Everything I Watched in October 2023
And what I thought about it all
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Back with another monthly watch list recap!
Once a month I send out a list of everything I watched the previous month to give you some ideas of things to add to your own watch lists, so I’m here to share the rundown of all of the stuff I watched in October.
Also note that I only include seasons of TV shows that I finished in any given month — if it’s still on or I’m still currently watching it, then I’ll include it when it’s over.
RELATED: Everything I Watched in September 2023
You’ll find that my reactions to things lean positive, because 1. I actively try to seek out stuff that I expect to be entertaining, has been well reviewed and/or has value to me — I’m not just going to watch the most popular show on Netflix because everyone else is if I don’t think I would like it — and 2. I’ve given myself more leeway recently to give up on shows that I’m not enjoying (here’s the list of all the shows I dropped last year). I used to force myself to finish things even if I hated them, which is truly unnecessary and a waste of time.
Keep scrolling for the list of everything I watched in October 2023 (and here’s the list from September if you want more ideas for things to watch):
Only Murders in the Building - Season 3 (Hulu) 👍👍
I continue to love this show, which does a fantastic job at keeping you guessing and providing real surprise until the very end of each season. Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short’s rapport remains so fun, but the additions of Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd really amped things up this go ‘round. Bring on season 4!
Never Let Him Go (Hulu) 👍
This four-part docuseries explores Steve Johnson’s decades-long mission to find out more about the death of his gay brother’s mysterious death in Australia. Bureaucracy and politics and homophobia are just some of the hurdles he and his family have to push through to get answers in this ultimately rewarding journey to find peace.
Starstruck - Season 3 (Max) 👍👍
This series created by, written by and starring Rose Matafeo is such a joy, and every time I’ve told someone to watch it, they report back that they loved it. It follows her character’s foibles in life and career and dating in the same realm as shows like “Fleabag” and “Everything I Know About Love,” providing a mix of belly laughs and poignant moments.
Beckham (Netflix) 👍👍
There’s not much more to say about this four-part docuseries about David Beckham that hasn’t already been said, and it feels as though everyone in the world has already seen it. If, by chance, you have not watched it, do it. Even though it’s not a perfect doc and I’ve seen some legit complaints about things that they only touch on a surface level (i.e., David’s cheating scandal), there’s still so much I learned from this series. And, just like everyone else, I left with a sickening obsession with David and Victoria’s relationship.
Sex Education - Season 4 (Netflix) 👍
One of my favorite Netflix shows ever ended on a very high note. This quirky British series starring Gillian Anderson as a sex therapist has consistently been one of the finest examples of diversity of all kinds in a show centered around teenagers, and it continued that trend with its final season. I was so happy with how they wrapped up nearly every character’s story and will miss this show very much.
The Real Housewives of Orange County - Season 17 (Bravo) 👍👍
“RHOC” delivered its best season in years, and it didn’t need a crime or a cheating scandal or a huge betrayal to do so. Tamra returned with enthusiasm, willing to go there immediately, stir shit up and make it messy — arguably too much so, but I have no doubt that one of her learnings from her return season is that there’s room for her to dial it back a little. Heather handled the group gang-up masterfully, Emily and Gina stepped up, Jennifer was a wonderful addition and Shannon continued to deliver the drama. This is what a solid season of “Real Housewives” should look and feel like, and I hope the cast stays the same for next season.
Savior Complex (Max) 👍
This docuseries about Renee Bach does an excellent job at presenting her story — a young missionary who starts an NGO in Uganda called Serving His Children that is met with both praise and controversy — in a fairly neutral way, leaving it to you to decide which parts of her story are “right” or “unethical.” There’s a lot of gray area here that gets into a lot of big topics, and I appreciated the way this story was told. Very well done.
New York Cites Presents: How to Fix a Pageant (Hulu) 👍
A great episode of a solid series, this one focusing on the unraveling of the Miss USA organization amid a variety of controversies that I didn’t really know about. Bonus points for the inclusion of former Miss Michigan and “Big Brother” winner Taylor Hale, who details a harrowing experience of her own as part of the doc.
