What to Watch the Week of December 1: Outlander 's Most Jaw-Dropping Episode Yet

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Get ready for Outlander to devastate, shock, and surprise you in one of the most explosive hours of TV yet. Following this past week's episode (in which Claire got some devastating news…no spoilers if you're not caught up), we enter episode 711 with Claire's life in shambles, Roger and Buck no closer to finding Jem, and Brianna ready to do battle with anyone who comes between her and her family.

When I previewed the new (half) season of Outlander in this guide a few weeks ago, I teased its gut-wrenching and raw return, and this episode is why. Caitríona Balfe (Claire) gives one of the most chilling performances of her impressive career, one that will stay with you long after you've watched the episode.

“It wasn't an easy week at work, but it's also great that you get asked to push yourself and force yourself into these crazy situations,” Balfe told me last month. “It's amazing that seven seasons in, that you're getting thrown something that's as risky and challenging as that.”

“That” is something which Outlander book fans will be expecting, but it's still quite unreal to see it play out. Come back to Glamour on Friday, December at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT to read more of what Balfe has to say as well as Sam Heughan's thoughts and more from executive producers Maril Davis and Matthew B. Roberts.

On an entirely separate note, it's the first week of December, which means plenty of holiday specials, movies, and more will premiere. From Freeform's 25 Days of Christmas to Abbott Elementary's one-hour holiday special, there's plenty to get you in the spirit of the season.

If you'd rather watch documentaries, I've got you covered there as well. (By the way, have you watched Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey and Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary yet? Both are now streaming on Netflix and Max, respectively, and worth your time.) This week, fans of the ‘90s pop group Ace of Base will love a 30-year retrospective that catches up with the band now. There’s also new documentaries on Lisa Frank and Girls Gone Wild.

I have to give a special callout to the documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, which will finally air on HBO (and stream on Max) this Saturday, December 7 after a limited run in theaters. It's an incredible look at the man behind one of America's greatest superheroes, and the even more impressive role he played off-camera as he came to terms with his paralysis in his fight to help others dealing with the same affliction. Check out that trailer below.

With that, have a great week. I'll see you back here next Sunday.

AFV’s Wreck the Halls: 35 Years of Holiday Hijinks (ABC): Take a trip down memory lane from the last 35 years of America's Funniest Videos. 7 p.m. ET/PT, 6 p.m. CT

The Wonderful World of Disney: Holiday Spectacular (ABC): The two-hour special features all-new musical performances from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT

25 Days of Christmas (Freeform): From Home Alone to The Santa Clause trilogy to Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Freeform will celebrate the holidays all month long with these classics. Other holiday faves airing throughout the month include Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Arthur Christmas, plus Rankin-Bass’ beloved specials, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town, plus more. Check local listings

Make or Bake Christmas (Lifetime): With Christmas fast approaching, Leslie (Vivica A. Fox) is looking to expand her business, so she sets her sights on the bakery, Sugar Bakers. Only problem is that it's owned by Denise Sugarbaker (Jackée Harry) and run by her son, David (Landon Moss). So, Leslie sends one of her top employees, Emma (Jasmine Aivaliotis), to go undercover as a seasonal employee in order to convince them to sell. But when Emma gets there, she unexpectedly finds herself falling in love with the quaint bakery. 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT

A Creature Was Stirring (Shudder): Chrissy Metz stars as Faith, a mother who keeps her troubled teenage daughter on a tightly controlled but illicit pill regimen in order to ward off a terrifying affliction. But after a Christmas burglary, their family secret may finally be exposed. Streaming

Tuesday, December 3

CMA Country Christmas (ABC): Filmed in Nashville, the 15th annual special will feature one-of-a-kind musical performances of festive classics from country music’s biggest stars. 8 p.m ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT

Girls Gone Wild: The Untold Story (Peacock): This three-part docuseries does a deep dive on Joe Francis' multi-million dollar Girls Gone Wild franchise, which was a series of tapes sold on late night television that featured young spring breakers baring their breasts for T-shirts and hats. Francis gives his first in-depth, in-person, on-the-record interview with a journalist in almost a decade as well as exclusive access to his former employees, enemies, and survivors. Streaming

