Jodie Foster in True Detective: Night Country; Jake Johnson in Self ReliancePhoto: Michele K. Short/HBO; Hulu
Welcome to the weekend edition of What’s On. Here are the big things happening on TV from Friday, January 12 to Sunday, January 14. All times are Eastern. [Note: The weekly edition of What’s On publishes on Sundays.]
1. Jodie Foster graces the small screen in True Detective
True Detective: Night Country | Official Trailer | Max
HBO, Sunday, 9 p.m.: HBO anthology True Detective is back after a five-year hiatus for an Alaska-set season dubbed Night Country. Jodie Foster and Kali Reis play detectives Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro, who clash often while investigating the sudden disappearance of a research team in the icy terrain. Issa López writes and helms the six new episodes, with Fiona Shaw, Christopher Eccleston, John Hawkes, and Finn Bennett rounding out the cast. The A.V. Club will recap the show weekly. Check out our interview with López about what to expect.
2. Jake Johnson is a triple threat in Self Reliance
Hulu, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: Minx might be canceled again (RIP!), but to soothe our pain, Jake Johnson is already back on our screens. The actor not only stars in Self Reliance, but he also wrote and directed the film. He plays a disillusioned Tommy Walcott, whose life changes when he participates in a reality TV game where people attempt to kill him for a whole month. If Walcott survives, he’ll win a $1 million prize. The ensemble includes Anna Kendrick, Andy Samberg, Biff Whiff, Natalie Morales, Emily Hampshire, GaTa, and Christopher Lloyd. In an interview with The A.V. Club last year, Johnson chatted about the movie.
3. Gear up for a fun fight, because The Traitors is back!
The Traitors | Season 2 | Official Trailer | Peacock Original
Peacock, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: The U.S. adaptation of a Dutch reality series, The Traitors quickly became popular upon its debut last year. The show returns for a second season and, don’t worry, Alan Cumming is still hosting. Filmed in the Scottish Highlands, 21 contestants—most of them reality-TV stars—are split into groups of “Faithfuls” and “Traitors” as they try to skillfully, secretly eliminate each other to win the $250,000 prize.
4. Let’s place a bet on how weird The Curse finale will get
The Curse Official Trailer | SHOWTIME
Paramount+, Friday, 3:01 a.m.: Our national cringe nightmare (in a positive way) is sadly about to end. The Curse closes out season one with what we can only imagine will be the most intense and uncomfortable hour yet of Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie’s darkly comedic thriller, which follows the slow, awkward unraveling of married couple Whitney (Emma Stone) and Asher Siegel (Fielder) as they attempt to host an HGTV-style series. Look out for The A.V. Club’s recap after the episode airs on Friday.
5. Kaley Cuoco leads the new film Role Play
Role Play – Official Trailer | Prime Video
Prime Video, Friday, 12:01 a.m.: The action-comedy Role Play centers on Emma Brackett (Kaley Cuoco), who lives a quiet suburban life in New Jersey with her family—except she’s also secretly an assassin for hire. When her husband, Dave (David Oyelowo), finds this out, they hope to spice up their marriage with, as the title readily indicates, some role play.
