Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, February 28. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
President Donald Trump’s Address To Congress (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, 9 p.m.): We know better than to expect Donald Trump to say anything empathetic, useful, or reassuring at his address to Congress. But it will be worth tuning in for the audience alone. Apparently, many of the House Democrats are bringing Dreamers, Muslim-Americans, and others who have a bone to pick with El Trumpo to the event, hoping to ensure that the gallery reflects the diversity of our country. But let’s be real: It’s also a perfect troll move that could stir the pot and result in The Donald losing his cool, although that’s admittedly not a difficult task.
Mike Birbiglia: Thank God For Jokes (Netflix, 3:01 a.m.): Mike Birbiglia’s stand-up has always been cerebral in the most effortless way, his intellectualism made accessible by his aw-shucks approachability. In his latest Netflix special, he explores the very idea behind jokes—why we tell them, how they’re affected by and affect our psychology, etc. In other words, the eloquent yet genuinely funny monologue is the opposite of the one you’ll hear on every major news station tonight.
Chopped (Food, 10 p.m.): Tonight’s episode is called “Raw Deal”—something a lot of us are experiencing right now.
Premieres and finales
Taboo (FX, 10 p.m.): Emily L. Stephens hasn’t been won over by the first season of BBC’s moody, violent revenge yarn. Maybe tonight’s finale, where Prince Regent makes one final move against James Delaney, will change her mind. And if it doesn’t, she can end it all by doing this:
Tattoo Girls (TLC, 10 p.m.): Wow, that was fast. It seems like only yesterday we were writing about the series premiere of Tattoo Girls, which follows the day-to-day operations of tattoo parlor Ink Ink. Actually, it was just four weeks ago that we mentioned it, and the season finale airs tonight.
Who Killed Jane Doe? (ID, 10 p.m.): In this new investigative series, the perspective jumps back and forth between the detectives and the victims of the deceased.
Regular coverage
The Mindy Project (Hulu)
New Girl (Fox, 8 p.m.)
WWE SmackDown! Live (USA, 8 p.m.)
Streaming pick
Troll Hunter (Netflix): Our above mention of trolls is making us sentimental about this 2010 oddity—still one of the best found-footage horror films in recent memory. In it, a group of college filmmakers in Norway follow a suspected bear poacher only to find out he’s hunting the hairy, smelly beasts of the film’s title. Our own Noel Murray gave Troll Hunter a lackluster review back in 2011, and we respectfully disagree with him. Today, we find ourselves drawn to the film’s dwarfing special effects, fun premise, and clever riffs of Norwegian mythology. Also, A.V. Club readers should be encouraged to post the following clip whenever they encounter a troll in the comments section: