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SYFY WIRE TV This Week

TV THIS WEEK: The Suicide Squad arrives, Departure returns on Peacock, new SurrealEstate on SYFY, and more

By Trent Moore
The Suicide Squad

This week brings one of the biggest comic book movies of the year, a haunted subdivision, a deep dive into the mysteries of UFOs, and the return of a buzzy thriller — and that’s just the highlights.

Not surprisingly, the big story this week is the dual HBO Max and theatrical debut of James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. The antihero flick is riding a wave of rave reviews, and looks to be a wild new spin on the comic book movie formula. Then we have Season 2 of the mystery thriller Departure hitting Peacock, a new episode of SYFY’s paranormal series SurrealEstate, the season finale of What We Do in the Shadows spinoff Wellington Paranormal, and the kickoff of the J.J. Abrams-produced docu-series UFO.

Digging a bit deeper, we have tons of Tokyo Olympics programming on NBC and across the dial; a new Legends of Tomorrow on The CW; a new Star Wars: The Bad Batch and Monsters at Work on Disney; and Lin Manuel-Miranda’s new animated musical Vivo on Netflix.

Check out the rest of the week below and let us know what you’ll be watching.

HIGHLIGHTS

Departure (Peacock), Thursday - Season 2

SEASON PREMIERE: A new season of Departure follows Kendra Malley (Emmy Award winner Archie Panjabi) as she’s recruited to investigate the derailment of an experimental high-speed train in rural Michigan. Pressure mounts for Kendra and her team to crack the puzzle as the small town reels in shock, and the world demands answers. Their investigation reveals a plethora of disconnected events and a range of potential suspects with believable motives: a disillusioned employee, a local anti-technology politician, the tech mogul who developed the train’s software... and even a man with ties to a Mexican drug cartel.

The Suicide Squad (HBO Max), Friday

FILM PREMIERE: Welcome to Belle Reve, where the worst Supervillains are kept and where they will do anything to get out — even join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X. Those willing to take the chance find themselves dropped (literally) on a remote jungle island for a search and destroy mission. Did we mention it’s teeming with militant adversaries and guerilla forces? One wrong move and they’re dead. Released in both theaters and on HBO Max.

SurrealEstate (SYFY), Friday 10 p.m. - “A House Is Not a Home”

The Roman Agency takes on a haunted master-planned subdivision and a troubled house by the sea.

UFO (Showtime), Sunday 9 p.m. - “101”

SERIES PREMIERE: Exploring the fascination with unidentified flying objects, and what clandestine influence the American government, private companies, and the military may have in shielding the truth behind extraterrestrial phenomena to further their own agendas. Producer by J.J. Abrams.

Wellington Paranormal (The CW), Sunday 9 p.m. - “Zombie Cops”

SEASON FINALE: Things go awry when a zombie is brought in for questioning; Officers Minogue and O'Leary patrol Wellington to ward off an infiltration of the undead.


MONDAY

2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC), Monday 8 p.m. - “Beach Volleyball, Track and Field, Gymnastics”

LIVE: Coverage of a quarterfinal match in the women's beach volleyball tournament. In track and field, finals in the men's 400m hurdles, women's long jump, and more. On the mat, coverage of the women's floor final in gymnastics.

Roswell, New Mexico (The CW), Monday 8 p.m. - “Give Me One Reason”

Jones fills Michael and Isobel in on bits from the past as they look for a way to save Max's life; Maria goes to extremes to stop a murder; Liz must face her past.

Apollo 13 (SYFY), Monday 8 p.m.

Astronauts Jim Lovell (Tom Hanks), Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), and Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) try to return to Earth after an explosion aborts the April 1970 moonshot.


TUESDAY

Alita: Battle Angel (FX), Tuesday 7:30 p.m.

NETWORK PREMIERE: Alita is a futuristic cyborg who wakes up in a doctor's clinic with no memory of who she is. She must soon use her extraordinary fighting abilities to combat deadly forces while trying to uncover the truth behind her mysterious past.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC), Tuesday 8 p.m. - “Men's Diving, Track and Field, Gymnastics”

LIVE: Coverage of the men's springboard final in diving, finals, and semifinals in track and field, including the men's 110m hurdles and women's 400m hurdles, the men's horizontal bar final, and women's balance beam final in gymnastics and more.

Wendy (Cinemax), Tuesday 8 p.m.

NETWORK PREMIERE: Lost on a mysterious island, a girl fights to save her family, her freedom, and the joyous spirit of youth.


WEDNESDAY

Monsters At Work (Disney+), Wednesday - Episode 6

Takes place the day after the Monsters, Incorporated, power plant started harvesting the laughter of children to fuel the city of Monstropolis, thanks to Mike and Sulley's discovery that laughter generates ten times more energy than screams. It follows the story of Tylor Tuskmon, an eager young monster who graduated top of his class at Monsters University and always dreamed of becoming a Scarer.

