Best TV Shows of October 2022

Jason Voorhees? Freddy Krueger? Sure, those guys are traditionally frightening, but there’s nothing quite like the realistic horror of watching true-crime. Thankfully, the gold standard of whodunits, Unsolved Mysteries, has returned for another round of captivating conundrums. Volume 3 of the first ballot true-crime hall-of-famer is a riveting mix of murder mysteries and supernatural enigmas that’ll have you playing amateur detective. There’s certainly no shortage of true-crime shows out there, but Unsolved Mysteries is the best of the bunch. — Josh Sorokach

Where to watch Unsolved Mysteries

Due to its story-of-the-episode format, The Midnight Club is less consistent than Mike Flanagan’s other Netflix shows. But when it’s good, it’s great. Ruth Codd shines in particular, giving a performance that runs laps around her more experienced co-stars. As is often the case with Flanagan’s work, the jump scares are passable and the horror is so-so. However, the all-too-human drama of a group of ill teenagers contemplating their own mortality is touching. — Kayla Cobb

Stream The Midnight Club on Netflix

Even though only one episode of The White Lotus Season 2 airs in October, the strength of that opening salvo is enough to make it one of the best shows of the month. This new season follows fan favorites Tanya (Jennifer Coolidge) and Greg (Jon Gries) on a couple’s trip to a White Lotus in Sicily, where they are put in the path of a whole new cast of hilariously lost characters. The White Lotus Season 2 features all of the luxury, comedy, and darkness that made Season 1 intoxicating and we can’t wait to see more. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to watch The White Lotus

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s new thriller is exactly what you want for Halloween. Creepy neighbors? Incredible actors and horror legends giving it their all? An ending that will leave you obsessively checking your locks? Checkmarks all around. Mia Farrow and Margo Martindale shine in particular, and Jennifer Coolidge shines in one of her first major dramatic roles. There’s been a lot of discussion about elevated horror. The Watcher isn’t that. Instead, it’s a show that has a blast getting back to the basics as it asks, what if your dream house became a living nightmare? — Kayla Cobb

Stream The Watcher on Netflix

You don’t have to be a fan of reality TV to enjoy the whirlwind of delicious, delicious drama known as Netflix’s Love is Blind. The new season is a jaw-dropping array of unexpected calamity and bad decisions that’ll have you shouting at your screen. The show’s central “experiment” purports to ask if love truly is blind (with sexy singles agreeing to marry sight unseen) but the question we keep asking ourselves after spending countless hours with this eclectic collection of (mostly) affable love-starved blockheads is: “Who the hell are these people?!” Love is Blind Season 3 is a captivating, strangely soothing mess that’ll leave you wanting more. — Josh Sorokach

Stream Love is Blind on Netflix

There is absolutely no reason to expect that a TV version of Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, released in 2022, should be good. And yet, AMC’s version of the classic novel is a straight up banger that has only gotten better over the course of the five episodes broadcast in October. Yes, there’s an interview, and yes, there’s a vampire. But the first — of many — brilliant choices made by the show is that the original novel/movie happened; but the vampire might have been lying. Years later, Louis (a stellar Jacob Anderson) reconvenes with an older, wiser Daniel Molloy (a wry Eric Bogosian) to once again tell his story. But this time, his relationship with Lestat (Sam Reid, never sexier) is explicitly queer, the action is transported to a brothel in New Orleans, and oh yeah, Claudia (Bailey Bass, a revelation) and Louis are both Black. The adaptation is both timely and classic, perfectly capturing the wickedly bloody words of Anne Rice and making them relevant for the modern age. Short version? This Interview definitely does not suck. — Alex Zalben

Where to watch Interview With The Vampire

Abbott Elementary returned with another heartwarming and hilarious season last month, and creator Quinta Brunson is continuing to deliver A+ episodes throughout October. As genuinely funny as Abbott is, it keeps the humor kind-hearted, with the exclusion of some of Ava’s (Janelle James) barbs, of course. In recent episodes, we’ve gotten to know Melissa (Lisa Ann Walter) and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) better, with plot lines showcasing her fraught relationship with her sister and his predictably cringey stint as a Story Samurai. And the Abbott roster keeps expanding, with the addition of teacher’s aide Ashley (Keyla Monterroso Mejia), whom Curb fans will certainly recognize. With a return to the classroom this delightful, we can’t wait to see what else is in store this semester.  — Greta Bjornson

Where to watch Abbott Elementary

FX’s The Patient aired its final four episodes in October, bringing Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields’ intense psychological thriller to an emotional conclusion. As serial killer Sam Fortner (Domhnall Gleeson) reflects on the progress he’s made — or lack thereof — since kidnapping his therapist Alan (Steve Carell), he considers seeking treatment elsewhere. With several escape plans in motion, Alan is more determined than ever to make it out of Sam’s basement alive and reunite with his family. But will his efforts be successful? After a season of steadily mounting suspense, we finally get closure in The Patient‘s adrenaline-pumping series finale. Take a page out of Sam’s book and order some take-out before devouring these last four episodes. You’re going to want some comfort food. — Nicole Gallucci

Stream The Patient on Hulu

That klaxon you hear isn’t a warning that Imperial troops are marching into your town to lay down the law. It’s a warning call for all of those missing out on Andor. The latest Star Wars series is masterful and powerful television, full stop. It’s not just a great Star Wars show, or just a great Disney+ series; its greatness stands, spine straight and chest out, amongst the greatest TV dramas of all time. Yes, Andor delivers all the Star Wars-y atmosphere you want from a Star Wars show, but it does so via intricate plot lines and soulful, go-for-broke performances. This is a series that doesn’t just show you the action-y parts of a rebellion. It shows you the reasons behind rebellion and the sacrifices that go with rising up against oppression. The way Andor makes you care, with every fiber of your being, for characters you have just met and know are probably doomed should be studied in screenwriting classes for decades to come. If you haven’t been watching Andor, get caught up right now, because this is now the best series currently airing across the galaxy. — Brett White

Stream Andor on Disney+

HBO’s House of the Dragon wasn’t supposed to work. On paper, it looked like nothing more than a hastily put-together cash grab to ride the coattails of one of the most popular TV shows in history. It had to follow Game of Thrones’s polarizing series finale and win viewers over to the sides of a whole new cast of incestuous, ruthless, broken nobles. That House of the Dragon’s first season was a resounding hit for HBO would be miracle enough. That the show ended on a series of incredibly strong episodes — all of which balanced spectacle and basic human tragedy — is simply magical. House of the Dragon bewitched us with its fabulous performances, bloody twists, and good old fashioned drama. Now our wait for Season 2 begins. — Meghan O’Keefe

Where to stream House of the Dragon