Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. gets clearance for overtime pay, airs two-hour season finale
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, May 12. All times are Eastern.
Co-Top Picks
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 9 p.m.): If there’s one great lesson that superhero movies have taught us, it’s that a little bloated running time never hurt anybody. The small-screen corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has learned that lesson well, and so tonight’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale is running a full two hours, as sacrifices are made, relationships are altered, and other vaguely teased but assuredly game-changing things go down. Oliver Sava is ready for war.
The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.): While a two-hour primetime season finale is pretty dang top pick-worthy, Tuesday night’s other superhero show makes a very strong case with its penultimate episode of the season, as the Amell cousins—otherwise known as the Arrow and Firestorm—are on hand to help Barry Allen in his fight against an ever-growing list of adversaries. Scott Von Doviak is prepared to join this team-up, provided “willing to issue forth with TV hot takes” counts as a superpower.
Also noted
iZombie (The CW, 9 p.m.): As part of our ongoing efforts to give iZombie guff that it pretty clearly doesn’t deserve, we must note that the description for the episode titled “Patriot Brains” isn’t nearly as crazy as you’d really expect an episode titled “Patriot Brains” to be: “Liv and Clive investigate the mysterious death of a former sniper who worked as an instructor at a paintball facility. The probe centers on the victim’s ex-wife and her new husband.” Where’s the team-up with zombie Patrick Henry, iZombie? Don’t call an episode “Patriot Brains” if you’re not willing to deliver the goods! Carrie Raisler just shakes her head at our increasingly nonsensical vendetta.
Younger (TV Land, 10 p.m.): A babysitting gig lets Liza take a break from pretending to be in her 20s, as though babies can’t smell the stench of age and lies. Alexa Planje is pretty sure babies know what’s up.
Regular coverage
Community (Yahoo!, 3:01 a.m.)
Finding Carter (MTV, 10 p.m.)
Inside Amy Schumer (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.)
What else is on?
Finding Bigfoot: Further Evidence (Animal, 9 p.m.): This “enhanced” episode features still more of the search for British Bigfoot, who is hanging out either in England or somewhere near Loch Ness—which, come on, British Bigfoot, respect Nessie’s space.
CSI: Cyber (CBS, 10 p.m.): “The team hunt a killer who hacks into popular online games and tricks players into delivering illegal weapons he purchases on the deep Web.” Yep, that all checks out. If anything, it’s almost too plausible.
How It’s Made (Science, 10 p.m.): This episode is literally called “Misbehaving Advertising Executives In The 1960s Edition.” That is such a wonderfully shameless Mad Men cash-in, made all the better for how hilariously over-descriptive that is, as though there’s any risk we can’t work out what’s going on there. Also, we don’t have the foggiest idea what aspect of “misbehaving advertising executives in the 1960s” is a thing that could plausibly be described as being made, but that’s why we’re not the Science Channel!
Fight Stories (FS1, 10:30 p.m.): This animated series is going to feature celebrities telling stories about, well, fighting, and the opening trio is comedian Josh Wolf, Pitch Perfect costar Skylar Astin, and TV’s Mario Lopez. It’s all hosted by MMA fighter Urijah Faber, who we suspect could just straight-up tell three fight stories of his own that are more compelling than whatever the erstwhile host of H8r has to share.
Valkyrie (Encore, 8 p.m.): Tom Cruise tries to kill Hitler. As latter-day Tom Cruise movies go, it’s no Ghost Protocol or Edge Of Tomorrow, but it still promises a solid evening of Tom Cruise almost but not quite killing Hitler.
Tango And Cash (Esquire TV, 8 p.m.): Honestly, does the actual movie even need to exist? That title is so deliriously perfect that it really just stands on its own. All right, fine, we’re also going to need posters that say “Sylvester Stallone IS Tango” and “Kurt Russell IS Cash,” but then we’re set.
NBA Playoffs: Bulls at Cavaliers/Clippers at Rockets (TNT, 7 p.m./9:30 p.m.): If Chicago wants to get its long-sought revenge against LeBron James, it probably has to go into Cleveland and win tonight’s Game 5, as it’s hard to see LeBron and the Cavs losing two straight close-out games against a team James has long excelled against. (Hard, but not impossible.) Then, the Los Angeles Clippers can make their first ever conference finals in their nearly 50-year history by taking down the Rockets, who are fighting for their playoff lives at home. If the Rockets’ love of intentional fouling continues, that game might be damn near unwatchable, but still…