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: 10:00 p.m. – 11:00 a.m.", July 14, 2014, Actors: Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub and more, The Scenes: Jack finds out Audrey's dead & Jack exchanges himself for Chloe
Justyna Kubica: In my opinion the two most memorable scenes of this finale are when Jack finds out about Audrey and Heller's speech about forgetting everything in the near future as a result of his Alzheimer's disease. Both award-worthy performances by the actors, Kiefer Sutherland and William Devane, and both truly heartbreaking. But since we only pick one scene per show, I decided to go with Jack's silent break-down. He has lost so many loved ones and friends on the show, survived the most impossible situations, tortures and tragedies but somehow he always manages to keep going and ends up saving the lives of hundreds of strangers on his way. But in this short moment, after hearing about Audrey's death, he just...gives up. Falls on the ground and reaches for his gun, surely thinking about ending his own life. The emotions, the pain and loss on his face, the trembling he can't seem to stop. All those little things make the viewers actually feel his heartbreak and share his grief. Until suddenly he stops, he pulls himself together and gets up, furiously destroying every enemy in front of him, avenging the death of yet another loved one. With the music perfectly reflecting what he's going through. Tragedy after tragedy for Jack Bauer and he's still standing and in the end gives himself up for his best friend. Such an impressive character! And I keep hoping that it wasn't the final chapter of his story. And maybe, just maybe, there's something better waiting for him at the very end. Kudos to the brilliant cast & crew for their work!
Bradley Adams: Jack contemplates suicide before going psycho on the Chinese.
Darth Locke: Jack exchanges himself for Chloe. There were a lot of great scenes in the episode, but this to me just solidifies the story from where the season started with Jack also saving Chloe. I will be so disappointed if 24:LAD doesn't come back in some way, considering it leaves us on a pretty big cliffhanger with I think a lot of the stories for some of the characters (Jack, Chloe, Kate, Mark, the Russians) unresolved.
CHASING LIFE, "Clear Minds, Full Lives, Can't Eat", July 15, 2014, Actors: Italia Ricci, Mary Page Keller
The Scene: April tells her mom she doesn’t want to die
Tonya Papanikolas: April tells her mom she doesn’t want to die and starts crying. This scene was short and kind of buried in the episode but it was a nice emotional scene. After trying to take care of everyone else by pretending she’s fine, April finally gives up control and lets her mother into her real fears. I wished the scene had been longer.
EXTANT, "Extinct", July 16, 2014, Actors: Brad Beyer, Pierce Gagnon and more, The Scenes: Harmon Kryger has to get rid of his mother in space & Ethan talks to the museum Helper robot about extinction
Tonya Papanikolas: Harmon Kryger has to get rid of his mother in space. The scene begins with the mother touching his face, just like Marcus did with Molly. You see all the similarities between what happened to them - even the mysterious beings repeating only what the humans said. It was interesting to see another situation like Molly’s and know this had happened before. But Harmon quickly realizes something is wrong and gets freaked out. The scene was tense and interesting. It kept you on the edge of your seat. When he can’t barricade the mother out, he has to blow her out into space. You felt the emotion behind his decision – his fear and his emotional ties that made it hard to get rid of her. The scene was eerie and fun to watch.
DarkUFO: Young robot Ethan talking to the museum Helper robot about extinction.
HALT AND CATCH FIRE, "Giant", July 13, 2014, Actors: Mackenzie Davis and more, The Scene: Cameron convinces the computer design artist to work on Joe’s computer
Tonya Papanikolas: Cameron approaches the computer design artist to convince him to work on Joe’s computer. Cameron had great intentions here of helping Joe. She didn’t think it would bother her to talk to this man that used to be Joe’s lover. But it really gets to her when the man tells her he left Joe after saying ‘I love you’ to him because he knew that would end things for Joe - and also that Joe would eventually get bored with her just like he did with him. It’s nice to see Cameron letting herself get emotionally attached to Joe. She may not want to, but she can’t help it at this point. The scene emphasized the connection she feels and how freaked out she is that the same thing could happen to her. It also suggested that Joe really is scared of true emotions and feelings. And it was a great set-up for the later scene when Joe says goodbye to this man with Cameron watching in the taxi. All their emotions were heightened as Joe confesses to his dying ex-lover that yes, he is with Cameron now (a big step for him) – and then honestly told a crying Cameron in the taxi that he didn’t know if he would get bored with her. Great scenes.
