Best-bets for Feb. 21: Honest Abe; dishonest schemer

1) “Abraham Lincoln,” 8-10:33 p.m., History, rerunning at 12:04 a.m. Sunday’s opener (rerunning at 5:30 p.m. today) took Abe through a tough childhood, brightened when his new stepmother brought warmth and books. Now, on Presidents Day, we see him (shown here) waging war and pondering emancipation. Skillfully blending historians and re-enactments, this concludes at 8 p.m. Tuesday, with reruns at 3 and 5:30. Read more…

1) “Abraham Lincoln,” 8-10:33 p.m., History, rerunning at 12:04 a.m. Sunday’s opener (rerunning at 5:30 p.m. today) took Abe through a tough childhood, brightened when his new stepmother brought warmth and books. Now, on Presidents Day, we see him (shown here) waging war and pondering emancipation. Skillfully blending historians and re-enactments, this concludes at 8 p.m. Tuesday, with reruns at 3 and 5:30.

2) “Endgame” debut, 10 p.m., NBC. Even in custody, a master criminal (Morena Baccarin) is in control. She manipulates the outside world, while an FBI agent (Ryan Michelle Bathe) tries to keep up. Yes, that sounds like the start of “The Blacklist”; a rerun of this hour will air alongside “Blacklist” on Friday. A bigger-than-life feeling is the show’s strength — and its flaw, shattering any believability.

3) “America’s Got Talent: Extreme” debut, 8-10 p.m. NBC. America has lots of talent … and lots of weirdness. “The Go-Big Show” (9 p.m. Thursdays on TBS) has acts that lean toward large, loopy and scary; now “AGT” is in the same turf. Like “Go-Big,” it has a wrestler as one of its judges. That’s Nikki Bella, who joins racecar driver Travis Pastrana and Simon Cowell, who’s also the producer.

4) “All American: Homecoming” debut, 9 p.m., CW. Let’s remember that “All American” (8 p.m.), is a solid drama. That’s what makes this clumsy spin-off (which follows Simone to college) so disappointing. Its blunt attitudes and heavy-handed dialog seem contrived for soap-opera conflict, not human interaction. The sports moments also make no sense. How does a baseball team save a college? How does one pitcher save a team? It’s all a stretch.

5) “State of the Union,” 10 p.m., Sundance. The second half of this clever series begins. In 10-minute slices through Friday, we see a couple (Brendan Gleeson and Patricia Clarkson) meet at a coffeeshop, before seeing a counselor. Like the first season, in 2019, this ripples with witty dialog; unlike that one, the barista – played by Esco Jouley – plays a key role. The result is both funny and poignant.

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