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.
BLINDSPOT, "Heave Fiery Knot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Jaimie Alexander, Sullivan Stapleton, Audrey Esparza, The Scenes: Kurt and Jane admit they regret she's not Taylor & Jane and Zapata have a talk in the locker room
Aimee Hicks: Zapata shot Jane out of anger and betrayal. I think that for Zapata she felt like they all gave up so much for Jane and in the process lost a friend, that her betrayal was the most pain backstabbing moment possible. She pulled the trigger out of primal rage, but after what they went through in this episode I think they came to an understanding that second chances are possible. It’s going to take them a long time to get back to where they were as friends last season, but they are finally back on a path that will at least allow them to work together with a little more ease. Zapata has screwed up and participated in her own fair share of betrayals, but nothing quite as epic as Jane’s betrayal was. I think they may be able to call each other friends again at some point in this season, but for now, at least they can work together. I like how Zapata was the one that made the first move to fix the tension between her and Jane. There were a lot of great scenes in this episode, but this was definitely one that I enjoyed the most. Jaimie Alexander and Audrey Esparza have a great dynamic and are both strong actresses, so it’s fun when they get to play scenes like this opposite of each other.
Klutzy girl: Both Kurt and Jane admit to each other that they really wanted her to be Taylor Shaw. Jane telling Kurt she misses Taylor hurt a lot too. And Kurt confessing he doesn't hate Jane just made the scene even more emotional.
BROOKLYN NINE NINE, "Coral Palms Pt.1", September 20, 2016, Actors: Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, The Scene: Jake and Holt argue about the Figgis case
Laura Markus: Jake and Holt have an argument about trying to solve the Figgis case. Oh man, what a greatly acted and written scene. I want to give Andre and Jake Emmys for that. Jake has been secretly investigating the Figgis case, and when Holt catches him, he later confronts him. He yells at him for being selfish. Jake asks, "Don't you want to see Kevin", and Holt's passionate response of, "Of course I do!" had me in tears. When you think about it Holt is in a worse situation, having not seen Kevin for several months due to him being in Paris. So while Jake is having trouble missing Amy, Holt is having just as much trouble, if not more. He's just a pro at concealing his true feelings, but in this scene we could see them escape a bit. They argued for a lot of the episode - the isolation will do that to you. But even for the Kevin reference alone, this scene had the leg up.
CHESAPEAKE SHORES, "Georgia on My Mind", September 18, 2016, Actors: Emilie Ullerup, Meghan Ory, The Scene: Bree admits to Abby that Martin cheated on her
Aimee Hicks: After Bree’s noticeable absence last week it was great to have her back this week and with a good explanation as to where she disappeared to. Now that she has decided to move back home she had to deal with her last bit of baggage back in Chicago in the form of her cheating ex. What I loved about this scene was that they were having these separate conversations, but the moment that Bree’s voice wavered with emotion Abby tuned into the situation immediately. Suddenly her problems didn’t matter and it was all about comforting her sister. Abby is an incredible big sister and she will do anything for her siblings. At the same time, Bree is an amazing sister as well because she was trying to hold it together for her family with everything that was going on with Kevin, but she needed to decompress. With a moment of quiet in Abby’s room, she was able to find that brief moment where she could let go of the pain that she was trying so hard to suppress. She found that comfort in the arms of her sister and it was a beautiful moment of connection between these sisters. It was also a great scene for actresses Meghan Ory and Emilie Ullerup who have an incredible energy together. All of the performers on this show have an easy chemistry together, almost like they’d been a family their entire lives, and scenes like this perfectly show off how in tune each of these performers is with their characters.
DESIGNATED SURVIVOR, "Pilot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Kiefer Sutherland, Kal Penn and more, The Scenes: Tom talks to Seth in the bathroom & The final scene
Darth Locke: Tom Kirkman exchanges words with a speechwriter, Seth Wright in the bathroom. So besides the fact that I have been waiting for at least a decade to see Jack Bauer use the restroom, I really liked this scene, because despite Seth putting his foot in his mouth not knowing he is talking to Tom, Tom in turn really kind of comes into his own when finally revealing that it is him. He proves to be character that can have a bite, while taking a hit, but never goes overboard. Kiefer Sutherland did a nice job in showcasing his character's disposition.
