“Authenticity is in the tiniest of details,” says makeup artist Debi Young. “I’d just done Watchman with Jean Smart, where she had played a sharply dressed FBI special agent. And now for Mare of Easttown [the acclaimed HBO series], I wanted to do broken capillaries on her face and give her a little rosacea. And she’s like, ‘Can you give me dishpan hands?’ She had to become this Pennsylvania grandma.”

“If her character went to a party or an event, she had to look like she did her own makeup,” continues Young, with a smile from her Owings Mills home. (She’s seated, in the photo above, next to her daughter-in-law, who is also a makeup artist.) She’s clearly pleased the elegant Emmy-winning actress was almost unrecognizable from role to role. “Not the same person, right?”

Young, herself a four-time Emmy nominee and NAACP Image Award-winning makeup artist and makeup department head, recently wrapped a forthcoming musical co-produced by Pharrell Williams. She has worked on films and television series, including Shirley, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Fences, Jackie, True Detective, Treme, and The Wire.

She got her start, of all places, in the Baltimore Police Department—between shifts fielding emergency calls. On break in the ladies’ room, Young, whose positive vibes exude from every pore, did her colleagues’ makeup and noticed they felt better about themselves afterward. (Actor Wendell Pierce, who she worked with on The Wire and Treme, called her his “therapist” in one interview and said sitting in Young’s makeup chair “brings a calm to your day.”)

The BPD ladies’ room sessions gave her sense of gratification and after her second son was born, she withdrew her pension contributions and quit to pursue an aesthetician’s license. A client who hosted a local television show asked Young to do her makeup in exchange for a screen credit, and soon she was on the set of NBC’s hit, Homicide: Life on the Street.

Of course, the author of the book that led to the TV series turned up during filming. Young recognized David Simon as the same reporter who used to come into her BPD communications department, looking for police reports. “It’s crazy how things overlap,” she says.

It is not the only part of Young’s life and career that overlaps. Years later, she met Ngozi Olandu Young—her future daughter-in-law but then a Morgan State student—working behind the cosmetics counter at Nordstrom in Towson Town Center. Impressed with her patience and attention to detail, she mentored and eventually hired her as an assistant on The Wire, throwing her into the deep end.

“My first episode? ‘Hamsterdam.’ Where I had to do 183 extras and make them look down and out while they’re buying and using drugs and everything,” Olandu Young recalls. “I was on Google trying to research what drug addicts look like. I talked to my dad, a psychiatrist who helped people with drug and alcohol abuse issues.”

Olandu has gone on to her own Emmy-nominated career and, among major TV and film efforts, just wrapped Spike Lee’s remake of Akira Kurosawa’s 1963 film High and Low.

While working on The Wire and other projects, Young has become something of an expert on blood—its coagulation, hues, and the various color stains it leaves, depending on circumstance. Same with dirt. “Dirt and mud from different parts of the country have their own textures and colors and you have to get that right,” she says. However, the artistry, which also includes using prosthetics, is about creating characters.

“If you are a sweaty drunk, you’re going to be a sweaty drunk when you get up out of my chair,” Young says. “I have my idea of what a character should look like as I read the script, making my notes. I also know the cast is arriving with that character in them already and I need to hear how they see themselves. I take what they say, how I see it, and what the vision is of the writer or the director and try to make it a collaborative effort.”

While growing up, Young’s father had a barbershop on Edmonson Avenue. The Harlem Theater was around the corner and her mom, a nursing assistant, worked weekends. So on Saturdays, her father would drop Young and her siblings off at the cinema while he cut hair.

“We would watch two or three movies and come back [to the barbershop]. I was always pouring his tonics and lotions in my hand, practicing on people, just as I was playing with my mother’s makeup on her vanity,” Young recalls. “I still remember when I was nine or 10, he said to me, ‘Your name is going be on credits like that,’ pointing to the television. I said, ‘What are credits?’ And he told me those are the names of all the people who worked on the movie to make the movie.”

As we roll through week 11 (yes, you read that correctly) of quarantine, you’ve probably blown through a good chunk of your watchlist, read a stack of books you never thought you’d have time to crack open, or picked up a new hobby or two. If you’re in need of some more inspiration while we await the next phase of Governor Hogan’s reopening plan, here are a few ways that Baltimore staffers have been passing the time at home:

Deborah Best, Advertising Operations Manager

In addition to enjoying the extra time with my baby son, this has become a time to revisit old epics! My husband and I have rewatched (among other things) the first six Star Wars movies, and I’m two-thirds of the way through a re-read of The Lord of The Rings trilogy. It’s somehow fitting and comforting to visit tumultuous times in imaginary lands.

Amanda Brown, Director of Marketing and Audience Development

I started making bracelets and keychains inspired by my son, Harrison, who a few months ago asked to make rainbow bracelets for our whole family. Friends then started asking for them, so I bought more sophisticated beads and, at night when the kids went to sleep, I started playing around with things (glass of wine in tow).

It quickly became something I looked forward to doing every night—it’s helped me to wind down, relax, use my creative energy, and most of all, it’s been an amazing distraction. My talented husband kindly said, “I’m going to take pictures of a bunch of these bracelets for you, you should start an Instagram account.” And that I did! I’ve been using a platform we used a bit at the magazine to schedule posts, did some hashtag research, and have been getting orders from both friends and family I know, as well as those I don’t. Many are ordering for gifts and sending directly to loved ones as an “I miss you” gesture.

I’ve really enjoyed bringing some bright colors, fun, and smiles to people during this unbelievable challenging time.

Ron Cassie, Senior Editor

In lieu of actual baseball, I started reading the old daily game accounts of the 1970 Baltimore Orioles in April. Right now, they’re in first place in the AL East and Boog Powell looks like he could win the MVP award. Ain’t the beer cold? Can’t wait to see how the rest of the season turns out.

Lauren Cohen, Digital Senior Editor

After 11 weeks I finally finished all seven seasons (plus the Netflix mini-series) of Gilmore Girls. The famous mother-daughter banter has provided many much-needed laughs throughout the lockdown. I’m also enjoying going on walks, getting out of my comfort zone in the kitchen (cocktails included!), and hanging around our backyard fire pit.

Emily Kunisch, Marketing Coordinator

I’ve been diving into some great books—like Valentine and one of my favorites, Cat’s Cradle. I’m also in the midst of an A24 movie marathon, watching some greats like Midsommar, Lighthouse, and Hereditary (with just 88 movies left to watch!)

Angeline Leong, Assistant Art Director

I’ve been a bit hooked on River Monsters, pun intended! Nature is wild. Pun also intended. Besides that: I’ve been cooking quite a bit more since I’m quarantining with a couple of friends. Learning new recipes has been fun—I even made (and tried) gnocchi for the first time a couple of weeks ago.

Jane Marion, Food and Dining Editor

With the help of my daughter, Sophia, I have Marie Kondo-ed my closet. I am also re-growing scallions, binge-watching Mad Men and drinking martinis (they go together), and developing a huge crush on Chris Cuomo. It’s an odd assortment of activities that provide escape—and a sense of comfort and control.

Jennifer Marsh, Senior Account Executive

I’ve been eating lots of cheese, talking to my cats like they are people, and learning how to TikTok! Watch out!

Linda Mileto, Integrated Advertising Executive

I’m a little late to the party but, I binge-watched The Handmaid’s Tale and loved it! I’ve also been playing H-O-R-S-E outside and spending a lot of time in the garden, as well.

Zach Papesh, Finance Manager

During quarantine, I’ve been binge-listening to Audible audio books. Specifically, the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child and the Mitch Rapp series by Vince Flynn.

Stephanie Shapiro, Director of Advertising

I’ve watched Unorthodox, Ozark, Hollywood, and Dead to Me all on Netflix. And I’ve been playing Hearts with cards.

Michael Teitelbaum, President

I take a one-hour walk every day to separate the work day from my evening. Otherwise they just blur together. Besides that, I’m doing a lot of Facetiming/Zooming with my brand new grandbabies.

Max Weiss, Editor-in-Chief

Like everyone else, I’ve been watching lots of TV during the dog days of quarantine. My favorite, so far, was Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever (Netflix), about Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), a brainy Indian-American teenager grieving the death of her father, crushing on a popular boy, bonding with (and fighting with) her two best friends, and clashing with her strict mother.

Another one I loved was also on Netflix: Unorthodox, which takes you deep inside Brooklyn’s cloistered Hasidic Jewish community. We follow Esther (Shira Haas), who tries to escape this oppressive community. It’s exciting, involving, and manages to show compassion for all involved. Then there’s Normal People, on Hulu, an adapation of Sally Rooney’s great novel about star-crossed lovers. The two young actors are amazing, they create an intimacy that almost makes us feel like voyeurs.

The final show I’ve been digging is Hulu’s Mrs. America, about the fight for the Equal Rights Amendment and emergence of Phyllis Schlafly (a deliciously icy Cate Blanchett), who mobilized an army of housewives to oppose the ERA. Once you get past Rose Byrne’s bad wig as Gloria Steinem, it’s pretty riveting stuff.

Oh, favorite new musical discovery: King Princess, who writes dreamy, smart, complex pop music.

Lydia Woolever, Senior Editor

The Sunday edition of The New York Times has been a guidebook through these strange times—a constant source of inspiration, from the words to the photography to the special feature sections, and a reminder of the growing importance of the work of newspapers, and magazines. I’ve also been giving all of the belly rubs to my dog (who doesn’t know what he did to deserve this extra time at home together) and taking advantage of spring produce from the farmers market (lots of radishes, garlic scapes, and strawberries these days).

Westinghouse engineer Stanley Lebar’s accomplishment—inventing a lightweight camera that could withstand the rigors of space travel—was no small feat at the time, and seems all the more remarkable in hindsight.

Developed for NASA’s 1969 Apollo 11 mission at a then-Westinghouse (now Northrop Grumman) plant in Linthicum, Lebar and his team’s seven-pound, black-and-white camera had to survive the velocity of liftoff, temperature swings from -250 to 300+ degrees Fahrenheit, and operate in the vacuum and difficult low light conditions of space. Back then, most TV cameras weighed 700 pounds. It’s their handiwork that enabled an estimated 500 million people around the world to watch 38-year-old Neil Armstrong’s “one small step man, one giant leap for mankind” walk on the moon in real time.

That was 10:56 p.m. Eastern time on the summer Sunday evening of July 20, 1969—50 years ago this Saturday. Shortly afterward, images of Armstrong, a civilian research pilot and commander of the mission, and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin planting the U.S. flag on the surface of the moon were also beamed home. After two-plus hours of walking and working on the moon, Armstrong and Aldrin rejoined astronaut Michael Collins in the lunar module.

Among the items left behind on the moon was a plaque that read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon—July 1969 A.D.—We came in peace for all mankind.”

In October 1964, NASA had awarded Westinghouse the contract for the lunar TV camera. The camera that would go to the moon was first tested in space during the Apollo 9 mission in March of 1969. Lebar’s 75-engineer team’s color TV camera remained in the command module while the black-and-white camera was fastened to the outside of the lunar module.

Lebar passed away in 2009 at his home in Severna Park, but until the end he was excited about new technologies that were enhancing the initial grainy images that traveled 239,000 miles back from the moon. The legacy of Apollo 11, of course, wasn’t just the moon landing, but that the world gathered to watch it live together.

For the development of the lunar television camera and the color TV transmissions from the mission, Westinghouse received an Emmy award in 1970, which Lebar accepted.

Stanley Lebar, project manager for Westinghouse’s Apollo Television Cameras, shows the color camera on the left, and the monochrome lunar surface camera on the right. The color camera was used on all flights starting with Apollo 10, while the monochrome lunar surface camera was used on Apollo 11, and captured Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the Moon.—NASA.

“Just imagine,” his son Scott Lebar, managing editor at the Sacramento Bee, recalled his father saying in an interview shortly before the 40th anniversary of the moon walk. “If you had video of the Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock. Wouldn’t you want to see that? Wouldn’t you want that for everyone? That’s what this is, and we’re trying to preserve it for history and future generations.”

In honor of the anniversary, three videotape reels from NASA’s Apollo 11 mission described as “the only surviving first-generation recordings of the historic moon walk”—meaning unremastered—are scheduled to be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York this Saturday.

That footage was among more than 1,000 reels that a former NASA intern purchased at a government surplus auction in the mid-1970s for $218. He didn’t know the contents of the tapes until 2006 when NASA admitted some original footage had been lost.

The following post contains spoilers about the series finale of The Americans:

One of the remarkable things about last night’s series finale of the brilliant FX series The Americans was how inevitable it felt. I say remarkable because in the weeks and days leading up to the finale, I joined many other fans in engaging in rampant speculation about how it would all play out. My theory: Russian superspy Elizabeth (Keri Russell) would somehow get killed. Her husband, reluctant superspy Philip (Matthew Rhys) would survive and run away with their teenage son Henry. And their daughter Paige (Holly Taylor), a chip off her mother’s block, would continue on in the family tradition, working with KGB minder Claudia (Margo Martindale). Also, loveable FBI agent Stan (Noah Emmerich) would have no clue that his live-in girlfriend, Renee, was likely a Russian spy herself. Oh, how wrong I was. Instead, the series ended on a much more poignant and subtle note. And when I watched it, I thought, “Yes, of course. Of course this is how it ends.” This is what great art does: It plays out in such a way that feels essential, bedrock . . . inevitable.

The ending was a play on the show’s title. In the beginning of the series, you could put ironic air quotes around “The Americans.” They weren’t Americans at all, but Russian spies pretending to be Americans, pretending to be a real married couple—with two real children whom they did love but who also doubled as props. But as the series went on, Elizabeth and Philip really fell in love—in a way that was rooted in respect and deep trust. Philip was always more enamored of both Elizabeth and America, more tempted to become the thing they were pretending to be, but Elizabeth was a true Russian patriot. Everything she did was for Mother Russia. She bled red.

The final episode contains a brief, and it first somewhat curious flashback to Elizabeth and her lover Gregory (Derek Luke), the agent she loved before Philip. It shows Elizabeth, languorous and post-coital, telling Gregory that she never wants children. Oh, the best laid plans . . .

By the series finale, you can remove the air quotes around Elizabeth and Philip. They are Americans, they are parents who love their children more than life itself, they are a real married couple.

There were lots of great details in the finale. The scene in the parking lot, where Stan’s hunch is confirmed and he finally catches them, was as intense, as emotional, as thick with betrayal, sorrow, and suspense as anything I’ve ever seen on TV. I especially loved that the emotional stakes were really between Stan and Philip, two men who loved each other. “You were my best friend,” moaned Stan. “And you were mine,” Philip replied truthfully. I watched that scene on the edge of my seat, not knowing how it would play out—rooting, impossibly, for both sides to emerge victorious. And when Stan glumly stepped aside, let them escape, tacitly promised to look after Henry, it felt perfect.

But the best moment came at the very end. Philip and Elizabeth are back in Russia, being driven to Moscow by KGB agent Arkady Zotov, and they’re both exhausted. They’re sleeping against each other, as married couples do. Paige, who they expected to join them in Russia, is not with them: She came to her senses and hopped off the train and went back to D.C. (We don’t know her fate, but I have faith: Paige is very resourceful.) Henry is at school, finding out for the first time that his parents are spies. (Spin off?) They ask Zotov to stop the car. They look out over the Russian skyline. It’s foreign to them.

“We’ll get used to it,” Elizabeth says, half-heartedly.

But they are not home. Home is America. Home is where their children, who they likely will never see again, are. And now, the only home they have is each other.

If you’re a fan of the FX show American Horror Story, then you might already be aware that Kathy Bates’ character Madame Delphine LaLaurie does a twisted version of a Baltimore accent. 

Well she took it a step further on last night’s Conan, when she and the talk show host performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” fittingly written here, in their best attempts at a Baltimore accent. 

“I got to do the Baltimore accent on [AHS] Freak Show,” Bates told the talk show host. “And I got so much crap from linguists at Columbia. Like give me a break! I didn’t have a dialect coach or anything. In fact, this is how I used to warm up. I did ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ in my best Baltimorese, or Bawlmerese as they say.”

Then she pulled out two pieces of paper so they could both muster their best attempts at the accent. Bates, who has had much practice wasn’t bad. O’Brien, on the other hand, sounded more like a hybrid of baby talk, a Pittsburgh native, and an English cockney accent. Nice try, Coco!

Though much of the drama from last night’s Bachelorette finale circled around Peter and Bryan, it was Eric Bigger who captured the heart of local fans. Two weeks ago, there were some familiar sights on ABC reality show when Bigger brought the show’s star Rachel Lindsay to his hometown of Baltimore.

Bigger grew up in the Whitelock neighborhood and took Lindsay to the top of Federal Hill and shot hoops in the basketball courts at John Eager Howard Rec Center in Reservoir Hill. The real treat was meeting his family—especially his Aunt Verna—who all had sweet dance moves and a warm, welcoming vibe.

Watching Bigger’s “journey,” which is the only way the show refers to itself, was actually pretty inspirational even for skeptics. Recently, we got the chance to talk to Bigger about growing up playing basketball and riding dirt bikes in Baltimore, his favorite country of The Bachelorette experience, and how is life has changed since being on the show.

Did you watch the hometowns episode in Baltimore?
I did! I went to the Sagamore Pendry Hotel, so fancy and beautiful everywhere you turn. Watching the episode was more emotional for me. I forgot about some of the stuff I talked about with my family. But I watched it with them and it was so great having everyone in one place. I loved getting the chance to have those talks with my mom and dad. Those are my people. 

Your mom and dad were great, but I think everyone fell in love with your Aunt Verna.
She’s the best. Columbia University grad, very intelligent, three books, has a Ted Talk online.  

