Spooky Doings on ‘Brilliant Minds,’ Henry Kissinger’s Legacy, ‘Voice’ Knockouts, Hallmark’s Search for ‘Mr. Christmas’

Brilliant Minds

After a grieving mother put a curse on Dr. Rhodes (Teddy Sears) last week, everyone’s on edge at Bronx General — especially on Halloween. A clever holiday-themed episode forces several of the docs and residents to face their fears, including Dr. Pierce’s (Tamberla Perry) aversion to clowns and Ericka’s (Ashleigh LaThrop) PTSD regarding elevators, while Dr. Wolf (Zachary Quinto) confronts his haunting visions of a patient from his own days as a resident. Succession and Nobody Wants This star Arian Moayed guests as a patient who appears to have conquered death, although his extreme efforts to prolong life may be masking other symptoms.

American Experience

A two-part American Experience documentary (concluding Tuesday) examines the history and legacy of the polarizing Washington powerbroker and powerful diplomat Henry Kissinger. The biographical portrait depicts his rise as a refugee from Nazi Germany who hunted Nazis as a U.S. Intelligence officer to his prominence as a Harvard-educated expert in nuclear weapons policy who became President Nixon’s National Security Adviser while the Cold War and the controversial Vietnam War raged. Kissinger’s “shuttle diplomacy” in the Middle East after 1973’s Yom Kippur War secured his celebrity, but his policies remain a source of debate long after his death at 100 in 2023.

The Voice

The singing competition shifts gears as the Battle Rounds end and the Knockouts begin, with Zac Brown of Zac Brown Band serving as mega mentor for Michael Bublé and Snoop Dogg‘s teams, while Joe Walsh provides similar support for Reba McEntire and Niall Horan‘s teams. With eight contestants left on each team, the stakes are high as the coaches determine a winner from each round to advance to the Playoffs. New this season: a “Mic Drop,” which each coach can reward to one artist from their team. Viewers will get to vote on which of the four is the “Mic Drop” winner, who’ll get to perform during the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.

Finding Mr. Christmas

Even while Hallmark’s “Countdown to Christmas” continues delivering weekly holiday movies, the search goes on for new hunks to warm viewers’ hearts. A second season of the good-natured reality competition gathers 10 male camera-ready ho-ho-hopefuls, participating in Christmas-themed challenges to prove who’s got what it takes to lead a Hallmark movie of their own later this year. Jonathan Bennett returns as host, with Happy’s Place star Melissa Peterman serving as lead judge. Followed by the series premiere of Baked with Love: Holiday (9/8c), hosted by Tamera Mowry-Housley. The competition introduces 10 home bakers who train their skills on family recipes, with the ultimate champ winning $50,000 and the chance to have one of their bakes take center stage in a Hallmark holiday film.

DMV

Colette (Harriet Dyer) is just the sort of pushover you’d hope to get when taking a driving test at the DMV. Her co-workers have nicknamed her “Easy Pass” because she so rarely fails anyone. In a cute episode of the new workplace comedy, Colette’s resolve to toughen up is tested when her office crush, Noa (Alex Tarrant), is her next client, and he turns out to be a menace behind the wheel.

INSIDE MONDAY TV:

• World Series (7 pm/ET, Fox): The action shifts to Dodger Stadium as the Dodgers host the Toronto Blue Jays for the third game of the Fall Classic.
• TV We Love (8/7c, The CW): Relive the good times sailing aboard The Love Boat with a flotilla of guest stars.
• The Neighborhood (8/7c, CBS): Things get awkward during Marty (Marcel Spears) and Courtney’s (Skye Townsend) continuing search for a nanny.
• Monday Night Football (8:15 pm/ET, ABC and ESPN): The Washington Commanders take on the Kansas City Chiefs.
• FBI (9/8c, CBS): Agent Scola (John Boyd) gets a new partner, Eva Ramos (Juliana Aidén Martinez), and their investigation into a beating death on federal land takes a turn after it intersects with a DEA operation. Followed by Watson (10/9c), where Watson (Morris Chestnut) and his team work with his love interest, pediatric oncologist Laila (Tika Sumpter), on the case of a 30-year-old woman who looks like she’s 10.
• Dark Winds (streaming on Netflix): The acclaimed mystery series, whose fourth season will premiere on AMC in February, brings its intense third season to the streaming giant.