It’s the height of summer, which means that most people are out and about to make the most of the sun. Not us, though — and not just because here in Portland, we’re dealing with hazardous air quality because of nearby wildfires. (It's the height of summer!) After all, there’s a whole host of pop culture to be consumed, and this is Popverse Playlist where that’s exactly what we're all about — helping you make the smartest pop culture consumption choices you can in seven-day chunks. So, while the sky burns outside, let’s distract ourselves with Kristen Stewart’s stoner comedy, Alan Ritchson’s behemoth of justice, and one of the finest superhero comics you’ll read all year, shall we?

If you only watch one show this week, then it really has to be… Reacher, Season 4

If there’s one thing the internet loves, it’s a big man meting out justice to people who desperately deserve it, and that’s exactly what Prime Video’s Reacher is about. Sure, there are countless think pieces to be written about just why Alan Ritchson’s retired police officer who wanders the land and does good wherever he goes has proven to be so appealing to so many people, but all of that is entirely unnecessary, because it’s a show about a big man who punches bad people and, really? That’s a formula that never, ever goes out of style.

Reacher, Season 4 debuts on Prime Video August 12, 2026, and continues weekly from that point.

If you only check out one movie this week, then it should be… The Wrong Girls

There’s something fascinatingly nostalgic about this stoner buddy comedy in which two friends end up with telepathic powers after accidentally taking an experimental drug. Could it be the cast list that combines a number of “Oh, yeah, that guy”s like Kristen Stewart, Alia Shawkat, Tony Hale, Kumail Nanjiani, Kate McKinnon and LaKeith Stanfield? (Seth Rogen also appears, which feels as if it’s almost required by law; so do Geena Davis and Cate Blanchett, which may be more surprising.) Could it be the mix of high concept/low brow? Maybe it’s just the fact that we don’t really get to see the old-fashioned buddy comedy format that much anymore without a superhero twist. Whatever the reason, this looks wonderfully stupid and like a good time. Let’s have more of those in the cinema, please.

The Wrong Girls arrives in theaters August 14, 2026.

If you can only pick up one comic this week, then make sure it’s… Batman & Robin: Year One - Dynamic Duos #1

The first Batman & Robin: Year One was a year-long masterclass in how to do superhero comics, with the all-star creative team of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee making the early days of the Caped Crusader and his Boy Wonder chum feel fresh and exciting, despite being particularly well-trod territory. They’re back for a second go-around (sadly not titled Batman & Robin: Year Two, but we can’t have everything), and this time, they’re bringing Catwoman along with them. At a time when it feels like DC can’t miss, expect this to be a headline book even amongst all the talent on display at the publisher.

Batman & Robin: Year One - Dynamic Duos #1 will be released in comic stores August 12, 2026.

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