Chase Sapphire Reserve returned to Miami Art Week as the presenting sponsor of Faena Art Week this month.
In an industry that evolves by the minute, Ryan Serhant continues to set the pace. His drive, and commitment to innovation have shaped SERHANT into a company that isn’t just responding to the market but actively redefining it. The premiere of Netflix’s Owning Manhattan’s second season reflected that spirit. It was more than a celebration of a new chapter, but a night that honored what it looks like when an ambitious vision becomes reality through dedication. On Friday, December 5th, The Knockturnal had the pleasure of attending the premiere party at Terminal 5 in NYC, where we spoke with Ryan and Emilia Serhant along with several members of the cast.
It was a woof of a day on Dec. 9 when legendary college and pro football announcer Kirk Herbstreit came out to celebrate a thrilling sports season at Raising Cane’s.
The holidays came early to BLACKBARN this week, where the restaurant has transformed its warm, cabin-like interior into a cozy haven for festive brunch. Twinkling seasonal décor, rustic touches, and the warming scent of cinnamon set the tone as Santa and Mrs. Claus float table to table greeting guests. It’s the type of atmosphere that reminds even the grinchiest of New Yorkers what the holidays are all about.
On December 2, the American Austrian Foundation hosted its Music for Medicine fundraiser event among a mix of supporters, artists, and medical leaders.
The Open Medical Institute, the program at the center of the evening, has a mission that trains physicians from low-income countries and sends them back equipped with skills their home systems rarely have room to teach. Since the early nineties, it has awarded more than thirty thousand fellowships.
Pablo Legorreta and Dr. Wolfgang Aulitzky (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC)
When AAF President Robert P. Wessely reminded the crowd that trust in medical expertise shifts while demand for training does not, his comments resonated with the audience. CEO Wolfgang Aulitzky followed with a story about a Nigerian doctor who attended OMI’s early otology sessions in Salzburg and returned home to build the busiest cochlear implant team in the country.
This shift set up the night’s most anticipated moment. Three members of the Vienna Philharmonic took their seats in front of an audience that had settled into a kind of focused quiet. Violinist Yamen Saadi, violist Sebastian Führlinger, and cellist Bernhard Naoki Hedenborg opened with Schubert’s String Trio in B-flat Major. The playing was clean and steady, with a sense of exactness carried without strain. Beethoven’s String Trio in C Minor followed. The piece has more grit and momentum, and the trio caught its shape quickly. Saadi’s lines were clear and direct, and Führlinger’s tone added an even warmth, while Hedenborg kept the sound grounded with a sense of control that never felt heavy.
Yamen Saadi, Bernhard Naoki Hedenborg and Sebastian Fuehrlinger (Photo by Patrick McMullan/PMC)
The trio kept the audience captivated during the performance, with heads angled slightly forward and hands resting still.
The crowd included a mix of AAF board members and New York regulars who understand the rhythm of nights like this. Jeanne Andlinger and Margaret Crotty were present along with Antonio M. Gotto and Mathias Bostrom. American Ballet Theatre’s Skylar Brandt and Vladimir Rumyantsev were also in the room. Conversation between pieces moved from the music to the growing reach of OMI’s work. Pablo Legorreta, chairman of AMDA, spoke about the Mexico-based partnership that has brought more than five thousand doctors to Salzburg for training and has grown into a national program that trained more than five hundred physicians last year.
What stood out was how the music and the mission echoed each other. Both depend on expertise shared in close quarters. Both rely on small groups doing precise work that scales far beyond the room. Nothing during the night tried to inflate that connection. It appeared naturally in the way the audience listened, the way the musicians played, and the way the organization described its impact.
(Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC/PMC)
By the time people began to leave, the atmosphere had shifted again. The club was still elegant but felt less formal and more aware. Music for Medicine ended without spectacle, but it did not fade. It left the impression of an evening that understood its purpose and delivered on it with clarity rather than volume.
Tucked away in the heart of Murray Hill, Leslie is a cozy, family-run restaurant by Chef Sebastian Fernandez and his wife, Leslie Ames, who gifted her name to their newest venture.
Treat is New York’s Top Medspa that is Leading Skincare Treatments—Including the Salmon Sperm Facial
Seeking some skin rejuvenation? Or looking to enhance your appearance? Treat, a luxurious new medspa in New York City that provides medical-grade services and advanced treatments through state-of-the-art technology, is the place to visit this winter season for all your beauty needs.
On Wednesday, December 3rd, The Modern Day Wife took over the Fairmont Breakers in Long Beach with a spirited holiday celebration in time for Christmas and Chanukah. Think: coastal chic meets winter wonderland.
Kendra Scott and Booth by Bryant are ushering in the Christmas and Hanukkah season with The Sweet Escape, a two-day immersive pop-up experience by transforming The Grove into a cozy winter wonderland this December 6th and 7th.
Netflix rolled out a Western-themed red carpet at the Tudum Theater on December 3 to celebrate the premiere of The Abandons, drawing cast members Lena Headey, Gillian Anderson, Lucas Till, Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, Michael Greyeyes, Natalia del Riego, Aisling Franciosi, and more. The screening had the warm, buzzing energy of a reunion—cowboy camp veterans greeting each other in gowns and boots as they stepped into the world of the show once again. The series, created by Kurt Sutter, is set in Washington Territory in 1854 and follows two opposing matriarchs whose families clash over land, secrets, and survival on the edge of American lawlessness.
On the carpet, Diana Silvers spoke with real warmth about the physical transformation required for the role. “My horse Rusty was the greatest gift ever,” she said, adding that cowboy camp quickly became a highlight rather than a hurdle. “It was honestly the two best weeks of my life. We learned how to lasso, how to steer wagons, how to cut cows.” She described her character as “tough, brave, misunderstood,” and joked that while she didn’t take anything from set, “I wanted to take Rusty… but I guess I need season two for that.”
Lucas Till echoed the consensus that cowboy camp bonded the cast deeply. “There was a time when we were all in this pen separating cows from each other, and after two weeks we were able to do it seamlessly,” he said. Speaking about his character, Till explained, “He’s the middle child, but the eldest doesn’t look like he’ll be able to take up the reins of the family business, so that’s where I step in. My mom is one tough cookie.” He noted a subtle jealousy his character feels toward Nick Robinson’s, describing it as a desire to befriend him complicated by a romance that “is not going to work out the way he hopes.” Filming was physically demanding — “You’re using muscles you’ve never used before” — but he called the job “one of my favorites of all time.”
Natalia del Riego, wearing what she called an “art piece” of a gown, said riding became central to her process. “It forced me to be in the present,” she said. “My character is really one with her horse.” Del Riego admitted to taking Lilla Belle’s knife home as a keepsake: “She goes nowhere without it.” She emphasized the character’s backstory — losing her family at 8 years old — noting, “There’s a Lilla Belle before the murder of her family and a Lilla Belle after,” and described the show overall as “betrayal, drama, and love,” with “heart-racing” tension throughout.
Aisling Franciosi described cowboy camp as “so much fun,” adding, “Our wranglers were amazing — so professional, so kind, so encouraging.” She was struck by the detail of the constructed town, recalling a recreated period candy shop: “All the sweets were exactly what they would have had in that time. They really went above and beyond.” While her character adored those sweets on screen, Franciosi admitted she was the only one eating them between takes.
Executive producer Stephen Surjik reflected on the show’s thematic DNA and its ties to Kurt Sutter’s earlier work. “It’s complex character work where you have many people relating to each other in very coherent ways,” he said. Drawing a parallel to Sons of Anarchy, he remarked, “Whether it’s motorcycles or horses, you have a sociological phenomenon: big groups battling for territory.” Surjik emphasized that the stakes are philosophical as much as material: “It’s not as simple as wanting land. There’s dignity involved.”
Toby Hemingway spoke with enthusiasm about the Calgary shoot. “You didn’t have to pretend too much when you’re on your horse with your cowboy hat in this beautiful place,” he said. Cowboy camp, though brief for him, became something he loved: “It turned out to be one of my favorite things.” He also noted the surreal experience of working with Gillian Anderson after growing up watching her, calling the entire production “my favorite thing I’ve ever done — and this time I really mean it.”
Gillian Anderson described her character as a sharp departure from previous roles. “She’s ruthless, and she feels like she has a righteous pursuit,” Anderson said. “She believes she’s doing good for America and is focused on the bigger picture.” It is, she noted, her first time playing a true villain. She praised Lena Headey’s performance as the opposing matriarch, saying, “I was so impressed with her and what she brought to every scene. We have some fair showdowns.”
Hannah Forest Briand recounted her first days on set as “surreal,” explaining that working alongside Anderson and Headey made it difficult to act naturally. “You stop making jokes because you’re nervous,” she said, though she appreciated Anderson laughing at every tentative attempt. Initially auditioning for a different role, Briand ultimately joined the show as Jenny, Anderson’s maid, and said, “As a queer person, having the queer community behind me cheering me on has meant everything.”
Writer Sarah McCarron described watching the actors embody her scripts as “chills-inducing.” She explained that early casting discussions became instantly clear once Headey and Anderson were attached: “When casting not only honors your vision but elevates it in ways you couldn’t imagine, that’s the dream.” She laughed when asked if the two actresses could ever swap roles, replying, “That’s the True West version… maybe next season.”
Lena Headey dismissed the idea of ever playing Anderson’s character. “Van Ness is manipulative, ruthless,” she said. “Mine is more wholesome, earthy, grounded.” She added that she enjoyed the physicality of her role, noting simply, “I got to fist fight, which was fun.”
The Abandons premieres December 4, 2025, on Netflix with seven episodes. The series stars Lena Headey, Gillian Anderson, Nick Robinson, Diana Silvers, Lamar Johnson, Natalia del Riego, Lucas Till, Aisling Franciosi, Toby Hemingway, Michael Greyeyes, Ryan Hurst, Katelyn Wells, Clayton Cardenas, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Brían F. O’Byrne, Marc Menchaca, Patton Oswalt, Michael Ornstein, Jonathan Koensgen, Jack Doolan, Michiel Huisman, Haig Sutherland, and Sarah White, with Kurt Sutter serving as creator.
