The 1 thing you must do, see, or hear this week
THE 1 ARTFUL GLIMPSE OF REALITY
You wouldn't know it from the art, which was the last word in serenity, but all through the period that saw Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals painting domestic interiors and girls with pearl earrings, Holland was fighting wars. "Man on Horseback" (1634), an early masterpiece by Gerard ter Borch, is a rare depiction of military life. On one level, it could be a Marlboro ad - an image of existential cool. But look again and instead of freedom it begins to suggest weight, weariness, and incredible boredom. Museum of Fine Arts (permanent collection), www.mfa.org. - SEBASTIAN SMEE
THE 1 SHOW FOLKS ARE DYING TO SEE
Some folks just can't get enough of deranged citizens aiming weapons at American presidents - and breaking into song. Company One's production of the Stephen Sondheim musical "Assassins" is packing audiences at the Boston Center for the Arts. McCaela Donovan as Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme is a hoot (in that nutcase kind of way). Catch the last week's run, which ends Saturday. www.bostontheatrescene.com. - MEGAN TENCH
THE 1 DEEPEST CREEP ON "MAD MEN"
Pete Campbell is the slippery, competitive, blackmailing, lying, childish account executive at the Sterling Cooper Ad Agency. And this season, actor Vincent Kartheiser is doing a rich job of bringing him to life in all his hollow misery. Ah, there's nothing like a good, complicated villain. Kartheiser has Campbell's malevolence written into the very shape of his face. - MATTHEW GILBERT
THE 1 WAY TO LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD
Admit it, you're living in tank tops, shorts, and flip-flops, and you really don't need all that stuff in your closet. Besides, in a few weeks you'll go out and buy more stuff. So how about donating some of your wardrobe to the Vietnam Veterans of America? A truck will arrive at your house (OK, not the one at left), leave a tax receipt, and take the clothes and small household items. 800-775-8387, www.scheduleapickup.com. - JUNE WULFF
THE 1 SIZE THAT MATTERS
In jazz, it's sound. The tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin's was very big. That's one reason why Griffin, who died late last month, was called the Little Giant. Others were his fast-and-furious technique and impressively dapper presence on the bandstand. Listen to him lay into "63rd Street Theme," from 1959's "The Little Giant," and you'll hear just how sizable his size could be. - MARK FEENEY
THE 1 TRASH TALKER
The hair, the nails, and who knows what else are all fake. But the venom is for real. Wendy Williams's new daytime gabfest, "The Wendy Williams Show," pits the host against her guests (Kim Kardashian and, on one amazingly combative occasion, Omarosa ). The show marks a fascinating low for the talk format. Williams appears to believe in the therapeutic powers of negativity. She's Noprah. The show is on a six-week trial run on some Fox stations (not Boston's). But clips are available at www.myfoxboston.com. - WESLEY MORRIS 