What's on TV this week—Dark Winds debuts, Evil and Rutherford Falls return

Welcome to What’s On, our weekly picks of must-watch shows. Here’s what you need to watch from Sunday, June 12 to Thursday, June 16. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekend edition of What’s On drops on Fridays.]

The biggies

Dark Winds (Sunday, AMC, 9 p.m., series premiere)

Created by Graham Roland, this Western neo-noir thriller is based on the Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman. Zahn McClarnon stars as a sheriff who must deal with personal losses while investigating hometown tragedies. The show debuts with two episodes, with the remaining four rolling out weekly. Here’s an excerpt from our review:

The series immediately distinguishes itself with its Navajo Nation setting in the ’70s, by poring over authentic Indigenous customs—the writers’ room is entirely comprised of Native Americans—and by slowly building intriguing suspense.

Robert and Michelle King’s weird, sexy, and very entertaining horror drama Evil returns for its 10-episode third season. David (Mike Colter) and Kristen (Katja Herbers) deal with the fallout of their kiss, which happened just after he officially became a priest and she confessed to her crime. Meanwhile, Ben (Aasif Mandvi) struggles to cope with the pressures of his confusing job. And who the hell knows what Leland (Michael Emerson) is ever up to, but it’s always fun to watch, isn’t it? Here’s a bit from The A.V. Club’s review:

It is, in other words, unlike any other horror drama on TV right now. The good news about season three is that it builds on all of those reasons why Evil is a must-watch. The not-so-good news? On some level, it treads the same waters.

This comedy is about two best friends, Nathan Rutherford (Ed Helms) and Reagan Wells (Jana Schmieding), who find themselves at a crossroads when their sleepy town gets an unexpected wake-up call. Nathan, a descendant of the town’s founder, is determined to keep his statue around while Native American casino head Terry Thomas (Michael Greyeyes) fights for his tribe’s roots. The show is created by Helms, Michael Schur, and Sierra Teller Ornelas (also the showrunner).

Hidden gems

Becoming Elizabeth (Sunday, Starz, 9 p.m., series premiere)

This candlelit historical drama follows a young Queen Elizabeth I (Alicia Von Rittenberg), who as an orphaned teenager becomes embroiled in the politics of the English court on her journey to secure the crown. The cast includes Jessica Raine, Tom Cullen, Bella Ramsay, and Romola Garai. In his review, David Cote writes:

We get sweaty rutting in bed, f-bombs, the occasional spew of vomit, heavy petting between Thomas and underage Elizabeth, and dialogue that’s both gritty and lightly lyrical. However, the whole is thinly plotted, slowly paced, and lacking a strong center or any sense of humor.

Former SNL star Pete Davidson, who just exited the NBC late-night sketch show, is back on Netflix with a stand-up special. But he won’t be the only act. Other featured comedians include Giulio Gallarotti, Neko White, Carly Aquilino, Joey Gay, Derek Gaines, Jordan Rock, and Dave Sirus.

The real-life friends and Grace & Frankie leads host a stand-up special to highlight and celebrate the women who are often overlooked in comedy. Joining them onstage will be performers like Margaret Cho, Michelle Buteau, Cristela Alonzo, and Iliza Shlesinger, among others.

More good stuff

Tony Awards (Sunday, CBS, 8 p.m.)

West Side Story Oscar winner Ariana DeBose hosts this year’s Tony Awards ceremony. The 75th annual production will recognize achievements in Broadway productions from last year and take place in, yes, New York City.

Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger’s queer teen rom-com ends with its third and final season. Set in the same world as the 2018 film Love, Simon, the show centers on Victor Salazar (Michael Cimino), a new student at Creekwood High School. Keep an eye out for The A.V. Club’s review on the site this week.

Melissa McCarthy insists on starring in husband Ben Falcone’s mediocre projects, but maybe God’s Favorite Idiot is an exception to the rule. In this apocalyptic comedy, Falcone stars as Clark Thompson, who gets struck by lightning and suddenly gains the ability to glow. His coworkers and his girlfriend Amily (McCarthy) believe this incident is related to god. The A.V. Club’s review of the show will publish later this week.

Cant-miss recaps

RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars (Paramount+, Friday, 3:01 a.m.)

For All Mankind (Apple TV+, Friday, 12:01 a.m.)

Barry (HBO, Sunday, 10 p.m., season two finale)

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)

Ms. Marvel (Disney+, Wednesday, 3:01 a.m.)

Ending soon

Gaslit (Starz, Sunday, 8 p.m., season one finale)

The Baby (HBO Max, Sunday, 10:30 p.m., season one finale)

Gentleman Jack (HBO, Monday, 10 p.m., season two finale)

Mayans M.C. (FX, Tuesday, 10 p.m., season four finale)

Kung Fu (The CW, Wednesday, 9 p.m., season two finale)

The Offer (Paramount+, Thursday, 3:01 a.m., season one finale)