Jessica VanWinkle: The final scene. Tom prepares to give a speech to America introducing himself as the new President of the United States. The scene was short, but powerful. Tom removes his glasses to look more presidential, and looks into the camera and says, "My fellow Americans..." It was a great cliffhanger and amazing way to end the first episode.
GREY'S ANATOMY, "Undo", September 22, 2016, Actors: Justin Chambers, Ellen Pompeo and more, The Scenes: Alex is arrested & The final scene
Jessica VanWinkle: Alex turns himself in and is arrested for attacking DeLuca. This scene (and entire episode) was heartbreaking as I've grown to love Alex. However, Justin Chambers' acting was phenomenal. As Alex walked down the stairs in handcuffs you could see the pain, sadness, and fear in his face. The rest of the cast was great, too, as Bailey, Richard, and Meredith watched it happen and had to deal with their own emotions. I'm interested to see what will happen to Alex in the next week's episode.
Marko Pekic: Meredith visiting her person in jail was really hard to watch. She felt so bad for going to Bailey but Alex understood. The connection these two have is really special.
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, "We're Good People Now", September 22, 2016, Actors: Viola Davis, Aja Naomi King, The Scenes: Annalise breaks down in the flash-forward & Michaela confronts Annalise
Justyna K: To be honest, it took me quite a while to really get interested in this show. Mainly because I've always found it hard to watch the series with no characters to truly root for. Though everyone has their flaws, when there's no real moral center of the story I sometimes struggle to find a balance in it. Eventually things changed and some characters made a much better impression on me. But the things that kept making me come back to the show, the things the series seems to always excel at are the mystery of the season and the incredible performances, especially by Viola Davis. She's the true Queen of the emotional moments like this one. Considering Annalise's reaction, this might turn out to be the hardest death and most painful story yet. Kudos to the amazing actress & writers for this! Can't wait to see what's gonna happen next.
Winston Mize: At the end of the premiere in the two month flash forward, Annalise breaks down after seeing the body under the sheet, as she's screaming and breaking down it's revealed her home is also on fire. Viola Davis gave me chills with her ugly cries. One of the standout scenes from the premiere.
Marko Pekic: In a flashback to the summer we found a still damaged Michaela sobering up on a sidewalk after the cops caught her for drunk driving. Annalise came to the rescue and Michaela finally confronted her. Aja really delivered in this scene, so convincing and so emotional.
Diana: The ending. Oh Gosh, there's another murder? Whose body is it anyway?? I bet it's someone from Annalise's class, maybe one of the 'fantastic' Keating Five. Anyway, the season premiere of HTGAWM was better than last year in my opinion.
LETHAL WEAPON, "Pilot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Clayne Crawford, Damon Wayans, The Scene: Martin chooses to put himself in the line of fire
Justyna K: First of all, I've been a fan of the "Lethal Weapon" movies for years now and I wasn't quite sure about TV version for a while. It certainly changed after this pilot which ended up being one of my favorites this year. Both leads, Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans are absolutely brilliant together and the emotional background of the story made it quite a powerful start. Martin Riggs has always been someone who's not afraid to make the hard choices or take big risks. But after the death of his beloved wife and unborn child, a part of him died and he's broken and lost in the world without them. He can seem pretty crazy at times but he's a truly good cop and his first priority is protecting everyone else. It's probably why him and Murtaugh work so well together. And it didn't take them too long to get there, to become the partners they both needed to have. In the moment I wanted to highlight in the article, there's a fight and confrontation, and in a desperate attempt to stop the shooter hiding in the dark, Riggs chooses to act as a bait, to let Murtaugh take down the bad guy. It's a suicide mission and Roger tries to stop his new partner from getting himself killed but he can't get through to him after Martin confesses "he misses his girl" and it's okay for him to die and join her. It was one of the most heartbreaking lines I've heard and Clayne Crawford's delivery made it one to remember. The music in the background, a recurring theme in the episode, was also beautiful and meaningful to the scene. It's the moment when I think Roger and the audience truly start to understand Riggs. It's a start of a wonderful friendship and I can't wait to see more of these two in action. Kudos!
