‘Star City’ Finale, Men’s Semifinals at Wimbledon, Belgium vs. Spain at World Cup, Larry Remakes History

Star City

The grim spinoff of the alt-history space drama For All Mankind, set within the Soviet space program in the 1970s, ends on a thrilling yet somber note. (Fact: spy thrillers set in Russia rarely leave one smiling.) The secret Venera mission to Venus, having been thought destroyed, is surprisingly heading back to Earth, but who’s among the human cargo? And should they land safely, the KGB, represented by the fearsome Col. Raskova (an icy Anna Maxwell Martin), won’t exactly be welcoming these rebellious heroes with open arms. When the politics of oppressive paranoia tangles with science, there may not be any winners.

Wimbledon

Unlike in the women’s draw, the top two men’s seeds — No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Alexander Zverev — are still in the running in the Wimbledon semifinals. But if you’re the sort that enjoys rooting for underdogs, these matches are made for you. Sinner takes on the legendary Novak Djokovic, who, at 39, is the sport’s current elder statesman, still recovering from Tuesday’s epic five-hour battle against Félix Auger-Aliassime. Does he still have enough gas in his tank to outlast the reigning champ? But first, Zverev faces the most promising young player in the tournament: 23-year-old wild card Arthur Fery, a local favorite who grew up just down the road from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Fery’s path to the semifinals has been every bit as thrilling as the veteran Djokovic’s remarkable resilience.

World Cup

The dream-crushers are back in action. Belgium, whose team stopped the U.S. Men’s National Team from advancing in Monday’s match marred by controversy and (on the U.S. side) sloppy play, returns to the pitch in Los Angeles. Their adversary: Spain, which took down Portugal earlier this week, effectively ending soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo‘s World Cup career. Whoever wins advances to the first semifinal match on Tuesday in Texas.

Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

Professional curmudgeon Larry David brings his brand of sour grapes to major milestones in American history in the third episode of his sketch comedy. This week’s targets include the Boston Tea Party, to which Larry may or may not have been invited, the first flight of the Wright Brothers, and the McCarthy hearings, where indecency is in the eye of the beholder and the offender. The centerpiece features Larry as the crabby custodian of a stop along the Underground Railroad, which reunites him with one of his favorite Curb Your Enthusiasm sparring partners.

Cape Fear

The streamer that emphasizes quality over quantity did very well at this week’s Emmy nominations, with freshman series Widow’s Bay, Pluribus, and Margo’s Got Money Troubles among the breakthroughs. Apple TV‘s busy Friday slate of originals runs the gamut from thriller to sci-fi to neo-noir.

• Cape Fear: Ex-con Max Cady’s (Javier Bardem) psychological terror campaign against married lawyers Anna (Amy Adams) and Tom (Patrick Wilson) continues to ensnare the Bowdens’ vulnerable offspring. Ron Perlman guest-stars as Max’s abusive father, helping explain why Max is so scary.
• Silo: Memory and truth are precious commodities in the dystopian drama, which reveals the present-day origins of the drugs the leaders of Silo 18 are using to keep Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) in the dark about what she witnessed outside the bunker in Season 2.
• Sugar: Fearless alien PI John Sugar (Colin Farrell) goes head-to-head with the dirty cop (Tony Dalton) who’s out to kill his client’s missing brother Ji (Raymond Lee), and the race is on to get to the hapless young drug addict first.

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• Big Brother Unlocked (8/7c, CBS): Superfan Jerry O’Connell joins the panel alongside former champs Taylor Hale and Derrick Levasseur for the companion series that analyzes action in the house and offers behind-the-scenes footage. The opener also introduces an interactive fan vote that will influence the game throughout Season 28.
• The Listeners (9/8c, Starz): The source of the haunting hum is revealed in the finale of the eerie British series.
• This Is UFC: McGregor vs. Holloway (9/8c, CBS): Combatants Conor McGregor and Max Holloway take part in a live weigh-in special ahead of Saturday’s match.
• Dateline NBC (10/9c, NBC): Blayne Alexander reports a new episode about the investigation into the 2019 disappearance and murder of Kentucky mom Ella Jackson.

ON THE STREAM: