#‘Beast Must Die’ Finale, ‘Small Town News’ Election Night, A Flavorful ‘Ben & Jerry’s’ Competition, ‘Bachelor in Paradise’

AMC’s harrowing mystery drama The Beast Must Die reaches its twisty conclusion. The final two episodes of HBO’s delightful Small Town News docuseries take the rural Nevada station through 2020’s election night. Food Network launches a competition inspired by Ben & Jerry’s inventive ice-cream flavors. Bachelorette Katie made her choice, so now it’s time to move on to Bachelor in Paradise.

The Beast Must Die

The gripping psychological thriller ends with one last twist worthy of Agatha Christie by way of Ruth Rendell. Frances (the terrific Cush Jumbo), still grieving the hit-and-run death of her son—“It’s like I live in two worlds at once,” she tells Detective Nigel Strangeways (Billy Howle)—is also mourning her failure to kill the prime suspect, rich and arrogant George Rattery (Jared Harris). And yet someone poisoned the brute. But who? As more secrets emerge among George’s dysfunctional family, Beast ends on a haunting note of emotional sacrifice.

Small Town News: KPVM Pahrump

The charming docuseries about a rural local-news TV station in the Nevada desert reveals how a team with no budget covers the eventful election night of Nov. 3, 2020. While station owner Vern frets when the later results come in, co-host Deanna tries to maintain a neutral tone as the hours drone on. In the finale, Vern’s dream of breaking into the nearby Las Vegas finally becomes reality, but what does that mean about their ties to the community that has supported them this far?

Ben & Jerry’s: Clash of the Cones

Now here’s a tasty idea. Bring six ice-cream makers from across the country to Ben & Jerry’s factory grounds in Waterbury, Vt., to create a new flavor of their own. But first, there are challenges to survive, including re-creating a discontinued flavor and then designing a flavor in honor of the effortlessly cool Kevin Bacon. The public gets a vote when contestants take their new tempting tastes to the streets, but the ultimate decision is made by judges Jet and Ali Tila and Ben & Jerry’s flavor guru Chris Rivard.

Bachelor in Paradise

The pandemic kept this gathering of hot bodies off the air in 2020, but now the coast is clear for the flotsam and jetsam of Bachelor Nation to wash up back on a Mexican beach for a seventh season of hookups and other sexy shenanigans. As a sign that none of this is meant to be taken seriously, David Spade is the season’s first guest host.

Inside Monday TV:

• Reservation Dogs (streaming on FX on Hulu): In the indigenous comedy that’s as offbeat as it is authentic, the Dogs are feeling threatened by the arrival of a new crew. So Elora (Devery Jacobs) goes to her Uncle Brownie for advice on how to learn to fight back.
• Housebroken (9/8c, Fox): Recently renewed for a second season, the animated comedy about house pets off the leash takes on a murder-mystery vibe when owner Jill’s mom brings an obnoxious parrot into their den. When he goes missing after a blackout, everyone’s a suspect.
• The Celebrity Dating Game (10/9c, ABC): In the season finale of the summer’s silliest reboot, black-ish star Marcus Scribner and Blossom’s Joey Lawrence are the celebrity guests. As one of my readers recently pointed out, Joey just announced his engagement—not to any of these contestants—so maybe the date wasn’t all that memorable.