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.
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, "Mr. Santiago", November 22, 2016, Actors: Andre Braugher and more, The Scene: Holt talks about Kevin's parents
Laura Markus: Holt mentions Kevin and how his parents are homophobic. Oh my word. This scene was everything I never knew I needed. Let alone that Holt name dropped Kevin, again, but he mentioned that his parents won't speak to him because they're homophobes who think he made Kevin gay with his "magic genitalia". I'm sorry, can I give Andre Braugher every award ever for that? That was a spectacular scene and I only hope that it is foreshadowing Kevin's return and maybe a wedding in the future. Dealing with his parents knowing what we know now will be interesting to say the least. Thank you, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
CODE BLACK, "1.0 Bodies", November 23, 2016, Actors: Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Hager
The Scene: Leanne convinces Ashley she has to fight
Marko Pekic: This season was very low on powerful Leanne moments but when they happen they are magnificent. The combination of broken and empowered in Leanne's voice while she was trying to give Ashley hope was simply perfect.
CONVICTION, "A Simple Man", November 21, 2016, Actors: Hayley Atwell, Jason Furlani, The Scene: Leo realizes he was used to set the fire
Luana Arturi: I didn't know who Jason Furlani was before this episode, but I want to believe I'll see him more often now. This scene was amazing, the look on Leo's face when he realized someone used his mental disabilty to set a fire that ended up killing someone... he's utterly heartbroken, and Hayley Atwell was great as well, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Jason.
GILMORE GIRLS: A YEAR IN THE LIFE, "Winter", November 25, 2016, Actors: Lauren Graham, Kelly Bishop, Alexis Bledel, The Scenes: Lorelai and Emily fight after the funeral & Richard’s Funeral & Lorelai's Richard story
Justyna K: I have to say, there were a few moments I could have highlighted from "Winter" and "Spring", but there was something truly powerful, heartbreaking and memorable about the fight that I had to include it in the article. It was far from my favorite scene of the revival, in fact, it was the most painful scene for me to watch. But it was such an important and emotional moment for Lorelai, Emily and their relationship that I simply couldn't miss it. And both actresses did an incredible job in the scene, their performances made it all the more meaningful and moving to see. After Richard's death, it was only a matter of time before things between mother and daughter would get worse and clearly we didn't have to wait too long to see it happen. If the funeral alone wasn't sad and hard enough to witness, Lorelai and Emily were struggling with the loss in two very different ways. Emily was doing her best to say goodbye to her beloved husband (of 50 years!) with the simple, yet cherished memories of him, to honor him and to show her love. Lorelai wasn't ready to say goodbye, she wasn't in the right place yet to share how much her father meant to her, so she told everyone about a random (and not even good) memory of him and hurt her mother in the process. These two could have been so great together, there's so much they could share if only they were more willing to communicate with each other, if only they didn't judge each other based on the previous events. Yet here they were again, fighting, with words that cut deep. And when Emily accused her daughter of not caring about her father's death, it's too much for Lorelai to take. They're both hurting but instead of being there for each other, they fall into the same pattern all over again. Over the course of the series I truly believe they finally got to the better place in their relationship but this part brought back many painful interactions and low points in their story and became a starting point for them to fix what's broken between them. Kudos to the wonderful Lauren Graham and Kelly Bishop who very often steal the show for me!
Aimee Hicks: Richard’s Funeral. For a series that puts extreme value on heavy dialogue scenes, this particular scene stood out for its lack of words. It was simply a beautiful moment void of words. The loss of Edward Herrmann was a devastating blow for the cast much as the loss of Richard Gilmore was to all the characters. This was a scene that was critically important not only to the characters but to the audience as well. Richard was a larger than life character and his loss was definitely felt, so it was important to give the actors and audience a moment to mourn this great person. I don’t think there was very much acting going on in this scene because these reactions were visceral and real. The look of pain in the eyes of the actors was so raw that it could have only come from a deeply personal and real place. The actresses delivered heartfelt performances as they paid homage to this great man. Perhaps it wasn’t the best overall scene of the first two episodes, but it was certainly the one that meant the most to the performers and audience alike.
