The TV calendar is getting crowded and making a strong case for staying in. As a streaming editor who watches TV for a living, I’ve rounded up the biggest new and returning shows to watch this week across Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+ and more of the best streaming services.
This week brings Keri Russell back for another round of international intrigue in “The Diplomat,” and Sylvester Stallone for more mob mayhem in “Tulsa King.” Marvel’s “VisionQuest” follows up “WandaVision” to see where the android has been all this time. Just in time for spooky season, “Crystal Lake” serves up a “Friday the 13th” prequel. If you want something lighter, “Love Is Blind” delivers another round of messy romance.
The days are getting shorter, but the watchlist is getting longer. Here’s what to watch on TV this week.
‘Love Is Blind’ season 11 (Netflix)
The vibes: Wicked accents, wicked questionable romantic decisions.
The plot: This season of “Love Is Blind” heads to Boston to give 30 singles a chance to fall in love without seeing each other first. They’ll flirt through the pods, get engaged sight unseen, then move in together and meet each other’s families. Eventually, they’ll face the ultimate relationship test: the wedding altar.
Premiere date: Episodes 1-5 on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 3 a.m. ET
Where to watch:Netflix
‘The Lowdown’ season 2 (FX)
The vibes: Somebody has daddy issues … surprise, surprise.
The plot: Lee Raybon (Ethan Hawke) is riding high after finally getting some recognition for his journalism, which naturally means it’s time for everything to combust. A missing prisoner sends him chasing a corruption-soaked mystery with public defender Ginger (Betty Gilpin), while his teen daughter needs more of his attention. Then his estranged father, Lee Sr. (Tommy Lee Jones), shows up, forcing Lee to explain why he said Grandpa was dead this whole time.
Premiere date: Episodes 1-2 on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET
Where to watch:FX and Hulu
‘VisionQuest’ (Disney+)
The vibes: An android walks into a bar. Then things get weird.
The plot: After the events of “WandaVision,” Vision (Paul Bettany) is hiding in plain sight, working at an Edinburgh bar while trying to make sense of his restored memories. His therapy session from hell involves the AI personas living in his head, including Ultron (James Spader). Then a bounty sends him fleeing with Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica), a teenager who may be his reincarnated son.
Premiere date: Episodes 1-2 on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 9 p.m. ET
Where to watch:Disney+
‘Crystal Lake’ (Peacock)
The vibes: Sad Mom turns into Deadly Mom.
The plot: Nearly a year after her son Jason drowns at Camp Crystal Lake, Pamela Voorhees (Linda Cardellini) is still drowning in grief. Working at the camp as a lunch lady in the 1970s, she tries to carry on until two strangers start poking into her past. What follows is Pamela’s descent from grieving mother to Friday the 13th’s original killer.
Premiere date: All 8 episodes on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 3 a.m. ET
Where to watch:Peacock
‘The Diplomat’ season 4 (Netflix)
The vibes: When your marriage is somehow the most dangerous part of your internationally powerful job.
The plot: Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) has enough on her plate trying to keep the U.S.-UK relationship from collapsing. Then she learns her husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) and President Grace Penn (Allison Janney) have cooked up a perilous scheme involving a Russian superweapon. With First Gentleman Todd Penn (Bradley Whitford) suddenly on her side, Kate has to stop a political disaster while figuring out whether her marriage is worth saving.
Premiere date: All 8 episodes on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 3 a.m. ET
Where to watch:Netflix
‘Tulsa King’ season 4 (Paramount+)
The vibes: The General is entering his political era — watch out.
The plot: Dwight Manfredi (Sylvester Stallone) has built himself quite the empire in Tulsa, but keeping it intact may prove harder than building it. Season 4 throws corrupt politicians, rival gangsters and a tech billionaire into the mix, while a devastating personal loss forces Dwight to reckon with what his ambition has cost.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Friday, Oct. 16 at 3 a.m. ET
Where to watch:Paramount+
‘The Gold’ season 2 (PBS)
The vibes: Half the gold is gone, bringing twice the headaches.
The plot: The Met’s Flying Squad realizes they’ve only recovered half the Brink’s-Mat heist haul, sending DCI Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville) and his team on a sprawling chase through the 1990s. Their search takes them from London to sunnier international locales, while gold dealer John Palmer (Tom Cullen) grows bolder and his ill-gotten empire attracts dangerous attention.
Premiere date: Episode 1 on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 10 p.m. ET
Where to watch:PBS
