What makes Keri Russell such a great TV presence?
By Louise Rugendyke, Nicole Abadee, Susannah Guthrie, Melissa Singer, Amanda Hooton and Dani Valent
WATCH / Diplomatic flair
Keri Russell returns as the no-nonsense, London-based US ambassador Kate Wyler in season two of The Diplomat.Credit:
Some actors are made for television. That’s not an insult, far from it; there’s an art to long-form acting over six, 12 or even 300 episodes, and maintaining the audience’s interest in a character that could quickly become predictable. So all hail Keri Russell and her return in season two of The Diplomat (Netflix), in which she plays sparky, fashion-phobic, hairbrush-hating US ambassador Kate Wyler. Wyler is stationed in London with her roguish almost-ex-husband Hal (a devilish Rufus Sewell) and her almost-new squeeze, UK foreign secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi).
It’s Russell’s third lead role on TV and confirms her status as a small-screen queen. From the moment she broke out in the 1998 college drama Felicity (the show in which she infamously received death threats after cutting her hair), she has captivated audiences. Russell took it up another level in 2013 spy drama The Americans, which combined diabolical wigs with off-the-hook chemistry between Russell and her co-star (and now husband) Matthew Rhys. The Diplomat, once again, finds Russell in her element: taking no nonsense from anyone and looking like she’s having a hell of a time doing it. Louise Rugendyke
DRIVE / Sporty spice
The MG Cyberster: A fully electric, fully convertible sports car.Credit: Ted Airey
MG is no stranger to reinvention, having spent the past decade transitioning from niche sports carmaker to affordable, mass-market challenger brand. Now it’s set its sights on reinventing another tried-and-tested formula: the convertible. The much-hyped (and photographed) MG Cyberster is the world’s first fully electric, fully convertible sports car and the marque’s first drop-top model in 13 years. At $115,000 and up, it’s also the most expensive MG you can buy new, with blistering performance, roughly 440 kilometres of electric range and scissor doors reminiscent of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Lamborghini Countach in Wolf of Wall Street. Head-turning, high-performance motoring … without the existential guilt. Susannah Guthrie
LISTEN / Blood-suckingly good
Podcast presenters Sophie Gee and Jonty Claypole offer a cheat’s guide to literary classics.
A confession. Many of the literary classics featured on the new podcast Secret Life of Books I haven’t actually read. Go Tell It on the Mountain? Wide Sargasso Sea? Gulliver’s Travels? Nope. But that’s part of the appeal of SLOB (nice acronym): it’s a brilliant cheat’s guide to dinner party erudition. It’s also very funny. Presenters Sophie Gee (a Princeton academic and University of Sydney fellow) and Jonty Claypole (former director of arts at the BBC) are a great double act, with the kind of expertise that allows them to talk both passionately and lightly about literature. In a typical exchange, Gee describes Dracula, brilliantly, as a manscaping dandy. “He’s always nipping off to do domestic tasks,” she adds: he makes the beds, he cooks delicious meals. Claypole agrees: “To be fair to Dracula, he’s progressive in many ways.” Amanda Hooton
SHOP / It’s a wrap
The “Opal Oz Pax” robe from Jenny Kee’s collaboration with Kip & Co.
Follow enough Australian brands with a vibrant colour palette – Romance Was Born and Alémais come to mind – and one name consistently comes up as a source of inspiration: Jenny Kee. Now, the beloved artist has added lifestyle brand Kip & Co to her list of collaborators, with a range of clothing and homewares made for summer. We especially love this “Opal Oz Pax” robe ($145), whose print was inspired by the colours thrown off by another national treasure: the Australian opal. Made from recycled polyester, it can be worn while lounging, over swimwear or paired with jeans. Joyful and eco-conscious? We’ll take that. Melissa Singer
READ / Burrowing deep
Exploring the impact of tragedy on family relationships: Australian author Melanie Cheng’s new novel. Credit:
Australian writer Melanie Cheng’s debut, the short story collection Australia Day, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for fiction in 2018. Her second book, Room for a Stranger, was long-listed for the 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Award. So there are high expectations for her third book, The Burrow (Text Publishing, $33), a novel about a family torn apart by grief. As Jin (father), Amy (mother) and 10-year-old Lucie are grappling with the death of baby Ruby four years earlier, Amy’s mother, Pauline, comes to stay. Cheng explores with great sensitivity the complex emotions of each character, from guilt, regret and anger to self-loathing, and the impact of the tragedy on their various relationships. Nicole Abadee
EAT / DIY not?
Cultivating raw talent: Flinders Lane restaurant Kisumé is hosting sushi masterclasses.Credit:
If improving your knife skills, learning about premium fish and eating great sushi appeals, you’re a candidate for Flinders Lane restaurant Kisumé’s sushi masterclasses (November 16 and 30, $215). Expert chef Toaki Kyo will school a maximum of 10 participants in the creation of a glam sushi box, then follow up with an eight-course raw fish feast. It’s a no-lose situation: if you maul your catch, you’ll gain even more appreciation for the true masters, and if your slices look like glittering jewels, you’re now qualified to host a sushi feast at home. Dani Valent
EAT / Rocking it
The Rocks’ coolest spot has been on the World’s 50 Best Bars list for six years in a row.Credit:
Perhaps the bigger surprise would have been if cocktail bar Maybe Sammy (115 Harrington Street, The Rocks) wasn’t among the World’s 50 Best Bars when the annual list of mixers and shakers was recently announced. The Rocks’ coolest spot has been on the list for six years in a row, ever since opening. It dropped a few spots to 26th position but is still one of Sydney’s – and the world’s, it seems – best places for a beverage, with bartenders in baby-pink jackets mixing drinks of distinction. Hot tip? Seven-dollar mini martinis on Fridays and Saturdays from 3.30pm. Dani Valent
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