The Love Hypothesis / American Horror Story / Heart of the Beast
Credit: Prime Video / Hulu / Paramount
Terrifying horror stories brought to life in a new season of one of the most popular horror series ever made. An emotional journey about a veteran and his combat dog trying to make it home in the frozen Alaskan wilderness. Cheesy, endearing rom-coms sure to please the ladies. And the reunion of True Detective Season 1’s beloved leads, though in a very different TV show.
In other words, this weekend is, once again, stacked with great new shows and movies, both streaming on all your favorite apps and some great theatrical releases.
A Whole Bunch Of Season Finales
A whole bunch of shows just ended this past week. We got the intense, twisty-turny, but mostly excellent Season 3 finale to Lioness (my review) that’s left fans pretty damn excited for Season 4.
Also crossed off the following list is Starz crime/boxing drama Fightland, which airs its finale tonight (Friday); Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, which dropped its finale on Paramount+ Thursday evening; and HBO’s Big Bang Theory spinoff, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe, which also aired its finale Thursday. And I suppose we can add Reacher spin-off, Neagley, to this list since all of its episodes dropped at once last week. I wish they’d only released a few and then saved some for weekly releases, but oh well.
Not to worry, even though a lot of shows are ending a lot more are dropping this week and as we head into October next weekend.
The Top 100 Shows of the 21st Century
Also of interest: The New York Times put out its highly-anticipated list of the Top 100 Shows of the 21st Century – and I have some bones to pick.
Netflix Is Getting Narnia All Wrong
In entertainment news, we learned that Greta Gerwig’s Narnia has not only cast Meryl Streep as male lion (and Christ analog) Aslan, but that the entire series is being bumped up about fifty years, meaning the Pevensie children won’t be heading to the countryside during the bombing of London in WWII but rather . . . sometime in the 1990s. I have some very harsh words for this rather bizarre take on C.S. Lewis’s work both over at my Substack and in the below video (please subscribe to both if you feel so inclined!)
What To Watch This Weekend
As per usual, I’ve searched the internet high and low for the best TV shows and movies streaming on Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Disney+ and beyond for you to watch this weekend.
NOTE: I haven’t watched all of these (some aren’t out by the time this gets posted and others are just not in my review schedule), so some of these are my own personal recommendations while others are shows or movies to keep on your radar because they look interesting.
Naturally, if you have any recommendations, tips or other thoughts feel free to shoot me a note. Let me know what you’re watching these days, or if you’ve enjoyed anything you’ve found thanks to this guide, on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Be sure to also check out last weekend’s streaming guide below:
Alright, here’s everything new to stream this weekend!
New TV Shows To Watch This Weekend
Brothers — Apple TV
New Episodes: Wednesdays (Tuesday evenings on Apple TV)
Season Finale: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
What It’s About: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play fictionalized versions of themselves in this new comedy about two lifelong friends who discover they may actually be brothers. After Woody and his family descend on Matthew’s Texas ranch, Matthew’s mother inadvertently reveals a decades-old secret about the pair’s parentage, sending Woody on a mission to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Matthew is contemplating a run for governor, making an already chaotic family reunion even more complicated.
Why You Should Watch: I really enjoyed the first two episodes which debuted earlier this week. McConaughey and Harrelson are so charming and have such fun chemistry. It’s not exactly laugh-out-loud funny, but it’s nice easy viewing. Read my review here.
Trespasses — PBS
New Episodes: Sundays
Season Finale: Sunday, October 11, 2026
What It’s About: Set in Northern Ireland in 1975 at the height of the Troubles, Trespasses follows Cushla Lavery (Lola Petticrew), a young Catholic schoolteacher whose life becomes increasingly dangerous after she begins an affair with Michael Agnew (Tom Cullen), an older, married Protestant barrister. Based on Louise Kennedy’s acclaimed novel, the four-part drama mixes forbidden romance with sectarian violence as Cushla finds herself caught between family obligations, political tensions and a relationship that could have devastating consequences.
Why You Should Watch: This one was already on my radar thanks to PBS, and I’m a sucker for historical dramas set against periods of genuine turmoil. Northern Ireland during the Troubles is an especially rich and harrowing setting and Lola Petticrew already proved her mettle in Say Nothing and, more recently, Furious. One of my favorite crime dramas, Blue Lights, is also set in Northern Ireland / Belfast, though it deals with modern crime and the ripple effects of the old tensions there.
A Different World — Netflix
Release Day: Thursday
Season Finale: Thursday, September 24, 2026 — all 10 episodes dropped at once.
What It’s About: Netflix returns to Hillman College with a sequel to the beloved 1987–1993 sitcom, this time following Deborah Wayne, the youngest daughter of original-series favorites Dwayne Wayne and Whitley Gilbert. Deborah arrives at the fictional HBCU alongside a new generation of students navigating friendships, romance, college life and the social pressures facing young adults today. Kadeem Hardison and Jasmine Guy return as Dwayne and Whitley, while original series director Debbie Allen is back as an executive producer and directs the premiere.
Why You Should Watch: I really know next to nothing about this show, but if you liked the old sitcom it’s based on . . . maybe give it a shot. It has a 79% Rotten Tomatoes score which isn’t half bad.
American Horror Story: 13 — FX / Hulu
New Episodes: Thursdays
Season Finale: Thursday, October 29, 2026
What It’s About: The 13th installment of Ryan Murphy’s long-running horror anthology brings back a huge roster of familiar faces including Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Emma Roberts. The season begins with newcomer Ben DeSoto, a hospice worker trained by none other than Constance Langdon, who is assigned to care for a wealthy elderly patient with a mysterious past. Lange isn’t just returning as Constance, either: she’s reprising several of her most famous AHS characters in what looks like a greatest-hits collision of the show’s various seasons.
Why You Should Watch: It’s been three years since the last season of American Horror Story debuted, so if you’re a big fan you’ve likely been impatient for this to drop. The “greatest hits” angle is interesting as well.
S.W.A.T. Exiles — Starz
New Episodes: Fridays
Season Finale: Friday, November 27, 2026
What It’s About: Shemar Moore returns as Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson in this S.W.A.T. spinoff, which picks up after a disastrous mission forces Hondo into retirement. Two years later, he’s pulled back into action to lead an experimental unit made up of talented but unpredictable young recruits and tasked with turning the mismatched group into a functioning tactical team. The 10-episode series introduces a new ensemble while bringing back several familiar faces from the original show.
Why You Should Watch: With Lioness over, I have to admit I’m sort of jonesing for another high-octane spec-ops style series and this looks like it should fit the bill nicely. Of course, if you’re a fan of the original show you definitely want to check this out, especially to see which members of the original cast return. It’s been almost a decade since S.W.A.T. first aired, which is crazy.
Outlander: Blood of My Blood — Starz
New Episodes: Fridays
Season Finale: Friday, November 27, 2026 — with no new episode November 13.
What It’s About: The Outlander prequel is already in its second season, continuing the parallel love stories of Jamie Fraser’s parents, Brian and Ellen, and Claire Fraser’s parents, Henry and Julia. The series jumps between 18th-century Scotland and the World War I era while revealing how both couples came together long before Jamie and Claire’s own time-spanning romance. Season 2 premiered September 18, with new episodes arriving Fridays on Starz.
Why You Should Watch: I’m very tempted to go back and finish Season 1 of this Outlander spin-off, even though I found myself kind of annoyed with it. I was fully expecting to follow Claire’s parents in WW1 and Jaime’s parents back in Scotland in the distant past. When it turned out everyone was time-traveling and both couples would be together in Scotland back in time, I lost interest quickly. But now that Outlander is over, a part of me feels empty inside and so . . . I’ll probably add this back to my watchlist. It certainly has solid casting and I do love Scotland . . . which is where Outlander should have ended, by the way.
Line of Fire — NBC / Peacock
New Episodes: Mondays on NBC / Tuesdays on Peacock
Season Finale: Not yet officially dated. Season 1 is currently listed as 10 episodes, which would put a straight-through finale on Monday, November 23, but NBC has not officially dated the finale.
What It’s About: Peter Krause and Hope Davis lead NBC’s new conspiracy thriller as Mike and Jane Hollingsworth, estranged spouses who are both deeply embedded in federal law enforcement. Their three adult children also work across agencies including the FBI, Secret Service and Department of Justice, turning the Hollingsworths into a sort of federal-agent family dynasty. When a case exposes a deadly conspiracy and brings violence uncomfortably close to home, the entire family is forced to work together while dealing with its own considerable baggage.
