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.
13 REASONS WHY, "Tape 4, Side A", March 31, 2017, Actors: Katherine Langford and more, The Scene: Hannah writes a letter and leaves it for her teacher to read out
Nirat: Hannah writes a truly honest, painful letter anonymously and leaves it for her teacher to read out in Communications class. “What if the only way not to feel bad is to not feel anything at all. Forever.” - Those honest, painfully raw words from Hannah didn’t even get a reaction from Zach (whom she was trying to reason with after he started taking away her compliments from her bad, which were only a few to begin with, after she said no to him, his ego was bruised and he decided to make her feel small). Her classmates started being critical about the message, saying that she was an attention seeker, that it was a joke, only two defended her saying that it was a real call for help. Imagine just sitting in there whilst people tried to put meaning to your words, reducing you to nothing, making you feel so lonely, that your pain was worthless. It was such a small scene but its depth moved me. I have felt lonely more times than I can remember and I know how hard it is when someone knows that/or makes you feel that way and then everyone starts doing it. The chain reaction, the way people take away your sense of being human, making you feel so trapped is a despicable thing to do. The way everyone just walked out of class whilst Hannah sat back alone, completely isolated, was devastating. Even before this, Hannah confronting Zach about stealing her compliments in the hallway crowded with students (after she wrote him a letter etched with the pain she’d be feeling made him feel nothing), saying “Why me?”, just a simple, heartbreaking cry out, wasn’t even enough for him to stop, just shows how cruel people can be. It’s horrible that being so honest makes you somehow less than a person. How is it possible that this is the way people are thinking now. That even if someone else feels lonely, like you, they would rather make you feel even worse just angers me. How is it okay to keep going on like this, something really needs to change. The social construction of belittling others to move up in the world is vile. I could’ve mentioned the scenes where Hannah’s two close friends abandon her, Courtney speaking utter dishonesty about what really happened between Hannah and her when she stayed over, countless tragic scenes but I choose this one because loneliness is something universal. These aren’t at all best scenes of the week but rather boldly profound ones, pulling at your soul moments television shows shy away from. I also just wanted to acknowledge the sheer range and talent of Katherine Langford's performance as Hannah Baker. She's one of the most exceptional things about the show. How she carries herself as parts of her being are chipped away is unlike anything else. I have never seen a high school show so accurately depicted in all its form of cruelty until 13 Reasons Why and I’m what they’d call a millennial, yet nothing has been properly made for my audience. So many shows have an emphasis on superficial aspects, wanting to be popular and if they are hurt, it automatically feels absent the next episode. As someone who knows what loneliness feels like, this episode meant a lot to me, I’ve never seen someone feel the same in this manner before. In other shows, it’d be touched on and then end all happily as if life is easily remedied in under 40 minutes. This show examines pain in a way that’s constantly evolving, shows it’s growth and overpopulation on the mindset of young people and it’s consequences. I recommend this show to everyone, watch slowly, at your own pace, take breaks, you don’t need to binge it if all at once because it’s hard. Pain isn't easy to consume so quickly. It’s not a fictional drama, pain doesn't disappear like many shows make it. People suffer like this every day but it’s a story that needs to be heard. I shed a tear every episode, the final episodes leaving its most hurtful mark on me but its message is what is the most important thing to take away. Words, actions, they matter, next time you want to be cruel to someone, stop. Stop putting down people, stop hiding behind the safety of your computer screen, stop thinking your voice only matters, stop trying to make people be what you want them, stop making them feel bad because they are different, because you think their opinions suck. Everything said and done has a repercussion that can be devastating and you wouldn’t even know.
AMERICAN CRIME, "Season Three: Episode Three", March 26, 2017, Actors: Benito Martinez and more, The Scene: Luis has an emotional breakdown
Marko: Luis has an emotional breakdown during his search for Teo. Benito is playing the role of a lifetime, the emotional stakes he is bringing to this story are simply heartbreaking. The moment his voice broke as he confessed he was searching for his son was simply outstanding.
ARROW, "Disbanded", March 29, 2017, Actors: Josh Segarra and more, The Scene: The ending
Milo: The ending gets my pick here. Seeing Adrian Chase escape, kill a man with a pen and drive off into the distance with music playing in the background as multiple police cars drive past him. The John Wick-esque fight scene was very cool, especially that Arrow Season 5 has really turned around in form and the psychopath Chase is definitely the show’s best villain since Manu Bennett’s Deathstroke, and I can’t wait to see where his story goes from here.
BATES MOTEL, "Marion", March 27, 2017, Actors: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Austin Nichols, The Scenes: Norman kills Sam in the shower & Norman and Norma final face off & Norman nervously pushes Marion to leave
Darth Locke: Norman nervously pushes Marion to leave. Obviously the fun twisted take from Psycho's iconic shower scene is that it's not Marion who gets the knife, but Sam Loomis! With that being said, the twist of Sam getting it instead came off a little shallow to me simply because I felt like there was no real meat between the men that would have enhanced Norman's story with his father and because Sam Loomis didn't prove to be a psychically violent man, but just a kind of complacent cheat. So it's for that reason I found final scene between Marion and Norman much more deserving and really well-acted on both Freddie Highmore's and Rihanna's parts. I just loved the sort of absent minded and vulnerable way Marion confides in him, after just being so violent in previous scene, even places her head on Norman's shoulder, while watching Norman play with her belongings, before he just suddenly gets up, begins gathering her things, empathizing and encouraging her escape to a new life--the life Norma never got. It was nerve-wrecking, kind of sad, but also a little comical all at the same time.
Marko: Norman and Norma final face off. It is just soooooo good and soooo juicy. Norman and Norma were finally face to face with only the truth between them. Excellent execution of such a vital scene.
DarkUFO: Norman kills Sam in the shower.
BIG LITTLE LIES, "Burning Love", March 26, 2017, Actors: Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman and more, The Scenes: Jane confesses she makes up excuses for Ziggy's father & Celeste visits her therapist
Luana: Jane confesses she still makes up excuses for Ziggy's father. Shailene Woodley has been killing it every week, but this particular conversation was heartbreaking, because no matter how inexcusable the actions of the man who raped her are, she still can't come to terms with the idea that her beautiful little boy came from someone that was pure evil. It's amazing to me when shows can capture the complex feelings that come with every situation, when they are able to show nothing is truly simple.
DJRiter: As brilliant as she's been throughout this limited series Nicole Kidman delivered an Emmy caliber performance as she grippingly confessed to her therapist/counselor that her husband beats her.
BLACK SAILS, "XXXVII.", March 26, 2017, Actors: Toby Stephens, Luke Arnold, The Scene: Flint and Silver fight on the Island
Milo: Everything has been building to this over the course of the season, the battle between Flint and Silver and it really paid off. The conflict was so great, especially with the flashbacks further fleshing out the Flint/Silver dynamic in the build-up to this scene, making everything incredibly tense and action packed. The characters were fantastic here and the cinematography, as well as the location itself really worked here in creating a fantastic backdrop to the events that followed. A true high point in an excellent episode, with several great moments.
