What should you watch this weekend?

A mystery lover’s guide to what’s new to streaming this weekend.

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New and Returning Mystery and Thriller Series

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The Diplomat
(Netflix)

I still don’t know quite whether to call The Diplomat a political thriller, since it’s also quite consciously a marriage thriller, and in the midst of almost every scene where the VP and the Ambassador are working through a geopolitical crisis, they are also having the little arguments and conversations that make up any long-term relationship. I guess that’s the magic of the show, and it’s certainly thrilling, and. chances are you’re already bingeing this one. I only wish they could stretch these out to old-fashioned 22 episode seasons.

Lupin, Part 4
(Netflix)

Omar Sy is still putting in good work as France’s favorite gentleman thief, and he’s still beaming charisma. In the new season, a rival of sorts is pulling heists while posing as Lupin, so we’re going to get some To Catch a Thief atmosphere to go along with all those cool Parisian set pieces.

Maigret, Season 2
(PBS)

And in case you can’t get enough French mystery, PBS Masterpiece is bringing back a new season of the contemporary Simenon adaptation, and like everything PBS gets its hands on, it’s well worth your time.

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Movie Night

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Obviously it’s late October and if you want to stick to horror this weekend, I can’t fault you, but if you’re looking for something more in the crime and thriller space, you could start with Animals (Netflix), a political / kidnapping thriller about a mayoral candidate in Los Angeles who, together with his wife, has to put together a quick and dirty ransom payment for their kidnapped kid. It’s a high-adrenaline movie with some nice layers to it, and Ben Affleck and Kerry Washington put in quality performances. If you’re leaning toward something a little more supernatural, there’s also Disclosure Day (Peacock), the Steven Spielberg movie, which got a lot of attention for being a disappointment at the box office, but when did we all start worshiping box office numbers? This is still a Spielberg-alien-government conspiracy movie, and it delivers all the thrills and magic you would expect from the Hollywood legend. Emily Blount stars, but there’s a big cast of top-notch performers delivering excellent turns in this one, so let’s give them a chance. But again, no judgment if you’re just going to embrace the spirit and go with a scary classic: I’m thinking it’s time to revisit William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (HBO Max).

Plus 5 new additions to the libraries…

The Informant! (2009) (Tubi)
Double Jeopardy (1999) (Tubi)
Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2 (Pluto)
Pet Sematary (1989) (Pluto)
The Thing Man series (HBO Max)