SATISFACTION, "Pilot", July 17, 2014, Actor: Matt Passmore
The Scene: Neil by the pool
Michael Pantoustier: Neil and the pool scenes, very deep and psychological.
THE BRIDGE, "Ghost of a Flea", July 16, 2014, Actors: Franka Potente and more
The Scene: Eleanor kills the kid (picked by Sharon Seymour)
THE LEFTOVERS, "Two Boats and a Helicopter", July 13, 2014, Actors: Christopher Eccleston and more,
The Scenes: The dream sequence & Reverand Matt gambles all the money on the Roulette Table & Reverand finds out he's been in a coma for days
DarkUFO: The Reverand checks himself out of hospital and rushes back to the bank, only to find he's been in a coma for several days.
Sharon Seymour: Reverand Matt gambling all the money on the Roulette Table.
Geo N: The Dream Sequence of the Reverend was well done and incredible to watch.
Michael Pantoustier: The dream sequence, which was stunning and disturbing. One of the most beautiful scenes of the year.
THE NIGHT SHIFT, "Save Me", July 15, 2014, Actors: Eoin Macken, Jill Flint, The Scene: TC breaks down talking about his brother's death
Justyna Kubica: In a very emotional episode, where everyone is working together to save Topher it was the last scene, when TC tells Jordan the entire truth about the circumstances of his brother's death, after seeing it over and over, and over again in his head, that really stole the finale for me. After watching his long struggle we find out (along with Jordan) that TC blames himself for his brother's death, after he hesitated to shoot the child sniper who killed Thad, when he had a chance. And the guilt has never left him since. It was such a heartbreaking moment and a truly sad story, on many different levels. It also revealed what drives the show's main character and how much he actually needs help and support of his friends and loved ones. I feel like it was a first step for TC to try to cope with his loss and eventually be able to move on and I'm glad he finally managed to take it after all this time. And had someone with him at the moment. It was, without a doubt, the best performance by the brilliant Eoin Macken on the show yet so I'm glad I decided to give the series a chance. It turned out much better than I expected and I'll be happy to see it back next year. Kudos to the cast & crew for making it work so well! Looking forward to season 2!
Jimmy Ryan: The Night Shift's excellent season finale contained my scene of the week. Towards the end of the episode, TC finally unloaded to Jordan the guilt he feels regarding his brother's death while fighting overseas. This scene was one of the most heartbreaking I've seen in a long time. The acting was stunning, the writing was excellent, and the scene revealed an enormous amount about the two characters involved. I'm really looking forward to season 2 in 2015!
THE STRAIN, "Night Zero", July 13, 2014, Actors: Robert Maillet and more, The Scenes: Master Vampire kills the Head of Airport & Opening Scene & Final Scene
Sharon Seymour: Master Vampire breaks out and kills the Head of Airport security and proceeds to smash his head in.
DarkUFO: Opening scene with the air stewards trying to keep the hatch closed to stop the unknown monster from getting onto the plane.
Darth Locke: The Little Girl from the flight, now presumably infected, finds the way back to her father's house.
TRUE BLOOD, "Death is Not the End", July 13, 2014, Actors: Anna Paquin, Carrie Preston
The Scene: Sookie saves Arlene (picked by Darth Locke)
TYRANT, "Sins of the Father", July 15, 2014, Actors: Adam Rayner, Ashraf Barhom
The Scene: Barry tries to convince his brother to forgo violence against the protestors
Jimmy Ryan: Tyrant is an absolute must-watch in my opinion. I love this series already. My favorite scene from this week's episode comes right at the end, where Barry uses Gaddafi's brutal downfall and demise to try to convince his brother to forgo violence against the protestors and be remembered as the leader who had the courage to listen to his people.
YOU'RE THE WORST, "Pilot", July 17, 2014, Actors: Chris Geere, Aya Cash
The Scene: The beginning of their "relationship", a modern romcom (picked by Michael Pantoustier)
Justyna Kubica: In my opinion the two most memorable scenes of this finale are when Jack finds out about Audrey and Heller's speech about forgetting everything in the near future as a result of his Alzheimer's disease. Both award-worthy performances by the actors, Kiefer Sutherland and William Devane, and both truly heartbreaking. But since we only pick one scene per show, I decided to go with Jack's silent break-down. He has lost so many loved ones and friends on the show, survived the most impossible situations, tortures and tragedies but somehow he always manages to keep going and ends up saving the lives of hundreds of strangers on his way. But in this short moment, after hearing about Audrey's death, he just...gives up. Falls on the ground and reaches for his gun, surely thinking about ending his own life. The emotions, the pain and loss on his face, the trembling he can't seem to stop. All those little things make the viewers actually feel his heartbreak and share his grief. Until suddenly he stops, he pulls himself together and gets up, furiously destroying every enemy in front of him, avenging the death of yet another loved one. With the music perfectly reflecting what he's going through. Tragedy after tragedy for Jack Bauer and he's still standing and in the end gives himself up for his best friend. Such an impressive character! And I keep hoping that it wasn't the final chapter of his story. And maybe, just maybe, there's something better waiting for him at the very end. Kudos to the brilliant cast & crew for their work!
Bradley Adams: Jack contemplates suicide before going psycho on the Chinese.
Darth Locke: Jack exchanges himself for Chloe. There were a lot of great scenes in the episode, but this to me just solidifies the story from where the season started with Jack also saving Chloe. I will be so disappointed if 24:LAD doesn't come back in some way, considering it leaves us on a pretty big cliffhanger with I think a lot of the stories for some of the characters (Jack, Chloe, Kate, Mark, the Russians) unresolved.
CHASING LIFE, "Clear Minds, Full Lives, Can't Eat", July 15, 2014, Actors: Italia Ricci, Mary Page Keller
The Scene: April tells her mom she doesn’t want to die
Tonya Papanikolas: April tells her mom she doesn’t want to die and starts crying. This scene was short and kind of buried in the episode but it was a nice emotional scene. After trying to take care of everyone else by pretending she’s fine, April finally gives up control and lets her mother into her real fears. I wished the scene had been longer.
Tonya Papanikolas: Harmon Kryger has to get rid of his mother in space. The scene begins with the mother touching his face, just like Marcus did with Molly. You see all the similarities between what happened to them - even the mysterious beings repeating only what the humans said. It was interesting to see another situation like Molly’s and know this had happened before. But Harmon quickly realizes something is wrong and gets freaked out. The scene was tense and interesting. It kept you on the edge of your seat. When he can’t barricade the mother out, he has to blow her out into space. You felt the emotion behind his decision – his fear and his emotional ties that made it hard to get rid of her. The scene was eerie and fun to watch.
DarkUFO: Young robot Ethan talking to the museum Helper robot about extinction.
Tonya Papanikolas: Cameron approaches the computer design artist to convince him to work on Joe’s computer. Cameron had great intentions here of helping Joe. She didn’t think it would bother her to talk to this man that used to be Joe’s lover. But it really gets to her when the man tells her he left Joe after saying ‘I love you’ to him because he knew that would end things for Joe - and also that Joe would eventually get bored with her just like he did with him. It’s nice to see Cameron letting herself get emotionally attached to Joe. She may not want to, but she can’t help it at this point. The scene emphasized the connection she feels and how freaked out she is that the same thing could happen to her. It also suggested that Joe really is scared of true emotions and feelings. And it was a great set-up for the later scene when Joe says goodbye to this man with Cameron watching in the taxi. All their emotions were heightened as Joe confesses to his dying ex-lover that yes, he is with Cameron now (a big step for him) – and then honestly told a crying Cameron in the taxi that he didn’t know if he would get bored with her. Great scenes.
