I do both!

AM: I love that and to your point about the pageant system. In addition to my role here, as a fashion stylist, I have styled Miss America 2019 as well as Miss Ecuador 2018 ahead of her competing in Miss Universe that year. It is such an interesting world and that network is really amazing because the interest that a lot of the people do are so different. It’s literally that they could be rocket scientists, fashion designers, or other interests. It’s cool to see people that are part of that world!

MS: It’s really interesting and I think of course in America, it overlaps a lot. I’m still in communication with Miss Puerto Rico that was from my year, Ingrid who is also an actress, Meagan Tandy who was Miss California USA who was the year before me, and Miss Iowa from 2007 Dani Reeves is a good friend of mine. Not necessarily because we competed in pageants, but that network and you just find people like you do in any other industry that you connect with and you stay friends with! It’s really incredible. Meeting photographers like Fadil Berisha who is an amazing photographer did my very first headshot in New York when I was 19.

AM: I styled a shoot for an artist that he did the album art for – so talented!

MS: Yes he is and that was because of Miss Universe. I’m definitely grateful for that opportunity and it was only just a springboard for me to stay in the United States, to build my career, and etc. etc.

AM: I was such a huge fan of Big Sky and love that you wrote for this series. What drew you to this show?

MS: I am a huge Western nerd. I have been riding horses since I was 3 years old and I went to the US for the first time when I was 8 and spent a month with my family on a ranch in Arizona and I totally got bit by this Western bug because I grew up riding English and I had no idea that there was this thing that was called the Wild West and that there are these big wide open spaces with nature and cowboys with cool hats and six shooters! So I totally got obsessed with this world and watched all the westerns growing up and I had been wanting to write one for forever. I did write a pilot early on which was a spec of mine which was a period western. So when Big Sky came along, it was kind of an obvious choice for me. It was a Black female lead set in Montana and it’s a crime show and I thought – yes and of course, David E. Kelley (The Undoing, Love and Death, The Lincoln Lawyer) was attached! Generally, I don't do a lot of network television, but when it is David E. Kelley is doing it – that’s the parameters for it – that’s sort of a no-brainer for me.

AM: What do you look for in a project when it comes to you coming on as a writer?

MS: I definitely look for character and world and relationships. That’s definitely what I’m looking for and a lot of my projects are always born out of wanting to play in a world, but also what do I want to do as an actor? What could be interesting for me as an actor and also, what is the lack in the space? If I don’t see it in the space – female villains or Black people in the Western space – all of these things are things that I want to be playing in, but I don’t see – that is always a good incentive for me to start writing in some way, somehow. Definitely looking for things that are unique and have something to say. That is always important to me.

AM: What is your creative process like when you’re writing. It must be so interesting where obviously you’re thinking about the storyline and future seasons or how that character arc grows over a period of time. Where do you start with that?

MS: I definitely start with the pilot and I think about what is the pilot, who are the people that we care about, what is the central relationship, and what is the central theme of the show? Then, once I have a good grip on the pilot, what are we setting up with the world and the relationships with the characters – then I will branch out. I do that sort of organically. Once I’m flushing out the pilot, I’m thinking about when certain information will have to be revealed if you’re thinking about the season as a whole.

AM: Right.

MS: It’s an organic way and I don’t really have a way of going about it. I think that most things come to me in different ways. Sometimes I just know a scene, I know the beginning or the end, sometimes I just know the character and I just want to focus on that character and what interesting situation that I can put them in. Most of my own stories are like misfit families. Family dramas of some kind. So oftentimes, the central relationship will always be some kind of family relationship and how we can dive into these complicated relationships. Flawed characters are what I like to dive into. So that’s usually where it goes.

AM: I’m a huge fan of podcasts, generally true crime. But I really appreciate other genres in the scripted space. QCODE is one that I love with their immersive approach to storytelling and Narcissa was amazing and I loved hearing you in it. What drew you to that?

MS: Thank you!

AM: Oh it was so good!

MS: Yeah, I think that – what was happening at that time? Fun fact, I think at the time, I was home writing on something and I had just broken my wrist snowboarding so I was sort of just stuck at home and they said, “do you want to do this thing from your closet?” and I said yes absolutely because I really wanted to be able to do a project. That was one fun fact and also I think I really just wanted to dive into the character. That character is so interesting and not to give anything away, but playing something like that and the different dynamics that you have to sort of consider in playing a character like that, I thought it was interesting and to also look at AI and what’s to come in our society – I thought that that was interesting. For me, I thought that it was a fascinating dive into audio. I haven’t done a lot of voice work and I would love to. So I thought that it was a good way for me to get started.

AM: Over the holiday I watched the first season of Reacher and then watched the screeners of the 2nd season of Reacher. It's interesting that with as many shows that I watch and love there are always those that I haven’t gotten around to and I know I would love them! In prep for the interview, I wanted to see both seasons and it was so good and so fun to jump into. What was it about this show that you wanted to be involved in this series?

MS: Off the bat, it’s the action! I love the action, I love strong characters, kinetic characters, kinetic stories – Neagley, this word is so overused, but she’s a badass in a lot of ways and she also has this other kind of quirky quality about her. So to me, that was something really interesting to get to play with and to figure out how to make it interesting and grounded at the same time. For sure, to begin with. I knew it was going to be this splashy/action show and then when I got the job and I realized that there was this whole billion dollar book franchise that is behind it – I read all the books that Neagley was in and I got excited because there was so much to dive into and to explore that was about this mysterious woman that I got to play!

AM: Well beyond reading the books and the information that you were given, how else did you prepare to play her?

MS: Definitely kinetically. I was training just sort of on my own physique that we do as actors. Then I did kickboxing which I did when I was younger, shadow boxing, doing drills with a stunt team and then there was a lot of speaking to military veterans that had served – specifically women who had been in the army and the marines. I have a couple of friends that are veterans and so they put me in touch just so that I could understand what that life was like and the real things that you sort of have to endure day in and day out as being deployed and being part of this mahinery that is the US military.

I just love doing research and deep diving with characters so it was a combination of a few things.

AM: Obviously, not to have spoilers or anything, but where do we leave Neagley in Season 1 and where do we pick up with her again as we go into Season 2?

MS: You know, the good thing about the show is that each season is a contained story, right? We do 1 book per season so it feels quite satisfying where when we were in the first season, it was a limited series and if you’re watching the 2nd season, you don’t have to have seen the previous one to enjoy the next one. Of course, I think that you should so that you have an understanding of the character Reacher (Alan Ritchson), who he is and how he moves through the world.

But I think that we leave her and she’s come in to do her duty and to help save her friend. And now, we pick back up with her in Season 2 where there are bigger stakes for her and them because members of their unit have turned up dead. I think that is much more of a personal round and a personal story for all of our main characters this season. I think that the action and the scope of the season is indicative of that in terms of the action and the interplay between the characters and how stark it also is given that we shoot in the winter in Toronto.

AM: The final episode of the second season I was like, this is so exciting where everything ends. We know that it has already been greenlit for the 3rd season and we know that we will continue to see you. Do you know anything about the 3rd season that you’re able to share with us or what would you like to see if you were able to be in the Writer’s Room?

MS: I may or may not know things that I may or may not be able to talk about! So we can leave it at that ha ha! Of course, we will see Reacher do cool things in Season 3 and if Nealey shows up to lend him a hand again – hopefully that will be exciting for the fans as well as it has been in the other seasons. I think that the liberty of doing a book per season, we can dive into new stories as we adapt them for screen. The showrunners and the powers that be can fit it into what they feel is right for the TV version. So a lot more action of course, but the story changes in terms of scope, in terms of world, and I think that it will be interesting to see what comes next.

