The domesticated Year of the Metal Ox is here, inviting us to tend to our pastures in an unhurried way.
In partnership with HBO Max
Although the Metal Ox cherishes a solid day’s work, relaxation time is the daily reward in 2021. After the frenetic Metal Rat’s reign over 2020, we’ll appreciate sinking into this slower, simpler groove. Think of this twelve-month cycle as a heavenly hygge (pronounced “hoo-guh”), the Danish term defined as “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”
In preparation, we’ve stocked up on popcorn and have been losing ourselves in the vast catalog of movies and original series that HBO Max has to offer. With classic comebacks like Friends, we’ve been waxing nostalgic about our early days learning astrology. And hello to Max Original House of Ho! The envy-inducing peeks into the extravagant world of this Houston-based, Vietnamese American family is a cathartic escape as we await the days of shopping, brunching and traveling to return.
With 2021’s strong influence of planets in inclusive, revolutionary Aquarius, Max Originals like Equal are speaking right to our souls. Narrated by (Virgo) Billy Porter, this four-part docudrama chronicles the LGBTQ+ movement in the 20th century leading up to the 1969 Stonewall uprising.
But a word to the wise: Forget about earning any couch potato loyalty points in 2021! The Metal Ox has zero tolerance for laziness. Set up your exercise equipment facing the screen so you can stream while you do squats and cardio. To help facilitate that, we’ve compiled a cosmic curation of the best HBO Max titles for every zodiac sign. Like the strapping Metal Ox, you can go from “spud” to “stud,” without missing a binge-watching beat!
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Fire Signs
ARIES
True friendships are a treasure—and when your self-possessed sign forms that deep of a bond, it’s a big deal. This year is about celebrating your ride-or-dies, even if a WhatsApp group thread is your primary form of communication. If it is, Aries, move your squad to a video-enabled platform. With your eleventh house of camaraderie and technology activated by boundless Jupiter and structured Saturn this year, virtual interactivity with fill a hole in your social life. And when you’re settling down with the popcorn, shows like HBO Original Insecure can get you misty-eyed. We’re personally weeping because Season 5 is the final one for this Series. But you, Aries, might start over with Season 1, as you track the refreshingly “real as f***” friendship between Issa and Molly.
But it’s not all kumbaya for Rams in 2021. This year brings many rebellious moments where you want to break away from everyone and everything! Try not to alienate your crew when the renegade badass in you grabs the wheel. (Oh, that formidable fire sign temper…) Instead, rage vicariously via the Joker’s jilted ex, who is the rule-smashing, punk-rock protagonist of Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (HBO). After inciting the wrath of crime boss Black Mask, Quinn forms an alliance with three killer women—Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya. This eye-popping superhero film brings its own potent reminder that there is strength in numbers.
When your inner teenager won’t stop being that devil on your shoulder (like near the Saturn-Uranus squares on February 17, June 14 and December 24), turn to Awkwafina is Nora From Queens on HBO Max. This hilarious send-up is based on the comedian’s upbringing with her Chinese-Korean family in Flushing, Queens. From her first stab at financial independence—involving Adderall and an alienated online gaming community—to gambling with her grandmother in Atlantic City, you’ll probably rethink any destabilizing risks that were tempting you to upend your entire life. But oh, how fun it is to watch a fictional character make all those blunders on your behalf.
LEO
Few have struggled with social distancing more than friendly, affectionate Leos. While you prize your independence, you’re accustomed to gathering with your “pride.” (Which in normal years, is an ever-expanding group.) Physical separation can be hard on your spirit, but you’re accepting and adapting in 2021, even if the virtual communing isn’t exactly your ideal. While you wait for “this” to be over, transport yourself to New York City for an unapologetic binge of Friends on HBO Max. As the 20-somethings barge into each other’s apartments, field meet-cutes and crush hard on each other, it’s almost as good as sipping a cappuccino on the 90s style sofas at Central Perk. Plus, Phoebe, Joey and Chandler were all played by Leos actors—more reason your warm-hearted sign just vibes with this classic sitcom.
