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.
ARROW, "Nanda Parbat", February 25, 2015, Actors: John Barrowman, Matt Nable, The Scene: Malcolm begs Ra's for his life
Daniel van der Veer: This is the first Malcolm and Ra's Al-Ghul are in the same scene and it did not disappoint. It was great to see Malcolm beg for his life and John Barrowman really showed Malcolm's fear in the scene. There was a lot of history between the two men and Ra's obviously didn't want to kill Malcolm.
BANSHEE, "All the Wisdom I Got Left", February 27, 2015, Actors: Antony Starr, Geno Segers, The Scene: Hood and Chayton knife fight in the hotel room (picked by DarkUFO & Bradley Adams)
BETTER CALL SAUL, "Hero", February 23, 2015, Actors: Bob Odenkirk and more,
The Scene: Jimmy becomes a hero (picked by Bradley Adams)
BROADCHURCH, "Episode 8", February 23, 2015, Actors: Olivia Colman, Jodie Whittaker, Matthew Gravelle and more, The Scene: Joe is banished from Broadchurch
Justyna K: It was a very intense season and I didn't see this conclusion coming. The Sandbrook case ended much more brutally than I expected and even though it was predictable (for a TV show) I just couldn't believe that jury's verdict. I know there's so much more to it and it must have been a tough decision, but still, just the view of Danny's family and everyone in the town, simply knowing that there was a confession, even though it wasn't included in the evidence, it's impossibly hard for me to believe they found Joe not guilty. In the end, justice was served, even though it had to be done by Latimers and their friends in the most powerful scene of the finale. It was heartbreaking to watch Beth there trying to keep herself together, but I was proud of her and everyone else's strength and their final choice, not to become like him. Joe was banished from Broadchurch and all the actors did outstanding job in the confrontation. Speaking of actors, here's a shout-out to David Tennant, who wasn't in this scene, but was absolutely brilliant in the episode and really stole many of its other memorable moments! I'm glad we're geting season 3, it's a very impressive show and I can't wait to see what's next for all the characters.
EMPIRE, "The Lyon's Roar", February 25, 2015, Actors: Jussie Smollett and more
The Scene: Jamal reveals he's gay
Diana Mack: Jamal reveals to the world he's gay with his song during Empire's tribute.
GOTHAM, "Red Hood", February 23, 2015, Actors: Jada Pinkett Smith and more, The Scene: Fish Mooney stabs out her own eye
Nirat Anop: Fish grabs a spoon and pulls out her eye and then immediately squashes it with her shoe. I was not expecting that at all! Also picked by Robert Fruin
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, "It's All My Fault", February 26, 2015, Actors: Charlie Weber and more, The Scenes: Frank is revealed to be Lila's killer & Rebecca is dead
Tonya Papanikolas: Rebecca is dead! It was shocking enough to learn that Frank was Lila's killer. Like others, I had suspected Bonnie or Annalise and even Wes. But then to see another murder stunned me. I thought this was a great ending that just added on the earlier revelation. The ending left tons of material for season two. And it also left me in awe of how well this show does "shock and awe." They compound shock upon shock and really know how to stir up excitement over those shocking moments.
Daniel van der Veer: Can How To Get Away With Murder get anymore shocking? In its final few minutes, it drops two bombshells. The biggest one for me is the reveal that Frank killed Lila. Several people have said they found it predictable, but I never saw it coming. It was an intense scene to watch Frank choke the living daylights out of Lila and show how he did his best to hide the body. So it was Sam after all, although not directly. I have a whole lot of questions about Frank and now with Rebecca's death, things are bound to get even more interesting.
Klutzy Girl: The reveal that Frank killed Lila was shocking because I had it narrowed down to Bonnie or Annalise. It definitely paints everything that's happened in a different light, and I'm looking forward to learning more about these characters next season. Also picked by Laura Markus, Bradley Adams, Robert Fruin and Diana Mack
MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER, "Valediction", February 24, 2015, Actors: Hayley Atwell, Dominic Cooper, James D'Arcy, The Scenes: Peggy talks Howard out of his trance & Peggy drops Steve's blood into the sea & Jarvis gives Peggy the last sample of Captain America's blood
Justyna K: First of all, I can't believe the season's already over. There better be another one. It's such an impressive show, cleverly written, beautifully directed, amazingly acted and full of action and heart, with great characters worth rooting for. And Peggy has to be one of the best characters on TV. She's strong, smart, talented, she's both a fighter with good heart and someone worth fighting for, not that she needs anyone to save her. She's perfectly capable to protect herself and everyone else. There were two most memorable scenes for me in this season finale: Peggy talks Howard out of his trance and Peggy drops Steve's blood into the sea, but in the end I went with the first one. I love how Peggy and Howard, despite so many differences between them, have become close friends, and how Carter, in a painful parallel to her last talk with Captain America, wouldn't give up on saving Stark. It was like a second chance for her, to save someone she truly cared about and this time she did. It also helped her realize that no matter how important Steve will always be to her, she has to let him go and move on with her life. It's heartbreaking to think that Peggy and Rogers never really got to be together, it seems like they'd be perfect for each other but it's time for Carter to find her own happiness and right place in the world. Hayley Atwell, James D'Arcy and Dominic Cooper did a wonderful job in the scene. It was great to see a different, more vulnerable side of Howard Stark. His biggest regret, not being able to bring back his friend, was such a sad surprise. Also it was such a powerful moment for Jarvis, he was almost forced to shoot down the plane with Stark so I'm glad the two shared a lovely moment at the end as well (the hug!). Hopefully it's not the last chapter of Agent Carter on TV and kudos to cast & crew for their work on the show!
Tonya Papanikolas: Jarvis gives Peggy the last sample of Captain America's blood. I loved this scene. It was so sweet and touching. Jarvis knows how much this vial means to Peggy, and he was willing to deceive Howard Stark to give it to her. I loved his quote of how Stark didn't own his integrity. And I love how Jarvis has come to trust and respect Peggy so much. The relationship between these two characters is just fantastic. He had always been protecting Stark but now he's looking out for her, too. The gesture means so much to Peggy, she really has no words. But you can see everything in her eyes. She is sad but extremely thankful. This was a perfect emotional segue into the bridge scene.
Klutzy girl: Peggy tries to talk Howard down from "saving Steve". The parallels to the first Captain America movie caught me off guard but it hurt and I love how the scene played out.
Diana Mack: Peggy drops Steve Roger's blood into the sea whispering goodbye to her lover. Also picked by Nirat Anop
PARKS AND RECREATION, "One Last Ride", February 24, 2015, Actors: Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Nick Offerman and more, The Scene: The team comes together one last time
Justyna K: It was perfect! Happy ending for everyone, seeing their lives a few years, a few decades in the future with all their new adventures, but still being connected by love and friendship - it was everything I wanted for this show and its characters and I couldn't be more happy with the way it ended. It's the greatest feeling for me as a fan, simply knowing that these people that I've grown to care about over the years are going to be just fine. More than that, it's a beautiful legacy to leave the fans with such a beautiful story where the dreams really do come true when you do your best and don't give up on them, living and working alongside those you love. It's the most charming comedy I was lucky enough to see and in their last week on TV I want to give a big shout-out to the final minutes of the show. Everyone together, in the same room, in the present and in the future with Ann and Chris, and all the kids. And you know, the couples don't often work on TV, but they really did on Parks and Rec. In the final moments of the show, I loved Ben's decision to support Leslie's candidacy for Governor, "it just makes sense", it was such a beautiful act of love and understanding, and a truly inspiring one. I already miss everyone, Leslie, Ben, Andy, April, Tom, Donna, Ron, Garry and all their friends. I will always be glad to come back to this show, to rewatch it many, many times in the future. Thank you, cast & crew!
Joshua Bower: "What makes work worth doing is getting to do it with people that you love". Also picked by Klutzy girl and Nirat Anop
PERSON OF INTEREST, "Blunt", February 24, 2015, Actors: Jim Caviezel, Winston Duke
The Scene: Reese sits down with Dominic
Robert Fruin: Reese sits down with Dominic, where they try to come to an agreement.
SUITS, "Intent", February 25, 2015, Actors: Gabriel Macht, Sarah Rafferty, The Scene: Harvey tells Donna he loves her
Laura Markus: Hmmm, I'm sensing a lot of the similar dynamic between Darvey and Morcia from Criminal Minds. This was obviously a fantastic moment because Harvey finally admitted that "she's different" and "I care about Donna." Him saying that he loves her is just the tip of the iceberg. It was an adorable scene that felt so real, considering all they went through in this episode. I wonder what will happen in the finale.
THE 100, "Bodyguard of Lies", February 25, 2015, Actors: Bob Morley and more, The Scene: Bellamy blows up the tanks
Daniel van der Veer: Bellamy blows up the tanks and nearly gets blown up himself. Bellamy was a badass throughout the entire episode but this was the best moment of them all. Bellamy nearly gets himself killed by blowing up the acid fog tanks. Fortunately he doesn't die. Nice badass moment!
THE AMERICANS, "Salang Pass", February 25, 2015, Actors: Matthew Rhys and more, The Scene: Philip remembers how they were trained to have sex with anyone
Tonya Papanikolas: What a powerful scene. And I was glad the show acknowledged how crazy this aspect is of being a covert Russian spy. I can't believe all the sex they have for their jobs, and they act like it's nothing. This scene was great because it offered an explanation for that. Young, old, male, female - they were actually trained to sleep with anyone if it helped their country. And they had to "make it real." I loved seeing how Philip is at a point where he is really struggling with this. It was great to see a human, emotional side to what he is doing and the toll it is taking on him. Matthew Rhys was wonderful portraying Philip's raw emotions. Philip was even vulnerable enough to answer honestly when his wife asked if he had to "make it real" with her. You can see how he is tired of "making it real" all the time in his life. This was a great, relevant scene.
Daniel van der Veer: This is the first Malcolm and Ra's Al-Ghul are in the same scene and it did not disappoint. It was great to see Malcolm beg for his life and John Barrowman really showed Malcolm's fear in the scene. There was a lot of history between the two men and Ra's obviously didn't want to kill Malcolm.
BANSHEE, "All the Wisdom I Got Left", February 27, 2015, Actors: Antony Starr, Geno Segers, The Scene: Hood and Chayton knife fight in the hotel room (picked by DarkUFO & Bradley Adams)
BETTER CALL SAUL, "Hero", February 23, 2015, Actors: Bob Odenkirk and more,
The Scene: Jimmy becomes a hero (picked by Bradley Adams)
Justyna K: It was a very intense season and I didn't see this conclusion coming. The Sandbrook case ended much more brutally than I expected and even though it was predictable (for a TV show) I just couldn't believe that jury's verdict. I know there's so much more to it and it must have been a tough decision, but still, just the view of Danny's family and everyone in the town, simply knowing that there was a confession, even though it wasn't included in the evidence, it's impossibly hard for me to believe they found Joe not guilty. In the end, justice was served, even though it had to be done by Latimers and their friends in the most powerful scene of the finale. It was heartbreaking to watch Beth there trying to keep herself together, but I was proud of her and everyone else's strength and their final choice, not to become like him. Joe was banished from Broadchurch and all the actors did outstanding job in the confrontation. Speaking of actors, here's a shout-out to David Tennant, who wasn't in this scene, but was absolutely brilliant in the episode and really stole many of its other memorable moments! I'm glad we're geting season 3, it's a very impressive show and I can't wait to see what's next for all the characters.
EMPIRE, "The Lyon's Roar", February 25, 2015, Actors: Jussie Smollett and more
The Scene: Jamal reveals he's gay
Diana Mack: Jamal reveals to the world he's gay with his song during Empire's tribute.
GOTHAM, "Red Hood", February 23, 2015, Actors: Jada Pinkett Smith and more, The Scene: Fish Mooney stabs out her own eye
Nirat Anop: Fish grabs a spoon and pulls out her eye and then immediately squashes it with her shoe. I was not expecting that at all! Also picked by Robert Fruin
Tonya Papanikolas: Rebecca is dead! It was shocking enough to learn that Frank was Lila's killer. Like others, I had suspected Bonnie or Annalise and even Wes. But then to see another murder stunned me. I thought this was a great ending that just added on the earlier revelation. The ending left tons of material for season two. And it also left me in awe of how well this show does "shock and awe." They compound shock upon shock and really know how to stir up excitement over those shocking moments.
Daniel van der Veer: Can How To Get Away With Murder get anymore shocking? In its final few minutes, it drops two bombshells. The biggest one for me is the reveal that Frank killed Lila. Several people have said they found it predictable, but I never saw it coming. It was an intense scene to watch Frank choke the living daylights out of Lila and show how he did his best to hide the body. So it was Sam after all, although not directly. I have a whole lot of questions about Frank and now with Rebecca's death, things are bound to get even more interesting.
Klutzy Girl: The reveal that Frank killed Lila was shocking because I had it narrowed down to Bonnie or Annalise. It definitely paints everything that's happened in a different light, and I'm looking forward to learning more about these characters next season. Also picked by Laura Markus, Bradley Adams, Robert Fruin and Diana Mack
Justyna K: First of all, I can't believe the season's already over. There better be another one. It's such an impressive show, cleverly written, beautifully directed, amazingly acted and full of action and heart, with great characters worth rooting for. And Peggy has to be one of the best characters on TV. She's strong, smart, talented, she's both a fighter with good heart and someone worth fighting for, not that she needs anyone to save her. She's perfectly capable to protect herself and everyone else. There were two most memorable scenes for me in this season finale: Peggy talks Howard out of his trance and Peggy drops Steve's blood into the sea, but in the end I went with the first one. I love how Peggy and Howard, despite so many differences between them, have become close friends, and how Carter, in a painful parallel to her last talk with Captain America, wouldn't give up on saving Stark. It was like a second chance for her, to save someone she truly cared about and this time she did. It also helped her realize that no matter how important Steve will always be to her, she has to let him go and move on with her life. It's heartbreaking to think that Peggy and Rogers never really got to be together, it seems like they'd be perfect for each other but it's time for Carter to find her own happiness and right place in the world. Hayley Atwell, James D'Arcy and Dominic Cooper did a wonderful job in the scene. It was great to see a different, more vulnerable side of Howard Stark. His biggest regret, not being able to bring back his friend, was such a sad surprise. Also it was such a powerful moment for Jarvis, he was almost forced to shoot down the plane with Stark so I'm glad the two shared a lovely moment at the end as well (the hug!). Hopefully it's not the last chapter of Agent Carter on TV and kudos to cast & crew for their work on the show!
Tonya Papanikolas: Jarvis gives Peggy the last sample of Captain America's blood. I loved this scene. It was so sweet and touching. Jarvis knows how much this vial means to Peggy, and he was willing to deceive Howard Stark to give it to her. I loved his quote of how Stark didn't own his integrity. And I love how Jarvis has come to trust and respect Peggy so much. The relationship between these two characters is just fantastic. He had always been protecting Stark but now he's looking out for her, too. The gesture means so much to Peggy, she really has no words. But you can see everything in her eyes. She is sad but extremely thankful. This was a perfect emotional segue into the bridge scene.
Klutzy girl: Peggy tries to talk Howard down from "saving Steve". The parallels to the first Captain America movie caught me off guard but it hurt and I love how the scene played out.
Diana Mack: Peggy drops Steve Roger's blood into the sea whispering goodbye to her lover. Also picked by Nirat Anop
Justyna K: It was perfect! Happy ending for everyone, seeing their lives a few years, a few decades in the future with all their new adventures, but still being connected by love and friendship - it was everything I wanted for this show and its characters and I couldn't be more happy with the way it ended. It's the greatest feeling for me as a fan, simply knowing that these people that I've grown to care about over the years are going to be just fine. More than that, it's a beautiful legacy to leave the fans with such a beautiful story where the dreams really do come true when you do your best and don't give up on them, living and working alongside those you love. It's the most charming comedy I was lucky enough to see and in their last week on TV I want to give a big shout-out to the final minutes of the show. Everyone together, in the same room, in the present and in the future with Ann and Chris, and all the kids. And you know, the couples don't often work on TV, but they really did on Parks and Rec. In the final moments of the show, I loved Ben's decision to support Leslie's candidacy for Governor, "it just makes sense", it was such a beautiful act of love and understanding, and a truly inspiring one. I already miss everyone, Leslie, Ben, Andy, April, Tom, Donna, Ron, Garry and all their friends. I will always be glad to come back to this show, to rewatch it many, many times in the future. Thank you, cast & crew!
Joshua Bower: "What makes work worth doing is getting to do it with people that you love". Also picked by Klutzy girl and Nirat Anop
PERSON OF INTEREST, "Blunt", February 24, 2015, Actors: Jim Caviezel, Winston Duke
The Scene: Reese sits down with Dominic
Robert Fruin: Reese sits down with Dominic, where they try to come to an agreement.
Laura Markus: Hmmm, I'm sensing a lot of the similar dynamic between Darvey and Morcia from Criminal Minds. This was obviously a fantastic moment because Harvey finally admitted that "she's different" and "I care about Donna." Him saying that he loves her is just the tip of the iceberg. It was an adorable scene that felt so real, considering all they went through in this episode. I wonder what will happen in the finale.
Daniel van der Veer: Bellamy blows up the tanks and nearly gets blown up himself. Bellamy was a badass throughout the entire episode but this was the best moment of them all. Bellamy nearly gets himself killed by blowing up the acid fog tanks. Fortunately he doesn't die. Nice badass moment!
Tonya Papanikolas: What a powerful scene. And I was glad the show acknowledged how crazy this aspect is of being a covert Russian spy. I can't believe all the sex they have for their jobs, and they act like it's nothing. This scene was great because it offered an explanation for that. Young, old, male, female - they were actually trained to sleep with anyone if it helped their country. And they had to "make it real." I loved seeing how Philip is at a point where he is really struggling with this. It was great to see a human, emotional side to what he is doing and the toll it is taking on him. Matthew Rhys was wonderful portraying Philip's raw emotions. Philip was even vulnerable enough to answer honestly when his wife asked if he had to "make it real" with her. You can see how he is tired of "making it real" all the time in his life. This was a great, relevant scene.