Wednesday, December 4

Abbott Elementary (ABC): It's a one-hour Abbott holiday special! In the first episode, titled “Winter Show,” Barbara is determined to make Abbott Elementary’s first-ever holiday show a success. Meanwhile, Jacob’s brother arrives for his visit earlier than planned. On the second episode, titled “Winter Break,” Melissa hosts the Schemmenti family Christmas Eve dinner and goes to great lengths to make sure everything is perfect. Meanwhile, Janine and Gregory get an unexpected guest. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and streaming the next day on Hulu

Christmas in Rockefeller Center (NBC/Peacock): Kelly Clarkson hosts the special, which celebrates the lighting of the world’s most famous Christmas tree. The all-star lineup features the Backstreet Boys, Dan + Shay, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Hudson, Coco Jones, Little Big Town, RAYE, and Thalia. The Radio City Rockettes, stars of the annual “Christmas Spectacular” at Radio City Music Hall, will also perform, and Today anchors Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Al Roker and Craig Melvin will join Clarkson for the tree lighting. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and simulcast on Peacock

Thursday, December 5

Ace of Base: All That She Wants (Viaplay): As part of this year’s 30th anniversary celebrating the international success of their iconic debut album, Happy Nation/The Sign in 1994, Swedish pop band Ace of Base share the full story of the highs and lows of their meteoric career in Viaplay’s exclusive docuseries. Streaming

Glitter and Greed: The Lisa Frank Story (Prime Video): This four-part series explores the popular Lisa Frank brand that defined girlhood for a generation of Americans only to seemingly disappear overnight. The docuseries features never-before-seen footage and over twenty interviews with Lisa Frank, Inc. insiders, enthusiasts, and journalists. Streaming

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (NBC): The animated tale of the curmudgeonly Grinch who’s hoping to remove the joy from Christmas but, ultimately, has a change of heart. 8 p.m. ET.PT, 7 p.m. CT

Frosty the Snowman (NBC): The classic holiday special about how everyone’s favorite snowman came to life one day. 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, 7:30 p.m. CT

Black Doves (Netflix): The spy thriller stars Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, and Sarah Lancashire and is set against the backdrop of London at Christmas. It follows Helen Webb (Knightley), a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother—and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organization she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason (Andrew Koji) is assassinated, her spymaster, Reed (Lancashire), calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Whishaw) to keep her safe. Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason and why, leading them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis. Netflix has already confirmed that Black Doves will return for a second season. Streaming

Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage (CBS/Paramount+): Titled “A Regular Samaritan,” Georgie joins a church to sell tires to the congregation, but Mandy worries there is more to it than that. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and streaming on Paramount+

Matlock (CBS/Paramount+): Matty works on a case with Julian in which a young woman sues after experiencing severe symptoms from a clinical trial. Meanwhile, at the company holiday party, Olympia learns a secret about Julian’s past. 9 p.m. ET/PT, 8 p.m. CT and streaming on Paramount+

Elsbeth (CBS/Paramount+): Celebrity Christmas curators Dirk and DeeDee Dashers (Vanessa Bayer) go from tinsel to tragedy after Dirk is killed in a freak accident and Elsbeth begins to suspect his wife is behind the murder. Meanwhile, Elsbeth gets a holiday surprise courtesy of Wagner and Kaya. 10 p.m. ET/PT, 9 p.m. CT and streaming on Paramount+

Friday, December 6

Outlander (Starz): In episode 711, titled “A Hundredweight of Stones," Claire turns to John Grey for comfort as they process difficult news about Jamie. Meanwhile, Ian and Rachel discuss their future. And Brianna confronts an intruder at Lallybroch. 8 p.m. ET and streaming on the Starz app at midnight Thursday

A Nonsense Christmas with Sabrina Carpenter (Netflix): In this holiday variety music special, Grammy-nominated pop icon Sabrina Carpenter will perform songs from her holiday EP and other iconic chart-topping holiday covers. The special will also feature comedic guests, unexpected duets, and many more surprises and fun cameos. Streaming starting at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m CT/6 p.m. PT

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (NBC): The classic animated special offers the perspective of Rudolph, who’s told he couldn’t play in any Reindeer Games due to his glowing nose. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT

Nightbitch (Searchlight Pictures): Amy Adams has already earned rave reviews as a woman who pauses her career to be a stay-at-home mom when her life suddenly takes a surreal turn. The film is based on the novel by Rachel Yoder and written and directed by Marielle Heller. In theaters

Lake George (Magnolia Pictures/Magnet): This comedic Neo-noir thriller stars Shea Whigham, Carrie Coon, Max Casella, and Glenn Fleshler. Here's the synopsis: Tasked by mobsters with putting an end to Phyllis’ life, Don is unable to pull the trigger, and instead, the two set off on a road trip that evolves into something much more. Phyllis has designs of her own and proposes a little tag team action to Don: combine forces with the aim to steal all the money from the people who want her dead. In theaters and on demand

Clash of the Cookbooks (The Roku Channel): Comedian Phoebe Robinson and cookbook author and culinary historian Max Miller put cookbook-obsessed chefs to the test with legendary cookbook-inspired challenges. In this competition, chefs from across the country take recipes from the page to the plate by cooking from history’s greatest and the world’s toughest cookbooks. Streaming

Mary (Netflix): According to the official description, “This coming-of-age biblical epic (told through Mary's eyes) tells the story of one of history’s most profound figures and the remarkable journey that led to the birth of Jesus. Chosen to bring the Messiah into the world, Mary (Noa Cohen) is shunned following a miraculous conception and forced into hiding. When King Herod (Anthony Hopkins) orders a murderous hunt for her newborn baby, Mary and Joseph (Ido Tako), go on the run—bound by faith and driven by courage—to save his life at all costs. Directed by D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, I Am Number Four), Mary reveals a side of the icon we’ve never seen or even imagined before.” In addition to Cohen and Hopkins, Ido Tako, Stephanie Nur, Susan Brown, Ori Pfeffer, Eamon Farren, Hilla Vidor, Mili Avital, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Keren Tzur, Mehmet Kurtulus, and Mila Harris also star. Streaming

Saturday, December 7

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (HBO/Max): The documentary recently won six Critics Choice Documentary Awards after its premiere at Sundance earlier this year. Here's the synopsis: “Following a life-altering accident, Christopher Reeve persevered, by using his fame to speak of hope and to change our perception of paralysis, all while remaining a dedicated activist, actor and filmmaker, devoted dad, and loving husband to Dana Reeve, the beating heart of the family. Chronicling his personal and professional life before and after the near-fatal horseback riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down, the doc uses Reeve’s own words, as well as intimate input from his closest family members and friends, to paint a rich, nuanced portrait of a man who refused to be defined by his physicality and who proved that you don’t need tights and a cape to be a hero.” Featured participants include Reeve's children, Matthew Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens and Will Reeve; actors Susan Sarandon, Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Whoopi Goldberg; half-brother Kevin Johnson; friend Michael Manganiello; Superman producer Pierre Spengler; and former secretary of state John Kerry. The film also includes archival footage of wife Dana Reeve, father Franklin Reeve, director Richard Donner, and mother Barbara Johnson. 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT and streaming on Max

Separated (MSNBC): Based on the book by Jacob Soboroff, Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Errol Morris confronts one of the darkest chapters in recent American history: family separations. Per the press release, Morris merges bombshell interviews with government officials and artful narrative vignettes tracing one migrant family’s plight. Together they show that the cruelty at the heart of this policy was its very purpose. Against this backdrop, audiences can begin to absorb the U.S. government’s role in developing and implementing policies that have kept over 1300 children without confirmed reunifications years later, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT