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.
CODE BLACK, "Hero Complex", November 9, 2016, Actors: Melanie Chandra, True O'Brien
The Scene: Malaya convinces Joy not to let the rape define her life
Marko Pekic: The way Code Black tackles socially relevant topics is unprecedent on the TV landscape. Malaya revisiting her own abuse in this episode and finding the strength to help Joy was overwhelming and powerful. Both actresses delivered exceptional performances.
DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, "Compromised", November 10, 2016, Actors: Caity Lotz, Neal McDonough, The Scene: Sara confronts Damien
Marko Pekic: Sara tells Damien how all his plans will fail. Sara finally accepted her role as a legend, leader and time master what meant she can't kill Damien and save her sister in the process. So she did the only possible thing she could, enjoy Damien's terrified face when she told him all his plans will fall apart.
EYEWITNESS, "Crème Brulée", November 6, 2016, Actors: Tyler Young, James Paxton, Mercedes Morris
The Scene: Philip records Lukas and Rose in the woods
Babar: We can see that watching and recording Lukas and Rose having sex is breaking Philip's heart and it is sad to see how far he's willing to go to be able to spend time with Lukas. And Lukas looking longingly at Philip while he was with Rose was also quite heartbreaking.
FREQUENCY, "Deviation", November 9, 2016, Actors: Peyton List, Riley Smith and more, The Scenes: The family photo is found & Raimy tells her dad to kill the Nightingale
Aimee Hicks: Of all the things Raimy has asked of her dad this was definitely the most drastic. At his core Frank Sullivan is a good and moral man, but he’s also someone who has a strong protective instinct. If it comes down to it he will kill to protect his family, but it may also destroy him in the process. What made this scene stand out is the performances by Riley Smith and Peyton List. Despite them not being on the screen together they still have this innate ability to bounce lines off of each other in such a way that it’s impossible to not feel the emotion behind the words. Frank doesn’t want to have to do what Raimy is suggesting, but I think he’s practical enough to understand the logic in her words. This was the best scene of the episode because of the spot on acting and the fact that this scene sets up what could be one of the most dramatic and major twists yet.
Luana Arturi: The family photo is found. Frequency is killing it every week and this scene gave me chills. The way the Nightingale is taunting them is so creepy and effective. Also the music is amazing and used to perfection with Kaleo's Way Down We Go.
GREY'S ANATOMY, "The Room Where It Happens", November 10, 2016, Actors: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and more, The Scene: Meredith remembers telling Zola and Bailey about Derek's death
Klutzy girl: It came out of absolutely nowhere and hurt badly. The fact that it was so unexpected made it that much more powerful. Also picked by Marko Pekic
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, "No More Blood", November 10, 2016, Actors: Viola Davis, Charlie Weber, Liza Weil, The Scene: Frank wants to kill himself
Laura Markus: Annalise and Bonnie try to influence a suicidal Frank.
LUCIFER, "My Little Monkey", November 7, 2016, Actors: Lauren German, Tom Ellis and more, The Scene: Chloe won’t shoot the Deputy Warden
Aimee Hicks: This scene was not only phenomenally acted, but it was also beautifully staged. The blocking allowed for a really interesting visual with Chloe at a crossroads and a Devil and a demon on each shoulder. In their company, she could have pulled the trigger and never been questioned about it. They would have even helped her cover it up. Yet, in the moment Chloe got to say her peace, vow to ensure he got what was coming to him, and still remain true to who she is as a person. She made the decision to let the justice system deal with him and while it was the right choice I hope it doesn’t come back to haunt her later on. Tom Ellis and Lesley-Ann Brandt were secondary in this scene compared to Lauren German, but they each did great work in this scene. When German was delivering her incredibly emotional performance Brandt was standing at her shoulder delivering a spot on Maze performance simply just with her facial expressions. Maze really wanted Chloe to get her revenge but didn’t really pressure Chloe to do it. While she would have preferred to see Chloe shoot the sick psycho she seemed content getting her kicks from watching Chloe terrify the man with her threats. For German, she delivered an incredibly moving performance. As Chloe’s anger grew her eyes filled with tears. German portrayed so much raw emotion that Chloe’s pain was palpable. She wanted to avenge her father but knew that she couldn’t stoop to the same level as his murderer because that would make her no better than him. It was a very emotional scene that was a standout in yet another perfect episode.
