Plus a horror podcast spawns an anthology series and a multitude of favorite shows return.
This week’s television will keep you at the edge of your seat. Intrigue abounds as Netflix premieres the latest David Fincher series, Mr. Robot reaches critical levels of tension, Hugh Laurie uses his diagnosis powers to hunt down serial killers, and a popular folk horror podcast hits Amazon in the shape of a TV miniseries. All this suspense is balanced with a dose of Noah Baumbach’s humor, an award-winning documentary, a myriad of returning shows on The CW, and new oddball shenanigans at Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.
To help you keep track of the most important programs over the next seven days, here’s our guide to everything worth watching, whether it’s on broadcast, cable, or streaming for October 8th – 14th (all times Eastern):
1. Mindhunter (Netflix, Friday)
Netflix has proven to be fertile ground for David Fincher, and David Fincher has been a good partner for Netflix. The streaming service has allowed the filmmaker to experiment with new aspect ratios in the episodes he directed for House of Cards, and his involvement as executive producer has not only helped shape one of the platform’s main original contents, but also has provided the show with the cred required to pique the audience’s interest. Their paired up once again for Mindhunter, a new series set in 1979 that follows two FBI agents (played by Jonathan Groff and Holt McCallany) in their quest to understanding the criminal mind and solve ongoing cases as they interview imprisoned serial killers. Fincher directed the pilot and Joe Penhall (The Road) and Jennifer Haley wrote the script based on the real-life work of FBI veteran John Douglas.
2. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (Netflix, Friday)
Adam Sandler in a Noah Baumbach movie might sound like an odd combination, but the writer-director’s latest proves that if you add Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, and Elizabeth Marvel to the equation and mix the ingredients in just the right amount, the result will be (in the words of our own Matthew Hoffman) a “tender, hilarious, and often heartbreaking” dramatic comedy. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) explores the dysfunctional relationship between an eccentric artist father (Hoffman) and his estranged sons, half-brothers played by Stiller and Sandler. Trust us, this isn’t your typical Sandler-led Netflix movie.
3. Lore (Amazon, Friday)
Lore combines two things that are all the rage these days: podcasts and anthology series. For those unfamiliar with the podcast scene, Lore is an award-winning show that can be best described as the digital equivalent of gathering around the campfire to tell scary stories. These folk horror tales based in real-life events are now adapted to the small screen by The Walking Dead producer Gale Anne Hurd and are played out throughout six episodes by stars such as Robert Patrick, Colm Feore, Adam Goldberg, Kristin Bauer van Straten, and Campbell Scott. A good way to get into the Halloween spirit.
4. The CW’s Superhero Series (The CW, Monday to Friday)
If even after reading this guide you still wonder what to watch at any given moment of the week, it is probable that you’ll find something at The CW. Its DC series roster returns with new episodes: Supergirl (Monday, 8pm) and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (Tuesday, 9pm) pick up after major changes involving deaths and broken timelines in their third seasons, while The Flash (Tuesday, 8pm) starts its fourth season run with new threats looming over Central City and veteran Oliver Queen (Thursday, 9pm) delivers a sixth season of Arrow where the main focus is the relationships between all the characters. And if superheroes aren’t your thing, The CW also brings back drama, with Riverdale’s second season (Wednesday, 8pm) and the premiere of the 80s soap remake Dynasty (Wednesday, 9pm), and comedy: either musical – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (Friday, 8pm) – or telenovela-like – Jane the Virgin (Friday, 9pm). Also, believe it or not, Supernatural hits Season 13.
5. Mr. Robot (USA, Wednesday 10pm)
Mr. Robot’s second season finale – which we praised highly – gave us answers we craved while messing yet again with our minds and replacing said answers with new questions. However, Season 3 promises not only (eventual) resolution but also higher stakes: the turmoil between Elliot’s multiple personalities is reaching a critical point, and the deadline for Phase 2 approaches. Rami Malek and the rest of the cast is joined by Bobby Cannavale and B.D. Wong becomes a regular.
6. Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency (BBC America, Saturday 9pm)
Even though it’s only loosely based on the original character created by Douglas Adams, this show does honor the oddball spirit of the author’s work: it follows its own peculiar logic and it’s very difficult to explain to others with sounding a little bit insane. It is one of those things that is better experienced than described: Season 1 had the eccentric detective (played by Penny Dreadful’s Samuel Barnett) solving an intricate mystery that involves time travel and body-swapping alongside his reluctant sidekick (Elijah Wood). Season 2 promises to be a ride just as confusing and thrilling, where the characters must find their way back to each other and face a new challenge: “find the boy.” New faces also join the cast, including Alan Tudyk, John Hannah, Amanda Walsh, and Tyler Labine.
7. Islands and the Whales (PBS, Monday)
This week’s POV documentary recommendation takes the viewer up north, to the Faroe Islands archipelago in the Atlantic sea, and looks not only at its extraordinary landscape but also the modern drama that takes place between the cliffs and the waves: high mercury levels and anti-whaling activists pose a serious threat for their longtime hunting traditions, while their bird populations have decreased considerably due to pollution. This environmental cautionary tale won last year’s Grand Jury Prize at DOC NYC and is described by our sister site Nonfics as “a film of the Faroes and Faroese in all their beauty.”
8. Chance (Hulu, Wednesday)
Whether it is an acerbic medical diagnosis extraordinaire or a good-intentioned forensic neuropsychiatrist, there is a particular joy in seeing Hugh Laurie play a doctor. The first season of Chance reminded us just how wide Laurie’s acting range is by having him embody the polar opposite of House and still deliver a performance just as riveting. After getting involved with shady people and exploring some very dark corners in order to help his patients, Dr. Eldon Chance returns for his second season and the content of the battles won doesn’t last long, as he faces a new challenge: helping detective Hynes (Brian Goodman) prove tech multimillionaire Ryan Winter (Paul Schneider) is a serial killer.
SUNDAY
Outlander S3E5 “Freedom & Whisky” (Starz, 8pm)
The Simpsons S29E2 “Springfield Splendor” (FOX, 8pm)
Ghosted S1E2 “Bee-Mo” (FOX, 8:30pm)
Star Trek: Discovery S1E4 “The Butcher’s Knife Cares Not for the Lamb’s Cry” (CBSAA, 8:30pm)
Family Guy S16E2 “Foxx in the Men House” (FOX, 9pm)
Fear the Walking Dead S3E14 “El Matadero” (AMC, 9pm)
Ray Donovan S5E9 “Mister Lucky” (Showtime, 9pm)
The Deuce S1E5 “What Kind of Bad?” (HBO, 9pm)
The Last Man on Earth S4E2 “Stocko Syndrome” (FOX, 9:30pm)
Curb Your Enthusiasm S9E2 “The Pickle Gambit” (HBO, 10pm)
Get Shorty S1E10 “Blue Pages” (Epix, 10pm) – season finale
The Collection S1E1 (PBS, 10pm) – series premiere
Vice Principals S2E4 “Think Change” (HBO, 10:40pm)
The Robot Chicken Walking Dead Special: Look Who’s Walking (Adult Swim, 12am) – special episode
MONDAY
Lucifer S3E2 “The One with the Baby Carrot” (FOX, 8pm)
Supergirl S3E1 “Girl of Steel” (The CW, 8pm) – season premiere
The Gifted S1E2 “rX” (FOX, 9pm)
Valor S1E1 (The CW, 9pm) – series premiere
Scorpion S4E3 “Grow a Deer, A Female Deer” (CBS, 10pm)
The Good Doctor S1E3 “Oliver” (ABC, 10pm)
TUESDAY
