Series Snapshot ~ 10/9/25

By: [email protected] on Thu, 10/09/2025 - 14:56

Welcome to the Series Snapshot, a weekly deep dive into the shows topping the streaming charts.

Ryan Murphy’s controversial biographical drama series Monster is the most watched on Netflix this week, with the third installment, The Ed Gein Story. The new season is based on the real life serial killer who inspired some of horror’s classic slashers, but despite the salacious subject matter, The Ed Gein Story is getting universally panned. Viewers and critics both find the show shallow, poorly written, and almost glamorizing some of the disturbing acts portrayed in the series. Many seem turned off by the Monster series, it’s interesting to note that while the true crime genre remains extremely popular, audiences are quick to reject content too eager to humanize or sympathize with violent criminals, especially content that disregards the expressed wishes of real life survivors, some of whom made known their opposition to Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Amongst the heavy criticism, many still acknowledge that the cast perform excellently, praising leads Charlie Hunnam, Laurie Metcalf, and Tom Hollander specifically. Monster: The Ed Gein Story was created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

On Hulu this week, the most watched show is original series Only Murders in the Building, ahead of High Potential and last week’s winner, Chad Powers. The mystery-comedy is about halfway through its fifth season, which began on September 9th. Fans have long loved the fantastic chemistry of the show’s leads, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez, and enjoy the series’ sardonic tone. Season five is no exception, and is praised for returning to the core of the series, its mystery-solving trio. While some agree that season three was the show's high point, which featured Meryl Streep with a Broadway backdrop, season five is being called “comfort food” by several critics. As of right now, the series hasn’t been renewed for a sixth season, but given its consistently exceptional marks, it wouldn’t be a surprise. Only Murders in the Building was created by Steve Martin and John Hoffman

Once again, HBO Max’s Task takes first place in viewership this week, as audiences continue to invest in the ever ramping-up action thriller. Critics have tended to rate the show higher than general audiences, but both groups commend the casting of Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey, who’s exciting chase is the heartbeat of the series. Originally conceptualized to be a limited series, creator Brad Ingelsby has expressed his consideration for continuing a second season, if viewers show interest. New episodes of Task will be released every Sunday through October 19th.

Somewhat inexplicably, Amazon’s The Summer I Turned Pretty has shot back up the charts to number one this week, just ahead of Gen V and The Terminal List: Dark Wolf. The only hypothesis to make is that it’s currently fairly unopposed; Amazon isn’t pushing much other original content in Pretty’s demographic, and the three season series is still massively popular worldwide. The Summer I Turned Pretty was created by Jenny Han, and stars Gavin Casalegno, Lola Tung, Christopher Briney, and Rain Spencer.

The Morning Show, season four, continues to be the most watched by AppleTV subscribers this week, and remains as divisive as ever in the opinions of audiences. The polarized views likely stem from the “love it or hate it” straddling of dramatic and comedic tones that the series has become known for. Even amongst those who rate the show poorly, there’s consensus that the acting is never a weak point, and the electric performances of Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon are the show’s main assets. Equally, Billy Crudup and the addition of Jeremy Irons as Aniston’s tv-dad are getting nods. For those who like the series, it’s great news that a fifth season has been officially confirmed, but it may be some time before we have an exact date. The Morning Show was created by Jay Carson.

Marvel Zombies is a confirmed hit, as it easily sweeps another week at the top of Disney’s streaming chart. The animated four-part series is part of Marvel’s What If? Universe and is based on the graphic novel of the same name. The gruesome and gory superhero cartoon is receiving unanimous praise for its stunning animated action sequences, scoring, and star studded cast. Marvel Zombies is packed with Marvel actors reprising their live-action roles; Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Awkwafina and Randall Park shine in their voice acting performances. Marvel Zombies was created by Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips.