A weekly feature in which we're trying to find the most compelling, best acted, written, directed and just generally great, memorable scenes that we've seen in past seven days on TV.
BETTER CALL SAUL, "Switch", February 15, 2016, Actor: Bob Odenkirk
The Scene: Opening Montage
Darth Locke: Future Jimmy gets stuck in the mall's trash hallway.
LIMITLESS, "Undercover!", February 16, 2016, Actors: Jennifer Carpenter, Colin Salmon and more, The Scenes: The End Scene & Rebecca turns down Sands' offer
Laura Markus: It was a strange episode for a plethora of reasons, but one thing Limitless is known to do is drop a huge bombshell at the end of their episodes that directly effects what will happen in the next. This episode is no different, I am sure. Sands is playing billiards when an unfamiliar man (on IMDB known as Keener) approaches him and starts talking about Rebecca. It appears he broke into her apartment while Sands was offering her a job, and placed several hidden cameras, wires, microphones, etc. to spy on her every move. It was also revealed that he knew her dad, which we all know ties into this whole NZT debacle even further. When Keener asked if he gets a window of opportunity to "make his move", Sands tells him to take the shot. Unbelievable! Sands has been getting too close for comfort, but the idea that he would be so egregious and would be prepared to take Rebecca out at any moment's notice is astounding. I can't wait to see where this story leads.
Darth Locke: Rebecca confronts and exploits some of Sands' past, while turning down his offer. It's true that the final scene had great reveal, but I chose this scene instead, because we have yet to see these two characters interact and, for Rebecca especially, it was nice to see her on her own and outside of her more familiar element -- not with Brian and the other FBI characters. I also have been waiting to learn what kind of agent Sands actually was, since the casting call was posted!
LUCIFER, "Manly Whatnots", February 15, 2016, Actors: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, The Scene: Chloe shoots Lucifer
Aimee Hicks: Chloe spent the entire episode trying to deny her own beliefs about Lucifer. Then when she saw his true self shine through it was hard for her to deny any more. Lucifer pushed her to pull the trigger and the results were not what either of them expected. Chloe’s bullet drew blood and shocked them both. This scene draws so many questions and makes me extremely curious as to what comes next for this duo. How long will this turn of events cause Chloe to doubt Lucifer? What event will it take to truly convince her of his true identity? This scene set up a whole array of storylines and left fans with so many questions. It was a beautifully filmed and acted scene as Lucifer turned up the pressure on Chloe and she spent tense seconds questioning the act she was about to commit. It was brilliant acting by Tom Ellis as he expertly showed Lucifer’s need to prove himself to Chloe. Lauren German was equally as brilliant as Chloe’s shock and uncertainty flashed over her face. This was a great scene that was a pivotal turning point in the narrative of the show.
MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER, "Monsters", February 16, 2016, Actors: Lotte Verbeek, Wynn Everett and more, The Scene: Ana is shot
Justyna K: In case I haven't mentioned this enough, Agent Carter is such a brilliant show. It didn't take long for it to become one of my favorites and the interactions between characters, the humor, the action, the cast and story truly are a joy to watch. But since the episodes are always great, it makes choosing just one scene almost impossible. I could easily mention a number of other moments worthy of the SOTW nod (like Peggy and Jarvis' heartfelt conversation in the car or Whitney vs. Dottie) but in the end Ana getting shot was such a shocking scene, it turned out to be the most memorable part of these two episodes for me. Ana Jarvis quickly proved to be a clever, interesting and generally fantastic character. She chose not to wait and watch Whitney take Jason, possibly to his death, but to stop or at least delay them, giving Peggy and Jarvis time to come back. And they almost did. Unfortunately, Frost made a calculated decision to distract them and shot Ana. The good guys of the story are now officially losing the fight, in a way I didn't see coming. Edwin Jarvis' reaction to his wife getting hurt was such a heartbreaking view. He's always so mild-mannered, charming and resourceful that it's hard to imagine anger and helplessness taking over him. All the actors did a wonderful work in the scene and the final shot of Peggy holding Jarvis' hand to comfort him makes the waiting for the next hour of the show even harder. I look forward to seeing Carter and Jarvis' response to these events. And hopefully Ana will recover from her wounds to steal a few more scenes soon. Kudos to cast & crew for their great work!