Christina P: Mother Inferior (Netflix) – stand up special
The Mindy Project S6E5 “Jeremy & Anna’s Meryl Streep Costume Party” (Hulu)
The Flash S4E1 “The Flash Reborn” (The CW, 8pm) – season premiere
NCIS S15E3 “Exit Strategy” (CBS, 8pm)
Lethal Weapon S2E3 “Born to Run” (FOX, 8pm)
black-ish S4E2 “Mother Nature” (ABC, 9pm)
DC’s Legends of Tomorrow S3E1 “Aruba-Con” (The CW, 9pm) – season premiere
This Is Us S2E3 “Déjà Vu” (NBC, 9pm)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine S5E3 “Kicks” (FOX, 9:30pm)
The Mayor S1E2 “The Filibuster” (ABC, 9:30pm)
American Horror Story S7E6 “Mid-Western Assassin” (FX, 10pm)
Kevin (Probably) Saves the World S1E2 “Listen Up” (ABC, 10pm)
Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders S1E3 (NBC, 10pm)
WEDNESDAY
Chance S2 (Hulu) – season premiere
Empire S4E3 “Evil Manners” (FOX, 8pm)
Riverdale S2E1 “Chapter Fourteen: A Kiss Before Dying” (The CW, 8pm) – season premiere
The Blacklist S5E3 “Miss Rebecca Thrall” (NBC, 8pm)
Speechless S2E3 “J-J’s D-r-Dream”” (ABC, 8:30pm)
Dynasty S1E1 (The CW, 9pm) – series premiere
Law & Order: SVU S19E3 “Contrapasso” (NBC, 9pm)
Modern Family S9E3 “Catch of the Day” (ABC, 9pm)
The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman S1E1 (Nat Geo, 9pm) – series premiere
Channel Zero S2E4 “The Exit” (Syfy, 10pm)
Criminal Minds S13E3 “Killer App” (CBS, 10pm)
Designated Survivor S2E3 “Outbreak” (ABC, 10pm)
Liar S1E3 “White Rabbit” (Sundance Channel, 10pm)
Mr. Robot S3E1 “eps3.0_power-saver-mode.h” (USA, 10pm) – season premiere
You’re the Worst S4E7 “Not A Great Bet” (FXX, 10pm)
Baroness von Sketch Show S2E5 “Don’t Make Me Send a Lawyer Up There” (IFC, 11pm)
Rosehaven S1E5 & S1E6 (Sundance Channel, 11pm)
THURSDAY
I Love You, America S1 (Hulu) – series premiere
Gotham S4E4 “The Demon’s Head” (FOX, 8pm)
Grey’s Anatomy S14E4 “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” (ABC, 8pm)
Supernatural S13E1 “Lost and Found” (The CW, 8pm) – season premiere
Superstore S3E3 “Part-Time Hires” (NBC, 8pm)
The Good Place S2E5 “Existential Crisis” (NBC, 8:30pm)
Arrow S6E1 “Fallout” (The CW, 9pm) – season premiere
Project Runway S16E9 (Lifetime, 9pm)
Scandal S7E2 “Pressing the Flesh” (ABC, 9pm)
The Orville S1E6 “Krill” (FOX, 9pm)
Van Helsing S2E2 “In Redemption” (Syfy, 9pm)
Will & Grace S9E3 “Emergency Contact” (NBC, 9pm)
Great News S2E3 “Honeypot!” (NBC, 9:30pm)
Better Things S2E5 “Phil” (FX, 10pm)
Ghost Wars S1E2 “The Ghost in the Machine” (Syfy, 10pm)
FRIDAY
The Babysitter (Netflix) – movie premiere
Kingdom of Us (Netflix) – documentary premiere
Lore S1 (Amazon) – series premiere
Mindhunter S1 (Netflix) – series premiere
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (Netflix) – movie premiere
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend S3E1 “Josh’s Ex-Girlfriend Wants Revenge” (The CW, 8pm) – season premiere
Once Upon a Time S7E2 “A Pirate’s Life” (ABC, 8pm)
Jane The Virgin S4E1 “Chapter Sixty-Five” (The CW, 9pm) – season premiere
Marvel’s Inhumans S1E4 “Make Way for… Medusa” (ABC, 9pm)
The Exorcist S2E3 “Unclean” (FOX, 9pm)
Z Nation S4E3 “The Vanishing” (Syfy, 9pm)
Room 104 S1E12 “My Love” (HBO, 11:30pm) – season finale
Active Shooter: America Under Fire S1E3 (Showtime, 9pm)
SATURDAY
Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency S2E1 (BBC America, 9pm) – season premiere
Halt and Catch Fire S4E9& S4E10 “Search” & “Ten of Swords” (AMC, 9pm) – season finale
