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.
12 MONKEYS, "Hyena", June 13, 2016, Actors: Emily Hampshire, Aaron Stanford, The Scene: Jennifer tells Cole she can’t take care of anything
Nirat Anop: I loved this scene, it’s a powerful moment where we see vulnerability to Jennifer, she’s usually very strong, not one to show her true feelings all the time, but losing her fellow Hyenas as well as the rest of the people in the hospital, really left its mark on her psyche. I felt Jennifer’s grief and guilt as Emily Hampshire expressed it with such sincerity. The idea that an action can dictate your entire life and/or choices is a perplexing thought. Jennifer questioning her future to Cole was equally poignant, “is this who I become in the future, a woman who has failed everyone”. Following this, Cole reassures Jennifer that there “are many endings, the right one is the one you’ll choose”, the juxtaposition with the shots of present and future Jennifer, their sad and happy faces, reminds you how, even in the darkest of moments, there is hope. I really loved this scene, it beautifully directed and very well written, Emily stole the entire episode, but this scene was definitely a standout and showed Jennifer’s stunning character development.
GAME OF THRONES, "No One", June 12, 2016, Actors: Maisie Williams, Tom Wlaschiha, The Scene: Arya confronts Jaqen
Justyna K: "A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I'm going home." After spending so much time away from everyone, Arya is finally ready to return home. Yes! She's always been such a fascinating and strong character but in the past years her training became a rather long and separate storyline without a clear purpose in the bigger picture. Now it seems everything has been building up to this single moment when Arya chooses to be herself, capable, determined and ready to fight back. After everything she has seen it's easy to fall apart, but instead she grew stronger and learned from all her experiences. I really enjoyed the confirmation that in the end, it was always a part of Jaquen's plan. Gives it all a bigger meaning for sure. I absolutely can't wait to see what's next for Arya but I'm hoping she'll finally get to reunite with her family. What a scene that would have been! Kudos to Maisie Williams and the writers for such a great ending in the last episode!
Darth Locke: After leaving a Gift, Arya resumes her identity and bids farewell to the Faceless Men. There are so many reasons why I like all of these Arya and Faceless Men scenes, but this one was not only comical, but, as I suspected, the EPs confirmed that Jaquen/The Kindly Man really wanted it to work out this way and it has an implication that The Faceless Men perhaps are way more involved in the world than meets the eye. It was also interesting to think about the prospect of The Waif's face being on the wall, especially if she is an acolyte, that had already been using somebody else's face! I mean how many times can one face be peeled off a body and put back on the wall?! I'm not sure if Arya is truly done with the Faceless Men given some yet to be seen book plots, but I hope very much she runs into one again and/or that her venture there has taught her valuable lessons.
ORPHAN BLACK, "From Dancing Mice to Psychopaths", June 16, 2016, Actors: Tatiana Maslany, Évelyne Brochu, Rosemary Dunsmore, The Scenes: Delphine saves Cosima after being reunited & Rachel stabs Susan Duncan
Aimee Hicks: This was a scene a full season in the making as fans have desperately waited for Cosima to find Delphine alive and to see them embrace again. The show did not disappoint in the reunion as Cosima, in her hypothermic shock, just collapsed into Delphine's welcoming embrace hardly daring to believe Delphine was real. I think a part of her thought she was hallucinating and it was too good to be true. For Delphine her fear for Cosima's wellbeing was apparent, from the moment the camera panned to her it was evident she knew how serious Cosima’s condition was. When she started to work on Cosima her actions were frantic but purposeful. In that moment saving Cosima was all that mattered to her. Her soft pleas for Cosima to keep breathing were heartbreaking. No matter how long they are separated their love for one another will never diminish. As Cosima noted earlier in the season these two are, without doubt, soulmates. Delphine wasted no time clearing the room and stripping down so she could use her own body heat to save the love of her life. It was a beautiful reunion and showed just how connected these two actresses are. They have this very natural chemistry that allows this relationship and the love between these characters to feel organic and true. The emotional connection between the actresses and the long awaited reunion mixed with a beautiful score and perfect cinematography made this the best scene of the episode for me. That’s a big statement given how outstanding this entire season finale was.
Darth Locke: Rachel stabs Susan Duncan in the kitchen.
