Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, May 10. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
The Grinder (Fox, 9:30 p.m.): The first and, in all likelihood, only season wraps up with the big reveal of just who has been behind the malpractice suit against Dean and Stewart’s father. Given the show’s impressive (if not necessarily all that popular, given those damnable ratings) track record up to this point, we assume the resolution will be simultaneously incoherent and heartfelt, just like Dean’s old show always was at its best. But who could the culprit possibly be? Dean’s notorious rival and lord of all things Timothy Olyphant, Timothy Olyphant?
Or perhaps Dean’s onscreen son, the erstwhile parkour king of Starling City, Colton Haynes?
Or maybe whoever the hell this jabroni is supposed to be?
Nah, it’s totally going to be Adam West as Ty Lookwell, bringing it all full circle. Whichever way things go, Molly Eichel rests.
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 9 p.m.): The best thing that happened to the first season of Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the release of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which infused HYDRA directly into the show’s previously meandering plotlines and just generally gave the show the kick up the backside it needed. Well, it’s now time for Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. to deal with the fallout of Captain America: Civil War, which means the agency needs to start registering Inhumans. Also, “Daisy’s prophecy ticks closer toward a huge loss,” so yeah, better keep an eye on that one too. Alex McCown is on all of this.
Independent Lens: The Armor Of Light (PBS, 8 p.m.): We’ve been known to get a little political occasionally in these What’s On Tonight listings, and we know every last one of you lovely readers has absolutely no issue with us doing that and doesn’t find it annoying or obnoxious in the least, no sir. (What can we do? It’s not like we can just stop being the droning lefty socialist trade unionist stereotypes we so totally are.) But this time, the thing we’re mentioning is so ridiculously, fiendishly political there’s almost nothing we can say to make it more loaded or controversial than it already is. So then, presented with no further comment (and, yeah, way too much buildup): “Evangelical minister Rob Schenck, an anti-abortion activist, breaks with orthodoxy—and risks alienating longtime friends—when he questions if being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. Joining his crusade: Lucy McBath, whose son was fatally shot in Florida in a case that cast a spotlight on Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ law.” We actually recommend DVRing this one and watching it right before the family Thanksgiving dinner.
Premieres and finales
New Girl (Fox, 8 p.m./9 p.m.): It’s just generally a night of finales for the Fox sitcoms, with New Girl once more being the bread in a Grandfathered sandwich. We imagine Grandfathered’s John Stamos would have some saucy one-liner to make about that last sentence, but whatever, we’re not blurbing his show yet. Instead, New Girl! Well, proving the show’s fundamental tweeness can extend even to the episode synopses, the first of the night’s episode begins with, “Twas the night before the wedding…”, and we kind of refuse to read beyond that to find out anything else. Got to have principles, you know? Erik Adams has no such scruples and is happy to report the first episode features the gang helping Schmidt rewrite his vows, while the finale features Schmidt’s last-ditch effort to get Cece’s mom to attend the wedding.
Grandfathered (Fox, 8:30 p.m.): Right, now we can blurb John Stamos’ show. It’s looking decently likely this show will be back for a second season, but we’ll say right now this in no way should be taken as proof that Stamos is a more handsome fiftysomething than Rob Lowe. That’s just lunacy. Even Allison Shoemaker agrees! [Legal disclaimer: Allison Shoemaker may or may not agree. We didn’t ask her. We’re just logically assuming, you know?]
Botched (E!, 9 p.m.): It’s a big night of premieres for shows that, well… let’s say their guiding ethics don’t necessarily reflect the very best humanity can aspire to, you know? (Like we said earlier: Droning. Leftist. Stereotype.) For instance, this third-season premiere features one of the plastic surgeons operating “on a woman whose nipples are too high; and an ‘out-of-this world’ patient insists on looking like an alien.” We’re just going to wish the people appearing on this show the very best and move swiftly on.
Arranged (FYI, 9 p.m.): This season’s trios of arranged marriages include “a couple who face a mother’s wrath; an Orthodox Jewish couple who struggle to follow the strict rules; and an Indian couple who clash after learning the woman becomes ‘property’ after vows are exchanged.” Once again, wishing all the best to all involved (even if we’re not quite sure how), and moving right along.
Little People, Big World/Outdaughtered (TLC, 9 p.m./10 p.m.): There’s nothing we can say about TLC’s brand of “hey, look at these unusual people!” reality shows that wasn’t already said five years ago, which makes us think TLC is overdue for yet another programming pivot that takes it still further from its roots as something actually called “The Learning Channel.” Look at History and how it’s shifted its obsession from Nazis to aliens to pawn brokers. You’re treading water, TLC. We dare you to sink deeper.
Chrisley Knows Best (USA, 10 p.m.): Hey, this is the show advertised all the damn time on Monday Night Raw! And there’s the most tenuous setup for a wrestling clip in this feature’s history. Here’s some Damien Sandow.
Farewell, intellectual savior of the unwashed masses. You’re all we ever aspired to be.
First Impressions (USA, 10:30 p.m.): And let’s end this section on a slight upnote with this show, in which Freddie Prinze Jr., Dana Carvey, and a guest—this week is Steve Carell, so that’s fun—preside over a competition between the country’s best amateur celebrity impressionists. Hmm, a half-hour of nonstop celebrity impressions, interspersed with Dana Carvey banter. We think that’s an upnote?
Regular coverage
The Mindy Project (Hulu, 3:01 a.m.)
Fresh Off The Boat (ABC, 8 p.m.)
The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.)
Person Of Interest (CBS, 10 p.m.)
Streaming pick
Robot Wars, “Extreme Series One, Episode One,” (YouTube): Not to be jerks to Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D., but there’s a chance it will only be the second-best Clark Gregg-starring ABC action show of the night, as airing immediately after is a preview episode of the new series of BattleBots, with Gregg as a guest judge. And not to also be a jerk to BattleBots, but it might still only be the second-best robot-fighting competition show in history. Robot Wars just gains so much from an excitable, oddly self-serious Liverpudlian host like Red Dwarf’s Craig Charles. See for yourself.