A weekly feature in which we're trying to find the most compelling, best acted, written, directed and just generally great scenes that we've seen recently on TV.
24: LIVE ANOTHER DAY, "Day 9: 9:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.", July 7, 2014, Actors: Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Raver
The Scene: Jack and Audrey's phone call
Justyna Kubica: And once again, I decided to choose an exchange (this time - a phone call) between Jack and Audrey. It seems like in the middle of the 24 action and chaos the emotional moments like this one, when voices are quiet and often break, end up being the ones that get me the most. There's just something about seeing a strong, almost unbreakable man like Jack Bauer suddenly vulnerable, letting his emotions take over for a few minutes, that makes them so memorable. This week, both Jack and Audrey learn that their nightmare from the past, Cheng Zhi, is still alive and what's more, he's the man they need to face in order to save the day. And to be able to move on, Audrey asks Jack to kill him and admits that no matter what's going to happen she could never hate Bauer. Their story is a very tragic one, and in the scenes like this, I can't help but hope for a happy ending for the two. Together or not, it would be nice to end the season (show?) on a positive note. Kudos to the actors for their great performances and to the crew for the split screen and all the technical details that made this scene so special.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, "Déjà Vu", July 7, 2014, Actors: Kristin Kreuk, Jay Ryan, The Scene: Cat lets Vincent out of the cage
Tonya Papanikolas: It was great to hear Cat's speech about learning she has to trust everything they've been through together and how that makes them stronger as a couple. It seems like they are each always trying to handle everything on their own so it was nice to see Cat (and then Vincent) acknowledge that they need to fight their problems together. Each one has to let the other help. It's time they do things together so the speech was really fitting for the season finale. Plus, it was cute when she asked his forgiveness and he said no at first, then changed his answer within seconds. Also picked by Virginia Fontana
COVERT AFFAIRS, "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence", July 8, 2014, Actors: Piper Perabo, Nicholas Bishop, The Scene: Annie tells McQuade she lied
Virginia Fontana: Annie tells McQuade she lied to get information out of Borz, and he doesn't judge her for these methods. I like that Ryan seems to have an easy ability to understand Annie's personality and what drives her as an agent, while respecting that as well. Who knows what the writers have in mind for his character and this relationship, but I'm enjoying it as it develops.
DOMINION, "The Flood", July 10, 2014, Actors: Christopher Egan, Tom Wisdom and more
The Scene: Alex brings Michael to the hospital
Justyna Kubica: This week I focused more on the little moments, the character-driven ones and this felt like a good example of a great scene which very much depends on the characters relationship and interactions. Dominion is an uniquely interesting show, I had a question mark on it, since the day I read about it being ordered to the series and I think this week is when I realized that I'm definitely going to continue watching the show. And the biggest reason why is probably that after only four episodes I feel already quite invested in the characters, especially Alex and Michael. In the scene I chose for the article (the opening minute of the episode), Alex brings Michael to the hospital and is seen clearly caring very much about his fate, making me even more curious about their friendship and history. Michael appears to be his mentor, commander and friend, not to mention the part about Alex's chosen one status, which makes their dynamics very interesting. I didn't actually expected this level of concern from Alex's side so I'm very excited to explore their interactions next week, when the training starts. Kudos to the cast and crew for their great work on the series so far!
EXTANT, "Re-Entry", July 9, 2014, Actors: Halle Berry, Pierce Gagnon, The Scenes: Molly reviews the footage of her "encounter" & Molly finds her son Ethan in front of a dead bird
Tonya Papanikolas: Molly finds her son Ethan in front of a dead bird. This was such a creepy scene but also an important one and done so well. It makes you wonder how violent Ethan can be. You don't know if he killed the bird for sure (which was great) but it casts a new light on him as he is struggling to deal with human emotions. Though he claims he found the bird like that, it makes you realize he doesn't deal with his anger well and he may have a violent streak. Then his next statement to his mother, as if it's totally normal and he can change the subject and make her questions disappear, is that her hair is pretty. Ooh, it gave me chills. Is Ethan going to go off the rails? The scene made me eager to find out more.
Sharon Seymour: Molly reviews the footage of her "encounter" on the spaceship and realises no one else was there. Also picked by Virginia Fontana & Jamie Coudeville
GIRL MEETS WORLD, "Girl Meets Boy", July 11, 2014, Actors: Ben Savage, Sabrina Carpenter
The Scene: Cory buys Maya a cell phone and colored pencils
Klutzy girl: Cory buys Maya a cell phone and colored pencils under the guise of spying on Riley and Lucas. Their scene in the premiere was my favorite too so I'm sensing a pattern here that I hope continues. After everything Shawn went through, he seems to have the experience so I hope he and Topanga continue to be there for her.
