George Washington Ate There on ‘Outlander,’ Dexter Meets Joey Pants, Grammy Greats, ‘Silo’s Deep Dive, TCM In Memoriam

Outlander

Guess who’s coming to dinner? A certain General George Washington (Gary Fannin), who’s passing through Philadelphia on the way to his next battle and carries with him a special gift with historical significance for his hosts, Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitríona Balfe), who makes the acquaintance and earns the admiration of another famous guest. Elsewhere in the 20th century, their daughter Brianna (Sophie Skelton) is at war with the kidnappers of her son.

Dexter: Original Sin

Having survived his own childhood trauma, 20-year-old Dexter Morgan (Patrick Gibson) is rattled by the gruesome murder of a 10-year-old. “Murdered children always got to me,” he muses (in Michael C. Hall’s voice), aware of the irony that otherwise, he’s perfectly OK with bloodshed, especially if he’s the one shedding it. The Sopranos’ Joe “Joey Pants” Pantoliano guest-stars as Dex’s next target, a retired hitman known as Mad Dog, who’s now passing the days at the helm of a chartered fishing boat. Dexter is always fishing for a new victim, but his dad Harry (Christian Slater) warns him, “Mad Dog is too advanced for you.” He may be right, but does Dexter ever listen to anything beyond his own urges?

Grammy Greats: The Stories Behind the Songs

King and country star Mickey Guyton host a Grammy-sanctioned special honoring recipients of the coveted Song of the Year award, sharing stories about their inspiration and process. Among the performers interviewed: Billie Eilish and Finneas, Alicia Keys, Brandi Carlile, and Richard Marx.

Silo

While I appreciate how this absorbing sci-fi thriller has expanded its scope in Season 2, introducing another subterranean silo into the mythology, the constant cutting between the two can be a bit irritating. After last week’s episode set almost entirely in the original Silo 18, the most gripping part of this week’s chapter takes place in the eerily empty Silo 17, where Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) begrudgingly agrees to dive underwater six levels to repair a water pump at the behest of sole survivor Solo (Steve Zahn). Her descent is as suspenseful as you’d expect, which makes it frustrating whenever the story veers back to Silo 18, with Mayor Bernard (Tim Robbins) continuing his schemes to avert rebellion, including letting his new shadow, Lukas (Avi Nash), in on an awesome secret.

Le Samouraï

In Memoriam: Turner Classic Movies pays tribute to movie stars who passed in 2024 with a six-movie lineup in prime time and overnight. French matinee idol Alain Delon is represented by the 1967 crime thriller Le Samourai (8/7c), followed by Shelley Duvall in Robert Altman’s 1977 3 Women (10/9c), which won her a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. Character actor M. Emmet Walsh earned an Independent Spirit Award for his sinister private-eye role in the Coen Brothers’ debut film, Blood Simple (12:15 am/11:15c). TCM goes back across the pond to remember the alluring French actress Anouk Aimée in 1961’s Lola (2:15 am/1:15c), with salutes to musical star Janis Paige in 1948’s Romance on the High Seas (4:15 am/3:15c) and future Dobie Gillis star Dwayne Hickman in 1948’s Fighting Father Dunne (6 am/5c).

INSIDE FRIDAY TV:

• The Greatest @Home Videos: Holiday Edition (8/7c, CBS): The Neighborhood’s Cedric the Entertainer keeps the holiday spirit alive with a collection of funny and sweet videos befitting the season.
• Craft in America (9/8c, PBS): The Peabody-winning series returns with two more artful installments. The first episode explores the collision of art and science, with stops at the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico, MIT’s computer science lab and the International Space Station. The second hour, “Collectors,” honors those who honor artists by affirming and collecting their work.
• Nightbitch (streaming on Hulu): Bite into Amy Adams’ daring performance as an overwhelmed suburban mom who transforms into a dog in director Marielle Heller’s adaptation of Rachel Yoder’s novel, making its streaming debut.