1) “Brilliant Minds,” 10 p.m., NBC. This second episode shows how good – and how demanding – this show can be. The first seemed heightened, trying hard to grab us. But it set the basics: Zachary Quinto as someone like Dr. Oliver Sacks, the brilliant and eccentric neurologist. Tonight’s episode throws a lot past us, but Quinto (shown here) helps make it feel human and tangible.
2) “Rescue HI-Surf,” 9 p.m., Fox. Not all new shows, alas, can stir human involvement. This one has interesting rescues and little else. The boss (Robbie Magasiva) shows depth, but the three main guys under him are blanks. And now his assistant (Arielle Kebbel) has absorbed their jerkiness.
3) “All American: Homecoming” series finale, 8 p.m., CW. The new owners have been quick to toss out most of CW’s slick, youthful dramas. Tonight, Simone defends her integrity. After that, the only remainders from the past are “Superman & Lois” (starting its final season next Monday) and “All American” (returning in 2025).
4) “Independent Lens: One Person, One Vote?” 10 p.m., PBS. Most of us don’t understand the Electoral College or how it got that way. This gives it a good shot, ranging from history to animation to meeting four people who are official electors … in a state (Colorado) where the result seems inevitable.
5) “In Cold Blood” (1967), 8 p.m. ET, Turner Classic Movies. Long before true-crime tales were trendy, Truman Capote wrote his brilliant account of Kansas murders. Director Richard Brooks turned it into a black-and-white gem. It’s followed at 10:30 by “Capote” (2005), with Phillip Seymour Hoffman winning an Oscar as the author, researching the book.
— Mike Hughes, TV America