HALT AND CATCH FIRE, "Landfall", July 6, 2014, Actors: Lee Pace, Mackenzie Davis, The Scene: Joe finally tells Cameron how he really got his scars
Tonya Papanikolas: What a great scene. I actually gasped when I heard the story of his mother, who sometimes took drugs, taking him onto the roof to look at stars when he was young - and then when she let go of him, he fell three stories onto a fence below. After him lying about the story several times, it was impactful to hear him tell the truth and trust Cameron with the real story. Also, it made it even more powerful when the viewer realizes he had told Donna part of the story earlier in the night but only picked out the good parts to share about how his mother used to take him up on the roof to look at stars. It makes you realize Joe is a character who uses half truths to get others to believe what he wants. It was nice that this loner with a penchant for lying finally let someone into his real world.
RIZZOLI AND ISLES, "Doomsday", July 8, 2014, Actors: Angie Harmon, Sasha Alexander
The Scene: Jane asks Maura to raise the baby if something happens to her
Klutzy girl: I love their friendship and the fact that Maura is so involved in the pregnancy already is sweet. Still not a fan of the pregnancy storyline but I'm starting to like it more and more because of the way Jane and Maura are doing this together. Also picked by Jamie Coudeville
TEEN WOLF, "Muted", July 7, 2014, Actors: Tyler Posey, Dylan O'Brien, Shelley Hennig and more, The Scenes: Stiles and Scott talk in the hospital & Malia in math class
Justyna Kubica: There were a lot funny and creepy/scary scenes this week. But I think the part that stood out for me the most was the short conversation between Stiles and Scott in the hospital. Their friendship has always been a foundation for the show and one of my favorite things about it. And it's so good to see that no matter what happens, whether it's a life or death situation, or just a normal, everyday problem, those two can always count on each other. And it was such a genuine exchange between them. At the end of the day, despite all the supernatural things surrounding them, they're just teenagers and yes, humans. Even with his powers and all, Scott is very much a normal kid who, like every other person, sometimes just wants something for himself. And like Stiles said, it's okay to want it. It's just who we are and we shouldn't be blamed for it. Seeing how the episode ended though, I wonder what effect Scott's decision is gonna have on him and how much is about to change for him and his friends. Things are about to take a darker turn, it seems. Kudos to the cast & crew for another great episode!
Jamie Coudeville: Malia vs math. The entire scene was so funny. That is exactly how I felt about math.
THE FOSTERS, "Say Something", July 7, 2014, Actors: Teri Polo, Sherri Saum
The Scene: Stef comforts Lena
Klutzy girl: Stef comforts Lena after she loses out on the principal job. When they're not fighting I love their relationship more, and that was a cute moment.
THE LEFTOVERS, "Penguin One, Us Zero", July 6, 2014, Actors: Paterson Joseph and more
The Scene: The SWAT raid on Wayne's Compound (picked by DarkUFO)
UNDER THE DOME, "Infestation", July 7, 2014, Actor: Alexander Koch
The Scene: Junior discovers Angie's body (picked by Sharon Seymour)
The Scene: Jack and Audrey's phone call
Justyna Kubica: And once again, I decided to choose an exchange (this time - a phone call) between Jack and Audrey. It seems like in the middle of the 24 action and chaos the emotional moments like this one, when voices are quiet and often break, end up being the ones that get me the most. There's just something about seeing a strong, almost unbreakable man like Jack Bauer suddenly vulnerable, letting his emotions take over for a few minutes, that makes them so memorable. This week, both Jack and Audrey learn that their nightmare from the past, Cheng Zhi, is still alive and what's more, he's the man they need to face in order to save the day. And to be able to move on, Audrey asks Jack to kill him and admits that no matter what's going to happen she could never hate Bauer. Their story is a very tragic one, and in the scenes like this, I can't help but hope for a happy ending for the two. Together or not, it would be nice to end the season (show?) on a positive note. Kudos to the actors for their great performances and to the crew for the split screen and all the technical details that made this scene so special.
Tonya Papanikolas: It was great to hear Cat's speech about learning she has to trust everything they've been through together and how that makes them stronger as a couple. It seems like they are each always trying to handle everything on their own so it was nice to see Cat (and then Vincent) acknowledge that they need to fight their problems together. Each one has to let the other help. It's time they do things together so the speech was really fitting for the season finale. Plus, it was cute when she asked his forgiveness and he said no at first, then changed his answer within seconds. Also picked by Virginia Fontana
COVERT AFFAIRS, "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence", July 8, 2014, Actors: Piper Perabo, Nicholas Bishop, The Scene: Annie tells McQuade she lied
Virginia Fontana: Annie tells McQuade she lied to get information out of Borz, and he doesn't judge her for these methods. I like that Ryan seems to have an easy ability to understand Annie's personality and what drives her as an agent, while respecting that as well. Who knows what the writers have in mind for his character and this relationship, but I'm enjoying it as it develops.
