Tom Brady Gets Roasted, ‘Sympathizer’s Movie Adventure, ‘Parish’ Finale, ‘MaryLand’ on ‘Masterpiece’

The Roast of Tom Brady

SUNDAY: When does a GOAT become a goat? Put another way, nothing besmirches a legend more than agreeing to be roasted by some of the best in the biz. After winning seven of his 10 Super Bowl appearances, NFL superstar Tom Brady faces his most formidable squad of hecklers in a roast livestreamed from L.A.’s Kia Forum as part of the Netflix Is a Joke Fest. Kevin Hart hosts, with roastmaster Jeff Ross also on hand. Reportedly on the panel are his longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick and former teammates Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Randy Moss and Drew Bledsoe. This has the makings of a comedy touchdown. (On Saturday, Netflix livestreams comedian Katt Williams’ third special for the streamer at 10/9c, 7 pm/PT.)

The Sympathizer

SUNDAY: A standout episode from the post-Vietnam War spy dramedy blurs reality and artifice when the double-agent Captain (Hoa Xuande) is hired by a mercurial director (Robert Downey Jr. in the showiest of his four recurring roles) to be an advisor on an Apocalypse Now-style war movie and bring an Asian perspective. On the set, with its authentic recreation of a Vietnamese village and despite the fact that no one in the cast and crew speaks the language, the Captain is triggered by memories of his upbringing as well as the trauma of war. David Duchovny makes a memorable cameo as an actor who takes his Method training to extremes, with John Cho stealing his scenes as an Asian journeyman actor with a reputation for dying in every movie.

Parish

SUNDAY: What’s left to do after you’ve literally burned down your house to make a clean start? For Gray Parish (Giancarlo Esposito), there’s still a matter of seeking revenge on the man who killed his son. In the explosive season finale, Parish also aims to settle his score with the corrupt Anton (Bradley Whitford) and get out from under the manipulative clutches of the volatile Tongai crime family. With this full of a plate, it’s unlikely his days of breaking bad are behind him.

Maryland

SUNDAY: Two of Britain’s finest contemporary actresses, Suranne Jones (Gentleman Jack) and Eve Best (House of the Dragon), star in a three-part Masterpiece drama as estranged sisters Becca (Jones) and Rosaline (Best), who are reunited on the Isle of Man after the sudden death of their mother Mary. Turns out their mom had been keeping quite a few secrets from her daughters. Stockard Channing co-stars as a friend from Mary’s hidden past who helps the siblings through this emotionally turbulent period of adjustment and healing.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire

SATURDAY: May the 4^th be with you on “Star Wars Day,” serving up a new animated installment of the Tales of series for franchise fans. Following 2022’s Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, the six-part adventure delves inside the Galactic Empire from the perspective of two warriors from different eras: young Morgan Elsbeth (voiced by Diana Lee Inosanto), who’s on a quest for revenge, and Barriss Offee (voiced by Meredith Salenger), a former Jedi navigating a changing galaxy far, far away. Also of note from the Star Wars universe: a special episode of MeTV’s Collector’s Call (Sunday, 6:30/5:30c), featuring the epic treasure trove of Star Wars memorabilia curated by Gus Lopez, including the coveted Death Star.

INSIDE WEEKEND TV:

• Kentucky Derby (Saturday, coverage starts at 2:30 pm/ET, NBC and Peacock): This year’s Triple Crown of horse racing, which fans hope is not marred by tragedy unlike last year, kicks off with the milestone 150^th“Run for the Roses” from Louisville’s Churchill Downs.
• 48 Hours (Saturday, 10/9c, CBS): Norah O’Donnell profiles Democratic House of Representatives leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Bill Whitaker heads to New Orleans, where two high-school seniors solved a mathematical puzzle that has stumped experts for 2,000 years.
• Saturday Night Live (Saturday, 11:30/10:30c, 8:30 pm/PT, NBC): Grammy-winning singer Dua Lipa returns to the late-night sketch comedy show, doing double duty as guest host as well as (for her third time) musical guest.
• 60 Minutes (Sunday, 7/6c, CBS): A Massachusetts detective becomes the prime suspect in the 2018 shooting death of his wife.
• The Real Housewives of New Jersey (Sunday, 8/7c, Bravo): The Garden State gang enters Season 14 with bushels of family drama for feuding sisters-in-law Teresa Guidice and Melissa Gorga among other high-strung diva antics.
• American Idol (Sunday, 8/7c, ABC): Ciara is the guest mentor for the Top 7, who sing hits made famous by Adele. Meghan Trainor returns to perform while America votes for the Top 5.
• The Simpsons (Sunday, 8/7c, Fox): Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner), who’s usually the most self-sacrificing of cartoon moms, gets so angry at Homer (Dan Castellaneta) that she decides to spend a sudden windfall on herself. Followed by Krapopolis (8:30/7:30c), where Deliria (Hannah Waddingham) loses her memory after transforming into a goose; The Great North(9/8c), with Judy (Jenny Slate) juggling three simultaneous dates; and Grimsburg (9:30/8:30c), in which Marvin (Jon Hamm) tries to turn back time by drinking a de-aging potion.
• The Equalizer (Sunday, 8/7c, CBS): McCall (Queen Latifah) comes to the rescue when Dante (Tory Kittles) and his dad “Big Ben” (Danny Johnson) are attacked, revealing a family secret. Followed by Tracker (9/8c), where Colter (Justin Hartley) unearths a campus conspiracy after a grad student goes missing, and the soon-to-depart CSI: Vegas (10/9c), with the team investigating the creepy discovery of a plastinated nervous system above a car dealership.
• The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper (Sunday, 8/7c, CNN): Senior International Correspondent Ivan Watson reports a “Warning to the World: Australia’s Climate Disasters,” traveling to the endangered Great Barrier Reef and its dying corals as well as lands Down Under ravaged by forest fires, storms and floods.
• A Gentleman in Moscow (Sunday, 9/8c, Showtime): Count Rostov (Ewan McGregor) hasn’t set foot outside the Hotel Metropol in years, but he’ll risk anything when a crisis forces him to expose himself to outside forces, and he’ll learn who’s really on his side in post-revolution Russia.
• People Magazine Investigates: Surviving a Serial Killer (9/8c, Investigation Discovery): A true-crime series unfolds from the POV of those who made it out alive after an encounter with a serial killer, helping bring the fiends to justice. The opener profiles Morgan Rowan, who was a teenager in 1965 when she was attacked by the so-called “Dating Game Killer” Rodney Alcala.
• The Jinx—Part Two (Sunday, 10/9c, HBO): The setting: 2020, when Robert Durst appears in L.A. court for the Susan Berman murder trial, where prosecutors argue that Berman helped Durst cover up his first wife Kathie’s disappearance. Among the witnesses: Durst’s heretofore loyal friend, Nick Chavin.