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- Top TV Picks for the Week of October 14 — Best Shows to Watch Now
- Rank 5 — Chad Powers (Hulu): A Loud, Surprisingly Warm Comedy
- Rank 4 — Slow Horses (Apple TV+): Spy Drama with Emotional Stakes
- Rank 3 — Only Murders in the Building (Hulu): Whodunit With Heart
- Rank 2 — Outlander: Blood of My Blood (Starz): A Prequel That Feels Essential
- Rank 1 — Peacemaker (HBO Max): Season 2 Delivers Madness and Melody
Editors at Paste sorted through the week’s flood of streaming drops and broadcast premieres to pick the standout series to watch. Below are the top TV shows for the week of October 14, chosen for sharp writing, addictive performances, and shows that people are still talking about.
Top TV Picks for the Week of October 14 — Best Shows to Watch Now
- Honorable mentions: The Great British Baking Show (Netflix), The Morning Show (Apple TV+), Boots (Netflix).
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Rank 5 — Chad Powers (Hulu): A Loud, Surprisingly Warm Comedy
- Network: Hulu
- Last week: 4
- This week: A messy protagonist fumbles toward decency, with plenty of gross-out laughs.
Quick take
This show trades subtlety for wild energy. Its core joke is absurd, and the lead leans into fratty, politically incorrect humor.
What works: The cast commits hard. The star brings natural charisma and sharp timing. Moments of real feeling sneak into the chaos.
At times the characters feel larger than life. Still, the show lets tenderness creep in. It asks whether pretending to be better can actually change you.
Rank 4 — Slow Horses (Apple TV+): Spy Drama with Emotional Stakes
- Network: Apple TV+
- Last week: 4
- This week: Slough House copes with fallout from past violence as a new threat looms.
Why it matters
Agents stuck at Slough House live in a professional limbo. That stagnation fuels both black humor and decay.
Season note: The previous run raised the stakes with brutal losses and a personal turn for River. This season explores the aftermath.
Characters juggle grief and duty. Shirley tries to protect a colleague she failed before. River buries his trauma beneath work. Jackson Lamb remains a complicated father figure.
Rank 3 — Only Murders in the Building (Hulu): Whodunit With Heart
- Network: Hulu
- Last week: 3
- This week: The Arconia faces more tragedy as the trio chases another mystery.
Episode highlight
This season leans into the building itself as a character. A doorman’s death becomes the center of an unexpectedly moving episode.
Standout: An episode told through flashbacks gives the doorman a life beyond the lobby. The guest actor makes the role quietly memorable.
The core trio—Mabel, Charles, and Oliver—remain the show’s beating heart. The mystery is sharp, but the emotional beats land strongest.
Rank 2 — Outlander: Blood of My Blood (Starz): A Prequel That Feels Essential
- Network: Starz
- Last week: 2
- This week: New lovers flee danger as others plot to return home through time.
What to expect
This prequel explores family histories tied to the original Outlander saga. It balances political intrigue, romance, and destiny.
Accessibility: You don’t need to have watched the original series to enjoy this one. It stands on its own as a dramatic period story.
Longtime fans will savor callbacks and clever casting. Newcomers can jump in for swordplay, forbidden love, and immersive world-building.
Rank 1 — Peacemaker (HBO Max): Season 2 Delivers Madness and Melody
- Network: HBO Max
- Last week: 2
- This week: A finale full of musical montages, revelations, and an off-kilter salvation arc.
Season snapshot
James Gunn keeps the tone that made the series popular: equal parts vulgar, heartfelt, and bizarre.
New beats: The season gives Peacemaker’s pet eagle its own subplot and brings an eagle hunter into the chaos.
The show balances fresh world-building with the same irreverent voice fans expect. It’s loud, strange, and oddly moving.
