‘Bridgerton’s Cinderella Story, Klingon Crisis on ‘Starfleet Academy,’ Addison Visits ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

Bridgerton

Dearest Gentle Reader, substitute a wayward glove for a glass slipper, and Bridgerton‘s enchanting fourth season might as well be Cinderella reborn. The mysterious “Lady in Silver” who captures the eye of rakish “second son” Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) at a masquerade ball is actually a servant girl, the spirited and well-read Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha), who toils under the rule of a wicked stepmother. Sophie’s one night of clandestine escape inspires the smitten Benedict to go on a search for the glittery Jane Doe, and when circumstances land them under the same roof, will he be able to look beyond the class differences to recognize Sophie for who she truly is? Elsewhere in the Regency household, matriarch Violet (Ruth Gemmell) explores her attraction to Lord Marcus (Daniel Francis), while daughter Francesca (Hannah Dodd) wonders why she hasn’t experienced the “pinnacle” with her loving husband John (Victor Alli). Launches with four episodes, with the remaining four dropping on February 26. Can’t wait. 

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Who ever heard of a shy Klingon who’d rather do anything but fight? But there you have one of Starfleet’s more fascinating recruits: Jay-Den Kraag (Karim Diané), whose troubled family backstory takes center stage in a compelling episode that finds the entire Klingon race on the brink of extinction. While Kraag explores his past to come to terms with his future, Captain/Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter) schemes to find a way to give aid to endangered Klingon refugees without wounding their pride. 

Grey’s Anatomy

A familiar face finds her way back to Grey Sloan when Addison Montgomery (Kate Walsh, Private Practice) visits Seattle for the first time since 2023, looking for help in treating a patient with a neurological disorder. Outside the hospital, things get tense in an ambulance rig when Bailey (Chandra Wilson) joins Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Blue (Harry Shum Jr.) on a paramedic ride-along. 

The Pitt

The 4th of July is no picnic for the hard-working staff of Pittsburgh’s Trauma Medical Center as the long day enters the 10 am hour. Santos (Isa Briones) is already falling behind on her charting, to the dismay of AI advocate Dr. Al-Hashimi (Sepideh Moafi), while know-it-all med student Ogilvie (Lucas Iverson) is about to learn how much he doesn’t know about treating dangerous traumas. “Next time leave the decisions to the adults,” barks trauma surgeon Garcia (Alexandra Metz), on whose bad side you do not want to be. And charge nurse Dana (Emmy winner Katherine LaNasa) has taken notice of the cold shoulder Dr. Robby (Emmy winner Noah Wyle) has been giving to prodigal resident Langdon (Patrick Ball).

Next Level Chef

The multi-tiered cooking competition returns for a third season, with three groups of chefs (from Pro, Social-Media, and Home backgrounds) competing in the audition rounds for a spot going forward. The pro chefs are first up, scrambling through the elaborate kitchen set to impress judges Gordon Ramsay, Richard Blais, and Nyesha Arrington.

INSIDE THURSDAY TV: 

• 9-1-1 (8/7c, ABC): Harry (Elijah M. Cooper) begins life as a probie at the 118, and his first day on the job is a trial by fire. Followed by a new episode of 9-1-1: Nashville (9/8c).
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (9/8c, NBC): ADAs Carisi (Peter Scanavino) and CJ (Norma Kuhling) put the foster care system on trial for separating families needlessly after a teen approaches Benson (Mariska Hargitay) to be reunited with her day. On Law & Order (8/7c), junior detective Walker’s (David Ajala) methods come under scrutiny. 
• Out of Bounds (9/8c, VICE TV): The docuseries addresses “The Sports Betting Boom,” interviewing pro gamblers, gambling addicts, therapists, lawyers, and sports journalists to explore how unfettered gambling and prediction markets have changed how people watch sports. Have you placed your Super Bowl bets yet?
• Animal Control (9/8c, Fox): Frank (Joel McHale) and Shred (Michael Rowland) go on a rescue mission to retrieve Frank’s rescue dog after Roman Park (Ken Jeong) takes the pooch. Followed by Going Dutch (9:30/8:30c), where the base fights back when Major General Davidson (Joe Morton) holds up supplies for their celebration of America’s 250th birthday. 
• The Hunting Party (10/9c, NBC): Bex (Melissa Roxburgh) goes undercover, pretending to be a former inmate, to trap a dangerously delusional escapee known as “The Masseuse” (Dynasty‘s Elizabeth Gillies). 
• Scenes After a Marriage (streaming on Viaplay): A short-form Swedish drama, told in eight episodes of 18 minutes each, depicts the emotionally fraught encounters at a roadside restaurant between a newly separated couple assessing their relationship each time they meet.