NCIS LOS ANGELES, "Crazy Train", November 6, 2016, Actors: Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, The Scene: The second proposal
Justyna K: If you thought the first proposal, with Kensi still in the coma, was a sad one, this time things got truly heartbreaking. Deeks is doing his best to stay strong for Kensi, to show her all the love and support she might need. It's clear how much he's in love with her and wants to be by her side in these hard and difficult times. All he wants is to make things better and he starts by trying to believe everything's not as bad as it seems. Like in another great moment of the episode, when Hetty and Sam offer him the support and he doesn't want to admit just how not okay he actually is... So, near the end of the hour, Deeks decides to propose to Kensi, bringing back a little more light to their story, but she can't bring herself to accept it. Because as much as Deeks chooses to see things from the best possible perspective, from her point of view, she's broken and hopeless, with almost no chance of recovery. Kensi is fighting with her pain, but not being able to even stand is a new and scary experience for a warrior like her. And it feels like she's falling and she's bringing Deeks down with her. It's clear how much these two need their friends and family right now. And I hope to see them finding their way back soon. Both Daniela Ruah and Eric Christian Olsen are absolutely incredible in the scene (and the season so far!). There's so much pain, love and loss between their characters and their performance alone says more than any words could. Kudos to the cast & crew for such an excellent work on the show!
PLEASE LIKE ME, "Babaganoush", November 9, 2016, Actors: Thomas Ward, Josh Thomas
The Scene: Tom tells Josh he's moving out with Ella (picked by Laura Markus)
SALEM, "The Heart is a Devil", November 9, 2016, Actors: Janet Montgomery and more
The Scene: Mary attempts to kill her 'son'
Gavin H: Mary attempts to kill her 'son' in the bathtub as a ditch effort to get rid of the Devil once and for all, only it was a test and she failed.
SPEECHLESS, "D-a-t-e-Date?", November 9, 2016, Actors: Kyla Kenedy and more
The Scene: Dylan accidentally reveals the truth about 'nude picture'
Samantha Benjamin: Dylan accidentally reveals the 'nude picture' is Ray's nipple to the Principal. This show is my second favourite family comedy after The Goldbergs and the entire scene was so funny.
SUPERGIRL, "Crossfire", November 7, 2016, Actors: Chyler Leigh, Floriana Lima, The Scene: Alex comes out to Maggie
Aimee Hicks: Sometimes a performance can be great, sometimes amazing, and sometimes there are those truly special performances that transcend any description that the English language has words for. The performances delivered in this scene fit firmly into that latter category. I could call this all the usual things like amazing, brilliant, ground-breaking, top-notch, phenomenal, and none of them would do justice to the performance Chyler Leigh delivered. It was a scene that she and scene partner Floriana Lima should carry an immense amount of pride for. They were given a wonderfully written scene and they took it and made it into something that television viewers will be talking about for a long time to come. It was a very raw scene for Leigh and in order to sell Alex’s vulnerability in the moment, she had to be vulnerable herself. The camera was tight on her face giving the whole scene a very intimate feeling. Leigh’s every movement, facial expression, and stumbled word was front and center for the audience to focus on which can be an uncomfortable situation for even the most seasoned of performers but she didn’t let it hinder her performance. She was the scene, the focal point, and in that moment when that scene was playing she was all that mattered. Leigh was in a very vulnerable place and Lima was right there with her throughout. She was an attentive scene partner who gave Leigh everything she needed to be able to pull off this difficult moment for Alex. Lima was supporting Leigh every bit as much as Maggie was supporting Alex. Maggie understood what Alex was trying to tell her, but she knew that Alex needed to find the words for herself and she knew the exact right moments to interject with a little soft nudge. Alex knew what she wanted to say, but didn’t know how to translate all the confusion in her brain into articulate words. Alex wasn’t able to say that she is gay and she certainly wasn’t ready to say that she is a lesbian, but that was okay for Maggie and the audience. Alex’s story is all about self-discovery right now and just like in real life it is okay that she needs to take the time in order for it all to make sense. Chyler Leigh, Floriana Lima, the writers, and the entire creative team created a scene that wasn’t just transcendent but was also socially important. Television shows rarely tackle a coming out story with this sort of sensitivity and honesty. In fact, the only other show recently to tackle coming out with this level of sincerity was Wynonna Earp. Stories like Alex’s need to be told more often and Supergirl should be very proud to join a very small club of shows that have done it right. I can’t wait to see what is ahead for Alex and Maggie in the coming episodes as Alex continues on this journey. This scene was the standout of the episode and the perfect launching point for the next stage of Alex’s journey to self-acceptance.