AM: Are there any upcoming projects that you have that we should keep an eye out for?

MS: I’m currently working on a few things on the writing side. I just finished a pilot which is a modern Western set in Wyoming where I also live. Right now, I also have 2 features in development, but they are in very early stages, but that’s what I plan to be working on for the writing side this year.

AM: When you’re not working on a project or in the throws of a project, how do you take time for yourself?

MS: I travel a lot. I love to go to different countries exploring different cultures. I specifically go to Mexico a lot, I go to Southern Africa a lot, I spend a lot of time on horseback in the bush in Southern Africa. There’s just nothing better than seeing wildlife from horseback. For me, it’s a great way to of course get inspired, reset, and step away from the hustle and bustle of our industry and just to have some stillness and to be off of our phones and to reconnect with nature.

IG @mariasten

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 38 - 45 + 45 Prime Video/Reacher | PG 42 9LIST STORI3S + PG 118 NEW YEAR N3W YOU Image Courtesy Maria Sten |

Our shoot with Maria Sten took place on Mulberry street in NoLita at il Pellicano and Bijoux Lounge. Following the credits from this photoshoot, we delve into into this restaurant as well as the lounge so that you can plan your next night out in an epic way!

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | TEAM CREDITS

PHOTOGRAPHER Paul Farkas | FASHION STYLIST Kimmie Smith | MUA Rebecca Restrepo | HAIR STYLIST Corey Tuttle |

IG @pvfarkas

@shes.kimmie

@rebeccarestrepo

@coreytuttlehair

IT'S ABOUT THE STORY COVER EDITORIAL | CREDITS

LOUNGE LOOK PG 16-19 | BUCK MASON Molasses Lounge Wool Shirt + Pants |

FITNESS LOOK BACK COVER + PG 20 - 25 | COSMOLLE Air Wear Long Sleeve + High Waisted Legging Set | ATHLEISUREVERSE Varsity Jacket | NEW BALANCE 550 Sneakers |

OUT + ABOUT LOOK PG 26 - 29 | GREY BANDIT Adriana Coat | LNA CLOTHING Essential Cotton Kaden V Neck | MAVI Wide Leg Pant | ABBOTT LYON Curb Chain Necklace | SEQUIN JEWELRY Marleigh Evil Eye Charm Necklace | NAGICIA Braided Ring | SMARTGLASS JEWELRY Cube Gold Ring in Aqua and Antique Clear |

NIGHT OUT LOOK FRONT COVER PG 30 - 35 | FORE Dress | ALEX SOLDIER Silver Drop Earrings with White Topaz | LAGOS Caviar Beaded Ring, Black Caviar Silver Station Ceramic Caviar Beaded Bracelet, Black Caviar Single Station Ceramic Diamond Bracelet, Signature Caviar Silver Caviar Bracelet | STEVE MADDEN Evelyn |

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS

PAUL SHOT WITH | CANON Mark IV and Canon Lenses - 24-70, 70-200 + 50 1.2 | SIRUI Dragon Series Bendable RGB Panel Lights set of 2 of B25R*2 + DJ280 |

ATHLEISURE MAG: It was such a pleasure to have our cover shoot with Prime Video's Reacher star, Maria Sten. Tell me about the backgrounds of the co-owners of this restaurant from previous restaurants etc.

IL PELLICANO: Owner, Massimo Tabacco's journey from Rome to New York City in the mid-eighties led him to work in several esteemed Manhattan restaurants like Tre Merli, Azzurro Ciaobella, Coffee Shop, and Paper Moon Milano. In the early '90s, he opened Gilda near Saks 5th Avenue, where he forged a lasting friendship with Kyky Conille, who became a significant part of his citywide ventures. Kyky Conille is known for nightclubs in NYC like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons. The restaurant is located above Kyky Conille and Dimitri Hyacinthe’s new club, Bijoux Lounge, which has become one of NYC’s hottest going out spots. Il Pellicano and Bijoux will be working together to deliver elevated dining upstairs and a late-night menu down for Bijoux’s patrons’ downstairs.

AM: When did il Pellicano launch and can you give us some background on the restaurant as I know you have a sister restaurant in CT.

IP: Popular, Fairfield, Connecticut Italian restaurant, il Pellicano, is opened its first NYC outpost. Known for their infusion of old classics with a modern twist, Il Pellicano will stand apart from the other traditional Italian restaurants on its block. Il Pellicano is located at 149 Mulberry, and encompasses a 50-seat dining room, a 40-seat front patio and 30-seat back garden. Owners Massimo Tabacco and Kyky Conilleofficially opened its doors to the public on Friday, January 12th.

AM: What is the importance of the Pelican?

IP: The Pelican (Il Pellicano) is a small hotel in Poro Ercole, Italy where Massimo (owner) used to ride to with his friends with motorcycles from Rome. Amazing ride on the coast of Tuscany, so it always had a sentimental meaning to him.

AM: Tell us about the design aesthetic of the restaurant and the meaning behind the name.

IP: The design is sleek and modern with green booths and gold light fixtures. The walls are filled with framed photos of Pelicans – drawing from the name.

AM: Who is the Executive Chef at il Pelicano on Mulberry St and can you provide information on their background and kitchens that they have worked in?

IP: Chef Saul Media is the executive chef at Il Pellicano on Mulberry Street. Chef Media’s heritage of Puebla Mexico is where the kitchen was his earliest classroom thanks to his grandmother and aunts. In his early twenties he embarked his journey to NYC, Connecticut, West Coast and then back to the East Coast making a mark in the world of culinary arts. With Chef Media’s first few years in the trenches starting as a dishwasher, then a line cool and then eventually cooking in renowned establishments including Gibsons Italia in Chicago, The Mark by Jean-Georges in New York, G’ios Italian and Cena’s restaurant in Tampa Bay, and the iconic steakhouse, The Forge, in Miami, among others.

AM: For those who are coming for lunch, tell us about 3 appetizers that we should try when dining with family or friends?

IP: Olive Oil Flight – three select styles of monini single harvest olive oil served with fresh baked herb focaccia

Caesar Salad – romaine arugula, croutons, parmigiano Reggiano, Caesar dressing

Heirloom Tomato Caprese – bocconcini mozzarella, basil oil, balsamic pearls, parmesan gel

AM: What are 3 main dishes that you suggest that we should have when we're coming in for lunch with family and friends?

IP: Chicken Milanese - arugula, tomato, cucumber, onion meyer lemon vinaigrette

Cacio E Pepe – Bucatini, Pecorino, Cracked Black Pepper

Tuscan Steak Sandwich – Shaved steak, cubanelle pepper, raclette cheese, carmalized onion

AM: What are 3 cocktails or wines that would be great to pair with our meal?

IP: Super Tuscan, Promis by Gaja, ITALY

Sancerre, Moulin Camus, ITALY

Barreled Negroni – Gin, Campari, Antica & Barrel aged in House

AM: For dinner, what are 3 dishes that you suggest to begin our meal?

IP: Forgmaggi e Salumi – rotating selection of curated meats and cheeses and house made accompaniments.

Carpaccio Di Polpo – thinly sliced octopus, roasted eggplant and tomato musarda, sherry glaze

Suppli di Riso Funghi – roman rice rice ball stuffed with mozzarella, parm, truffle dust, pistachio cream

AM: What are 3 dishes that we should have our eye on?

