1) “NCIS: Origins,” 10 p.m. today, CBS. It’s tough when you’re investigated for murder … and tougher when you actually did it. That’s the situation for Gibbs, after what he considered a righteous killing. Now we see the crisis through the eyes of Cecelia (known as Lala, shown here), his intense colleague. It’s a gripping and well-made hour that includes a closing jolt.
2) “Equalizer” (CBS) and “The Righteous Gemstones” (HBO) finales, both 10 p.m. Sunday. This is when shows start fading into rerun-land or worse. For “Equalizer,” it’s the end of the season; Robyn’s romantic getaway with Dante turns nasty when they’re ambushed. For “Gemstones,” it’s the end of the line, after four seasons of family feuds and bad behavior.
3) “Independent Lens,” 10-11:30 p.m. Tuesday, PBS. “One of the purest expressions of democracy,” we’re told, is the public library. It’s vital in tiny towns and cities. Now that story is beautifully told. We see crises – tax revolts, segregation, book-banning. And we see the joy of library-goers, from rural Wisconsinites to young Martin Luther King in Atlanta.
4) Spring shifts, Fox. The season’s final weeks bring temporary changes. Today, “America’s Most Wanted” (9:02) is preceded by an offshoot, “America’s Most Wanted: Missing Persons,” at 8. On Wednesday, the semi-finals of “The Masked Singer” (8 p.m.) is followed by new cartoon episodes: “Krapopolis” is at 9:02, with “Grimsburg” at 9:31.
5) “St. Denis Medical” season-finale, 8 p.m. Tuesday, NBC. The worst and best parts of this excellent comedy are on display here. Joyce, the hospital boss, tends to be over-the-top; now the always-terrific Dr. Ron talks her down. And Alex is a great head nurse who often forgets her personal life; now, mid-crisis, her husband is there for a vasectomy.
6) “Wild Cards” season-finale,” 8 p.m Wednesday, CW. There’s usually a bright, bouncy feel, but now things turn serious. Ellis learns who was responsible for his brother’s death — and who is protecting the killer; Max sifts clues in Ashford’s office. That’s followed by “Sherlock & Daughter,” with Holmes facing a steel-willed Moriarty (Dougray Scott).
7) “SWAT,” 9 p.m. Friday, CBS. As its eight-year run nears the end, “SWAT” moves ahead an hour. “Fire Country” has finished its season and slides to 10 p.m. for reruns; “NCIS: Sydney” has also finished and is replaced at 8 by “Hollywood Squares.” That leaves “SWAT” as the night’s lone new drama episode; its two-hour finale will be May 16.
8) “Saturday Night Live,” 11:29 p.m. Saturday, NBC. Now that her “Abbott Elementary” has ended its season, Quinta Brunson has free time. (Except, of course, for her writer-producer job preparing next season.) She gets her second turn hosting “SNL,” which closes the season with three new episodes. Benson Boone has his first turn as music guest.
9) “Miss Austen” opener, 9 p.m. Sunday, PBS. Facts and fiction blend neatly: Jane Austen, already a famed novelist, has died at 41. Her sister Cassandra (the superb Keeley Hawes) rushes to find Jane’s papers before their scheming sister-in-law does. That propels bittersweet memories, via flashbacks. Cassandra’s plan is iffy, but Hawes keeps us rooting for her..
10) “The Walking Dead: Dead City” season-opener, 9 p.m. Sunday, AMC. Remember the “Barbie”-or-“Oppenheimer” choice? Now it’s Jane Austen or zombies. In a tattered Manhattan, Negan is a prisoner, urged to lead a ragtag army. In a compound, Maggie is urged to join an invasion. With one messy exception, this opener delays the violence until future weeks.