Why You Should Watch: I started the first episode of this new network crime drama and . . . it’s not for me. It’s very, very “network drama” and that may absolutely appeal to many viewers who still have cable TV and watch NCIS or whatever, but I was hoping for more of a Law & Order vibe, and that’s not what this is. Good cast, though! And it’s an almost humorous premise to have this family comprised of federal agents across the FBI, Secret Service, DOJ etc.
Dungeon Masters: D&D — World of Warcraft — YouTube
New Episodes: Wednesdays at 6:30 PM PT
Where To Watch: Dungeons & Dragons’ YouTube channel
What It’s About: Dungeons & Dragons’ official actual-play series heads to Azeroth for its third campaign, inspired by the new D&D: World of Warcraft expansion. Dungeon Master Jasmine Bhullar leads a party including Baldur’s Gate 3 stars Neil Newbon and Devora Wilde, along with Christian Navarro, Mayanna Berrin and Theo Solomon, as members of the struggling Horde guild Afterlife. Broke, underleveled and barely holding together, the group takes on increasingly dangerous jobs in hopes of earning enough respect to join the war in Northrend against the Lich King.
Why You Should Watch: This is right up my alley as both a GM and player of D&D and various other tabletop games, and if you’re fans of Critical Role and other D&D podcasts, you should give it a watch. D&D and World of Warcraft are two of the biggest fantasy gaming properties ever made, and throwing Baldur’s Gate 3 actors into an actual-play campaign set during the war against the Lich King could make for some very fun streams. The production values look top-notch as well, with custom sets, an original score and a more cinematic presentation. The first episodes dropped Wednesday, and you can watch them up above.
New Movies To Watch This Weekend
Tuner — Paramount+
What It’s About: Leo Woodall stars as Niki, a gifted young piano tuner whose unusually sensitive hearing turns out to have another, much more dangerous application: cracking safes. After criminals discover his peculiar talent, Niki is pulled into a lucrative new life of crime while trying to maintain his relationship with his mentor, Harry, played by Dustin Hoffman, and a budding romance with music student Ruthie. Daniel Roher directs the twisty crime thriller.
Why You Should Watch: Dustin Hoffman is always fantastic and Leo Woodall is one of those up-and-coming stars that you should probably pay close attention to (I first saw him in Season 2 of The White Lotus, and he was excellent). This is also such a clever premise for a crime film. It’s on my list!
The Love Hypothesis — Prime Video
What It’s About: Based on Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling romance novel, The Love Hypothesis stars Lili Reinhart as Olive, a Ph.D. candidate who impulsively kisses intimidating professor Adam Carlsen to convince her best friend that she’s moved on from an old crush. Naturally, this turns into an elaborate fake-dating arrangement with rules, boundaries and plenty of opportunities for pretend feelings to become real ones. Tom Bateman stars opposite Reinhart.
Why You Should Watch: Not my cup of tea at all even if Lili Reinhart is very attractive and I would totally fake date her . . . (Tom Bateman is also very handsome and I’m sure many of my female readers would fake date him, too).
Backrooms — HBO Max
What It’s About: Based on Kane Parsons’ viral YouTube horror series and the broader Backrooms internet mythology, this A24 sci-fi horror movie follows a therapist who ventures into a bizarre dimension beyond reality after one of her patients disappears. Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor star, with Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell rounding out the cast. Parsons directs the movie, expanding his eerie vision of endless liminal spaces and impossible architecture into a feature-length nightmare.
Why You Should Watch: My son saw this in theaters with friends and said it was okay, but I’ve been waiting for a streaming release. I never got into the internet sensation that was the “Backrooms” YouTube series, but my kids likened it to Severance, which is a show I adore. So this is on my list but not at the top. Somewhere in the middle. A really great caset definitely helps, and the fact that Parsons directs is pretty cool also.
UNABOMBER — Netflix
What It’s About: Jacob Tremblay stars as a young Ted Kaczynski in this dramatization of the future Unabomber’s transformation from brilliant student into domestic terrorist. Directed by Janus Metz, the movie moves between two timelines: Kaczynski’s radicalization and the eventual effort to identify and capture the man behind a mail-bombing campaign that killed three people and injured 23 others. Russell Crowe, Shailene Woodley and Annabelle Wallis also star.
Why You Should Watch: As a Montana native, I’m always interested in Ted Kaczynski lore, but alas this new Netflix dramatization has just 31% on Rotten Tomatoes, so it might be worth skipping.
Toy Story 5 — Disney+
What It’s About: Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the rest of the gang return in Pixar’s fifth Toy Story movie, this time facing a distinctly modern threat to playtime: technology. Bonnie gets a new tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee, whose arrival leaves the toys wondering what place old-fashioned playthings have in a kid’s increasingly digital world. Andrew Stanton, who directed WALL-E and Finding Nemo, takes the helm, with Tom Hanks, Tim Allen and Joan Cusack returning alongside Tony Hale and Conan O’Brien.
Why You Should Watch: Do I really need to answer this question? Every Toy Story movie is a gem, and this one actually has higher audience scores than the first three in the series! Of course, the toys are struggling with the threat of new and inexplicable technology and in the age of AI it might hit a little close to home.
New Movies In Theaters This Weekend
Heart of the Beast — Theaters
What It’s About: Brad Pitt stars as James Belmont, a Special Forces officer stranded deep in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash, with only his combat dog Odin by his side. The survival thriller follows the pair as they battle the elements and try to make their way home, putting the bond between soldier and dog at the center of the story. David Ayer directs, with J.K. Simmons and Anna Lambe also starring.
Why You Should Watch: I’m having a hard time choosing which movie to see this weekend between this and Primetime (below) but it’s one of Brad Pitt’s best-reviewed films and I have to say, rugged Brad Pitt with commando dog sure does sound like fun. I like a good survival flick and this looks pretty great.
Primetime — Theaters
What It’s About: Robert Pattinson stars as To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen in this A24 drama-thriller set during the controversial show’s mid-2000s heyday. Directed by Lance Oppenheim, Primetime follows Hansen and his team as they conduct the televised sting operations that turned the NBC personality into a pop-culture phenomenon, while digging into the murkier ethical territory surrounding the production. Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, Phoebe Bridgers, Matthew Maher and Bokeem Woodbine co-star.
Why You Should Watch: I remember watching To Catch a Predator when I was younger and it was such a satisfying show. It was always so tense and when the predators were suddenly faced with cameras and Chris Hansen busting these perverts, I always worried that they’d do something crazy or violent. I was never much of a reality TV fan but this was an exception, and I’d say Robert Pattinson is the perfect choice to play Hansen, but Pattinson is pretty much always the perfect choice to play just about anyone (though my pick is for him to play Leon Kennedy in a new Resident Evil movie!)
Forgotten Island — Theaters
What It’s About: DreamWorks Animation’s latest original movie follows lifelong best friends Jo and Raissa, two recent high-school graduates facing the prospect of going their separate ways. On their final night together, the pair stumble through a mysterious portal into Nakali, a fantastical island populated by creatures drawn from the Filipino folklore they grew up hearing about. Their quest to escape takes a darker turn when they discover that returning home could cost them the memories of their friendship.
Why You Should Watch: This has stirred up some controversy online about representation. It’s a Filipino folklore film that some say is far too Western and Americanized. I admit, the hairdos feel very “20-something progressive Hollywood writer” to me rather than Filipino, but what do I know? It’s gotten solid reviews with a current 95% critic score on RT and no audience score as of yet.
TV Shows Currently Streaming Weekly
Lanterns – Season 1 (HBO Max)
What It’s About: DC’s True Detective-style take on Green Lantern: rookie John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and veteran Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) investigate a Nebraska murder that opens onto something much larger, told across two timelines. Kelly Macdonald is Sheriff Kerry, Ulrich Thomsen plays Sinestro, Laura Linney a Guardian of the Universe, and Nathan Fillion reprises Guy Gardner from Superman. Co-created by Chris Mundy (Ozark), Damon Lindelof, and Tom King. New episodes land on Sunday evenings with the finale dropping on October 4. See the full release schedule and time zones right here.
