Timeless climbs into the Lifeboat for one last wibbly wobbly ride
Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Thursday, December 20. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Timeless (NBC, 8 p.m., series finale): Oh, sweet Timeless. Canceled. Un-canceled, three days later. Terrific season finale. Canceled again. And that, after three days came and went, seemed to be that. But perhaps NBC just likes fucking with us, because about a month later, the network un-canceled Timeless again. The triumph of the show’s fervent fan base was bittersweet, however, because the Time Team (Abigail Spencer, Matt Lanter, Malcolm Barrett, and friends) have not been revived for a third season. Instead, creators Eric Kripke and Shawn Ryan were granted a two-part finale. Call it a Christmas-in-July miracle, fulfilled just around the corner from Christmas proper.
Honestly, we’re inclined to be grateful for any chance Kripke and Ryan have to resolve the second season finale’s devious cliffhangers, which included the death of fan favorite Rufus (Barrett) and the arrival of a Future-World Wyatt (Lanter) and Lucy (Spencer), who turned up in the bunker in a duplicate lifeboat, climbing out to confront their past selves with some swole guns, a sassy bob, and one damn-that’s-a-good-cliffhanger line: “So, you guys want to get Rufus back or what?”
We do, in fact. Allison Shoemaker has packed her period-appropriate footwear, her best petticoats, and a teeny tiny book with a bunch of really important historical dates and name and stuff which she has hidden in a secret pocket in her skirt that also contains penicillin, lip balm, and matches. She’s given this some thought, and is ready to recap the Wishbone-meets-Doctor-Who hijinks for (probably?) the last time.
Regular coverage
Wild card
Aggretsuko, “We Wish You A Metal Christmas” (Netflix, 3:01 a.m.): This is pretty simple. Retsuko, the adorable, hardcore red panda has returned to Netflix ahead of its eventual second season for a little dollop of screaming holiday cheer.
Aggretsuko is delightful, and has not been canceled and un-canceled and canceled and un-canceled. All upside.