PopWatch Planner: Star Trek Into Darkness, Grey's Anatomy
TV finale season is in full swing this week, with endings served up on Scandal, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Vampire Diaries, among others. But the most important entertainment event is arguably the box office bow of a new Star Trek movie — especially when the newest one is called Star Trek Into Darkness and comes studio-sealed in secrecy and trench coats in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch’s deep-voiced baddie.
That and oh-so-much more for the week ahead, below.
MONDAY
90210 series finale, 8 p.m., The CW
It’s the end (again) for yet another entry in the long-running 90210 franchise. Though the latest version — technically a sequel, picking up with the generation that came after Brenda, Dylan, et al. — never caught fire with critics or audiences, it did run for five seasons and more than 100 episodes (and at least three different showrunners). Tonight’s series finale, “We All Fall Down,” is two hours, giving fans a properly thorough goodbye.
TUESDAY
So You Think You Can Dance season premiere, Fox, 8 p.m.
Fox’s perennial dance competition is still one of your best bets for off-season reality TV and this season promises more of the same: actual choreography, actual talent, and actual national treasure Cat Deeley. Be sure to check back each morning after for our recap.
WEDNESDAY
American Idol, 8 p.m., Fox
Idol has faced its share of challenges this season, including shrinking buzz and ratings (and, most recently, a possible panel clean sweep) but beneath it all has been the reality that this season’s singers are pretty great — including top two contestants Candice Glover and Kree Harrison. On tonight’s episode they battle it out to be crowned the American Idol, a title with diminishing returns that may still, ironically, mean something.
THURSDAY
Grey’s Anatomy season finale, 9 p.m., ABC
It’s season finale time at Seattle Grace, which can mean nothing good. This week we saw Arizona (gasp) cheat on wife Callie with Hilarie Burton. And Meredith went into labor! In next week’s “Perfect Storm”: A Calzona confrontation and surgery in the dark? A bus is on fire. Someone is screaming. The rumor (gulp) is that a dearly beloved character will find his/her life on the line.
FRIDAY
Star Trek Into Darkness opens in theaters
Here’s what we know about J.J. Abrams’ sequel to his successful 2009 preboot: Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and the Enterprise tangle with a tricky-minded “terrorist.” There are new characters, new relationships, and a shot of the ship crashing into Earth. Zachary Quinto’s eyebrows are serving us grade-A fierceness; Pine’s eyes remain a special effect unto themselves.
SATURDAY
The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
In Chainani’s new YA novel, out earlier this week, children are sorted into schools for Good and Evil. But all is not what it seems when the apparently pre-Evil Agatha ends up going for Good and sweet Sophie heads the other way. Our Tara Fowler said, “The answer isn’t so simple in Soman Chainani’s whip-smart debut, guaranteed to make any little girl think twice before wanting to be a princess.”
SUNDAY
The 2013 Billboard Music Awards, 8 p.m., ABC
This year’s awards show, hosted by Tracy Morgan, includes performances by Justin Bieber, Bruno Mars, and The Band Perry, plus titles for the “top” artist in everything from Christian to “social artist.” Plus: Prince!
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