BONES, "The End in the End", March 28, 2017, Actors: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, T. J. Thyne and more, The Scenes: The Goodbye in the Lab & Booth tells Brennan what she means to him & Hodgins tells Booth he doesn't always have to be a hero
Justyna K: Saying gooodbye to a show can often seem like quite an impossible task for the creators. As hard as it can be on a personal level, there's just so many things that can go wrong when it comes to the final story. There's no way each and every fan will be happy about the ending, so the best you can do is to remain faithful to the characters and their journey, showing the viewers that the time they spent with the show allowed them to see the growth and important changes in the lives of these people. That it mattered, as much as it could. The thing I always wish for when the ending comes is to leave the show knowing that the characters I spent (usually) years with and rooting for, that they're going to be okay later on. That their experiences will stay with them and show them a better way for the future, and whatever comes, they'll handle it, just like they did on the show. That's exactly why in this wonderful hour with many great scenes to highlight (some of them already mentioned in the article) I decided to go with the final goodbye at the lab. Cam announces to the team that she will be leaving for a while, to start a new life and family with Arastoo, giving her position as the head of the Jeffersonian Institute's Forensic Division to Hodgins. His reaction is such a fun and heartwarming part. He's officially the King of the Lab, like he and Zack always used to talk and argue about. More than that, Brennan realizes how much her job means to her and just how okay she is where she's at, with Booth and her friends. Angela and Hodgins are expecting another baby and the lab will be fixed in a few months, thanks to the overwhelming support coming from all the possible places. It's a wonderful, heartwarming end of the road for these characters, without feeling like the absolute ending, but rather beginning to a new chapter. Hopeful, full of adventure and excitement, and simply good. Kudos to entire cast & crew of the show for this great journey and 12 seasons that the viewers will surely revisit in the future! All the best and thank you.
Klutzy girl: Booth tells Brennan what she means to him after she breaks down about her head injury and not being the same again. It was so sweet and made me emotional.
Samantha: Hodgins tells Booth he doesn't always have to be a hero.
COLONY, "Seppuku", March 30, 2017, Actors: Josh Holloway, Sarah Wayne Callies, Tory Kittles, The Scene: Will, Katie and Broussard enter a theater and fight
Jimmy: Colony incorporated another superb long-take scene in this week's episode. Will, Katie and Broussard entered a theater and fought many enemies in multiple locations on their way to gathering the gauntlet they were after. This scene spanned 4 minutes, 20 seconds. It was incredibly dynamic with many extras and moving parts. The special effects, cinematography and editing were fantastic, and the scene was just as good - if not better - than the slightly shorter long-take set in the Bowman's house earlier in the season. Also picked by Darth Locke
FEUD, "More, or Less", March 26, 2017, Actors: Alison Wright, Jackie Hoffman, The Scene: Pauline and Mamacita talk in the diner
Nirat: After all the rejection Pauline faced, as being both a woman and a nobody, it was Mamacita that reassured her everything would be better. I thought this was a beautiful moment in the show. Alison Wright and Jackie Hoffman were superb during the entire episode but this was where they shined immensely. After feeling beat down by the truths Pauline was faced with, she just talked with Mamacita about settling, staying where she was and no longer wanting to aspire. However, our dear Mamacita had other plans, the way she consoled Pauline through her research as a new citizen at the library, that everything would get better, was beautiful. To give someone hope again is a selfless and kind act that gave Mamacita so much more depth. It also provided a real ray of light when we see how much sexism, ageism, and rudeness our leading ladies went through. “Studios will have obligations to make half of stories about women, for women, by women, it only makes economic sense”, the way Mamacita says this, with such conviction is something we all should aspire to, to be more hopeful, don't give up because you feel hopeless, things can change. I can’t say enough about how wonderful Jackie Hoffman has been, I adored her scenes with Alison Wright who was just flawless throughout the episode. I'm so heartbroken the season is halfway over, it's been a real joy to watch. “Keep your head up, you’re day is coming”.
GRIMM, "The End", March 31, 2017, Actors: David Giuntoli, Kevin Joy, Nicole Steinwedell and more, The Scenes: Nick realizes that he was trapped in another reality & Kelly and Diana in the future
Kollin: Nick realizes, after defeating the Zerstorer, that he was trapped in another reality all along and everyone is still alive. This moment was a bit too sappy for my taste. I was hoping for something a bit more darker in the vein of Angel. Nevertheless, this was one of the final scenes of the final episode, and one where we see team Grimm together for the last time.
Klutzy girl: Seeing Kelly and Diana in the future was fantastic. We didn't get much of their dynamic but it was definitely fun. They tease each other a lot! Plus, the fact that Diana seemingly also refers to Nick as "Dad" killed me. I wish we could have seen more of them together.
LEGION, "Chapter 8", March 29, 2017, Actors: Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza and more, The Scenes: David questions if Farouk is his phantom limb & The Shadow King escapes after finding Oliver & Opening scene
Nirat: David questions if Farouk is his phantom limb. "What happens when you're gone?", that very idea of questioning what you are without something, even as toxic as it can be is truly profound. I’ve never seen another comic book show deal with this idea of loss before. That even for a moment, you question, that time they spent together isn't something to dismiss so lightly and it's important that this human moment was shown and not just straight to the action that devoids you of any connection, any realism. Noah Hawley’s ability to make you question this relationship is not something another showrunner would be able to do so perfectly. "Are you my phantom?", that metaphor is stunning, Lenny is in some ways an illusion, he believed that she was his friend, she was not, just a face to hide the cruelty being orchestrated. The sheer depth here is unprecedented, to go so deeply into one's mind, seeing how this parasite has infiltrated your life, made you worse, destroyed your sense of reality, altered your memories yet still gives you a sort of friend in Lenny and King is twisted yet executed with brilliance. “I’m… not…leaving..”, the way this was said, the struggle it took to utter those words as Farouk felt the pressure off David fighting against him was great. Not enough amazing things can be said about Aubrey Plaza, one of the greatest castings for such a character, in league with the Marvel/Netflix characters. That rebuttal when Farouk started pushing his fingers against David’s throat was horrifying. The way the coloring of the scene shifted from normal, warm hues to a dark red was hauntingly powerful marking the switch in power. The entire scenes were filmed with such precision capturing Dan Stevens' fantastic performance. I couldn’t have been in more awe of him throughout the season and this scene. Seeing him being strangled with his own arms but fighting through it was a real showcase of strength and character. The way the pain was uncomfortably evident on his face was remarkable. Thank you, Noah Hawley, FX, and Marvel for redefining what it means to be an incredible piece of television, one of the best seasons I’ve watched, as well as setting the standards for comic book tv even higher.
Darth Locke: The Shadow King hops person to person, before it finally makes its escape after finding Oliver. Legion's first season has been beyond a pleasure to watch, both because of its artistic creativity and wondrous visualizations, its more psychological approach to its story-telling, but also because it doesn't completely exclude its X-Men film counterparts with references and interesting action sequences, like the sequence of events in these scenes. It's IMO perfect.
DarkUFO: Opening scene where David takes out all the soldiers.
