Sam Waterston’s ‘Law & Order’ Exit, Live-Action ‘Avatar,’ ‘Halo’ Battleground, Mind Games on ‘Ghosts’

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It’s the end of another TV era when Sam Waterston steps down from his career-defining role as District Attorney Jack McCoy on the long-running legal drama, ending a run that encompasses more than 400 episodes across the franchise. He joined the show in its fifth season in 1994 and returned when Law & Order was brought back from its 2010 cancellation for new episodes in 2022, initially with a one-year deal. For his swan song, titled “Last Dance,” McCoy faces extreme political pressure in a Central Park murder case where the suspects include a street vendor and a tech billionaire. We trust Jack will leave with his principles intact, leaving behind very big shoes for Tony Goldwyn (Scandal) to fill.

Series Premiere

The popular animated adventure from Nickelodeon becomes a lavish live-action fantasy, with eight episodes introducing us to young Aang (Gordon Cormier), the last Air Nomad of his kind who’s also the last hope to save the world from the warlike tactics of the Fire Nation. But first, he’ll need to master the Avatar State, restoring balance among the elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim co-stars as his nemesis, Fire Lord Ozai.

In a pivotal episode of the action series based on the video game franchise, Master Chief John-117 (Pablo Schreiber) leads his fellow Spartans in what appears to be a fruitless battle to save the stronghold of Reach from an invading army of Covenant monsters. Likened to the historic battle of Thermopylae, this last stand is a harrowing hour of combat carnage, and as Admiral Keyes rallies his troops, he declares, “I do not see surrender.” Likewise, John insists, “I’m where I’m supposed to be,” though they’re all aware the casualties are likely to be fearsome.

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The mourning is (for now) over, so let the laughter resume in this terrific supernatural comedy. With Flower (Sheila Carrasco) no longer among the unliving, the remaining spirits begin to think that maybe getting close to Thorfinn (Devan Chandler Long) will be their “ticket to Heaven.” While they scheme to escape their ectoplasmic prison, another of the ghosts reveals a special power that involves entering the livings’ dreams, with manipulative purposes. Is this any way to treat one’s hosts?

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A humbled Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage)? Now we’ve seen everything, as the adolescent boy genius learns that he’s not the smartest guy in the room during his studies at Heidelberg University. “This is no time for a teachable moment. Your child is hurting,” he whines to his mom, Mary (Zoe Perry), who can’t help but be amused when he’s subjected to some knuckle-cracking instruction by a younger female tutor. Back home, Georgie (Montana Jordan) fears running afoul of the Dixie Mafia when Meemaw (Annie Potts) expands her gambling parlor with a lucrative roulette wheel.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV:

• Southern Hospitality (8/7c, Bravo): The reality show’s cast gathers with Andy Cohen for their first TV reunion, followed by the Season 8 premiere of Summer House (9/8c).
• Tall Tales of Jim Bridger (8/7c, INSP): The mountain man (Rib Hillis) recounts the time he came to the aid of an abused Shoshone woman, only to realize he’s in the presence of Sacajawea.
• Son of a Critch (9/8c, The CW): Excitement over the annual Bonfire Night is dampened when Fox (Sophia Powers) gets caught up in her brother’s illegal doings.
• Genius: MLK/X (9/8, National Geographic): In the docudrama’s final two chapters, Martin Luther King Jr. (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and Malcolm X (Aaron Pierre) cross paths during the passage of the Civil Rights Act before meeting their tragic ends.

ON THE STREAM:

• Rory Scovel: Religion, Sex and a Few Things in Between (streaming on Max): The comedian and actor (Physical) performs stand-up before a Minneapolis audience, riffing on the title topics and so much more.
• All of Us Strangers (streaming on Hulu): The BAFTA-nominated erotic quasi-ghost story starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal makes its streaming debut.
• Kemba (streaming on BET+): Nesta Cooper is Kemba Smith in the fact-based drama about a sheltered college student whose relationship with a drug dealer (Siddiq Saunderson) lands her in prison, setting off a legal battle that will lead to her becoming an advocate for criminal justice reform.
• Death in the Dorms (streaming on Hulu): A second season of the true-crime series revisits tragedies on the campuses of Jackson State, Louisiana State, the University of Miami, Temple, Binghamton and College of Charleston.