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.
CHASING LIFE, "What to Expect When You're Expecting Chemo", August 5, 2014, Actors: Italia Ricci and more, The Scenes: George kisses April's mother & The ending scene
Justyna Kubica: I'm really glad I decided to watch the show. Yes, it does center around a truly depressing subject but it deals with it in a way I didn't expect, focusing more on the appreciation for life, a will to fight and hope, and not letting the characters sink into sadness. In the last scene of the episode we get to watch the reactions of April's family and friends to the words of her article where she chose to share the news of her cancer and its consequences to everyone. Her thoughts, decisions, fear and strength that drive her are revealed to her loved ones right before she leaves the house for her first round of chemo and her everyday life officially changes. Making a choice to fight, to keep living gets much harder than we could imagine and with the help of those around her April is able to go on. A truly special and significant moment for the show and also the part where the last person without knowledge of her condition, Dominic gets the shocking news. The music, the acting, the writing and all - really well done scene.
Tonya Papanikolas: April's voiceover reading her newspaper column revealing her cancer. This scene was nicely done. I liked how everyone was reading the column at the same time and you saw their reactions while hearing her thoughts about discovering a will to thrive and lean on others for strength. I thought the slow music that repeated "Tomorrow, we've always got tomorrow" was really effective since April actually doesn't know if she has tomorrow. And I liked that the scene ended in slow motion as April left the house for her first round of chemo. Her life was changing from here and she was hesitant to leave. The symbolism and tone worked well.
Samy Bgs: George kisses April's mother.
COVERT AFFAIRS, "Brink of the Clouds", August 5, 2014, Actors: Piper Perabo, Nic Bishop
The Scene: Ryan reassures Annie
Virginia Fontana: Ryan reassures Annie that she could never go rogue because she's too good a person.
EXTANT, "What on Earth is Wrong?", August 6, 2014, Actor: Halle Berry
The Scene: Molly sees the energy fields surrounding her on the spaceship
Tonya Papanikolas: Molly sees the weird energy fields surrounding her on the spaceship. It was interesting to see what really happened to Molly as she was seeing Marcus. We learned that, no, he wasn't really there. We still don't know what these strange energy spore-like contaminants did to Molly exactly but the scene left me wanting more! Fascinating.
FALLING SKIES, "Saturday Night Massacre", August 3, 2014, Actors: Scarlett Byrne, Seychelle Gabriel and more, The Scene: Lexi kills Lourdes
Robert Fruin: Lexi killing Lourdes with the second mass group watching on. It was a good scene as it proves that Tom doesn't always know whats best for the group, and doesn't always make the right decisions that is in the interest of everybody. He made a decision to keep her alive with his heart not his head.
Geo N: Lexi putting her hand on Lourdes and killing her in front of the entire 2nd Mass was unexpected and a great scene.
FINDING CARTER, "The Fugitive", August 5, 2014, Actors: Kathryn Prescott, Milena Govich
The Scene: Lori and Carter reunite in the store where Max works (picked by Samy Bgs)
HALT AND CATCH FIRE, "1984", August 3, 2014, Actors: Mackenzie Davis, Lee Pace, The Scene: Cameron tells off Joe and shuts the door on him
Tonya Papanikolas: I was shocked at how ruthless Cameron was. First she tells him how he was a footnote, an echo of her own ideas. That was bad enough because Joe desperately wants to be this visionary with all the great ideas. Then she delivers an even lower blow by bringing up his childhood accident that he confided in her and using it against him, saying he's the same sad little boy with wasted potential that his mom let fall off the roof. Oh my gosh, I was stunned. Those were piercing words, especially coming from someone Joe had learned to trust. It was obvious how much Cameron really wanted to hurt him to say that. I really felt his pain. It was such a brutal thing to say; you knew he was going to spiral afterwards.
MASTERS OF SEX, "Dirty Jobs", August 3, 2014, Actors: Caitlin Fitzgerald, Keke Palmer
The Scene: Libby washes Coral's hair
Michael Pantoustier: It was one of the toughest scenes I've ever endured watching, so brutal. Lots of realism.
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, "March of Crimes", August 5, 2014, Actors: Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale
The Scene: Aria apologizes to Hanna
Virginia Fontana: Aria apologizes to Hanna for not believing her and they hug.
