‘Ghosts’ Finale, ‘SVU’-‘OC’ Crossover, Academy of Country Music Awards on Livestream, Election Day on ‘Station 19’

Ownership of the haunted B&B is in question in a busy Ghosts finale. Kelli Giddish returns to the Law & Order franchise during a two-week Special Victims Unit and Organized Crime crossover. For the second year, the Academy of Country Music Awards streams live on Prime Video, with Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks hosting. Seattle’s new mayor is being elected on ABC’s Station 19, but inside the firehouse, several of the lieutenants are jockeying to become the next captain. A curated critical checklist of notable Thursday TV:

Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, and Devan Chandler Long in 'Ghosts'
Bertrand Calmeau/CBS

Ghosts

Season Finale

For two seasons, the ghosts haunting Woodstone Manor have been like family to Sam (Rose McIver) — but in the Season 2 finale, she discovers a “living” relative she never knew existed: perky cousin Kelsey (Mythic Quest’s Jessie Ennis), who drops a bombshell: She, not Sam, may be the true heir to the B&B property. As Sam, Jay (Utkarsh Ambudkar) and the spirits process this alarming twist, there are also ghostly conflicts to resolve, including the damaged friendship of Hetty (Rebecca Wisocky) and Alberta (Danielle Pinnock) and the long-term commitment prospects of Revolutionary War ghost Isaac (Brandon Scott Jones) and redcoat Nigel (John Hartman). Stay around for the final moments, which will have fans buzzing all summer — or however long it will take for a new season to begin.

Mariska Hargitay in 'Law & Order: SVU' - Season 24
Peter Kramer/NBC

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

The franchise welcomes back Kelli Giddish as former detective, now Professor Amanda Rollins as part of a two-week crossover that brings the SVU and Organized Crime squads together to unravel a global revenge-for-hire conspiracy on the dark web. The story begins when Capt. Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) finds DNA evidence that connects to an Organized Crime case, and Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) reaches out to Professor Rollins, who’s expecting again, to work her profiling magic.

Garth Brooks and Dolly Parton - Academy of Country Music Awards
Art Streiber

Academy of Country Music Awards

Billed as “country music’s party of the year,” the ACM Awards go big with legends Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks hosting from the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. For the second year, the music-packed ceremony streams live on Prime Video — with a replay available after the show, also available for streaming Friday at 8 pm/ET on the Amazon Music App and for free on Amazon Freevee. Among the highlights: a climactic performance by Dolly from her eagerly awaited rock album, an appearance by the suddenly ubiquitous Ed Sheeran, and a collaboration of reigning Female Artist of the Year Carly Pearce with Trisha Yearwood on a medley celebrating Yearwood’s 25th-anniversary win of the Female Artist award. Other headliners include Jason Aldean, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Jelly Roll, Cole Swindell, Keith Urban, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson.

Boris Kodjoe, Carlos Miranda, and Jaina Lee Ortiz in 'Station 19'
ABC/Bonnie Osborne

Station 19

Travis (Jay Hayden) may have bowed out of the mayoral race, but Election Day still matters to the first responders. Although the contest most viewers will care about involves who’ll be named the next captain, and interim leader Theo (Carlos Miranda) faces stiff competition when Andy (Jaina Lee Ortiz) and Sullivan (Boris Kodjoe) throw their hats into the ring.

Inside Thursday TV:

  • Walker (8/7c, The CW): One of the few scripted CW shows to be renewed for another season since the network was sold, the contemporary Western reboot wraps Season 3 with the Walker family gathering to celebrate a big event. Nothing could possibly ruin their fun, right?
  • Young Sheldon (8/7c, CBS): Meemaw (Annie Potts) faces a setback when her gambling den gets robbed. And Sheldon (Iain Armitage) decides to broaden his horizons when he declares he wants to study abroad.
  • Next Level Chef (8/7c, Fox): The two-hour season finale finds the remaining chefs taking on one last mystery-box challenge, then racing to complete dishes on each of the three levels in under 90 minutes. The winner gets $250,000, a mentorship and eternal bragging rights.
  • 100 Days to Indy (9/8c, The CW): Legendary late-night host David Letterman raves about his passion for Indy Car racing while introducing his struggling RLL team, led by Bobby Rahal and his son, driver Graham Rahal. And four-time winner Helio Castroneves of Meyer Shank Racing teases “the Drive for Five” as he aims for a record-breaking fifth Indy 500 title.

On the Stream:

  • The Other Two (streaming on HBO Max): When Brooke (Heléne Yorke) declares she’s quitting show business, she suddenly becomes invisible — literally — to anyone still in the loop, as she hilariously discovers when she crashes an industry party. Brother Cary (Drew Tarver) has his own trouble getting noticed while self-taping auditions, ending up in an online waiting room with his nemesis, Dylan O’Brien.
  • Beavis and Butt-Head (streaming on Paramount+): Older but no wiser, the middle-aged versions of the dumb-and-dumber duo head to the courthouse to pay a parking ticket and end up married.
  • The Congregation (streaming on Viaplay): As seen in the HBO documentary Pray, Obey, Kill, this fact-based Swedish crime drama tells over six episodes the story of a naïve nanny (Alba August) who becomes swept up in a small town’s religious cult, leading to murder.
  • Slasher: Ripper (streaming on Shudder): In the serial-killer thriller’s two-part season finale, Detective Kenneth Rijkers (Gabriel Darku) reveals the Widow’s identity, but can justice be served?
  • Titans (streaming on HBO Max): The series finale stages the final battle between the Titans and Sebastian/Brother Blood (Joseph Morgan).