The Weekender: The worst city to date in, a sleep quiz and ‘Les Misérables’ at 40
Plus, Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford are back in the Oval Office.
The Weekender
October 11, 2025

Welcome back to The Weekender, where you’ll find a batch of the week’s top stories about culture and the way we live today.

If there is a theme in this edition, it’s nostalgia — for the musical “Les Misérables,” which premiered in London 40 years ago this week and became an unlikely hit. And for “Gilmore Girls,” which also celebrated an anniversary; it debuted on Oct. 5, 2000, and as Lauren Graham joked at last month’s Emmys, “took the season of fall hostage.” The other stars and creators have theories as to why the show, which is not as fall-focused as its reputation suggests, became an autumnal comfort watch. But wait — there’s more. Alison Janney and Bradley Whitford of “The West Wing” are here, discussing their return to (fictional) politics in “The Diplomat.” “We have been arguing in fake government buildings for over 20 years,” Janney said. How sweet!

Those trips down memory lane are below, along with advice you can use now, including how to get better sleep and take your Halloween décor to the next level. Because if you’re rewatching “Gilmore Girls,” it’s definitely time to get spooky. I’ll see you next weekend(er).

— Farah

In an onstage still from a musical, a group of people in 18th-century French clothing stand atop barricades and brandish weapons while others cheer them on from below.

Sara Krulwich/The New York Times

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?

Here’s the unlikely story of how “Les Misérables” became the giant of musical theater it is today. →

An illustration of an three-pronged electrical outlet with an open eye in the background.

Charlie Padgett

TRIPPED UP

A couple found a hidden camera in the bathroom of their Airbnb. Did they deserve a full refund? →

A man wearing a black denim jacket squints while looking through a rectangle he is making with his fingers, as if holding a camera.

Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times

THE STREAMER

He has 19 million followers and the attention of celebrities who want that audience. Get to know Kai Cenat. →

A family of five poses for a portrait beneath a leafy tree.

1 HOUSE, 4 COUNTRIES

This family’s home has stood for a century — in a village at the center of history. →

HOW TO OCTOBER

Two red Adirondack chairs in a yard with trees and fallen leaves.

Margaret Roach

LEAVE THE LEAVES

Coming soon to a backyard near you: leaf drop. Here’s your permission to do nothing with them. →

A woman and girl sit on hay bales surrounded by pumpkins

WB

COMFORT WATCH

How did “Gilmore Girls” become the show for fall anyway? →

A photo of a house, decorated for Halloween with lit pumpkins, spiders and spider webs. Decorative skeletons are on the porch, which has a white fence.

David Gentry

GET SPOOKY

People who take Halloween very seriously gave us their top pieces of decorating advice. →

A woman in a burgundy dress embraces a man with white hair, a mustache and beard and black framed glasses.

Kobe Wagstaff for The New York Times

TOGETHER AGAIN

The former “West Wing” co-stars Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford discuss their return to the (pretend) Oval Office. →

Several different French skin products on display in front of a green background.

Hannah Schwob for NYT Wirecutter

JE NE SAIS QUOIS

French pharmacies have a trove of beauty products in their aisles. These are the best ones — and how to order them abroad. →

Issa Rae, wearing an Orange Creamsicle-colored shift, talking to Kendrick Sampson, wearing a striped button-up over a T-shirt.

Merie Wallace/HBO

THIRD WHEEL

The worst city to date in? Wherever you’re living. →

Article Image

Yuvraj Khanna for The New York Times

BAM, THREE STARS!

Did Emeril’s 22-year-old son just revive his flagship restaurant? →

BEFORE YOU GO

Take a quiz (or two).

An aerial view of New York City looking south down the East River at Manhattan, on a cloudy day with views of the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge and buildings on both sides of the water.

Vincent Alban/The New York Times

HOW NEW YORK ARE YOU?

Find out how much you really know about the city that never stops reinventing itself. →

An illustration of a figure sleeping in an imagined bed over the ocean with waves as the duvet cover and a moon in the sky behind them.

KNOW YOUR ZZZ'S

Are you a skilled sleeper or a subpar snoozer? →

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This edition of The Weekender was edited by Farah Miller and Kellina Moore.

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