Best-bets for Feb. 18: murderers and funny Rainn

1) “Mom,” 9 p.m., CBS. For the seventh time, Rainn Wilson plays Trevor, the floundering therapist for Bonnie (they’re shown here in a previous episode). The previous six have been hilarious, so give this one a try. Bonnie’s deciding what to do with her spare bedroom … which soon leads to bigger issues. Read more…

1) “Mom,” 9 p.m., CBS. For the seventh time, Rainn Wilson plays Trevor, the floundering therapist for Bonnie (they’re shown here in a previous episode). The previous six have been hilarious, so give this one a try. Bonnie’s deciding what to do with her spare bedroom … which soon leads to bigger issues.

2) “Clarice,” 10 p.m., CBS. Last week’s debut re-introduced the young FBI agent Jodie Foster played in “Silence of the Lambs.” A year after “Lambs,” she’s been nudged into the field and told to keep quiet; she didn’t, propelling ill-will with her bosses. Now she’s probing a murder inside a heavily armed cult. This story includes a too-easy confession, plus the cliché of bosses who just get in the way. Still, it’s beautifully filmed, with strong work from Rebecca Breeds in the title role.

3) “The Widower,” 10 p.m., NBC; then 9-11 p.m. Friday and Sunday. When Las Vegas police arrived, they found two people dead. Thomas Randolph said he shot the masked intruder who had killed his wife. Detectives soon learned she had a $360,000 life-insurance policy … and he knew the other victim … and three of his previous wives died, one with a $500,000 policy. This extended “Dateline” looks at that 2009 case and the others.

4) “Baby Driver” (2017), 5:30 p.m. and “Widows” (2018), 8 and 11 p.m., FX. Here’s a first-rate crime double-feature. First, Ansel Elgort plays a baby-faced getaway driver, with Lily James as his girlfriend and Jon Hamm as a desperate crook. Then Viola Davis leads a group of women chasing crime success where their late husbands failed. A so-so story is boosted by Steve McQueen’s sharp direction.

5) “Grown-ish,” 8 p.m., Freeform. We’ve spent a lot of time yelling at TV characters: “No, you don’t have to tell (him or her). Nothing good will come of it.” They do anyway, of course, and nothing good comes; it’s a contrivance to push scripts along. Tonight, it’s Jazz’s turn, in a story that has Zoey visiting campus, only to find that much of life has changed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *