Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Wednesday, June 18. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
Suits/Graceland (USA, 9/10 p.m.): Because we are dumbheads who don’t know how to read television schedules, we completely missed that both of these very fine shows returned last week. We like Suits—with its fast-paced dialogue and oft-entertaining plotting—more than Graceland, but we think both shows together make for the perfect summer night well-wasted. Unfortunately, we are covering neither of them any more, with Carrie Raisler checking in on Suits every so often and our Graceland coverage ascending into the sky in ashes, as is TV Club custom. Valar morghulis!
TV CLUB CLASSIC
Lost (1 p.m.): We should just make Lost the top pick every week, because it should be the top pick every week, no? Anyway, this week, we figure out what was up with Kate in the show’s first proper episode, then get to the staggeringly wonderful “Walkabout.” Todd VanDerWerff has a twist ending for you.
Six Feet Under (3 p.m.): The contemporary reviews of the fourth season of Six Feet Under groused a bit that it had lost a step or two, based on the first handful of episodes sent out to critics. Does John Teti agree with them? We didn’t find out last week, because he was covering E3. But we’ll find out this week!
ELSEWHERE IN TV CLUB
It’s been a bit since we ran a new 100 Episodes column, thanks to the feature moving to Wednesdays. But Todd VanDerWerff brings it back in rousing fashion, with a tribute to The Jerry Springer Show that, among other things, features a lengthy discussion of fetish porn. You know you want to read that!
As it has every day this week, the Tournament Of Episodes continues along its merry way. Today, we’ve smashed up eight different shows into a free-for-all, with four of our writers doing the judging. Go and find out who won, then complain about how it’s all arbitrary.
It’s not up just yet, but if you click on this link after 11 a.m. Central Daylight Time, you’ll get to read our Walkthrough of Fargo’s first season with showrunner Noah Hawley. He’s got answers to all of your burning questions. Okay, some of them. There’s still no news about season two.
Not to be left out of an exciting TV day, the TV Reviews section features a couple of entries. First, Kate Kulzick isn’t sure what to make of the angels and demons at the center of Syfy’s new Dominion. Then, Todd VanDerWerff takes a look at the return of Sundance’s wonderful Rectify.
WHAT ELSE IS ON
Shark Girl (Smithsonian, 8 p.m.): Sadly, this does not appear to be a stealth, gender-flipped sequel to The Adventures Of Shark Boy And Lava Girl. We know. We’re just as disappointed as you are.
Baby Daddy (ABC Family, 8:30 p.m.): It’s only fair that we put the Baby Daddy finale in the “What Else Is On” section after it was relegated to also-ran status last week, that we might celebrate the Melissa & Joey wedding event.
Restaurant Stakeout (Food, 9 p.m.): Tonight’s episode is about a restaurant called “Hoover Dam’d Pizza,” which just strikes us as a ridiculously bad name, particularly after the market testing for our own “Wails Of The Damned Pizza” returned with such terrible scores.
Through The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman (Science, 10 p.m.): This week’s episode is entitled “Can The Ocean Think?” We don’t know, Morgan Freeman. Can it? You’d better fucking answer the question posed in your title!
Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (Sundance, 8 p.m.): One of the greatest action movies ever made features terrific direction from George Miller and awesome work from the young Mel Gibson. Watch it with someone you love at a drive-in.
R.I.P.D. (HBO2, 8:15 p.m.): This movie, one of the biggest flops of last year, pretty much disappeared without a trace immediately after being released. Check it out on cable tonight to find out if it really was so execrable as to deserve that treatment.
MLB Baseball: Angels at Indians (ESPN2, 7 p.m.): With both the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals over, it’s pretty much just baseball from here on out. Thank goodness, then, that we like baseball so much. Tonight, head to scenic Cleveland to see if the Angels can continue being sort of mediocre at best!
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Playing House (Tuesday): This USA comedy ended up being surprisingly delightful—not that anybody noticed, what with how low the ratings were. Anyway, we had Molly Eichel drop in on the finale to see if it deserves getting a season two or not.