IP: Carbonara fettuccine - parmiggiano reggiano, guanciale and cracked pepper

Tartufo Al Funghi - pappardelle, wild mushroom blend, white truffle, pecorino romano

Pork Chop Scarpariello - cherry peppers, onions, white balsamic, crispy potatoes

AM: What are 3 sides that we should have with them?

IP: Rainbow Carrots, Mushroom Blend, and Asparagus.

AM: What are 3 cocktails that we should have in mind?

IP: Olive Oil Martini - tito’s fat washed with monini olive oil, cocchi bianco, brine, castelvetrano

Durazno Verde - tequila, ancho reyes, peach, lime, poblano ice, tajin

Amari & Aperitivo - a custom cocktail experience: select the bitter and the bartenders do the rest!

AM: What are there 3 dessert options that you suggest?

IP: The Almond Cake, The Smoked Burrata with Dried Figs, Infused in Truffle Honey, and the Chocolate Budino.

AM: As we navigate the winter and look towards the spring, are there any events that we should know about?

IP: Weekend truffle party brunches and a new truffle menu launching.

In Athleisure Mag's DEC ISSUE #96, Bijoux Lounge was featured in Athleisure List. We wanted to share a bit more about this hot spot!

As temperatures drop below freezing, venturing out for a night in NYC has become dreadful. The struggle of searching for a spot to stow away your bulky winter coat, spending ungodly amounts to Uber two blocks or enduring long club lines is very real. What if we told you there was a way to enjoy an entire night out without ever leaving a single location? In the past year, it has become increasingly common to bars/clubs or vice versa allowing you to complete the night out within the confines of one building. Il Pellicano & Bijoux Lounge is NYC’s newest restaurant and bar combination. Nightlife maven Lionel “Kyky” Conille, a pioneer and renowned for his NYC nightclubs like Provocateur, PM, the original Bijoux, and Lily Pond in the Hamptons, quietly marked his return to the scene with the opening of Bijoux Lounge at the end of 2023. This speakeasy-style, moody red-lit club has already hosted notable events, including the 21st birthday celebration of "Summer I Turned Pretty" star Lola Tung and Society Management's model-filled holiday party. Above the bar, Bijoux owner Conille and longtime friend Massimo Tabacco unveiled Il Pellicano a few weeks ago. The menu promises a seamless fusion of timeless and contemporary Italian flavors, echoing some of the beloved dishes from Il Pellicano's Connecticut location. Collaborating seamlessly, Bijoux and Il Pellicano are set to provide a can't miss elevated dining experience upstairs and a late-night menu downstairs.

IG @ilpellicanonewyork

@bijouxnyc

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see IT’S ABOUT THE STORY | Maria Sten in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

MURDER 101

KT Studios + iHeart Radio

Spotify

Long time readers of Athleisure Mag know that we love a true crime genre podcasts! In Murder 101, we find out about a local serial killer in a small Tennessee town who was caught by an interesting group of investigators, a group of high school students! Led by their teacher Alex Campbell, during one semester the class was able to connect and identify a 30 year old mystery. Their efforts led to connecting the killer to at least 6 brutal murders.

Interestingly enough, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigators have publicly agreed on their theory but charges have yet to be filed against the murderer.

Some members of this class have already graduated, they continue to work alongside current high school students so that they can complete this assignment.

GRISELDA

Netflix Originals

Netflix

Continuing along with our enjoyment of true crime, we are always interested in hearing about the life and time of crime bosses. Generally, these names include Pablo Escobar, Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and even the Kray twins - Ronnie and Reggie to name a few. But women have also navigated this world. Griselda tells the story of Griselda Blanco, The Godmother of Cocaine of Miami's drug empire. Inspired by real events, we watch the jounrey of her life in Medellin, Columbia to being a force in Miami.

This mini series has Sofia Vergara (Machete Kills, Modern Family, America's Got Talent) playing the notorious Columbian drug lord. We watch as she enters into the drug business to support her family and as she gets deeper into this industry, we see what happens when greed and ruthlessness begin to take hold of those involved.

We also see how her downfall comes about as she comes up against betrayal and paranoia of the very ones that work for her.

We see how she navigates being arrested and being separated from her children. Her life becomes even more complicated when a staged kidnapping, arrests and deception are thrown into the mix. Through it all, her right hand Rivi (Martin Rodriguez) is a pivotal person in her enterprise. Karol G (WATATI, Mi Cama, TQC) also makes her acting debut as one of Griselda's trusted confidants.

RIPPLE

Western Sound + APM Studios

Apple

We've been enjoying a new investigative documentary style podcast known as Ripple. They aim to focus on major events that we know about and analyzing the long-term impact that continue to go unnoticed for years or even decades.

In their inaugural season, they look at the largest oil spill in American history from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil on the Gulf Coast.

At the time, we heard about the herculean response effort that made shorelines safe and avoided a worst case scenario. Was that really the whole picture?

The investigators visit the coastal residents to see how they are still impacted more than a decade later.

Read the JAN ISSUE #97 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND

Netflix Original

Netflix

We have all seen a number of shifts that have taken place in the last few years; however, Leave The World Behind looks at what

happens when regardless of your social status, you find yourself in a situation where a cyber attack not only makes us disconnected, but even nature and the natural order of things gets disrupted. How do we interact with one another, and how do we navigate when the rules that we know and follow no longer exists.

REACHER

Amazon Original

Prime Video

Reacher is back with Season Two as we follow Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson), a veteran military police officer who ultimately wants to explore the country that he fought for. To that end, he wants to travel around the country with few things that tie him down; however, he finds himself in a number of situations that require him to have to fight to survive. If you have yet to watch the first season, now is a great time to catch up before delving into the 2nd season.

This month, streaming now, the second season finds him receiving a message that members of his former unit are being murdered and he must connect with former team members to find out what happened to them.

As they delve into what happened, they continue to unearth more questions - who set them up and who is the one that will die?

MY FUGITIVE DAD

Smoke Screen, The Binge + Sony Music

Spotify

We've been fans of Smoke Screen that focuses on those who are con artists, cult leaders, and those who are complex characters that bend the rules to navigate their lives. This season in My Fugitive Dad, we learn about a father and dad who have a close relationship where she felt that she knew everything about him. But it wasn't until she was 38, that she realized her dad wasn't who he thought he was.

She learns that her father's favorite movie, Thomas Crown Affair was the inspiration behind a robbery that he did in Cleveland and then he he spent half a century in a quiet New England town. His secrets unearth a number of other secrets in his life, his family's as well as other family's.

With his daughter seeking answers on how he got away with his crimes, US Marshal's looking for him, and finding out how he started over - this season has a number of twists and turns!

Read the DEC ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

AKA MR. CHOW

HBO Original

Max

We always enjoy a good documentary and in aka MR. CHOW, we get to know the bigger than life story about Michael Chow who was born, Zhuo Yinghua. His life is one that the tragedies he endured with trauma, loss, and prejudice never stopped him from being a successful businessman, acting, and becoming the very well known restaurateur, Mr. Chow. His ability to host artists, actors, musicians, designers, and models made him the one that everyone wanted to be around. And as is true with how he has navigated his life, he is engaging on his next reinvention, being the artist M where he has embraced this passion that he has always enjoyed.

SLY

Netflix Original

Netflix

When it comes to an action star, Sylvester Stallone gave us characters and stories that allowed us to enjoy big explosions, navigate hardship, and still be able to find the sensitivities that lies within whom he portrays.

For those that don't know how he made a niche for himself, this documentary takes you through his beginning acting days, meeting and befriending Henry Winkler, and being willing to play roles where he was typecast just so he could get his foot in the door.