And don’t worry, Leo, you’re not destined to spend 2021 alone! One special person could play a starring role in your year as lucky Jupiter syncs up to serious Saturn in your relationship realm. With life moving at a slower pace, there’s time for the old-fashioned courtship rituals that a Leo lives for. Need to clean up some past “situationships” in order to move into the next chapter? You might feel a bit like Rob Gordon, the record store owner of High Fidelity (HBO). His obsession with music couldn’t save him from being romantically tone deaf, but he’s here to learn! After his long-term GF Laura dumps him, he reconnects with his exes to figure out what he’s been doing wrong. Not that you should start texting your 2019 Tinder dates, Leo but honest reflections can be illuminating this year. And for happily coupled Lions, this classic flick belongs on your date-night watchlist.
When you need your royal fix, the eight seasons of HBO Original Game of Thrones never get old. If you’re looking for a modern-day spin on the theme of power HBO Original Succession has all the plotting, backstabbing and heir apparent dramas of GOT. There may not be an Iron Throne at stake, but as the Roy children vie to be the successor of their aging father’s media empire, the legacy of the Lannisters and Targaryens lives on!
SAGITTARIUS
By nature, you’re a big-picture person, Sagittarius, but in 2021, you’re switching up the game. With planets firing up your detail-driven third house, finer points, subtle nuances and rare discoveries are on your radar. It’s not a total 180 for you as the zodiac’s global ambassador. With your locally zoned third house activated by Jupiter and Saturn, this is the year to deepen your connection to your surroundings. (As opposed to speeding through them like a treasure-hunter on a mission!) Despite the travesty of shuttered businesses, you have the gift of finding a needle in the haystack of any ‘hood. That’s something actor and humanitarian (and Sagittarian!) Ravi Patel knows a thing or two about. In an effort to leave no stone unturned with his aging parents, Patel invites them on a four-part family cultural odyssey to Mexico, Japan, South Korea and Denmark. The Max Original docuseries, Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness, is filled with heartwarming and eye-opening moments. As the Patels discover universal connection with people they meet along their journey, they experience the concept of community from four illuminating new angles.
So much input can be exhausting—and even an eternally inquisitive Sagittarius needs periodic breaks. Circle May 13 to July 28 for that celestial sabbatical, when your ruling planet Jupiter slips under the radar in your introverted fourth house. Be warned that your cheery nature might be disrupted by bouts of moody pessimism during this time. With your penchant for putting your foot in your mouth amplified, you’ll find cringeworthy comic relief watching the fumbling faux pas of HBO Original Curb Your Enthusiasm and their “so L.A.” issues.
This will be a reflective year for Sagittarians, as the moon’s karmic South Node along with two eclipses land in your sign and your first house of self-discovery. This nodal cycle only comes around every 18.5 years (from May 5, 2020 to January 18, 2022). When it does, it opens a powerful portal into your past. What have you achieved thus far on your earthly journey? Take stock. From Barbarella beauty icon to polarizing activist “Hanoi Jane” to leg-warmer-clad fitness guru and beyond, HBO Original Jane Fonda in Five Acts documents the octogenarian Archer’s storied life. The 21 hours of vulnerable interviews with Fonda, her famous friends, husbands and family underscores what every Sagittarius knows: It’s never too late to reinvent yourself!
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Earth Signs
TAURUS
Renegade. Romantic. Realist. Why yes, Taurus, it’s possible to encompass all three states, and you’ll cycle through them regularly in 2021. Empirical Saturn has parked alongside boundless Jupiter in your tenth house of prestige, opening the doors to material success. Long hours and hard work are ahead, but this year, they’re bringing a payoff. Here’s where the plot twist comes in: From May 2018 to April 2025, you’re hosting side-spinning Uranus in your sign, a cycle that only comes around every 84 years! Three times in 2021—on February 17, June 14 and December 24—disruptive Uranus throws a curveball to stable Saturn as the planets form a rare, 90-degree square overhead.
How will you pursue your ambitions while preserving the salt-of-the-earth values that shape a Taurus? That’s the conflict of the Saturn-Uranus squares. As your traditional nature battles your burgeoning free spirit, you may feel a lot like The Notebook’s Noah and Allie. The soulmates are torn apart by class divisions when the lumber mill worker is introduced to the heiress’ disapproving parents in the 1940s. Their love story unwinds retroactively as an elderly man named Duke reads aloud from a notebook—and is sure to make you reflective about what matters most in life.
