Here’s what’s up in the world of TV for Tuesday, December 9. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Sons Of Anarchy (FX, 10 p.m.): Tonight, FX’s manliest, brawling-est, motorcycle-riding-est show airs its last ever episode. For those like Zack Handlen, tonight marks the end of a long, winding journey, one full of giddy highs and frustrating lows. He will check in tonight one final time to provide his usual incisive critique—and, in the meantime, do check out Joshua Alston’s TV Club 10 on the show at its best—but, for those of us who solely know Sons Of Anarchy through its wonderfully bloated running times, there’s only ever one question to answer, namely…
Hey, how long is Sons Of Anarchy overrunning this week?
Well, TV Guide says the finale starts at 10 p.m. and doesn’t finish until 1 a.m., but that three-hour length probably bakes in the customary live after-show. The repeat is listed for an hour and 53 minutes, so we’re only overrunning by 53 minutes. Yes, I said “only.” For the last ever Sons Of Anarchy, an episode that can’t even break the two-hour barrier feels somehow paltry. Fingers crossed that 113 minutes will be sufficient time for “Jax to fulfill his father’s legacy in the series finale,” I guess.
The people’s top pick, now and forever
Person Of Interest Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show (CBS, 10 p.m.): Person Of Interest returns for its midseason finale next week, but this week the show is going deep undercover as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Sure, it might look like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande are performing as top supermodels Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio show off the latest in lingerie, but they’re all actually Jim Caviezel. He’s just that good at disguises.
Also noted
The Flash (The CW, 8 p.m.): The murder of Barry’s mother sure feels like the kind of slow-burn, mythology-building plotline that the show only solves over the course of a few seasons, so what to make of an episode titled “The Man In The Yellow Suit” that actually teases that “Barry faces his nemesis Reverse Flash, who killed his mother, and plots with Wells and Cisco to trap him.” Big, big stuff could be afoot tonight, and Scott Von Doviak is ready to go.
Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (ABC, 9 p.m.): Per the synopsis, “A volatile confrontation occurs between Coulson’s and Whitehall’s forces, and as a result, fates are changed.” You know, I feel like this TV Guide plot capsule is really missing the point of what “fate” is. The whole point is it can’t be changed no matter how hard you struggle against it, or how else would mighty Zeus derive amusement from the follies of mortals? Oliver Sava would appreciate it if we could have one discussion that doesn’t turn into me proselytizing for mighty Zeus, king of the gods. (Keep dreaming, Oliver.)
New Girl (Fox, 9 p.m.): In an episode aptly titled “LAXmas,” the whole gang finds themselves stranded at the airport while trying to get away for Christmas. As is often the case with New Girl, Erik Adams is cautiously optimistic, though I’m not sure how this is ever going to improve on the greatest of all stuck-at-the-airport holiday episodes: King Of The Hill’s “The Hank’s Giving Episode.” Although that might just be for that one John Redcorn line. (Also, I mention King Of The Hill a lot in these things. I’m not sure the acronym “YOLO” has ever felt more appropriate.)
Regular coverage
Marry Me (NBC, 9 p.m.)
The Mindy Project (Fox, 9:30 p.m.)
Benched (USA, 10:30 p.m.)