Where editors share their musings on pop culture—and recommend what to watch, read, and listen to each month. Today, we're discussing Love Story and Forbidden Fruits. |
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| Erica Gonzales, deputy editor, digital content: You would think it was 1996 again the way Carolyn Bessette Kennedy's name is on everyone's lips. But the chokehold she has on pop culture right now, as she did 30 years ago, is undeniable. Fans are scrambling to recreate her chic, minimalist style, whether it's her headbands, blonde hair dye, bootcut jeans, or famous wedding dress. For that, we have FX and Hulu's Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette to thank. The series follows the romance between JFK Jr. (Paul Anthony Kelly) and Bessette Kennedy (Sarah Pidgeon), from their secret meetings to their tragic deaths in 1999. I feel like it's all anyone has been talking about these days. Lauren, have you caught the CBK bug too? |
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| Lauren Puckett-Pope, senior culture editor: Absolutely. I have my qualms about Love Story, but I'd be lying if I said I hadn't scrolled through multiple "CBK mood boards" for outfit inspiration lately. Still, I think what really has everyone talking about her right now might—dare I say—have less to do with her specific headbands, or with the quality of Love Story itself, than with our general wistfulness about a time without smartphones, social media, AI, or general attention overload. Bessette Kennedy embodied, intentionally or not, this '90s-era chic minimalism that many of us desire but struggle to access in 2026. The Love Story finale airs March 26, so I'm curious to see if and how the conversation has shifted by the end of the month. |
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Erica: That'll be here before we know it! Luckily, there'll be plenty of new shows to watch by then because spring TV this year is no joke. We have another Taylor Sheridan series (starring Michelle Pfeiffer!), the final season of Outlander, and a murder mystery starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis, which I'm curious about…mostly because it means we'll see a new Nicole Kidman wig.
Lauren: And that's not even mentioning the Oscars on Sunday night! Even in our post-'90s era of overload, at least there's plenty of good entertainment coming out this month to hold our attention.
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Starring a powerhouse ensemble of zillennial and Gen Z talent, including Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, Victoria Pedretti, and Alexandra Shipp, Forbidden Fruits follows "a witchy femme cult" that develops out of the dressing rooms of a "boho chic" mall retailer known as Free Eden. Each cult member takes the name of a fruit—Apple, Cherry, Fig, and Pumpkin—as their sisterhood grows darker, mirroring films such as Jennifer's Body, Mean Girls, and The Craft. Contributing writer Kaitlyn McNab took us behind the scenes on the set of the horror satire, which is set to premiere on March 16 at SXSW before hitting theaters later this month.—LPP |
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The Madison (March 14 on Paramount+) |
Taylor Sheridan is back with another post-Yellowstone series, but this time the accomplished writer-producer is offering an intimate family drama with Michelle Pfeiffer in the leading role. The Madison hits on many of the themes you'll recognize from other Sheridan projects—an appreciation for nature; messy protagonists who might not say the "right" thing but say it with their chests; a general distrust of and disdain for urban centers—but Pfeiffer brings a refreshing emotional nuance to the drama's depiction of grief. The first three episodes drop on March 14, with the final three landing a week later.—LPP |
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Whidbey by T Kira Madden (March 10) |
If you were blown away by T Kira Madden's memoir Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls, just wait until you pick up Whidbey, the author's debut novel—an absolute triumph. With Whidbey, Madden handles undeniably dark subject matter with remarkable intimacy and precision: Her three main protagonists are all women whose lives have been forever transformed by a child sexual predator, albeit in markedly different ways. I was torn between my instinct to speed through this book in a matter of hours, and my need to appreciate each individual line. In an interview with Madden out this week, contributing writer Samantha Paige Rosen takes ELLE readers inside the author's process of writing her first novel. It's well worth a read before (or after) you dig into Whidbey.—LPP |
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WHAT YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO: |
KISS ALL THE TIME. DISCO, OCCASIONALLY. by Harry Styles (out now) |
Sometimes, I can't guess Harry Styles's next move. (He's been secretly running marathons and finished them in under three hours?! Not on my bingo card.) His latest album is also unexpected. After winning Album of the Year at the Grammys, escaping to Italy, and having some life-changing experiences in Berghain, the Brit returned with an electronic-inspired record with thumping bass lines and atmospheric sounds. But instead of force-feeding us head-banging beats, Styles serves a softer, lo-fi fare that pairs well with his self-reflective lyrics. Throughout the 12 tracks, you'll find him thinking about marriage, fleeting romances, and the reason why he makes music.—EG |
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