The premise of conquering the beast has been around as long as storytelling has captured human imagination. Myths, fairy tales, superhero sagas, they all tell tales of ordinary men and women going up against an unconquerable foe, armed only with their courage, wit and, more often than not, immeasurable luck.
There is something uniquely human about our species that makes us seek the danger, seek the challenge, seek the beast—for some, facing imminent death is the only way they can feel alive. But most of those challenges here on earth, mountain-climbing, skydiving, cliff-diving, etc, usually feature man vs a 
stationary object. Climb Mt. Everest, jump out of a plane towards Earth, jump off a cliff into the ocean–it’s hard enough to do any of those things, to master any of those skills, to overcome any of those fears, to have the stamina, strength, endurance and ability to do any of those things just as they are. Now imagine doing any of them while they are moving and trying to devour you at the same time. Imagine if, as you were climbing Mt. Everest, it was trying to swallow you whole while you’re just trying to stay on your feet—just trying to survive.
That is what big wave surfing is.
I heard the latest Netflix series sensation Dept. Q described as a cross between Slow Horses and House. Now, if you know anything about those two other beloved but decidedly un-traditional shows, one which ran from 2004 to 2012 and the other which is currently running on AppleTV+, they both are centered around one certifiably grumpy guy who also happens to be—of course—somewhat of a genius at what he does, despite how he makes everyone around him crazy. In House, the crazy-maker was played by the always-perfect
Hugh Laurie and in Slow Horses, he’s played by the great unwashed master Gary Oldman, so, to be considered in the same creative arena as them is quite high praise indeed, but certainly one that is deserved by Matthew Goode, who earns his misanthropic stripes in Dept. Q with just as much bitterness as Laurie and rueful resentment but thankfully more soap (and certainly fewer farts) than Oldman. 
I was in the mood for action again, so I looked around for a show that could scratch my itch and I found one that did just that. It’s not the typical kind of action, there aren’t car chases or spy shenanigans, but there are explosions and tension galore. If you are looking for a show that will keep you fully engaged, on the edge of your seat and never once bored enough to look at your phone, Trigger Point on Peacock and BritBox is the show for you.
Hurt Locker, which won the Oscar for Best Picture back in 2008, except without war, the desert or all that testosterone.