OUTLANDER, "Vengeance Is Mine", June 18, 2016, Actors: Sam Heughan, Duncan Lacroix and more, The Scenes: Jamie says a prayer & Murtagh kills the Duke of Sandringham
Nirat Anop: I loved this scene as it was so beautifully acted by Sam Heughan. As he recited a prayer in gaelic, he said it with so much care, it was an intimate moment of utter love and sincerity. It was my favorite moment from the entire episode. As Jamie finishes his prayer, Claire awakens, and he looks ever so lovingly, into her eyes, makes you truly appreciate how special their love is. It's a rare husband on TV scene. Incredible dialogue written by Diana Gabaldon.
Darth Locke: Murtagh kills the Duke of Sandringham and lays his head at Mary's feet.
PERSON OF INTEREST, ".exe", June 14, 2016, Actors: Michael Emerson, John Nolan, Jim Caviezel, Sarah Shahi, Amy Acker, The Scenes: Finch makes his decision & Finch parts ways with Reese and Shaw & Finch and Greer's final confrontation
Justyna K: We're almost at the end and the episodes this season continue to be brilliant. This week's hour was very much focused on the decision Finch had to make. Should he use the world's most powerful virus to destroy Samaritan AND the Machine in the process? To help him make this impossible choice the Machine kept showing Harold how the reality would look like if she never existed in the first place. Things were different, yes, but didn't seem entirely better or worse at first. Though the realization, or rather confirmation, of Reese's alternate fate was truly heartbreaking. And the decision still had to be made. So, in the final scene of the episode the Machine shows Finch the truth about the other version of the story, with Samaritan being in complete control, without anyone knowing or having a chance to stop it. And with a heavy heart Finch chooses to use the virus. As important and game changing as this moment was, the part I loved the most about it was Finch's reaction when he realized the Machine knew the password to start the virus all along. The relationship between Harold and his creation has been so beautifully done, especially as they got to actually talk after all this time. Finch not wanting to hurt the Machine again and her accepting why he has to, was another brilliant example of what truly makes this AI, and the show overall, so incredible. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for their wonderful work and another shout-out to Michael Emerson, for stealing all these fantastic moments! Can't believe there's only one episode left.
Laura Markus: Finch parts ways with Reese and Shaw after opening the door for them. If-Then-Else parallels, anyone? It was so epic when Finch opened the door for them, and the mini-brawl that took place was a nice touch too. Reese getting beat up a bit reminded me of Daredevil, and kind of grounded me back to earth showing that he is mortal. This is probably a cautionary tale on their part. And of course he had Shaw's help, and he returned the favour. I love the Mayhem Twins' antics. But then it came time for Finch to depart. "Go now, hurry." "Damn you, Finch." "Goodbye, John." I'm sure this will be nothing compared to the chaos of next week, and I'll probably be nominating a similar scene then too. But for my money, in this episode, this scene gave me the feels.
Louis Rabinowitz: Finch and Greer's final confrontation, ending in Greer's sacrifice. Also picked by DarkUFO
PREACHER, "The Possibilities", June 12, 2016, Actors: Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun
The Scene: Jesse tests his powers with the help of Cassidy (picked by Louis Rabinowitz)
UNREAL, "Insurgent", June 13, 2016, Actors: Shiri Appleby, Constance Zimmer, The Scene: Quinn tells Rachel that maybe she does have “episodes”
Nirat Anop: Rachel’s fall into feeling useless and not good enough seemed to hit its breaking point during this episode. Shiri Applebly was utterly incredible portraying these emotions. However Quinn telling Rachel that “perhaps her mother was right”, that she does have “episodes” really struck a chord, and to me played a crucial part into Rachel telling her boss of the disputes happening between Quinn and Chet. I particularly loved the writing during this scene, the harsh brutality of the dialogue spoken by Quinn is nothing new for the show, but the camera switching to Rachel’s reaction after Quinn uses her “episodes” against her is devastating, the tears in her eyes were so powerful. You could see Rachel holding back her anguish in that scene, the way her demeanor was hardened but her eyes spoke the truth. All around excellent job from Shiri during the entire episode, she deserves some Emmy love.
