hello and welcome to edition six of the dinner table—after being MIA for half of august and all of september, despite promising you a weekly newsletter.
what happened? i hit rock bottom and convinced myself there was no point in writing for sixty people give or take. but i’ve since gotten over myself and remembered that i actually enjoy doing this pop culture corner. plus, i think it helps the people who aren’t as online keep up.
so here we are, back at it again. i’m serving you a full october spread: the watchlist, the reading list, the note-worthy yaps, and maybe a bit more as we go. consider this me making it up to you (and to myself).
watchlist
tulsa king (paramount+)
sylvester stallone as a mafia capo exiled to oklahoma. it’s gritty, campy, and surprisingly funny — think mob drama meets cowboy boots. season 3 just dropped, and people are into it.nobody wants this, season 2 (netflix, oct 23)
the rabbi and the podcaster are back. season 1 was messy in the best way, and now we get leighton meester and seth rogen guest spots. the “love vs career vs family” stakes are higher.black rabbit (netflix)
jude law + jason bateman in a thriller about brothers getting tangled in crime, loyalty, and shady deals. dark, tense, and already binge-bait.taylor swift: the official release party of a showgirl (limited theaters, oct 3–5)
a glitter-soaked cinematic event because of course taylor turned her album rollout into a movie. I have tickets for the Friday function but like I don’t know what I will be watching? so excitinggggg.
reading list
mate by ali hazelwood (oct 7)
about: a human-were hybrid and an alpha were clash with fate in this companion to bride. serena is the first of her kind, vulnerable and hunted, and has to rely on koen’s protection if she wants to survive.
alchemy of secrets by stephanie garber (oct 7)
about: holland st. james enrolls in a hollywood folklore class and is confronted by the “watch man,” who tells her she’ll die at midnight unless she finds the alchemical heart. a hunt full of secrets, lies, and dangerous magic.
the intruder by freida mcfadden (oct 7)
about: a new house, a hidden past, and someone who shouldn’t be there. classic mcfadden tension with suffocating closeness, twisted secrets, and a stranger who won’t leave.
breathe with me by becka mack (oct 28)
about: another hit in mack’s hockey romance universe, blending emotional intensity, off-the-ice drama, and swoony moments. perfect october comfort read.
tw: infertility!
gone before goodbye by reese witherspoon & harlan coben (oct 14)
about: maggie mccabe, a former army combat surgeon, loses her medical license under suspicious circumstances. when she’s hired to treat an anonymous patient with limitless resources, she’s pulled into a world of conspiracies and dangerous secrets.
new & note-worthy
taylor swift’s new album
october 3 marks the release of the life of a showgirl, taylor’s twelfth studio album. it’s theatrical, glittery, and already drowning in special vinyl editions (target exclusive pink shimmer, anyone?). she’s also premiering the official release party of a showgirl in theaters that same weekend, because why not turn an album drop into a cinematic event.
selena gomez’s wedding
selena married benny blanco on september 27 in santa barbara, wearing not one but two ralph lauren dresses. the guest list was star-studded — taylor swift, ed sheeran, sza, camila cabello, paul rudd, paris hilton, martin short — basically a crossover episode of everyone’s favorite people. her grandfather walked her down the aisle, and the internet is still spinning from the photos.
nicole kidman & keith urban split
after 19 years of marriage, nicole filed for divorce from keith citing irreconcilable differences. they’d reportedly been living apart since the summer. no spousal support, co-parenting their two daughters, and a lot of quiet whispers about what went down.
bad bunny super bowl takeover
bad bunny will headline the 2026 apple music super bowl halftime show in santa clara. fans are calling it a cultural milestone, critics are grumbling, but one thing’s for sure: this will be a show.
the social reckoning
the sequel to the social network is officially happening. titled the social reckoning, it drops october 9, 2026, starring jeremy strong, jeremy allen white, mikey madison, and bill burr. expect more backstabbing, more tech shade, and probably a twitter thread or two about how david fincher predicted all of this.
