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Your Weekly Watch List

The Wheel of Time Season 2 Sets Up Another Epic Battle of Good Versus Evil

Plus: Raylan Givens and Clement Mansell meet in the Justified: City Primeval finale, a live-action One Piece hits Netflix, and more.
  • Josha Stradowski in The Wheel of Time Season 2 (Photo: Jan Thijs/Prime Video)
    Josha Stradowski in The Wheel of Time Season 2 (Photo: Jan Thijs/Prime Video)

    Looking for your next binge-watch, or just need to fill an hour? Welcome to Your Weekly Watch List, our curated collection of the best shows on television. Here's what to watch from Sunday, August 27 through Saturday, September 2.

    Forces of good and evil collide across the television spectrum as Rosamund Pike and Josha Stradowski recruit an army to battle the Dark One in The Wheel of Time Season 2, and Justified: City Primeval's Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) stares down Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook) one last time. Also this week: Netflix adapts ultra-popular Japanese manga One Piece, John Wilson's advice-giving ends in the How to With John Wilson series finale, and more.

    Justified: City Primeval Finale

    Tuesday, 10:00 PM ET on FX

    In true Justified fashion, the finale of sequel series City Primeval asks what constitutes "justice" and whether it can be found in a corrupt system. After weeks of watching Clement Mansell (Boyd Holbrook) slip through his fingers, U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) finally has a chance to bring him down, but with the Detroit PD mired in scandal, Raylan has to take matters into his own hands to nab the unrepentant murderer. Across town, attorney Carolyn Wilder (Aunjanue Ellis), still reeling from the death of her father figure Sweety (Vondie Curtis-Hall), skirts a different line as she moves to secure a judgeship that would afford her financial stability and allow her to cut ties with Mansell.

    Not everything in Justified: City Primeval worked, including the business with Raylan's daughter Willa (Vivian Olyphant) and Clement's schtick, but on the whole, it made for an exciting reunion with the Marshal who just can't seem to stay out of trouble. Though the eight-episode season was conceived as a limited series, the finale leaves plenty of room for further exploration — and co-showrunner Michael Dinner has said he's open to "another chapter" — so it's possible this won't be the last fans see of Raylan Givens and his Stetson.

    One Piece

    Thursday, Netflix (Full Season)

    Eiichiro Oda's One Piece has taken many forms since it debuted in 1997, but never has it been adapted as a live-action project — until now. Like the original Japanese manga, Netflix's take centers on the adventures of the Straw Hat Pirates as they search for the mythical "One Piece" treasure. Captain Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) believes discovering the treasure will make him King of the Pirates, but to win that title, he must overcome rival crews and Marines determined to stop the Straw Hat Pirates from completing their mission.

    While the Netflix series embraces the whimsical, comedic nature of Oda's source material (and the anime series that premiered in 1999), it places those antics alongside heavily choreographed sword fights and realistic-looking storms that emphasize the perils of life on the high seas. The result is a show that combines a Pirates of the Caribbean aesthetic with fun, fantastical elements in a way that both longtime One Piece fans and newcomers can enjoy.

    The Wheel of Time Season 2 Premiere

    Friday, Prime Video
    *Our must-watch pick of the week*

    Just when Rand al'Thor (Josha Stradowski), a powerful figure reborn as a humble farm boy, has defeated the Dark One, the malevolent entity returns stronger than ever. In The Wheel of Time Season 2, Rand and his friends find themselves scattered across the world, leaving them susceptible to threats from the Dark One's newly freed lieutenants. With Moiraine Damodred (Rosamund Pike), a member of the all-female Aes Sendai, unable to access the One Power after her battle with Dark One deputy Ba'alzamon (Fares Fares) in Season 1, Rand must master his abilities and find new sources of strength, lest forces of primordial evil destroy the world as he knows it.

    Though danger lurks in every corner in Season 2, which draws primarily from the second book in Robert Jordan's novel series, The Great Hunt, The Wheel of Time leaves the door open for romance. The love between Moiraine and Aes Sendai leader Siuan Sanche (Sophie Okonedo) continues to bloom, while Rand bonds with new character Lanfear (Natasha O'Keeffe), a manipulative agent secretly working on behalf of the Dark One. These storylines should provide no shortage of intrigue as the fantasy epic inches toward another clash between the Light and the Shadow — and tons for viewers to theorize about as they wait for episodes to roll out on a weekly basis.

    How To With John Wilson Series Finale

    Friday, 11:00 PM ET on HBO

    John Wilson's funny, deeply poignant series comes to an end this Friday after three seasons of unexpected turns and introspective moments. The beauty of How To With John Wilson has always been the comedian's ability to connect seemingly unrelated topics, as he did in the Season 3 premiere, which used poop jokes as a way to explore the fragility of humanity. In the series finale, Wilson attempts to explain "How to Track Your Package," but as he's done all season, he pivots into self-reflection mode, wondering aloud about his creative process and our place in the world at large. His musings make for a fitting end to a comedy that always defied definition and embraced life's biggest unanswerable questions.

    If You Have...

    An Hour

    Claim to Fame Season 2 Finale: Monday, 8:00 PM ET on ABC *New time
    Archer Season 14 Premiere: Wednesday, 10:00 PM ET on FXX
    What We Do In the Shadows Season 5 Finale: Thursday, 10:00 PM ET on FX
    Power Book IV: Force: Season 2 Premiere: Friday, 8:00 PM ET on Starz

    An Evening

    The Conversations Project: Monday, Hulu
    The Ultimatum Season 2 Finale and Reunion: Wednesday, Netflix
    Love Is Blind: After the Altar Season 4: Friday, Netflix

    A Full Day

    Heart of Invictus: Wednesday, Netflix
    Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones: Wednesday, Netflix
    Spellbound Season 1A: Thursday, Hulu
    Disenchantment Part 5: Friday, Netflix

    Up Next

    The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 4: Tuesday, September 5 on Bravo
    The Afterparty Season 2 Finale: Wednesday, September 6 on Apple TV+
    Virgin River Season 5: Thursday, September 7 on Netflix
    The Changeling: Friday, September 8 on Apple TV+

    Claire Spellberg Lustig is the Senior Editor at Primetimer and a scholar of The View. Follow her on Twitter at @c_spellberg.

    TOPICS: The Wheel of Time, Amazon Prime Video, How To with John Wilson, Justified: City Primeval, One Piece