Why You Should Watch: Week after week, I keep hoping that Lanterns will “click” for me and week after week I’m disappointed all over again (and then fans yell at me for not liking it, but such is life). The cast is certainly fantastic. Kyle Chandler is wonderful and really could carry an actually good Green Lantern show with his crackling charm. I enjoy Aaron Pierre, Kelly Macdonald and Garret Dillahunt as well. But the writing and pacing are all over the place, though it picked up somewhat last week. It’s just that a lot of it doesn’t make sense and it still feels like the script is a rough draft. You can read my review of Episode 6 here. Watch my video discussion here.
Slow Horses – Season 6 (Apple TV)
What It’s About: Gary Oldman’s wonderfully disheveled Jackson Lamb and the rest of Slough House return for another season of espionage, betrayal and MI5 dysfunction, with River Cartwright dealing with the aftermath of his grandfather’s death while a string of suspicious killings puts the team in danger. Season 6 draws from Mick Herron’s Joe Country and Slough House and brings back Jack Lowden, Kristin Scott Thomas, Hugo Weaving and, notably, Olivia Cooke as Sid Baker. Gaby Chiappe takes over showrunning duties from Will Smith. The new season currently has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes from 21 reviews. Season 6 premiered Sept. 16, with new episodes every Wednesday through the Oct. 21 finale.
Why You Should Watch: Simply put, this is the best spy thriller on TV and one of the best UK dramedies out there. It’s so tightly paced, well-written and intense and manages to always balance its more poignant or action-packed moments against its more humorous tone with such skill, it almost beggars belief. Apple really struck gold with this one. While Season 5 was a little on the goofier side, Season 6 appears to be much darker. I’ve enjoyed the first two episodes immensely, and the second ended with quite a cliffhanger reveal. You can read my recap/review of the second episode here.
MobLand – Season 2 (Paramount+)
MobLand
Credit: Paramount+
What It’s About: Tom Hardy returns as Harrigan fixer Harry Da Souza as the London crime family’s empire begins to fracture under pressure from enemies both inside and outside the organization. Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren and Paddy Considine return, with Johnny Flynn and Ophelia Lovibond among this season’s additions. Ronan Bennett created the series, with Hardy among its executive producers. The 10-episode season premiered Friday, Sept. 18, with new episodes weekly through the Nov. 20 finale.
Why You Should Watch: Season 2 is off to a fantastic start. Last week’s premiere set up the stakes of the season quite nicely, and opened with the Harrigans taking big swings against Harry’s careful advice. This Friday’s episode was a delicious mix of juicy dialogue and character work, capped with a flurry of violence at the end thanks to newcomer Frankie, a villain I just know we’re all going to love to hate. Read my episode 2 review here.
Dark Matter – Season 2 (Apple TV)
Dark Matter
Credit: Apple TV
What It’s About: Joel Edgerton returns as physicist Jason Dessen alongside Jennifer Connelly as Daniela and Oakes Fegley as their son Charlie, with Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, Dayo Okeniyi and Amanda Brugel also returning. After the first season’s multiverse chaos, the Dessens attempt to settle in a seemingly safe reality while Jason’s obsession with the Box threatens to drag the family straight back into trouble. New episodes drop Fridays, though on Apple TV this actually means Thursday evenings, with the finale October 30 (or 29, as the case may be).
Why You Should Watch: It’s very rare for an author to adapt and show-run their own novel, but such is the case for Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter. Now Crouch moves into uncharted territory, taking his own story further in TV format than in book format, which is kind of cool and unique and hopefully means we’re in for a great second season. The good news? Season 2 has much higher ratings than Season 1 so far.
South Park – aka South America (Paramount+)
South Park
Credit: Paramount
What It’s About: Trey Parker and Matt Stone return with the 29th season of their long-running animated satire, temporarily rechristened South America as part of the show’s latest running joke. The premiere, “South American Biker Gangs,” revolves around an e-bike craze overtaking the town and escalating into the sort of increasingly deranged civic conflict the show specializes in. The abbreviated season runs just six episodes and follows an unusual biweekly schedule. Episodes air every other Wednesday on Comedy Central—Sept. 16 and 30, Oct. 14 and 28, and Nov. 11 and 25—and stream the following day on Paramount+, putting the streaming finale on Nov. 26.