Marko Pekic: Lorelai's Richard story. The moment Emily mentioned an alarm went off in Lorelai's head, not cause she didn't love her father or cause he was a crappy one, she just wasn't ready to let him go. Ready to say goodbye! So she did what Lorelai does best, tried to avoid it and when that didn't work she turned into the defensive mess we all love and cherish. The combination of comedic and dramatic elements played off beautifully.
GOOD BEHAVIOR, "From Terrible Me", November 22, 2016, Actors: Michelle Dockery and more
The Scene: Letty arrives with the Tow Truck (picked by Darth Locke)
LUCIFER, "Homewrecker", November 21, 2016, Actors: Tom Ellis, Lauren German, The Scene: Lucifer invites Chloe to go to dinner with him & Chloe and Lucifer dance together
Aimee Hicks: Lucifer invites Chloe to go to dinner with him after she saves LUX. These two are always there for each other no matter what. Chloe knows how much LUX means to Lucifer and she went above and beyond to save it for him. She called in favors and pulled strings to ensure Lucifer didn’t lose his home. Lucifer realized the lengths she went for him and wanted to repay her by taking her out to a fancy dinner. He justified it by stating that he was just repaying her for her friendship, but in reality, it was a date. He had asked her out on a date without even setting out to do so. I love that some of their most poignant moments have taken place with them sitting at the piano because that is a safe place for Lucifer. When he’s in his most vulnerable mindsets that’s where he goes to clear his head. The fact he trusts her to sit with him at a place he holds so sacred shows how much he cares for her. This was a major step forward in their future despite the outcome of it all.
Darth Locke: Chloe and Lucifer dance together.
PLEASE LIKE ME, "Beluga Caviar", November 23, 2016, Actors: Josh Thomas, Thomas Ward, Emily Barclay, The Scene: Josh, Ella and Tom play hide-and-seek
Laura Markus: That episode was not very good. But this scene was cute and Ella's reactions the whole time were precious. Tom popping out at the end saved it for me. But overall, that episode was very unenjoyable. I'm thoroughly disappointed.
PURE GENIUS, "Fire and Ice", November 24, 2016, Actors: Augustus Prew, The Scene: James plays chess with his future self
Luana Arturi: This storyline is heartbreaking on its own, but seeing him develop a relationship with this man who can barely move, and seeing what the future could hold for him with that same disease, is too painful to imagine. And Augustus Prew shows that disguised pain perfectly.
SUPERGIRL, "The Darkest Place", November 21, 2016, Actors: Chyler Leigh, Floriana Lima, The Scene: Maggie shows up at Kara’s apartment
Aimee Hicks: Maggie shows up at Kara’s apartment to try and get Alex back as her friend. From the moment Alex opened the door, Maggie was on borrowed time. She knocked on Kara’s door knowing that if Alex was there she was only going to get one shot at this. The normally strong and stoic Maggie was a bit unhinged and uncertain how to react. When she saw Alex her first instinct was to smile which is a reaction she quickly realized was not appropriate given Alex’s scowl. She understood the part she played in causing Alex emotional agony and even if she couldn’t salvage their friendship she knew she had to at least try to give Alex’s feelings some element of validation. Maggie isn’t stupid, she feels things for Alex, but she is self-aware enough to know that she isn’t in a place to mentally be a good girlfriend so soon after her painful breakup. She’s confident in her friendship abilities, but I think her recent breakup still has Maggie so out of sorts that she doesn’t want to risk causing Alex any further pain by jumping into something neither of them is fully prepared for. She values Alex so much that she can’t take the risk of losing her forever, but was willing to endure that loss had Alex made that request of her. This whole speech wasn’t about setting things back to the way they were, but for the chance to perhaps one day try again at their friendship. Even though Maggie didn’t actually reciprocated Alex’s feelings, most people when they are imagining their futures don’t usually take into account their friends. When people think about the future they imagine their families and those they love, but rarely do friends become a centerpiece of those future visions. I think when Maggie envisioned the future she saw Alex as so much more than a friend but had to settle for just friends for now until they can both get to a better place emotionally where they can both enter into a relationship on equal ground. When she made her grand confession and Alex turned and walked away Maggie seemed to deflate. She thought she’d failed and had lost Alex forever and I firmly believe had Alex not turned back around Maggie would have held true to her promise and would have disappeared. When Alex turned back to her and reluctantly agreed to a game of pool the next night, Maggie knew she had her second chance. That smile that came to her face was completely involuntary and full of hope. It was an important scene in the evolution of this couple and as they work their way back to friends so the groundwork can begin to settle into place for a healthy future. Maggie fought for this chance and while she’s going to have to work twice as hard to sneak past Alex’s ironclad emotional walls this time I think she’ll succeed. Chyler Leigh and Floriana Lima do magnificent work together even when their characters are on the outs. This scene will be looked back on as a pivotal point in the relationship between these two characters.
SWEET/VICIOUS, "The Writing's on the Wall", November 22, 2016, Actors: Eliza Bennett, Taylor Dearden, The Scene: Jules signs the Rape Wall
Dahne: This was supposed to be a pure fluff show, so how did it turn into one of the most powerful statements on gender violence in all of TV? Nothing on TV this month affected me as much as this short scene. After Jules says she's done being a vigilante, Ophelia takes her to a wall where girls who have been raped warn other girls about who to stay away from. If the campus police won't help or take their assaults seriously, these women will help each other in the only way they know how - by warning each other and letting victims know that they are not alone. While many probably loved Ophelia's Batman quip, for me the most powerful part was when Ophelia shuts up and hands Jules the pen. To watch Jules formally admit that she was raped, even in this obscure corner of campus, was tremendously empowering. I hope that watching this might have helped other victims struggling with the same abuse know that they are not alone either. I have tremendous respect for this small little MTV show for not shying away from the dark parts of the story in the midst of the action and humor. Thus far, this is the best scene of the month for me.
TEEN WOLF, "Superposition", November 22, 2016, Actors: Tyler Posey, Holland Roden, Shelley Hennig, The Scene: Scott, Lydia and Malia figure out that someone's missing from their lives
Justyna K: This time, I really wasn't sure which scene from the show I'd like to include in the article till the moment when I started writing. It was especially hard to choose between the two - the biggest shock of the story & my favorite part of the hour. Claudia being back is something I never saw coming and even though for a second I was happy to see Sheriff Stilinski not being alone in the world without Stiles, I can't help but see how heartbreaking the consequences of her sudden return might become in the future. As important and completely unexpected as this scene was, in the end, I decided to choose the part when Scott, Lydia and Malia figure out that someone was erased from their memories. Despite there being no Stiles in the episode, his presence was especially felt during the hour when each of our heroes realized they're missing someone. Like there's an emptiness in their life that they can't quite explain or understand. Trying to work through their past experiences, they followed the logic and made the conclusion that someone's gone, someone important to them, their friend, somebody they loved. Despite the horrifying power of the Ghost Riders, they managed to remember something, or at very least, they know they need to remember. And it makes all the difference in the world. It's hope, hope that they can get him back. I loved how this moment proved how important and powerful the friendship truly is. And I was glad to see how smart all three were in the scene. It shows how much they've grown over the years and I can't wait to see where their journey to get their friend back is going to take them.
THE FLASH, "Killer Frost", November 22, 2016, Actors: Grant Gustin, Danielle Panabaker, The Scene: Barry gets Caitlin back
Marko Pekic: Barry lets Caitlin Frost go but she has to kill him. Oh my gosh, oh my Snowbarry heart. That was a heartbreaking moment. A long time ago I came to peace with the fact that they won't ever become a couple but that doesn't mean that their emotional scenes aren't giving me joy and happiness. This episode was Danielle's finest work over so far and I really hope the writers keep giving her this type of material.
THE LIBRARIANS, "And the Rise of Chaos", November 20, 2016, Actors: Noah Wyle, Rebecca Romijn, Christian Kane and more, The Scene: The team sings
Kollin Lore: This scene, that saw the team sing a quintet together to prove to Chaos they are united, was a reminder of just how much I love this family of cornballs and how much I missed them during the break. Flynn coming into the scene snapping his fingers to start was too much, I literally can't even.
THIS IS US, "Pilgrim Rick", November 22, 2016, Actors: Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, Chrissy Metz and more, The Scenes: Randall confronts his mom during Thanksgiving dinner & Kate makes a tough choice
Dahne: Randall learns about his mom's betrayal and confronts her during Thanksgiving dinner. Sterling K. Brown did a phenomenal job with Randall's breakdown. It starts when he finds a letter from his mom in his biological father's drawer and realizes that she has been lying to him the entire time. His shock equaled mine because I thought Rebecca had only met with William the one time but instead she was corresponding with him at least somewhat regularly. Then the real acting tour-de-force came at the dinner table when he confronts her, breaks down, and then leaves the table.
Luana Arturi: Kate makes a tough choice. This scene was heartbreaking because, no matter how much she likes Toby, she knows this time she needs to put herself first, and it's a very hard decision to make, but also the right one.
WESTWORLD, "Trace Decay", November 20, 2016, Actors: Thandie Newton, Ptolemy Slocum
The Scene: Maeve slits Sylvester's throat (picked by Darth Locke)
Laura Markus: Holt mentions Kevin and how his parents are homophobic. Oh my word. This scene was everything I never knew I needed. Let alone that Holt name dropped Kevin, again, but he mentioned that his parents won't speak to him because they're homophobes who think he made Kevin gay with his "magic genitalia". I'm sorry, can I give Andre Braugher every award ever for that? That was a spectacular scene and I only hope that it is foreshadowing Kevin's return and maybe a wedding in the future. Dealing with his parents knowing what we know now will be interesting to say the least. Thank you, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
CODE BLACK, "1.0 Bodies", November 23, 2016, Actors: Marcia Gay Harden, Kristen Hager
The Scene: Leanne convinces Ashley she has to fight
Marko Pekic: This season was very low on powerful Leanne moments but when they happen they are magnificent. The combination of broken and empowered in Leanne's voice while she was trying to give Ashley hope was simply perfect.
Luana Arturi: I didn't know who Jason Furlani was before this episode, but I want to believe I'll see him more often now. This scene was amazing, the look on Leo's face when he realized someone used his mental disabilty to set a fire that ended up killing someone... he's utterly heartbroken, and Hayley Atwell was great as well, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Jason.
Justyna K: I have to say, there were a few moments I could have highlighted from "Winter" and "Spring", but there was something truly powerful, heartbreaking and memorable about the fight that I had to include it in the article. It was far from my favorite scene of the revival, in fact, it was the most painful scene for me to watch. But it was such an important and emotional moment for Lorelai, Emily and their relationship that I simply couldn't miss it. And both actresses did an incredible job in the scene, their performances made it all the more meaningful and moving to see. After Richard's death, it was only a matter of time before things between mother and daughter would get worse and clearly we didn't have to wait too long to see it happen. If the funeral alone wasn't sad and hard enough to witness, Lorelai and Emily were struggling with the loss in two very different ways. Emily was doing her best to say goodbye to her beloved husband (of 50 years!) with the simple, yet cherished memories of him, to honor him and to show her love. Lorelai wasn't ready to say goodbye, she wasn't in the right place yet to share how much her father meant to her, so she told everyone about a random (and not even good) memory of him and hurt her mother in the process. These two could have been so great together, there's so much they could share if only they were more willing to communicate with each other, if only they didn't judge each other based on the previous events. Yet here they were again, fighting, with words that cut deep. And when Emily accused her daughter of not caring about her father's death, it's too much for Lorelai to take. They're both hurting but instead of being there for each other, they fall into the same pattern all over again. Over the course of the series I truly believe they finally got to the better place in their relationship but this part brought back many painful interactions and low points in their story and became a starting point for them to fix what's broken between them. Kudos to the wonderful Lauren Graham and Kelly Bishop who very often steal the show for me!
Aimee Hicks: Richard’s Funeral. For a series that puts extreme value on heavy dialogue scenes, this particular scene stood out for its lack of words. It was simply a beautiful moment void of words. The loss of Edward Herrmann was a devastating blow for the cast much as the loss of Richard Gilmore was to all the characters. This was a scene that was critically important not only to the characters but to the audience as well. Richard was a larger than life character and his loss was definitely felt, so it was important to give the actors and audience a moment to mourn this great person. I don’t think there was very much acting going on in this scene because these reactions were visceral and real. The look of pain in the eyes of the actors was so raw that it could have only come from a deeply personal and real place. The actresses delivered heartfelt performances as they paid homage to this great man. Perhaps it wasn’t the best overall scene of the first two episodes, but it was certainly the one that meant the most to the performers and audience alike.
