Worth Watching: Double the ‘Blacklist’ Fun, ‘Street Food’ and More on Netflix, a ‘Portal to Hell’ in Alaska
A selective critical checklist of notable Friday TV:
The Blacklist (8/7c, NBC): Recently renewed for a seventh season, the over-the-top thriller doubles down on the action with back-to-back episodes. As is often the case, the trailers tease revelations that may or may not be revealing. The good news is that the great Brian Dennehy is back as Dom Wilkinson, Elizabeth’s (Megan Boone) presumed grandfather, who meets with Red (James Spader) to help in making a difficult decision. Meanwhile, Ressler (Diego Klattenhoff) discovers something new about the past of Katerina Rostova (Lotte Verbeek), aka Liz’s mom — which sets up the second episode, all about Katerina alone and on the run in a foreign country, turning to the only person she trusts to protect her. Who could that be?
Street Food (streaming on Netflix): Foodie alert! The creators of Netflix hit Chef’s Table traverse the world to explore the culture of street food in exotic locations. Among the locales in this tantalizing travelogue: Bangkok, Osaka, Delhi, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Cebu (Philippines), Yogyakarta (Indonesia) and Chiayi (Taiwan).
Also new on Netflix: the horror series Chambers, starring Uma Thurman and Scandal‘s Tony Goldwyn as parents of a deceased daughter whose heart is transplanted in a young heart-attack survivor (Sivan Alyra Rose) — who begins manifesting signs of being possessed by her donor… Back for a second season: DreamWorks She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, an animated fantasy of female superhero empowerment.
Portals to Hell (10/9c, Travel Channel): And you thought living in The Osbournes’ house was a trial. Rock scion Jack Osbourne is executive producer of this latest journey into the paranormal, in which he teams with researcher/investigator Katrina Weidman to visit possibly haunted locations that may feature doorways to the spirit underworld. First stop: Juneau, Alaska, site of an old gold-mining establishment, the Alaskan Hotel, which has a sordid history and a reputation for demonic activity. What, the Overlook was booked?
Inside Friday TV: The second and third rounds of the NFL Draft (7/6c) can be seen in extensive coverage on ABC, ESPN, ESPN2 and NFL Network, with rounds 4-7 airing Saturday afternoon… Because there isn’t already enough medical drama on TV, CBS’s Hawaii Five-0 puts Dr. Noelani Cunha (Kimee Balmilero) through the wringer, when she and mentor Dr. Chu (Page Leong) are taken hostage and forced to operate on a criminal at gunpoint… The eclectic lineup on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher (10/9c) includes politician Adam Schiff being grilled at the top of the show and legendary sportscaster Bob Costas as the mid-show interview guest.
Portals to Hell where to stream
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