ONCE UPON A TIME, "Page 23", March 26, 2017, Actor: Lana Parrilla, The Scene: Regina's final battle with the evil queen
DJRiter: Regina's struggles with good and evil come to a final head as she goes to her mayoral office for a final standoff with her evil queen doppelganger. This was Lana Parilla's chance to shine as she beautifully portrayed this battle of a woman fighting herself. After using the magic shears to separate them, the two began trading blows both physically and emotionally as the two sides of Regina fought for dominance...until finally when Regina had the Evil Queen on the ropes, a broken mirror showed Regina what Cupid's Arrow had shown the Evil Queen, that the person she hated the most was herself. That's when Regina's better half won and her solution, instead of killing the Evil Queen was to take both their hearts and meld them and put them back, so whether they liked it or not they would always be a part of one another. Then later she asks Henry to write a place for the Evil Queen where she can get a fresh start.
RICK AND MORTY, "The Rickshank Rickdemption", April 1, 2017, Voiced by: Justin Roiland, Spencer Grammer, The Scene: The standoff
Laura: Oh my God. This is the best reverse-April Fools thing to ever happen to the world. The internet (and myself) were weary about this, and for good reason. We've been waiting a year and a half for Season 3 (Mr. Poopy Butthole sure was right), and we got this. This beautiful premiere. There were so many callbacks and easter eggs in this episode that you might need to switch brains with someone to fully understand everything. But the real standouts of the episode? Summer in general. Morty's growing up. And some Rick developments. After crashing into the Galactic Federation using the Council of Ricks to do so, a standoff ensues between the head Rick and C-137 Rick. Head Rick takes Summer hostage and Earth Rick has a gun. Morty's there too. It's crazy and tensions are high. Earth Rick is spouting out the scenarios of how this could go down. Summer is showing nervousness, but true devotion to her grandfather. And Morty? He's rebelling against him. He really is growing up and that's what surprised me the most about the writing for this episode. And in this scene it's evident why he chose to do what he did. He didn't read the note on the side of the gun. He didn't know his grandfather would survive. He was tired of everyone calling himself an idiot. If Morty doesn't grow to become that Eyepatch Morty from 1.10 I would be shocked. He's well on his way in this timeline. And that scares me. Anyway, so Head Rick dies and Earth Rick and fam. survive. They take down the government (and Nathan Fillion, heyo) and all seems well. Morty's chuckle that he didn't know about the note on the gun reminded me of when Rick didn't know Morty was gonna shoot the parasites in 2.04. "Ricks hate themselves the most" - that's what made that standoff so intense. It could've gone any other way but I don't see a way in which Earth Rick would kill Summer unless by accident. Ricks can rebel by caring about their grandkids and we know this Rick does. And this scene was so well done. Other noteworthy scenes was basically everything Summer, and the post-credits scene. I can't believe we have to wait until the summer for more, but I'm very satisfied with this until then.
RIVERDALE, "Chapter Eight: The Outsiders", March 30, 2017, Actors: Mädchen Amick, Lochlyn Munro, The Scene: Alice confronts Hal
Samantha: Alice Cooper confronts Hal Cooper over arranging an abortion for Polly. There were a lot of really great scenes in this week's episode but this one really stuck out to me. Alice Cooper has been rather cold towards Polly and to an extent Betty since the show began, but over the course of the week's hour that demeanor has to an extent softened. Her devastated fury at Polly's revelation turned to pure rage when she confronted her husband and it was quite the epic argument, revealing a bit of back history between them. Alice has been all about appearance and what people think about both her and her family. When Hal attempted to use this by questioning what people would think of her throwing him out, and she simply replied that she didn't care, you knew she'd reached the end of her limit & it was superb acting from Madchen Amick.
SLEEPY HOLLOW, "Freedom", March 31, 2017, Actors: Tom Mison, Janina Gavankar, Lyndie Greenwood and more, The Scene: Team Witness heads out to fight the Horsemen
Aimee: As the team walked through the woods the show smartly gave several of the characters a little extra motivation to fight and survive. Alex and Jake shared a kiss that has been in the making since the start of the season. They are an incredible duo and there are a lot of fun stories still yet to tell regarding them and their growing feelings. Lara and Diana were allowed a lovely moment to finally acknowledge their bond as mother and daughter. Lara finally referred to Diana as “mom” and Diana called Lara her “baby girl”. That relationship is ripe for lots of fun and complicated stories of Diana trying to mother a daughter that hasn’t had a mother for most of her life. Should the show somehow miraculously get a final Season Five it’s practically a guarantee that Lara will find her way back to the team. She’s been alone for so much of her life that the connection to Crane and her desire to know her mom better will bring her back to them swiftly. It was also fun that Lara got to call Crane “old man” which beautifully tied in with young Molly at the end of the episode. Crane got his big grand moments later in the episode as did Jenny. This moment still heavily evolved them as Crane rallied the team and Jenny firmly took charge of the part of the team that would be directly confronting the Horsemen. Every aspect of this scene was perfectly acted and executed as the stakes became very real and the importance of what they were doing was made to feel palpable. This big group scene was certainly necessary as they all charged into this fight with such bad odds working against them. It was a great scene from a powerful season finale.
SUPERGIRL, "Distant Sun", March 27, 2017, Actors: Chyler Leigh, Floriana Lima, The Scene: Alex tells Maggie she doesn’t have to be guarded around her
Aimee: This was a very important scene that needed to happen for Maggie and Alex to start to make steps towards the next stage of their relationship. From the start, they have had one of the healthiest relationships on television. These two have their problems, but they always support each other no matter what. Maggie went out of her way to try and make Alex’s coming out as easy as possible. She lied about having supportive parents, when in fact she was banished by them, because she didn’t want to add any extra fear to Alex’s journey. Maggie has definitely always been very guarded and just to be with Alex she had to overcome a lot of personal insecurities. Still, she has remained somewhat guarded and in this moment Alex was finally able to breakthrough Maggie’s final remaining wall. The most important aspect of this scene was that this encounter wasn’t about anger or judgment because Alex approached it from a place of pure love. She wanted to be able to be there for Maggie the way Maggie has been there for her. They support each other no matter what obstacles life throws at them and they always go about it from a place of love. That’s what was so important about this scene, that it was never about anything other than Alex trying to help Maggie overcome some of the immense pain from her past. The acting from both was phenomenal, but the acting Floriana did was exceptional. When Alex called Maggie out about not liking to talk about herself there was this heart wrenching tremble in her chin and catch in her voice that perfectly queued up the rest of the scene. As the shot was on Chyler and Alex was talking about Maggie’s past, Floriana is off focus, but her chin can still be seen clearly quivering and she pulls in her lip to try and control it. Floriana had Maggie right on the precipice of completely breaking down but managed to hold her emotions in check the way Maggie has trained herself to do. The scene wouldn’t have worked as well had Maggie completely fallen apart, but it was important to see all those underlying emotions within Maggie. The acting choice by Floriana to show Maggie still fighting to stay in control of herself and the way Chyler kept Alex’s tone so soft and supportive really made this scene hit hard. This was an exceptionally written scene with such an important message and it was expertly acted. Also picked by Samantha and DJRiter
THE 100, "God Complex", March 29, 2017, Actors: Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco and more, The Scene: Clarke's choice
Justyna K: On this week's episode the characters both failed and succeeded in their plans to save everyone facing the death wave. For once, Jaha's search actually resulted in finding a real solution to the problems the Sky People (and all the other Clans) struggle with. For a moment I considered the final scene of the episode as the moment to highlight in the article but in the end it's the story happening in Becca's old lab that stole the hour for me. Things escalated quickly when the first test failed in the worst possible way, brutally killing the intruder we met in the previous episode. It didn't take much for everyone to turn against each other after that, with Emori being targeted for the next (potentially deadly) test and Murphy being locked away with her. One of the best scenes of the hour has to be the confrontation between Clarke and Murphy. Richard Harmon did an incredible job there, as Murphy both pleads with and threatens Clarke, telling her how important Emori is to him and making her realize the cruelty and unfairness of her actions. "...you're forgetting the last time you saved us, I was saving you!" But the defining moment for Clarke and a potential turning point for the show comes in the scene after the confrontation, when Emori is lying unconscious on the table and Clarke's holding the Nightblood serum, ready to inject it when she changes her mind... There are a few seconds when she quietly considers all the options, looks around the room and realizes everybody's position and feelings towards her, the minute when she truly understands the heavy weight this decision put on her mom and everyone around and Clarke makes a surpising choice - to inject herself and volunteer for the testing. “I bear it so they don't have to.” The memory of Mount Weather still haunts her and this time she's trying to do better. There's so much sadness in her voice, but no fear or hesitation when she tells everyone they're going to be testing the next potential solution for the radiation on her. There's a change in Clarke in this moment and Eliza Taylor plays it beautifully. It's such a powerful scene, an unexpected turn and a new opportunity for the future episodes (Clarke's now a Nightblood). I'm excited to see where the story leads next and the impact of this one memorable choice on the show's main character. Kudos to cast & crew for another great episode!
