‘East of Eden’ Series Premiere, ‘Slow Horses’ S6E3, and Cindy Holland Leaves Paramount. Plus, Best TV of the Century Honorable Mentions.

Summary of ‘East of Eden’ Series Premiere, ‘Slow Horses’ S6E3, and Cindy Holland Leaves Paramount. Plus, Best TV of the Century Honorable Mentions.

by The Ringer

1h 9m•October 2, 2026
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Overview of The Watch

Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald use this episode of The Watch to cover a big TV-industry shakeup, two major new premieres, a standout Slow Horses episode, and a few worthy shows that missed the New York Times’ “Best TV of the Century” list. The conversation centers on Cindy Holland leaving Paramount Skydance, Casey Bloys’ expanding role in the post-merger TV landscape, and what “stability” might actually mean in an era of consolidation. They also review HBO’s War and Netflix’s East of Eden, both of which impressed them for different reasons, before wrapping with a spirited discussion of TV honorable mentions.

Industry News: Cindy Holland, Paramount, and Casey Bloys

Cindy Holland exits Paramount Skydance

  • Holland is leaving Paramount Skydance after a relatively short tenure.
  • She had been brought in as a major streaming/content executive and was seen as someone who could diversify Paramount’s programming strategy.
  • Her departure signals that Casey Bloys is the likely central programming figure in the combined HBO/Paramount/WBD ecosystem.

Why Bloys is being treated as the steady hand

  • Chris and Andy emphasize that Bloys has a long track record of keeping HBO stable through corporate upheaval.
  • They argue that his strength is not just maintaining prestige TV, but also helping HBO adapt to genre/IP-heavy programming without losing its identity.
  • The hosts see him as the obvious “keep things calm” choice for a merger environment.

The larger concern: fewer buyers

  • Both hosts remain skeptical of media consolidation overall.
  • Their main worry is not any one executive, but the fact that fewer buyers means fewer opportunities for creators and shows.
  • They suggest the merger may look stable for consumers in the short term, but it still represents a negative for the industry long term.

New Shows: War and East of Eden

War (HBO / Sky)

  • A glossy, stylish legal drama co-produced with Sky.
  • Created by George Kay (Lupin, Hijack).
  • Premise: two elite London law firms battle over a massive divorce case involving a billionaire and his actress wife.
  • Andy’s reaction:
    • Very polished and fun.
    • Strong ensemble of British character actors.
    • Feels like a show that could thrive on HBO, Netflix, or Apple.
    • His main question is whether it will stay entertaining or become repetitive after a few episodes.
  • Overall verdict: a slick, crowd-pleasing, premium-soap kind of show.

East of Eden (Netflix)

  • An adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel, led by Zoe Kazan and written with Jeb Stuart.
  • Chris is enthusiastic and calls it phenomenal.
  • What stands out:
    • Beautiful writing and strong performances.
    • Florence Pugh, Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, and Tracy Letts all get specific praise.
    • The adaptation feels reverent to the novel while still making thoughtful additions.
    • The visuals are especially praised for their painterly, natural beauty.
  • Chris’s take:
    • The show is emotionally rich, visually stunning, and deeply respectful of the source material.
    • He sees it as part of a broader conversation about how literary adaptations should work: not as literal copies, but as passionate reinterpretations.

Slow Horses Season 6, Episode 3

The show is back in top form

  • Chris says the show “rips again” and feels like one of the best things of the year.
  • Both hosts note how rare it is for a long-running series to stay this consistent and still find new energy.

What makes this episode stand out

  • The episode balances familiar Slow Horses character dynamics with real surprise and tension.
  • A major plot development, tied to Diana’s mistake, shocks Chris because the show is willing to be unsentimental about its characters’ competence.
  • Andy highlights how the writing lets supporting characters, like Flyte, suddenly become fully dimensional in a single scene.

Character and writing strengths

  • The show continues to excel at:
    • sharp banter,
    • emotional payoff,
    • ensemble chemistry,
    • and making reunions feel earned rather than forced.
  • The return of Sid is singled out as a great example of television discipline: the show waited years to bring back a character in a way that felt genuinely meaningful.

Best TV of the Century: Honorable Mentions

Chris and Andy revisit shows that missed the New York Times top-100 list, offering a mix of agreement, surprise, and passionate defense.

Chris’s highlights

  • Glow — great ensemble comedy, unfairly hurt by its unfinished ending.
  • The Deuce — underappreciated David Simon/George Pelecanos series.
  • Avatar: The Last Airbender — influential, expansive animated storytelling.
  • Broadchurch — hugely influential for town-wide, grief-driven mystery storytelling.
  • We Own This City — notable for performance and podcast material.
  • Terriers — beloved single-season FX dramedy.
  • Mr. Robot — especially strong first season, even if later seasons changed the show.
  • The O.C. — hugely influential early-2000s teen drama.
  • Detroiter(s) — extremely funny sketch comedy.
  • Dark — intricate, meticulously constructed time-travel series.
  • Industry — Chris’s biggest omission regret; he calls it one of the defining shows of the decade.
  • Fargo — especially seasons 1 and 2; he’s surprised it missed.
  • Rectify — profound, overlooked drama.
  • Top of the Lake — a standout Jane Campion project.
  • Bluey — the biggest omission in his view.
  • The Knick — praised as one of the century’s elite TV achievements.
  • South Side and Motherland also get shout-outs.

Andy’s picks

  • Little Drummer Girl
  • The North Water
  • Howard’s End
  • The Underground Railroad
  • Damages
  • Narcos

Their broader point

  • Lists like this are useful but inevitably incomplete.
  • The hosts expect the consensus to keep changing as people reassess older shows and the cultural memory of TV evolves.

Main Takeaways

  • Casey Bloys emerges as the key stability figure in the evolving corporate TV landscape.
  • Cindy Holland’s exit suggests the new Paramount direction is shifting away from the programming changes she was likely meant to help drive.
  • War is a sleek, enjoyable legal drama with broad appeal.
  • East of Eden is one of the week’s strongest premieres, admired for its craft, performances, and thoughtful adaptation strategy.
  • Slow Horses remains one of the most reliable shows on TV and is currently in an especially strong stretch.
  • The “best TV” conversation reinforced how many great shows still sit outside consensus canon, and how much those lists depend on timing, memory, and evolving taste.