Silicon Valley
Sunday at 10 p.m., HBO
Zach Woods is turning out to be a great member of the cast as Jared, the really tall guy. I first noticed him on “The Office,’’ as the socially inept corporate drone Gabe, and I liked him as one of the NSA guys on “The Good Wife.’’ But I’ve been savoring him on this show. He’s got a gentle, apologetic demeanor that is so extremely sweet it’s funny. In a way, he’s the traditional mother figure of the gang. He loves to nurture the guys, and his penchant for organization comes in handy since they’re so chaotic. He is absurdly selfless, and doesn’t ask for anything in return. When Erlich insults him, he hardly notices. Partly that’s because he’s a social loser, at the bottom of the Pied Piper hierarchy of losers; partly that’s because he’s just the nicest guy ever. You could call Jared tragically milquetoast, or you could call him a quiet hero. I prefer the latter.
That ’70s Show
Monday from 6 p.m.-3 a.m., IFC
Finally, we have come to appreciate and understand the excellence of “That ’70s Show,’’ which we failed to do during its 1998-2006 run. We can now see that the show was a rich portrait of the Midwest during a complex moment in American history. Its beats are perfectly timed, its world-building is unparalleled, and, miraculously, its narrative is both linear and, in certain scenes, circular at the same time. Yes, OK, I’m joking. The show was frivolous, silly, conventional, and warm-hearted. But if you have the flu, or if you’re just sick and tired of watching TV that requires you to think, IFC is serving up a “That ’70s Show’’ marathon.
The Americans
Wednesday at 10 p.m., FX
Forgive me, dear reader. I sometimes obsess over particular shows and actors, and right now I can’t let go of Alison Wright, who plays Martha in FX’s “The Americans.’’ Once again, I need to sing her praises. Wright has been haunting as a FBI secretary manipulated into spying for the Russians through a relationship with Philip Jennings. It is a hard role to play, I imagine, because, until relatively recently, Martha has only semi-consciously known that her beloved was a fraud. Knowing but not knowing — Edie Falco, too, worked that position of awareness beautifully on “The Sopranos.’’ Wright was heartbreaking all along, but particularly when she and Philip said goodbye. A brave soul underneath it all, she wished Philip well despite the fact that he’d destroyed her. In some desperate, deluded way, she still loved him. Will she be treated well in Russia? That doesn’t seem likely. Still I imagine Philip getting reports about how great she is doing, to keep his morale high.
Independent Lens:
The Armor of Light
Streaming at PBS.org
TV is a great place to find strong documentary programming, on HBO, Showtime, CNN, ESPN, and, of course, the most prolific, varied, and timeliest documentary outlet of them all, PBS. Every week, between the many PBS series including “Frontline,’’ “Independent Lens,’’ “American Experience,’’ and “P.O.V.,’’ you can usually find a smart, worthwhile film. Last week, “The Armor of Light’’ aired on “Independent Lens’’; now it’s up on PBS.org. It’s about an Evangelical minister named Rob Schenck, who is an anti-abortion activist. After a fellow activist shoots and kills a doctor, though, Schenck has a spiritual crisis and risks alienating colleagues and friends by asking whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life.
MATTHEW GILBERT
