Worth Watching: A ‘Unicorn’ Sleepover, Fallout on ‘The Stand,’ ‘Rehab Addict Rescue’
A selective critical checklist of notable Thursday TV:
The Unicorn (9:30/8:30c, CBS): The only new episode on CBS’s comedy lineup comes from one of its best: the ongoing travails of widower Wade (Walton Goggins) as he moves forward in life, lately in the company of the quirky but fabulous Shannon (Natalie Zea). A week ago, he introduced her to his ultra-close circle of friends at a dinner party that went sideways, and now it’s time to cross the threshold at home and consider having her spend the night under the same roof as his daughters. Thankfully, these girls are played by two of TV’s most natural young actors: Ruby Jay as Grace and Makenzie Moss as Natalie, whose rapport with Goggins is unfailingly warm, funny and real. Which could help smooth what promises to be a very awkward conversation.
The Stand (streaming on CBS All Access): The Free Zoners of Boulder are reeling after the devastating explosion from last week’s cliffhanger, which serves as a wakeup call for a chastened and ailing Mother Abagail (Whoopi Goldberg) to send her most trusted survivors off on a treacherous journey. On foot? Like this series doesn’t drag enough already? At least the villainous bombers, Harold (Owen Teague) and Nadine (Amber Heard), are on motorcycles, speeding to meet the “Dark Man” in New Vegas, though Randall Flagg (Alexander Skarsgård) has very different fates in store for his puppets. Stephen King’s son Owen King wrote the episode.
Rehab Addict Rescue (9/8c, HGTV): Quoting my colleagues in TV Guide Magazine: “SOS means Save Our Structures” as Rehab Addict‘s Nicole Curtis comes to the aid of overwhelmed homeowners who could use her help in restoring the stately but crumbling homes they’ve bought. First up is a couple who purchased an old 8,000-square-foot mansion but only have a few thousand dollars left over to fix it up.
COVID-19 Vaccine and the Black Community: A Tyler Perry Special (9/8c, BET): At a time when access to and availability of the COVID-19 vaccine is leading the news, BET’s favorite mogul Tyler Perry produces and hosts a half-hour special to address viewers’ concerns and fears. His medical expert guests include Carlos del Rio and Kimberly Dyan Manning of Emery School of Medicine at Grady Health System.
Inside Thursday TV: The CW’s Walker (8/7c), aka Jared Padalecki as Cordell Walker, learns he needs to be recertified to be a Ranger again. Piece of cake, right?… They started off as adversaries, but Arvi (Holly Hunter) helps train Mayor Neil (Ted Danson) on NBC’s Mr. Mayor (8/7c) as he prepares one of his trickiest tasks since taking office. … Constance Zimmer, Maria Menounos and Yvette Nicole Brown spin for charity on ABC’s Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (8/7c)… Pity the contestants on ABC’s The Chase (9/8c), because the pitiless James Holzhauer is sitting in “The Chaser’s” seat again… Streaming highlights include HBO Max’s Possessions, a French-Hebrew thriller about a French expatriate who’s charged with her husband’s murder in Israel on their wedding night… Also on HBO Max: the fourth-season finale of Search Party and three new episodes of Selena + Chef, featuring Marcus Samuelsson, Kelis Rogers and Jordan Andino… The horror-themed Shudder presents The Queen of Black Magic, a reimagining by director Kimo Stamboel of a 1981 cult horror film from Indonesia about dark supernatural doings at a spooky orphanage.
