Trippy ‘Dark Matter,’ Fire Trauma for ‘Conners’ and in Chicago, Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ Restored, ‘Abbott’ Celebrates Mother’s Day

Dark Matter

Much of the best science fiction deals in the “what if,” and what makes this thrilling and emotionally provocative adaptation of Blake Crouch’s bestseller so riveting is the dilemma an everyman named Jason Dessen (the appealing Joel Edgerton) finds himself in when he’s shown the path not taken—many, actually—against his will. The mind-teasing action begins when Jason, a physics professor living an ordinary (as in, imperfect) life with a wife (Jennifer Connolly, never more alluring) and son (Oakes Fegley), is violently kidnapped from his world and dropped into a disorienting alternate reality, while a second Jason, who created the device allowing for multidimensional travel, takes over his life. The high concept fueling the series: “Our choices create worlds, and so theoretically we simultaneously inhabit an infinite number of them.” Watching the original Jason try to find his way back to his family is a compelling, disturbing and wildly entertaining journey, and Edgerton brings subtle shadings to each Jason. This is the best sort of head trip, one grounded in matters of the heart and soul. Launches with two episodes.

The Conners

If it weren’t for bad luck, there’d be little for this hardscrabble sitcom family to joke about. The latest setback is a devastating fire at Ben’s (Jay R. Ferguson) hardware store, wiping out their primary source of revenue. While sifting through the ashes, Ben sees a possible new direction for him, Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and the rest of the family. In a strong subplot, failed life coach Jackie (Laurie Metcalf) worries that an obsessive Becky (Lecy Goranson, who wrote this episode) is taking her internship at a local mental health facility too personally, even pushing away her sympathetic boyfriend Tyler (Sean Astin, a keeper).

Chicago Fire

Elsewhere in Illinois, far away from The Conners’ fictional Lanford, Firehouse 51 is rocked when armed thieves break in to steal and disguise one of the fire trucks. The only witness: acting boss Lt. Kelly Severide (Taylor Kinney), who hides aboard the rig as it’s taken away. While the rest of the crew scrambles to find the missing truck and their colleague, the local police enter the scene, creating an awkward situation for firefighter Darren Ritter (Daniel Kyri), who hasn’t shared the fact that he’s been dating one of the police officers on the case, Dwayne Morris (Samuel B. Jackson).

Let It Be

The long-awaited re-release of Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s 1970 music documentary is a dream come true for Beatles fans who have been longing to see the film for decades, with interest further fueled by Peter Jackson’s Emmy-winning 2021 documentary The Beatles: Get Back. The film, available for the first time in 50 years, has been restored by Jackson’s production team, depicting the band as they write and record their final studio album, culminating in a memorable rooftop concert in January 1969. The movie’s initial release in May 1970 was clouded by the Beatles’ public break-up a month earlier and can now be viewed with a more nostalgic lens as a last musical statement by a legendary band that has stood the test of time.

Abbott Elementary

Emmy winner Sheryl Lee Ralph reminds us why her character of take-charge kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard is so beloved in a touching episode of the hit workplace sitcom. When she discovers her colleague Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams) lost his mother at a young age and has distanced himself from the Mother’s Day holiday, she takes it upon herself to invite him to her family brunch, where she controls every detail as a way to cushion her grieving over her own recently passed mother. While Gregory comically shrinks from all the hugging her family has to offer, Janine (Quinta Brunson) is at a drag brunch with Jacob (Chris Perfetti), where she begins to spiral over the identity of the dad she never knew, who she believes could be someone quite famous.

INSIDE WEDNESDAY TV:

• Survivor (8/7c, CBS): While the tribe battles to make it into the final six, the race is on to find the season’s last hidden immunity idol. Followed by The Amazing Race (9:30/8:30c), which travels for the first time to the Dominican Republic, where two road blocks await.
• Grizzly 399: Queen of the Titans (8/7c, PBS): Nature tracks Grizzly 399, the most famous bear in Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, as she rears a litter of four cubs, protecting them against the elements and predators. But can anything save them from human hunters should Wyoming and neighboring states roll back protections for grizzlies as an endangered species?
• Animal Control (9/8c, Fox): The sitcom’s Season 2 finale brings Frank’s (Joel McHale) investigation to a conclusion, while Emily (Vella Lovell) comes to grips about her feelings for Shred (Michael Rowland).
• Reginald the Vampire (10/9c, Syfy): The quirky supernatural comedy returns for Season 2 with its unconventional vampire hero Reginald (Jacob Batalon) settling into his new immortality, while the vampire who turned him (Mandela Van Peebles) settles into a new role among Akron’s undead elite.
• In Pursuit with John Walsh (10/9c, Investigation Discovery): The justice crusader is back with son Callahan to track fugitives, including Larry Hicks, accused of murdering a mother of two in Plattsburgh, N.Y; and alleged Texas predator Steven Leifeste.
• Palm Royale (streaming on Apple TV+): The late-1960s comedy wraps its first season with tensions erupting at the season’s all-important Beach Ball. Also new to Apple TV+: the three-part true-crime docuseries Hollywood Con Queen, in which a journalist and private investigator seek the identity of an international con artist duping unsuspecting marks by impersonating the entertainment industry’s most powerful women.
• Outlaws and Lawmen: The West (streaming on Fox Nation): Sean Hannity hosts a four-part series profiling Wild West legends of law and disorder including Butch Cassidy, Bass Reeves and Billy the Kid.