Your TV GPS, Globe TV critic Matthew Gilbert’s look at the week ahead in television, appears every Monday morning on BostonGlobe.com. Today’s column covers May 29-June 4.
“Succession” and “Barry” aren’t the only significant series finales as we head into summer. Apple TV+’s “Ted Lasso” is wrapping up this Wednesday after three seasons. Here are a few thoughts as we head into the end — or at least the end of Ted’s leadership.
WHAT’S TED’S TRUTH BOMB? Most viewers are betting that Ted is going to tell Rebecca he’s going back to the States. His mother — played by TV’s best mother, Becky Ann Baker (“Freaks and Geeks,” “Girls”) — has declared to him, “Your son needs you.” The show has spent a lot of time on male intimacy, and our chipper hero needs to be close to his son.
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MORE TO COME I’m convinced that Apple TV+, which has drawn many subscribers thanks to the show, will quickly deliver a spin-off of some kind — “Richmond Greyhounds,” or something like that. It will feature the folks left behind, in a new arrangement, perhaps with Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt as the new Ted and Beard, with Nate in there somehow.
WILL RICHMOND WIN THE TITLE? We know that whether they win or lose the Premier League final game, the show will make us and the team feel good about it. If the game is against Rupert’s West Ham, a victory would be especially sweet — but nonetheless, Richmond has formed a family, and, as Ted has made quite clear, that’s a win in its own way.
WELCOME HOME NATE Now that Nate has gone through his changes, he’s heading back home to Richmond. The team has begun to thrive without him, but perhaps he will be able to help them win and justify his return. Perhaps that win will be against the team he just quit.
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KEELOY, REELEY, KENTLY We’ll probably get some finality regarding the show’s relationships, but, if the plan is to continue the story in a spin-off, some threads may be left untied. After their reunion, Roy told Keeley he wanted more than friendship — but will she reciprocate? I’d like to see them together, but I also sense that she needs to be single for a bit.
REBECCA AND ROMANCE Despite fans’ fantasies, I don’t see Ted and Rebecca coupling up. They’re great friends. But will she get back with Sam, with whom she has been having rather heavy eye contact of late? I hope not; their age and power differences are off. She’s over Rupert, finally, and free. Perhaps that Dutch houseboat dude will make a return?
WHAT I’M WATCHING THIS WEEK
1. “The Idol” arrives after some early publicity — I mean controversy. In March, Rolling Stone published an exposé about the drama from “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson and The Weeknd, claiming creative issues, exploitative themes, and a tense work environment. Will it be an edgy beauty or a boring bust? We’ll see, but the critics who saw the first two episodes at Cannes weren’t pleased, and the show has a Metacritic score of only 24 (of 100). And, in a measurement system that never fails to amuse, the show got only a five-minute-plus standing ovation from festival-goers (compared with Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which got nine minutes). The story line has Lily-Rose Depp’s rising pop star falling under the spell of a Svengali played by Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. The Weeknd. Dan Levy, Jane Adams, Hari Nef, and Troye Sivan co-star. It premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO. (Here’s the trailer for “the sleaziest love story in all of Hollywood.”)
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2. HBO has made a film of Tina Satter’s play “Is This a Room,” about the arrest of former NSA translator Reality Winner. Retitled “Reality,” the whistleblower thriller takes its dialogue from the real transcript of Winner’s interrogation by FBI agents. (Trailer here.) Winner, who went to prison after leaking an intelligence report about Russian interference in the 2016 election, is played by Sydney Sweeney, who got critical raves when the movie premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February. The premiere is Monday at 10 p.m.
3. Amazon is premiering “Deadloch,” an Australian thriller with comedy, on Friday. The eight-parter is set in the titular town after a local man is found dead on a beach. Two very different detectives are thrown together to work the case — a fastidious sergeant played by Kate Box and a more rough-hewn investigator played by Madeleine Sami. Buddy comedy ensues, along with all the procedural stuff. (Here’s the trailer.)
4. Last May, an 18-year-old bought AR-style weapons and opened fire in his old elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. He killed 19 children and two adults. On Tuesday at 10 p.m. on GBH 2, PBS’s “Frontline” is premiering a documentary (trailer) about the police response, the community’s efforts to heal, and, of course, the endless fight over guns. In “After Uvalde: Guns, Grief & Texas Politics,” we see how families have channeled their sorrow into a push to raise the purchase age of assault-style weapons in Texas from 18 to 21.
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5. On Sunday at 9 p.m., TNT is premiering a drama — something it doesn’t do very often these days — called “The Lazarus Project,” which is imported from the United Kingdom. The sci-fi thriller is about a secretive organization that can send the world back in time to dodge crises, leaving only a few people who remember the erased events. Paapa Essiedu, Tom Burke, Anjli Mohindra, and Caroline Quentin star. (Here’s the trailer.)
CHANNEL SURFING
“With Love” Season two of the romantic comedy. Amazon, Friday
“Painting With John” Season three of John Lurie’s reflections. HBO, Friday, 11 p.m.
“I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson” Season three of the sketch comedy. Netflix, Tuesday
RECENTLY REVIEWED
“A Small Light” Anne Frank’s story through the eyes of those who helped her. Disney+, Hulu
“The Great” A strong third season of the smart, irreverent, and bawdy period series. Hulu
“Class of ‘09″ An overly complex FBI thriller. Hulu
“Somebody Somewhere” Season two is a warm, low-key paean to friendship. HBO
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“Tom Jones” A breezy Henry Fielding four-part adaptation on PBS’s “Masterpiece.” GBH 2
“The Other Two” Season three of this send-up of the entertainment biz shines. HBO Max
“Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” A prequel about the queen’s difficult marriage. Netflix
“Bupkis” Pete Davidson plays a version of himself in this semi-autobiographical comedy. Peacock
“The Diplomat” Keri Russell stars in this political drama set in London. Netflix
Matthew Gilbert can be reached at matthew.gilbert@globe.com. Follow him @MatthewGilbert.