Klutzy girl: Alex comes out of the closet to Maggie. It was a painful, emotional, real scene that Chyler Leigh absolutely knocked out of the park. Alex's fear as she admitted her truth out loud was powerful, and I'm so excited to see what happens next. Also picked by Samantha Benjamin
Prpleight: Alex admits she’s ready to explore the idea that her less than stellar romantic life is less than stellar because she’s gay. She’s not yet ready to use the word, but her attraction to Maggie has pushed her to explore that part of herself. What I really liked about the scene was that it wasn’t the typical ‘Eureka! Let’s hook up’ approach. Having Alex's admission that she’d never been happy and thought maybe she was broken followed with her nervously optimistic realization that she’d just been looking in the wrong place made the moment feel real.
THE GOLDBERGS, "Recipe for Death II: Kiss The Cook", November 9, 2016, Actors: Sean Giambrone, Jeff Garlin, The Scene: Adam shows Murray his movie
Samantha Benjamin: Adam shows Murray his movie and Murray says he's always rooting for him. I liked Erica & Beverly's story as well this week, but I have to go with Adam & Murray because it was a really sweet scene.
THE WALKING DEAD, "The Cell", November 6, 2016, Actors: Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
The Scene: Negan gives Daryl 3 choices after he tried to escape (picked by DarkUFO)
WESTWORLD, "The Adversary", November 6, 2016, Actors: Thandie Newton and more, The Scene: Maeve takes a tour of the Delos facility
Justyna K: The entire sequence where Maeve learns and sees the truth about the Westworld has to be one of the best moments the show has done so far, and there's been so many of the great ones already. As we see all the little details behind the scene of the facility, the creation, development and destruction of the hosts and their environment, the thing that truly take a breath away is Maeve's strength and Thandie Newton’s performance. Maeve barely says a word during the entire scene, but there's nothing that could truly express what she must be feeling in that moment. Her entire world was made and her choices don't belong to her, her memories can be changed at someone else's will, all of it seems impossible but is true. And Maeve doesn't just see the truth, she comes to understand it and at the end of the hour, she takes as much control as she can over her fate. The entire sequence is such a powerful one, with the focus on the music, Maeve's reactions, especially as she sees images of her life at the end of the "tour". It's heartbreaking, it's memorable and haunting, and absolutely my choice for SOTW.
Prpleight: There was just so much going on in this sequence. Thandie Newton’s performance was mesmerizing. Maeve suffered a full system crash when faced with the reality of her programming. Once she rebooted she demanded a tour of the facility. She took everything with a relative outward calm until she saw video of herself and her child in a previous storyline. Her ultimate reaction to all of this? To take control. Her initial point of control was to completely subjugate Sylvester. Then she decided to make adjustments to her own personality parameters. It was a sequence I couldn’t take my eyes from. Also picked by DarkUFO
CODE BLACK, "Hero Complex", November 9, 2016, Actors: Melanie Chandra, True O'Brien
The Scene: Malaya convinces Joy not to let the rape define her life
Marko Pekic: The way Code Black tackles socially relevant topics is unprecedent on the TV landscape. Malaya revisiting her own abuse in this episode and finding the strength to help Joy was overwhelming and powerful. Both actresses delivered exceptional performances.
Marko Pekic: Sara tells Damien how all his plans will fail. Sara finally accepted her role as a legend, leader and time master what meant she can't kill Damien and save her sister in the process. So she did the only possible thing she could, enjoy Damien's terrified face when she told him all his plans will fall apart.
EYEWITNESS, "Crème Brulée", November 6, 2016, Actors: Tyler Young, James Paxton, Mercedes Morris
The Scene: Philip records Lukas and Rose in the woods
Babar: We can see that watching and recording Lukas and Rose having sex is breaking Philip's heart and it is sad to see how far he's willing to go to be able to spend time with Lukas. And Lukas looking longingly at Philip while he was with Rose was also quite heartbreaking.
Aimee Hicks: Of all the things Raimy has asked of her dad this was definitely the most drastic. At his core Frank Sullivan is a good and moral man, but he’s also someone who has a strong protective instinct. If it comes down to it he will kill to protect his family, but it may also destroy him in the process. What made this scene stand out is the performances by Riley Smith and Peyton List. Despite them not being on the screen together they still have this innate ability to bounce lines off of each other in such a way that it’s impossible to not feel the emotion behind the words. Frank doesn’t want to have to do what Raimy is suggesting, but I think he’s practical enough to understand the logic in her words. This was the best scene of the episode because of the spot on acting and the fact that this scene sets up what could be one of the most dramatic and major twists yet.