THE EXPANSE, "Cascade", March 29, 2017, Actor: Frankie Adams, The Scene: Bobbie experiences Earth for the first time
Kollin: Bobbie experiences Earth for the first time and learns to walk in gravity. In the first half of season 2, we were introduced to a stubborn rebellious Marine blinded by her hate for Earthers. A hate that really comes down to her envy of their atmospheric planet, that of which Mars can only dream of. As Bobbie walks through the slums, on Earth for the first time, she sees that, yes, people live on this beautiful planet, but many live lives that are as bad as hers. People disadvantaged by disabilities, people with no roof over their heads, people who are forced to drink contaminated water. Bobbie sees actual humans who are, at the end of the day, struggling to live as much as she had been on Mars. It is part of humanity to want what we don't have, and sometimes that desire blinds us. In 'Cascade' we see a Martian whose eyes are finally opened to the realities of her life in perspective to the life of others outside of Mars. Her scene with Nico was especially profound. Nico's story clearly hit a soft spot and it was touching to see her reaction as she witnesses his humility. Earthers aren't that bad after all, as Nico said, we all have our misconceptions. This marks a turning point for Bobbie, she finally sees how narrow minded she had been, a truly defining moment that sticks to you emotionally.
THE FLASH, "Abra Kadabra", March 28, 2017, Actors: Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Tom Felton, The Scene: Caitlin dies and returns as Killer Frost
Justyna K: At one point of the season and especially this episode it became clear that Caitlin will eventually become the thing she's most afraid of - Killer Frost. The only questions left were "how" and "when". When she was injured earlier in the hour, Snow makes it clear that she would rather die than be a monster and a killer her powers turn her into. And at first it seemed like she'll be okay after Julian's medical intervention. But it wouldn't be "The Flash" if that's where the things ended. After a sudden seizure Caitlin succumbs to her wounds and dies with Cisco, Julian and HR standing by her side. Their desperate attempts to resuscitate her make this scene truly heartbreaking to watch. Especially when it becomes clear they can't save her and Cisco breaks down, realizing that his best friend's gone. And despite his suggestion hours before, that he would rip off her power-blocking necklace if it meant her being safe, Cisco chooses to honor her wishes and is confronted with the painful reality of this unbelievable loss. But not Julian. Caitlin became such an important person in his life and he barely let her in and refuses to say goodbye knowing there's another way to save her. So he takes her necklace, allowing her powers to heal her and in that moment of relief and hope, all three are taken by surprise when Killer Frost makes her presence known almost right away. The curse of becoming completely different person is quite a unique way to keep both Caitlin and Killer Frost on the show, without losing one of them for good. I'm still not sure about this approach but I can't help but highlight this powerful scene which signifies the change in the dynamics between all the characters in the future episodes. Also, the acting in this moment is truly fantastic! Carlos Valdes' performance alone made this scene memorable and painfully hard to watch. Tom Felton also finally gets a chance to show more of the depth and emotions in his character, and he absolutely excels at it. The music, the story and the actors together make this scene one of my choices for Scene of the Week. Kudos!
Aimee: Caitlin dies then becomes Killer Frost again. Caitlin’s biggest fear is that she would one day again become Killer Frost. She has fought it for so long and was willing to give up her own life in order to not become that monster again. It has been obvious for a while that Caitlin was basically a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Given the number of times they brought up Caitlin’s necklace in this episode, it was more about when it was going to be removed rather than if, but the way they did it was still quite brilliantly executed. The fact that Cisco fought for Caitlin’s wishes to be honored despite his own heartbreak was such powerful acting by Carlos Valdes. Then Tom Felton stepped in and the pain in his eyes as Julian ripped the necklace away was exceptional acting. Then there was Danielle Panabaker who absolutely nailed Caitlin’s vulnerability in the seconds before and as Caitlin coded. When Killer Frost emerged the negative energy emanating from her was haunting as she closed out the episode. Never did I think that this would be the way that Killer Frost would reemerge. This was done out of a place of complete and total love from Julian who did not want to lose Caitlin, but the sad reality is that he might just have lost her anyway. Perhaps the love of her friends will be able to save her again, but at least for now she’s a powerful threat let loose on the city. All of the acting by the guys, Tom Cavanah included, was so emotional and they made the stakes feel very real as they gave their all trying to save Caitlin. The intense musical score only added to the intensity of the scene. This was a great way to end this episode and build up hype for the last set of episodes of the season.
THE MAGICIANS, "The Girl Who Told Time", March 29, 2017, Actors: Jason Ralph, Olivia Taylor Dudley, The Scene: Quentin and Alice reunite
Milo: Quentin and Alice reunite, even if it was Alice from another timeline where Quentin had died instead. After everything that Quentin and Alice had been through it was great to see that they got the chance to have one more scene together, and with the idea that there is an alternate dimension out there where Quentin was the one who died and Alice lived opened up multiple possibilities. Here, the scene was executed so damn well it has to go down as one of my favourite scenes from this week.
