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.
CONTAINMENT, "Nothing Gold Can Stay", July 5, 2016, Actors: Kristen Gutoskie, Chris Wood, The Scene: Katie's death
Jimmy Ryan: This series had by far its best episode this week. The deadly virus claimed the life of Katie Frank, and it was heartbreaking to watch. Kristen Gutoskie and Chris Wood both delivered stunning performances. The special effects, writing and directing were all outstanding too. The death of a main character is always tough to swallow, but when it's done so well it's always much more bearable.
DARK MATTER, "Kill Them All", July 8, 2016, Actors: Jodelle Ferland, Zoie Palmer, The Scene: Five orders the Android to “Kill them all!”
Aimee Hicks: This episode had a multitude of scenes that could have been considered best scenes, but this one was so intense that it had to get my pick this week. Jodelle took Five on an incredible journey in these first few episodes of the season. At the end of last season Five was just starting to really come into her own and starting to develop some survival skills. Because of that she was able to withstand Shaddick’s interrogations like a pro. I think both Two and Four would have been very proud of the way she handled Shaddick. I was impressed with Five throughout the entire episode but in this scene things took an extreme turn. In a desperate plea to save her friend and herself she gave the most drastic order possible and ordered the Android to kill everyone in the room with them. The way Jodelle delivered the line with cold eyes and a sturdy voice gave even more weight to the moment. Zoie added to the moment through her stellar performance as the Android. When Five walked in the room there was the slightest hint of a smile from the Android. When Five was slapped and had a gun on her it was obvious the Android wanted to aid her friends. Then, when Five gave the order, the Android was all business and was on a mission to fulfill her order and protect her friend. I love the bond between Five and the Android and Jodelle and Zoie do incredible work making that friendship shine through flawlessly on the screen. I hope they get to work together more this season, because if this scene is any indication things are changing very fast in the lives of both these characters and they need each other more now than ever.
GIRL MEETS WORLD, "Girl Meets Upstate", July 8, 2016, Actors: Rider Strong, Cheryl Texiera and more, The Scene: The proposal
Klutzy girl: Shawn's proposal to Katy was absolutely adorable and I loved Maya's reaction to it. I'm looking forward to the journey these three will take as a family!
OUTLANDER, "Dragonfly in Amber", July 9, 2016, Actors: Caitriona Balfe, Sam Heughan, Sophie Skelton, The Scenes: Brianna finally believes Claire’s story about the stones & Jamie guides Claire through the stones
Aimee Hicks: Every single scene of this episode is worthy of recognition. Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, and the entire cast delivered extraordinary performances. My choice of this scene is because of the part it plays in the story moving forward next season and beyond. The arrival of Brianna and Roger has been highly anticipated and the casting of these crucial roles was critical. Many expected an American actress to get cast given Brianna’s Boston upbringing, but after seeing this episode I couldn’t be happier with their choice in going with Sophie. She has to hide her native English accent and, even though it slips out from time to time, that seemed appropriate given that both the parents who raised her were English, so it’s only natural she would have picked up some of their accents. For Brianna’s introduction to work the actress cast had to be able to show parts of both Jamie and Claire shinning through her and Sophie beautifully does that. There were multiple examples of this throughout the episode, but this scene was the culmination of the journey Brianna went on throughout this episode and Sophie perfectly nailed what Brianna was feeling. After watching Geillis activate the stones you could see Claire’s intellectual way of thinking shine through Brianna during that moment of revelation. Then, when she asks her mom to keep no more secrets, those words could have so easily come from Jamie’s mouth. Caitriona, for her part, beautifully captured the love Claire has for her daughter despite only a minimal fifteen year age difference between herself and her new TV daughter. When Claire hears Brianna finally accept the truth you could see Claire seeing Jamie in their daughter, which is a testament to Caitriona’s extraordinary talent. Brianna looked so much like her father when he finally accepted Claire’s time travel story and you could see Claire making that correlation as tears filled her eyes. As Claire told Jamie, when she talked to the Clan Fraser marker, Brianna is so very much like him and it was extremely evident throughout this scene. Even the way Brianna moved was this beautiful hybrid of Claire and Jamie, also a testament to Sophie’s great attention to detail and talent. Caitriona and Sophie have a great chemistry together and beautifully embody this complicated mother-daughter relationship. The way Brianna melted into her mother’s embrace was heartwarming after watching her struggle so hard for the whole episode to understand her mom. As a fan of the books I have a good idea of what is coming next, but I can’t wait to watch Sophie take Brianna on this complicated and beautiful journey. For all these reasons, and so many more, this was the scene that I wanted to recognize, but in truth this entire episode is worthy of being recognized as well. This moment was truly the beginning of Brianna’s journey.
Nirat Anop: Jamie guides Claire through the stones. This finale was perfect in so many ways. Jamie and Claire’s love is something truly rare and beautiful, it’s always selfless and this act proved it, in many ways. The entire scene at Craigh na Dun was magical, from the camera panning down from the tallest standing stones, to the wide, establishing shots of the entire stone circle was so well done. “Lord, you gave me a rare woman, God, I loved her well”, Claire and Jamie’s final moments of love in the grass before departing was beautifully done, coupled with Bear McCreary’s impressive, as always, score. The touch of saying their vows, once more, “Blood of my blood, bone of my bone, as long as we both shall live”, was perfect. Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan were both excellent in this final scene. The way he pressed his forehead against Claire’s and guided her towards the stone was ingenious. The expressions on their faces were so utterly genuine and heartbreaking, I felt all the emotions portrayed vividly. The way he held her hand, guiding it towards the stones was powerful, they have done everything together. And this was their last act as husband and wife. For now.
PREACHER, "Sundowner", July 3, 2016, Actors: Dominic Cooper, Joseph Gilgun and more, The Scene: The fight
Kollin Lore: It has been a while since I had got a laugh as big as the one I got in the opening sequence of the last episode of Preacher. A scene that saw Jesse Custer and the two dopehead angels, Fiore and DeBlanc, trying to detain the First Order Angel. This angel of course can't die, neither can Fiore and DeBlanc, and what transpires is absolute chaos where they kept killing each other and coming back and then killing each other and coming back. There's that one genius part where all you hear is audio, and they're like, "not the cable cord!"....ZAP! Just too funny. Finally, when they tie her down, Cassidy comes charging in and shoots her point blank, and the whole process begins again. The scene was just so stupid and silly to the point of riotous laughter. Just a classic sequence.
THE MUSKETEERS, "Death of a Hero", July 9, 2016, Actors: Santiago Cabrera, Ryan Gage, The Scene: Aramis and Louis' confrontation
Justyna K: The best episode of the season for sure. And there were so many great scenes to choose from. The Musketeers fighting till the possible end, Feron's change of heart, the opening sequence, Anne finding out the truth about Louis and many others could easily find their place in this week's article but in the end I couldn't choose anything else but the confrontation between Aramis and King Louis. It's been a long time coming! And both Santiago Cabrera and Ryan Gage did an especially stellar work in that moment and episode overall! Louis has suspected the truth about Queen Anne and Aramis for a while now and he wants to finally get a confirmation, a peace of mind, before he dies. He admits to Aramis, the last person he would possibly be friends with, the truth about his condition and demands the truth in return. Aramis knows the consequences of this conversation and doesn't want to talk but eventually gives in and admits he slept with the Queen. Or rather, with the loneliest woman in Paris. There's so much sadness and truth is his words that even though both sides have a good point, Anne is the one I feel most sorry for. Even more so at the episode's end. Despite the fact the two end the argument on the worst of terms, they join forces a moment later when under attack. It's quite an interesting change of dynamics and it was truly well done by all involved. I'm actually glad Aramis and Louis got this one chance to talk honestly. Hopefully it can only get better from this, maybe not for them, but knowing might bring a little more understanding between Anne and Louis. At least, that would be my hope. Kudos for an excellent episode to cast & crew! Can't believe the show's almost over. Miss you all already!
Jimmy Ryan: This series had by far its best episode this week. The deadly virus claimed the life of Katie Frank, and it was heartbreaking to watch. Kristen Gutoskie and Chris Wood both delivered stunning performances. The special effects, writing and directing were all outstanding too. The death of a main character is always tough to swallow, but when it's done so well it's always much more bearable.
Aimee Hicks: This episode had a multitude of scenes that could have been considered best scenes, but this one was so intense that it had to get my pick this week. Jodelle took Five on an incredible journey in these first few episodes of the season. At the end of last season Five was just starting to really come into her own and starting to develop some survival skills. Because of that she was able to withstand Shaddick’s interrogations like a pro. I think both Two and Four would have been very proud of the way she handled Shaddick. I was impressed with Five throughout the entire episode but in this scene things took an extreme turn. In a desperate plea to save her friend and herself she gave the most drastic order possible and ordered the Android to kill everyone in the room with them. The way Jodelle delivered the line with cold eyes and a sturdy voice gave even more weight to the moment. Zoie added to the moment through her stellar performance as the Android. When Five walked in the room there was the slightest hint of a smile from the Android. When Five was slapped and had a gun on her it was obvious the Android wanted to aid her friends. Then, when Five gave the order, the Android was all business and was on a mission to fulfill her order and protect her friend. I love the bond between Five and the Android and Jodelle and Zoie do incredible work making that friendship shine through flawlessly on the screen. I hope they get to work together more this season, because if this scene is any indication things are changing very fast in the lives of both these characters and they need each other more now than ever.
GIRL MEETS WORLD, "Girl Meets Upstate", July 8, 2016, Actors: Rider Strong, Cheryl Texiera and more, The Scene: The proposal
Klutzy girl: Shawn's proposal to Katy was absolutely adorable and I loved Maya's reaction to it. I'm looking forward to the journey these three will take as a family!
