“Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey” (8 p.m., Cinemax):

“Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey” (8 p.m., Cinemax): What could you learn about reality while immersing yourself for months in virtual reality? Filmmaker Douglas Gayeton ponders life’s big issues by means of a digital surrogate in “Molotov Alva and His Search for the Creator: A Second Life Odyssey,” premiering 8 p.m. Thursday on Cinemax. Its premise is simple. Gayeton delves into the online virtual world called Second Life for an extended stay, professing to have left real life behind. “Whatever connection I once had to that carbon-based world is now gone,” he claims, while his avatar, Molotov Alva, journeys far and wide in this alternate realm, trying to figure things out. Billed as the first documentary shot entirely in virtual reality, this half-hour meditation seems to be the creation of Molotov Alva, who captures footage of Second Life’s sights with the camera he totes.

“Ugly Betty” (8 p.m., ABC): Amanda decides to do a reality show with her long-lost father, Gene Simmons of KISS. Some girls have all the luck.

“Smallville” (8 p.m., CW): In the season finale, Lex finds himself compromised, and Lana finally gets out of bed.

“My Name Is Earl” (9 p.m., ABC): We’re not sure if we really need an entire hour of “My Name Is Earl,” but that’s what we’ve got in a supersized season finale that finds Earl and Billie (Alyssa Milano) experiencing turbulence in their relationship. So he decides to stay away from home as much as possible. Like that will help. 8 p.m., NBC.