THE WALKING DEAD, "Something They Need", March 26, 2017, Actors: Jeffrey Dean Morgan and more, The Scene: Negan kills "rapey" Dave (picked by DarkUFO)
13 REASONS WHY, "Tape 4, Side A", March 31, 2017, Actors: Katherine Langford and more, The Scene: Hannah writes a letter and leaves it for her teacher to read out
Nirat: Hannah writes a truly honest, painful letter anonymously and leaves it for her teacher to read out in Communications class. “What if the only way not to feel bad is to not feel anything at all. Forever.” - Those honest, painfully raw words from Hannah didn’t even get a reaction from Zach (whom she was trying to reason with after he started taking away her compliments from her bad, which were only a few to begin with, after she said no to him, his ego was bruised and he decided to make her feel small). Her classmates started being critical about the message, saying that she was an attention seeker, that it was a joke, only two defended her saying that it was a real call for help. Imagine just sitting in there whilst people tried to put meaning to your words, reducing you to nothing, making you feel so lonely, that your pain was worthless. It was such a small scene but its depth moved me. I have felt lonely more times than I can remember and I know how hard it is when someone knows that/or makes you feel that way and then everyone starts doing it. The chain reaction, the way people take away your sense of being human, making you feel so trapped is a despicable thing to do. The way everyone just walked out of class whilst Hannah sat back alone, completely isolated, was devastating. Even before this, Hannah confronting Zach about stealing her compliments in the hallway crowded with students (after she wrote him a letter etched with the pain she’d be feeling made him feel nothing), saying “Why me?”, just a simple, heartbreaking cry out, wasn’t even enough for him to stop, just shows how cruel people can be. It’s horrible that being so honest makes you somehow less than a person. How is it possible that this is the way people are thinking now. That even if someone else feels lonely, like you, they would rather make you feel even worse just angers me. How is it okay to keep going on like this, something really needs to change. The social construction of belittling others to move up in the world is vile. I could’ve mentioned the scenes where Hannah’s two close friends abandon her, Courtney speaking utter dishonesty about what really happened between Hannah and her when she stayed over, countless tragic scenes but I choose this one because loneliness is something universal. These aren’t at all best scenes of the week but rather boldly profound ones, pulling at your soul moments television shows shy away from. I also just wanted to acknowledge the sheer range and talent of Katherine Langford's performance as Hannah Baker. She's one of the most exceptional things about the show. How she carries herself as parts of her being are chipped away is unlike anything else. I have never seen a high school show so accurately depicted in all its form of cruelty until 13 Reasons Why and I’m what they’d call a millennial, yet nothing has been properly made for my audience. So many shows have an emphasis on superficial aspects, wanting to be popular and if they are hurt, it automatically feels absent the next episode. As someone who knows what loneliness feels like, this episode meant a lot to me, I’ve never seen someone feel the same in this manner before. In other shows, it’d be touched on and then end all happily as if life is easily remedied in under 40 minutes. This show examines pain in a way that’s constantly evolving, shows it’s growth and overpopulation on the mindset of young people and it’s consequences. I recommend this show to everyone, watch slowly, at your own pace, take breaks, you don’t need to binge it if all at once because it’s hard. Pain isn't easy to consume so quickly. It’s not a fictional drama, pain doesn't disappear like many shows make it. People suffer like this every day but it’s a story that needs to be heard. I shed a tear every episode, the final episodes leaving its most hurtful mark on me but its message is what is the most important thing to take away. Words, actions, they matter, next time you want to be cruel to someone, stop. Stop putting down people, stop hiding behind the safety of your computer screen, stop thinking your voice only matters, stop trying to make people be what you want them, stop making them feel bad because they are different, because you think their opinions suck. Everything said and done has a repercussion that can be devastating and you wouldn’t even know.
AMERICAN CRIME, "Season Three: Episode Three", March 26, 2017, Actors: Benito Martinez and more, The Scene: Luis has an emotional breakdown
Marko: Luis has an emotional breakdown during his search for Teo. Benito is playing the role of a lifetime, the emotional stakes he is bringing to this story are simply heartbreaking. The moment his voice broke as he confessed he was searching for his son was simply outstanding.
ARROW, "Disbanded", March 29, 2017, Actors: Josh Segarra and more, The Scene: The ending
Milo: The ending gets my pick here. Seeing Adrian Chase escape, kill a man with a pen and drive off into the distance with music playing in the background as multiple police cars drive past him. The John Wick-esque fight scene was very cool, especially that Arrow Season 5 has really turned around in form and the psychopath Chase is definitely the show’s best villain since Manu Bennett’s Deathstroke, and I can’t wait to see where his story goes from here.
BATES MOTEL, "Marion", March 27, 2017, Actors: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Austin Nichols, The Scenes: Norman kills Sam in the shower & Norman and Norma final face off & Norman nervously pushes Marion to leave
Darth Locke: Norman nervously pushes Marion to leave. Obviously the fun twisted take from Psycho's iconic shower scene is that it's not Marion who gets the knife, but Sam Loomis! With that being said, the twist of Sam getting it instead came off a little shallow to me simply because I felt like there was no real meat between the men that would have enhanced Norman's story with his father and because Sam Loomis didn't prove to be a psychically violent man, but just a kind of complacent cheat. So it's for that reason I found final scene between Marion and Norman much more deserving and really well-acted on both Freddie Highmore's and Rihanna's parts. I just loved the sort of absent minded and vulnerable way Marion confides in him, after just being so violent in previous scene, even places her head on Norman's shoulder, while watching Norman play with her belongings, before he just suddenly gets up, begins gathering her things, empathizing and encouraging her escape to a new life--the life Norma never got. It was nerve-wrecking, kind of sad, but also a little comical all at the same time.
Marko: Norman and Norma final face off. It is just soooooo good and soooo juicy. Norman and Norma were finally face to face with only the truth between them. Excellent execution of such a vital scene.
DarkUFO: Norman kills Sam in the shower.
BIG LITTLE LIES, "Burning Love", March 26, 2017, Actors: Shailene Woodley, Nicole Kidman and more, The Scenes: Jane confesses she makes up excuses for Ziggy's father & Celeste visits her therapist
Luana: Jane confesses she still makes up excuses for Ziggy's father. Shailene Woodley has been killing it every week, but this particular conversation was heartbreaking, because no matter how inexcusable the actions of the man who raped her are, she still can't come to terms with the idea that her beautiful little boy came from someone that was pure evil. It's amazing to me when shows can capture the complex feelings that come with every situation, when they are able to show nothing is truly simple.
DJRiter: As brilliant as she's been throughout this limited series Nicole Kidman delivered an Emmy caliber performance as she grippingly confessed to her therapist/counselor that her husband beats her.
BLACK SAILS, "XXXVII.", March 26, 2017, Actors: Toby Stephens, Luke Arnold, The Scene: Flint and Silver fight on the Island
Milo: Everything has been building to this over the course of the season, the battle between Flint and Silver and it really paid off. The conflict was so great, especially with the flashbacks further fleshing out the Flint/Silver dynamic in the build-up to this scene, making everything incredibly tense and action packed. The characters were fantastic here and the cinematography, as well as the location itself really worked here in creating a fantastic backdrop to the events that followed. A true high point in an excellent episode, with several great moments.