RECKLESS, "Family Plot", August 3, 2014, Actors: Cam Gigandet, Anna Wood, The Scene: Jamie and Roy kiss and then she rebuffs him
Tonya Papanikolas: These two have definite chemistry and I loved the lead-up. I liked how they set the scene up with Roy's ex-wife telling him he'd always wanted another kind of woman. Then Roy tells Jamie she is bold and willing to go after what she wants. Obviously Jamie is the different kind of woman Roy has wanted. Right before the kiss, Jamie gets vulnerable and almost looks nervous, not wanting to admit she stayed in town partly because of Roy. I loved their interaction as they danced around the issue - and then they shared a great kiss! I was so glad they didn't wait the whole season to tease it out too long. And then suddenly - bam. Jamie brings up that they can't do this because they are still opposing counsel (which Roy didn't know). It was a great moment followed by an unexpected foil. And just like that, Roy was denied.
TEEN WOLF, "Weaponized", August 4, 2014, Actors: Dylan O'Brien, Tyler Posey and more, The Scene: Stiles tells Scott about the cure
Justyna Kubica: So, for me it was easily the best episode of the season and in such a great episode it's incredibly hard to pick just one scene. There were so many that I loved, like all the Malia and Stiles' interactions, Stiles almost dying, trying to protect his friends, Lydia's apology and many more. But in the end, the scene that really stayed with me the most is the moment when Stiles has to stay outside the vault, desperately banging the door and trying to tell Scott about the cure that could save their lives. It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch Stiles not being able to get an answer, afraid of the fact that he might be too late and then Scott doing his best to reach the antidote until they're all okay and he can finally reach his best friend. Despite the fact that I didn't really expect Scott, Kira or Malia to die, it felt like such a tragic moment thanks to the absolutely brilliant performances from Dylan O'Brien and Tyler Posey and the scene's setting. Seeing Scott and Stiles on the opposite sides of the door with one of them dying made me think of a very memorable and (in a way) similar moment from a different show and ended up adding even more emotion to the scene. The friendship between these two remains my favorite thing about the show and its very heart. From all the moments between them this one might be one of the best. Kudos to the cast and crew! Next episode already looks fantastic, absolutely can't wait.
Melissa Cavallo: Stiles is outside the vault banging the door trying to tell Scott the antidote to the virus is in the vault with him. Stiles falls to the ground thinking that Scott, Kira and Malia are going to die. But at the last second Kira hears Stiles and tells Scott about the tea. When Scott cures them, he opens the vault doors to Stiles and they share a strong hug because they thought they were going to lose each other.
THE BRIDGE, "Eye of the Deep", August 6, 2014, Actors: Demián Bichir, Eric Lange
The Scene: Marco confronts David Tate in prison (picked by Sharon Seymour)
THE LEFTOVERS, "Guest", August 3, 2014, Actors: Carrie Coon, Justin Theroux and more, The Scenes: Nora talks to Kevin after getting her divorce & Nora hugs Holy Wayne & Nora's "I want you to shoot me"
Geo N: Great choices Sharon and Michael! My third scene, but just as important and great, is where Nora talks to Kevin in the hallway of the civic building after getting her divorce. You can tell something will transpire romantically between these two and I enjoy their scenes together. I thought it was hilarious when Nora, out of the blue, asks Kevin to go to Miami. I almost fell out of my chair laughing when she capped off the conversation with, "Oh, F*@$ your daughter", LOL. Great scene and can't wait for more between the two.
Sharon Seymour: Nora hugs Holy Wayne. Also picked by Francesco B
Michael Pantoustier: Nora's "I want you to shoot me." scene.
THE LEGEND OF KORRA, "Long Live the Queen", August 8, 2014, Actors: Henry Rollins and more, The Scene: The Earth's Queen Assassination
Pablozky21: There are many scenes worth mentioning in this outstanding Korra episode, but none of them shocked me as much as the moment when Zaheer killed the Earth's Queen; this is a show that airs on Nickelodeon (or aired, since it's not online) so I'd never hoped for someone to be killed as graphicly as she was. This is obviously a huge step for the show, becoming one aimed to kids to one aimed to young adults and I'm just really happy that The Legend of Korra decided to go there, because now we know that this world is darker than we thought and everything to come from here on can surprise us even more than we thought before.
THE STRAIN, "It's Not for Everyone", August 3, 2014, Actors: David Bradley and more, The Scenes: Setrakian comes to save Eph and Nora & The Autopsy Scene & Feeding Ansel the next door neighbor
Robert Fruin: Ann's neighbor comes by to complain about the dog making too much noise, but what he doesn't know is it's not the dog but the husband Ansel chained up in the shed making the noise. The neighbor threatens to call the cops so she says you go teach the dog the lesson, "I haven't got it in me" she says. So the neighbor goes in and Ansel kills him. What amazes me is how Ann could do that to someone and sort of still stand by her husband even though he has changed into a creature. What she should have done was say "you go i will shut the dog up" and then call someone for help instead of basically killing the man herself.
Geo N: When Setrakian comes to save Eph and Nora in Arnot's home and decapitates Emma and her father while saying the phrase, "My sword sings with Silver!". That was such a great scene and exactly what the series needed after some slow episodes. Here's hoping that the action starts to heat up for the rest of the season. Glad it got a Second Season pickup already.
Sharon Seymour: The Autopsy Scene.
UNDER THE DOME, "In the Dark", August 4, 2014, Actors: Mike Vogel, Eddie Cahill
The Scene: Sam tells Barbie what happened to Melanie 25 years ago
Bradley Adams: By Under the Dome's standards, this was a great scene. Eddie Cahill managed to bring a decent performance for the first time this season.
Justyna Kubica: I'm really glad I decided to watch the show. Yes, it does center around a truly depressing subject but it deals with it in a way I didn't expect, focusing more on the appreciation for life, a will to fight and hope, and not letting the characters sink into sadness. In the last scene of the episode we get to watch the reactions of April's family and friends to the words of her article where she chose to share the news of her cancer and its consequences to everyone. Her thoughts, decisions, fear and strength that drive her are revealed to her loved ones right before she leaves the house for her first round of chemo and her everyday life officially changes. Making a choice to fight, to keep living gets much harder than we could imagine and with the help of those around her April is able to go on. A truly special and significant moment for the show and also the part where the last person without knowledge of her condition, Dominic gets the shocking news. The music, the acting, the writing and all - really well done scene.
Tonya Papanikolas: April's voiceover reading her newspaper column revealing her cancer. This scene was nicely done. I liked how everyone was reading the column at the same time and you saw their reactions while hearing her thoughts about discovering a will to thrive and lean on others for strength. I thought the slow music that repeated "Tomorrow, we've always got tomorrow" was really effective since April actually doesn't know if she has tomorrow. And I liked that the scene ended in slow motion as April left the house for her first round of chemo. Her life was changing from here and she was hesitant to leave. The symbolism and tone worked well.
Samy Bgs: George kisses April's mother.
COVERT AFFAIRS, "Brink of the Clouds", August 5, 2014, Actors: Piper Perabo, Nic Bishop
The Scene: Ryan reassures Annie
Virginia Fontana: Ryan reassures Annie that she could never go rogue because she's too good a person.
EXTANT, "What on Earth is Wrong?", August 6, 2014, Actor: Halle Berry
The Scene: Molly sees the energy fields surrounding her on the spaceship
Tonya Papanikolas: Molly sees the weird energy fields surrounding her on the spaceship. It was interesting to see what really happened to Molly as she was seeing Marcus. We learned that, no, he wasn't really there. We still don't know what these strange energy spore-like contaminants did to Molly exactly but the scene left me wanting more! Fascinating.
Robert Fruin: Lexi killing Lourdes with the second mass group watching on. It was a good scene as it proves that Tom doesn't always know whats best for the group, and doesn't always make the right decisions that is in the interest of everybody. He made a decision to keep her alive with his heart not his head.
Geo N: Lexi putting her hand on Lourdes and killing her in front of the entire 2nd Mass was unexpected and a great scene.
FINDING CARTER, "The Fugitive", August 5, 2014, Actors: Kathryn Prescott, Milena Govich
The Scene: Lori and Carter reunite in the store where Max works (picked by Samy Bgs)
Tonya Papanikolas: I was shocked at how ruthless Cameron was. First she tells him how he was a footnote, an echo of her own ideas. That was bad enough because Joe desperately wants to be this visionary with all the great ideas. Then she delivers an even lower blow by bringing up his childhood accident that he confided in her and using it against him, saying he's the same sad little boy with wasted potential that his mom let fall off the roof. Oh my gosh, I was stunned. Those were piercing words, especially coming from someone Joe had learned to trust. It was obvious how much Cameron really wanted to hurt him to say that. I really felt his pain. It was such a brutal thing to say; you knew he was going to spiral afterwards.
MASTERS OF SEX, "Dirty Jobs", August 3, 2014, Actors: Caitlin Fitzgerald, Keke Palmer
The Scene: Libby washes Coral's hair
Michael Pantoustier: It was one of the toughest scenes I've ever endured watching, so brutal. Lots of realism.
PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, "March of Crimes", August 5, 2014, Actors: Ashley Benson, Lucy Hale
The Scene: Aria apologizes to Hanna
Virginia Fontana: Aria apologizes to Hanna for not believing her and they hug.
Tonya Papanikolas: These two have definite chemistry and I loved the lead-up. I liked how they set the scene up with Roy's ex-wife telling him he'd always wanted another kind of woman. Then Roy tells Jamie she is bold and willing to go after what she wants. Obviously Jamie is the different kind of woman Roy has wanted. Right before the kiss, Jamie gets vulnerable and almost looks nervous, not wanting to admit she stayed in town partly because of Roy. I loved their interaction as they danced around the issue - and then they shared a great kiss! I was so glad they didn't wait the whole season to tease it out too long. And then suddenly - bam. Jamie brings up that they can't do this because they are still opposing counsel (which Roy didn't know). It was a great moment followed by an unexpected foil. And just like that, Roy was denied.
Justyna Kubica: So, for me it was easily the best episode of the season and in such a great episode it's incredibly hard to pick just one scene. There were so many that I loved, like all the Malia and Stiles' interactions, Stiles almost dying, trying to protect his friends, Lydia's apology and many more. But in the end, the scene that really stayed with me the most is the moment when Stiles has to stay outside the vault, desperately banging the door and trying to tell Scott about the cure that could save their lives. It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch Stiles not being able to get an answer, afraid of the fact that he might be too late and then Scott doing his best to reach the antidote until they're all okay and he can finally reach his best friend. Despite the fact that I didn't really expect Scott, Kira or Malia to die, it felt like such a tragic moment thanks to the absolutely brilliant performances from Dylan O'Brien and Tyler Posey and the scene's setting. Seeing Scott and Stiles on the opposite sides of the door with one of them dying made me think of a very memorable and (in a way) similar moment from a different show and ended up adding even more emotion to the scene. The friendship between these two remains my favorite thing about the show and its very heart. From all the moments between them this one might be one of the best. Kudos to the cast and crew! Next episode already looks fantastic, absolutely can't wait.
Melissa Cavallo: Stiles is outside the vault banging the door trying to tell Scott the antidote to the virus is in the vault with him. Stiles falls to the ground thinking that Scott, Kira and Malia are going to die. But at the last second Kira hears Stiles and tells Scott about the tea. When Scott cures them, he opens the vault doors to Stiles and they share a strong hug because they thought they were going to lose each other.
THE BRIDGE, "Eye of the Deep", August 6, 2014, Actors: Demián Bichir, Eric Lange
The Scene: Marco confronts David Tate in prison (picked by Sharon Seymour)
Geo N: Great choices Sharon and Michael! My third scene, but just as important and great, is where Nora talks to Kevin in the hallway of the civic building after getting her divorce. You can tell something will transpire romantically between these two and I enjoy their scenes together. I thought it was hilarious when Nora, out of the blue, asks Kevin to go to Miami. I almost fell out of my chair laughing when she capped off the conversation with, "Oh, F*@$ your daughter", LOL. Great scene and can't wait for more between the two.
Sharon Seymour: Nora hugs Holy Wayne. Also picked by Francesco B
Michael Pantoustier: Nora's "I want you to shoot me." scene.
Pablozky21: There are many scenes worth mentioning in this outstanding Korra episode, but none of them shocked me as much as the moment when Zaheer killed the Earth's Queen; this is a show that airs on Nickelodeon (or aired, since it's not online) so I'd never hoped for someone to be killed as graphicly as she was. This is obviously a huge step for the show, becoming one aimed to kids to one aimed to young adults and I'm just really happy that The Legend of Korra decided to go there, because now we know that this world is darker than we thought and everything to come from here on can surprise us even more than we thought before.
Robert Fruin: Ann's neighbor comes by to complain about the dog making too much noise, but what he doesn't know is it's not the dog but the husband Ansel chained up in the shed making the noise. The neighbor threatens to call the cops so she says you go teach the dog the lesson, "I haven't got it in me" she says. So the neighbor goes in and Ansel kills him. What amazes me is how Ann could do that to someone and sort of still stand by her husband even though he has changed into a creature. What she should have done was say "you go i will shut the dog up" and then call someone for help instead of basically killing the man herself.
Geo N: When Setrakian comes to save Eph and Nora in Arnot's home and decapitates Emma and her father while saying the phrase, "My sword sings with Silver!". That was such a great scene and exactly what the series needed after some slow episodes. Here's hoping that the action starts to heat up for the rest of the season. Glad it got a Second Season pickup already.
Sharon Seymour: The Autopsy Scene.
UNDER THE DOME, "In the Dark", August 4, 2014, Actors: Mike Vogel, Eddie Cahill
The Scene: Sam tells Barbie what happened to Melanie 25 years ago
Bradley Adams: By Under the Dome's standards, this was a great scene. Eddie Cahill managed to bring a decent performance for the first time this season.
