‘La Brea’ Finale, Remembering George Michael, More DC Crossovers on ‘Flash,’ HBO’s ‘Life of Crime’
Where did November go? As we rush headlong into the holiday season, an eclectic night of TV includes the season finale of NBC’s sci-fi hit La Brea, an installment of ABC’s Superstar profiling the late George Michael, the latest chapter of The Flash’s “Armageddon” arc and the conclusion of HBO’s Life of Crime documentary trilogy that began in the 1980s.
La Brea
Season Finale
We joke because the preposterousness of this cheesy sci-fi hit is more amusing the more seriously everyone behaves, reminding me of a childhood glued to similarly silly series like Land of the Giants. Expect more wild twists and some tough decisions as the sinkhole crew Down Under races to get to the latest portal so little Isiah (Diesel La Torraca) can get topside circa 1988, where he’ll someday become the adult Gavin (Eoin Macken) and start a family with Eve (Natalie Zea). Got that?
Superstar
Documentary Premiere
A new edition of the celebrity documentary series looks at the life and career of George Michael, who graduated from teenage pop idol as half of Wham! to the top of the charts as a solo artist. His troubled personal life, including arrests for public lewdness and drug possession, made as many headlines as his musical triumphs. Among those interviewed for the special: Paula Abdul, his choreographer on the ”Faith World Tour,” and Sam Smith, who speaks of the influence Michael had on his own music.
The Flash
Apparently all in the Arrowverse are welcome as the “Armageddon” arc reaches its midpoint. Among those stopping by to help The Flash (Grant Gustin) and wife Iris (Candice Patton) in their crusade against the nefarious Despero (Tony Curran): Batwoman’s Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie), Black Lightning (Cress Williams), Supergirl’s Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) and a return appearance by Ryan Choi (Osric Chau).
Life of Crime 1984-2020
Documentary Premiere
The final chapter of a documentary trilogy, covering 36 years in the tumultuous lives of three Newark, N.J. friends trapped in a spiral of addiction and crime, catches up with Rob, Deliris and Freddy. The two-hour film also features footage from producer/director Jon Alpert’s previous entries (1989’s One Year in a Life of Crime and 1998’s Life of Crime 2).
Inside Tuesday TV:
- The Summit of the Gods (streaming on Netflix): An acclaimed animated film based on the manga series follows a Japanese photojournalist on a treacherous trek up Mount Everest after discovering a camera that could shed light on who first scaled the epic peak.
- Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas (streaming on Netflix): In his second Netflix stand-up special, the comic reflects on life as a Palestinian refugee growing up in Houston, the spread of Arab culture in the West and pandemic politics.
- A Chestnut Family Christmas (9/8c, OWN): Need your daily Christmas-movie fix? Sample this farce about a live-in chef (Meagan Holder) who poses as her wealthy homeowner client to impress her visiting family. Or you could head to Lifetime for Saying Yes to Christmas (8/7c), where a career woman (Erika Provost) visiting her hometown is under a magic compulsion to say yes to every holiday invitation, reuniting with an old flame along the way.
