The Collider Weekly TV Guide is a rundown of notable episodes, premieres, returns, finales, and opportunities to catch up on great shows (or cast an eye to the occasional TV train wreck). Here are the picks for the week beginning Monday, March 16th:
Monday, 3/16:
The Following, “Exposed” (9 p.m., Fox): The third season of Kevin Williamson’s shallowly sadistic serial thriller rolls on with Ryan (Kevin Bacon), alongside Weston (Shawn Ashmore) and Max (Jessica Stroup), hunting down yet another ideological serial killer. Elsewhere, Mark (Sam Underwood) finds himself questioning the loyalty of some of his compatriots. Isn’t that always the problem with death cults?
Better Call Saul, “Bingo” (10 p.m., AMC): Jimmy (Bob Odenkirk) finds himself at a crossroads when he is offered a chance to go legit. His decision to call in a favor from a strange, touchy acquaintance does not speak well of his state of mind, however. Meanwhile, the aftermath of Mike’s (Jonathan Banks) interrogation begins to settle in. You’d think these guys were out there looking for dirty money.
Tuesday, 3/17
The Flash, “Out of Time” (8 p.m., The CW): The CW’s superhero series returns with Barry (Grant Gustin) facing off against the Weather Wizard (Liam McIntyre), in town to dispose of Detective West (Jesse L. Martin). That being said, our hero seems even more rattled by the prospect of having to go on a double date, even as questions surrounding the Reverse-Flash (Tom Cavanagh) abound. Even for a man with the power to bend space and time, this seems like a busy week.
iZombie, Series Premiere “Pilot” (9:00 p.m., The CW): Veronica Mars mastermind Rob Thomas returns to the TV fold with this comedic procedural following Liv (Rose McIver), a medical-student- turned-zombie who helps out the Seattle police by receiving the memories of victims whose brains she eats. Appetizing! Review forthcoming.
Wednesday, 3/18:
Empire, Season Finale “Die But Once; Who I Am” (8 p.m., Fox): The first season of Lee Daniels and Danny Strong’s unwieldy melodrama comes to a close with this two-hour finale. Following the revelation of Lola’s paternity, Jamal (Jussie Smollett) and Lucious (Terrence Howard) begin to form an unlikely relationship around their music, while Hakeem (Bryshere Y. Gray) considers other possible career options. And then, of course, there’s Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) and her budding relationship with Malcolm (Derek Luke). Expect Daniels and Strong to pull out all the stops, but probably not Oprah.
Arrow, “The Offer” (8 p.m., The CW): Season Three of the series returns with Oliver (Stephen Amell) struggling to come to decision concerning the deal offered by Ra’s al Ghul (Matt Nable). Meanwhile, he faces off against Murmur (Adrian Glynn McMorran), a super villain with a stitched-up mouth. No, no, no, that isn’t his superpower.
Barely Famous (9:30 p.m., VH1): This new mockumentary series comes from sisters Sara and Erin Foster, and seeks to explore desperation and fame in Hollywood. The series also features a high number of celebrity cameos, which only adds to the meta humor. Review.
Man Seeking Woman Season finale, "Scepter" (10:30 p.m., FXX): One of the best comedies in recent memory. The surreal series has already been renewed for a second season consisting of 10 episodes, but in the meantime, if you haven't caught up with what is basically Louie, Jr. on LSD, get to it.
Thursday, 3/19:
Scandal, “It’s Good to Be Kink” (9 p.m., ABC): Finally, Scandal is ready to talk about sex! Washington gets its hand stuck in the honeypot again, and it's up to Olivia (Kerry Washington) to derail a woman’s (Lena Dunham) plans to expose big secrets about the affairs of the rich and powerful in D.C. Hopefully, this will lay the ground for a Girls-Scandal crossover where Olivia must spin Marnie and Desi’s inevitable, post-musical-fame breakup.
The Blacklist, “Tom Keen” (9 p.m., NBC): As Liz (Megan Boone) prepares to get a royal once-over from the legal system, Red (James Spader) and Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) go searching for the elusive Tom Keen (Ryan Eggold), who seemingly holds the key to Liz’s fate in the palm of his hand. Chances of snotty, sarcastic lines from Spader’s criminal king: approximately 968%.
Friday, 3/20:
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, “Kimmy Goes on a Date!” (Netflix, streaming): The third episode of Tina Fey’s sensationally funny series, her proper follow-up to 30 Rock, finds the comedy settling into its groove. Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) indulges a series of confessional lunches with a crazy old man, but the episode is ruled by Tituss Burgess’s Titus, whose rendition of “I’ll Make Love to You” might very well make your television crack in two.
Bloodline, Series Premiere (Netflix, streaming): This dark family drama comes from Damages co-creators Todd A. Kessler, Daniel Zelman, and Glenn Kessler follows the bloody turmoil surrounding the Rayburn dynasty when the black sheep of the family, Danny (Ben Mendelsohn), returns to his ancestral home for a blowout celebration for his father (Sam Shepard). Rumors of the Hatfields and McCoys coming in as season two villains are currently unconfirmed. Review forthcoming.