LUCIFER, "Everything's Coming Up Lucifer", September 19, 2016, Actors: Tom Ellis, Lauren German and more, The Scenes: Lucifer talks at the AA Meeting & Lucifer sings "All Along the Watchtower"
Aimee Hicks: Lucifer is constantly cracking jokes and screwing around all in an attempt to hide the emotions that he struggles to make sense of. He has so many parental abandonment issues that he will singlehandedly be able to keep Dr. Linda in business for the rest of her life and even with her he’s guarded. But, in this single moment, for some odd reason the façade came down and he was just like anyone else in that room being free and expressing what led him down his dark path in life. I think his open honesty really surprised Chloe and she got to see a side of him that she hasn’t before. He was genuinely hurt when his mom abandoned him and it was evident in the way his voice dropped off when he was talking about her, that at one time he very much loved his mom. This scene was beautifully acted by both Tom Ellis and Lauren German who continue to show why they are one of the best crime fighting duos on television right now. Ellis masterfully transitioned Lucifer from being guarded to vulnerable and back to guarded without missing a beat. German perfectly captured Chloe’s surprise and understanding for Lucifer. I think this is the moment where she truly decided to not pursue the blood. No matter what he is or isn’t he is her friend and someone she has come to care about. She won’t abandon him or betray him because she knows how badly he has been hurt in the past. She is probably the most honest and true person Lucifer has ever known and together they are an incredible team. This scene was full of heart and emotion which is why I have to highlight it when every other scene in this episode was equally as worthy of recognition.
Darth Locke: Lucifer plays piano and sings "All Along the Watchtower" - Not only was this a great way to shed light on Tom Ellis' musical talents, but it was more than appropriate introduction to his mother, played by Battlestar Galactica (re-imaged) alumni, Tricia Helfer. For anyone who maybe has not seen BSG, Tricia Helfer plays multiple characters on that series, including a mischievous messenger from beyond and multiple part-robot beings coined "Cylons", but also Bear McCreary (and his band) created their own version of "All Along the Watchtower" that tied into BSG's mythology with a mind-blowing twist during it's "final" season. Also picked by Laura Markus & Diana
SPEECHLESS, "P-i-Pilot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Minnie Driver and more
The Scene: Maya plays trash or human with Dr Miller
Marko Pekic: It was a truly hilarious scene, while Maya's pushing was so convincing, Dr Miller's confusion made me laugh really hard. Also picked by Laura Markus
THE BLACKLIST: "Esteban", September 22, 2016, Actors: James Spader, Susan Blommaert and more
The Scene: The ending
Diana: Red and Kate are driving and talking about Liz. Then suddenly, they run off the way and have a car incident. Someone approaches and takes the little baby. Another trouble is coming? This baby can't take a breath indeed. Can't wait to see how the show will evolve from this.
THE GOOD PLACE, "Chapter 3: Tahani Al-Jamil", September 22, 2016, Actors: Manny Jacinto, Kristen Bell, The Scene: Jianyu's reveal
Klutzy girl: Jianyu revealing to Eleanor that he also doesn't belong in the Good Place threw me for a loop. How many other people also don't belong there and just haven't said anything? This definitely is a game-changer and I can't wait to find out how exactly this happened to them.