SHADES OF BLUE, "Undiscovered Country", February 18, 2016, Actors: Jennifer Lopez, Ray Liotta, The Scene: Woz and Harlee talk in the hospital chapel
Laura Markus: This episode kept piling on the intense scenes and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end, which was terrifying. However, this scene might seen smaller scale on paper, but the acting and writing was truly magnificent. Woz admits to Harlee that he pushed Saperstein off the roof, and the two of them get very emotional. They start discussing how great of a person Sap was, which tugged on my heartstrings like crazy, and what would happen if he were to wake up and tell the FBI what he knows. Harlee made Woz promise that if he wakes up that they let him say his piece and that should be that. Later on in the episode, that isn't what happens though. Which was crazy! It should be noted that Woz never actually says the words, "I promise". Hats off to Ray Liotta and Jennifer Lopez for delivering a stunning dialogue-filled scene.
SUITS, "Self Defense", February 17, 2016, Actors: Gabriel Macht, Meghan Markle and more, The Scene: Harvey interrogates Rachel in a mock trial
Laura Markus: This was perhaps the most shocking moment of the season so far for me. The idea of the mock trial was inevitable, especially with Mike being so stubborn as to wanting to be his own lawyer and not listening to Harvey, who is literally begging him to represent him. Anyway, while on the stand, Rachel lies about her and Mike already being married for spousal privilege, but then, in a twist of events, Harvey asks if she was ever unfaithful in their marriage. Rachel of course says no, but Harvey reminds Mike, and tells the entire firm of Rachel's cheating on Mike with Logan Sanders. Harvey later tells Mike that he attacked Rachel on the stand FOR him, and it was stellar. Harvey has obviously been keeping this resentment buried inside for quite some time, and it was amazing to see it being let out.
TEEN WOLF, "A Credible Threat", February 16, 2016, Actors: Orny Adams, Tyler Posey, Dylan O'Brien, The Scene: Scott and Stiles visit Coach at rehab
Prpleight: The reappearance of Coach. When the Sheriff announced that his absence was due to him being in rehab my heart fell. When we first see him he's sitting on a sofa catatonic I held my breath for a moment. Turns out he checked himself into rehab because he was hiding from the insanity at Beacon Hills High. He check himself in because of "I'm not going to take another arrow to my stomach-phobia." I have missed this character so very much and this scene was filled with all of the joy the character has given me for the first four and a half seasons of the show.
THE 100, "Hakeldama", February 18, 2016, Actors: Eliza Taylor, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Adina Porter, The Scene: Clarke convinces Lexa to take a new path of peace
Aimee Hicks: This scene changed the entire dynamic of the Grounders versus Arkadia brewing war. Lexa has always touted her mantle of Blood Must Have Blood from the moment we met her. Then a few episodes back she swore her loyalty to Clarke and her people which changed everything. Lexa bound herself to Clarke and while Clarke gave her the freedom to wage war on her people Lexa knew it would violate her vow to Clarke. I believe breaking her promise to Clarke once and losing Clarke’s trust and love broke her to a degree. No matter how stoic she tries to be Clarke is her weakness and she couldn’t handle the thought of betraying her once again. She loves Clarke and while it would be easy to say her love for Clarke clouded her judgment it was a simple matter of Clarke making a compelling argument. As Indra pointed out the guns would likely devastate Lexa’s army anyway and I believe the Commander is growing tired of constant war which is why she started the coalition in the first place. This was her chance to lead her people down a different path and I look forward to seeing how Lexa and Clarke lead their people away from the brewing war. Will there be mutiny for Lexa after this decision as Indra seems to believe? Will Clarke stand loyal to Lexa or will she at some point choose her own people as Lexa once did? This is an interesting dynamic and I very much look forward to seeing how others respond to Lexa’s choice. As usual Alycia delivered an outstanding performance as she perfectly handled Lexa’s uncertainty and paced out her response that she had decided to go with Clarke’s plan. This scene set up some great new dynamics as Lexa seeks out peace and brought Clarke and Lexa a step closer to being back together. Alycia and Eliza brilliantly played off of each other as usual and Adina brought an interesting addition to their dynamic. All three actresses delivered in this scene and left a big impression.