Ultimately, he realized that if he wanted to truly use his gifts in the way that he saw himself, he would need to write, direct, and act in his own movies. Thus, he created the Rocky franchise and the Rambo franchise and proved that he could bring his characters to the screen that we could cheer for as they proved that good could truly prevail over evil.

Sly also shows how he navigated the industry by continuing to act in other films, even if they were outside of how we saw him and how he continued to prove that he could keep pushing the envelope of the franchise with The Expendables!

He also reflects on his life as he continues to do what he loves most. In addition to Sly, there are a number of people who share their thoughts from Quentin Tarantino, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Talia Shire, Henry Winkler and Frank Stallone Jr.

THE WEDDING SCAMMER

The Ringer

Spotify

We enjoy listening to podcasts from The Ringer that includes recaps and analyses on our favorite TV shows.

In their first True Crime podcast, The Wedding Scammer introduces us to the ultimate scammer who has multiple aliases, has left many debts in his wake as well as devestated those in the wedding as well as the publishing industry! Hosted by Justin Sayles, he is on a quest to get his answers.

Read the NOV ISSUE #96 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

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REPTILE

Netflix Original

Netflix

What happens when the life that you thought that you knew isn't what it seems and in the end, you realize that you're in the midst of a coverup that makes it incredibly difficult to get out of? In Reptile, we're introduced to a real estate family that does a little more than selling houses. Will Grady (Justin Timberlake) is living the dream and seems to have a great life along with a woman that he loves.

We also get to know more about a police officer, Nichols (Benicio Del Toro) and his crew! The two worlds of these men as well as those associated come together in a thriller that leaves you constantly wondering how all of this is connected and where as well as what is the lie?

This is the perfect movie to watch on a weekend solo or with friends!

FBOY ISLAND

CW Original

CW App

We have been fans of FBOY Island for the past 2 seasons on Max as this social experiment is definitely next level when it comes to women finding their ideal man. Now that they have made the move to The CW, we're glad that Nikki Glaser is back navigating the relationships between the 3 women this season and those who are FBOYs and Nice Guys! Interestingly enough, of the 3 contestants that we will get to know more about, Katie Thurston from Season 17 of The Bachelorette is competing for love! It's an interesting crossover, but we know that the Executive Producer, Elan Gale, previously worked on The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise. In addition to Katie, she is joined by model Hali Okeowo and social media influencer Daniella Grace.

We can't wait to see what will take place this season and to see how these women will go about the experience!

EVEN THE RICH - COURTNEY LOVE: NOBODY'S DAUGHTER

Wondery

Spotify

Even the Rich is a great series that has a number of episodes that focus on getting the inside scoop of a celeb or noted person that you know. You get to know about how they got to where they are, what they had to navigate in order to be who they are, and where they are now!

Previous series have included Jay-Z and Beyonce, The Royals, Selena and so much more! Currently, they are focusing on Courtney Love! In this series we'll get to know more about her, her career, and beyond. Hosts Brooke Siffrinn and Aricia Skidmore-Williams will take us on this journey as well as give a few insights along the way!

Read the OCT ISSUE #94 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

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DONYALE LUNA SUPERMODEL

HBO Original

Max

When we look back at the first Black Supermodel, many of us think of Beverly Johnson; however, in HBO's Donyale Luna Supermodel, we are introduced to the first, who covered Harper's Bazaar Magazine, was in a number of campaigns, shot by leading photographers, and jetsetted throughout Europe when she realized that making it here in the US as a Black woman from Detroit wouldn't be a reality for her.

She lives a life as a model and creative who simply wanted to find a place that she could call home, be accepted, and shine in her own skin. Throughout the documentary we learn about her life, her iconic poses, and luminaries in the industry talk about those who opened doors for her as well as those that kept it shut. The importance in reclaiming this history so that more can be aware of her story is one that we truly enjoyed in this documentary.

LOVE IS BLIND

Netflix Series

Netflix

We love a good social experiment and we're back in the pods for the 5th season of Netflix's Love is Blind, we see another round of those who are looking to find their match without seeing one another. They're able to date in pods, talk about their interests, and what a life would be like together, and then if they get engaged, they only see each other when they accept!

Afterwards, they go on a vacation where all the couples are able to begin their lives and then they go

home so that they can see whether they can continue to be with one another as well as to meet their families. In the end, they will see if love is blind if they end up getting married and avid viewers of the show always like seeing the after show as well as another episode that shows what happened with those involved! It kicks off on Sept 22nd with initial episodes and over the 3 week period, additional episodes will be available on Fri.

EXPOSED: COVER UP AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Wondery

Spotify

When you go to a trusted OB-GYN at Columbia University, you expect a higher level of care. But hundreds and possibly thousands of women were allegedly assaulted by Dr. Robert Hadden and although many tried to be heard, it seemed like he wouldn't be held accountable until the survivors engaged in a decade-long fight for justice.

In Wondery’s Exposed: Cover Up at Columbia University, medical journalist Laura Beil shares their stories, what they endured, the cover-up, and how the women got their power back.

Read the SEP ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

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SHELTER

Prime Video Series

Prime Video

Bestselling mystery and thriller author, Harlan Coben brings his book Shelter as a series as we find out the connection between a family, town, and whether death is as finite as we believe it to be.

We get to know about Mickey Bolitar (Jaden Michael) who goes back to his father's NJ suburban town after his death. Although there is something nostalgic about having his aunt, Shira Bolitar (Constance Zimmer) take care of him, playing basketball in the same school as his dad and making friends. There is something idyllic about this quaint town. Through a series of strange events, disappearances and secrets, he works with his friends Ema (Abigale Corrigan) and Spoon (Adrian Greensmith) to figure out how his dad's death is connected to the unease that continues to grow within him.

SURVIVE THE RAFT

Discovery

Max

We enjoy a good reality competition show that shifts the social experimentation paradigm! The premise of Survive the Raft is inspired by the 1973 Acali Experiment by Mexican anthropologist, Santiago Genovés. He curated a group of people from varying backgrounds to see how they would come together, live, work, and accomplish goals. The experiment had a lot of conflict and tensions.

With this experiment and the studies that resulted from it, this competition builds on that and is hosted by Nate Boyer (US Army Green Beret, NFL Seattle Seahawks, Mayans MC) who announces the challenges to the contestants who live on the raft and work together in order to win money for the group. The contestants do a series of challenges, navigate conflicts and even have opportunities to win money for themselves without the group knowing or to stay true to the assignment to build the pot for everyone to share equally. It's a game of the ultimate believe in unity as well as questioning whether those you came in with should stay or be swapped with those that are a better fit!

PAINKILLERS

Netflix Originals

Netflix

Painkillers, a Netflix Original Series focuses on the opioid epidemic that we have been navigating for the last few decades. The availability of these drugs comes with immense consequences and this series follows all who are involved from the companies that make the drugs, the victims that use it, those who are related to users who are also caught up the effects and the investigation of how all of these elements converge together.

Read the AUG ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

THE DESCENT | LAURA MCGANN

Prior to the release of Netflix's The Deepest Breath, we had the pleasure of watching the screener for this documentary film that not only brings us into the world of freediving, the relationships between freedivers as well as safety divers, but the dedication and the complete use of the athlete's body when they are competing. We are introduced to Alessia Zecchini who is known as the Deepest Women on Earth at 123 meters, 38X Freediving World Record, and 17X World Champ. We also meet her safety, Stephen "Steve" Keenan who was passionate about this sport as well as protecting the freedivers who continue to trailblaze in this sport.

