Memorials on ‘This Is Us’ and ‘New Amsterdam,’ Aziz Ansari Gets Laughs, ‘People’ Finale, An ‘Auto’ Reshoot

For many, Jack Pearson (Milo Ventimiglia) is the perfect dad—but he never saw himself as the hero of his own story, especially when it comes to his mother, Marilyn (Laura Niemi), whom he rescued from his abusive dad (Peter Onorati) but grew distant from when he started his own family, vowing always to do better. In an especially emotional episode of the final season, Ventimiglia gets the rare chance to take center stage for an entire hour as he travels to Ohio for his mother’s funeral, dealing with regrets over never fully letting her become part of his new life. Camryn Manheim, soon to be seen in the Law & Order reboot, is Marilyn’s Cousin Debbie, looking askance at the belated arrival of this favorite son. Get your tissues handy.

9/8c

Another funeral—for the beloved Dr. Kapoor (Anupam Kher, who left the series in the third season)—reunites Max (Ryan Eggold) and Helen (Freema Agyeman) with the hospital team they left behind when they moved to London. When Max gets a look at the damage Dr. Veronica Fuentes (Michelle Forbes) has done since his absence, what are the odds he’ll stay on this side of the pond?

Special

The Parks and Recreation star who raised his game with Netflix’s Master of None series returns to the streamer—and to his more modest comedy-club roots—in what’s described as a “surprise gig” at New York’s fabled Comedy Cellar. Filmed in December 2021, which seems a distant memory already, the stand-up special includes riffs on life during a pandemic (quarantines, vaccine cards) among other relatable topics during a set much more intimate than the arena shows for which he has become known.

Season Finale

9/8c

In the Season 1 finale of the sudsy drama, Angela (Yaya DaCosta) and half-sister Leah (Nadine Ellis) investigate what really happened between their shared biological father Teddy (Joe Morton) and Angela’s mother Eve way back in 1984. As usual, a major society event looms—the Illumination Ball—and Angela has to choose between Tyrique (Lance Gross) and Nate (McKinley Freeman).

8:30/7:30c

In one of the most excruciatingly funny episodes to date of the satirical big-business comedy, Katherine (Ana Gasteyer) and her corporate cronies attempt to do damage control by reshooting a commercial to make it more inclusive of the LGBTQ community. The wheels come off fairly quickly in a minefield of tone-deaf wokeness, when communications pro Sadie (Harriet Dyer) begins to fret about the perception that one actor doesn’t seem lesbian enough and another is too light-skinned a Black actor. “What are we, crayons?” scoffs Dori (X Mayo).

9/8c

The laughs also flow freely in this comedy about an inner-city public school, when Janine’s (Quinta Brunson) seemingly incurable optimism is first rattled by an unenthusiastic review, then shaken when a rebellious student from Melissa’s (Lisa Ann Walter) class transfers into Janine’s, causing more disruption than even she can handle. Insecure Jacob (Chris Perfetti) is also out of his depth, turning to sub Gregory (Tyler James Williams) for help about how to talk back to his classroom, which delights in roasting him.

Inside Tuesday TV:

•  Superman & Lois (8/7c, The CW): You know things are getting bad when Lois (Elizabeth Tulloch) has to consult her dad, Ret. Gen. Lane (Dylan Walsh), about her concerns over Clark’s (Tyler Hoechlin) troubling visions, which have sparked conflict with their sons.
• Finding Your Roots (8/7c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): Two very funny and talented actresses—Better Things’ Pamela Adlon and WandaVision’s Kathryn Hahn—look into their family histories, each blemished by scandal.
• black-ish (9:30/8:30c, ABC): Jack (Miles Brown) is really growing up, landing a job as the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker-room attendant. But his parents worry this brush with superstardom will go to his head. They’re probably right.
• Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel (10/9c, HBO): The 28th season of the acclaimed sports newsmagazine kicks off with a hard look at the relationship between the International Olympic Committee and Winter Games host country China, then lightens up with a profile of skating analysts Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski. Jon Frankel reports on the fallout from the legalization of sports wagering, a win-win for everyone except gambling addicts.
• Neymar: The Perfect Chaos (streaming on Netflix): A three-part docuseries profiles controversial Brazilian soccer star Neymar de Silva Santos Júnior.