Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, March 31. All times are eastern.
Top pick
Cougar Town (TBS, 10 p.m.): It’s time to say goodbye to the show that enjoyed a brief cultural moment by dint of having what was maybe the most gloriously crass title in network television history, then almost immediately transitioned to being a cult favorite by dint of having the most gloriously inaccurate title in network, and then later basic cable, history. And, most amazingly, this is a story that began all the way back in 2009; we’re pretty sure we remember Courteney Cox going on The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien to promote this! Anyway, while we stepped away from the show in its final season—for as Bobby Cobb goes, so goes The A.V. Club—we’re back for the finale, and Les Chappell is here to finish off a joyous, drunken story that went on far longer than anyone could have reasonably expected. Let’s all put on our imaginary opera gloves and watch!
The people’s top pick, now and forever
Person Of Interest The Dovekeepers (CBS, 9 p.m.): Once again, Person Of Interest is shunted to one side, as the people who brought you The Bible—the 10-hour miniseries, not the Judeo-Christian holy text—bring you this two-night, four-hour miniseries about the siege of Masada in 70 C.E. (That’s the dating convention CBS uses, by the way, because apparently this is the show for which you want to retire “A.D.” in favor of a more secular dating system.) Anyway, The Dovekeepers distinguishes itself by focusing on the women of biblical times, but, as Molly Eichel explains, the storytelling just isn’t there to make this worthwhile.
Also Noted: All Premiere Edition!
Weird Loners (Fox, 9:30 p.m.): Those keeping track of the Happy Endings diaspora can now go ahead and add this Zachary Knighton-starring sitcom to the convoluted, Avengers-style team-up fan fiction that already features the characters from New Girl, The Mindy Project, One Big Happy, Benched, and Marry Me bumping into each other in Chicago and then just sort of hanging out and talking super quickly. In the meantime, Gwen Ihnat writes that Weird Loners is worth checking out on its own merits, as its veteran creative team manage to make it more than just another hangout comedy.
Younger (Nickelodeon/TV Land, 10 p.m.): Two years after Bunheads was snatched away from us, Sutton Foster is back where she belongs, leading a charming, surprising TV series on one of the more random cable channels. (Two of them, actually.) In this case, Foster plays a 40-year-old woman who reinvents herself as a 26 year old to get a cool new job. It’s the kind of premise you could really only come up with through a series of escalating dares, but Kate Kulzick says Foster and company make Younger work. And check back later tonight for the first of Alexa Planje’s weekly reviews.
Finding Carter (MTV, 10 p.m.): This series about a teenager who learns the woman she thinks is her mom actually kidnapped her as a toddler kicks off its second season by dealing with the fallout of said fake mom’s second kidnapping of her daughter. Hey, in fairness, she did get a solid 15 years of success out of the first kidnapping, so why not go with what works? Joshua Alston will check out the premiere, with the possibility of snatching the show up into the weekly rotation.
Also also noted
The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.): It’d be easy for the show to downshift a little after the craziness of the past two episodes, but, nope. Mark Hamill—the Joker, and also apparently some kind of science fiction hero or something—is on hand as the Trickster, a role he previously played in the early ‘90s, live-action Flash show and in Justice League Unlimited. Oh, and we’ve got some Harrison Wells flashbacks coming at us, so buckle up for that. Scott Von Doviak figures the Flash has to eventually take it easy for an episode so that he can catch his breath, right? Right!?
Justified (FX, 10 p.m.): Set your DVRs for an extra five minutes for this one, because shit is getting so, so real, and you will not want to miss a dang minute. Alasdair Wilkins approves this message, even as he’s busy worrying about … well, everyone, quite honestly.
Regular coverage
Community (Yahoo!, 3:01 a.m.)
Fresh Off The Boat (ABC, 8 p.m.)
Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 9 p.m.)
New Girl (Fox, 9 p.m.)
iZombie (The CW, 9 p.m.)
Elsewhere in TV Club
Beyond the gaggle of TV reviews listed above, we’ve got plenty more Mad Men week coverage, including Marah Eakin’s 11 Questions with costar Kevin Rahm and Genevieve Valentine’s For Our Consideration on why Mad Men is the unsexiest show on TV. Plus, check back at 2 p.m. for Allison Shoemaker’s Watch This entry on Elisabeth Moss’ final West Wing appearance.
What else is on?
Twice Born: Stories From The Special Delivery Unit (PBS, 8 p.m.): Those looking for some drama and a little culture—who for some insane reason don’t feel they can get it from Mark Hamill as the Trickster—might want to check out the first episode of this three-part documentary series, which looks at surgeons trying to save babies’ lives at a Philadelphia hospital.
Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 (CNN, 9 p.m.): And those who didn’t find the previous entry harrowing enough might want to check out this hour-long film, which won the Oscar for Documentary Short Subject.
7 Little Johnstons (TLC, 10 p.m.): Yep, this is exactly what you think its. We just think TLC showed remarkable restraint in not asking the Johnstons to drop the “t” from their names.
Brickleberry (Comedy Central, 10:30 p.m.): Oh god, this shit is back? Look, we realize it’s not strictly fair to compare this thing to Kroll Show, since it isn’t Brickleberry’s fault that it’s taking over the post-Tosh.0 time slot now that Nick Kroll has wrapped up his sketch show, but still: The title of the Brickleberry premiere is “Cops And Bottoms,” and the episode description reads, in part, “Woody becomes a celebrity when he develops a hemorrhoid that resembles Jesus.” Right, moving on.
Titanic (AMC, 4:30 p.m.): Just in case you’re curious, AMC isn’t going to be done airing this thing until 9 in the p.m. Honestly, we thought it would have taken even longer than that.
Au Revoir, Les Enfants (TCM, 10 p.m.): Hey, it’s the movie that, thanks to a malapropism-prone video store customer, gave Quentin Tarantino the name for Reservoir Dogs! How about watching this film—which, by all accounts, is excellent—so that you can be extra snooty whenever anyone mentions that bit of trivia, for that’s hardly the most salient detail about this fantastic work by the late Louis Malle, now is it?
NBA Basketball: Spurs at Heat/Warriors at Clippers (TNT, 8 p.m./10:30 p.m.): In the early game, you’ve got a rematch of the past two NBA finals, albeit one featuring a radically different Heat team that is mostly surviving on the strength of some vintage Dwyane Wade play. Then, in the nightcap, the Clippers look to assert their status as dark horse contenders in the loaded western conference against a team that has already clinched a 60-win season with nine games left to play.
In case you missed it
RuPaul’s Drag Race: Oliver Sava wasn’t crazy about the most recent episode, but any hour of television titled “The DESPY Awards” can’t be all bad.