For those that may not be aware, we wanted to give a bit of background on the sport as well as some terminology. Freediving is the practice of holding your breath when diving underwater without the use of breathing equipment, such as a scuba tank. This takes on more meaning when you realize that prior to Alessia winning the 2023 AIDA Oceanquest Philippines in Camotes Island, she broke a world record in the Bifins discipline during the 2023 Secret Blue International Depth Competition in the Philippines by achieving a 109 meter dive in 3 mins and 38 seconds. She broke her own 2-day old record of 107 meters set on a 3 min 26 sec dive in March and surpassed the previous AIDA record by a 10meter margin. Her world and Italian records are definitely astounding and even more so when you realize that this is done by simply holding your breath as depths are being navigated!

In this sport, there are blue holes which are a large marine cavern or inkhole, which is open to the surface and has developed in a bank or island composed of a carbonate bedrock. They can be an oasis in an otherwise barren seafloor. Blue holes are diverse biological communities full of marine life, including corals, sponges, mollusks, sea turtles, sharks, and more.

If you have yet to see this documentary film, you can stream this now on Netflix, but this interview may have spoilers. We sat down with the film's director, Laura McGann to find out about why she wanted to share this true story, bring this sport to life, show how one trains to do it, and to transport us to phenomenal locales around the world.

ATHLEISURE MAG: What drew you to want to direct The Deepest Breath and how did you find out about this story?

LAURA MCGANN: Look, I love the sea and we moved to live by the sea because we love swimming all year around and it gives me a lot. I’m a better person for the sea for sure!

So I suppose, that I would be attracted to anything about it and I remember seeing it in the Irish Times and I didn’t know what freediving was and I had to Google it. I was met by these incredible images of humans behaving more like dolphins and holding their breath for what felt like forever. It was kind of like learning that there was a group of people who had cracked the code on flying and that they had just learned how to fly! I was like, what? So it started there and then I learned more about Steve and Alessia, that’s when I really felt like, oh God this could be an incredible story, an incredibly cinematic documentary and if I were possibly able to tell it in the moment, and go on their journey with them – Alessia the World Champion freediver and Stephen Keenan an expert safety diver and their lives are just so incredibly dramatic and also just really inspirational. Just seeing that if you just live your life a little bit differently, follow your dreams – what it is that you can end up doing!

AM: When we first heard about the movie, there was a general sense of what freediving was but the first 5 or 10 minutes of actually watching your film, you get the depth of the intensity of what the film as well as what the sport is about! It really puts you in awe about all the things that have to come together to compete in this with holding that breath and really using your body as an instrument.

How did you immerse yourself in being able to really know about what the sport is and to get those moments so that as a viewer, you’re able to translate those anxiety filled moments as you’re watching it?

LM: Well, I suppose I came to this not knowing anything. It was really a long time before I would see a freediver with my own 2 eyes! It would actually be years, about 3 years and so the free divers from all over the world, held my hand and spent many an hour explaining to me over Zoom on what they did, why they did it, how they did it and how it all was. Then eventually, the first place that we went to where I saw Alessia dive was in fact the Blue Hole in Dahab, Egypt. One of our participants in the film, Kristof Coenen, he describes it as like putting his head in the water for the first time and holding his breath and all the shit from daily life just vanishes. I was at the Blue Hole and I looked in the water and I saw all of the little fish and the coral and I was only up to about my hip, but then I swam about 5 meters out and then all of a sudden, it just drops like a cliff for about 100 meters deep from 1 meter to 100 meters – just like that! It was an incredible blue, the kind of blue that calls you down and so getting to see that for myself, experience it for myself, I think it was really important as the filmmaker that I could kind of grasp something from it and try to bring that onto the screen.

AM: From an organizational standpoint, the way that the film reveals itself is really interesting and it tells a deeper story. You have so many people that talk throughout this film. How did you coordinate it all as it must have been massive?

LM: I suppose that part of it was that we had the pandemic which stopped us from doing a lot, but it also allowed us to do a lot as well in terms of the research and being able to spend so much time talking to them. It allowed us the time to really sit with the story and I would use our Zoom transcripts to piece together, kind of as a script to see what people were saying and to figure out the best way to tell this story in the most compelling way and to try to figure that out. And really, just to do it justice.

AM: What’s the big story that you want people to walk away from in terms of having the freediver and having the safety diver, what is it that we should be getting from that?

LM: I suppose that one of the things is to open people’s eyes up to what humans can actually do as that’s just fascinating! To watch that play out in someone’s life, to see them develop the skill, but it’s also like, 2 people that had this wild streak, this curiosity for the life and this world and just living their life in a way that was different from the way that it was expected or would have liked from their parents. Going on that journey with them is a bit like living vicariously through Steve and Alessia and doing something that maybe a lot of us would not be brave enough to do, but perhaps should be!

AM: We’re taken on a journey of a number of locations in this film. What were all of the locations?

LM: Oh my God, it was incredible! Freedivers know how to choose locations and they were more like that of a Bond film! So we started in the Blue Hole in Dahab and we went to Dean’s Blue Hole on Long Island in the Bahamas – it’s a 200m sinkhole. It’s just stunning. We went to a number of cenotes (Editor’s Note: Cenotes are a natural pit, or sinkhole resulting from the collapse of limestone bed rock that exposes groundwater. This term originated in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, where cenotes were commonly used for water supplies by the ancient Maya.) in Mexico. I didn’t even know what a cenote was and looking at some of the footage from Daan Verhoeven, he’s a freediving cinematographer – I had seen these incredible images. Our main image is of Alessia swimming up towards the light in a cenote and I remember seeing images like this from Daan and asking him, “Daan, what’s this?” He explained that it was a cenote in Mexico. So it was just such an incredible learning curve for me. Then, filming off of the Caribbean Sea off of Mexico as well with the freedivers along with incredible freediving cinematographer Julie Gautier, she would with the safety and the divers, dive down to 30m, pop back up, show me the shot, I would be holding onto a noodle on the surface and I’d say, “that’s great Julie, could we just do that one more time, slightly different?” She’d say yes and pop back down to 30m and then come back up again. It was like having a fleet of dolphins on our crew. That’s what it was like!

AM: What was your favorite moment of this production?

LM: Oh God, there has been many really! Many moving moments. I would struggle now to name 1. It was in the Blue Hole in Dahab and as I said, it was our first shoot and it was my first opportunity to see what it was all about and it was swimming out over that cliff like I was saying to you. There was that moment when I was looking down at the fish and then it broke down and away into 100m. It was just this blue that went on for forever! It looked more like you were looking into the sky or something and you could see for 30 or 40m. You could see fish and that was just a moment that I will never be able to forget for my entire life! There were core memories made there in that moment.

AM: What was the most difficult part of this production?

LM: For me, I would say, getting it right. It was really important to me, not just as a filmmaker, and as a film that people would be able to get something from and enjoy. But for the people that are in it. It was just really important to me that Peter, Steven’s dad and his family, Alessia and her family were happy and felt like it reflected their memories of what happened and that it was true and it was fair. That was something that was always at the forefront of my mind and it was really important.

I wouldn’t say that it was a difficult thing, I would say that it was extremely important that we would have to look after.

IG @netflix

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | Netflix/The Deepest Breath

Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag and see THE DESCENT | Laura McGann in mag.

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FULL CIRCLE

Max Original

Max

We've been enjoying the limited series, Full Circle directed by Academy Award winning director, Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's Eleven franchise, Her, The Girlfriend Experience) whose cast includes Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Amsterdam), Claire Danes (The Hours, Homeland, Fleishman in Trouble), Dennis Quaid (The Long Game, Goliath, Lawmen: Bass Reeves), Zazie Beets (Atlanta, Joker, Bullet Train), CCH Pounder (Face Off, Sons of Anarchy, NCIS New Orleans), Jim Gaffigan (Luca, Tesla, Peter Pan & Wendy), and Phaldut Sharma (EastEnders, Avenue 5, The Personal History of David Copperfield).

