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.
CRIMINAL MINDS, "Fate", November 26, 2014, Actors: Joe Mantegna, Amber Stevens
The Scene: Rossi catches up with his daughter
Laura Markus: When David Rossi caught up with his daughter. In this episode, we found out that Rossi has a daughter and a grandson. This ending scene was especially emotional because Rossi started crying when he found out he actually has family. Joe Mantegna really brought a stellar performance and definitely brought tears to my eyes. Also picked by Ben Norton
ELEMENTARY, "Rip Off", November 27, 2014, Actors: Jonny Lee Miller, Ophelia Lovibond, The Scene: Holmes tears up Kitty's non-disclosure agreement
Jimmy Ryan: Watson took a spell overseas with her boyfriend on Thursday's episode of Elementary, allowing Holmes and newcomer Kitty Winter to spend some time together solving a fascinating case. It was fascinating to watch Holmes begin to break down some of his walls, or at least reduce their height so she could peer over the top. This culminated in the final scene of the hour, where Holmes tears up Kitty's non-disclosure agreement and allows Kitty the liberty to write her own memoirs in a similar fashion to the one of Watsons he earlier discovered. The scene, as well as the entire episode, were shining examples of quality character development, which is fantastic to see.
GOTHAM, "LoveCraft", November 24, 2014, Actors: Sean Pertwee, David Mazouz, The Scene: Alfred finds Bruce
Justyna Kubica: I was really glad to see Bruce and Selina's adventures, long way from the Wayne Manor. But it's Alfred's fight and search for the young Master Wayne that truly stole the hour for me. I wasn't quite sure how I feel about Gotham's version of Alfred but after this episode, I absolutely adore his character. His interactions with everyone were pretty much perfect. And the relationship between him and Bruce is already one of my favorite things about the show, very much like it always was with Batman movies. The scene where the two are reunited says it all. It's hard not to see how deeply they care about each other, just like family. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Sean Pertwee gave quite a fantastic performance this week. Now I can't wait to see more of the episodes and scenes like this. Brilliant hour, the show is certainly only getting better at this point. Kudos to the great cast and crew for their amazing work!
GRIMM, "Highway of Tears", November 28, 2014, Actors: Claire Coffee, David Giuntoli, The Scene: Juliette turns into Adalind
Diana Mack: Juliette turns into Adalind and sleeps with Nick in order to help him get his powers back. It was an awkward scene because Juliette felt uncomfortable in Adalind's body, and Nick felt weird sleeping with someone else - even though it was still Juliette. Congratz to Claire Coffee to play a perfect Juliette! Also I liked Claire and David Giuntoli's chemistry. I need to see more of them!
HAVEN, "Chemistry", November 28, 2014, Actors: Emily Rose, Laura Mennell and more, The Scene: The reveal that Charlotte is Audrey's mom
Justyna Kubica: Now, that was a brilliant twist! I absolutely didn't see it coming. I'm really excited to see what's gonna happen next. I love the fact that we're meeting Mara's (and Audrey's) mom cause it's a perfect opportunity to learn more about their mysterious story which is something I'm always waiting for. I'm not the biggest fan of some of the recent developments (Duke and Mara, no, just no), so this reveal sounds even better at this point. So many possibilities, new connections and the truth. This midseason finale is gonna be a great one. Can't wait!
Klutzy girl: The reveal that Charlotte is Audrey's mom was shocking and something I honestly didn't see coming. I can't wait to find out if she's telling the truth and what happens from here.
HOMELAND, "There's Something Else Going On", November 23, 2014, Actors: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, The Scenes: Carrie tries to talk Saul out of letting himself die & Carrie passes Saul his glasses back
Bradley Adams: For the second week running, Homeland pushed me to the edge in making me think Saul was about to die. Yet another emotional scene, portrayed magnificently by both Danes and Patinkin. Carrie's desperation and Saul's slightly dark side was fantastic to watch.