SATISFACTION, "Pilot", July 17, 2014, Actor: Matt Passmore
The Scene: Neil by the pool
Michael Pantoustier: Neil and the pool scenes, very deep and psychological.
THE BRIDGE, "Ghost of a Flea", July 16, 2014, Actors: Franka Potente and more
The Scene: Eleanor kills the kid (picked by Sharon Seymour)
The Scenes: The dream sequence & Reverand Matt gambles all the money on the Roulette Table & Reverand finds out he's been in a coma for days
DarkUFO: The Reverand checks himself out of hospital and rushes back to the bank, only to find he's been in a coma for several days.
Sharon Seymour: Reverand Matt gambling all the money on the Roulette Table.
Geo N: The Dream Sequence of the Reverend was well done and incredible to watch.
Michael Pantoustier: The dream sequence, which was stunning and disturbing. One of the most beautiful scenes of the year.
Justyna Kubica: In a very emotional episode, where everyone is working together to save Topher it was the last scene, when TC tells Jordan the entire truth about the circumstances of his brother's death, after seeing it over and over, and over again in his head, that really stole the finale for me. After watching his long struggle we find out (along with Jordan) that TC blames himself for his brother's death, after he hesitated to shoot the child sniper who killed Thad, when he had a chance. And the guilt has never left him since. It was such a heartbreaking moment and a truly sad story, on many different levels. It also revealed what drives the show's main character and how much he actually needs help and support of his friends and loved ones. I feel like it was a first step for TC to try to cope with his loss and eventually be able to move on and I'm glad he finally managed to take it after all this time. And had someone with him at the moment. It was, without a doubt, the best performance by the brilliant Eoin Macken on the show yet so I'm glad I decided to give the series a chance. It turned out much better than I expected and I'll be happy to see it back next year. Kudos to the cast & crew for making it work so well! Looking forward to season 2!
Jimmy Ryan: The Night Shift's excellent season finale contained my scene of the week. Towards the end of the episode, TC finally unloaded to Jordan the guilt he feels regarding his brother's death while fighting overseas. This scene was one of the most heartbreaking I've seen in a long time. The acting was stunning, the writing was excellent, and the scene revealed an enormous amount about the two characters involved. I'm really looking forward to season 2 in 2015!
Sharon Seymour: Master Vampire breaks out and kills the Head of Airport security and proceeds to smash his head in.
DarkUFO: Opening scene with the air stewards trying to keep the hatch closed to stop the unknown monster from getting onto the plane.
Darth Locke: The Little Girl from the flight, now presumably infected, finds the way back to her father's house.
TRUE BLOOD, "Death is Not the End", July 13, 2014, Actors: Anna Paquin, Carrie Preston
The Scene: Sookie saves Arlene (picked by Darth Locke)
TYRANT, "Sins of the Father", July 15, 2014, Actors: Adam Rayner, Ashraf Barhom
The Scene: Barry tries to convince his brother to forgo violence against the protestors
Jimmy Ryan: Tyrant is an absolute must-watch in my opinion. I love this series already. My favorite scene from this week's episode comes right at the end, where Barry uses Gaddafi's brutal downfall and demise to try to convince his brother to forgo violence against the protestors and be remembered as the leader who had the courage to listen to his people.
YOU'RE THE WORST, "Pilot", July 17, 2014, Actors: Chris Geere, Aya Cash
The Scene: The beginning of their "relationship", a modern romcom (picked by Michael Pantoustier)
