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.
BASKETS, "DJ Twins", February 25, 2016, Actors: Zach Galifianakis and more
The Scene: Chip goes to his brothers and not to the rodeo
Bradley Adams: Chip makes the choice not to go to the rodeo and instead goes to convince his brothers to talk to their mother.
BETTER CALL SAUL, "Cobbler", February 22, 2016, Actors: Bob Odenkirk and more, The Scene: Jimmy tells the police that Daniel's hiding videos of "squat cobbler"
Darth Locke: I don't know who came up with creating and writing this mock-fetish, but it had to be one of the most disturbing, but comically entertaining ideas I have ever come across in cinema! I don't think I will ever look at one of my favorite dessert foods the same again! (Did I mention it was my Birthday this week?) The only thing that would top this is if that video tape of such acts will be shown on the show/on screen at some point. Also picked by Bradley Adams
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, "It's a Trap", February 25, 2015, Actors: Viola Davis, Karla Souza and more, The Scene: Laurel asks Annalise if Wes killed his mom
Laura Markus: The ending. Wow, that was quite the bombshell to drop. This episode was excellent, and it kept you captivated the entire time. And then it ended with Laurel sneaking a piece of research she found from Wes' mom's files. It said that Wes was the suspect in his mom's murder and then, via flashback, we see a child Wes holding a bloody knife hovering over his mother's dead body. That was crazy! It seemed like Annalise indeed knew about this, and it might have been true. Also noteworthy: the child actor they used for Wes looks so much like a young Alfred Enoch! What a gripping take on his story; I can't wait to see where it'll go from here.
LIMITLESS, "Sands, Agent of Morra", February 23, 2016, Actors: Jake McDorman, Colin Salmon and more, The Scenes: Brian finds out that Sands killed Rebecca's dad & Sands shows up at Brian's apartment
Darth Locke: A bleeding Sands interrupts Brian and Rachel bonding time, in which Brian must take NZT to medically help Sands. This episode was another amazing episode for Limitless. First, it is a testimony to the show's great execution, in which the span of one episode can humanize the most brutally ruthless character we have seen on screen by exploiting the character's vulnerabilities. It's not to say that I think Sands will change or that there will still not be something underhanded about the character, but at least for a moment, we know Sands can feel--and that really, even his worst deeds are still driven by deep-seeded emotion. Second, it featured great comic art for flashback sequences by some the industries best current artists, proving the show's wonderful flexibility in its creative department. Thirdly, and the reason I chose this scene, is despite however dark and even serious Limitless can be, it also finds a way to keep it from ever being too dark for too long with comical antics such as this scene, making it always still a delight to watch!
Laura Markus: The ending (Brian finds out that Sands indeed killed Rebecca's dad). In one of the best episodes this series has ever had filled the brim with beautiful comic book art, the last moments of this episode took the cake for me. After witnessing Ike hook up with his sister, Brian blows off some steam by reading the burn book of one of Sands's former colleagues. In it he finds all the information he needs to piece together that Sands was instrumental in killing all those NZT users we learned about in Episode 6. One may recall that Sands has been asked about killing Rebecca's dad before, to which Sands replied that he never knew the man. Clearly he was lying, and we probably should've seen it coming. This is a testament to his character, and Colin Salmon's great acting.
MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER, "A Little Song and Dance", February 23, 2016, Actors: Hayley Atwell, James D'Arcy and more, The Scenes: Jarvis and Peggy argue & The dream sequence & Jarvis asks Ana to wake up
Justyna K: I've been a fan of the show since its first episode but it's become one my favorites in its second, absolutely brilliant season. One of the best things about the series has always been the wonderful friendship between Jarvis and Peggy. At first it was hard to imagine how Howard Stark's butler could possibly assist someone like Agent Carter. This unlikely duo, however, managed to steal the show on more than one occasion and proved to be both successful and entertaining partnership. In what may be one of the series' best and most memorable scenes we get to see them under different circumstances, clearly at odds and arguing about the loss and the decisions they both made since their first meeting. And as it happens in the best of the arguments between friends both sides are right and wrong on some points. It's certainly true that what is Peggy's life has always been more of an adventure for Jarvis and continuing it was his own choice. And though justified, Carter's decision to risk their lives to save Dottie ended tragically for poor Ana. But it's when the conversation turns towards the losses in their life the scene becomes truly powerful and heartbreaking. And both actors are marvelous at portraying their characters' emotional state. Hayley Atwell excels at showing us Peggy's more vulnerable side, trying to stay strong but hurt with the cost she had to pay for her life choices - Michael, Steve, Colleen to name a few. And then there's Jarvis' confession, when he admits Ana won't ever be able to have children, something he hasn't been able to reveal even to her yet and James D'Arcy's performance is completely spot-on. And with this heart to heart, their voices breaking and the tears, the fight is over and the story goes on, with a better understanding of these two great characters. Truly amazed by this show and I would so much like to get more seasons of this incredible series. Kudos for all the work to the cast & crew!
Prpleight: Jarvis makes promises to his wife ‘if only she would wake up.' I have loved the character of Ana since she appeared. Kudos for writing a woman who is not remotely threatened by the friendship between her husband and another woman. And this scene of Jarvis terrified of the possibility of losing her was heartbreaking, sweet, and nicely performed.
Bradley Adams: Peggy snaps at Jarvis; Jarvis tells Peggy that Ana can't have children.
Donna Chidley: The dream sequence, Peggy gets knocked out and has a song and dance routine going off in her head.
NCIS LOS ANGELES, "Matryoshka, Part 2", February 22, 2016, Actors: Chris O'Donnell, Daniel J. Travanti, The Scene: Callen talks to his father
Justyna K: The story behind Callen's real name and family has been a mystery since the show started. I'm quite certain I've missed some parts of it in the previous episodes but I'm glad I got to see this wonderful, even though quite short, conclusion. Such a quiet, yet honest, powerful and emotional moment. And finally, after all this time, Callen knows a little about his father - his face, his home, that he knew and cared about his son and he sees him as a good man. And what's more, we also found out what hides behind the first letter of his name "G" - Grisha Aleksandrovich Nikolaev. Chris O'Donnell has done a wonderful work in this scene and I hope that learning about his past will help Callen move forward with more peaceful mind.
SUITS, "Tick Tock", February 24, 2016, Actors: Gabriel Macht and more, The Scene: The ending
Laura Markus: Harvey runs across the city to stop Mike from taking the deal. This episode started off great, had some low points throughout the middle, and ending off with a bang. There wasn't much dialogue to be had in this ending scene, but the acting was still nailed, mostly due to the chemistry that Patrick Adams and Gabriel Macht share with their characters. Mike is on his way to take Anita Gibbs' deal, and Harvey knows exactly where he's going when he doesn't show up to hear the verdict on his trial. Harvey starts running in slow motion across a busy street, and all over the building to save Mike - and he just misses him. Or did he? We'll find out next week. Either way, this scene felt like it was taken straight out of a romantic movie. And the cinematography and song choice made it even better.
SUPERGIRL, "Truth, Justice and the American Way", February 22, 2016, Actors: Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, The Scene: Alex and Kara bond before Non bursts in
Aimee Hicks: Secrets have been relatively easily resolved on this show with minimal fallout, but the massive secret Alex is keeping now is poised to change the landscape of this show if it is ever revealed. In this scene we see how much this secret is weighing on Alex. She knows that Hank was right regarding not telling Kara but not telling her sister is slowly eating away at her. Given how Kara has been acting towards Hank it was definitely the right decision but when it inevitably comes out I have no idea where that will leave these sisters. Luckily the secret wasn’t revealed here and we got to enjoy some good ole fashion Danvers sisters bonding. Kara is struggling with everything that’s been going on and for the moment Alex knows the best thing she can do for her sister is support her unconditionally. One of my favorite moments in this scene was just after Non broke into the apartment and Alex took a protective position in front of her sister. It didn’t matter that Non and Kara have the same powers it’s always Alex’s first instinct to protect her sister. These sisterly bonding scenes are some of my favorites given the natural chemistry Melissa and Chyler have. When they are on screen together their real life friendship seeps through and helps to sell the love between their characters. This scene gave us a nice sisterly bonding moment and a tense Non encounter all in one. A ton of amazing scenes in this episode but this one definitely stood out as my favorite.
Donna Chidley: Opening scene between Kara and Alex until Non bursts in. You can tell the guilt about Astra is still weighing heavily on Alex.
THE 100, "Bitter Harvest", February 25, 2016, Actors: Eliza Taylor, Alycia Debnam-Carey, The Scene: Clarke comforts Lexa after her nightmare
Aimee Hicks: No one can argue that the relationship between Lexa and Clarke is conflicted and that conflict was brilliantly portrayed in this scene. They have all these issues and yet here they were just hanging out together and Lexa trusts Clarke enough to let her guard down and fall asleep with her in the room. Then the second Lexa jumps awake from the nightmare Clarke is at her side without question or hesitation. All of her focus was on Lexa and taking care of her. Compared to many of the scenes in this episode this was a simple one but it stood out for the forward momentum it provided to this complicated pairing. I think this pairing is so intriguing to fans because of the implications a union between them would have for both their people. They are two very powerful women who just happen to love one another and are stuck in impossible situations. They care about each other yet there is this epic issue of trust between them. How long can they keep denying the draw between them and what happens when they finally give in to it? Like most of the relationships on this show this is a beautifully flawed and complicated relationship rooted deep with emotional issues. Whatever comes next the seed for it was sown in this scene. Great acting from Alycia who had this very startled and fearful look in her eyes when she brought Lexa out of the nightmare. Eliza was equally brilliant as she took Clarke from peacefully drawing Lexa to immediate concern as she jumped over to the couch to comfort Lexa. Not the most intense scene of the episode but it was a standout.
THE FLASH, "King Shark", February 23, 2016, Actor: Teddy Sears, The Scene: Zoom is revealed
Justyna K: Who would have thought that resolving the mystery of Zoom's alter ego will only result in more questions? In the final scene of the episode, the face behind the mask is revealed to look just like Jay Garrick. Except the one we knew, the Flash of Earth-2 appears to be dead... All the theories sure sound complicated now. As I do love a good twist, my guess would probably be that there are twins on both worlds - Jay Garrick and Hunter Zolomon. So on Earth-2 we have Jay the Flash and Hunter = Zoom while on Earth-1 we have Hunter we met once in the park and Jay...currently in Zoom's lair (as in the Man in Iron Mask)? Whatever the truth may be I do enjoy the fact the solution didn't turn out to be too simple and there's still many more to discover. Kudos for another great episode and can't wait to see where the story goes from here!
THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES, "Safehold", February 23, 2016, Actors: Austin Butler, Poppy Drayton, Ivana Baquero, The Scene: Eretria and Amberle are overcome by the Bloodfire guardians
Aimee Hicks: As Eretria is having her head messed with you can see her trying to fight the manipulation but at the same time the guardians are spouting off things that Eretria has thought at one point or another. Sure she’s come to trust her companions and in truth she’s come to love them both but that still hasn’t been enough to erase her insecurities. It is those insecurities that led her to draw her blade on her friends and charge Amberle. While Eretria was being manipulated so was Amberle and that led her to also hold her sword on her friend. She may not return Eretria’s romantic feelings but the last episode proved that she considers the Rover a dear friend. It was heartbreaking to see them regress to their early days of not trusting one another and to see them each trying so hard to fight the manipulation being forced on them and being unable to resist. Wil for the most part was able to resist but when it came to it and Eretria charged Amberle his first instinct was to protect Amberle. While he cares for both women and they’ve been through a lot together this scene proved he will always uphold his duty and protect Amberle. Yet once Eretria’s blood started to flow it was as if the spell over all of them was broken and they all came to their senses. Wil rushed to Eretria’s side and Amberle looked genuinely concerned for her friend. The tension in this scene was perfectly written and the execution of the scene was outstanding. All the actors performed flawlessly and beautifully conveyed the conflict within their characters. They delivered perfect performances throughout the entire episode but this scene was definitely a standout for this very talented group.
