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 6, Side A" & "Tape 7, Side A", March 31, 2017, Actors: Dylan Minnette, Katherine Langford, Christian Navarro, Derek Luke, The Scenes: Clay tells Tony what he wishes he’d done & Hannah goes to see Mr. Porter
Justyna K: Unlike most of the other Netflix shows I decided to take more time to watch this one. It's one of the most powerful stories I've seen and certainly one of the hardest to watch. Not just a show, but more like an experience with too many familiar sights and memories from our lives. Most of the events taking place in this series are daily struggles for heartbreaking number of people. But as difficult as it might be to watch, I hope everyone would eventually have a chance to see and understand the message and meaning of this powerful creation. If you're planning to watch you should know how emotionally draining but also how special this story is. And if "13 Reasons Why" finds its way to at least one person in need then it makes all the difference in the world. Every life has meaning that words simply can't express, but this story does the incredible job of trying to make the viewers know and remember that in a way I've never seen before. And it matters, matters more than I can say. There's one scene that I feel is especially important here, that truly shows the regret and pain of the road not taken, the future that could never happen, the painful question of "what if". And that's exactly the moment I want to highlight in this week's article. In the series we are following the story of Hannah Baker, but also one of Clay Jensen, the life with Hannah and the life without her. Watching how these two kept missing each other, all the miscommunication, the lost signals, different perspectives, how they were so close to find one another but never could, that's one of the saddest things about this powerful story. Hannah was so full of light and she began to fade away, fall apart piece by piece long time before her death. And Clay was always living in his quiet world, away from most, but trying to reach her, never quite ready but hoping to get there one day. The most tragic thing, I truly believe if they found each other, if Hannah was able to hold on to him, things would have been different. And after listening to the tapes and waiting for the one recorded for him, overcome with guilt that he's the reason Hannah died, Clay finally hears the truth. And it might be even more heartbreaking than he imagined. Hannah tells him just how different he was from the others, how he mattered and that he's not one of the reasons she took her life. But she wanted him to understand, to know her part of their story. Her words hit him hard. Clay breaks down and finally admits to Tony (and himself) that he loved Hannah and how much he wishes to change things, to save her, hold her, help her but it's too late for that... And we get to see a different version of the events, the one that should have been, where Clay stays with Hannah, tells her how he feels and promises to always be there for her. It's heartwrenching, it's memorable, it's the story that remains with you. It's a lesson to be learned. Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford are extraordinary in the series and the way the show is done is better than I expected or even hoped for. Thank you cast & crew for the story, all the tears and the words that will stay in our memories for a long time. I know how much the story meant to me and I hope it will find the way to all the people who need it the most.
Luana: Clay tells Tony what he wishes he’d done. This scene was more painful than I think I can put into words, but I’ll give it a try. It not only helped Clay come to terms with what happened and what he truly felt, but I think it also resonated with every single person who’s lost someone important in their lives and wished they'd done something, said something, different. And also with anyone who’s had the earth shattering thought that, maybe, there was something they could’ve done, a way they could’ve made it all better. On the edge of a cliff, Clay tells Tony what he would’ve said to Hannah if he’d known what she was going through and we see the scene in is mind. He tells her he’s not leaving until she tells him what’s going on, he admits his mistake and confesses he was just jealous, he admits he loved her all along and says he’ll never hurt her, and never leave her, she asks why he never said that when she was alive and in response he hugs her putting his word into action, giving her all she needed, only too late. The whole show was perfect and heartbreaking (and it feels a bit weird calling it a show, it was more like an experience in some ways). I honestly think it will haunt me forever, every single thing I saw after it had a tinge of darkness, of trying to figure out in how much pain people could be. I truly think these characters, and their stories, won’t leave me for a long, long time, it’s not an easy thing to watch, but I think it’s an absolute necessity.