Each episode looks at how a series of events are more connected than what you may think and how these actions that are done in plain site and in secret, converge! You can binge all the episodes now to see what goes around comes around regardless of who you are.

FIVE STAR CHEF

Netflix Originals

Netflix

We always love a food competition show and in Five Star Chef, we get to know more about the fine dining world and how Langham Hotel in London executes their vision. Each challenge focuses on another portion of the menu and the kinds of dishes that they offer. We also get to see key staff at the property, how they present the service of the hotel to guests as well as well known people in the industry!

All episodes can be enjoyed now and we hope that there will be an additional season whether it's at this hotel or another 5-Star property that we'll have on our list to visit next!

L.A. MADE: THE BARBIE TAPES

LAist Studios

Spotify

We've all seen a number of promotions that have been focused around the Barbie movie that dropped on July 21st. We've been listening to L.A. Made's The Barbie Tapes by LAist Studios which looks at the origin story of this doll. Birthed from a European doll that was a gag gift of sorts and meant to be an adult sexy toy, it would transform to a doll that has been a symbol for many everywhere in terms of occupational roles, the proof that women can do anything as well as being increasingly more representative by showcasing an array of sizes, abilities, race, and more.

This podcast also goes into the business of Barbie and how the team created and infused these concepts of her that we continue to enjoy in the present day.

Read the JUL ISSUE #91 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

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BLACK MIRROR

Netflix Series

Netflix

It's been awhile but Black Mirror is back with 5 new episodes that let you think about connectivity, technology, interpersonal relationships and so much more! This season we're left with wondering about the extent of privacy and how by giving it out, we may be allowing more access to who we are then we ever thought! We also look at how much our love for True Crime may uncover secrets and behaviors that we never thought that those who we know have! It also makes us think about how the act of assisting someone or giving time to others can have adverse affects. We found that we were able to binge all the episodes in one weekend day and left our screens wondering about these themes as well as hoping that there would be another season to keep us pondering soon!

AND JUST LIKE THAT

Max Original

HBO/Max + Spotify

Fans of Sex and the City were treated to And Just Like That last year which picked up with the our favorite ladies of NYC. We returned to them last year in new circumstances as well as bringing in new friends to shake up what we knew about them and to diversify their lives!

This month, the second season is back with more stories to tell, more challenges to take on, and to to continue to strive to live their best lives with an array of nuances!

As you know, this show also has a podcast companion series which takes us into the writer's room to talk in depth about each episode as well as to talk about how they approached writing the episode, whose personal experiences it was based on and how it ties into art, styling and more. Episodes of this spin-off series drop weekly and if you missed anything, you can catch up on Max for this series as well as Sex and the City. Also listen to the podcast show on your favorite platforms.

HIDDEN SIGNAL:EVERGREEN

QCODE

Spotify

We're enjoying another immersive audio drama from QCODE has been released and it takes us to the end and possible beginning of the world in Hidden Signal: Evergreen. Hidden Signal is an Anthology for QCODE and Evergreen focuses on a hand selected team of the world's greatest minds who are trapped in a subterranean biosphere. They realize that on Earth, an asteroid has destroyed the surface and that they are tasked to create a new society. Mistrust abounds among the group and the line between hero and villain is not easily seen in this fictional podcast. With so much uncertainty, can they come together and trust one another?

Read the JUN ISSUE #90 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

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FATAL ATTRACTION

Paramount+ Original

Paramount

We remember seeing the original Fatal Attraction with Michael Douglas (Wall Street, The Game, Ant-Man franchise) and Glenn Close (Air Force One, Damages, Tehran).

We watched how emotions went from an illicit passion to aggression to stalking and how those involved navigate these relationships which made this an epic thriller!

The Fatal Attraction reboot brings these concepts and feelings together with Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek, Dr. Death, The Affair) and Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex, Party Down, Fleishman is in Trouble) pick up the characters of Dan Gallagher and Alex Forrest. Although the series is based on affairs, we see what happens after and how those involved deal with the fallout of his actions.

LOVE & DEATH

Max Original

HBO/Max + Spotify

This mini-series focuses on the true crime story of the death of Betty Gore by Candy Montgomery. Whether you saw Hulu's version, Candy or not, Love & Death is worth taking a look at how this story involving members of a small community interact with one another when this crime and murder trial took place. Elizabeth Olsen (Avengers franchise, Wandavision, Doctor Strange in the Mutiverse of Madness) and Jesse Plemons (Vice, The Irishman, El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie) showcase these characters in another light.

We suggest that as you watch the 7 episodes, you also listen to the companion podcast of the same name as it brings insight to the series with those in front of and behind the camera. In partnership with Texas Monthly which reported the story when it came out during the trial, journalists share what took place to those involved after the trial, the Texas justice system, the culture at that time, and other insights.

THE FOXES OF HYDESVILLE

QCODE

Spotify

We always enjoy when QCODE drops a new series that takes us into another story that is guaranteed to be an immersive audio experience!

In The Foxes of Hydesville, we go back to the 1800's where Leah Fox (Carey Mulligan) has been estranged from her brother and teenage sisters. In this true story about the Fox sisters, we learn that they are not welcome in their town due to being mediums.

On the request of her brother, she takes them to where she lives and works to keep them safe while realizing that they have harnessed a power that is not only lucrative, but ultimately creates the social-religious movement of Spiritualism in the nineteenth century.

Read the MAY ISSUE #89 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

S3. E6. ATHLEISURE KITCHEN CHEF MATTHEW KENNEY

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, I sat down with Restaurateur, Author, Entrepreneur, and Celebrity Chef, Matthew Kenney. He has been at the forefront of plant-based cuisine and showing how it not only benefits your body, but can be elevated, and enjoyed by those that are vegans as well as those that aren't! We talk about how he got into the industry, the restaurants that he came up through and how he began to blaze a trail in plant-based cuisine at a time where this was not a space that was widely seen. He breaks down raw vegan, vegan, and his plant-based philosophy. We talk about how he approaches his business, his partnerships, licenses, and creating functional foods that are full of flavor such as his latest, Ntidote. He also shares upcoming projects that we're excited to see how his journey continues as he furthers his plant-based mission.

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

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BEEF

Netflix Series

Netflix

BEEF is a must-binge that's perfect to enjoy over the weekend. All 10 episodes of this dark comedy starring Steven Yeun (Nope, Everything All at Once, Okja) and Ali Wong (Birds of Prey, American Housewife, Love, Victor) shows us what happens when a beef takes over your life and how it can completely change everything that you thought you knew about yourself and those around you! It even looks at how a beef can cross gender, class, and other demographics.

FIRED ON MARS

HBO Max Original

HBO

When you've gotten through a number of series on a designated streaming platform, you're always looking for the next item that you'll want to watch. We just found out about Fired on Mars, an animated workplace comedy on a Martian tech company which focuses on a guy who leaves Earth to work on Mars with a number of his colleagues from his office as well as others who are there to populate the planet. We watch him go about his job as a Graphic Designer and how he spends his days there while communicating with his girlfriend who works at the same company who is back on Earth. We can see that she is slated to be there at some point down the road.