Temper, temper! Hotheaded Uranus can stir up the raging bull in you this year, especially in the face of injustice. While wrath may be a deadly sin IRL, you need an outlet for that energy, like Quentin Tarantino’s revenge films Kill Bill Volumes I & II (HBO). Live vicariously through The Bride (played by Taurus Uma Thurman), as she vows to take down her ex-lover Bill and all his accomplices after he attempted to murder her on her wedding day.
When your softer side is at the wheel, explore the world of fantasy through the lens of childlike innocence. Legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro opens with sisters Mei and Satsuki whose father moves the family to a new home while their mother is sick in the hospital. Upon entry, they discover the house is filled with spirit creatures. But rather than pivoting into a tale of fear and conflict, the entities become playmates for the girls. From the giant, bunnylike Totoro and Catbus, a twelve-legged Cheshire Cat-like critter whose body is a bus with fur-lined seats and windows, My Neighbor Totoro serves as a potent reminder that embracing the magical is a healing salve when facing challenging life circumstances.
VIRGO
Thanks to an ultra-rare meetup of Jupiter and Saturn in your sixth house of service, your magnanimous nature is at the wheel in 2021. You’d do anything for the ones you love! That same selfless devotion is the premise of Ridley Scott’s Max Original Raised By Wolves, which is set in the future at a time when religious and political ideology has caused the near-extinction of the human race. A pair of “non-believing” androids named Mother and Father escape to a virgin planet with six human embryos, which they birth and raise amid the challenges of the barren landscape—and the threatening arrival of a group of zealous humans. Beyond the storyline, the cinematic production levels will surpass even the most discerning Virgo’s standards.
Ready to bring it back down to earth? With your inventive sixth house getting pinged by the planets, you’re in your DIY element this year. The Max Original Craftopia might be tailored for the 9 to 15 year-old crowd, but the ingenuity of YouTuber LaurDIY will refresh your childlike wonder. If you have kids at home, these projects are a great diversion from all those multiplayer video games. Not feeling quite so hands-on? At Home With Amy Sedaris provides a surreal sendup on the world of homespun influencers. Filmed on a cheery 1950s-inspired set, the show’s delightfully wackadoo sketches won’t provide any helpful tips. But you’ll die laughing at the comedian’s analog misadventures including a run-in with the ghost of a sea captain who has great taste in curtains and a corporate sponsorship that devolves into a sour smackdown with a baking company’s mascot “Sugar Griz.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum comes the high-tech experiment, Can A Computer Write A Hit Musical? Your geeky side will love watching as a team of scientists and musical theater writers join forces to create a blueprint for generating a hit—then see if computers can replicate their formula for a show that will be performed on London’s West End. Is human creativity a unique phenomenon or can “Android Lloyd Weber” produce a match? This fascinating study ticks all the Virgo “what if?” boxes, leaving no emotion or aria unturned.
CAPRICORN
It’s another achievement-oriented year for Capricorns. (TBH, when isn’t it?) In December 2020, you wrapped three years of “cosmic boot camp” as your ruler, taskmaster Saturn, moved on from your sign. With the ringed planet joining lucky Jupiter in your second house of financial foundations, the pace settles down in 2021. Finally! You have time to focus on the needle-moving initiatives that create lasting stability. But keep your game face on. Even if you’ve paid your dues, situations will arise that require you to show and prove. Like the cast of the HBO Original Industry, which centers around a group of hungry young bankers vying for limited positions at a leading firm in London, you know what it takes to make it to the top. And you’ll feel so vindicated watching the dramatically ambitious pursuits of this series. In reality, currying the favor of VIP gatekeepers won’t require such extreme measures. Just keep your eyes on the target and you’ll be celebrating a prestigious victory by the November 19 lunar eclipse!