THE X-FILES, "My Struggle II", February 22, 2016, Actors: David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, The Scene: Final Scene
Darth Locke: Although not untypical of an X-Files finale ending on a cliffhanger, this one just felt SO MUCH BIGGER than normal. I don't know if it's because it outweighed the six episodes that preceded it--that those episodes had other underlying ideas and themes that didn't come to fruition, or if it's because, it appears as such a game changer, making it feel so epic, but in any case to not be left asking, "What the Hell?" would be an understatement. I hope very much in time we will get some kind of X-Files series/continuation with this mini-series serving as a back door...
BASKETS, "DJ Twins", February 25, 2016, Actors: Zach Galifianakis and more
The Scene: Chip goes to his brothers and not to the rodeo
Bradley Adams: Chip makes the choice not to go to the rodeo and instead goes to convince his brothers to talk to their mother.
Darth Locke: I don't know who came up with creating and writing this mock-fetish, but it had to be one of the most disturbing, but comically entertaining ideas I have ever come across in cinema! I don't think I will ever look at one of my favorite dessert foods the same again! (Did I mention it was my Birthday this week?) The only thing that would top this is if that video tape of such acts will be shown on the show/on screen at some point. Also picked by Bradley Adams
Laura Markus: The ending. Wow, that was quite the bombshell to drop. This episode was excellent, and it kept you captivated the entire time. And then it ended with Laurel sneaking a piece of research she found from Wes' mom's files. It said that Wes was the suspect in his mom's murder and then, via flashback, we see a child Wes holding a bloody knife hovering over his mother's dead body. That was crazy! It seemed like Annalise indeed knew about this, and it might have been true. Also noteworthy: the child actor they used for Wes looks so much like a young Alfred Enoch! What a gripping take on his story; I can't wait to see where it'll go from here.
Darth Locke: A bleeding Sands interrupts Brian and Rachel bonding time, in which Brian must take NZT to medically help Sands. This episode was another amazing episode for Limitless. First, it is a testimony to the show's great execution, in which the span of one episode can humanize the most brutally ruthless character we have seen on screen by exploiting the character's vulnerabilities. It's not to say that I think Sands will change or that there will still not be something underhanded about the character, but at least for a moment, we know Sands can feel--and that really, even his worst deeds are still driven by deep-seeded emotion. Second, it featured great comic art for flashback sequences by some the industries best current artists, proving the show's wonderful flexibility in its creative department. Thirdly, and the reason I chose this scene, is despite however dark and even serious Limitless can be, it also finds a way to keep it from ever being too dark for too long with comical antics such as this scene, making it always still a delight to watch!
Laura Markus: The ending (Brian finds out that Sands indeed killed Rebecca's dad). In one of the best episodes this series has ever had filled the brim with beautiful comic book art, the last moments of this episode took the cake for me. After witnessing Ike hook up with his sister, Brian blows off some steam by reading the burn book of one of Sands's former colleagues. In it he finds all the information he needs to piece together that Sands was instrumental in killing all those NZT users we learned about in Episode 6. One may recall that Sands has been asked about killing Rebecca's dad before, to which Sands replied that he never knew the man. Clearly he was lying, and we probably should've seen it coming. This is a testament to his character, and Colin Salmon's great acting.
