Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Sunday, May 29. All times are Eastern.
Top picks
Game Of Thrones (HBO, 9 p.m.): Let’s get those tears out of the way, people: Hold the door. Hold the door. Hold the door. Man. That episode. We’ll say no more if you’re one of the eight people who hasn’t seen it or been spoiled on it yet. Hopefully, tonight’s episode will be kinder to its audience’s emotions, as the imprisonment and atonement of the show’s biggest (and most underused) badass Margaery Tyrell forces a public confrontation between the Baratheon/Lannister/Tyrell monarchy coalition and the High Sparrow’s Faith Militant. Myles McNutt and Brandon Nowalk are currently taking bets on the outcome with the assistance of our You Win Or You Die/All Men Must Die team, including an over/under on how many heads the resurrected Mountain will turn to pulp.
Silicon Valley (HBO, 10 p.m.): Tonight, Erlich and Big Head combine their powers Captain Planet-style to create Bachmanity, a new incubator powered by Erlich’s grandiose visions and Big Head’s money/lack of said visions. It’s a match made in heaven, or at least the heaven for those of us who enjoy watching almost certain failure. Vikram Murthi will be covering tonight’s episode, and is totally not bitter about having to work while Les Chappell skips his usual reviewing duties to attend the Bachmanity launch party.
Penny Dreadful (Showtime, 10 p.m.): After last week’s thrilling installment of The Eva Green Show, tonight’s events return to the desert of the American Southwest as Hecate and Ethan push forward to confront Ethan’s father. This is a family reunion we’ve been incredibly excited for since the news that Talbot Senior would be played by none other than the inestimable Brian Cox, whose theatrical acting style seems tailor-made for the Penny Dreadful tone. With our first glimpse of the character in the teaser for tonight’s episode, Scott Von Doviak’s erring on the side of caution and will avoid using the word “shenanigans” in his review.
Premieres and finales
The Carmichael Show (NBC, 9 p.m.): It was touch and go for a while there, but NBC did the right thing and renewed The Carmichael Show for a third season. In recognition of this joyous occasion Joshua Alston will be dropping back in to review the season two finale, with its terrifying title “President Trump.” It’s most likely going to be a discussion of what a Trump presidency would mean to the family and African-Americans as a whole, but given the uncertainty of its renewal before now, one wonders if Jerrod Carmichael decided to create a cautionary tale in the event his show wasn’t returning. He jumps ahead six months post-election to pull a Dinosaurs on us, and our last glimpse of the family pans out to the wasteland that settles in the minute history’s greatest monster is inaugurated.