1) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m., NBC. After a two-week pause, “SNL” starts its season’s final three episodes.. Tonight, Quina Brunson, the “Abbott Elementary” star, has her second turn as host (her first is shown here) and Benson Boone has his first as music guest. Next week has Walton Goggins and Arcade Fire; the May 17 season-finale has Scarlett Johansson and Bad Bunny. Read more…
1) “SWAT,” 9 p.m., CBS. We’re two weeks from the end of an eight-year run. Tonight (shown here), an hour earlier than usual), there’s an explosion at a fruit-packing facility staffed by prisoners; six of them escape. Hondo and the team try to find them before they pull off a high-stakes robbery. Read more…
1) “Elsbeth,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. Next week, this terrific show wraps its season by bringing Elsbeth face-to-face with many of her past suspects. First, here’s a new hour (Billy Magnussen, shown here with Elsbeth, as an entitled playboy) and then a rerun, with Laurie Metcalf as star of a long-running cop show. Read more…
1) “Wild Cards” season-finale,” 8 p.m,, CW. This show often has a bright, bouncy feel, but now it’s time to get serious: Ellis learns who was responsible for his brother’s death — and who is protecting the killer. Meanwhile, Max (shown here undercover in last week’s episode) sifts clues in the office of Ashford (Martin Sheen). Read more…
1) “Independent Lens,” 10-11:30 p.m., PBS. Here is a joyous journey through the world of libraries. We see grand temples in big cities … tiny oases in small towns (an example is shown here) … and a bookmobile roaming Baton Rouge. We hear of crises – tax revolts, segregation, book-banning – and heroes who brought books to everyone from inner-city kids to rural Wisconsinites. Read more…
1) “NCIS: Origins” season-finale, 10 p.m., CBS. The bad news for Gibbs (shown here) is that he’s being investigated for murder; the worse news is that he and others know he did it. That adds up to a tense hour that we see through Cecelia (known as Lala), his steely colleague. It’s a gripping hour with a closing jolt. Read more…
1) “Dark Winds” season-finale, 9 p.m., AMC. Four potent stories wrap up in a deeply moving hour. Joe (shown here) chases the killer who haunts a terrified teen. He agonizes over the FBI agent pursuing him … and over his wife, who left when his agony became overwhelming. Also, his ex-deputy is on a one-person battle with a cartel. It’s a superb finish. Read more…
1) “I Am Burt Reynolds” (2020), 8 p.m., CW. Reynolds (shown here) chose Florida State because it matched his prime interests – girls and football. He excelled at both, until two injuries forced a detour. He transformed into an action hero with a breezy sense of humor; for five straight years, he was No. 1 at the box office. It was a fascinating life, skillfully described here. Read more…
1) “Fire Country” season-finale, 9-11 p.m., CBS. Two new episodes conclude a strong season. At 9 p.m., a fire erupts at a gas station; Manny (shown here) and Bode jump into action. At 10, fierce winds push a wildfire toward the town and toward the care home where Walter Leone (the retired fire chief, who is Vince and Luke’s father and Bode’s grandfather) lives. Read more…
1) “Elsbeth,” 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. This season has had a mental duel between Elsbeth (Carrie Preston) and a corrupt judge (Michael Emerson, Preston’s husband; they’re shown here). It’s been a delight, but now it concludes in an oddly unsatisfying way. Stick around, though: At 10 is a better episode, a rerun with Vanessa Bayer as a Christmas mogul. Read more…