Justyna K: I've been a fan of the show since its first episode but it's become one my favorites in its second, absolutely brilliant season. One of the best things about the series has always been the wonderful friendship between Jarvis and Peggy. At first it was hard to imagine how Howard Stark's butler could possibly assist someone like Agent Carter. This unlikely duo, however, managed to steal the show on more than one occasion and proved to be both successful and entertaining partnership. In what may be one of the series' best and most memorable scenes we get to see them under different circumstances, clearly at odds and arguing about the loss and the decisions they both made since their first meeting. And as it happens in the best of the arguments between friends both sides are right and wrong on some points. It's certainly true that what is Peggy's life has always been more of an adventure for Jarvis and continuing it was his own choice. And though justified, Carter's decision to risk their lives to save Dottie ended tragically for poor Ana. But it's when the conversation turns towards the losses in their life the scene becomes truly powerful and heartbreaking. And both actors are marvelous at portraying their characters' emotional state. Hayley Atwell excels at showing us Peggy's more vulnerable side, trying to stay strong but hurt with the cost she had to pay for her life choices - Michael, Steve, Colleen to name a few. And then there's Jarvis' confession, when he admits Ana won't ever be able to have children, something he hasn't been able to reveal even to her yet and James D'Arcy's performance is completely spot-on. And with this heart to heart, their voices breaking and the tears, the fight is over and the story goes on, with a better understanding of these two great characters. Truly amazed by this show and I would so much like to get more seasons of this incredible series. Kudos for all the work to the cast & crew!
Prpleight: Jarvis makes promises to his wife ‘if only she would wake up.' I have loved the character of Ana since she appeared. Kudos for writing a woman who is not remotely threatened by the friendship between her husband and another woman. And this scene of Jarvis terrified of the possibility of losing her was heartbreaking, sweet, and nicely performed.
Bradley Adams: Peggy snaps at Jarvis; Jarvis tells Peggy that Ana can't have children.
Donna Chidley: The dream sequence, Peggy gets knocked out and has a song and dance routine going off in her head.
Justyna K: The story behind Callen's real name and family has been a mystery since the show started. I'm quite certain I've missed some parts of it in the previous episodes but I'm glad I got to see this wonderful, even though quite short, conclusion. Such a quiet, yet honest, powerful and emotional moment. And finally, after all this time, Callen knows a little about his father - his face, his home, that he knew and cared about his son and he sees him as a good man. And what's more, we also found out what hides behind the first letter of his name "G" - Grisha Aleksandrovich Nikolaev. Chris O'Donnell has done a wonderful work in this scene and I hope that learning about his past will help Callen move forward with more peaceful mind.
Laura Markus: Harvey runs across the city to stop Mike from taking the deal. This episode started off great, had some low points throughout the middle, and ending off with a bang. There wasn't much dialogue to be had in this ending scene, but the acting was still nailed, mostly due to the chemistry that Patrick Adams and Gabriel Macht share with their characters. Mike is on his way to take Anita Gibbs' deal, and Harvey knows exactly where he's going when he doesn't show up to hear the verdict on his trial. Harvey starts running in slow motion across a busy street, and all over the building to save Mike - and he just misses him. Or did he? We'll find out next week. Either way, this scene felt like it was taken straight out of a romantic movie. And the cinematography and song choice made it even better.
Aimee Hicks: Secrets have been relatively easily resolved on this show with minimal fallout, but the massive secret Alex is keeping now is poised to change the landscape of this show if it is ever revealed. In this scene we see how much this secret is weighing on Alex. She knows that Hank was right regarding not telling Kara but not telling her sister is slowly eating away at her. Given how Kara has been acting towards Hank it was definitely the right decision but when it inevitably comes out I have no idea where that will leave these sisters. Luckily the secret wasn’t revealed here and we got to enjoy some good ole fashion Danvers sisters bonding. Kara is struggling with everything that’s been going on and for the moment Alex knows the best thing she can do for her sister is support her unconditionally. One of my favorite moments in this scene was just after Non broke into the apartment and Alex took a protective position in front of her sister. It didn’t matter that Non and Kara have the same powers it’s always Alex’s first instinct to protect her sister. These sisterly bonding scenes are some of my favorites given the natural chemistry Melissa and Chyler have. When they are on screen together their real life friendship seeps through and helps to sell the love between their characters. This scene gave us a nice sisterly bonding moment and a tense Non encounter all in one. A ton of amazing scenes in this episode but this one definitely stood out as my favorite.