Why You Should Watch: I love South Park, though I guess it’s South America now that it’s been renamed, just like Lake Ontar – sorry, Lake America. And the America Mountains. Why do states even have names anymore? Hawaii should just be America Island. California can be West America. Texas can be Panhandle America. But I digress. South Park is back for its 29th season, which makes me feel old since I’ve been watching this entire time. Nobody does political satire quite like South Park, er, South America.
American Hostage (MGM+)
American Hostage
Credit: MGM
What It’s About: American Hostage is a new MGM+ psychological thriller based on the bizarre true story of a 1977 Indianapolis hostage crisis. Jon Hamm stars as radio reporter Fred Heckman, who is pulled directly into the story when Tony Kiritsis (Giovanni Ribisi) abducts mortgage broker Dick Hall (Kristoffer Polaha), rigs a shotgun to his neck and demands to speak with Heckman live on the air. What follows is a nearly 63-hour standoff in which the journalist becomes an unlikely intermediary between the increasingly volatile hostage-taker and authorities. The eight-episode series, co-created by The Shield and The Night Agent producer Shawn Ryan and Eileen Myers. New episodes drop Sundays, with the season finale dropping on November 1.
Why You Should Watch: If you enjoyed The Shield and The Night Agent, you have a good reason to check this out. Of course, the stars are also a big draw. Jon Hamm is about as watchable as they come, though the second season of Your Friends And Neighbors was a bit of a letdown. I recently watched Giovanni Ribisi in Sneaky Pete, which had an excellent first season. Ribisi is always fantastic. Curiously, this same exact story was just made into the film Dead Man’s Wire, starring Bill Skarsgård as Kirtsis and Dacre Montgomery as Hall. Gus Van Sant directed the film which you can watch on Netflix. The big difference between the movie and the show is that the show is centered around the reporter and his role as intermediary, whereas the film focused on the kidnapper and his captive.
The Traitors: New Blood (Peacock)
What It’s About: Alan Cumming returns to his Scottish castle for a new spin on Peacock’s Emmy-winning social-deduction hit, but this time the celebrities and veteran reality stars are gone. New Blood features 22 ordinary Americans—from an astrophysicist to a dog groomer—divided between Faithfuls trying to identify the hidden Traitors and Traitors secretly “murdering” their fellow contestants while everyone competes for a prize of up to $250,000. The new iteration also introduces an “accomplice” twist that complicates the usual Faithful-versus-Traitor dynamic. The two-episode premiere aired on NBC Thursday, Sept. 17 and began streaming on Peacock Friday, Sept. 18; new episodes air Thursdays on NBC and stream the following day on Peacock. A finale date has not yet been announced due to the nature of the game.
Why You Should Watch: I watched a bit of this, despite my general moratorium on all things reality TV, and I can see the appeal. The Scottish castle alone is almost worth the price of admission, and Alan Cumming is a terrific host. I think the new accomplice twist is a fun way to keep things fresh. But I should probably go back and watch earlier seasons. If anyone wants to recommend the best starting point, I’m all ears.
The Drop: A Snowfall Saga (FX / Hulu)
What It’s About: This Snowfall sequel shifts the story into 1990s Los Angeles, where Wanda Bell (Gail Bean) tries to build a future in the emerging West Coast rap scene while her former partner Leon Simmons (Isaiah John) attempts to leave street life behind. Wanda puts her hopes in her cousin Lamar (Asante Blackk) and an up-and-coming rapper as the music business, gang politics and the lingering fallout from the crack epidemic collide. The series is executive-produced by Snowfall veterans and Malcolm Spellman, who previously served as head writer on Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Why You Should Watch: I’ve had Snowfall on my list for ages and honestly now that I’ve seen so many others, from Breaking Bad to The Wire to The Shield and countless more, it might be time to put this into the rotation. I obviously have to watch the original series (which began airing in 2017 and ran for 60 episodes) before I can watch the sequel. Speaking of the sequel, The Drop premiered September 8 and currently has a 100% RT score, albeit from only six reviews. New episodes air Tuesdays on FX and stream on Hulu, with the eight-episode season finale landing October 27.
Last Seen (Apple TV)
What It’s About: Patrick Brammall stars as Ian Ridley, a former police detective whose young daughter Maggie disappeared without a trace 11 years earlier. Now working as a police dispatcher, Ian receives an emergency call from a teenage girl whose voice he is convinced belongs to Maggie, sending him on an increasingly desperate search for the daughter he never believed was dead. Maxine Peake and Brendan Cowell co-star. Last Seen premiered September 9 with two episodes, followed by one new episode every Wednesday through the six-episode finale on October 7. Of course, since this is Apple TV that means episodes will actually drop on Tuesday evenings.
Why You Should Watch: Brammall stars in two shows in this weekend’s guide, though they’re about as different from one another as you can get. Last Seen looks like a pretty intense thriller, though anything involving missing daughters is guaranteed to get me almost too stressed out to watch. I’m adding it to the list, of course.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia – Season 18 (FX / Hulu)
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
Credit: Hulu
What It’s About: The Gang — Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob Mac, Kaitlin Olson and Danny DeVito — return to Paddy’s Pub for a 10-episode run that includes inheritance scams, tent encampments, workplace automation, neurodivergence, conspiracy theories, a Renaissance Faire, and a Little League sponsorship. What could go wrong? The season premiered this past Monday, August 17 with a two-episode drop. Weekly episodes land on Mondays with the finale airing on October 12. Season 18 is currently sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Why You Should Watch: To be fair, I’m late to the game on Always Sunny, so I’m way way behind on this show and just put on episodes whenever I need a dose of hilarity in my life. Sometimes I end up binging three or four or five because life is filled with tragedy and the Gang always lifts my spirits. So why should you watch? First, because it will bring you joy. Second, because you’ll be like “there but for the grace of God go I.”
A Tale Of Two Cities (MGM+)
What It’s About: Charles Dickens’ classic gets a new four-part adaptation starring Kit Harington as brilliant but self-destructive lawyer Sydney Carton, Mirren Mack as Lucie Manette and François Civil as French émigré Charles Darnay. The story begins in 1782 London, where Lucie learns that the father she believed dead for nearly two decades may actually be alive in Paris. When Darnay is arrested for treason, she turns to Carton for help, setting in motion the famous love triangle against the growing turmoil between Britain and France. The miniseries premieres Sunday, Sept. 6 on MGM+, with new episodes each Sunday and the fourth and final installment airing Sept. 27.
Why You Should Watch: I haven’t seen this yet, and there are no reviews out on Rotten Tomatoes yet, either, which isn’t uncommon for more obscure titles on smaller streaming apps like MGM+. If you’re a fan of Kit Harington (Jon Snow in Game of Thrones) this is an obvious must-watch. It’s been years since I read A Tale of Two Cities, and the honest truth is, my memory of the details is rather fuzzy at this point. That might actually work in favor of the mini-series, since I won’t compare every last thing to the book! “It was the best of adaptations, it was the worst of adaptations…”
Ted Lasso – Season 4 (Apple TV)
Ted Lasso
Credit: Apple TV
What It’s About: Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) returns to Richmond to coach a second-division women’s football team in this reboot of the popular Apple TV sports comedy series. Jack Burditt (30 Rock, Modern Family) takes over as showrunner for this new, more estrogen-charged spin on the fish-out-of-water TV show. New episodes drop on Wednesday (Tuesday evening for Apple TV) with ten episodes running through October 7.
Why You Should Watch: Honestly, the reason that Ted Lasso worked so well in the first season was precisely because it was a fish-out-of-water comedy. But a fish can only stay out of water for so long before, well, RIP fish. Ted was an adorable lead and head coach and despite his lack of experience or knowledge of soccer, his remarkable way with people took everyone off guard, including viewers. That affable, mustachioed man was the epitome of “I am rubber and you are glue” and nothing stuck to him. He made you want to believe (like Fox Mulder did back in the day, only about aliens and whatnot).
That rarest work of optimism and hope in a sea of cynicism was perfect in its first season. But it should have been a one-and-done series because it ran out of steam in Season 2 and I didn’t return for Season 3. Let me know if you think Season 4 is worth it or a misfire. I’ve heard mixed things.
Previous Weekend Streaming Guides
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