Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Monday, April 25. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
American Dad (TBS, 8:30 p.m.): Is on tonight. But in case you need more information about that, here you go: In “Widow’s Pique” (hehe), “While Stan is off on a mission, Francine decides to act like she’s become a widow.” You know, as you do. Your friendly neighborhood What’s On Tonight contributor used to do that all the time when she was a kid, only it would be her mother who would be off at work, and she would then act like she was an orphan. It was cute, trust us.
Bates Motel (A&E, 9 p.m.): What’s more American than a mother’s love for her son (and vice versa)? We mean, this episode is even titled “There’s No Place Like Home,” and as we all know, The Wizard Of Oz is super American. Everything’s on the up and up, right, Alex McCown?
The Detour (TBS, 9 p.m.): Road trips are also pretty American, and as you can see, that is your friendly neighborhood What’s On Tonight contributor’s through line for this particular installment of television listings. In “The Restaurant,” it goes just like this: “The Parkers reluctantly stop at a culturally insensitive roadside restaurant and dinner theater.” That’s the quintessential “pretty American” road trip experience, if you ask LaToya Ferguson.
Premieres and finales
Mike & Molly (CBS, 8 p.m.): Mike & Molly returns from hiatus—and in a new time slot—tonight, with the episode “Weekend With Birdie.” “Mike brings home a stray puppy for the weekend but Molly has difficulty warming up to it.” Could that possibly be because (according to every synopsis we’ve had to read for this show) Mike is usually awful to Molly in all of her endeavors? Probably!
Reign (The CW, 8 p.m.): Reign returns with its “third season spring premiere” tonight, in the episode “Succession.” “Mary must find a powerful suitor to align herself with as Charles’ (guest star Spencer MacPherson) impending Coronation looms.” Genevieve Valentine knows that royal struggle—she just doesn’t make a whole show about it.
Scorpion (CBS, 9 p.m.): The second season of Scorpion ends with the episode “Toby Or Not Toby” (ugh). “Team Scorpion must outthink their unstable ex-Scorpion member, Mark Collins (guest star Joshua Leonard), after he kidnaps Toby and threatens to kill him unless his cunning demands are met.” The hell is a “cunning demand,” Scorpion?
Lucifer (Fox, 9 p.m.): TV Club’s favorite new show, Lucifer, ends its first season tonight with “Take Me Back To Hell.” But as far as episode titles and episode synopses go, neither really work together to give something away: “When Lucifer is framed for murder, he and Chloe must work together to clear his name and prove the identity of the true killer.” It helps that we (and Lucifer) already know the identity of the true killer, so we (LaToya Ferguson, especially) don’t know why this synopsis is trying to play coy.
Turn (AMC, 10 p.m.): Ah, TURN: Washington’s Spies. We wonder if the show is cool now, in a post-Hamilton world. Season three of Turn opens with “Valediction,” in which “Abe covers up a murder with an unlikely accomplice. Benedict Arnold abuses his power as he settles into a new home in Philadelphia.” Yes, but does anyone do any of that to a dope ass beat? No? Fine, we’ll just send you off with “The Reynolds Pamphlet” ourselves:
Monica The Medium (Freeform, 10 p.m.): Apparently, this made it to a second season. And that second season is all about “New Town, New Roommates, New School, New Boys, New Spirits.” You see, “Monica decides to move across the country from Pennsylvania to Southern California, where she hopes to bring more healing messages of love and hope from Spirit.” That definitely sounds legitimate and not like she: a) Moved because a sunny, beachy setting tested better in a focus group, and b) Saw a commercial for Famous B and then that settled that:
By the way: Watch Lucha Underground!
[Note: El Rey, like The A.V. Club, is owned by Univision Communications]
Bitten (Syfy, 11 p.m.): Bitten’s series finale says “Truth, Changes, Everything.” Note the double meaning made through the use of commas! But we wonder how this works in relation to the Alias episode “Truth Takes Time”—no commas necessary. Since this is the end of the road for Bitten, we don’t have the time to fully unpack these truth-based episode titles, so instead, we’ll let you know what to expect for tonight: “Everything, forever could change if Elena’s bold and dangerous plan to take back Stonehaven and save what remains of the Pack is successful in the series finale.”
Regular coverage
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Jane The Virgin (The CW, 8 p.m.)
WWE Monday Night RAW (USA, 8 p.m.)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo, 9 p.m.)
12 Monkeys (Syfy, 9 p.m.)
Streaming pick
Legendary Stories: Dusty Rhodes (WWE Network): Before there was American Dad, there was the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. They’re actually not that similar—despite both being American dads—but in the spirit of America (and keeping Dusty Rhodes’ spirit alive, Monica The Medium), why not spend some time with a few professional wrestling legends, telling their Dusty Rhodes stories? For America. Because—just a reminder—we let you know American Dad is on tonight.
Plus, we picked a theme and we’re sticking to it, okay?!?