WYNONNA EARP, "House of Memories", June 17, 2016, Actors: Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Katherine Barrell, The Scene: Nicole comforts Waverly in the barn
Aimee Hicks: This was an incredible episode but this scene in particular was a standout because of how important it was to the evolution of this couple. Waverly admitted to being exhausted and Nicole could tell how worn down she was. All Nicole wanted to do was take Waverly's mind off of all the bad things that had been going on. In these dark times Nicole wanted to take care of Waverly and tend to what she needed. Nicole is a stark contrast to Champ who never put Waverly first…ever. When she placed that soft kiss on Waverly’s neck it was clear how Nicole wanted to distract her but, in typical Nicole fashion, she was not going to press Waverly. She let Waverly make the move to turn it into a full on makeout session and she let Waverly be the one to make the first move when they started to undress. I love this scene because it showed the respect Nicole has for Waverly's journey and she wanted to protect the bond they have been slowly growing since the moment they met. The actresses have a great chemistry together and seem respectful and protective of each other. The friendship they have formed off screen really helps bring this couple to a whole other level. It’s hard to fake caring for someone so that friendship has allowed them to really amp up the emotional bond between their characters. Almost every scene in this episode is more than deserving of recognition but the meaning of this scene led it to be the one I wanted to highlight here.
Nirat Anop: I loved this scene, it’s a powerful moment where we see vulnerability to Jennifer, she’s usually very strong, not one to show her true feelings all the time, but losing her fellow Hyenas as well as the rest of the people in the hospital, really left its mark on her psyche. I felt Jennifer’s grief and guilt as Emily Hampshire expressed it with such sincerity. The idea that an action can dictate your entire life and/or choices is a perplexing thought. Jennifer questioning her future to Cole was equally poignant, “is this who I become in the future, a woman who has failed everyone”. Following this, Cole reassures Jennifer that there “are many endings, the right one is the one you’ll choose”, the juxtaposition with the shots of present and future Jennifer, their sad and happy faces, reminds you how, even in the darkest of moments, there is hope. I really loved this scene, it beautifully directed and very well written, Emily stole the entire episode, but this scene was definitely a standout and showed Jennifer’s stunning character development.
Justyna K: "A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I'm going home." After spending so much time away from everyone, Arya is finally ready to return home. Yes! She's always been such a fascinating and strong character but in the past years her training became a rather long and separate storyline without a clear purpose in the bigger picture. Now it seems everything has been building up to this single moment when Arya chooses to be herself, capable, determined and ready to fight back. After everything she has seen it's easy to fall apart, but instead she grew stronger and learned from all her experiences. I really enjoyed the confirmation that in the end, it was always a part of Jaquen's plan. Gives it all a bigger meaning for sure. I absolutely can't wait to see what's next for Arya but I'm hoping she'll finally get to reunite with her family. What a scene that would have been! Kudos to Maisie Williams and the writers for such a great ending in the last episode!
Darth Locke: After leaving a Gift, Arya resumes her identity and bids farewell to the Faceless Men. There are so many reasons why I like all of these Arya and Faceless Men scenes, but this one was not only comical, but, as I suspected, the EPs confirmed that Jaquen/The Kindly Man really wanted it to work out this way and it has an implication that The Faceless Men perhaps are way more involved in the world than meets the eye. It was also interesting to think about the prospect of The Waif's face being on the wall, especially if she is an acolyte, that had already been using somebody else's face! I mean how many times can one face be peeled off a body and put back on the wall?! I'm not sure if Arya is truly done with the Faceless Men given some yet to be seen book plots, but I hope very much she runs into one again and/or that her venture there has taught her valuable lessons.
Aimee Hicks: This was a scene a full season in the making as fans have desperately waited for Cosima to find Delphine alive and to see them embrace again. The show did not disappoint in the reunion as Cosima, in her hypothermic shock, just collapsed into Delphine's welcoming embrace hardly daring to believe Delphine was real. I think a part of her thought she was hallucinating and it was too good to be true. For Delphine her fear for Cosima's wellbeing was apparent, from the moment the camera panned to her it was evident she knew how serious Cosima’s condition was. When she started to work on Cosima her actions were frantic but purposeful. In that moment saving Cosima was all that mattered to her. Her soft pleas for Cosima to keep breathing were heartbreaking. No matter how long they are separated their love for one another will never diminish. As Cosima noted earlier in the season these two are, without doubt, soulmates. Delphine wasted no time clearing the room and stripping down so she could use her own body heat to save the love of her life. It was a beautiful reunion and showed just how connected these two actresses are. They have this very natural chemistry that allows this relationship and the love between these characters to feel organic and true. The emotional connection between the actresses and the long awaited reunion mixed with a beautiful score and perfect cinematography made this the best scene of the episode for me. That’s a big statement given how outstanding this entire season finale was.
Darth Locke: Rachel stabs Susan Duncan in the kitchen.
