‘Better Call Saul’ Returns, ‘Lodge 49,’ ‘Bachelorette’ Makes Her Pick
A critical checklist of notable Monday TV:
Better Call Saul (9/8c, AMC): The excellent Breaking Bad prequel remains something of a slow burn in its depiction of underdog lawyer Jimmy McGill’s (Bob Odenkirk) gradual evolution into the smarmy Saul Goodman shyster we grew to love to hate on Bad. The subtle smolder is evident even in the wake of last season’s tragic conflagration that took the life of Jimmy’s brother, Chuck (Michael McKean). As Jimmy and Chuck’s former colleagues Kim (Rhea Seehorn) and Howard (Patrick Fabian) grapple with their loss, Mike (Jonathan Banks) makes his presence known at Madrigal and Gus (Giancarlo Esposito) predicts war and chaos following Hector’s (Mark Margolis) incapacitating stroke.
Lodge 49 (10/9c, AMC): Also taking its sweet time, this oddball dramedy is an endearingly quirky surprise. The series premiere follows affable beach bum Sean “Dud” Dudley (a laid-back Wyatt Russell) as he discovers the Long Beach chapter of the “ancient and benevolent order” of the Lynx. It’s a haven for colorful charlatans, giving Dud renewed hope and purpose after losing his father, family business and home.
The Bachelorette (8/7c, ABC): Most likely, the night’s top-rated show will be a three-hour wallow in made-for-TV romance, as Becca makes her choice between Blake and Garrett in a live season finale, but not before introducing the guys to her family and taking them to the Maldives.
Inside Monday TV: Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance (8/7c) moves to the live shows, with the Top 10 performing before the judges’ panel, which now includes Stephen “tWitch” Boss joining Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Vanessa Hudgens… The two-hour Investigation Discovery documentary Sugar Town (8/7c) dissects the tensions in a racially divided Louisiana town following the 2014 shooting death of 22-year-old Victor White III in the rear seat of a patrol car. Police accounts reported that he shot himself, despite the fact that he was handcuffed behind his back. The special follows White’s family’s crusade for justice… The precinct is on lockdown on CBS’s Elementary (10/9c) after a bio-terrorism attack, with Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) coming to the rescue of a trapped Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill).