THE BIG BANG THEORY, "The Positive Negative Reaction", February 18, 2016, Actors: Melissa Rauch, Simon Helberg and more, The Scene: Baby Karaoke Montage
Ben L: In this week's wonderful episode, the gang got together for karaoke, which is how they celebrated when they found out that Howard and Bernadette were going to be first time parents.
Prpleight: It was just mostly sweet and fun and included the "My Country, tis of Thee".
THE FLASH, "Escape from Earth-2", February 16, 2016, Actors: Grant Gustin, Tom Cavanagh, Danielle Panabaker and more, The Scene: The group rescues Jesse and Barry
Justyna K: Brilliant! I absolutely loved both the idea and execution of this trip to Earth-2 in the past two episodes. And probably nothing about it was quite as powerful and emotional as the scene where the group finds Zoom's lair and saves Jesse and Barry. The reunion between Wells and his daughter was the heartwarming moment I was waiting for. I look forward to seeing more of their relationship and Jesse's interactions with the team. And I loved that Barry-2 got a chance to shine in the scene when he said exactly what our Barry needed to hear to get out of Zoom's trap. As if all the reunions weren't enough, the moment took a dark and scary turn when Zoom showed up. He has to be one of the best villains, monsters and bad guys I've seen on my shows. There's something truly terrifying about his presence, whether it's the voice, the special effects or his power, I can't really say, but he sure scares me more than I expected. And what could have ended tragically, ends up being a moment to show something true and familiar about Killer Frost. I'm glad to see that even in her darkest version Caitlin still loved Ronnie and it was enough to help everyone get away from Zoom. Though it makes me miss the Firestorm more. And finally, I do hope we see more of man in the Iron Mask (is he the real Jay?), good to hear Barry promised to come back for him. All the actors did a fantastic work in the episode, special shout-out to Grant Gustin, Tom Cavanagh and Danielle Panabaker for this scene. I'm really excited to see what's next, even more so after these brilliant two episodes! Kudos!
THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES, "Utopia", February 16, 2016, Actors: Ivana Baquero and more, The Scene: Eretria saves the others
Aimee Hicks: This was a defining moment for Eretria as she picked her friends over being with her “own kind” in Utopia. As she pointed out earlier in the episode Amberle and Wil made their choices but she was literally forced into this quest. The episode started off showing how much Eretria has started to change as she kept referring to Amberle and Wil as her friends. Even as she was fighting for her life and nearly bleeding out she wouldn’t let herself give up hope that her friends would come for her which is a far cry from the loner Rover we met at the start of the season. These two have weaseled their way past her defenses and she has come to care about both of them more than she cares to admit. In this scene she risked everything to save them as they had risked everything to come after her. This was Eretria’s opportunity to make her choice to be a part of the quest and in the end she made the right choice to stay with her friends. The hug Wil gave her showed the shift of their relationship to one of considerably more trust. During that moment Amberle looked on and there was a hint of jealousy yet I couldn’t quite decipher whom the jealousy was geared towards. She had been making out with Wil earlier in the episode but I think Eretria has also left an impression on the princess that she can’t quite figure out. Should all three survive the season I predict this love triangle will become considerably more complicated in the next season. Then when the shooting began at the end of the scene and Cephalo sacrificed himself for the group and his “daughter” it was evident how Amberle knew what this whole situation meant to Eretria and you could see her watching her friend. Cephalo’s sacrifice was noble for the two timer and if the character had to be killed I feel like this was the best possible way to say goodbye to him. Now Eretria really only has Wil and Amberle left and I predict that will cause her to be even more protective of them. This scene had everything one could ask from a scene and officially made Eretria a part of the quest while it showed the devotion the whole team has towards one another. A brilliant scene from the second the first shot is fired until the surviving members of the group run off into the woods. Brilliant acting by every actor in the scene and especially Ivana and James who had the hardest jobs in this scene.