BONES, "The End in the End", March 28, 2017, Actors: Emily Deschanel, David Boreanaz, T. J. Thyne and more, The Scenes: The Goodbye in the Lab & Booth tells Brennan what she means to him & Hodgins tells Booth he doesn't always have to be a hero
Justyna K: Saying gooodbye to a show can often seem like quite an impossible task for the creators. As hard as it can be on a personal level, there's just so many things that can go wrong when it comes to the final story. There's no way each and every fan will be happy about the ending, so the best you can do is to remain faithful to the characters and their journey, showing the viewers that the time they spent with the show allowed them to see the growth and important changes in the lives of these people. That it mattered, as much as it could. The thing I always wish for when the ending comes is to leave the show knowing that the characters I spent (usually) years with and rooting for, that they're going to be okay later on. That their experiences will stay with them and show them a better way for the future, and whatever comes, they'll handle it, just like they did on the show. That's exactly why in this wonderful hour with many great scenes to highlight (some of them already mentioned in the article) I decided to go with the final goodbye at the lab. Cam announces to the team that she will be leaving for a while, to start a new life and family with Arastoo, giving her position as the head of the Jeffersonian Institute's Forensic Division to Hodgins. His reaction is such a fun and heartwarming part. He's officially the King of the Lab, like he and Zack always used to talk and argue about. More than that, Brennan realizes how much her job means to her and just how okay she is where she's at, with Booth and her friends. Angela and Hodgins are expecting another baby and the lab will be fixed in a few months, thanks to the overwhelming support coming from all the possible places. It's a wonderful, heartwarming end of the road for these characters, without feeling like the absolute ending, but rather beginning to a new chapter. Hopeful, full of adventure and excitement, and simply good. Kudos to entire cast & crew of the show for this great journey and 12 seasons that the viewers will surely revisit in the future! All the best and thank you.
Klutzy girl: Booth tells Brennan what she means to him after she breaks down about her head injury and not being the same again. It was so sweet and made me emotional.
Samantha: Hodgins tells Booth he doesn't always have to be a hero.
COLONY, "Seppuku", March 30, 2017, Actors: Josh Holloway, Sarah Wayne Callies, Tory Kittles, The Scene: Will, Katie and Broussard enter a theater and fight
Jimmy: Colony incorporated another superb long-take scene in this week's episode. Will, Katie and Broussard entered a theater and fought many enemies in multiple locations on their way to gathering the gauntlet they were after. This scene spanned 4 minutes, 20 seconds. It was incredibly dynamic with many extras and moving parts. The special effects, cinematography and editing were fantastic, and the scene was just as good - if not better - than the slightly shorter long-take set in the Bowman's house earlier in the season. Also picked by Darth Locke
FEUD, "More, or Less", March 26, 2017, Actors: Alison Wright, Jackie Hoffman, The Scene: Pauline and Mamacita talk in the diner
Nirat: After all the rejection Pauline faced, as being both a woman and a nobody, it was Mamacita that reassured her everything would be better. I thought this was a beautiful moment in the show. Alison Wright and Jackie Hoffman were superb during the entire episode but this was where they shined immensely. After feeling beat down by the truths Pauline was faced with, she just talked with Mamacita about settling, staying where she was and no longer wanting to aspire. However, our dear Mamacita had other plans, the way she consoled Pauline through her research as a new citizen at the library, that everything would get better, was beautiful. To give someone hope again is a selfless and kind act that gave Mamacita so much more depth. It also provided a real ray of light when we see how much sexism, ageism, and rudeness our leading ladies went through. “Studios will have obligations to make half of stories about women, for women, by women, it only makes economic sense”, the way Mamacita says this, with such conviction is something we all should aspire to, to be more hopeful, don't give up because you feel hopeless, things can change. I can’t say enough about how wonderful Jackie Hoffman has been, I adored her scenes with Alison Wright who was just flawless throughout the episode. I'm so heartbroken the season is halfway over, it's been a real joy to watch. “Keep your head up, you’re day is coming”.
GRIMM, "The End", March 31, 2017, Actors: David Giuntoli, Kevin Joy, Nicole Steinwedell and more, The Scenes: Nick realizes that he was trapped in another reality & Kelly and Diana in the future
Kollin: Nick realizes, after defeating the Zerstorer, that he was trapped in another reality all along and everyone is still alive. This moment was a bit too sappy for my taste. I was hoping for something a bit more darker in the vein of Angel. Nevertheless, this was one of the final scenes of the final episode, and one where we see team Grimm together for the last time.
Klutzy girl: Seeing Kelly and Diana in the future was fantastic. We didn't get much of their dynamic but it was definitely fun. They tease each other a lot! Plus, the fact that Diana seemingly also refers to Nick as "Dad" killed me. I wish we could have seen more of them together.
LEGION, "Chapter 8", March 29, 2017, Actors: Dan Stevens, Aubrey Plaza and more, The Scenes: David questions if Farouk is his phantom limb & The Shadow King escapes after finding Oliver & Opening scene
Nirat: David questions if Farouk is his phantom limb. "What happens when you're gone?", that very idea of questioning what you are without something, even as toxic as it can be is truly profound. I’ve never seen another comic book show deal with this idea of loss before. That even for a moment, you question, that time they spent together isn't something to dismiss so lightly and it's important that this human moment was shown and not just straight to the action that devoids you of any connection, any realism. Noah Hawley’s ability to make you question this relationship is not something another showrunner would be able to do so perfectly. "Are you my phantom?", that metaphor is stunning, Lenny is in some ways an illusion, he believed that she was his friend, she was not, just a face to hide the cruelty being orchestrated. The sheer depth here is unprecedented, to go so deeply into one's mind, seeing how this parasite has infiltrated your life, made you worse, destroyed your sense of reality, altered your memories yet still gives you a sort of friend in Lenny and King is twisted yet executed with brilliance. “I’m… not…leaving..”, the way this was said, the struggle it took to utter those words as Farouk felt the pressure off David fighting against him was great. Not enough amazing things can be said about Aubrey Plaza, one of the greatest castings for such a character, in league with the Marvel/Netflix characters. That rebuttal when Farouk started pushing his fingers against David’s throat was horrifying. The way the coloring of the scene shifted from normal, warm hues to a dark red was hauntingly powerful marking the switch in power. The entire scenes were filmed with such precision capturing Dan Stevens' fantastic performance. I couldn’t have been in more awe of him throughout the season and this scene. Seeing him being strangled with his own arms but fighting through it was a real showcase of strength and character. The way the pain was uncomfortably evident on his face was remarkable. Thank you, Noah Hawley, FX, and Marvel for redefining what it means to be an incredible piece of television, one of the best seasons I’ve watched, as well as setting the standards for comic book tv even higher.
Darth Locke: The Shadow King hops person to person, before it finally makes its escape after finding Oliver. Legion's first season has been beyond a pleasure to watch, both because of its artistic creativity and wondrous visualizations, its more psychological approach to its story-telling, but also because it doesn't completely exclude its X-Men film counterparts with references and interesting action sequences, like the sequence of events in these scenes. It's IMO perfect.
DarkUFO: Opening scene where David takes out all the soldiers.