The Ringleader: The Case of The Bling Ring (Max) 👍
I almost didn’t watch this one — another retelling of the Bling Ring story? Did we really need that? Turns out, this one did indeed add to the conversation, as it was the first time that the alleged mastermind of the whole thing, Rachel Lee, ever speaks publicly about the ordeal. If you’ve loved this story, it’s really worthwhile hearing her perspective on everything.
Donyale Luna: Supermodel (Max) 👍
Before seeing a trailer for this 90-minute documentary, I hadn’t heard of Donyale, who was the first Black model to cover both Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue. She lived an extraordinary life full of historic moments and iconic figures before her untimely death at the age of 33.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (in theaters) 👍👍
Another one of those, “What else is there to say about this?” I saw the Eras Tour during Labor Day Weekend and had the time of my life, and the experience of watching the show back on the big screen months later in a movie theater was still very fulfilling and fun. We had dancers and selfie takers and tears in our screening, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Her surprise song picks for the film (“Our Song” and “You’re On Your Own, Kid”) were also perfection.
Love Is Blind - Season 5 (Netflix) 👎
The worst season of “Love Is Blind” yet. They started so strongly in the pods with that big twist, but things unraveled quickly from there, resulting in an anticlimactic season with very unlikable personalities. A big miss.
Who Killed Jill Dando? (Netflix) 👐
This three-part docuseries looks into the unexplained death of BBC presenter Jill Dando, who had some chilling similarities to Princess Diana. While it’s a compelling premise, I found myself losing interest as the episodes went on.
The Challenge: USA - Season 2 (CBS) 👍
I found this second season of “The Challenge: USA,” in which competitors from “Survivor,” “Amazing Race,” “Big Brother” and “The Challenge” compete against one another in one uber competition full of familiar faces, to be much better than the first one. Some of my genuine faves were on this cast, the challenges were great and the ending was solid.
Fair Play (Netflix) 👍
Really enjoyed this movie that tells the story of a couple who works together at a cutthroat hedge fund. Their secret engagement already made their lives at work complicated, but things get even more tense when one of them gets promoted and the other doesn’t. There’s great buildup in this one — a very entertaining Friday night watch.
Married to Medicine - Seasons 1-9 (Bravo) 👍👍
One of the best shows on Bravo — no question! As I’ve mentioned several times in this newsletter before, I’ve spent the past couple of years slowly making my way through “Married to Medicine” as we waited for its tenth season to premiere this month. Four original cast members are still on the show, and we’ve been through major ups and downs with all of them, with the group even staging an intervention during the season 5 reunion to prevent Dr. Simone’s impending divorce. It’s rewarding, hilarious, emotional, incredible television and I’m so happy to finally be caught up. Look forward to live tweets from me all season long!
Coleen Rooney: The Real Wagatha Story (Hulu) 👍👍
I was absolutely obsessed with this three-part docuseries that told the first-hand account of how WAG Coleen Rooney uncovered who was leaking stories about her from her private Instagram account to the press. It’s the perfect juicy celebrity story that I couldn’t look away from as it was unfolding, so to get her personal account of what happened for the first time was everything.
The Real Housewives of New York City - Season 14 (Bravo) 👐
The much-heralded “RHONY” reboot started off strong, with some low-level, petty drama that introduced us to some great new women. While the introductions were a little rocky (probably because they had to scrap footage from the first few weeks of filming due to one of the cast members being fired), ultimately I kind of liked that we jumped right into the bleeped out Catch drama. As the season went on, though, things started to drag. It always felt as though at least one of Jenna and Brynn and Ubah were absent from group events (a few of them had COVID during filming, which explains only some of those absences), which resulted in the back half of the season being repetitive and lackluster Erin and Sai versus Jessel drama. The reunion, while emotional, fell a little flat, too. I’m really excited by this cast and seeing how popular they were at BravoCon was genuinely reassuring, so I’m looking forward to their second season together with a few more women thrown into the mix (and, no, I don’t expect Jenna Lyons to return).