Marko Pekic: Lorelai's Richard story. The moment Emily mentioned an alarm went off in Lorelai's head, not cause she didn't love her father or cause he was a crappy one, she just wasn't ready to let him go. Ready to say goodbye! So she did what Lorelai does best, tried to avoid it and when that didn't work she turned into the defensive mess we all love and cherish. The combination of comedic and dramatic elements played off beautifully.
GOOD BEHAVIOR, "From Terrible Me", November 22, 2016, Actors: Michelle Dockery and more
The Scene: Letty arrives with the Tow Truck (picked by Darth Locke)
Aimee Hicks: Lucifer invites Chloe to go to dinner with him after she saves LUX. These two are always there for each other no matter what. Chloe knows how much LUX means to Lucifer and she went above and beyond to save it for him. She called in favors and pulled strings to ensure Lucifer didn’t lose his home. Lucifer realized the lengths she went for him and wanted to repay her by taking her out to a fancy dinner. He justified it by stating that he was just repaying her for her friendship, but in reality, it was a date. He had asked her out on a date without even setting out to do so. I love that some of their most poignant moments have taken place with them sitting at the piano because that is a safe place for Lucifer. When he’s in his most vulnerable mindsets that’s where he goes to clear his head. The fact he trusts her to sit with him at a place he holds so sacred shows how much he cares for her. This was a major step forward in their future despite the outcome of it all.
Darth Locke: Chloe and Lucifer dance together.
PLEASE LIKE ME, "Beluga Caviar", November 23, 2016, Actors: Josh Thomas, Thomas Ward, Emily Barclay, The Scene: Josh, Ella and Tom play hide-and-seek
Laura Markus: That episode was not very good. But this scene was cute and Ella's reactions the whole time were precious. Tom popping out at the end saved it for me. But overall, that episode was very unenjoyable. I'm thoroughly disappointed.
PURE GENIUS, "Fire and Ice", November 24, 2016, Actors: Augustus Prew, The Scene: James plays chess with his future self
Luana Arturi: This storyline is heartbreaking on its own, but seeing him develop a relationship with this man who can barely move, and seeing what the future could hold for him with that same disease, is too painful to imagine. And Augustus Prew shows that disguised pain perfectly.
Aimee Hicks: Maggie shows up at Kara’s apartment to try and get Alex back as her friend. From the moment Alex opened the door, Maggie was on borrowed time. She knocked on Kara’s door knowing that if Alex was there she was only going to get one shot at this. The normally strong and stoic Maggie was a bit unhinged and uncertain how to react. When she saw Alex her first instinct was to smile which is a reaction she quickly realized was not appropriate given Alex’s scowl. She understood the part she played in causing Alex emotional agony and even if she couldn’t salvage their friendship she knew she had to at least try to give Alex’s feelings some element of validation. Maggie isn’t stupid, she feels things for Alex, but she is self-aware enough to know that she isn’t in a place to mentally be a good girlfriend so soon after her painful breakup. She’s confident in her friendship abilities, but I think her recent breakup still has Maggie so out of sorts that she doesn’t want to risk causing Alex any further pain by jumping into something neither of them is fully prepared for. She values Alex so much that she can’t take the risk of losing her forever, but was willing to endure that loss had Alex made that request of her. This whole speech wasn’t about setting things back to the way they were, but for the chance to perhaps one day try again at their friendship. Even though Maggie didn’t actually reciprocated Alex’s feelings, most people when they are imagining their futures don’t usually take into account their friends. When people think about the future they imagine their families and those they love, but rarely do friends become a centerpiece of those future visions. I think when Maggie envisioned the future she saw Alex as so much more than a friend but had to settle for just friends for now until they can both get to a better place emotionally where they can both enter into a relationship on equal ground. When she made her grand confession and Alex turned and walked away Maggie seemed to deflate. She thought she’d failed and had lost Alex forever and I firmly believe had Alex not turned back around Maggie would have held true to her promise and would have disappeared. When Alex turned back to her and reluctantly agreed to a game of pool the next night, Maggie knew she had her second chance. That smile that came to her face was completely involuntary and full of hope. It was an important scene in the evolution of this couple and as they work their way back to friends so the groundwork can begin to settle into place for a healthy future. Maggie fought for this chance and while she’s going to have to work twice as hard to sneak past Alex’s ironclad emotional walls this time I think she’ll succeed. Chyler Leigh and Floriana Lima do magnificent work together even when their characters are on the outs. This scene will be looked back on as a pivotal point in the relationship between these two characters.
