‘Secrets and Lies’
Sunday, 9 p.m., ABC
Season 2 of the crime series kicked off with a murder involving a family-run business. Kate Warner (Jordana Brewster), the young wife of Eric Warner (Michael Ealy), fell to her death in front of company headquarters just as Eric was poised to take over from his widower father, John (Terry O’Quinn). Since then, we’ve learned from Detective Andrea Cornell (Juliette Lewis) that Kate was pregnant and Eric was once in juvenile detention. Executive producer Barbie Kligman and series lead Ealy spoke to The Post.
How will the story structure differ this season?
Barbie Kligman: The first three episodes are told from Eric’s point of view. Starting in Episode 4, we split the point of view between Eric and Detective Cornell. It opens the show up. It allows people to be on the journey with her as well.
Why did you cast Michael Ealy?
BK: There’s a genuine softness and warmth to him. There are moments when that goes away, and you go, ‘Wait a minute.’ But when someone is handsome, you forgive them more easily. It’s a sad state of affairs but it’s true. It was important for the arc of the show that Eric and Kate have a degree of chemistry so that you’re feeling bad for him while you believe he’s putting on an act. And Michael was extremely adept at playing all the sides.
Why is Eric’s mother dead?
BK: Who says she’s dead? That’s one of our secrets and lies: Where is Mom?
Will we see her?
BK: You will get to see her. It’s not like [it’s] Diahann Carroll pulling up in a parking lot and there’s a big meaty role for Mom. But you will know her.
Detective Cornell really gets under Eric’s skin. Why?
Michael Ealy: There were conversations about that. It all makes sense when you’re seeing it come together. The way Juliette Lewis plays the character is kind of creepy. She’s making an intentional effort to talk to everyone except Eric. He’s just trying to get an idea of who she’s talking to.
How did you like working with Juliette Lewis?
ME: She’s lovely. Obviously she’s worked with amazing directors. Juliette is a wild child in a lot of ways. For her to restrain her wild side is miraculous to watch and fun to play against. She’s prepared and ready to rock. Once our characters come together, the tension is real.
AND HERE’S WHAT ELSE TO WATCH THIS WEEK:
‘Empire’
Wednesday, 9 p.m., Fox
Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) calls in a favor with megastar Kitty (guest star Mariah Carey, pictured) to record a new song with the reluctant Jamal (Jussie Smollett). Meanwhile, Andre (Trai Byers) runs into some trouble and things don’t go as planned in his life. Cookie and Lucious (Terrence Howard) are at odds — like that never happens.
‘Frequency’
Wednesday, 9 p.m., CW
Series premiere. Detective Raimy Sullivan (Peyton List) has always wanted to prove that she is nothing like her father. In 1996, when Raimy was only 8 years old, NYPD Officer Frank Sullivan (Riley Smith) left Raimy and her mother, Julie (Devin Kelley), behind when he went undercover and got himself killed. Now, 20 years later, Raimy is stunned when a voice crackles through her father’s old ham radio — it’s Frank, transmitting from the grave.
‘Pitch’
Thursday, 9 p.m., Fox
San Diego Padres manager Al Luongo (Dan Lauria) calls on an old friend to help save his job. With Ali Larter and Mark Consuelos.
‘Timeless’
Monday, 10 p.m., NBC
Series premiere. The US government asks a professor, Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer); a soldier, Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter); and a scientist, Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett), to chase criminal mastermind Garcia Flynn (Goran Višnjic) back to the Hindenburg disaster of 1937. The trio must try to save the present and protect the past.
‘Westworld’
Sunday, 9 p.m., HBO
Series premiere. A vast park where guests pay top dollar to share Wild West adventures with android “hosts,” Westworld has seen some aberrant behavior in the androids, such as Dolores Abernathy (Evan Rachel Wood). She’s remembering more than she should, considering she had a lobotomy. Overseeing the dehumanized specimens is the park founder, Dr. Robert Ford (Anthony Hopkins). and his subversive programming assistant, Bernard Lowe (Jeffrey Wright). Co-starring James Marsden and Ed Harris.
‘Designated Survivor’
Wednesday, 10 p.m., ABC
President Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland) and his staff work to keep a security breach of the White House a secret. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Hannah Wells (Maggie Q) starts to develop her own theories about who was really behind the attack.
‘Conviction’
Monday, 10 p.m., ABC
Series premiere. Former first daughter Hayes Morrison (Hayley Atwell) faces a tricky choice — do time for drug possession or accept a job from her nemesis, New York District Attorney Conner Wallace (Eddie Cahill). To avoid damaging her mother’s Senate campaign, she accepts his offer. The first case she pushes her team to consider is that of Odell Dwyer (Maurice Williams), a former football player doing time for murder.