VINYL, "Pilot", February 14, 2016, Actors: Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay and more, The Scene: The murder of Frank "Buck" Rogers
Darth Locke: Although I think the Pilot was too manic for it's own good, If one looks more closely at all of the events that transpired, it did showcase an array of interesting ideas of what the show can be, not to mention the interweaving of real musical historic value. I chose this scene because of a concept it presented in which, a seemingly out of control Buck Rogers, shows viewers the connections that can be made to unlikely relationships and something to contemplate about "Synergy" in a world that is seemingly random, as Buck is able to shoot the monster of Frankenstein at precisely the right time the character takes a blow in the film on screen, and where he ironically dies himself, let alone the hunting quality that his death may come to have on Richie--but more over, the fact that at the end of the episode, Richie then comes to reach an all time low and gets high, leads to a fantastical musical experience, in which he survives and is able to walk away unscathed from the collapse of the Mercer Arts Center! Dumb Luck or Karma? Will be interesting to see if that goes somewhere. Also the cast was GREAT!
BETTER CALL SAUL, "Switch", February 15, 2016, Actor: Bob Odenkirk
The Scene: Opening Montage
Darth Locke: Future Jimmy gets stuck in the mall's trash hallway.
Laura Markus: It was a strange episode for a plethora of reasons, but one thing Limitless is known to do is drop a huge bombshell at the end of their episodes that directly effects what will happen in the next. This episode is no different, I am sure. Sands is playing billiards when an unfamiliar man (on IMDB known as Keener) approaches him and starts talking about Rebecca. It appears he broke into her apartment while Sands was offering her a job, and placed several hidden cameras, wires, microphones, etc. to spy on her every move. It was also revealed that he knew her dad, which we all know ties into this whole NZT debacle even further. When Keener asked if he gets a window of opportunity to "make his move", Sands tells him to take the shot. Unbelievable! Sands has been getting too close for comfort, but the idea that he would be so egregious and would be prepared to take Rebecca out at any moment's notice is astounding. I can't wait to see where this story leads.
Darth Locke: Rebecca confronts and exploits some of Sands' past, while turning down his offer. It's true that the final scene had great reveal, but I chose this scene instead, because we have yet to see these two characters interact and, for Rebecca especially, it was nice to see her on her own and outside of her more familiar element -- not with Brian and the other FBI characters. I also have been waiting to learn what kind of agent Sands actually was, since the casting call was posted!
Aimee Hicks: Chloe spent the entire episode trying to deny her own beliefs about Lucifer. Then when she saw his true self shine through it was hard for her to deny any more. Lucifer pushed her to pull the trigger and the results were not what either of them expected. Chloe’s bullet drew blood and shocked them both. This scene draws so many questions and makes me extremely curious as to what comes next for this duo. How long will this turn of events cause Chloe to doubt Lucifer? What event will it take to truly convince her of his true identity? This scene set up a whole array of storylines and left fans with so many questions. It was a beautifully filmed and acted scene as Lucifer turned up the pressure on Chloe and she spent tense seconds questioning the act she was about to commit. It was brilliant acting by Tom Ellis as he expertly showed Lucifer’s need to prove himself to Chloe. Lauren German was equally as brilliant as Chloe’s shock and uncertainty flashed over her face. This was a great scene that was a pivotal turning point in the narrative of the show.
Justyna K: In case I haven't mentioned this enough, Agent Carter is such a brilliant show. It didn't take long for it to become one of my favorites and the interactions between characters, the humor, the action, the cast and story truly are a joy to watch. But since the episodes are always great, it makes choosing just one scene almost impossible. I could easily mention a number of other moments worthy of the SOTW nod (like Peggy and Jarvis' heartfelt conversation in the car or Whitney vs. Dottie) but in the end Ana getting shot was such a shocking scene, it turned out to be the most memorable part of these two episodes for me. Ana Jarvis quickly proved to be a clever, interesting and generally fantastic character. She chose not to wait and watch Whitney take Jason, possibly to his death, but to stop or at least delay them, giving Peggy and Jarvis time to come back. And they almost did. Unfortunately, Frost made a calculated decision to distract them and shot Ana. The good guys of the story are now officially losing the fight, in a way I didn't see coming. Edwin Jarvis' reaction to his wife getting hurt was such a heartbreaking view. He's always so mild-mannered, charming and resourceful that it's hard to imagine anger and helplessness taking over him. All the actors did a wonderful work in the scene and the final shot of Peggy holding Jarvis' hand to comfort him makes the waiting for the next hour of the show even harder. I look forward to seeing Carter and Jarvis' response to these events. And hopefully Ana will recover from her wounds to steal a few more scenes soon. Kudos to cast & crew for their great work!
