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.
Undercover Boss (CBS, 8 p.m.): The season seven finale takes AdvantaClean CEO Jeff Dudan undercover at his light environmental services company. (That’s light as in minor, not light as in electromagnetic.) It’s no Kylo Ren undercover at Starkiller Base, but it’ll do.
Running For Her Life (Lifetime, 9 p.m.): Bless you, Lifetime. Just when it looked like there was nothing to talk about on a holiday weekend, you give us this gem: “A triathlete hires a controversial trainer who uses hypnotherapy as a training technique and begins to improve physically, but the return of repressed memories takes a toll on her family life.” After last week’s Penny Dreadful did something similar to Vanessa, we’re hoping the devil and the king of vampires appear in this one too. Plus, the lead actress is Claire Forlani of Camelot! You guys remember when Camelot (also starring Eva Green) was a thing?
Talking Preacher (AMC, 10:30 p.m.): Going with the assumption that they’ve got a good thing going and don’t want to mess with it, AMC’s rolling out yet another after show to follow their replay of the Preacher pilot, hosted by go-to talk-about-stuff-after-it-airs guy Chris Hardwick. And if your hunger for talking Preacher isn’t sated by a show of the same name, be sure to check out our interview with comic creator Garth Ennis, showrunner Sam Catlin, and three of the main cast members.
Regular coverage
Bloodline (Netflix, 6 p.m.)
The Girlfriend Experience (Starz, 8 p.m.)
Veep (HBO, 10:30 p.m.)
Streaming pick
Mad Men, “Maidenform” (Netflix): It’s Memorial Day weekend, a holiday that doesn’t get a lot of recognition in television due to the fact that it happens after most of television proper has wrapped up for the season. However, Mad Men gave it its due in its second season, and produced yet another moment of personal conflict for Don Draper as his memories largely revolved around the lies of his military career. Plus, it features the most remarkably anachronistic moment in the run of the show by scoring its opening montage to the Decemberists’ “The Infanta.” (Also a reminder that last year we compiled a full list of shows to binge over the long weekend, many of which are still available on their various streaming platforms.)