THIS IS US, "Pilot", September 20, 2016, Actors: Milo Ventimiglia, Gerald McRaney and more, The Scenes: The final reveal & Dr. Katowsky talks to Jack about loss
Justyna K: First of all, let me start by saying, this was one of my favorite pilots this year, the most heartwarming and emotional. And I absolutely loved the final reveal. Even though there were quite a few clues during the hour I really didn't see this one coming. Beautifully done. I was quite certain I'll choose the ending but then I remembered another scene I wanted to highlight in the article, the moment when Dr. Katowsky goes to tell Jack he lost one of the babies and he ends up telling him his own story and the reason he became a doctor as well. And I simply couldn't miss this one. Both Milo Ventimiglia and Gerald McRaney did a spectacular job during the hour and this scene especially. It was both the best and the worst day of Jack's life, his birthday and the birth of his triplets. Due to the complications, one of the babies didn't make it and the doctor had to deliver the most painful news, that I can imagine sharing, to the young and scared father waiting in the hospital corridor. And Jack does his best to stay strong, to be happy about the kids and Rebecca but his heart breaks when he hears about the loss. He's shaking and fighting with conflicting emotions and there's really no words that can bring him peace at the moment. But the doctor stays with him and says something truly meaningful, a real life lesson about "taking the sourest lemons life has to offer and making something resembling lemonade". A lesson that Jack takes to his heart and, as we later learn, he passes on to his children. The scene was beautifully written and acted and shows just how powerful story this one can become. Kudos to cast & crew for such a brilliant beginning!
Klutzy girl: The reveal that Jack and Rebecca's story is set in the past was shocking and well-played. I'm excited to learn more about them and their family going forward but I really wish I had picked up on the hints beforehand. I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite new shows of the fall season and am looking forward to seeing what happens from here!
Jessica VanWinkle: The ending was my favorite part of the episode. Finding out the twist was great, but I liked what happened after the twist: seeing Jack and Rebecca take their babies home, and then we finally saw how all the kids' lives are connected. I loved that the camera showed a picture on Katie, Kevin, and Randall together on Katie's table, and there was a picture of "The Manny" signed by "Uncle Kevin" hanging up in Randall's house. I can't wait to see more about this family in future episodes!
BLINDSPOT, "Heave Fiery Knot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Jaimie Alexander, Sullivan Stapleton, Audrey Esparza, The Scenes: Kurt and Jane admit they regret she's not Taylor & Jane and Zapata have a talk in the locker room
Aimee Hicks: Zapata shot Jane out of anger and betrayal. I think that for Zapata she felt like they all gave up so much for Jane and in the process lost a friend, that her betrayal was the most pain backstabbing moment possible. She pulled the trigger out of primal rage, but after what they went through in this episode I think they came to an understanding that second chances are possible. It’s going to take them a long time to get back to where they were as friends last season, but they are finally back on a path that will at least allow them to work together with a little more ease. Zapata has screwed up and participated in her own fair share of betrayals, but nothing quite as epic as Jane’s betrayal was. I think they may be able to call each other friends again at some point in this season, but for now, at least they can work together. I like how Zapata was the one that made the first move to fix the tension between her and Jane. There were a lot of great scenes in this episode, but this was definitely one that I enjoyed the most. Jaimie Alexander and Audrey Esparza have a great dynamic and are both strong actresses, so it’s fun when they get to play scenes like this opposite of each other.
Klutzy girl: Both Kurt and Jane admit to each other that they really wanted her to be Taylor Shaw. Jane telling Kurt she misses Taylor hurt a lot too. And Kurt confessing he doesn't hate Jane just made the scene even more emotional.
BROOKLYN NINE NINE, "Coral Palms Pt.1", September 20, 2016, Actors: Andy Samberg, Andre Braugher, The Scene: Jake and Holt argue about the Figgis case
Laura Markus: Jake and Holt have an argument about trying to solve the Figgis case. Oh man, what a greatly acted and written scene. I want to give Andre and Jake Emmys for that. Jake has been secretly investigating the Figgis case, and when Holt catches him, he later confronts him. He yells at him for being selfish. Jake asks, "Don't you want to see Kevin", and Holt's passionate response of, "Of course I do!" had me in tears. When you think about it Holt is in a worse situation, having not seen Kevin for several months due to him being in Paris. So while Jake is having trouble missing Amy, Holt is having just as much trouble, if not more. He's just a pro at concealing his true feelings, but in this scene we could see them escape a bit. They argued for a lot of the episode - the isolation will do that to you. But even for the Kevin reference alone, this scene had the leg up.