Darth Locke: Carrie passes Saul his glasses back, which results in a massive explosion!
NCIS: NEW ORLEANS, "Chasing Ghosts", November 25, 2014, Actors: Scott Bakula and more
The Scene: The team shares a Thanksgiving Dinner at the end (picked by Ben Norton)
PERSON OF INTEREST, "The Devil You Know", November 25, 2014, Actors: Enrico Colantoni, David Valcin, The Scenes: Elias and Anthony's final phone call before the bomb goes off & Elias on the New York waterfront at the end
Jimmy Ryan: Person of Interest put on a phenomenal hour on Tuesday night. The entire episode was, as usual, outstanding, but my pick for best scene would be Elias on the New York waterfront in the closing moments. This scene was beautiful not just because of its content, but because of the magnificent location and lighting, which can only come from shooting on location, with a bit of luck and timing mixed in. It looked absolutely stunning. You never get anywhere close with a green screen, so big ups to the POI team for going on location, and refraining from taking shortcuts.
Bradley Adams: Elias talks on the phone with Anthony for the final time. This was such a great scene. Highly emotional, played brilliantly by Enrico Colantoni and David Valcin. Valcin in particular did a fantastic job of showing his emotions. Seeing these two long-time friends say goodbye was hard to watch, but brilliantly done. DarkUFO: Elias and Scarface have a touching final phone coverstation before the bomb goes off. Also picked by Diana Mack, Darth Locke and Ben Norton
THE FALL, "It's Always Darkest", November 23, 2014, Actor: Gillian Anderson
The Scene: Stella finds out Paul read her journal
Sandi: The whole scene where Spector secretly watched Stella and Jim in her hotel was fantastic, but the reveal at the end where she found out that he had read her journal and written her a reply was just phenomenally well done. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have my innermost thoughts violated like that, especially knowing that now I have to turn it over to my work colleagues as evidence too. Gillian Anderson played the horror of the moment perfectly.
THE FLASH, "Power Outage", November 25, 2014, Actors: Grant Gustin and more
The Scene: Barry gets mugged
Bradley Adams: Barry gets mugged, only to use his speed to embarrass the mugger.
THE GOOD WIFE, "The Trial", November 23, 2014, Actors: Matt Czuchry, Archie Panjabi and more, The Scenes: Dante testifies & Cary and Alicia talk about his options and future
Wilson Crawford: In a final bid to save Cary from a 15-year sentence for the bogus charges brought on by the State's Attorney's office, Kalinda confronts drug kingpin Lemond Bishop in his home, insisting that he let the final witness that could prove Cary's innocence speak on the stand. When he refuses, she states that if he does not, she will leak images to the police that could have Bishop's son Dylan taken from him. Bishop strongly reprimands Kalinda and thinks for a moment about hurting her for threatening his son. The next day in court, Cary and Kalinda are relieved to see Dante take the stand...But when Bishop himself enters the courtroom, Dante's testimony turns to explicitly and falsely prove Cary's guilt in the charges. Kalinda begs Bishop to make it right, and Bishop says it's their problem now, and that he wanted her to understand that she is never to threaten him or Dylan again. Cary loses his calm and he starts to crack up, his eyes red from holding back tears. At this point, he realizes that he'll be convicted if he doesn't take a plea bargain.
Tonya Papanikolas: Cary and Alicia talk about his options and future. What a powerful, emotional scene. As we find out what decision Cary has reached, it was such a great choice to have him be the strong, optimistic one while Alicia is scared and emotional. The juxtaposition of the two demeanors was poignant. You know how scared he is but in this moment he is the one on whom Alicia has to lean. I love that he is the one who has to comfort her. It brings a resoluteness to the scene. The way she clung to him and cried in their embrace was a compelling way to make you feel even more for Cary. It made the scene even sadder and creatively emphasized how much Cary is losing. Because of their reactions, the viewer realizes this is really happening: It didn’t seem like things would go this far, but Cary is going to prison. Despite all his fears, though, he is resolved to get through it. He was almost hopeful. Yet it was so sad to hear Cary say he didn’t want to be lonely. Kudos to both actors in this scene. I thought it was phenomenally written and performed.