Dahne: This was supposed to be a pure fluff show, so how did it turn into one of the most powerful statements on gender violence in all of TV? Nothing on TV this month affected me as much as this short scene. After Jules says she's done being a vigilante, Ophelia takes her to a wall where girls who have been raped warn other girls about who to stay away from. If the campus police won't help or take their assaults seriously, these women will help each other in the only way they know how - by warning each other and letting victims know that they are not alone. While many probably loved Ophelia's Batman quip, for me the most powerful part was when Ophelia shuts up and hands Jules the pen. To watch Jules formally admit that she was raped, even in this obscure corner of campus, was tremendously empowering. I hope that watching this might have helped other victims struggling with the same abuse know that they are not alone either. I have tremendous respect for this small little MTV show for not shying away from the dark parts of the story in the midst of the action and humor. Thus far, this is the best scene of the month for me.
Justyna K: This time, I really wasn't sure which scene from the show I'd like to include in the article till the moment when I started writing. It was especially hard to choose between the two - the biggest shock of the story & my favorite part of the hour. Claudia being back is something I never saw coming and even though for a second I was happy to see Sheriff Stilinski not being alone in the world without Stiles, I can't help but see how heartbreaking the consequences of her sudden return might become in the future. As important and completely unexpected as this scene was, in the end, I decided to choose the part when Scott, Lydia and Malia figure out that someone was erased from their memories. Despite there being no Stiles in the episode, his presence was especially felt during the hour when each of our heroes realized they're missing someone. Like there's an emptiness in their life that they can't quite explain or understand. Trying to work through their past experiences, they followed the logic and made the conclusion that someone's gone, someone important to them, their friend, somebody they loved. Despite the horrifying power of the Ghost Riders, they managed to remember something, or at very least, they know they need to remember. And it makes all the difference in the world. It's hope, hope that they can get him back. I loved how this moment proved how important and powerful the friendship truly is. And I was glad to see how smart all three were in the scene. It shows how much they've grown over the years and I can't wait to see where their journey to get their friend back is going to take them.
Marko Pekic: Barry lets Caitlin Frost go but she has to kill him. Oh my gosh, oh my Snowbarry heart. That was a heartbreaking moment. A long time ago I came to peace with the fact that they won't ever become a couple but that doesn't mean that their emotional scenes aren't giving me joy and happiness. This episode was Danielle's finest work over so far and I really hope the writers keep giving her this type of material.
Kollin Lore: This scene, that saw the team sing a quintet together to prove to Chaos they are united, was a reminder of just how much I love this family of cornballs and how much I missed them during the break. Flynn coming into the scene snapping his fingers to start was too much, I literally can't even.
Dahne: Randall learns about his mom's betrayal and confronts her during Thanksgiving dinner. Sterling K. Brown did a phenomenal job with Randall's breakdown. It starts when he finds a letter from his mom in his biological father's drawer and realizes that she has been lying to him the entire time. His shock equaled mine because I thought Rebecca had only met with William the one time but instead she was corresponding with him at least somewhat regularly. Then the real acting tour-de-force came at the dinner table when he confronts her, breaks down, and then leaves the table.
Luana Arturi: Kate makes a tough choice. This scene was heartbreaking because, no matter how much she likes Toby, she knows this time she needs to put herself first, and it's a very hard decision to make, but also the right one.
WESTWORLD, "Trace Decay", November 20, 2016, Actors: Thandie Newton, Ptolemy Slocum
The Scene: Maeve slits Sylvester's throat (picked by Darth Locke)
