Game of Thrones Prepares for Battle

If you think the next five weeks will bring a single Sunday where we’re not buzzing with energy over the new Game of Thrones, think again.. Last week’s premiere was a cavalcade of reunions between characters long-separated, in addition to a dragon-flying exhibition for the curiously carefree Jon Snow and Daenerys. (That is, until Jon found out at the end that he’s the One True King.)

For the next few weeks at least, the rest of Sunday night TV will be playing catch-up. Which is a shame, because shows like Veep and Barry keep delivering the goods while cast in a shadow.

NEW EPISODE: As previewed at the end of last week’s Game of Thrones, Jaime Lannister’s arrival at Winterfell — complete with an awk-as-hell meet-up with Bran — will be a focal point of the episode, what with Daenerys finally setting eyes on the man who broke his oath and murdered the Mad King/her dad. But one hopes they get all that squared away before the ice zombies attack at nightfall. Lots happening all at once! 9:00 PM ET on HBO

SPECIAL PRESENTATION: Home to such acts as Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder, Berry Gordy's Motown Records is the stuff of legend. Motown 60: A Grammy Celebration honors the record label with an all-star lineup, including John Legend, Ciara, and Ne-Yo to perform alongside Ross, Wonder, and more. Smokey Robinson will be joined by Cedric the Entertainer as hosts. 8:00 PM ET on CBS

SEASON FINALE: Increasingly one of CBS’s most reliable dramas, Madam Secretary closes out its 5th season tonight, as Tea Leoni’s Elizabeth McCord makes plans to ditch the State Department and (finally) run for president. Given that the premise of the series was so closely tied to the career of Hillary Clinton, seeing Elizabeth prepare to run for president doesn’t not fill us with dread for something painfully familiar. 10:00 AM ET on CBS

SEASON FINALE: With its third reunion episode, The Real Housewives of Atlanta prepares to shut down for the season, and it’s looking less and less likely that we’re going to get to the bottom of why Nene just decided to go nuclear on the entire cast this year, but one can hope. 8:00 PM ET on Bravo

ALSO TONIGHT

• Veep travels to South Carolina as the show continues to traverse the big battleground states in its final season. We’ll also get to enjoy even more Marjorie, which is fantastic. 10:30 PM ET on HBO
• Barry gets shaken up this week when someone from Sally’s past shows up in Los Angeles. 10:00 PM ET on NBC
• Worst Cooks in America kicks off a celebrity season, with the likes of Tonya Harding and Morgan Fairchild competing to see who isn’t the very worst. 9:00 PM ET on Food Network

Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The A.V. Club and more.