Aimee Hicks: Every single scene of this episode is worthy of recognition. Sam Heughan, Caitriona Balfe, Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, and the entire cast delivered extraordinary performances. My choice of this scene is because of the part it plays in the story moving forward next season and beyond. The arrival of Brianna and Roger has been highly anticipated and the casting of these crucial roles was critical. Many expected an American actress to get cast given Brianna’s Boston upbringing, but after seeing this episode I couldn’t be happier with their choice in going with Sophie. She has to hide her native English accent and, even though it slips out from time to time, that seemed appropriate given that both the parents who raised her were English, so it’s only natural she would have picked up some of their accents. For Brianna’s introduction to work the actress cast had to be able to show parts of both Jamie and Claire shinning through her and Sophie beautifully does that. There were multiple examples of this throughout the episode, but this scene was the culmination of the journey Brianna went on throughout this episode and Sophie perfectly nailed what Brianna was feeling. After watching Geillis activate the stones you could see Claire’s intellectual way of thinking shine through Brianna during that moment of revelation. Then, when she asks her mom to keep no more secrets, those words could have so easily come from Jamie’s mouth. Caitriona, for her part, beautifully captured the love Claire has for her daughter despite only a minimal fifteen year age difference between herself and her new TV daughter. When Claire hears Brianna finally accept the truth you could see Claire seeing Jamie in their daughter, which is a testament to Caitriona’s extraordinary talent. Brianna looked so much like her father when he finally accepted Claire’s time travel story and you could see Claire making that correlation as tears filled her eyes. As Claire told Jamie, when she talked to the Clan Fraser marker, Brianna is so very much like him and it was extremely evident throughout this scene. Even the way Brianna moved was this beautiful hybrid of Claire and Jamie, also a testament to Sophie’s great attention to detail and talent. Caitriona and Sophie have a great chemistry together and beautifully embody this complicated mother-daughter relationship. The way Brianna melted into her mother’s embrace was heartwarming after watching her struggle so hard for the whole episode to understand her mom. As a fan of the books I have a good idea of what is coming next, but I can’t wait to watch Sophie take Brianna on this complicated and beautiful journey. For all these reasons, and so many more, this was the scene that I wanted to recognize, but in truth this entire episode is worthy of being recognized as well. This moment was truly the beginning of Brianna’s journey.
Nirat Anop: Jamie guides Claire through the stones. This finale was perfect in so many ways. Jamie and Claire’s love is something truly rare and beautiful, it’s always selfless and this act proved it, in many ways. The entire scene at Craigh na Dun was magical, from the camera panning down from the tallest standing stones, to the wide, establishing shots of the entire stone circle was so well done. “Lord, you gave me a rare woman, God, I loved her well”, Claire and Jamie’s final moments of love in the grass before departing was beautifully done, coupled with Bear McCreary’s impressive, as always, score. The touch of saying their vows, once more, “Blood of my blood, bone of my bone, as long as we both shall live”, was perfect. Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan were both excellent in this final scene. The way he pressed his forehead against Claire’s and guided her towards the stone was ingenious. The expressions on their faces were so utterly genuine and heartbreaking, I felt all the emotions portrayed vividly. The way he held her hand, guiding it towards the stones was powerful, they have done everything together. And this was their last act as husband and wife. For now.
Kollin Lore: It has been a while since I had got a laugh as big as the one I got in the opening sequence of the last episode of Preacher. A scene that saw Jesse Custer and the two dopehead angels, Fiore and DeBlanc, trying to detain the First Order Angel. This angel of course can't die, neither can Fiore and DeBlanc, and what transpires is absolute chaos where they kept killing each other and coming back and then killing each other and coming back. There's that one genius part where all you hear is audio, and they're like, "not the cable cord!"....ZAP! Just too funny. Finally, when they tie her down, Cassidy comes charging in and shoots her point blank, and the whole process begins again. The scene was just so stupid and silly to the point of riotous laughter. Just a classic sequence.
Justyna K: The best episode of the season for sure. And there were so many great scenes to choose from. The Musketeers fighting till the possible end, Feron's change of heart, the opening sequence, Anne finding out the truth about Louis and many others could easily find their place in this week's article but in the end I couldn't choose anything else but the confrontation between Aramis and King Louis. It's been a long time coming! And both Santiago Cabrera and Ryan Gage did an especially stellar work in that moment and episode overall! Louis has suspected the truth about Queen Anne and Aramis for a while now and he wants to finally get a confirmation, a peace of mind, before he dies. He admits to Aramis, the last person he would possibly be friends with, the truth about his condition and demands the truth in return. Aramis knows the consequences of this conversation and doesn't want to talk but eventually gives in and admits he slept with the Queen. Or rather, with the loneliest woman in Paris. There's so much sadness and truth is his words that even though both sides have a good point, Anne is the one I feel most sorry for. Even more so at the episode's end. Despite the fact the two end the argument on the worst of terms, they join forces a moment later when under attack. It's quite an interesting change of dynamics and it was truly well done by all involved. I'm actually glad Aramis and Louis got this one chance to talk honestly. Hopefully it can only get better from this, maybe not for them, but knowing might bring a little more understanding between Anne and Louis. At least, that would be my hope. Kudos for an excellent episode to cast & crew! Can't believe the show's almost over. Miss you all already!