As he navigates his days and nights, we also see that a new planet doesn't change the state of office politics, interesting coworkers and the need to fit in. One day, the world that he continues to adjust to is drastically altered and he is forced to try to find a new way to be involved in this new environment as well as to stay connected to the love of his life on Earth.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

FX/Hulu Originals

Hulu

There's nothing like a classic retold and when it comes to FX and the way that they retell Charles Dickens pieces, we couldn't wait to see how this would be done with Great Expectations a 6-episode limited series.

The adaptation is written by Steven Knight (Spencer, See, Peaky Blinders) who is also an Executive Producer alongside Tom Hardy (Venom franchise, Legend, Inception), Ridley Scott (Kaleidoscope, House of Gucci, The Last Duel), Dean Baker (A Christmas Carol, Taboo, Driven to Extremes), David W. Zucker (Still Missing Morgan, Kaleidoscope, The Good Fight) and Kate Crowe (The Third Day, A Christmas Carol, Taboo).

This new look at this beloved classic brings us an orphan named Pip (Fionn Whitehead) who grew up as a blacksmith's apprentice. Suddenly, he receives a windfall from an unknown benefactor that allows him to travel to London and enter high society. His journey includes love, Miss Havisham (Olivia Colman) and more!

Read the APR ISSUE #88 of Athleisure Mag and see Bingely Streaming in mag.

S3. E5. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN CHEF YIA VANG

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we know that there is something about a great meal that allows you to enjoy the flavors, the ambiance and so much more. When the food becomes a gateway to a deeper understanding about the people and culture, it's truly an immersive experience that leaves you with a bigger takeaway.

Today's conversation with Chef Yia Vang explores a history that is infused with his passion for food by sharing his love for Hmong cuisine, his parents as well as the people that it comes from. This multi-nominated James Beard Award chef whose restaurant is up for Best Chef: Midwest for a 2nd year in a row, has two restaurants in Minnesota, Union Hmong Kitchen and Vinai. He is also the host of a number of shows including: The Outdoor Channel's Feral, Food Networks' Stoked, and PBS' Relish. He has competed on Netflix's Iron Chef: Quest for An Iron Legend and hosts his podcast Hmonglish just to name a few of his projects. He tells us about the food, his philosphy and the importance of representation.  

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

RESPECT THE PROCESS | CHEF KRISTEN KISH

Over the past few months, we have caught up with Chef Kristen Kish to talk about TRU TV's Fast Foodies as well as her partnership with Jongga Kimchi. We love how she enjoys exploring food and the stories that it tells for those that also have taken care to share their experiences through it.

This month, she hosts National Geographic's Restaurants At the End of the World that takes her to exotic locales and showcases how people bring their visions to life, creating meals that pull from items that are local to their area and learning about how she can apply these lessons to her personal life; how she navigates her kitchen; and how she approaches food.

In this interview, we are talking about the 4 episodes that will drop each week on Nat Geo as well as streaming on Disney+. We talk about how the show took place, the process of selecting those that are featured and her feedback on dishes that were created during the episodes.

ATHLEISURE MAG: We had the pleasure of chatting with you a few months ago so we got to hear about your latest show and I just saw the 4 screeners in prep for chatting with you and I really enjoyed it! Why did you want to be part of this show and how did you get attached to it?

CHEF KRISTEN KISH: It started back in 2019 with conversations of this idea from a woman named Julia, and it was a scene of food, self-exploration and journey kind of show. Then 2020 happened and things went to a screeching halt and then we were able to pick it up back again. As we started to develop this treatment, the pitches come and when it got pitched, Nat Geo was like, we like this, but also, we’re Nat Geo and we can do something like this! I was like, yes whatever this is I’m totally in for it too! So although they’re very different, it started with this original idea that the core and the heart of this show is very similar to the 2 projects. I love Nat Geo.

AM: It was so good! Watching you immerse yourself in so many different situations, I had anxiety for you!

I saw the 4 screeners, but how many episodes will there be in total?

CHEF KK: We did the 4 and we filmed them over the summer. With any new series, we have a trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t and I can only just hope that we can continue exploring parts of the world.

AM: What was the criteria in terms of the locales you went to and the people that you featured? Everyone was so different and yet there was a common throughline as well.

CHEF KK: We have Missy, who is one of our Executive Producers and she was part of the creative and Nat Geo of course, has their resources obviously. As you can imagine, there are a lot of moving pieces. There were 100s of locations and subjects that were a potential. You know, it’s coming down to scheduling with them, especially with this first 4 and how we develop them, that we are able to communicate with them in English. I wish that I was able to speak another language and that I could speak all of their languages, but I can’t. It also came down to whether they had a real life thing that they were working towards. Like Chef Rolando wanted to cook for Charlie. Chef Gisela had these important guests that were coming into town – things like that were real. So they needed to have the story already happening in order for us to come in. There were so many that were a possibility and I just hope that we will be able to tap into them one day.

AM: What was your favorite dish to create? I know you didn’t create this, but I loved the Kimchi Sorbet, that blew my mind.

CHEF KK: Same! That blew my mind and I wish that I could take the credit for that one but I mean, he just dreamed that up in his head and I was just like, how is this going to work? I said, it’s not going to work, there’s no way that this is frickin’ going to happen and then I tasted it and I was like, “oh my God!” It makes sense, it’s actually, a really well balanced dish! I think that the best part of this series for me was that I got to go in, especially for this first 4 and some I created dishes on my own and others I didn’t. I got to go in with a place and to say, I’m your sous chef and I’m so happy doing that! I gave my 2 cents when they asked for it or asked my advice for things – no judgment or hard feelings. If they didn’t take it, I didn’t care, it was about the bigger experience not what I could give to them and what they could give to me in return. It was like this overall experience that we were working towards.

I think that the feeding bag cocktail challenged –

AM: I was going to ask you about that!

CHEF KK: Mind over matter on that one because it didn’t taste great, but it wasn’t awful. It was the color, the idea of what it was and it kind of throws your brain for a loop. Sometimes, you have to work your way through these. But I did find it incredibly impressive because I thought, who thinks of something like that?

AM: Yeah seeing it –

CHEF KK: Oh I know! The brown on the bottom – I was like, oh God!

AM: Just watching your face I thought, nope!

CHEF KK: But I will say that all of them as adventurous as it all was and as different as they each were, they had this care about what they were cooking. They genuinely wanted to show you and they cared for the product and they were excited about it. So that’s all you can really ask for when it comes to food!

AM: Yeah and I actually liked what you just spoke to, that you were happy being the sous chef. In other circumstances, I can see someone wanting to jump in and I could see the thrill that you had taking on something new and seeing through your eyes the sweet scallops! I would totally want to try that as it looked so amazing.

CHEF KK: Those! It was a wave of sugar! Normally, you’re judging scallops on their brininess and the sweet, salty, salinity and all of that good stuff. These were pure sugar and they were crazy!

AM: That is insane!

CHEF KK: It was absolutely wild! We got to go and I don’t know if it showed in the episode as there’s so much that happens in a week’s time to film this episode. Not everything can make it in. We go to go down and I went diving into it and I swam in between all of the scallops nests and oh my God, it was amazing!

AM: That sounds insane!

What is your biggest takeaway from doing this experience?

CHEF KK: There’s a lot! Professionally, I need to leave more room for experimentation and play without judgment. Whether I’m judging myself or having to serve it to someone that is going to judge me. I think personally, it was continuously layering in this empathy! I cared so much for these people. I cried in every episode for their kindness because these people were so nice to me! We’re often jaded and I think that the state of the world often jades us because reality sucks sometimes. There are a lot of things that are wrong. But when I got to meet these people and to spend so much time with them on camera and off camera with them and they were exactly the same kind of person – they were just so excited to show you who they are. That shit got me and I cried every time!

