Worth Watching: ‘Saul’ and ‘Walking Dead’ Return, ‘Sanditon’ Finale, ‘Supergirl’ Hits 100
A selective critical checklist of notable weekend TV:
Better Call Saul (Sunday, 10/9c, AMC): Business is booming for the newly christened huckster lawyer Saul Goodman – formerly known as Jimmy McGill — played to the smarmy hilt by Bob Odenkirk in the Breaking Bad prequel’s electrifying fifth, and next to last, season. Shedding Jimmy’s sheepish demeanor for a flashy wardrobe, Saul has a new slogan as well: “Speedy Justice for You.” There’s no question that the show has picked up the pace as well. (The two-part premiere continues Monday in its regular 9/8c time period.)
The Walking Dead (Sunday, 9/8c, AMC): Another fine mess our heroes have got themselves into, as the 10th season resumes with the good guys (including Carol and Daryl) trapped by the loathsome Whisperers on a ledge in a cave filled with zombies awaiting them below. Can they get out without casualties? That’s always the question, and this classic action nail-biter is further complicated by Whisperers leader Alpha’s (Samantha Morton) wrath when she realizes there’s a mole in her camp. Thanks, Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), for planting that bug in her corrupted ear.
Sanditon (Sunday, 9/8c, PBS, check local listings at pbs.org): The delightful Masterpiece adaptation of Jane Austen’s unfinished novel reaches its conclusion — for now (a second season is not confirmed) — with Poldark-like melodramatic flourishes, including a fateful disaster on the night of the Midsummer Ball, when everything changes for the star-crossed Charlotte (Rose Williams) and Sidney (Theo James). There’s also a wedding, but maybe not the one you’d expect.
Supergirl (Sunday, 9/8c, The CW): Milestone alert, as the superhero series marks its 100th episode with a Very Special Twist. Kara (Melissa Benoist) gets a chance to see how things could have played out differently if only she’d told Lena (Katie McGrath) her secret before Lex did. How is this possible? It’s a gambit suggested by Mxyzptlk (Thomas Lennon), who offers her the opportunity to go back in time and relive pivotal moments of the series to maybe change history. Expect to see some very familiar faces along the way.
The Rookie (Sunday, 10/9c, ABC): Off the air since early December, the police drama returns to resolve the cliffhanger that left Officer Chen (Melissa O’Neil) in peril after being kidnapped, and the squad is desperate enough to enlist serial-killer Rosalind (Annie Wersching) for help. Another life is in the balance when Lopez (Alyssa Diaz) discovers Wesley (Shawn Ashmore) OD’d on alcohol and pills.
For Nature Lovers: Exotic treats include National Geographic Channel’s two-hour The Hidden Kingdoms of China (Saturday, 9/8c), narrated by Michelle Yeoh, reminds us there’s more to the vast country than coronavirus. The special travels to the mountains, jungles and forests of China to reveal wildlife including the giant panda, Tibetan fox and snow leopard… BBC America’s Seven Worlds, One Planet (Saturday, 9/8c) continues with a trek to frigid Antarctica, with penguin chicks trying to escape predators, and camera crews capturing the largest whale aggregation ever filmed.
A Hallmark Two-Fer: The seventh season of Hallmark’s popular period drama When Calls the Heart returns (Sunday, 8/7c) with Lucas (Chris McNally) giving Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) writing advice that leads her to seek new inspiration. Episodes will be followed by the cable premiere of the first season of spinoff When Hope Calls (9/8c), previously exclusive to the Hallmark Movies Now streaming service, starring Morgan Kohan and Jocelyn Hudon as sisters who open an orphanage in the Western town of Brookfield in 1916.
Inside Weekend TV: With Saturday Night Live taking the week off, you can get your laughs with HBO’s comedy special Whitmer Thomas: The Golden One (Saturday, 10/9c), in which the comic actor and Alabama native regales a sold-out house at the Flora-Bama Lounge with personal anecdotes and original songs… Anderson Cooper interview front-running Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders for CBS’s 60 Minutes (Sunday, 7/6c). IN another segment, Sharyn Alfonsi profiles 18-year-old blind jazz piano prodigy Matthew Whitaker… National Geographic Channel goes Back to the Titanic (Sunday, 9/8c) in a special depicting the first manned dives to the downed ocean liner in nearly 15 years. A crew captures the first-ever 4K footage to analyze the ship’s rate of decay… MeTV’s Collector’s Call (Sunday, 9:30/8:30c) explores the memorabilia collection of Olympic skating champion Scott Hamilton, which includes vintage pinball machines, autographed guitars (many bought to benefit charities) and mementos from his celebrated figure-skating career.
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