The Scene: Alex brings Michael to the hospital
Justyna Kubica: This week I focused more on the little moments, the character-driven ones and this felt like a good example of a great scene which very much depends on the characters relationship and interactions. Dominion is an uniquely interesting show, I had a question mark on it, since the day I read about it being ordered to the series and I think this week is when I realized that I'm definitely going to continue watching the show. And the biggest reason why is probably that after only four episodes I feel already quite invested in the characters, especially Alex and Michael. In the scene I chose for the article (the opening minute of the episode), Alex brings Michael to the hospital and is seen clearly caring very much about his fate, making me even more curious about their friendship and history. Michael appears to be his mentor, commander and friend, not to mention the part about Alex's chosen one status, which makes their dynamics very interesting. I didn't actually expected this level of concern from Alex's side so I'm very excited to explore their interactions next week, when the training starts. Kudos to the cast and crew for their great work on the series so far!
Tonya Papanikolas: Molly finds her son Ethan in front of a dead bird. This was such a creepy scene but also an important one and done so well. It makes you wonder how violent Ethan can be. You don't know if he killed the bird for sure (which was great) but it casts a new light on him as he is struggling to deal with human emotions. Though he claims he found the bird like that, it makes you realize he doesn't deal with his anger well and he may have a violent streak. Then his next statement to his mother, as if it's totally normal and he can change the subject and make her questions disappear, is that her hair is pretty. Ooh, it gave me chills. Is Ethan going to go off the rails? The scene made me eager to find out more.
Sharon Seymour: Molly reviews the footage of her "encounter" on the spaceship and realises no one else was there. Also picked by Virginia Fontana & Jamie Coudeville
GIRL MEETS WORLD, "Girl Meets Boy", July 11, 2014, Actors: Ben Savage, Sabrina Carpenter
The Scene: Cory buys Maya a cell phone and colored pencils
Klutzy girl: Cory buys Maya a cell phone and colored pencils under the guise of spying on Riley and Lucas. Their scene in the premiere was my favorite too so I'm sensing a pattern here that I hope continues. After everything Shawn went through, he seems to have the experience so I hope he and Topanga continue to be there for her.
Tonya Papanikolas: What a great scene. I actually gasped when I heard the story of his mother, who sometimes took drugs, taking him onto the roof to look at stars when he was young - and then when she let go of him, he fell three stories onto a fence below. After him lying about the story several times, it was impactful to hear him tell the truth and trust Cameron with the real story. Also, it made it even more powerful when the viewer realizes he had told Donna part of the story earlier in the night but only picked out the good parts to share about how his mother used to take him up on the roof to look at stars. It makes you realize Joe is a character who uses half truths to get others to believe what he wants. It was nice that this loner with a penchant for lying finally let someone into his real world.
RIZZOLI AND ISLES, "Doomsday", July 8, 2014, Actors: Angie Harmon, Sasha Alexander
The Scene: Jane asks Maura to raise the baby if something happens to her
Klutzy girl: I love their friendship and the fact that Maura is so involved in the pregnancy already is sweet. Still not a fan of the pregnancy storyline but I'm starting to like it more and more because of the way Jane and Maura are doing this together. Also picked by Jamie Coudeville
Justyna Kubica: There were a lot funny and creepy/scary scenes this week. But I think the part that stood out for me the most was the short conversation between Stiles and Scott in the hospital. Their friendship has always been a foundation for the show and one of my favorite things about it. And it's so good to see that no matter what happens, whether it's a life or death situation, or just a normal, everyday problem, those two can always count on each other. And it was such a genuine exchange between them. At the end of the day, despite all the supernatural things surrounding them, they're just teenagers and yes, humans. Even with his powers and all, Scott is very much a normal kid who, like every other person, sometimes just wants something for himself. And like Stiles said, it's okay to want it. It's just who we are and we shouldn't be blamed for it. Seeing how the episode ended though, I wonder what effect Scott's decision is gonna have on him and how much is about to change for him and his friends. Things are about to take a darker turn, it seems. Kudos to the cast & crew for another great episode!
Jamie Coudeville: Malia vs math. The entire scene was so funny. That is exactly how I felt about math.
THE FOSTERS, "Say Something", July 7, 2014, Actors: Teri Polo, Sherri Saum
The Scene: Stef comforts Lena
Klutzy girl: Stef comforts Lena after she loses out on the principal job. When they're not fighting I love their relationship more, and that was a cute moment.
THE LEFTOVERS, "Penguin One, Us Zero", July 6, 2014, Actors: Paterson Joseph and more
The Scene: The SWAT raid on Wayne's Compound (picked by DarkUFO)
UNDER THE DOME, "Infestation", July 7, 2014, Actor: Alexander Koch
The Scene: Junior discovers Angie's body (picked by Sharon Seymour)