Luana Arturi: The family photo is found. Frequency is killing it every week and this scene gave me chills. The way the Nightingale is taunting them is so creepy and effective. Also the music is amazing and used to perfection with Kaleo's Way Down We Go.
GREY'S ANATOMY, "The Room Where It Happens", November 10, 2016, Actors: Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and more, The Scene: Meredith remembers telling Zola and Bailey about Derek's death
Klutzy girl: It came out of absolutely nowhere and hurt badly. The fact that it was so unexpected made it that much more powerful. Also picked by Marko Pekic
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, "No More Blood", November 10, 2016, Actors: Viola Davis, Charlie Weber, Liza Weil, The Scene: Frank wants to kill himself
Laura Markus: Annalise and Bonnie try to influence a suicidal Frank.
Aimee Hicks: This scene was not only phenomenally acted, but it was also beautifully staged. The blocking allowed for a really interesting visual with Chloe at a crossroads and a Devil and a demon on each shoulder. In their company, she could have pulled the trigger and never been questioned about it. They would have even helped her cover it up. Yet, in the moment Chloe got to say her peace, vow to ensure he got what was coming to him, and still remain true to who she is as a person. She made the decision to let the justice system deal with him and while it was the right choice I hope it doesn’t come back to haunt her later on. Tom Ellis and Lesley-Ann Brandt were secondary in this scene compared to Lauren German, but they each did great work in this scene. When German was delivering her incredibly emotional performance Brandt was standing at her shoulder delivering a spot on Maze performance simply just with her facial expressions. Maze really wanted Chloe to get her revenge but didn’t really pressure Chloe to do it. While she would have preferred to see Chloe shoot the sick psycho she seemed content getting her kicks from watching Chloe terrify the man with her threats. For German, she delivered an incredibly moving performance. As Chloe’s anger grew her eyes filled with tears. German portrayed so much raw emotion that Chloe’s pain was palpable. She wanted to avenge her father but knew that she couldn’t stoop to the same level as his murderer because that would make her no better than him. It was a very emotional scene that was a standout in yet another perfect episode.
Justyna K: If you thought the first proposal, with Kensi still in the coma, was a sad one, this time things got truly heartbreaking. Deeks is doing his best to stay strong for Kensi, to show her all the love and support she might need. It's clear how much he's in love with her and wants to be by her side in these hard and difficult times. All he wants is to make things better and he starts by trying to believe everything's not as bad as it seems. Like in another great moment of the episode, when Hetty and Sam offer him the support and he doesn't want to admit just how not okay he actually is... So, near the end of the hour, Deeks decides to propose to Kensi, bringing back a little more light to their story, but she can't bring herself to accept it. Because as much as Deeks chooses to see things from the best possible perspective, from her point of view, she's broken and hopeless, with almost no chance of recovery. Kensi is fighting with her pain, but not being able to even stand is a new and scary experience for a warrior like her. And it feels like she's falling and she's bringing Deeks down with her. It's clear how much these two need their friends and family right now. And I hope to see them finding their way back soon. Both Daniela Ruah and Eric Christian Olsen are absolutely incredible in the scene (and the season so far!). There's so much pain, love and loss between their characters and their performance alone says more than any words could. Kudos to the cast & crew for such an excellent work on the show!
PLEASE LIKE ME, "Babaganoush", November 9, 2016, Actors: Thomas Ward, Josh Thomas
The Scene: Tom tells Josh he's moving out with Ella (picked by Laura Markus)
SALEM, "The Heart is a Devil", November 9, 2016, Actors: Janet Montgomery and more
The Scene: Mary attempts to kill her 'son'
Gavin H: Mary attempts to kill her 'son' in the bathtub as a ditch effort to get rid of the Devil once and for all, only it was a test and she failed.
SPEECHLESS, "D-a-t-e-Date?", November 9, 2016, Actors: Kyla Kenedy and more
The Scene: Dylan accidentally reveals the truth about 'nude picture'
Samantha Benjamin: Dylan accidentally reveals the 'nude picture' is Ray's nipple to the Principal. This show is my second favourite family comedy after The Goldbergs and the entire scene was so funny.