Nirat Anop: I loved this scene as it was so beautifully acted by Sam Heughan. As he recited a prayer in gaelic, he said it with so much care, it was an intimate moment of utter love and sincerity. It was my favorite moment from the entire episode. As Jamie finishes his prayer, Claire awakens, and he looks ever so lovingly, into her eyes, makes you truly appreciate how special their love is. It's a rare husband on TV scene. Incredible dialogue written by Diana Gabaldon.
Darth Locke: Murtagh kills the Duke of Sandringham and lays his head at Mary's feet.
Justyna K: We're almost at the end and the episodes this season continue to be brilliant. This week's hour was very much focused on the decision Finch had to make. Should he use the world's most powerful virus to destroy Samaritan AND the Machine in the process? To help him make this impossible choice the Machine kept showing Harold how the reality would look like if she never existed in the first place. Things were different, yes, but didn't seem entirely better or worse at first. Though the realization, or rather confirmation, of Reese's alternate fate was truly heartbreaking. And the decision still had to be made. So, in the final scene of the episode the Machine shows Finch the truth about the other version of the story, with Samaritan being in complete control, without anyone knowing or having a chance to stop it. And with a heavy heart Finch chooses to use the virus. As important and game changing as this moment was, the part I loved the most about it was Finch's reaction when he realized the Machine knew the password to start the virus all along. The relationship between Harold and his creation has been so beautifully done, especially as they got to actually talk after all this time. Finch not wanting to hurt the Machine again and her accepting why he has to, was another brilliant example of what truly makes this AI, and the show overall, so incredible. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for their wonderful work and another shout-out to Michael Emerson, for stealing all these fantastic moments! Can't believe there's only one episode left.
Laura Markus: Finch parts ways with Reese and Shaw after opening the door for them. If-Then-Else parallels, anyone? It was so epic when Finch opened the door for them, and the mini-brawl that took place was a nice touch too. Reese getting beat up a bit reminded me of Daredevil, and kind of grounded me back to earth showing that he is mortal. This is probably a cautionary tale on their part. And of course he had Shaw's help, and he returned the favour. I love the Mayhem Twins' antics. But then it came time for Finch to depart. "Go now, hurry." "Damn you, Finch." "Goodbye, John." I'm sure this will be nothing compared to the chaos of next week, and I'll probably be nominating a similar scene then too. But for my money, in this episode, this scene gave me the feels.
Louis Rabinowitz: Finch and Greer's final confrontation, ending in Greer's sacrifice. Also picked by DarkUFO
PREACHER, "The Possibilities", June 12, 2016, Actors: Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun
The Scene: Jesse tests his powers with the help of Cassidy (picked by Louis Rabinowitz)
Nirat Anop: Rachel’s fall into feeling useless and not good enough seemed to hit its breaking point during this episode. Shiri Applebly was utterly incredible portraying these emotions. However Quinn telling Rachel that “perhaps her mother was right”, that she does have “episodes” really struck a chord, and to me played a crucial part into Rachel telling her boss of the disputes happening between Quinn and Chet. I particularly loved the writing during this scene, the harsh brutality of the dialogue spoken by Quinn is nothing new for the show, but the camera switching to Rachel’s reaction after Quinn uses her “episodes” against her is devastating, the tears in her eyes were so powerful. You could see Rachel holding back her anguish in that scene, the way her demeanor was hardened but her eyes spoke the truth. All around excellent job from Shiri during the entire episode, she deserves some Emmy love.
Aimee Hicks: This was an incredible episode but this scene in particular was a standout because of how important it was to the evolution of this couple. Waverly admitted to being exhausted and Nicole could tell how worn down she was. All Nicole wanted to do was take Waverly's mind off of all the bad things that had been going on. In these dark times Nicole wanted to take care of Waverly and tend to what she needed. Nicole is a stark contrast to Champ who never put Waverly first…ever. When she placed that soft kiss on Waverly’s neck it was clear how Nicole wanted to distract her but, in typical Nicole fashion, she was not going to press Waverly. She let Waverly make the move to turn it into a full on makeout session and she let Waverly be the one to make the first move when they started to undress. I love this scene because it showed the respect Nicole has for Waverly's journey and she wanted to protect the bond they have been slowly growing since the moment they met. The actresses have a great chemistry together and seem respectful and protective of each other. The friendship they have formed off screen really helps bring this couple to a whole other level. It’s hard to fake caring for someone so that friendship has allowed them to really amp up the emotional bond between their characters. Almost every scene in this episode is more than deserving of recognition but the meaning of this scene led it to be the one I wanted to highlight here.