But how much is too much? Capricorn golf legend Tiger Woods is a zodiac bellwether for you this year. As three eclipses activate your axis of healing (May 26, June 10 and December 4), pause to review progress, process emotions and heal from old wounds. Pressure may be intensifying to precarious levels. While your natural instinct is to keep forging ahead, don’t! The pitfalls of such single-focused determination are all too apparent in the HBO Original Documentary Tiger. Through a pastiche of archival interviews and news clips, the athlete’s rise and fall unspools. Tiger also chronicles the complicated relationship he had with his father, which is a common theme among Capricorns. Got some daddy lessons to learn or childhood wounds to heal? These eclipses bring a supportive window for inner work.What’s your soul’s calling? No matter where you are on the continuum of self-discovery, a trio of Saturn-Uranus mashups—on February 17, June 14 and December 24—sharpens the axe of your talents. Legend has it that Capricorns age in reverse. Certainly, you never stop expanding your potential! HBO Original David Bowie: The Last Five Years illuminates another iconic Capricorn’s prolific devotion to his craft. While the film touches on Bowie’s earlier contributions, it illuminates his equally groundbreaking final opus, including the jazz-infused Blackstar, which was released on his 69th birthday and two days before his passing in 2016. Like Ziggy Stardust himself, you know that a true mission never ends!
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Air Signs
GEMINI
Loose lips sink ships—but good luck remembering that in 2021, Gemini! With no-filters Jupiter and tough teacher Saturn synced up in your outspoken ninth house, this year comes with a Code Orange Blurt Alert. Your intentions are not malicious. When you see something, it’s like you have to say something. Alas, even an innocent gaffe can have far-reaching effects in 2021. We’re not telling you to go dark on Twitter. Just leave the “news alerts” to the cast of Gossip Girl—and indulge in the guilty pleasure of (re)watching the pampered Upper East Side prep school scions have their secrets spilled by an anonymous blogger. The technology is basically retro in this six-season series that began shooting at the advent of social media. But the complex rivalries of the beautiful and privileged are eternally riveting to a Gemini!
The big news of the year? From May 5, 2020 to January 18, 2022, the lunar north node is stationed in your sign. This special point in the sky is associated with your soul purpose, and when it cycles into your sign every 19.5 years, you’ll hear destiny calling. To fulfill upon this, you must stretch and try on new identities—which is something your mercurial sign revels in. Class Act, the 1992 buddy comedy starring duo Kid ‘n Play (AKA Gemini Christopher Martin), centers around a swap. When a misfit straight-A student’s school records get switched with the near-flunking bad boy’s, the two hatch a plan to help each other out. But as the nerd becomes the cool kid and the rebel the geek, they learn unexpected lessons about life on the other side. Circle June 10 for a big teachable moment, Twin, as a rare solar eclipse in Gemini activates your curiosity!
Your arty side is demanding airtime this year as rebellious Uranus free flows through your boundless twelfth house. The stylish cinematography of Cléo from 5 to 7 is not just eye candy, but could inspire fantasies of earning a film school degree. (Hey Gemini, this year’s stars are favorable for higher education.) Shot in black and white, the French film’s title refers to the hours in France when lovers meet. Yet nothing could be further from Cleo’s mind as she fearfully awaits the results of medical tests. As a notorious overthinker, you’ll relate to Cleo’s agitated rituals which include a 5PM tarot reading, an existential crisis at a Parisian boutique and an unexpected side journey with a soldier who she meets in the deserted area of a park. Or maybe it’s just like a day in the life of a Gemini!
LIBRA
Balance is overrated, as you’re already discovering in 2021. This year, your levelheaded nature takes a backseat to your passionate streak. Wake up! The slumbering artiste and romantic that resides in every Libra is due for a renaissance. With a cluster of stars making magic in your fifth house of fame and creative expression, an appreciative audience awaits.
But keep the focus squarely on you. Making art for art’s sake—and love for love’s sake—is the key to unlocking your gifts. When you’re courageously creating from your own experience, your authentic brilliance shines. What’s your narrative? Like Libra tennis legend Serena Williams, lift the curtain and give people a behind-the-scenes look into your universe. Her five-part HBO Original documentary series, Being Serena, is a first-person account into her rarely seen private world, chronicling her marriage, pregnancy, family life and the powerful impact she makes in the world of business and investing. Reminder: Sharing your experiences can inspire others to transform.