Aimee Hicks: Sometimes a performance can be great, sometimes amazing, and sometimes there are those truly special performances that transcend any description that the English language has words for. The performances delivered in this scene fit firmly into that latter category. I could call this all the usual things like amazing, brilliant, ground-breaking, top-notch, phenomenal, and none of them would do justice to the performance Chyler Leigh delivered. It was a scene that she and scene partner Floriana Lima should carry an immense amount of pride for. They were given a wonderfully written scene and they took it and made it into something that television viewers will be talking about for a long time to come. It was a very raw scene for Leigh and in order to sell Alex’s vulnerability in the moment, she had to be vulnerable herself. The camera was tight on her face giving the whole scene a very intimate feeling. Leigh’s every movement, facial expression, and stumbled word was front and center for the audience to focus on which can be an uncomfortable situation for even the most seasoned of performers but she didn’t let it hinder her performance. She was the scene, the focal point, and in that moment when that scene was playing she was all that mattered. Leigh was in a very vulnerable place and Lima was right there with her throughout. She was an attentive scene partner who gave Leigh everything she needed to be able to pull off this difficult moment for Alex. Lima was supporting Leigh every bit as much as Maggie was supporting Alex. Maggie understood what Alex was trying to tell her, but she knew that Alex needed to find the words for herself and she knew the exact right moments to interject with a little soft nudge. Alex knew what she wanted to say, but didn’t know how to translate all the confusion in her brain into articulate words. Alex wasn’t able to say that she is gay and she certainly wasn’t ready to say that she is a lesbian, but that was okay for Maggie and the audience. Alex’s story is all about self-discovery right now and just like in real life it is okay that she needs to take the time in order for it all to make sense. Chyler Leigh, Floriana Lima, the writers, and the entire creative team created a scene that wasn’t just transcendent but was also socially important. Television shows rarely tackle a coming out story with this sort of sensitivity and honesty. In fact, the only other show recently to tackle coming out with this level of sincerity was Wynonna Earp. Stories like Alex’s need to be told more often and Supergirl should be very proud to join a very small club of shows that have done it right. I can’t wait to see what is ahead for Alex and Maggie in the coming episodes as Alex continues on this journey. This scene was the standout of the episode and the perfect launching point for the next stage of Alex’s journey to self-acceptance.
Klutzy girl: Alex comes out of the closet to Maggie. It was a painful, emotional, real scene that Chyler Leigh absolutely knocked out of the park. Alex's fear as she admitted her truth out loud was powerful, and I'm so excited to see what happens next. Also picked by Samantha Benjamin
Prpleight: Alex admits she’s ready to explore the idea that her less than stellar romantic life is less than stellar because she’s gay. She’s not yet ready to use the word, but her attraction to Maggie has pushed her to explore that part of herself. What I really liked about the scene was that it wasn’t the typical ‘Eureka! Let’s hook up’ approach. Having Alex's admission that she’d never been happy and thought maybe she was broken followed with her nervously optimistic realization that she’d just been looking in the wrong place made the moment feel real.
THE GOLDBERGS, "Recipe for Death II: Kiss The Cook", November 9, 2016, Actors: Sean Giambrone, Jeff Garlin, The Scene: Adam shows Murray his movie
Samantha Benjamin: Adam shows Murray his movie and Murray says he's always rooting for him. I liked Erica & Beverly's story as well this week, but I have to go with Adam & Murray because it was a really sweet scene.
THE WALKING DEAD, "The Cell", November 6, 2016, Actors: Norman Reedus, Jeffrey Dean Morgan
The Scene: Negan gives Daryl 3 choices after he tried to escape (picked by DarkUFO)
Justyna K: The entire sequence where Maeve learns and sees the truth about the Westworld has to be one of the best moments the show has done so far, and there's been so many of the great ones already. As we see all the little details behind the scene of the facility, the creation, development and destruction of the hosts and their environment, the thing that truly take a breath away is Maeve's strength and Thandie Newton’s performance. Maeve barely says a word during the entire scene, but there's nothing that could truly express what she must be feeling in that moment. Her entire world was made and her choices don't belong to her, her memories can be changed at someone else's will, all of it seems impossible but is true. And Maeve doesn't just see the truth, she comes to understand it and at the end of the hour, she takes as much control as she can over her fate. The entire sequence is such a powerful one, with the focus on the music, Maeve's reactions, especially as she sees images of her life at the end of the "tour". It's heartbreaking, it's memorable and haunting, and absolutely my choice for SOTW.
Prpleight: There was just so much going on in this sequence. Thandie Newton’s performance was mesmerizing. Maeve suffered a full system crash when faced with the reality of her programming. Once she rebooted she demanded a tour of the facility. She took everything with a relative outward calm until she saw video of herself and her child in a previous storyline. Her ultimate reaction to all of this? To take control. Her initial point of control was to completely subjugate Sylvester. Then she decided to make adjustments to her own personality parameters. It was a sequence I couldn’t take my eyes from. Also picked by DarkUFO
