Tonight in HD: May 7

SoHo Highlight: Game of Thrones (Sky 10, 8.30, 5.1) The Baratheon rivalry ends; Tyrion learns of Cersei’s secret weapon; Dany suffers a loss; Arya collects a debt she didn’t know was owed; Jon and the Night’s Watch man an ancient fortress and meet a legend. The Daily Telegraph thought this a “classic mid-series episode” with the emphasis on exposition rather than action but still room for “a few graphic treats“. The Independent acclaimed it as “the best episode of the series so far” because of its momentum and supernatural elements. “Out of all the episodes in Game of Thrones, this episode contained more than any other episode previously seen.” ✮✮✮✮

Modern Family (TV3, 8.00, 5.1) The family helps Claire prepare for her upcoming televised debate with Duane Bailey for the town council seat, but will they do more harm than good? This episode made headlines in the US because of outrage over infant Lily's Little Bo Peep "F bomb", which New York magazine dubbed a non-controversy: "If nothing else, we’re glad that Modern Family drummed up some extra publicity for this episode — one of the strongest of an uneven third season, with plotlines fitting together seamlessly — just the right blend of cute and sharp." ✮✮✮✮

Home & Away (TV3, 5.30) April is jealous of Dex and Lottie; Bianca and Liam prepare to leave the Bay; Heath and Bianca share a moment. ✮✮

Friends (TV2, 6.30, R) Chandler kisses Rachel and Phoebe to cover up his kissing Monic; Rachel finally tells Ross her feelings; Phoebe goes into labour. ✮✮✮

Shortland Street (TV2, 7.00) In the first of 2012’s hour-long Monday instalments: the evil twins combine their powers; Roimata steps up for her whanau; Chris has a run-in with a lunatic. ✮✮✮

Last Man Standing (TV3, 7.30, 5.1) Mike learns Ed hired his daughter to replace him as Outdoor Man’s marketing consultant. ✮✮

Criminal Minds (TV One, 8.30, 5.1) The BAU team investigates the murders of married couples in Seattle; Garcia fears a proposal from Kevin is imminent. ✮✮

Desperate Housewives (TV2, 8.30, 5.1) Susan is in for a shock when her daughter Julie  shows up six months pregnant; Bree’s alcohol consumption and lust for men continues. ✮✮

Movie: Taken (TV3, 8.30, 5.1, R) Taken would have been a terrific thriller if Transporter scribes Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen didn’t take so many liberties with reality. Liam Neeson is a fantastic tough-guy hero with heart, a resourceful ex-spy who tries to rescue his estranged, teenage daughter (Lost’s Maggie Grace) from white slave traders who abduct her while she’s in Paris. How he ingeniously tracks her down strains credulity but it’s the extreme, albeit expertly edited, over-the-top action that turns Taken into token escapism. (2009) ✮✮✮

Person of Interest (TV One, 9.30, 5.1) Reese and Finch puzzle over how a six-month-old baby could be their next person of interest, but consequently resort to overprotective parenting with an arsenal at their disposal. ✮✮

Revenge (TV2, 9.30, 5.1) Daniel plans a romantic proposal that may carry dire, long-term ramifications, and Charlotte is devastated when she’s forced to move back home with her mother. ✮✮

Saving Grace (TV3, 11.15, 5.1) Revolving police partner Abby is rebuffed by her fellow officers, causing Grace to snoop into her past. Christina Ricci guest stars. ✮✮

Sky Movies Greats Premiere: Closer (Sky 22, 8.30, 5.1) Director Mike Nichols updates his Carnal Knowledge with this absorbing, starkly adult drama about two obsessive couples whose intimacy — and bent for dangerous liaisons — pushes them further apart. The performances and dialogue are extraordinary while the fractured storytelling is surprisingly fluid and elegant. Yet for all its intensity, wit and artistry, Closer winds up being as much in limbo as its insecure, self-destructive characters. Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Jude Law and Natalie Portman star. (2005) ✮✮✮✮