True, the process might be messier than your composed sign prefers—and that’s the point of this exercise. Life lessons inform the direction of your work in 2021. That’s the premise of (Libra) Michaela Coel’s HBO Original I May Destroy You. The richly crafted storyline introduces us to complex characters including Arabella (played by Coel), an Internet-famous writer struggling to reintegrate into “normalcy” after a sexual assault. This intricately woven series pulls off the near-impossible job of tackling treacherous topics with humor and heart. And the visually arresting glimpses into the partying and hook-up scenes of London are a pandemic “escape” every Libra could use right now.
The raw truth of these scenes doubles as a cautionary tale about the importance of setting healthy boundaries and healing trauma with proper support—themes that will be especially prominent for Libras from May 13 to July 28. Take your inner child on a journey with Hayao Miyazaki’s meticulously animated, Spirited Away on HBO Max. After her parents are transformed into pigs, the movie’s strong-willed 10-year-old heroine must survive a labyrinth of supernatural experiences as she awaits a reunion with her mom and dad. You’ve probably never met a No-Face or Radish Spirit before, yet the themes of abandonment and bravery are sure to touch some important points from your own development.
AQUARIUS
Let the reinvention tour begin! This year, expansive Jupiter and slow-and-steady Saturn are co-piloting through Aquarius and your trailblazing first house—an extremely rare cosmic convergence that will have you rethinking every aspect of your life. In astrology, Jupiter is the gas and Saturn is the brakes, creating quite the push-pull dynamic. Take your new ideas for a test drive before making any binding decisions. Besides, self-discovery isn’t always easy work, especially when, like the cast of HBO Original Euphoria you aren’t quite sure where you fit in. The teens in this boundary-pushing series grapple with painful issues like unrequited love, addiction, body-shame, and sexual abuse. Ultimately, their journey centers around healing trauma—which is something you can tackle head-on in this courageous year. You’ll be the stronger for it, Aquarius!
You’re ruled by two planets, Aquarius—revolutionary Uranus and traditional Saturn—which is why you often feel like a walking paradox. With Saturn parked in your sign all year (and until March 7, 2023), it’s time to get serious about your future. But not without healthy limits! Three times in 2021, Uranus in Taurus and your private fourth house will crash into a complicated 90-degree square with Saturn, stirring up self-doubt and exhaustion. Mark the dates: February 17, June 14 and December 24. If you feel like quitting everything and retreating into “cat lady” mode, then take a cue from the Japanese animation Kiki’s Delivery Service. Mystical 13-year-old Kiki has the ability to communicate with to her black cat Jiji, who is an integral part of her “Witch Delivery Service” start-up. Through a series of business blunders, Kiki learns crucial lessons about overworking, dealing with negative feedback and protecting her power—all relevant in this year, when you’re bound to be driving yourself to achieve!
Throughout it all, you won’t lose your sense of humor, which can be equal parts raunchy and woke. The late-night HBO Original Random Acts of Flyness will speak to the heart of your activist nature while stoking your razor-sharp wit. The six episodes cover themes like ancestral trauma, the patriarchy, sensuality and white supremacy. Performed by a mix of emerging talent and known celebrities, this “fluid, mind-melding stream-of-conscious response to the contemporary American mediascape” will give you lots to think and talk about.
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Water Signs
CANCER
Even if there weren’t a pandemic, the radius of your innermost circle would be discerningly tight this year as planets activate your seductively intimate eighth house. And yeah, some of these relationships could be classified as difficult. Despite that, it feels as if you’re fulfilling a karmic destiny together. Question: Where do you draw the line between “unrequited love” and “dangerous rescue mission?” That’s the thread running through the comedy-thriller HBO Original series RUN as a bored woman abandons suburban “wife and mom” life to reunite with her college ex. Seventeen years earlier, the two made a pact: If either texted the word “RUN,” they’d drop everything and meet in Grand Central Terminal for a cross-country getaway. While your loyal sign might only fantasize about such sudden escapes, the twists and turns of this series may feel vaguely reminiscent of some emotionally intense moments in your own history.
Relationships are mirrors and more so than ever this year. Whether long-term or ephemeral, each provides a teachable moment. Sensitive Cancers have certainly had moments, like Darby, the partnership-perplexed protagonist of the Max Originals Love Life. The 22-year-old’s struggles with self-confidence lead her through a series of romantic gaffes as she tries to create a lasting relationship. Alongside the envy-inducing moments of karaoke and perusing the stacks at used bookstores (oh, the good old days), your Cancerian heart will feel for Darby’s struggles to be vulnerable in love—without sacrificing her identity in the process!
It all stems from childhood, as your savvy sign knows. And during this introspective year, your own youth will be a subject of deep-diving analysis. In the HBO Original Home Videos, Cancer comedian Jerrod Carmichael reveals a new depth as he carries on intimate, recorded conversations with his family. The candid episodes unpack the layers of the family narratives, from the intersection of race, the relationships between Black women and men, sexual fluidity, and the forgiveness work that can begin healing Carmichael’s estranged relationship with his own father. Keep the tissues and your own journal handy because insights are sure to arise.
SCORPIO
There’s no place like home for Scorpios in 2021, thanks to an astrological activation in your domestic fourth house. This is a year for putting down roots and doing a deeper exploration of your ancestral lineage. Not only are your nesting instincts fired up, but relationships with certain relatives could go through an evolution. That’s the backstory behind the visually arresting HBO Original Series Lovecraft Country. Set in the 1950s and executive produced by Misha Green and Jordan Peele, Lovecraft County layers a supernatural horror story with a narrative about historical racial oppression. When his father goes missing, Atticus Freeman travels with his uncle and George and friend Letitia from the Jim Crow south to Chicago, encountering still-all-too-real horrors of racism and battling monsters along the way.
A Scorpio loves to unravel a mystery—and with Jupiter darting into your glittering fifth house from May 13 to July 29, you’ll be drawn to any story involving sex, drugs and rock-and-roll. HBO Original Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck opens an intimate window into the life of the iconic Nirvana frontman. Through Cobain’s private journals, home movies, concert footage and interviews, this documentary pieces together the story of the haunted legend, from his meteoric rise to fame to his tragic suicide in 1994.
For a trust-averse Scorpio, loyal confidantes are far and few between. People must pass some serious tests before making it into your inner circle! In 2021, you’ll be feeling an extra burst of appreciation for the BFFs who have had your back over the years. But you’re no stranger to the complex dynamics of a clique, like the estranged friends of Pretty Little Liars. The teen girls reunite one year after the head of their crew disappears—and they all begin receiving messages from the incognito “A” who threatens to expose their buried secrets. Whether a cautionary tale or a guilty pleasure escape, this is a must-binge for any Scorpio.
PISCES
Thanks to a celestial summit in your boundless twelfth house, you’re in your element this year: divinely inspired, deeply compassionate and lost in your imagination. It’s easy for Pisces to achieve “flow state” in 2021, those meditative moments when you literally lose track of time. Artists do their best work in this groove, like Britain’s master potters competing on Max Original The Great Pottery Throw Down. As these makers extol the sensual virtues of working with clay, see what happens when they are challenged to craft tiles, basins and other kiln-fired pieces while the clock is ticking. We guarantee, you’ll be picking up a creative instrument after viewing this, but probably not turning on any timers!
Alas, it’s not all sunshine and roses for Pisces, as you process heavier feelings all year. But you’re also cleaning the slate! On May 13, lucky Jupiter zips into your sign for the first time in over a decade. Its brief visit to Pisces, until July 28, will reboot your joie de vivre, a vibe that picks up again on December 28, 2021 and lasts through most of 2022! In the meanwhile, have a good cry if you need one. Filmed in Italian, HBO Original My Brilliant Friend will be a cathartic outlet for your darker, nostalgic moods. After her best friend disappears without a trace, an elderly woman traces the story of their friendship as it unspooled from grammar school through the decades.
Boundaries are blurry for Pisces in 2021, but you are no stranger to fuzzy edges. With eclipses in your fourth house of family and tenth house of tradition all year, you may be rewriting the rules, like the trio of roommates turned lovers in Trigonometry. Their unfolding attractions reveal the exquisite complexity of true love. That’s something romantic Pisces know a thing or two about. As the ruler of all things enchanted, it’s only a bonus for you that this series stars a real, live “unicorn”!
