‘Dogs’ Pays Respects, A Reporter Gets ‘Restless,’ Jerrod Carmichael’s ‘Count

A moving episode of FX/Hulu’s Reservation Dogs brings the village together in a vigil for one of their own. Natalie Morales of The Talk moonlights as a reporter in a new recurring role on The Young and the Restless. Jerrod Carmichael makes his directing debut in the tragicomic film On the Count of Three. Martin Short cuts up as the celebrity guest on Password.

FX

Lauded for its authenticity, Reservation Dogs finds quiet humor amid sadness in a remarkable episode that feels as real as life. The occasion: the impending death of Elora’s (Devery Jacobs) grandmother, Mabel (Geraldine Kearns), which brings the reservation community, and family members who’ve left the fold, together to sit vigil. (And yes, they even make a plate for that ever-present Spirit.) As one of Mabel’s family observes, “She’s going the right way,” surrounded by love and respect. And even a whimsical joke or two from the great beyond.

Photo courtesy of Natalie Morales.

The Talk’s Natalie Morales (formerly of Today) puts her news background to a different use, moonlighting on the daytime soap as investigative reporter Talia Morgan, sniffing out stories in Genoa City. And she’s got a pretty juicy one when Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters) returns to town after faking her own death.

Albert Camicioli

Jerrod Carmichael, Emmy-nominated for writing his revealing Rothaniel special, makes his directorial debut and stars in a tragicomedy whose subject matter of suicide is so sensitive, even the trailer comes with a viewer advisory. Carmichael co-stars with Christopher Abbott (Girls) as very troubled buddies Val and Kevin, who’ve made a joint suicide pact and decide to make the most of their last day, which includes encounters with Val’s ex (Tiffany Haddish) and Kevin’s former therapist (Henry Winkler).

MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images

Currently stealing scenes with abandon on Only Murders in the Building, Martin Short milks it like the master comedian he is when he guests on the rebooted game show opposite Jimmy Fallon, prompting a standing ovation after each right answer. “Can you believe I did that?” he blurts after one win, his mock ego out of control. The players in the first game have Password cred, both having appeared in earlier versions (one teamed with the great Betty White, as we see in a clip). It’s always nice to see a classic show honor its past.

Syfy

Harry (Alan Tudyk), the alien in human disguise, has a neat trick for deflecting uncomfortably deep thoughts. “When I feel bad feelings, I think about Season 5 of Law & Order.” (That’s the year Sam Waterston came aboard as Jack McCoy.) His confidante Asta (Sara Tomko) is understandably upset when she realizes Harry wiped her memory of a dark incident, but she sees through his attempts to avoid confronting his own mortality. This life lesson takes a back seat to the current crisis facing the town of Patience: namely, the rampage of the newly hatched Alien Baby, who finds an unusual host in which to hide.

Inside Wednesday TV:

• Homicide Hunter: Never Give Up (9/8c, Investigation Discovery, streaming on discovery+): In the first of three two-hour Homicide Hunter specials, Lt. Joe Kenda looks back at a case that took more than 30 years to solve, until meticulously preserved DNA evidence helps reveal the killer of active-duty soldier Darlene Krashoc, found dead behind a Colorado restaurant in 1987.
• Good Grief (midnight/11c and 12:30 am/11:30c, IFC): A double dose of this clever Kiwi comedy opens Season 2 with vision-boarder Ellie (Eve Palmer) determined to rebrand the funeral home and her love life, while hot-mess sister Gwen (Grace Palmer) returns from Bali to stir up more amusing family drama.
• High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (streaming on Disney+): Corbin Bleu of the original HSM franchise returns with a documentary crew, just in time for the campers’ first read-through of Frozen.
• Look Both Ways (streaming on Netflix): Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart stars in a Sliding Doors-like romantic drama in which one version of Natalie becomes pregnant on the cusp of college graduation and stays in Austin, while the other Natalie isn’t expecting and heads to Los Angeles to pursue her dream career.

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