Laura Markus: This episode kept piling on the intense scenes and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end, which was terrifying. However, this scene might seen smaller scale on paper, but the acting and writing was truly magnificent. Woz admits to Harlee that he pushed Saperstein off the roof, and the two of them get very emotional. They start discussing how great of a person Sap was, which tugged on my heartstrings like crazy, and what would happen if he were to wake up and tell the FBI what he knows. Harlee made Woz promise that if he wakes up that they let him say his piece and that should be that. Later on in the episode, that isn't what happens though. Which was crazy! It should be noted that Woz never actually says the words, "I promise". Hats off to Ray Liotta and Jennifer Lopez for delivering a stunning dialogue-filled scene.
Laura Markus: This was perhaps the most shocking moment of the season so far for me. The idea of the mock trial was inevitable, especially with Mike being so stubborn as to wanting to be his own lawyer and not listening to Harvey, who is literally begging him to represent him. Anyway, while on the stand, Rachel lies about her and Mike already being married for spousal privilege, but then, in a twist of events, Harvey asks if she was ever unfaithful in their marriage. Rachel of course says no, but Harvey reminds Mike, and tells the entire firm of Rachel's cheating on Mike with Logan Sanders. Harvey later tells Mike that he attacked Rachel on the stand FOR him, and it was stellar. Harvey has obviously been keeping this resentment buried inside for quite some time, and it was amazing to see it being let out.
Prpleight: The reappearance of Coach. When the Sheriff announced that his absence was due to him being in rehab my heart fell. When we first see him he's sitting on a sofa catatonic I held my breath for a moment. Turns out he checked himself into rehab because he was hiding from the insanity at Beacon Hills High. He check himself in because of "I'm not going to take another arrow to my stomach-phobia." I have missed this character so very much and this scene was filled with all of the joy the character has given me for the first four and a half seasons of the show.
Aimee Hicks: This scene changed the entire dynamic of the Grounders versus Arkadia brewing war. Lexa has always touted her mantle of Blood Must Have Blood from the moment we met her. Then a few episodes back she swore her loyalty to Clarke and her people which changed everything. Lexa bound herself to Clarke and while Clarke gave her the freedom to wage war on her people Lexa knew it would violate her vow to Clarke. I believe breaking her promise to Clarke once and losing Clarke’s trust and love broke her to a degree. No matter how stoic she tries to be Clarke is her weakness and she couldn’t handle the thought of betraying her once again. She loves Clarke and while it would be easy to say her love for Clarke clouded her judgment it was a simple matter of Clarke making a compelling argument. As Indra pointed out the guns would likely devastate Lexa’s army anyway and I believe the Commander is growing tired of constant war which is why she started the coalition in the first place. This was her chance to lead her people down a different path and I look forward to seeing how Lexa and Clarke lead their people away from the brewing war. Will there be mutiny for Lexa after this decision as Indra seems to believe? Will Clarke stand loyal to Lexa or will she at some point choose her own people as Lexa once did? This is an interesting dynamic and I very much look forward to seeing how others respond to Lexa’s choice. As usual Alycia delivered an outstanding performance as she perfectly handled Lexa’s uncertainty and paced out her response that she had decided to go with Clarke’s plan. This scene set up some great new dynamics as Lexa seeks out peace and brought Clarke and Lexa a step closer to being back together. Alycia and Eliza brilliantly played off of each other as usual and Adina brought an interesting addition to their dynamic. All three actresses delivered in this scene and left a big impression.
Ben L: In this week's wonderful episode, the gang got together for karaoke, which is how they celebrated when they found out that Howard and Bernadette were going to be first time parents.
