And now, the Olympics
Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Thursday, February 6. All times are Eastern.
TOP PICK
The 2014 Winter Olympics (NBC, 8 p.m.): Welcome to the first night of The A.V. Club’s Olympics coverage! The opening ceremonies aren’t until tomorrow, but coverage of the first events for figure skating, snowboarding, and women’s freestyle skiing starts tonight in Sochi. Specifically: Slopestyle snowboarding (which Shaun White just opted out of, citing a course that carried “the potential risk of injury”) and the first-ever team figure skating short program, which we do not understand at all, but is explained in some detail here. NBC decided this new figure skating competition is so important, they’re covering it ahead of schedule. Is it just a ploy to tap into the skating-obsessed subculture of American viewership? Most definitely!
And so you know: Every night until February 23, we’ll have a TV Club writer on duty to guide you through the inevitable #NBCfails and controversies of the Sochi games, and will kick off the games properly with a livechat tomorrow night during the opening ceremonies. Tonight, Ryan McGee will start things off for us by setting the scene in the frozen wastes of Putin’s Russia—which, last we checked, are significantly warmer than the What’s On Tonight Chicago offices. (Sigh.)
ALSO NOTED:
Reign (The CW, 9 p.m.): How is possible that you all aren’t watching this batshit insane show? Reign is still a teen soap opera set in the 1520s, but as the story advances this season, so do the ridiculous dramatic stakes. Everything is always For Scotland! Or For France! Caroline Framke is giving this series higher and higher grades, which we assume is either a sign of delirious illness or a sign of its increasing quality. Either way, you should definitely check out her review tonight—who doesn’t want to see 400 words of ranting about the subtle differences between a Mary/Bash pairing (Mash) and a Mary/Frances pairing (Franny)?
Spoils Of Babylon (IFC, 10 p.m.): The first night of the Olympics overshadows the “epic” finale of this short IFC series, in which Winston sets his dramatic sights on the annual Christmas party. Though the series has not been nearly batty enough for his satisfaction, David Sims was pleasantly surprised by last week’s episode. With tonight’s finale he’ll also give us his verdict on the whole season.
Elementary (CBS, 10 p.m.): And because we almost forgot to cover it last week: Elementary returned from its winter hiatus last week, and this procedural is still one of our favorite shows on television—in that quiet, CBS way that The Good Wife has perfected. Myles McNutt reviews tonight’s “Corpse Du Ballet,” which is about a dead ballerina. Total bummer, but good title.
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC, 11:30 p.m.): It’s Jay Leno’s last show—again. Billy Crystal and Garth Brooks are guest stars. On February 17, Jimmy Fallon will take over as host of the storied franchise.
REGULAR COVERAGE
The Vampire Diaries (The CW, 8 p.m.)
The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 8 p.m.)
Rake (Fox, 9 p.m.)