Tonight in HD: April 30

SoHo Highlight: Game of Thrones (Sky 10, 8.30, 5.1) “For all the beheading, incest and cursing we’ve seen over the previous 13 hours, this was perhaps the grimmest episode of Game of Thrones yet,” The Daily Telegraph warned. “It opened with Robb Stark’s (Richard Masden) direwolf, Grey Wind, eating a man’s neck. It ended with a demonic shadow emerging from Melisandre’s (Carice van Houten) womb. I knew she was trouble (how often has a woman in a red dress, in TV or film, not been trouble?), but I didn’t see that one coming. In between were two protracted scenes of torture.” Time said with this episode, it’s clear the theme of the season is power: “The first three episodes have concerned what power is, how it works and how it’s attained. Episode four, Garden of Bones, is about what power does. It creates monsters. It’s impossible not to talk about this without describing the sadistic scene involving Joffrey and his gift-whores, although to be honest I’d rather not even think about it. It was important—if maybe lingered on a little too long for shock value—but tough to watch. Which was very much the point, of course: that, along with the realisation that for Joffrey, the brutal scene was very, very easy to watch.” ✮✮✮✮

Homeland (TV3, 8.30, 5.1, F) While Carrie is near catatonic and confined to bed, Saul investigates the unsettling implications of her timeline. "As a finale, Marine One was smart and impressively dark, paying off most of the series' major plot points and answering the central 'Is Brody a terrorist?' question," The Atlantic said. Variety called the extended finale "almost unbearably suspenseful, while hewing closely enough to recent real-life events so as to feel plausible". And Entertainment Weekly dubbed it "a terrific end to a terrific first season" that in pushing the parallel narratives of Carrie and Brody to extremes, "worked as both cliff-hangers and as provocative revelations". ✮✮✮✮✮

Home & Away (TV3, 5.30) Ruby is caught with drugs and Brax seeks to intervene; Logan gives it another try with Indi; Harvey meets his daughter, Lottie. ✮✮

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Rachel and the engaged Ross reminisce separately about when they dated each other, and the friends get invitations to Ross’ wedding – but not all are going. ✮✮✮✮

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) Vasa struggles to keep her balls in the air; Phoenix plots revenge; Chris is shocked by disturbing behaviour. ✮✮✮

Last Man Standing (TV3, 7.30, 5.1) Mike deals with a pair of brash, young celebrity endorsers. ✮✮

Modern Family (TV3, 8.00, 5.1) Luke and Manny’s school science project triggers Claire and Jay’s competitive instincts. The AV Club called it “a showcase example of what Modern Family does best; that is, taking a stale sitcom plot and making it seem fresh again with clever writing and some well-observed family dynamics.” ✮✮✮✮

Criminal Minds (TV One, 8.30, 5.1) The heat is on in Atlanta when the BAU investigates murders of women and realises they’re looking for more than one suspect. ✮✮

Desperate Housewives (TV2, 8.30, 5.1) Bree’s life continues its downward spiral as her alcohol consumption and lust for men rises, and Lynette goes on her first date since separating with Tom. ✮✮

Person of Interest (TV One, 9.30, 5.1) The Machine leads Reese and Finch to Wall Street when a sharp young trader at a major investment bank becomes embroiled in a multi-million-dollar financial scam. ✮✮

Revenge (TV2, 9.30, 5.1) Emily sets her sights on a new target when a famed author who has deep ties with both the Graysons and the Clarkes returns to town, and Conrad proves how dirty he’s willing to get. ✮✮

Saving Grace (TV3, 11.15, 5.1) When a drug-riddled party turns deadly, numerous teen partygoers land in trouble – including Grace’s niece. ✮✮