She got straight to the point with Rachel and asked if she felt pressure being the first black Bachelorette. Did you feel similar pressure being the only black guy left?
I don’t really have any pressure. From a human being perspective, I really try not to think about things in those terms. I’m in this for love and let it be that. It’s crossed my mind, of course, but love is blind and doesn’t have a color. There’s only pressure on yourself if you make it that way. 

What would be your ideal second date in Baltimore?
I probably would have taken to the Under Armour facilities and trained over there and then had some crabs and seafood on the water. I wish the Ravens were playing because we would have gone to a game. And then maybe end up somewhere in Fells Point or Canton and had a good time on the water. Rachel is really dynamic—loves to go out, work out, great personality. We would have had fun doing it all. 

Where did you grow up in Baltimore?
Whitelock, near the Reservoir Hill community. I wanted to go to Dunbar to play basketball, but my mom wanted me to go to City College. My mom is a smart woman, very in touch with herself and what’s important for her family. 

What are some of your specific memories of growing up here?
The main thing for me was basketball—it gave me life and saved my life. It was my first love. I also remember riding dirt bikes, the cookouts, Artscape, AFRAM, those are highlights from the city that I remember and miss. 

But there were bad parts, too, of course: the killings, incarcerations, unhealthy lifestyle, and limited perspectives. People in my neighborhood only know what they know based on the exposure they get. Unless you travel outside of that, you won’t see beyond the killings. 

Were you worried about representing Baltimore in a certain kind of way?
I wasn’t too worried about being negative because the truth is the truth. What I was worried about is that Rachel wouldn’t accept me because my upbringing is so different from hers. But she embraced it and accepted it. That gave me ease and peace. 

You live in LA now. But how have you seen Baltimore change?
Yeah I come back a couple times a year. This year it’s been a lot because of filming hometowns in April. I see all the new development in the downtown areas with Sagamore and the Four Seasons. All those new spots are nice. 

What made you originally audition for the show?
I had a friend who is in a TV Show, Aisha Cole, she’s the one who really got me started in it. She had a friend casting for the show and let me know about it. I was curious to explore why this opportunity was on my radar—to see what is supposed to happen. What happened was I fell in love with Rachel and told my story. And it gave me an opportunity to travel the world. 

I think I have an idea, but what was your favorite date?
Oh, girl, you already know. Copenhagen, Denmark—hot tub, champagne, beautiful country, beautiful woman. So much fun! 

How authentic were the conflicts you had with guys like Lee?
That was tough because that was the first time someone had my name in their mouth. It more so disappointed me. When I got to the bottom of it, I just had to stand up for myself. That whole week was so tough because I had three more arguments that week and I kind of said enough is enough. That’s why that anger came out. But after that, nothing bad happened. Then I started to focus on myself. 

Who do you still keep in touch with from the show?
I talk to a lot of the guys, we got out and have a few drinks, you know. We do a lot of group texts. I talk to Matt probably every day. He was the one who helped me the most—he talked to me into a positive state of mind. 

How has your life changed since going on The Bachelorette?
I’m definitely seeing a lot more interest in my personal training business, but I don’t want to train just any and every body. I really want to train people that are really invested in getting results. But it’s been steady and moving. It’s crazy getting recognized on the street whether it’s New York City or Baltimore or LA. I’m getting used to it and understanding it. But I love people so it’s easy for me to embrace the love and support. 

Would you do another show like this in the future?
I’m pretty open, but who knows what’s next right now. I never thought I’d make it as far as I did. I’m a go-getter, I was trying to make it be instead of letting it come to me—that’s when things changed. What I learned the most is to let the universe bring you the moment. It could be training, could be TV. We shall see. I want to try all these things and see what sticks. 

On June 2, it will be 15 years since HBO aired the first episode of The Wire. A no-holds-barred look at America’s failed war on drugs, the series was beloved by some for shedding light on the dark truths of our forgotten inner cities, and loathed by others (most notably then-mayor Martin O’Malley) for its not exactly tourism-friendly portrayal of Baltimore.

In the end, though, the now cult classic became deeply ingrained in our local culture, its complex and compelling episodes forever intertwined with our city’s name, and its fledgling actors irrevocably tied to their now iconic roles.

Over the years, we still find ourselves watching the small screen, exclaiming, “Look, it’s Omar!” (The Night Of), or, “Hey, it’s Tommy Carcetti!” (Game of Thrones . . . sorry, O’Malley). Wherever they wind up—be it in the next HBO blockbuster, some big-name movie, or as regular Charm City residents—these actors remain a part of Baltimore, and we’re happy to follow them wherever they go.