‘Andor’ Takes Action, ‘Big Bang’ Reunion on ‘Night Court,’ ‘FBI’ vs. AI, John Wayne the Quintessential Cowboy

“The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil,” proclaims Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), risking everything by speaking out as the Star Wars political allegory ratchets up the action in its third batch of gripping episodes. Reluctant revolutionary Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) can run from destiny for only so long, and with the Empire weaponizing disinformation as a ruse to decimate the planet Ghorman and seize its precious resources, it’s time for the rebel forces to get organized and get busy.

They were such a cute couple on The Big Bang Theory as Howard and Bernadette, and Simon Helberg is about to turn costar Melissa Rauch’s world upside down again when he makes an appearance in the rebooted sitcom’s Season 3 finale (at 8:30/7:30c) as a “mysterious stranger” disrupting Judge Abby’s (Rauch) composure. Another player from the Big Bang universe, Young Sheldon‘s Raegan Revord, guest-stars as a teenage runaway in an homage to a 1984 episode from the original series that featured Michael J. Fox. In the first of two back-to-back episodes (starting at 8/7c), Shrinking‘s Michael Urie guest-stars as a so-called “fun judge,” with Marsha Warfield returning as former bailiff Roz, making waves with her appearance in a courthouse welcome video.

AI is everywhere these days, and could be the culprit in the mysterious bombing death of an electric car company’s CEO within his supposedly secure penthouse. Sounds like a job for the mothership’s crew. With only a few weeks left before the franchise’s spinoffs sign off for good, FBI: International (9/8c) finds the Fly Team heading to Belgrade, Serbia, for a perilous three-way prisoner swap; and on FBI: Most Wanted (10/9c), the Fugitive Task Force is on the case after a New Jersey mayor is kidnapped.

A monthlong movie series on Tuesdays and Thursdays explores one of the most enduring genres in all of American cinema: the Western. And no actor embodies the “quintessential cowboy” more iconically than John Wayne, the focus of a night of programming subtitled “John Wayne and the Idea of America.” The lineup begins with his first starring role in 1930’s The Big Trail (at 8/7c), set on the Oregon Trail, followed by Wayne’s breakthrough role as the Ringo Kid in John Ford‘s 1939 classic Stagecoach (10:15/9:15), Howard Hawks‘ emotionally complex Red River (midnight/11c) from 1948, and the 1962 epic How the West Was Won (2:30 am/1:30c) overnight.

INSIDE TUESDAY TV:

• Will Trent (8/7c, ABC): The title GBI agent (Ramón Rodríguez) is dispatched to a rural town, where he clashes with a local sheriff who’s got a surprise for Will. Followed by The Rookie (9/8c), where the LAPD crew searches for Skip Tracer Randy’s (Flula Borg) kidnapped love interest.
• Antidote (10/9c, PBS): The acclaimed documentary, about the dangers inherent in exposing the actions of Russian president Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin, makes its U.S. broadcast debut as a special presentation of Frontline.
• Ms. Pat Settles It (10/9c, BET): The comedian holds court in the second half of the comedic courtroom series’ second season, with jurors including Ray J, T.S. Madison and Tamar Braxton.

ON THE STREAM:

• The Handmaid’s Tale (streaming on Hulu): June (Elisabeth Moss) reels from a shocking betrayal, forcing her and the Mayday rebels to come up with a new plan to take down the Commanders of Gilead.
• Murder Has Two Faces (streaming on Hulu): Robin Roberts hosts a three-part true-crime docuseries exploring lesser-known cases that bear an unsettling resemblance to much higher-profile crimes.
• Untold: Shooting Guards (streaming on Netflix): The sports documentary anthology continues with an exposé of the dispute between Washington Wizards players Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton that led to them drawing guns in the locker room in 2009, leading to suspensions and further consequences.
• David Spade: Dandelion (streaming on Prime Video): The Saturday Night Live alum unleashes his snarky attitude on a variety of topics in a stand-up comedy special, his first since 2022.