THE NEWSROOM, "Main Justice", November 23, 2014, Actors: Jeff Daniels, Alison Pill and more, The Scene: EPA Report
Darth Locke: This final season of The Newsroom has had such great writing, but this morbid EPA report given from Maggie's new contact, an assistant director, is furthered not just by his own passiveness, but in every other character's shock by what he is saying!
THE WALKING DEAD, "Crossed", November 23, 2014, Actors: Norman Reedus and more
The Scene: Daryl knocks out the policeman with the Zombie's head (picked by DarkUFO)
The Scene: Rossi catches up with his daughter
Laura Markus: When David Rossi caught up with his daughter. In this episode, we found out that Rossi has a daughter and a grandson. This ending scene was especially emotional because Rossi started crying when he found out he actually has family. Joe Mantegna really brought a stellar performance and definitely brought tears to my eyes. Also picked by Ben Norton
Jimmy Ryan: Watson took a spell overseas with her boyfriend on Thursday's episode of Elementary, allowing Holmes and newcomer Kitty Winter to spend some time together solving a fascinating case. It was fascinating to watch Holmes begin to break down some of his walls, or at least reduce their height so she could peer over the top. This culminated in the final scene of the hour, where Holmes tears up Kitty's non-disclosure agreement and allows Kitty the liberty to write her own memoirs in a similar fashion to the one of Watsons he earlier discovered. The scene, as well as the entire episode, were shining examples of quality character development, which is fantastic to see.
Justyna Kubica: I was really glad to see Bruce and Selina's adventures, long way from the Wayne Manor. But it's Alfred's fight and search for the young Master Wayne that truly stole the hour for me. I wasn't quite sure how I feel about Gotham's version of Alfred but after this episode, I absolutely adore his character. His interactions with everyone were pretty much perfect. And the relationship between him and Bruce is already one of my favorite things about the show, very much like it always was with Batman movies. The scene where the two are reunited says it all. It's hard not to see how deeply they care about each other, just like family. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Sean Pertwee gave quite a fantastic performance this week. Now I can't wait to see more of the episodes and scenes like this. Brilliant hour, the show is certainly only getting better at this point. Kudos to the great cast and crew for their amazing work!
Diana Mack: Juliette turns into Adalind and sleeps with Nick in order to help him get his powers back. It was an awkward scene because Juliette felt uncomfortable in Adalind's body, and Nick felt weird sleeping with someone else - even though it was still Juliette. Congratz to Claire Coffee to play a perfect Juliette! Also I liked Claire and David Giuntoli's chemistry. I need to see more of them!
Justyna Kubica: Now, that was a brilliant twist! I absolutely didn't see it coming. I'm really excited to see what's gonna happen next. I love the fact that we're meeting Mara's (and Audrey's) mom cause it's a perfect opportunity to learn more about their mysterious story which is something I'm always waiting for. I'm not the biggest fan of some of the recent developments (Duke and Mara, no, just no), so this reveal sounds even better at this point. So many possibilities, new connections and the truth. This midseason finale is gonna be a great one. Can't wait!
Klutzy girl: The reveal that Charlotte is Audrey's mom was shocking and something I honestly didn't see coming. I can't wait to find out if she's telling the truth and what happens from here.
Bradley Adams: For the second week running, Homeland pushed me to the edge in making me think Saul was about to die. Yet another emotional scene, portrayed magnificently by both Danes and Patinkin. Carrie's desperation and Saul's slightly dark side was fantastic to watch.
Darth Locke: Carrie passes Saul his glasses back, which results in a massive explosion!
NCIS: NEW ORLEANS, "Chasing Ghosts", November 25, 2014, Actors: Scott Bakula and more
The Scene: The team shares a Thanksgiving Dinner at the end (picked by Ben Norton)
Jimmy Ryan: Person of Interest put on a phenomenal hour on Tuesday night. The entire episode was, as usual, outstanding, but my pick for best scene would be Elias on the New York waterfront in the closing moments. This scene was beautiful not just because of its content, but because of the magnificent location and lighting, which can only come from shooting on location, with a bit of luck and timing mixed in. It looked absolutely stunning. You never get anywhere close with a green screen, so big ups to the POI team for going on location, and refraining from taking shortcuts.
Bradley Adams: Elias talks on the phone with Anthony for the final time. This was such a great scene. Highly emotional, played brilliantly by Enrico Colantoni and David Valcin. Valcin in particular did a fantastic job of showing his emotions. Seeing these two long-time friends say goodbye was hard to watch, but brilliantly done. DarkUFO: Elias and Scarface have a touching final phone coverstation before the bomb goes off. Also picked by Diana Mack, Darth Locke and Ben Norton
THE FALL, "It's Always Darkest", November 23, 2014, Actor: Gillian Anderson
The Scene: Stella finds out Paul read her journal
Sandi: The whole scene where Spector secretly watched Stella and Jim in her hotel was fantastic, but the reveal at the end where she found out that he had read her journal and written her a reply was just phenomenally well done. I can't imagine what it must feel like to have my innermost thoughts violated like that, especially knowing that now I have to turn it over to my work colleagues as evidence too. Gillian Anderson played the horror of the moment perfectly.
THE FLASH, "Power Outage", November 25, 2014, Actors: Grant Gustin and more
The Scene: Barry gets mugged
Bradley Adams: Barry gets mugged, only to use his speed to embarrass the mugger.
Wilson Crawford: In a final bid to save Cary from a 15-year sentence for the bogus charges brought on by the State's Attorney's office, Kalinda confronts drug kingpin Lemond Bishop in his home, insisting that he let the final witness that could prove Cary's innocence speak on the stand. When he refuses, she states that if he does not, she will leak images to the police that could have Bishop's son Dylan taken from him. Bishop strongly reprimands Kalinda and thinks for a moment about hurting her for threatening his son. The next day in court, Cary and Kalinda are relieved to see Dante take the stand...But when Bishop himself enters the courtroom, Dante's testimony turns to explicitly and falsely prove Cary's guilt in the charges. Kalinda begs Bishop to make it right, and Bishop says it's their problem now, and that he wanted her to understand that she is never to threaten him or Dylan again. Cary loses his calm and he starts to crack up, his eyes red from holding back tears. At this point, he realizes that he'll be convicted if he doesn't take a plea bargain.
Tonya Papanikolas: Cary and Alicia talk about his options and future. What a powerful, emotional scene. As we find out what decision Cary has reached, it was such a great choice to have him be the strong, optimistic one while Alicia is scared and emotional. The juxtaposition of the two demeanors was poignant. You know how scared he is but in this moment he is the one on whom Alicia has to lean. I love that he is the one who has to comfort her. It brings a resoluteness to the scene. The way she clung to him and cried in their embrace was a compelling way to make you feel even more for Cary. It made the scene even sadder and creatively emphasized how much Cary is losing. Because of their reactions, the viewer realizes this is really happening: It didn’t seem like things would go this far, but Cary is going to prison. Despite all his fears, though, he is resolved to get through it. He was almost hopeful. Yet it was so sad to hear Cary say he didn’t want to be lonely. Kudos to both actors in this scene. I thought it was phenomenally written and performed.
Darth Locke: This final season of The Newsroom has had such great writing, but this morbid EPA report given from Maggie's new contact, an assistant director, is furthered not just by his own passiveness, but in every other character's shock by what he is saying!
THE WALKING DEAD, "Crossed", November 23, 2014, Actors: Norman Reedus and more
The Scene: Daryl knocks out the policeman with the Zombie's head (picked by DarkUFO)
