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.
DOCTOR WHO, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio", December 25, 2016, Actors: Peter Capaldi and more, The Scene: The Doctor's warning
Justyna K: It was a great episode, funny and clever with all the references to Superman and past episodes. I couldn't quite decide which scene to choose from the hour, Grant's introduction, the phone call, the ending, the Doctor being questioned by Lucy or else, but in the end, I really like the moments when the Doctor introduces himself, warning the aliens to stay away, because he'll always be there to save the Earth. It reminds me of all those brilliant speeches from the different incarnations of the Doctor made over the years. It's not a threat, it's a statement, a reassurance for the people who count on him and a true constant in the Doctor's life. “There have been many attempts to conquer the Earth. I’ve lost count. Not one of them has succeeded, not a single one. They all lost and burned and ran. That’s who I am.” Peter Capaldi once again shines in his role, showing that the Time Lord can be scary, funny, threatening, compassionate, playful, emotional, reserved and so many other things in a matter of minutes. It's absolutely wonderful work and kudos to the entire Doctor Who team for another great story!
GOOD BEHAVIOR, "It Still Fits Bitch", December 27, 2016, Actors: Michelle Dockery, Juan Diego Botto, The Scene: Wild Horses
Luana Arturi: This was not as intense an episode as the last one, but it had many great scenes, especially those involving Letty and her mom, Michelle Dockery and Lusia Strus portray this complex mother-daughter relationship to perfection. But the game-changer this week was definitely Sean, because he not only is a threat to Letty finally getting her son back but also to her own already dubious morality, and though I loved watching Javier put him in his place, the most important scene for me was when Javier took Letty to the beach. He showed once again he's there for her, even when he's still so broken from last week's events, and took her for a trip on his new bike so she could clear her head, all this with Bishop Briggs' Wild Horses on the background. This is when Letty comes to the conclusion that the only way to have Jacob back for good, is for Javier to kill the father of her son, without even giving him a chance to prove he's not the man he used to be. I don't know how this will play out, but, by now, I trust the writers completely, and that is usually a hard thing for me to say, especially with a freshman show, but Good Behavior truly doesn't feel like one.
THE LIBRARIANS, "And the Trial of the Triangle", December 25, 2016, Actors: Noah Wyle, W. Morgan Sheppard, The Scene: Flynn meets Teddy Chislington
Justyna K: After witnessing the pure evil in the world and everything the Librarians have to face, Flynn has built quite an armour of confidence to hide how scared, insecure and close to a panic attack he feels on the regular basis. He pushed his friends away, hurt them, to both keep them safe and avoid the pain of possible loss. He became quite hopeless, even though he hid it from those closest to him. And it resulted in the behavior which his friends couldn't take anymore, even going as far as preparing him an intervention. Things change, however, after a memorable adventure when Flynn has to face the truth about himself in a series of tests. With all these great scenes to mention, I decided to highlight the one where Flynn meets with one of his heroes at the end of his challenge. It's in that moment when he truly realizes his fears and without hesitation chooses to sacrifice his life, when the time comes, to save the world and his friends. That's when we can finally see him as a hero and a good man that he is. Since Flynn's my favorite character of the The Librarian franchise, I'm very much hoping that there's a way out and that he will get his happy ending, but I found this scene to be especially meaningful for the series and beautifully acted. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for their work on this fantastic show!
VIKINGS, "All His Angels", December 28, 2016, Actors: Travis Fimmel, Alex Høgh, The Scene: Ragnar talks to Ivar
Luana Arturi: This was Ragnar's last episode and his death or his goodbye to Ecbert were important scenes, I would've liked to watch one more of those debates they shared, but this episode wasn't really that much about Ragnar, it was focused on setting up the future, because, from now on, it's all about his sons and their journey, especially Ivar. This is why their conversation is so important, for Ragnar to appreciate the value of his son and his potential, it gives us a glimpse into Vikings' future, and I didn't think I would be, but I'm actually excited about that prospect. Granted, I would've loved to see more conversations between Ragnar and Ivar, since this is their first really good one, and of course I'd never get enough of his conversations with Ecbert (I hope they find a different way to portray those debates), but still, this was one hell of an episode and made me less afraid of a Vikings without the character we've come to know and love as the protagonist. But I have to say I'm not looking forward to Ivar being against Lagertha, I'd like him to succeed against anyone else, just not her.