ONCE UPON A TIME, "Page 23", March 26, 2017, Actor: Lana Parrilla, The Scene: Regina's final battle with the evil queen
DJRiter: Regina's struggles with good and evil come to a final head as she goes to her mayoral office for a final standoff with her evil queen doppelganger. This was Lana Parilla's chance to shine as she beautifully portrayed this battle of a woman fighting herself. After using the magic shears to separate them, the two began trading blows both physically and emotionally as the two sides of Regina fought for dominance...until finally when Regina had the Evil Queen on the ropes, a broken mirror showed Regina what Cupid's Arrow had shown the Evil Queen, that the person she hated the most was herself. That's when Regina's better half won and her solution, instead of killing the Evil Queen was to take both their hearts and meld them and put them back, so whether they liked it or not they would always be a part of one another. Then later she asks Henry to write a place for the Evil Queen where she can get a fresh start.
RICK AND MORTY, "The Rickshank Rickdemption", April 1, 2017, Voiced by: Justin Roiland, Spencer Grammer, The Scene: The standoff
Laura: Oh my God. This is the best reverse-April Fools thing to ever happen to the world. The internet (and myself) were weary about this, and for good reason. We've been waiting a year and a half for Season 3 (Mr. Poopy Butthole sure was right), and we got this. This beautiful premiere. There were so many callbacks and easter eggs in this episode that you might need to switch brains with someone to fully understand everything. But the real standouts of the episode? Summer in general. Morty's growing up. And some Rick developments. After crashing into the Galactic Federation using the Council of Ricks to do so, a standoff ensues between the head Rick and C-137 Rick. Head Rick takes Summer hostage and Earth Rick has a gun. Morty's there too. It's crazy and tensions are high. Earth Rick is spouting out the scenarios of how this could go down. Summer is showing nervousness, but true devotion to her grandfather. And Morty? He's rebelling against him. He really is growing up and that's what surprised me the most about the writing for this episode. And in this scene it's evident why he chose to do what he did. He didn't read the note on the side of the gun. He didn't know his grandfather would survive. He was tired of everyone calling himself an idiot. If Morty doesn't grow to become that Eyepatch Morty from 1.10 I would be shocked. He's well on his way in this timeline. And that scares me. Anyway, so Head Rick dies and Earth Rick and fam. survive. They take down the government (and Nathan Fillion, heyo) and all seems well. Morty's chuckle that he didn't know about the note on the gun reminded me of when Rick didn't know Morty was gonna shoot the parasites in 2.04. "Ricks hate themselves the most" - that's what made that standoff so intense. It could've gone any other way but I don't see a way in which Earth Rick would kill Summer unless by accident. Ricks can rebel by caring about their grandkids and we know this Rick does. And this scene was so well done. Other noteworthy scenes was basically everything Summer, and the post-credits scene. I can't believe we have to wait until the summer for more, but I'm very satisfied with this until then.
RIVERDALE, "Chapter Eight: The Outsiders", March 30, 2017, Actors: Mädchen Amick, Lochlyn Munro, The Scene: Alice confronts Hal
Samantha: Alice Cooper confronts Hal Cooper over arranging an abortion for Polly. There were a lot of really great scenes in this week's episode but this one really stuck out to me. Alice Cooper has been rather cold towards Polly and to an extent Betty since the show began, but over the course of the week's hour that demeanor has to an extent softened. Her devastated fury at Polly's revelation turned to pure rage when she confronted her husband and it was quite the epic argument, revealing a bit of back history between them. Alice has been all about appearance and what people think about both her and her family. When Hal attempted to use this by questioning what people would think of her throwing him out, and she simply replied that she didn't care, you knew she'd reached the end of her limit & it was superb acting from Madchen Amick.
SLEEPY HOLLOW, "Freedom", March 31, 2017, Actors: Tom Mison, Janina Gavankar, Lyndie Greenwood and more, The Scene: Team Witness heads out to fight the Horsemen
Aimee: As the team walked through the woods the show smartly gave several of the characters a little extra motivation to fight and survive. Alex and Jake shared a kiss that has been in the making since the start of the season. They are an incredible duo and there are a lot of fun stories still yet to tell regarding them and their growing feelings. Lara and Diana were allowed a lovely moment to finally acknowledge their bond as mother and daughter. Lara finally referred to Diana as “mom” and Diana called Lara her “baby girl”. That relationship is ripe for lots of fun and complicated stories of Diana trying to mother a daughter that hasn’t had a mother for most of her life. Should the show somehow miraculously get a final Season Five it’s practically a guarantee that Lara will find her way back to the team. She’s been alone for so much of her life that the connection to Crane and her desire to know her mom better will bring her back to them swiftly. It was also fun that Lara got to call Crane “old man” which beautifully tied in with young Molly at the end of the episode. Crane got his big grand moments later in the episode as did Jenny. This moment still heavily evolved them as Crane rallied the team and Jenny firmly took charge of the part of the team that would be directly confronting the Horsemen. Every aspect of this scene was perfectly acted and executed as the stakes became very real and the importance of what they were doing was made to feel palpable. This big group scene was certainly necessary as they all charged into this fight with such bad odds working against them. It was a great scene from a powerful season finale.
SUPERGIRL, "Distant Sun", March 27, 2017, Actors: Chyler Leigh, Floriana Lima, The Scene: Alex tells Maggie she doesn’t have to be guarded around her
Aimee: This was a very important scene that needed to happen for Maggie and Alex to start to make steps towards the next stage of their relationship. From the start, they have had one of the healthiest relationships on television. These two have their problems, but they always support each other no matter what. Maggie went out of her way to try and make Alex’s coming out as easy as possible. She lied about having supportive parents, when in fact she was banished by them, because she didn’t want to add any extra fear to Alex’s journey. Maggie has definitely always been very guarded and just to be with Alex she had to overcome a lot of personal insecurities. Still, she has remained somewhat guarded and in this moment Alex was finally able to breakthrough Maggie’s final remaining wall. The most important aspect of this scene was that this encounter wasn’t about anger or judgment because Alex approached it from a place of pure love. She wanted to be able to be there for Maggie the way Maggie has been there for her. They support each other no matter what obstacles life throws at them and they always go about it from a place of love. That’s what was so important about this scene, that it was never about anything other than Alex trying to help Maggie overcome some of the immense pain from her past. The acting from both was phenomenal, but the acting Floriana did was exceptional. When Alex called Maggie out about not liking to talk about herself there was this heart wrenching tremble in her chin and catch in her voice that perfectly queued up the rest of the scene. As the shot was on Chyler and Alex was talking about Maggie’s past, Floriana is off focus, but her chin can still be seen clearly quivering and she pulls in her lip to try and control it. Floriana had Maggie right on the precipice of completely breaking down but managed to hold her emotions in check the way Maggie has trained herself to do. The scene wouldn’t have worked as well had Maggie completely fallen apart, but it was important to see all those underlying emotions within Maggie. The acting choice by Floriana to show Maggie still fighting to stay in control of herself and the way Chyler kept Alex’s tone so soft and supportive really made this scene hit hard. This was an exceptionally written scene with such an important message and it was expertly acted. Also picked by Samantha and DJRiter
THE 100, "God Complex", March 29, 2017, Actors: Eliza Taylor, Paige Turco and more, The Scene: Clarke's choice
Justyna K: On this week's episode the characters both failed and succeeded in their plans to save everyone facing the death wave. For once, Jaha's search actually resulted in finding a real solution to the problems the Sky People (and all the other Clans) struggle with. For a moment I considered the final scene of the episode as the moment to highlight in the article but in the end it's the story happening in Becca's old lab that stole the hour for me. Things escalated quickly when the first test failed in the worst possible way, brutally killing the intruder we met in the previous episode. It didn't take much for everyone to turn against each other after that, with Emori being targeted for the next (potentially deadly) test and Murphy being locked away with her. One of the best scenes of the hour has to be the confrontation between Clarke and Murphy. Richard Harmon did an incredible job there, as Murphy both pleads with and threatens Clarke, telling her how important Emori is to him and making her realize the cruelty and unfairness of her actions. "...you're forgetting the last time you saved us, I was saving you!" But the defining moment for Clarke and a potential turning point for the show comes in the scene after the confrontation, when Emori is lying unconscious on the table and Clarke's holding the Nightblood serum, ready to inject it when she changes her mind... There are a few seconds when she quietly considers all the options, looks around the room and realizes everybody's position and feelings towards her, the minute when she truly understands the heavy weight this decision put on her mom and everyone around and Clarke makes a surpising choice - to inject herself and volunteer for the testing. “I bear it so they don't have to.” The memory of Mount Weather still haunts her and this time she's trying to do better. There's so much sadness in her voice, but no fear or hesitation when she tells everyone they're going to be testing the next potential solution for the radiation on her. There's a change in Clarke in this moment and Eliza Taylor plays it beautifully. It's such a powerful scene, an unexpected turn and a new opportunity for the future episodes (Clarke's now a Nightblood). I'm excited to see where the story leads next and the impact of this one memorable choice on the show's main character. Kudos to cast & crew for another great episode!
