1. “Stranger Things” Season 2 (available October 27)
Why Should I Watch It? Whether you’re a sci-fi junkie, a horror fan, or just big into Eggo waffles, “Stranger Things” offers thrills and fun for everyone. Genre nerds can geek out over all the cinematic references to Steven Spielberg and James Cameron while casual Netflix subscribers will get caught up in the human story of four friends on exciting adventures. Season 1 built an entire new world, created a monster as unpronounceable as it is unforgettable, and became the sensation of the summer. Season 2 is dropping just in time for Halloween. What a treat, indeed.
Best Episode: Haha, you think we’ve seen new episodes of “Stranger Things”? Are you nuts? Netflix has the second season on lockdown, but we’ll get a review up the moment we’ve laid eyes on it (and probably a few more after that).
2. “Mindhunter” Season 1 (available October 13)
Why Should I Watch It? “Mindhunter” is Netflix’s next big bet for awards dominance. After getting beat to the Best Drama punch by Hulu (congrats again, “Handmaid’s Tale”!), the streaming service with the lead in subscribers needs to up its gold digging game. Enter “Mindhunter.” The upcoming drama directed by David Fincher and produced by Charlize Theron has all the earmarks of being the next “House of Cards,” which is good since a) “House of Cards” is losing steam at the Emmys, and b) Netflix subscribers need a new addiction that’s worthy of their complete and total attention. With a period setting, FBI agents, serial killers, and psychological thrills, “Mindhunter” has the subject matter and talent behind it to be a seismic hit.
Best Episode: Given the amount of anticipation around this twisty thriller, it should come as no surprise we haven’t seen these yet, either. Or can we just not tell you that we’ve seen them? Are we under embargo or ignorant? Which is it? Well, you’ll never know, now will you? So maybe just keep checking IndieWire for more on the 10-episode first season of “Mindhunter.”
3. “Schitt’s Creek” Season 3 (available October 5)
Why Should I Watch It? Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara. Really, you need no more reason than those two delightful thespians, but we’ll give you a brief rundown of the plot just in case you’re curious. “Schitt’s Creek” tracks the lives of a rich video store magnate named Johnny Rose (Levy), washed-up soap actress Moira (O’Hara), and their family, all of whom are forced to move to Schitt’s Creek after losing most of their fortune to a very, very bad business manager’s catastrophic mistakes. By Season 3, they’ve settled into the tiny town they originally purchased as a joke, and the dynamics are operating smoothly. Enjoy.
Best Episode: You don’t have to get too far into Season 3 before seeing one of the best episodes: The first entry, “Opening Night,” is a bevy of awkward surprises, but it’s probably oh-so-slightly surpassed by the finale, “Grad Night,” in which Alexis’ (Annie Murphy) graduation ceremony, David’s (Dan Levy) birthday, and an unprecedented sold-out motel collide. Welp, I guess you just have to watch the whole season. Darn.
Continue reading for four more picks and the full list of October TV shows.
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