Justyna K: It was a great episode, funny and clever with all the references to Superman and past episodes. I couldn't quite decide which scene to choose from the hour, Grant's introduction, the phone call, the ending, the Doctor being questioned by Lucy or else, but in the end, I really like the moments when the Doctor introduces himself, warning the aliens to stay away, because he'll always be there to save the Earth. It reminds me of all those brilliant speeches from the different incarnations of the Doctor made over the years. It's not a threat, it's a statement, a reassurance for the people who count on him and a true constant in the Doctor's life. “There have been many attempts to conquer the Earth. I’ve lost count. Not one of them has succeeded, not a single one. They all lost and burned and ran. That’s who I am.” Peter Capaldi once again shines in his role, showing that the Time Lord can be scary, funny, threatening, compassionate, playful, emotional, reserved and so many other things in a matter of minutes. It's absolutely wonderful work and kudos to the entire Doctor Who team for another great story!
Luana Arturi: This was not as intense an episode as the last one, but it had many great scenes, especially those involving Letty and her mom, Michelle Dockery and Lusia Strus portray this complex mother-daughter relationship to perfection. But the game-changer this week was definitely Sean, because he not only is a threat to Letty finally getting her son back but also to her own already dubious morality, and though I loved watching Javier put him in his place, the most important scene for me was when Javier took Letty to the beach. He showed once again he's there for her, even when he's still so broken from last week's events, and took her for a trip on his new bike so she could clear her head, all this with Bishop Briggs' Wild Horses on the background. This is when Letty comes to the conclusion that the only way to have Jacob back for good, is for Javier to kill the father of her son, without even giving him a chance to prove he's not the man he used to be. I don't know how this will play out, but, by now, I trust the writers completely, and that is usually a hard thing for me to say, especially with a freshman show, but Good Behavior truly doesn't feel like one.
Justyna K: After witnessing the pure evil in the world and everything the Librarians have to face, Flynn has built quite an armour of confidence to hide how scared, insecure and close to a panic attack he feels on the regular basis. He pushed his friends away, hurt them, to both keep them safe and avoid the pain of possible loss. He became quite hopeless, even though he hid it from those closest to him. And it resulted in the behavior which his friends couldn't take anymore, even going as far as preparing him an intervention. Things change, however, after a memorable adventure when Flynn has to face the truth about himself in a series of tests. With all these great scenes to mention, I decided to highlight the one where Flynn meets with one of his heroes at the end of his challenge. It's in that moment when he truly realizes his fears and without hesitation chooses to sacrifice his life, when the time comes, to save the world and his friends. That's when we can finally see him as a hero and a good man that he is. Since Flynn's my favorite character of the The Librarian franchise, I'm very much hoping that there's a way out and that he will get his happy ending, but I found this scene to be especially meaningful for the series and beautifully acted. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for their work on this fantastic show!
Luana Arturi: This was Ragnar's last episode and his death or his goodbye to Ecbert were important scenes, I would've liked to watch one more of those debates they shared, but this episode wasn't really that much about Ragnar, it was focused on setting up the future, because, from now on, it's all about his sons and their journey, especially Ivar. This is why their conversation is so important, for Ragnar to appreciate the value of his son and his potential, it gives us a glimpse into Vikings' future, and I didn't think I would be, but I'm actually excited about that prospect. Granted, I would've loved to see more conversations between Ragnar and Ivar, since this is their first really good one, and of course I'd never get enough of his conversations with Ecbert (I hope they find a different way to portray those debates), but still, this was one hell of an episode and made me less afraid of a Vikings without the character we've come to know and love as the protagonist. But I have to say I'm not looking forward to Ivar being against Lagertha, I'd like him to succeed against anyone else, just not her.
