Disclaimer: I'm using the Windows version of MC21.0.9, as I haven't updated my Mac version to MC21 yet.
First Marcusturle, how do you have your hardware set up?
a. Do you have a MC Server, that you connect your MBP to, or is the MBP a standalone installation?
b. How is your TV connected, and to what? The MBP via HDMI? Or do you use DLNA from a Server or the MBP to your TV?
c. Does this happen for all videos you play that have Subtitles associated with them, or just one video file?
I am assuming here that you were testing exactly the same file on your MBP and the TV.
Subtitles are configured at the system level and also at the file level.
Subtitles are set at the system level with MC Options/Video/Subtitles & Language. Here you say you have them turned off, which I assume means you have selected "Do not show subtitles" in those settings. That then, is the system default.
Subtitles can also be turned on and off at the file level using three methods;
1. Each video file has a "Playback Info" tag. If Subtitles are turned on for a file, that tag will contain something like this :"(1:3)(12:SubtitleSize)(1:1)(16:SubtitleTimingMS)(1:0)(14:SubtitleShiftY)(1:0)". If you delete that tag, the default Subtitle options will be used for it the next time it is played. If Subtitles have been turned on for a particular file, and you want to turn them off, you could edit the tag to do so. The tag with Subtitles turned off looks something like this: "(1:2)(7:Streams)(3:0,1)(9:Subtitles)(4:None)". Note that there may be other playback information in that tag, so be careful about deleting the whole contents. But usually that is what you can do.
If you use the other methods to turn Subtitles on or off for a file, this tag is where the settings are stored.
2. If you are playing a video that has Subtitles associated with it, you can press the up arrow to scroll through the OSD menu until you find the Subtitles settings. Note that there is a "Subtitles Timing" setting which is separate to turning the Subtitles on and off. When you find the Subtitles settings, you have the options of turning them on or off, or selecting which subtitle set you want played.
3. If you are playing a video that has Subtitles associated with it, you can "right click" and change the Subtitle setting through the menu that pops up. On Windows, right clicking provide immediate access to a Subtitles menu, on the first level, which sound similar to what John Smith reported. You don't need to go through the Player > Display Options menu. (I can't even check if that menu exists, but I assume it does, since Blgentry said it does.)
I also thought playback via DLNA may affect Subtitle display, though it shouldn't, but I checked anyway. I played a video file to my TV directly via a HDMI cable, and via DLNA from my HTPC to my Samsung TV. Subtitles worked correctly in both cases. On when they should be via defaults, or turned on by file, and off when turned off.
So if the above helps you understand what is going on and allows you to fix the problem, please let us know. Otherwise tell us about your hardware setup and we shall see if we can get any further.