Donna Chidley: Opening scene between Kara and Alex until Non bursts in. You can tell the guilt about Astra is still weighing heavily on Alex.
Aimee Hicks: No one can argue that the relationship between Lexa and Clarke is conflicted and that conflict was brilliantly portrayed in this scene. They have all these issues and yet here they were just hanging out together and Lexa trusts Clarke enough to let her guard down and fall asleep with her in the room. Then the second Lexa jumps awake from the nightmare Clarke is at her side without question or hesitation. All of her focus was on Lexa and taking care of her. Compared to many of the scenes in this episode this was a simple one but it stood out for the forward momentum it provided to this complicated pairing. I think this pairing is so intriguing to fans because of the implications a union between them would have for both their people. They are two very powerful women who just happen to love one another and are stuck in impossible situations. They care about each other yet there is this epic issue of trust between them. How long can they keep denying the draw between them and what happens when they finally give in to it? Like most of the relationships on this show this is a beautifully flawed and complicated relationship rooted deep with emotional issues. Whatever comes next the seed for it was sown in this scene. Great acting from Alycia who had this very startled and fearful look in her eyes when she brought Lexa out of the nightmare. Eliza was equally brilliant as she took Clarke from peacefully drawing Lexa to immediate concern as she jumped over to the couch to comfort Lexa. Not the most intense scene of the episode but it was a standout.
Justyna K: Who would have thought that resolving the mystery of Zoom's alter ego will only result in more questions? In the final scene of the episode, the face behind the mask is revealed to look just like Jay Garrick. Except the one we knew, the Flash of Earth-2 appears to be dead... All the theories sure sound complicated now. As I do love a good twist, my guess would probably be that there are twins on both worlds - Jay Garrick and Hunter Zolomon. So on Earth-2 we have Jay the Flash and Hunter = Zoom while on Earth-1 we have Hunter we met once in the park and Jay...currently in Zoom's lair (as in the Man in Iron Mask)? Whatever the truth may be I do enjoy the fact the solution didn't turn out to be too simple and there's still many more to discover. Kudos for another great episode and can't wait to see where the story goes from here!
Aimee Hicks: As Eretria is having her head messed with you can see her trying to fight the manipulation but at the same time the guardians are spouting off things that Eretria has thought at one point or another. Sure she’s come to trust her companions and in truth she’s come to love them both but that still hasn’t been enough to erase her insecurities. It is those insecurities that led her to draw her blade on her friends and charge Amberle. While Eretria was being manipulated so was Amberle and that led her to also hold her sword on her friend. She may not return Eretria’s romantic feelings but the last episode proved that she considers the Rover a dear friend. It was heartbreaking to see them regress to their early days of not trusting one another and to see them each trying so hard to fight the manipulation being forced on them and being unable to resist. Wil for the most part was able to resist but when it came to it and Eretria charged Amberle his first instinct was to protect Amberle. While he cares for both women and they’ve been through a lot together this scene proved he will always uphold his duty and protect Amberle. Yet once Eretria’s blood started to flow it was as if the spell over all of them was broken and they all came to their senses. Wil rushed to Eretria’s side and Amberle looked genuinely concerned for her friend. The tension in this scene was perfectly written and the execution of the scene was outstanding. All the actors performed flawlessly and beautifully conveyed the conflict within their characters. They delivered perfect performances throughout the entire episode but this scene was definitely a standout for this very talented group.
Darth Locke: Although not untypical of an X-Files finale ending on a cliffhanger, this one just felt SO MUCH BIGGER than normal. I don't know if it's because it outweighed the six episodes that preceded it--that those episodes had other underlying ideas and themes that didn't come to fruition, or if it's because, it appears as such a game changer, making it feel so epic, but in any case to not be left asking, "What the Hell?" would be an understatement. I hope very much in time we will get some kind of X-Files series/continuation with this mini-series serving as a back door...