CHESAPEAKE SHORES, "Georgia on My Mind", September 18, 2016, Actors: Emilie Ullerup, Meghan Ory, The Scene: Bree admits to Abby that Martin cheated on her
Aimee Hicks: After Bree’s noticeable absence last week it was great to have her back this week and with a good explanation as to where she disappeared to. Now that she has decided to move back home she had to deal with her last bit of baggage back in Chicago in the form of her cheating ex. What I loved about this scene was that they were having these separate conversations, but the moment that Bree’s voice wavered with emotion Abby tuned into the situation immediately. Suddenly her problems didn’t matter and it was all about comforting her sister. Abby is an incredible big sister and she will do anything for her siblings. At the same time, Bree is an amazing sister as well because she was trying to hold it together for her family with everything that was going on with Kevin, but she needed to decompress. With a moment of quiet in Abby’s room, she was able to find that brief moment where she could let go of the pain that she was trying so hard to suppress. She found that comfort in the arms of her sister and it was a beautiful moment of connection between these sisters. It was also a great scene for actresses Meghan Ory and Emilie Ullerup who have an incredible energy together. All of the performers on this show have an easy chemistry together, almost like they’d been a family their entire lives, and scenes like this perfectly show off how in tune each of these performers is with their characters.
DESIGNATED SURVIVOR, "Pilot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Kiefer Sutherland, Kal Penn and more, The Scenes: Tom talks to Seth in the bathroom & The final scene
Darth Locke: Tom Kirkman exchanges words with a speechwriter, Seth Wright in the bathroom. So besides the fact that I have been waiting for at least a decade to see Jack Bauer use the restroom, I really liked this scene, because despite Seth putting his foot in his mouth not knowing he is talking to Tom, Tom in turn really kind of comes into his own when finally revealing that it is him. He proves to be character that can have a bite, while taking a hit, but never goes overboard. Kiefer Sutherland did a nice job in showcasing his character's disposition.
Jessica VanWinkle: The final scene. Tom prepares to give a speech to America introducing himself as the new President of the United States. The scene was short, but powerful. Tom removes his glasses to look more presidential, and looks into the camera and says, "My fellow Americans..." It was a great cliffhanger and amazing way to end the first episode.
GREY'S ANATOMY, "Undo", September 22, 2016, Actors: Justin Chambers, Ellen Pompeo and more, The Scenes: Alex is arrested & The final scene
Jessica VanWinkle: Alex turns himself in and is arrested for attacking DeLuca. This scene (and entire episode) was heartbreaking as I've grown to love Alex. However, Justin Chambers' acting was phenomenal. As Alex walked down the stairs in handcuffs you could see the pain, sadness, and fear in his face. The rest of the cast was great, too, as Bailey, Richard, and Meredith watched it happen and had to deal with their own emotions. I'm interested to see what will happen to Alex in the next week's episode.
Marko Pekic: Meredith visiting her person in jail was really hard to watch. She felt so bad for going to Bailey but Alex understood. The connection these two have is really special.
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, "We're Good People Now", September 22, 2016, Actors: Viola Davis, Aja Naomi King, The Scenes: Annalise breaks down in the flash-forward & Michaela confronts Annalise
Justyna K: To be honest, it took me quite a while to really get interested in this show. Mainly because I've always found it hard to watch the series with no characters to truly root for. Though everyone has their flaws, when there's no real moral center of the story I sometimes struggle to find a balance in it. Eventually things changed and some characters made a much better impression on me. But the things that kept making me come back to the show, the things the series seems to always excel at are the mystery of the season and the incredible performances, especially by Viola Davis. She's the true Queen of the emotional moments like this one. Considering Annalise's reaction, this might turn out to be the hardest death and most painful story yet. Kudos to the amazing actress & writers for this! Can't wait to see what's gonna happen next.
Winston Mize: At the end of the premiere in the two month flash forward, Annalise breaks down after seeing the body under the sheet, as she's screaming and breaking down it's revealed her home is also on fire. Viola Davis gave me chills with her ugly cries. One of the standout scenes from the premiere.
Marko Pekic: In a flashback to the summer we found a still damaged Michaela sobering up on a sidewalk after the cops caught her for drunk driving. Annalise came to the rescue and Michaela finally confronted her. Aja really delivered in this scene, so convincing and so emotional.
Diana: The ending. Oh Gosh, there's another murder? Whose body is it anyway?? I bet it's someone from Annalise's class, maybe one of the 'fantastic' Keating Five. Anyway, the season premiere of HTGAWM was better than last year in my opinion.
LETHAL WEAPON, "Pilot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Clayne Crawford, Damon Wayans, The Scene: Martin chooses to put himself in the line of fire
Justyna K: First of all, I've been a fan of the "Lethal Weapon" movies for years now and I wasn't quite sure about TV version for a while. It certainly changed after this pilot which ended up being one of my favorites this year. Both leads, Clayne Crawford and Damon Wayans are absolutely brilliant together and the emotional background of the story made it quite a powerful start. Martin Riggs has always been someone who's not afraid to make the hard choices or take big risks. But after the death of his beloved wife and unborn child, a part of him died and he's broken and lost in the world without them. He can seem pretty crazy at times but he's a truly good cop and his first priority is protecting everyone else. It's probably why him and Murtaugh work so well together. And it didn't take them too long to get there, to become the partners they both needed to have. In the moment I wanted to highlight in the article, there's a fight and confrontation, and in a desperate attempt to stop the shooter hiding in the dark, Riggs chooses to act as a bait, to let Murtaugh take down the bad guy. It's a suicide mission and Roger tries to stop his new partner from getting himself killed but he can't get through to him after Martin confesses "he misses his girl" and it's okay for him to die and join her. It was one of the most heartbreaking lines I've heard and Clayne Crawford's delivery made it one to remember. The music in the background, a recurring theme in the episode, was also beautiful and meaningful to the scene. It's the moment when I think Roger and the audience truly start to understand Riggs. It's a start of a wonderful friendship and I can't wait to see more of these two in action. Kudos!
LUCIFER, "Everything's Coming Up Lucifer", September 19, 2016, Actors: Tom Ellis, Lauren German and more, The Scenes: Lucifer talks at the AA Meeting & Lucifer sings "All Along the Watchtower"
Aimee Hicks: Lucifer is constantly cracking jokes and screwing around all in an attempt to hide the emotions that he struggles to make sense of. He has so many parental abandonment issues that he will singlehandedly be able to keep Dr. Linda in business for the rest of her life and even with her he’s guarded. But, in this single moment, for some odd reason the façade came down and he was just like anyone else in that room being free and expressing what led him down his dark path in life. I think his open honesty really surprised Chloe and she got to see a side of him that she hasn’t before. He was genuinely hurt when his mom abandoned him and it was evident in the way his voice dropped off when he was talking about her, that at one time he very much loved his mom. This scene was beautifully acted by both Tom Ellis and Lauren German who continue to show why they are one of the best crime fighting duos on television right now. Ellis masterfully transitioned Lucifer from being guarded to vulnerable and back to guarded without missing a beat. German perfectly captured Chloe’s surprise and understanding for Lucifer. I think this is the moment where she truly decided to not pursue the blood. No matter what he is or isn’t he is her friend and someone she has come to care about. She won’t abandon him or betray him because she knows how badly he has been hurt in the past. She is probably the most honest and true person Lucifer has ever known and together they are an incredible team. This scene was full of heart and emotion which is why I have to highlight it when every other scene in this episode was equally as worthy of recognition.
