Going Gaga, Memorial Day Concert, Indianapolis 500, ‘Sympathizer’ Finale

An HBO concert special captures Lady Gaga wowing a sell-out crowd at Dodger Stadium during her 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour. Wicked star Cynthia Erivo and Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston are among the stars in Washington, D.C. for the annual National Memorial Day Concert. Racing fans gather for the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500. The finale of HBO’s acclaimed limited series The Sympathizer reveals the consequences of an ill-advised return to Vietnam.

Gaga Chromatica Ball

Gaga Chromatica Ball

Special

SATURDAY: Taylor Swift gets all the attention these days, but she’s hardly the only one who can sell out a stadium. Lady Gaga pulls out all the stops—costuming, choreography, pyrotechnic spectacle—in a fierce performance before a crowd of 52,000 at Dodger Stadium during her 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour. The concert includes her biggest hits, from “Just Dance” and “Poker Face” to the Oscar-winning “Shallow” from A Star Is Born.

PBS NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT STAGE SHOT

National Memorial Day Concert

Special

SUNDAY: The annual concert, always a moving remembrance of sacrifice and service, marks its 35th anniversary with dramatic readings and stirring music, hosted by Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna. Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston narrates a tribute to the millions of Americans who served during World War II, with members of the Greatest Generation honored on the stage at the U.S. Capitol. Other segments include B.D. Wong presenting a tribute to Gold Star families of fallen heroes, and Jena Malone saluting the veterans who carry physical and psychological wounds from more recent wars. Musical highlights include former Marine Jamey Johnson performing his new song, “21 Guns,” with Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, and fellow Tony winners Ruthie Ann Miles and Patina Miller backed up by the National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jack Everly.

Marcus Ericsson, Indy 500
Justin Casterline/Getty Images

Indy 500

Special

SUNDAY: Another Memorial Day weekend tradition is the running of the annual Indy Car race from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Racing enthusiast and Indiana native David Letterman narrates an opening tease, with Mike Tirico and Danica Patrick returning as host and studio analyst for the sixth consecutive year. Already making headlines: 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who’s attempting a “Double” by racing at Indy and then jetting off to Charlotte, North Carolina, for NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 (airing on Fox, starting at 5:30 pm/ET).

Hoa Xuande as the Captain in 'The Sympathizer' finale
Hopper Stone / HBO

The Sympathizer

Series Finale

SUNDAY: The provocative post-Vietnam War spy dramedy ends where it began: With the nameless Captain (Hoa Xuande) still working on his confession at a Vietnamese reeducation camp. How he ended up there is just one of the revelations in the limited series’ finale, which also reckons with the antihero’s upbringing as a biracial outcast and his current state of being haunted by the many ghosts of those left in the wake of his misadventures as a double agent.

Jacob Anderson as Louis de Pointe du Lac and Delainey Hayles as Claudia in 'Interview With the Vampire' Season 2 Episode 1 - 'What Can the Damned Really Say to the Damned'
Larry Horricks / AMC

Interview With the Vampire

SUNDAY: As Armand (Assad Zaman) recites the bloody history of the Parisian Théâtres des Vampires, both he and Louis (Jacob Anderson) can’t help but recall the passion of Lestat (Sam Reid), whose disruptive spirit helped bring infamy to their macabre company. The coven welcomes eager young Claudia (Delainey Hayles) into their ranks, while remaining suspicious of Louis’ reluctance to join, believing he’s still too in love with humanity.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

  • I Am Steve McQueen (Saturday, 8/7c, The CW): A biographical profile digs beneath the persona of the “king of cool” actor. (One of his best films, 1963’s The Great Escape, airs Sunday at 5:30 pm/4:30c as part of Turner Classic Movies’ Memorial Day war-movie marathon.)
  • Biography: WWE Legends (Sunday, 8/7c, A&E): The biographical docuseries returns with the inspirational story of Eddie Guerrero, WWE’s first Mexican-American champion whose fame was clouded by addiction.
  • Beacon 23 (Sunday, 9/8c, MGM+): The Season 2 finale of the sci-fi drama finds AI assistant Harmony (Natasha Mumba) bent on protecting the intergalactic Beacon lighthouse by any means necessary.
  • The Jinx: Part Two (Sunday, 10/9c, HBO): The sequel to the blockbuster true-crime docuseries ends with Robert Durst sentenced to life and dying in jail a few months later. Subsequent lawsuits against his estate put his friends and family back in the hot seat.