THE EXPANSE, "Cascade", March 29, 2017, Actor: Frankie Adams, The Scene: Bobbie experiences Earth for the first time
Kollin: Bobbie experiences Earth for the first time and learns to walk in gravity. In the first half of season 2, we were introduced to a stubborn rebellious Marine blinded by her hate for Earthers. A hate that really comes down to her envy of their atmospheric planet, that of which Mars can only dream of. As Bobbie walks through the slums, on Earth for the first time, she sees that, yes, people live on this beautiful planet, but many live lives that are as bad as hers. People disadvantaged by disabilities, people with no roof over their heads, people who are forced to drink contaminated water. Bobbie sees actual humans who are, at the end of the day, struggling to live as much as she had been on Mars. It is part of humanity to want what we don't have, and sometimes that desire blinds us. In 'Cascade' we see a Martian whose eyes are finally opened to the realities of her life in perspective to the life of others outside of Mars. Her scene with Nico was especially profound. Nico's story clearly hit a soft spot and it was touching to see her reaction as she witnesses his humility. Earthers aren't that bad after all, as Nico said, we all have our misconceptions. This marks a turning point for Bobbie, she finally sees how narrow minded she had been, a truly defining moment that sticks to you emotionally.
THE FLASH, "Abra Kadabra", March 28, 2017, Actors: Danielle Panabaker, Carlos Valdes, Tom Cavanagh, Tom Felton, The Scene: Caitlin dies and returns as Killer Frost
Justyna K: At one point of the season and especially this episode it became clear that Caitlin will eventually become the thing she's most afraid of - Killer Frost. The only questions left were "how" and "when". When she was injured earlier in the hour, Snow makes it clear that she would rather die than be a monster and a killer her powers turn her into. And at first it seemed like she'll be okay after Julian's medical intervention. But it wouldn't be "The Flash" if that's where the things ended. After a sudden seizure Caitlin succumbs to her wounds and dies with Cisco, Julian and HR standing by her side. Their desperate attempts to resuscitate her make this scene truly heartbreaking to watch. Especially when it becomes clear they can't save her and Cisco breaks down, realizing that his best friend's gone. And despite his suggestion hours before, that he would rip off her power-blocking necklace if it meant her being safe, Cisco chooses to honor her wishes and is confronted with the painful reality of this unbelievable loss. But not Julian. Caitlin became such an important person in his life and he barely let her in and refuses to say goodbye knowing there's another way to save her. So he takes her necklace, allowing her powers to heal her and in that moment of relief and hope, all three are taken by surprise when Killer Frost makes her presence known almost right away. The curse of becoming completely different person is quite a unique way to keep both Caitlin and Killer Frost on the show, without losing one of them for good. I'm still not sure about this approach but I can't help but highlight this powerful scene which signifies the change in the dynamics between all the characters in the future episodes. Also, the acting in this moment is truly fantastic! Carlos Valdes' performance alone made this scene memorable and painfully hard to watch. Tom Felton also finally gets a chance to show more of the depth and emotions in his character, and he absolutely excels at it. The music, the story and the actors together make this scene one of my choices for Scene of the Week. Kudos!
Aimee: Caitlin dies then becomes Killer Frost again. Caitlin’s biggest fear is that she would one day again become Killer Frost. She has fought it for so long and was willing to give up her own life in order to not become that monster again. It has been obvious for a while that Caitlin was basically a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. Given the number of times they brought up Caitlin’s necklace in this episode, it was more about when it was going to be removed rather than if, but the way they did it was still quite brilliantly executed. The fact that Cisco fought for Caitlin’s wishes to be honored despite his own heartbreak was such powerful acting by Carlos Valdes. Then Tom Felton stepped in and the pain in his eyes as Julian ripped the necklace away was exceptional acting. Then there was Danielle Panabaker who absolutely nailed Caitlin’s vulnerability in the seconds before and as Caitlin coded. When Killer Frost emerged the negative energy emanating from her was haunting as she closed out the episode. Never did I think that this would be the way that Killer Frost would reemerge. This was done out of a place of complete and total love from Julian who did not want to lose Caitlin, but the sad reality is that he might just have lost her anyway. Perhaps the love of her friends will be able to save her again, but at least for now she’s a powerful threat let loose on the city. All of the acting by the guys, Tom Cavanah included, was so emotional and they made the stakes feel very real as they gave their all trying to save Caitlin. The intense musical score only added to the intensity of the scene. This was a great way to end this episode and build up hype for the last set of episodes of the season.
THE MAGICIANS, "The Girl Who Told Time", March 29, 2017, Actors: Jason Ralph, Olivia Taylor Dudley, The Scene: Quentin and Alice reunite
Milo: Quentin and Alice reunite, even if it was Alice from another timeline where Quentin had died instead. After everything that Quentin and Alice had been through it was great to see that they got the chance to have one more scene together, and with the idea that there is an alternate dimension out there where Quentin was the one who died and Alice lived opened up multiple possibilities. Here, the scene was executed so damn well it has to go down as one of my favourite scenes from this week.
THE WALKING DEAD, "Something They Need", March 26, 2017, Actors: Jeffrey Dean Morgan and more, The Scene: Negan kills "rapey" Dave (picked by DarkUFO)