Vexed coach looks to game in ‘Lights’
Tonight’s must-see
“Friday Night Lights,” 9 p.m., NBC.
Last week brought incendiary moments that defined Dillon High’s coach, Eric Taylor.
He exploded at the Laribee High coach, who had manhandled a Dillon player. And he banished Tim Riggins, through a misunderstanding.
This is classic Taylor – alternately heroic and lunk-headed, always quietly passionate.
Tonight, he’s still seething at Riggins. He also prepares for a bitter game with Laribee, which has been sharing Dillon facilities since a tornado. Meanwhile, Smash keeps being distracted by college recruiters.
There are some false touches – a game in which hardly anyone gets tackled, then some contrived sentiment. But there are also the powerfully understated scenes that make “Lights” one of TV’s best dramas.
Tonight’s might-see
“Monk” returns, 9 p.m., USA.
Adrian Monk keeps getting put in odd settings.
That’s clear tonight. To probe its leader (played by Howie Mandel), he enters a cult.
Other choices include
“Ghost Whisperer,” “Moonlight,” and “Numb3rs,” 8, 9 and 10 p.m., CBS. These three hours were scheduled for last week, then replaced by reruns. In the first, Melinda worries about a haunted high school. In the second, Josh is kidnapped; in the third, a reporter is missing and Charlie is intimidated.
“1 vs. 100,” 8 p.m., NBC. Tonight’s 100-person “mob” answering questions has several who have been there often, including Ross Mathews (of “Tonight”) and Oscar the Grouch.
“Grey’s Anatomy” (8 p.m.) and “Cashmere Mafia” (9:02 p.m.), ABC. Here are quick reruns of hours that debuted earlier this week. In “Grey’s,” Bailey’s marriage is crumbling, just as a family member is being treated; in the “Mafia” episode, characters are given the warmth that was missing from the pilot film.
“Bones,” 8 p.m., Fox. In a rerun, a relatively new body has been found in an old church cemetery. Soon, Booth feels that Brennan disrespects his religion. They try his therapist.
“House,” 9 p.m., Fox. As this rerun begins, House and Chase prepare for a hearing about a possible wrongful death. Stacy (Sela Ward) hears contradictory accounts.
“Las Vegas,” 10 p.m., NBC. A fugitive has been spotted in the casino. This isn’t necessarily good for business; now the place has lots of bounty hunters and mobsters, all with guns.
“Psych” return, 10 p.m., USA. This light drama tends to make a good companion for “Monk.” Tonight, we learn that Gus married someone during a drunken spree. She’s willing to get an annulment, but first she wants Shawn to help find her real fiance.