1) “The Last of Us” season-opener, 9 p.m., HBO. In its first season, this epic drew raves and 24 Emmy nominations, including best drama. It won eight Emmys … but waited two years for this second season, which only has seven episodes. The story jumps ahead five years, finding Ellie and Joel (shown here) in his brother’s fortified compound, surrounded by danger.
2) More cable dramas. It’s a busy night. At 8 p.m. Showtime has the season-finale for the compelling “Yellowjackets”; at 9, MGM+ has the season-opener of “The Godfather of Harlem,” with Bumpy scrambling to finance a new nightclub. At 9 (rerunning at 10:04), AMC has a “Dark Winds” that is stylishly filmed, but both perplexing and depressing.
3) “Call the Midwife,” 8 p.m., PBS. Crises multiply, at a clinic that combines nuns and other nurses to care for people in an impoverished chunk of 1970 London. It’s a deeply moving hour … albeit with one outcome that’s hazy. That’s followed by strong episodes of “Wolf Hall” and “Marie Antoinette” … with even an artwork choice bringing backlash.
4) “The Americas,” 8 p.m., NBC. A week before National Geographic’s brilliant “Penguins” series, here’s a stunning look at rockhopper penguins, scaling steep cliffs to feed their young. That’s followed by more views of Patagonia in turmoil: 8,000-pound sea lions battle; orcas vault onto beach-dwelling prey. The Andes episode precedes this at 7.
5) MORE: “Hawaii Week” begins on “American Idol” (8-10 p.m., ABC). “On the Waterfront” (1954), one of the best-acted movies ever, is at 8 p.m. ET on Turner Classic Movies. A Palm Sunday marathon on UPtv ranges from “Ten Commandments” at 10:30 a.m. ET to “The Greatest Story Ever Told” at 9; also, BYUtv has “The Chosen” reruns at 1 and 4 p.m. ET.