Darth Locke: Lucifer plays piano and sings "All Along the Watchtower" - Not only was this a great way to shed light on Tom Ellis' musical talents, but it was more than appropriate introduction to his mother, played by Battlestar Galactica (re-imaged) alumni, Tricia Helfer. For anyone who maybe has not seen BSG, Tricia Helfer plays multiple characters on that series, including a mischievous messenger from beyond and multiple part-robot beings coined "Cylons", but also Bear McCreary (and his band) created their own version of "All Along the Watchtower" that tied into BSG's mythology with a mind-blowing twist during it's "final" season. Also picked by Laura Markus & Diana
SPEECHLESS, "P-i-Pilot", September 21, 2016, Actors: Minnie Driver and more
The Scene: Maya plays trash or human with Dr Miller
Marko Pekic: It was a truly hilarious scene, while Maya's pushing was so convincing, Dr Miller's confusion made me laugh really hard. Also picked by Laura Markus
THE BLACKLIST: "Esteban", September 22, 2016, Actors: James Spader, Susan Blommaert and more
The Scene: The ending
Diana: Red and Kate are driving and talking about Liz. Then suddenly, they run off the way and have a car incident. Someone approaches and takes the little baby. Another trouble is coming? This baby can't take a breath indeed. Can't wait to see how the show will evolve from this.
THE GOOD PLACE, "Chapter 3: Tahani Al-Jamil", September 22, 2016, Actors: Manny Jacinto, Kristen Bell, The Scene: Jianyu's reveal
Klutzy girl: Jianyu revealing to Eleanor that he also doesn't belong in the Good Place threw me for a loop. How many other people also don't belong there and just haven't said anything? This definitely is a game-changer and I can't wait to find out how exactly this happened to them.
THIS IS US, "Pilot", September 20, 2016, Actors: Milo Ventimiglia, Gerald McRaney and more, The Scenes: The final reveal & Dr. Katowsky talks to Jack about loss
Justyna K: First of all, let me start by saying, this was one of my favorite pilots this year, the most heartwarming and emotional. And I absolutely loved the final reveal. Even though there were quite a few clues during the hour I really didn't see this one coming. Beautifully done. I was quite certain I'll choose the ending but then I remembered another scene I wanted to highlight in the article, the moment when Dr. Katowsky goes to tell Jack he lost one of the babies and he ends up telling him his own story and the reason he became a doctor as well. And I simply couldn't miss this one. Both Milo Ventimiglia and Gerald McRaney did a spectacular job during the hour and this scene especially. It was both the best and the worst day of Jack's life, his birthday and the birth of his triplets. Due to the complications, one of the babies didn't make it and the doctor had to deliver the most painful news, that I can imagine sharing, to the young and scared father waiting in the hospital corridor. And Jack does his best to stay strong, to be happy about the kids and Rebecca but his heart breaks when he hears about the loss. He's shaking and fighting with conflicting emotions and there's really no words that can bring him peace at the moment. But the doctor stays with him and says something truly meaningful, a real life lesson about "taking the sourest lemons life has to offer and making something resembling lemonade". A lesson that Jack takes to his heart and, as we later learn, he passes on to his children. The scene was beautifully written and acted and shows just how powerful story this one can become. Kudos to cast & crew for such a brilliant beginning!
Klutzy girl: The reveal that Jack and Rebecca's story is set in the past was shocking and well-played. I'm excited to learn more about them and their family going forward but I really wish I had picked up on the hints beforehand. I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite new shows of the fall season and am looking forward to seeing what happens from here!
Jessica VanWinkle: The ending was my favorite part of the episode. Finding out the twist was great, but I liked what happened after the twist: seeing Jack and Rebecca take their babies home, and then we finally saw how all the kids' lives are connected. I loved that the camera showed a picture on Katie, Kevin, and Randall together on Katie's table, and there was a picture of "The Manny" signed by "Uncle Kevin" hanging up in Randall's house. I can't wait to see more about this family in future episodes!