Your Fall TV Watchlist: The Buzziest — and Most Divisive — New Releases This Week

Some weeks in television are quiet. This is not one of them. Between a starry McConaughey-Harrelson reunion that’s already made headlines for the wrong reasons, a real-life domestic terrorism drama arriving with brutal reviews, and an anthology horror series pulling off one of the most ambitious crossover stunts in its history, there’s genuinely something for every kind of viewer this week — as long as you know what you’re walking into. Here’s the full breakdown, based on TVLine’s week-of-September-20 schedule.

“Brothers” (Apple TV, Wednesdays) — Great Chemistry, Mixed Verdict

The premise alone was always going to generate headlines: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson play fictionalized versions of themselves, their real-life decades-long friendship blown up by a discovery suggesting the two might actually be biological brothers. It’s a clever, faintly meta hook built entirely around two of Hollywood’s most beloved best friends playing with their own public personas.

The reviews, though, tell a much more complicated story. “Brothers” landed at 55% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer — and according to Forbes’ breakdown of the reaction, that actually makes it the lowest-scoring project in the pair’s four on-screen collaborations, trailing well behind their True Detective Season 1 (91% fresh) and even their 1999 comedy EDtv (64% fresh). Critics are split roughly down the middle: detractors have called it “self-indulgent and aimless” and “one part celebrity gossip parody, one part buddy comedy and one part vanity project,” while defenders — including a more forgiving take from Forbes’ Erik Kain — describe it as “an amiable, gently amusing caper” that “coasts on the chemistry between its leads.” Even that praise comes with an asterisk, though: as one reviewer put it, the show “only ever needed to be a hangout show” — a low bar it doesn’t always clear.

The verdict: if you’re watching purely for two megawatt stars riffing off each other, you’ll likely have a good time. If you’re expecting a tightly plotted mystery-comedy, temper your expectations accordingly.

“Unabomber” (Netflix, Friday, September 25) — A Film, Not a Series, and a Rough One

Here’s an important correction to how this title has circulated online: “Unabomber” isn’t a series — it’s a 97-minute feature film, arriving on Netflix this Friday, September 25, according to Rotten Tomatoes’ official listing. Jacob Tremblay stars as Ted Kaczynski, tracing his arc from Harvard prodigy and unwitting psychological test subject to the man behind one of the most notorious domestic terror campaigns in American history, with Russell Crowe co-starring as detailed in The Hollywood Reporter’s review.

Unlike “Brothers,” there’s no ambiguity in how critics feel about this one: “Unabomber” is sitting at a rough 19% on the Tomatometer from 32 reviews. The consensus is that the film takes “a fascinating real-life subject” and handles it with “surprisingly little drama or imagination.” IndieWire’s review was even sharper, arguing the film “tries to make serial killer Ted Kaczynski look like a sympathetic and misunderstood victim” — a framing that’s drawn real backlash. Interestingly, regular audiences have been considerably more forgiving than critics, with the Popcornmeter sitting more than twice as high at 43%, suggesting this could become one of those titles people watch specifically to form their own opinion against the critical grain.

The verdict: go in for Tremblay’s performance, which reviewers agree is the film’s strongest asset, and temper expectations for the writing around him.

“American Horror Story” Season 13 (FX, Thursdays) — The Multiverse Crossover Fans Have Waited a Decade For

If you only watch one premiere this week for the sheer event of it, make it this one. Season 13 opens with a three-episode premiere built around Ben, a hospice worker with a debilitating fear of the number 13, who survives a plane crash that kills twelve other passengers and becomes caretaker to a mysterious figure named Mr. Nas — who, it turns out, vomits black liquid every time a group of exactly 13 people dies nearby. That’s just the setup.

What’s generating real buzz, according to TVLine’s premiere recap, is the show’s full-throttle embrace of its own history: Jessica Lange returns to the role that launched the franchise, Constance Langdon from “Murder House,” presiding over a genuinely unhinged Christmas reunion with her deceased children. Evan Peters pulls double duty playing both Tate Langdon and Kai Anderson — two of his most iconic AHS characters — in the same episode, while Sarah Paulson appears as multiple past characters including Cordelia Goode from “Coven” and Wilhelmina Venable from “Apocalypse.” Mena Suvari also returns as Elizabeth Short, resurrected by Constance. It’s the kind of multiverse fan service that only a show fourteen seasons deep could pull off, and it’s being called, fairly, the franchise’s “most highly anticipated installment… in nearly a decade.”

Reception has been every bit as divided as the premise is ambitious. TheWrap’s review called it a “beautifully puzzling ode to superfans,” while other viewers branded a particularly bizarre early scene “insanely bad.” For a franchise that has always thrived on precisely this kind of polarized reaction, that’s arguably a sign it’s working exactly as intended.

The verdict: essential viewing if you have any AHS history at all; a genuinely confusing entry point if this is your first time in the franchise.

Also Worth Knowing About

“S.W.A.T.: Exiles” (Starz, Fridays) brings back Shemar Moore as Hondo, this time leading a last-chance, experimental tactical unit staffed with untested recruits after a previous mission falls apart — a fresh entry point for action fans who don’t need deep franchise history to jump in.

On the reality and competition side, this week brings a wave of returning favorites: “The Voice” launches its 30th season on NBC, “Survivor” returns for a milestone 51st season on CBS, and “Hell’s Kitchen” kicks off season 25 on Fox — proof that competition TV remains fall television’s steadiest anchor even in a week this loaded with prestige premieres.

It’s also a week of send-offs: “America’s Got Talent” closes out its 21st season, and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” wraps its fourth season, both per TVLine’s full schedule.

Bottom Line

If you want the safest bet for a casual watch, “Brothers” is the low-commitment, star-powered choice — just don’t expect greatness, expect good company. If you’re in the mood for something that’ll dominate your group chat either way, “American Horror Story” Season 13 is this week’s real event television. And “Unabomber” is worth queuing up specifically to see whether you land with the critics or the crowd.

Sources: TVLine — Week of September 20, 2026 Schedule · TVLine — AHS Season 13 Premiere Recap · Rotten Tomatoes — Brothers · Rotten Tomatoes — Unabomber · Forbes — Brothers RT Reaction · Forbes — Brothers Review · IndieWire — Unabomber Review · The Hollywood Reporter — Unabomber Review · TheWrap — AHS Season 13 Review

Editor’s note: Air dates, runtimes, and critic/audience scores reflect data current as of publication and may shift slightly as additional reviews are published.