Prpleight: It was just mostly sweet and fun and included the "My Country, tis of Thee".
Justyna K: Brilliant! I absolutely loved both the idea and execution of this trip to Earth-2 in the past two episodes. And probably nothing about it was quite as powerful and emotional as the scene where the group finds Zoom's lair and saves Jesse and Barry. The reunion between Wells and his daughter was the heartwarming moment I was waiting for. I look forward to seeing more of their relationship and Jesse's interactions with the team. And I loved that Barry-2 got a chance to shine in the scene when he said exactly what our Barry needed to hear to get out of Zoom's trap. As if all the reunions weren't enough, the moment took a dark and scary turn when Zoom showed up. He has to be one of the best villains, monsters and bad guys I've seen on my shows. There's something truly terrifying about his presence, whether it's the voice, the special effects or his power, I can't really say, but he sure scares me more than I expected. And what could have ended tragically, ends up being a moment to show something true and familiar about Killer Frost. I'm glad to see that even in her darkest version Caitlin still loved Ronnie and it was enough to help everyone get away from Zoom. Though it makes me miss the Firestorm more. And finally, I do hope we see more of man in the Iron Mask (is he the real Jay?), good to hear Barry promised to come back for him. All the actors did a fantastic work in the episode, special shout-out to Grant Gustin, Tom Cavanagh and Danielle Panabaker for this scene. I'm really excited to see what's next, even more so after these brilliant two episodes! Kudos!
Aimee Hicks: This was a defining moment for Eretria as she picked her friends over being with her “own kind” in Utopia. As she pointed out earlier in the episode Amberle and Wil made their choices but she was literally forced into this quest. The episode started off showing how much Eretria has started to change as she kept referring to Amberle and Wil as her friends. Even as she was fighting for her life and nearly bleeding out she wouldn’t let herself give up hope that her friends would come for her which is a far cry from the loner Rover we met at the start of the season. These two have weaseled their way past her defenses and she has come to care about both of them more than she cares to admit. In this scene she risked everything to save them as they had risked everything to come after her. This was Eretria’s opportunity to make her choice to be a part of the quest and in the end she made the right choice to stay with her friends. The hug Wil gave her showed the shift of their relationship to one of considerably more trust. During that moment Amberle looked on and there was a hint of jealousy yet I couldn’t quite decipher whom the jealousy was geared towards. She had been making out with Wil earlier in the episode but I think Eretria has also left an impression on the princess that she can’t quite figure out. Should all three survive the season I predict this love triangle will become considerably more complicated in the next season. Then when the shooting began at the end of the scene and Cephalo sacrificed himself for the group and his “daughter” it was evident how Amberle knew what this whole situation meant to Eretria and you could see her watching her friend. Cephalo’s sacrifice was noble for the two timer and if the character had to be killed I feel like this was the best possible way to say goodbye to him. Now Eretria really only has Wil and Amberle left and I predict that will cause her to be even more protective of them. This scene had everything one could ask from a scene and officially made Eretria a part of the quest while it showed the devotion the whole team has towards one another. A brilliant scene from the second the first shot is fired until the surviving members of the group run off into the woods. Brilliant acting by every actor in the scene and especially Ivana and James who had the hardest jobs in this scene.
Darth Locke: Although I think the Pilot was too manic for it's own good, If one looks more closely at all of the events that transpired, it did showcase an array of interesting ideas of what the show can be, not to mention the interweaving of real musical historic value. I chose this scene because of a concept it presented in which, a seemingly out of control Buck Rogers, shows viewers the connections that can be made to unlikely relationships and something to contemplate about "Synergy" in a world that is seemingly random, as Buck is able to shoot the monster of Frankenstein at precisely the right time the character takes a blow in the film on screen, and where he ironically dies himself, let alone the hunting quality that his death may come to have on Richie--but more over, the fact that at the end of the episode, Richie then comes to reach an all time low and gets high, leads to a fantastical musical experience, in which he survives and is able to walk away unscathed from the collapse of the Mercer Arts Center! Dumb Luck or Karma? Will be interesting to see if that goes somewhere. Also the cast was GREAT!
