Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller) Directs ‘Elementary,’ A ‘Saul-Lodge’ Combo
A critical checklist of notable Monday TV:
Elementary (10/9c, CBS): Jonny Lee Miller steps behind the camera to direct an episode of the crime drama that presents a scenario perhaps better suited to The Twilight Zone. Sherlock (Miller) and Watson (Lucy Liu) investigate the murder of a robotics engineer, only to discover that his death could be linked to cutting-edge research in the field of teleportation. (Beam me up, Moriarty!) In a more grounded subplot, Detective Bell (Jon Michael Hill) is surprised to learn just why he’s been shut out of a class he needs to achieve his goal of becoming a U.S. Marshal.
Better Call Saul (9/8c, AMC): Is Jimmy McGill (Bob Odenkirk) overcompensating after the death of his brother Chuck? He seems awfully upbeat as he embarks on a job search, and if you suspect something else is motivating him, you could be on to something. Powerful work in this episode by Rhea Seehorn as Kim, whose showdown with Howard (Patrick Fabian) over Chuck’s will could leave psychic scars; and by Giancarlo Esposita as burgeoning drug kingpin Gus Fring, whose chilling delivery of lines like “I decide what he deserves” reminds us why this Breaking Bad character deserves a place in the pantheon of great TV villains.
Lodge 49 (10/9c, AMC): Stick around after Saul for a change-of-pace dramedy and get absorbed in the quirky world of a secret lodge which has seen better days, as it opens its doors and arms to the sweetly adrift Dud (Wyatt Russell). His sardonic sister Liz (Sonya Cassidy) isn’t as easily swayed, preoccupied with paying off the family’s $81,000 mountain of debt.
Inside Monday TV: Smithsonian Channel’s Sacred Sites (8/7c) launches a second season by exploring ancient religious and symbolic locations across Britain to separate fact and myth in tracing the legend of King Arthur and Camelot… The second season of hit Disney Channel sitcom Andi Mack (8/7c) wraps with Andi (Peyton Elisabeth Lee) and Bex (Lilan Bowden) prepping a special dinner for Bowie (Trent Garrett), but you know what they say about best-laid plans… Binge-watch alert: Comedy Central makes all seven episodes of Ronny Chieng: International Student available for viewing on the Comedy Central app. Loosely based on Chieng’s (Daily Show with Trevor Noah) own experiences, the sitcom stars Chieng as a Malaysian student (barely) studying law in Australia… Journalist Thomas Erdbrink is Our Man in Tehran, a special two-part Frontline documentary (9/8c, check local listings at pbs.org) that concludes Tuesday. Erdbrink has spent 17 years reporting from Iran, currently for The New York Times, and is one of the last remaining Western journalists in the volatile country. He spent the last four years with a Dutch TV crew to document on life within Iranian society, which doesn’t always reflect the harsh rhetoric of its leaders.