AM: That is beautiful! What would be the next places that you would like to go to should this continue? I hope it does because it is so beautifully done and I love the format.

CHEF KK: There are so many places that I know of and I don’t know of! There are pockets in this world that I don’t even know the name of! Things that were being tossed around during these first few episodes in trying to figure out where we could go, Mongolia was a place, different parts of Peru, there were places in Africa and I was like yes! Get me there! I want to go and I want to feel all of this stuff. There’s countless places that we can go, I just have to find the time and all the things need to align!

AM: Exactly! Well it was amazing to see it come together and of course, it always takes a community for things to thrive. In these stories, you really saw how those with different roles in the culinary community come together for sourcing, transportation etc and I feel like you really brought that out. I’m sure we’ll be talking soon about whatever amazing project you have going on whether it’s additional seasons/episodes of this show or something else!

CHEF KK: Oh yes! I’ll be talking to you soon and I appreciate you watching it!

IG @kristenlkish

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY | PG 56 + 62 National Geographic/Autumn Sonichsen | PG 59 + 60 National Geographic/Missy Bania |

Read the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag and see RESPECT THE PROCESS | Chef Kristen Kish in mag.

S3. E4. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN CHEF TODD ENGLISH

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we're embracing all the reasons to be out and about with friends, traveling to new destinations, and having the best meals at new and treasured restaurants. When it comes to the culinary industry, there have been a number of luminaries that elevated this space and showcase how they interpret and infuse their passion in this field.

I'm pleased to have 4X James Beard Award winner, Emmy nominated, Las Vegas Food & Wine Festival's 2022 Chef of the Year, restaurateur, entrepreneur, food advocate, best-selling author, philanthropist, and Host/TV personality, Chef Todd English. He is also Athleisure Mag's MAR ISSUE #87 cover! We enjoyed eating at his restaurant Olives, here in NY back in the 2000s as well as eating at his restaurants in Las Vegas.

His passion for his love of cooking rustic Mediterranean, creating an immersive ambiance when you're at his establishments, and having that Todd English aesthetic when you're at his properties is something that we enjoy. He has blown our collective minds, palettes, and senses with such utter delights over the years - with so much more coming!

I sat down with Chef Todd to talk about his culinary background, how he got in and navigated the industry, providing insight into what it meant to be in the industry when there weren't the resources that we have access to today, English Hospitality Group (its portfolio includes Olives, Figs, The Pepper Club, Bluezoo at Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort, The English Hotel to name a few), an array of projects, luxury in hospitality, cannabis, and food advocacy. In our conversation, he provides an inside look at how he approaches ingredients, the state of food, and the power of relevancy as a brand.

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

Read the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.

BINGELY STREAMING

BOSTON STRANGLER

Hulu Original

Hulu

In terms of True Crime, the Boston Strangler was a series of murders that many of us have heard of, and interestingly enough, there are a number of details that we're not aware of. In Hulu's Boston Strangler, we learn how 2 reporters, Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightly) and Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) broke this story about a man in 1960s Boston who strangled women with their stocking and tied them into a bow. We learn how they had to fight to be involved in the story, the blow back when the story hit the papers and then the revelations that have continued to emerge from this case and what we know about it now!

TED LASSO

Apple Original

Apple TV+

We've always enjoyed the good vibes that you get when watching Ted Lasso which brings us on a journey from an American football coach who goes across the pond to coach British footballers. Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) encourages everyone surrounding him to be their best selves by looking on the bright side of life and never giving up - even when you're going through tough times in your life.

Even when he isn't aware of how the game is played, his optimism and determination is one that leaves you rooting for him. It even makes the wins his team achieves even better. We also see how he brings the team and front office management together through his can do attitude.

This 11X Emmy Award winning show definitely gives you the giggles when you watch it and has great cameos of those that have been included in the show. Now in its third season, it's the perfect time to binge previous seasons to catch up or to rewatch some of your favorite memories!

We can't wait to see what happens to the AFC Richmond team and what one-liners Ted will share throughout the season!

THE TURNING: ROOM OF

MIRRORS

Rococo Punch + iHeart Radio

Spotify

We enjoyed Season 1 of The Turning focussed on a group of women who joined the Missionaries of Charity, Mother Teresa’s secretive order of nuns. Minnesota-based producer and reporter Erika Lantz is back with Season 2 Room of Mirrors which looks at the ballet system that was created by choreographer, George Balanchine who was brilliant in his artistry, but also created a number of systemic issues for those that trained under him. Erika, a former ballerina interviews a number of people who worked with him to talk about their experience and where they are now.

Read the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag and see BINGELY STREAMING in mag.

S3. E3. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH RESTAURATEUR, HOST OF NAT GEO'S RESTAURANTS AT THE END OF THE WORLD, CHEF KRISTEN KISH

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, over the past few months, we have caught up with Chef Kristen Kish to talk about TRU TV's Fast Foodies as well as her partnership with Jongga Kimchi. We love how she enjoys exploring food and the stories that it tells for those that also have taken care to share their experiences through it.

This month, she hosts National Geographic's Restaurants At the End of the World that takes her to exotic locales and showcases how people bring their visions to life, creating meals that pull from items that are local to their area and learning about how she can apply these lessons to her personal life; how she navigates her kitchen; and how she approaches food.
 
We talk about the 4 episodes that will drop each week on Nat Geo as well as streaming on Disney+. She tells us about how the show came together, the process of selecting those that are featured and her feedback on dishes that were created during the episodes.

You can also read this episode and see images from this show in the MAR ISSUE #87 of Athleisure Mag.

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.

S3. E2. | ATHLEISURE KITCHEN WITH RESTAURATEUR, STORYTELLER, NEXT LEVEL CHEF - HOST/MENTOR CHEF NYESHA ARRINGTON

On today's episode of Athleisure Kitchen, we have our JAN ISSUE #85 cover of Athleisure Mag, Chef Nyesha Arrington. She utilizes food as a way to tell stories and brings her passion and intention to each plate that she creates. As a Co-Host and Mentor for FOX's Next Level Chef alongside Chef Gordon Ramsay and Chef Richard Blais, she inspires those in the culinary industry and provides expertise, intel and techniques that they can continue to use as they navigate the industry.

When we last talked with her in 2021 for our JUL ISSUE #67, we talked about how she got into her career and her passion for putting her soul on the plate she was in the midst of production for the first season of Next Level Chef and we talked about identity.

Since then, Nyesha continues to do what she does best, exploring the world through travel, and participating in a number of pop-ups and multi-day food events around the world, she is currently on Next Level Chef UK airing on ITV and is back for the second season of Next Level Chef here in the US on FOX that starts immediately following this year's Super Bowl LVII!

We talked about her recent TEDx talk where she shared her life recipe, the importance of mentorship and being in spaces that fuel your fire and allow learning about others and about yourself. Of course, we talk about the success of Next Level Chef and what makes it a perfect fit as well as Native by Nyesha Arrington which is at LAX's Delta Terminal 3!

Athleisure Kitchen is part of the Athleisure Studio Podcast Network and is a member of Athleisure Media which includes Athleisure Mag. You can stay in the loop on who future guests are by visiting us at AthleisureStudio.com/AthleisureKitchen and on Instagram at @AthleisureKitchen and @AthleisureStudio. Athleisure Kitchen is hosted by Kimmie Smith and is Executive Produced by Paul Farkas and Kimmie Smith. It is mixed by the team at Athleisure Studio. Our theme music is "This Boy" performed by Ilya Truhanov.