James and Remini reunite as ‘Kevin’ winds down
Not every series or season finale can end up with Bob Newhart and Suzanne Pleshette in bed. But you can’t fault writers for trying!
“Kevin Can Wait” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) begins its two-part season finale by basically throwing away the premise for this popular, if uninspired, series.
“Wait” had two basic ideas. 1) Kevin (Kevin James) was a retired cop. 2) “Kevin Can Wait” was not “The King of Queens.”
Now, we’re expected to believe that Kevin comes out of retirement to briefly return to an undercover assignment. And he rejoins his old partner, Vanessa (Leah Remini), who we all know played Carrie, the queen to his “King” on their CBS series that ran from 1998 to 2007. And if this wasn’t already too much on the nose, their undercover sting requires Kevin and Vanessa to pose as husband and wife.
Lately, Remini is best known for hosting the A&E docu-series “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath.” Like a lot of cable series, “Aftermath” is strangely addictive, even though it basically repeats the same story from episode to episode, and often within the episodes themselves.
Remini had been a fervent supporter of the Church of Scientology before she grew disenchanted, left the organization and felt the wrath of its members and hierarchy. She shares her story, and that of other church exiles, over and over again.
“Aftermath” will return for a second 10-episode season, accompanied by lengthy legal notices from the Church of Scientology, attacking Remini and everyone and everything associated with her show.
While Kevin James is hardly involved in anything so controversial, he does belong to a small, hard-core cadre with an inscrutable appeal: As he has for decades, James continues to appear in Adam Sandler movies.
The latest, “Sandy Wexler,” began streaming on Netflix just a few weeks back. True to form, it has been both popular and critically lambasted. Perhaps Indiewire’s review summed things up with this sentence, “It’s awful, and yet it’s almost objectively Sandler’s best movie since ‘Funny People.’”
“Kevin Can Wait” will return for a second season.
SEAFARING FARE
Maybe it’s just me, but if you scour the TV listings carefully enough, certain themes emerge. On cable, CBS Sports is airing a surfing championship (8 p.m.), and Cinemax has “By the Sea” (8 p.m.), while “Beaches” (8 p.m.) appears on CMT, only to be followed by “Swept Away” (10:05 p.m., Cinemax). There’s always repeats of “Shark Tank” (8 p.m. and 9 p.m., CNBC).
DRONES AND DISSENT
“Independent Lens” (10 p.m., PBS, TV-14, 11 p.m. Tuesday on GPB, debuts at 4 a.m. Wednesday on WTCI) presents the documentary “National Bird,” profiling veterans of the military and the National Security Agency who question the United States’ widespread use of aerial drones.
TONIGHT’S HIGHLIGHTS
› The top 11 perform on “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
› The Court of Owls feathers its nest on “Gotham” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14).
› “Antiques Roadshow” (8 p.m., PBS, TV-G) goes treasure hunting in Virginia Beach.
› Lucifer returns from obscurity on the spring premiere of “Lucifer” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14). This peculiar procedural will return for a third season.
› Toby’s walk down the aisle does not go according to plan on “Scorpion” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
› Christina gets the boot on the season finale of “Taken” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
› Questions of loyalty on “Quantico” (10 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
› Chuck and Jimmy find agreement difficult on “Better Call Saul” (10 p.m., AMC, TV-14).
SERIES NOTES
› New steps on “Dancing With the Stars” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
› Alex’s kidnapper hopes to blackmail Kara on “Supergirl” (8 p.m., CW, TV-14).
› A borrower and a lender on “Man With a Plan” (8:30 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
› Franco’s estranged father attends his art opening on “Superior Donuts” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-PG).
› Alba takes hearsay to heart on “Jane the Virgin” (9 p.m., CW, TV-PG).
› Family matters on “The Great Indoors” (9:30 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
Contact Kevin McDonough at kevin.tvguy@gmail.com.
To see it “Kevin Can Wait” airs at 8 tonight on CBS, Comcast channel 13. EPBFI channel 12 in Chattanooga.