A weekly feature in which we're trying to find the most compelling, best acted, written, directed and just generally great, memorable scenes that we've seen in past seven days on TV.
AGENTS OF SHIELD, "Leap", July 19, 2019, Actors: Maximilian Osinski, Karolina Wydra, Henry Simmons, Briana Venskus and more, The Scene: The body snatcher sequence
Justyna: Another excellent hour of AoS. I absolutely loved finally learning the truth about Sarge but in the end I decided to highlight this sequence instead. It's the most tense scene of the episode and ends with the most tragic of consequences. The team is able to figure out that Izel has been using different people to shoot Sarge and search for something in the HQ. They're unaware of her current location and suspect that any of them could be possessed. I liked their logical approach to the situation, sharing a secret to prove they're still themselves, Mack's realization about Daisy and Yo-Yo and finally the way he was able to identify Fitz as the one under Izel's control. The moment was building up to this reveal and it worked really well, especially as the viewers were only aware of Izel's last attack on Deke. But it's hardly where this scene ends. Izel proves just how dangerous she is when she keeps on switching the bodies depending on the team's response. She almost gets Mack to strangle Deke, she forces Piper to shoot her own hand and finally she causes Davis to fall to his death. Such a heartbreaking part. Davis' character has really grown on me and he was both a competent agent, as well as a great source of comic relief whenever things seemed too dark on the show. His death certainly hits hard, it feels like an end to the happier time for the team. As brief as it was. And the fall itself, the fact that there was nothing anyone could have done, the knowledge that Davis was barely awake from his possession while falling, it all makes this even harder. The entire sequence is wonderfully acted, written and directed. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for all their memorable work. Goodbye Davis, truly one of the good ones.
Prpleight: The mystery of the body snatcher. From the moment that Mack wisely locked down the base the tension of the episode ratcheted up. Mack proved his appointment to director wasn't a mistake. The moment the body jumping is mentioned he locks down the base. Then, when he clears YoYo and Daisy, he locks them away where Izel can't get to them. Then Izel proceeds to play musical bodies in an effort of proving that they really can't do anything to stop her. Unfortunately she solidifies her point in the way she kills Davis. It was one of the more intense games of cat and mouse I've seen in a while.
BIG LITTLE LIES, "The Bad Mother", July 14, 2019, Actors: Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Zoë Kravitz and more, The Scenes: Celeste fights back at the end & Ed finds Madeline in her wedding dress & Bonnie's speech to her mom & Celeste takes the stand
Laura B: Celeste fights back. It's hard to believe that there is only one episode left, as every episode continued to spiral further and further down. Celeste has been similar to her season one counterpart in that she has found a way to numb herself from the truth of her experience, but it has nearly cost her her children, as Mary Louise takes Celeste to court over custody. Through the first part of the trial Celeste was portrayed poorly, as she couldn't really find a way to turn things around, but then at the last minute Celeste seems to have been able to pick herself up and find that much fiercer voice we saw last season when she helped Madeline out with the play as she now calls into question Mary Louise's own fitness! It was just great to see Nicole Kidman transform like that again!
Claire: Ed walks in on a tipsy Madeline cleaning out her closet in her wedding dress, which hilariously won’t zip up anymore. She’s dancing around and singing a little Patti Smith from their wedding. I’m rooting for these two to save their marriage and it was nice to see this little crack in the armor that Ed has had to put up to avoid being hurt again. The wonderfully underrated Adam Scott and Reese Witherspoon. Runner up: Bonnie reading the letter, admitting her guilt as Perry’s murderer to her comatose mother. I felt a great sense of relief in this truth telling.
Saloni: Bonnie's speech to her mom, who is comatose.
Luana: Celeste takes the stand. This was definitely hard to watch, but it felt so real, like exactly the way in which a lawyer would proceed to discredit a mother, and though some of her choices are pretty questionable, Mary Louise could've helped without making things worse for everyone. Still, as enraging and depressing as this was, Kidman did an amazing job.
GRAND HOTEL, "You've Got Blackmail", July 15, 2019, Actor: Justina Adorno
The Scene: The reveal about Yoli and Sky
Jessica C: Yoli goes through a keepsake box that includes a photograph revealing she and Sky were romantically involved. If this twist was clear to everyone else, I was none the wiser! This came as a complete surprise. I always assumed Sky was involved with someone at the hotel and I knew it was far too easy for that person to be Javi, or even Mateo. But I never imagined it could be Yoli.
JANE THE VIRGIN, "Chapter Ninety-Seven", July 17, 2019, Actors: Gina Rodriguez, Justin Baldoni, The Scene: Jane wakes Rafael up
Luana: The thought of Mateo being swapped at birth snuck into Jane's head and it wouldn't let go, and I think we've all been there, that moment when this one terrible thought creeps into our conscience and it's impossible to ignore. I love how they managed the whole thing and it only showed how strong they are as a couple and as parents as well. I'm not exactly looking forward to this new Rose comeback but I like the way the show is heading towards the end.
JETT, "Josie", July 19, 2019, Actors: Gentry White, Jodie Turner-Smith, The Scene: Charles Jr's hangman game and chase sequence
Sandi: Gentry White has been outstanding as Charles Jr, but this scene took the psychopathic nature of his character to such dark depths that it was more than uncomfortable to watch this torture sequence unfold. He plays the cruel and disturbing side of the role with such cavalier nonchalance you never quite know what he will do next, aside from looking after number one of course. Josie never really stood a chance, though Jodie Turner-Smith kept me right on the edge of my seat thinking that she might actually be able to pull off an escape during the cat and mouse chase, until that very last second when Jr appeared as if from nowhere.
KILLJOYS, "Run, Yala, Run", July 19, 2019, Actors: Hannah John-Kamen, Aaron Ashmore, Luke Macfarlane, Thom Allison, The Scene: Dutch almost gets her guys back
Prpleight: The world is upside down. Johnny and Dutch are married, D'av is a solo Killjoy hunting for Jaq, and Pree represents the RAC. With a little outside help Dutch remembers the truth and, after a little sleuthing, gathers the objects she needs to jar Johnny, D'av and Pree back into their right minds. I thought it was gonna work. It had to, didn't it? We were at the end of the hour. All Dutch had to do was stop them from returning to the decontamination unit that was being used to maintain the alternate realities.....and then we discover that The Lady had a back up plan! The rain that the guys just stepped into is a secondary way of reprogramming the people of Westerley. ARGH! They got me! I love it when I make the wrong guess about the direction one of my stories is going to go.
LEGION, "Chapter 23", July 15, 2019, Actors: Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza, The Scene: David finds Lenny and lets her feel her pain
Laura B: I would love to include every single scene from this episode into my scene of the week choice! Everything was impressively shot and I just loved the concept playing with all of the temporal anomalies with the time-eating demons the episode explores. I chose this scene though, because it shows us David's growth as a character. It's true he's been hugging a very gray line between being an underdog hero or becoming the worst villain imaginable. But when he finds Lenny after she went through an emotional temporal experiences that involved seeing her potential daughter Violet grow up before her very eyes, David asks her if she wants him to take her pain away and she says "no". David respects this and walks away. It's important because it ties back into another scene where Syd was talking to younger version of herself and reminding us of why she feels she can't love David anymore, as he wiped some of her memory last season. David just gave someone else a choice, and that could be a step in a redeemable direction.
POSE, "What Would Candy Do?", July 16, 2019, Actors: MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson and more
The Scene: Blanca and Elektra's parallels
Saloni: The parallels of Blanca helping and cheering Damon for the Madonna audition vs. Elektra's zero nurturing of Ricky for the same.
SWAMP THING, "Long Walk Home", July 19, 2019, Actors: Michael Beach, Crystal Reed and more, The Scene: Nathan Ellery appears at the CDC
Prpleight: Abby arrives planning to check the results of the sample she risked her life to retrieve and finds that she's been locked out of the lab. Her new boss (played by Adrienne Barbeau, yay!) informs her the sample was placed on full lockdown and escorts her to a conference room for an explanation. Instead she's greeted by Sutherland's money man, who initiates a full court press to get Abby to use Alec's trust in her to bring him in for experiments. The strong implication is that taking Alec's side will cost her her career. She chooses Alec and storms out of the office. It was an unexpected moment that moved the story in a different direction.
THE 100, "Matryoshka", July 16, 2019, Actors: Eliza Taylor, Bob Morley, Marie Avgeropoulos and more, The Scene: Bellamy brings Clarke back
Justyna: It's no wonder this scene was highlighted by multiple members of our team. It must be one of the most emotional and powerful moments the show has ever done. It's focused on the "heart and the head" of the series - Bellamy and Clarke. I've been really enjoying all of their interactions during the season but this one is unlike anything else we've seen in the past. It's the culmination of their journey so far. I was always under the impression that this show is at its best whenever these two are at its front and center. Whether it's planning a defense against the Grounders' attack, rescuing their people from Mount Weather, ending A.L.I.E. or looking for a way to survive the radiation and the death wave - these two working together were always one of the show's greatest strengths. That's probably why this is quickly becoming my favorite season since the second one. The storyline of Clarke's body being stolen by Josephine could have gone in so many directions, but the one chosen by the writers turned out better than I hoped. Not only we got to see Clarke actively fighting to stay alive while confronting her past, it also gave the show a chance to reunite these two against a common enemy and find a way to rebuild their broken relationship. It truly feels like they're stronger than ever and I can't wait to see them take a stand against Sanctum and the Primes. About the scene itself, a big shout-out to the cast, especially Bob Morley who perfectly portrayed the most vulnerable side of his character yet. Bellamy refuses to let Clarke die and admits just how much he needs her. He recalls their conversation about "the head and the heart" and is determined to keep her heart beating. It's a beautiful act of love and exactly what Clarke needs at the moment. She almost gets destroyed by Josephine but Bellamy's desperate plea for her to "get up and fight" seems to give her enough strength and motivation to win the confrontation. Bellamy's efforts end with Clarke's true return and the amount of relief and joy on everyone's faces means the world. I'm also very glad to see Octavia and the part she plays in the scene. She tries to be there for her brother and gets to witness the emotional reunion. There's so much that can be said about this moment, I haven't even mentioned Gabriel letting Josephine go, but truly, this one has to be seen and felt through the actors' performances. Kudos to the wonderful cast & crew for this memorable scene. Can't wait to see what's next.
Sierra: Bellamy brings Clarke back to life. This was quite possibly one of the most powerful scenes that the show has ever had. It played upon the frequent head and the heart theme between the two characters. Bellamy refused to let Clarke die and wouldn’t stop at anything to keep her heart beating. This was the first time we’ve ever heard Bellamy explicitly state that he needed Clarke. It was an incredible moment for fans of the show.
Luana: This scene was pretty great, even though we knew she wasn't going to die, it was a great moment for the characters and for the actors to show off their chops, Eliza has been killing it with this arc and Bob Morley was especially great on this scene but Marie Avgeropoulos and her reactions to Bellamy's pain were also a big part of driving the point home, she doesn't know what would happen to her brother if he lost Clarke again and I can only hope he's realizing that as well.
Beth: The way Bob Morley played this scene was one of the most heartbreaking moments I have ever seen him do as Bellamy Blake. As Bellamy begged Clarke to live and breathed life back into her, Clarke heard his plea and finally regained her body in the triumphant moment most fans have been longing for since Josephine took over. The scene played on all the emotional beats to perfection and the added element of Octavia looking on as her brother fought to save someone he cares about just brought all the feels.
Jennifer: Bellamy Saves Clarke. "The head and the heart" has been a recurring description of Bellamy and Clarke's dynamic since season four. In this scene, Bellamy begs Clarke to live, physically keeping her heart beating and breathing air into her lungs until she's able to win the battle in her head. Both Bellamy and Clarke have given up and left each other for dead in the past, and Clarke decided to let Josephine keep her body when she thought Bellamy had given up on her. Here, they finally fight for each other and accept that they are vital to one another. Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor display their characters' raw emotions beautifully, while Marie Avgeropoulos gets the opportunity to show off Octavia's reinstated squishier feelings as she witnesses her brother's desperation and then joy.
THE HANDMAID'S TALE, "Heroic", July 17, 2019, Actors: Elisabeth Moss, Gil Bellows, The Scene: June talks with the doctor
Laura B: Woah, did Noah Hawley direct this week's episode or what? This week's episode almost felt like an episode of Legion, being filmed in abstract and surreal way, as we watch June break down towards brain atrophy. I loved it, but where it found its emotional ground was when the doctor came in to stitch June's hand after the incident with attacking Serena with a scalpel! The conversation they have was cordial, as the doctor learns that he knew June's mother and that he still treats her kindly despite having different ethical views. It was a trippy episode that blurred the lines on what acceptable is, while potentially setting up some scary loose ends that may come back to bite June later.
Claire: I am disappointed in the direction that has been taken with season 3, but this scene where we see a deeply distraught and possibly suicidal June being treated with care and kindness was a nice respite. Also to have a connection through this doctor to her mother, who is assumed dead, was beautiful.
Justyna: Another excellent hour of AoS. I absolutely loved finally learning the truth about Sarge but in the end I decided to highlight this sequence instead. It's the most tense scene of the episode and ends with the most tragic of consequences. The team is able to figure out that Izel has been using different people to shoot Sarge and search for something in the HQ. They're unaware of her current location and suspect that any of them could be possessed. I liked their logical approach to the situation, sharing a secret to prove they're still themselves, Mack's realization about Daisy and Yo-Yo and finally the way he was able to identify Fitz as the one under Izel's control. The moment was building up to this reveal and it worked really well, especially as the viewers were only aware of Izel's last attack on Deke. But it's hardly where this scene ends. Izel proves just how dangerous she is when she keeps on switching the bodies depending on the team's response. She almost gets Mack to strangle Deke, she forces Piper to shoot her own hand and finally she causes Davis to fall to his death. Such a heartbreaking part. Davis' character has really grown on me and he was both a competent agent, as well as a great source of comic relief whenever things seemed too dark on the show. His death certainly hits hard, it feels like an end to the happier time for the team. As brief as it was. And the fall itself, the fact that there was nothing anyone could have done, the knowledge that Davis was barely awake from his possession while falling, it all makes this even harder. The entire sequence is wonderfully acted, written and directed. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for all their memorable work. Goodbye Davis, truly one of the good ones.
Prpleight: The mystery of the body snatcher. From the moment that Mack wisely locked down the base the tension of the episode ratcheted up. Mack proved his appointment to director wasn't a mistake. The moment the body jumping is mentioned he locks down the base. Then, when he clears YoYo and Daisy, he locks them away where Izel can't get to them. Then Izel proceeds to play musical bodies in an effort of proving that they really can't do anything to stop her. Unfortunately she solidifies her point in the way she kills Davis. It was one of the more intense games of cat and mouse I've seen in a while.
Laura B: Celeste fights back. It's hard to believe that there is only one episode left, as every episode continued to spiral further and further down. Celeste has been similar to her season one counterpart in that she has found a way to numb herself from the truth of her experience, but it has nearly cost her her children, as Mary Louise takes Celeste to court over custody. Through the first part of the trial Celeste was portrayed poorly, as she couldn't really find a way to turn things around, but then at the last minute Celeste seems to have been able to pick herself up and find that much fiercer voice we saw last season when she helped Madeline out with the play as she now calls into question Mary Louise's own fitness! It was just great to see Nicole Kidman transform like that again!
Claire: Ed walks in on a tipsy Madeline cleaning out her closet in her wedding dress, which hilariously won’t zip up anymore. She’s dancing around and singing a little Patti Smith from their wedding. I’m rooting for these two to save their marriage and it was nice to see this little crack in the armor that Ed has had to put up to avoid being hurt again. The wonderfully underrated Adam Scott and Reese Witherspoon. Runner up: Bonnie reading the letter, admitting her guilt as Perry’s murderer to her comatose mother. I felt a great sense of relief in this truth telling.
Saloni: Bonnie's speech to her mom, who is comatose.
Luana: Celeste takes the stand. This was definitely hard to watch, but it felt so real, like exactly the way in which a lawyer would proceed to discredit a mother, and though some of her choices are pretty questionable, Mary Louise could've helped without making things worse for everyone. Still, as enraging and depressing as this was, Kidman did an amazing job.
GRAND HOTEL, "You've Got Blackmail", July 15, 2019, Actor: Justina Adorno
The Scene: The reveal about Yoli and Sky
Jessica C: Yoli goes through a keepsake box that includes a photograph revealing she and Sky were romantically involved. If this twist was clear to everyone else, I was none the wiser! This came as a complete surprise. I always assumed Sky was involved with someone at the hotel and I knew it was far too easy for that person to be Javi, or even Mateo. But I never imagined it could be Yoli.
Luana: The thought of Mateo being swapped at birth snuck into Jane's head and it wouldn't let go, and I think we've all been there, that moment when this one terrible thought creeps into our conscience and it's impossible to ignore. I love how they managed the whole thing and it only showed how strong they are as a couple and as parents as well. I'm not exactly looking forward to this new Rose comeback but I like the way the show is heading towards the end.
Sandi: Gentry White has been outstanding as Charles Jr, but this scene took the psychopathic nature of his character to such dark depths that it was more than uncomfortable to watch this torture sequence unfold. He plays the cruel and disturbing side of the role with such cavalier nonchalance you never quite know what he will do next, aside from looking after number one of course. Josie never really stood a chance, though Jodie Turner-Smith kept me right on the edge of my seat thinking that she might actually be able to pull off an escape during the cat and mouse chase, until that very last second when Jr appeared as if from nowhere.
Prpleight: The world is upside down. Johnny and Dutch are married, D'av is a solo Killjoy hunting for Jaq, and Pree represents the RAC. With a little outside help Dutch remembers the truth and, after a little sleuthing, gathers the objects she needs to jar Johnny, D'av and Pree back into their right minds. I thought it was gonna work. It had to, didn't it? We were at the end of the hour. All Dutch had to do was stop them from returning to the decontamination unit that was being used to maintain the alternate realities.....and then we discover that The Lady had a back up plan! The rain that the guys just stepped into is a secondary way of reprogramming the people of Westerley. ARGH! They got me! I love it when I make the wrong guess about the direction one of my stories is going to go.
Laura B: I would love to include every single scene from this episode into my scene of the week choice! Everything was impressively shot and I just loved the concept playing with all of the temporal anomalies with the time-eating demons the episode explores. I chose this scene though, because it shows us David's growth as a character. It's true he's been hugging a very gray line between being an underdog hero or becoming the worst villain imaginable. But when he finds Lenny after she went through an emotional temporal experiences that involved seeing her potential daughter Violet grow up before her very eyes, David asks her if she wants him to take her pain away and she says "no". David respects this and walks away. It's important because it ties back into another scene where Syd was talking to younger version of herself and reminding us of why she feels she can't love David anymore, as he wiped some of her memory last season. David just gave someone else a choice, and that could be a step in a redeemable direction.
POSE, "What Would Candy Do?", July 16, 2019, Actors: MJ Rodriguez, Dominique Jackson and more
The Scene: Blanca and Elektra's parallels
Saloni: The parallels of Blanca helping and cheering Damon for the Madonna audition vs. Elektra's zero nurturing of Ricky for the same.
Prpleight: Abby arrives planning to check the results of the sample she risked her life to retrieve and finds that she's been locked out of the lab. Her new boss (played by Adrienne Barbeau, yay!) informs her the sample was placed on full lockdown and escorts her to a conference room for an explanation. Instead she's greeted by Sutherland's money man, who initiates a full court press to get Abby to use Alec's trust in her to bring him in for experiments. The strong implication is that taking Alec's side will cost her her career. She chooses Alec and storms out of the office. It was an unexpected moment that moved the story in a different direction.
Justyna: It's no wonder this scene was highlighted by multiple members of our team. It must be one of the most emotional and powerful moments the show has ever done. It's focused on the "heart and the head" of the series - Bellamy and Clarke. I've been really enjoying all of their interactions during the season but this one is unlike anything else we've seen in the past. It's the culmination of their journey so far. I was always under the impression that this show is at its best whenever these two are at its front and center. Whether it's planning a defense against the Grounders' attack, rescuing their people from Mount Weather, ending A.L.I.E. or looking for a way to survive the radiation and the death wave - these two working together were always one of the show's greatest strengths. That's probably why this is quickly becoming my favorite season since the second one. The storyline of Clarke's body being stolen by Josephine could have gone in so many directions, but the one chosen by the writers turned out better than I hoped. Not only we got to see Clarke actively fighting to stay alive while confronting her past, it also gave the show a chance to reunite these two against a common enemy and find a way to rebuild their broken relationship. It truly feels like they're stronger than ever and I can't wait to see them take a stand against Sanctum and the Primes. About the scene itself, a big shout-out to the cast, especially Bob Morley who perfectly portrayed the most vulnerable side of his character yet. Bellamy refuses to let Clarke die and admits just how much he needs her. He recalls their conversation about "the head and the heart" and is determined to keep her heart beating. It's a beautiful act of love and exactly what Clarke needs at the moment. She almost gets destroyed by Josephine but Bellamy's desperate plea for her to "get up and fight" seems to give her enough strength and motivation to win the confrontation. Bellamy's efforts end with Clarke's true return and the amount of relief and joy on everyone's faces means the world. I'm also very glad to see Octavia and the part she plays in the scene. She tries to be there for her brother and gets to witness the emotional reunion. There's so much that can be said about this moment, I haven't even mentioned Gabriel letting Josephine go, but truly, this one has to be seen and felt through the actors' performances. Kudos to the wonderful cast & crew for this memorable scene. Can't wait to see what's next.
Sierra: Bellamy brings Clarke back to life. This was quite possibly one of the most powerful scenes that the show has ever had. It played upon the frequent head and the heart theme between the two characters. Bellamy refused to let Clarke die and wouldn’t stop at anything to keep her heart beating. This was the first time we’ve ever heard Bellamy explicitly state that he needed Clarke. It was an incredible moment for fans of the show.
Luana: This scene was pretty great, even though we knew she wasn't going to die, it was a great moment for the characters and for the actors to show off their chops, Eliza has been killing it with this arc and Bob Morley was especially great on this scene but Marie Avgeropoulos and her reactions to Bellamy's pain were also a big part of driving the point home, she doesn't know what would happen to her brother if he lost Clarke again and I can only hope he's realizing that as well.
Beth: The way Bob Morley played this scene was one of the most heartbreaking moments I have ever seen him do as Bellamy Blake. As Bellamy begged Clarke to live and breathed life back into her, Clarke heard his plea and finally regained her body in the triumphant moment most fans have been longing for since Josephine took over. The scene played on all the emotional beats to perfection and the added element of Octavia looking on as her brother fought to save someone he cares about just brought all the feels.
Jennifer: Bellamy Saves Clarke. "The head and the heart" has been a recurring description of Bellamy and Clarke's dynamic since season four. In this scene, Bellamy begs Clarke to live, physically keeping her heart beating and breathing air into her lungs until she's able to win the battle in her head. Both Bellamy and Clarke have given up and left each other for dead in the past, and Clarke decided to let Josephine keep her body when she thought Bellamy had given up on her. Here, they finally fight for each other and accept that they are vital to one another. Bob Morley and Eliza Taylor display their characters' raw emotions beautifully, while Marie Avgeropoulos gets the opportunity to show off Octavia's reinstated squishier feelings as she witnesses her brother's desperation and then joy.
Laura B: Woah, did Noah Hawley direct this week's episode or what? This week's episode almost felt like an episode of Legion, being filmed in abstract and surreal way, as we watch June break down towards brain atrophy. I loved it, but where it found its emotional ground was when the doctor came in to stitch June's hand after the incident with attacking Serena with a scalpel! The conversation they have was cordial, as the doctor learns that he knew June's mother and that he still treats her kindly despite having different ethical views. It was a trippy episode that blurred the lines on what acceptable is, while potentially setting up some scary loose ends that may come back to bite June later.
Claire: I am disappointed in the direction that has been taken with season 3, but this scene where we see a deeply distraught and possibly suicidal June being treated with care and kindness was a nice respite. Also to have a connection through this doctor to her mother, who is assumed dead, was beautiful.