Turner & Hooch (Disney+), Wednesday - Episode 3

When an ambitious, buttoned-up US Marshal inherits a big unruly dog, he soon realizes the dog he didn’t want may be the partner he needs. Turner & Hooch stars Josh Peck as Scott Turner, son of Detective Scott Turner portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 1989 film of the same name.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC), Wednesday 8 p.m. - “Beach Volleyball, Track and Field, Women's Diving”

LIVE: Coverage of a semifinal match in women's beach volleyball, qualifying in the women's 4x100m relay, men's 4x100m, men's triple jump final, and other track and field events, plus the women's platform semifinal in diving.

The Outpost (The CW), Wednesday 9 p.m. - “Going to Meet the Gods”

Garret leads a rebellion; Falista recruits Wren and Janzo to serve a specific purpose; Luna faces her greatest challenge yet.


THURSDAY

Departure (Peacock), Thursday - Season 2

See more in our “Highlights” section above.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC), Thursday 8 p.m. - “Track and Field, Marathon, Diving, Basketball”

LIVE: Coverage of track and field finals, including the women's marathon, men's 4x100m, and women's 4x100m. Plus, men's platform diving qualifying and the men's basketball final.


FRIDAY

The Suicide Squad (HBO Max), Friday

See more in our “Highlights” section above.

The Swarm (Netflix), Friday

FILM PREMIERE: Virginie lives on a farm with her children Laura (15) and Gaston (7) and raises locusts as a high-protein crop. Life is hard: money worries and practical problems are piling up, tensions with her kids and neighbors are running high. But everything changes when she discovers the locusts have a taste for blood.

Vivo (Netflix), Friday

FILM PREMIERE: From Netflix and Sony Pictures Animation comes VIVO, an animated musical adventure that follows Vivo, a musically gifted kinkajou (aka a rainforest “honey bear”) as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to deliver a song to his cherished owner’s long-lost love.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+), Friday - Episode 15

Follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch — a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army — each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.

The Mysterious Benedict Society (Disney+), Friday - Episode 8

FINALE: After winning a scholarship competition, four gifted orphans are recruited by the peculiar Mr. Benedict for a dangerous mission to save the world from a global crisis known as The Emergency. Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance must infiltrate the mysterious L.I.V.E. Institute to discover the truth behind the crisis. When the headmaster, the sophisticated Dr. Curtain appears to be behind this worldwide panic, the kids of The Mysterious Benedict Society must devise a plan to defeat him.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC), Friday 8 p.m. - “Track and Field, Marathon, Diving, Basketball”

LIVE: Coverage of track and field finals, including the women's marathon, men's 4x100m, and women's 4x100m. Plus, men's platform diving qualifying and the men's basketball final.

SurrealEstate (SYFY), Friday 10 p.m. - “A House Is Not a Home”

See more in our “Highlights” section above.


SATURDAY

2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC), Saturday 8 p.m. - “Marathon, Track and Field, Diving, Basketball”

LIVE: Coverage of the men's marathon and track and field finals in women's high jump, women's 10,000m and men's javelin. Plus, the men's platform diving final and the women's basketball gold medal game.


SUNDAY

2020 Tokyo Olympics (NBC), Sunday 8 p.m. - “Closing Ceremony”

The Tokyo Olympics conclude with the closing ceremony from National Stadium.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow (The CW), Sunday 8 p.m. - “The Final Frame”

When the Legends track down another alien pod, they find a device that transports them to a cosmic bowling alley; Nate plans a romantic date for him and Zari, but nothing goes as planned.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow | Season 6 Episode 11 | The Final Frame Promo | The CW

A Discovery of Witches (AMC), Sunday 8 p.m. - Episode 8 

Matthew worries that the Book of Life is making Diana ill; back in the present day, Marcus isn't ready to give up on Phoebe and makes an impassioned plea; Knox threatens Sophie and Nathaniel's baby.

UFO (Showtime), Sunday 9 p.m. - “101”

See more in our “Highlights” section above.

Wellington Paranormal (The CW), Sunday 9 p.m. - “Zombie Cops”

See more in our “Highlights” section above.

Dead Pixels (The CW), Sunday 9:30 p.m. - “Raid Boss”

As Meg, Nicky, Usman, and Russell wait in a cue to take down the Raid Boss, drama unfolds in their personal lives; Usman attempts therapy; Meg tries to keep her new beau occupied; Alison tries to keep her own love life on track.

*TV listings via Zap2it, network, and streaming listings.