Nirat: Hannah goes to see Mr. Porter. The lack of empathy Mr. Porter offered to Hannah was unbearable. It reminded me of an earlier episodes scene (that I wholeheartedly related with) whereby Hannah recounts how the education system spoon feeds us, tells us how to study, makes us suited to just passing exams and tests to their standards for years yet when we have to make one of the biggest decisions of our lives, what college/university to go to, or if that’s even an option, we are ill-equipped in facing such a prospect. Even in this scene it shows, the education system through Mr. Porter is not able to provide help to Hannah. Schools and faculty need to watch this, it shows the horrible, truthful effects bullying has that are too often brushed under the carpet. Words have so much power. Mr. Porter's assumption that Hannah has friends because he’s seen her in the “halls” with them was so disheartening, how distant people are that they never see what's truly happening. No one realizes how alone you are, they see only a side of you, that you either allow to be seen or the side people create for you, and which is seen isn’t always your choice. I realize that schools are filled with so many students, I've been one, I know, but these assumptions do not help. How do you expect to get someone to open up when you aren't even asking the right questions. The way Hannah talked about wanting “everything to stop”, “life”, her pain was heartbreaking, her tears were my own and Mr. Porter just passing tissues towards her in such a clinical gesture, I know he meant well, felt so absent of human emotion. Physical items cannot remove the sorrow in someone's heart, people need to be heard, acknowledged, felt like they matter and it was something Mr. Porter didn’t showcase. Just the very notion of wanting life to end should've triggered something in Mr. Porter, he should have done something, told her parents, anything would've been better than nothing because it may have helped. His phone was ringing, he seemed distracted and that’s not a good environment to have such a conversation in. Even more so, when someone talks about having suicidal thoughts, even if it's simply about wanting everything to stop, without saying the exact words, surely, you do something. His actions made Hannah feel even more forgotten and alone, "you don't want to talk about this". It’s not okay to ask someone if they are "embarrassed" because they were assaulted, they already feel so much shame, they don’t need to say it, with you looking at them. Mr. Porter should’ve listened, provided her with some comfort, hope, not tell her to “move on”, people work differently. Some need to wallow in their pain, you cannot push them into healing, the soul doesn't work like that. Pain etches away at a person, there's no simple fix and when it builds, like Hannah's, being so dismissive just adds to it. It’s even worse to question if Hannah was using drugs, if she allowed it to happen, he cannot understand what she went though, that she might’ve frozen. Everyone reacts differently. The narrative of 'what did you do wrong' needs to stop, there needs to be 'what did they do', 'how can I help you' and just simply listening, not cross-questioning as if they are being interrogated. Victim blaming is why so many suffer in silence. The whole feeling of shame is tied to not only assault but bullying if people found out, what would they think but also, how would they react. What's worse is when no one believes you, it's that moment where you feel lost in the crowd, or trapped in a black abyss, screaming but aren't heard/nothing comes out, that's why people don't speak because their words have no meaning. God, my heart shattered when Hannah waited outside the door, waiting for Mr. Porter to come after her, to give her that one ounce of hope, but he didn’t. Some people are not strong enough, some need reassurance, and that’s okay, we aren’t all built with the capacity to carry such an immense amount of suffering, so to provide a lifeline to someone desperately in need of it is what you should do. You never know how much it'd mean. Katherine Langford's performance meant the world to me. The way she showcased Hannah's spirit breaking throughout the season was masterful, especially in the final episodes, the ways so damn difficult to watch I couldn't help but scream and burst into tears for. Her raw performance is one that eclipses so many I've seen. The scenes with Hannah's visit to Mr. Porter edited with Clay's visit was brilliance and it honestly shows how close you are to losing something. It's right there at your fingertips if you only reached out. I feel so blessed to have binged this show when it was released. It's an experience I'll never forget, it's eclipsed a lot of what I saw this month. I’m so grateful to Netflix and everyone involved for sharing this truth, this story with the world. Too often bullying, abuse, and suicide are ignored or sugar coated. Finally seeing a story that reflected mine, to some degree, meant the world to me. I don't know how to describe it but I felt heard for once. "It has to get better, the way we treat each other and look out for each other, it has to get better somehow."
AGENTS OF SHIELD, "What If...", April 4, 2017, Actors: Elizabeth Henstridge, Clark Gregg, Brett Dalton and more, The Scenes: Jemma finds Coulson & The car chase
Justyna K: After the fantastic end of the "LMD" arc, the show started its next story with another brilliant episode. The Framework is far more complex and realistic than Jemma or Daisy could have expected and their task to bring back their friends (or go back home) appears quite impossible for now. Their struggles and their experiences in this "new world" brought us some of the best scenes in "What If..." and it's always a challenge to highlight just one single moment in a great hour like that. However, the part that both stole the episode for me and beautifully showcased just how heartbreaking and difficult the situation truly is has to be the scene where Jemma finds Coulson. Ever since the introduction of Phil Coulson he was always quite a rock for the group, their leader, their friend, the father figure. Whatever happened, like Daisy mentioned in another memorable scene of the episode, he's the person the others often turn to for support, advice, comfort. To see Coulson not recognizing Jemma there, when she's been through so much and is barely holding it together, turned out to be the most emotional moment of the hour for me. Phil Coulson - the teacher loyal to Hydra, what a bizarre world this is. Jemma tries to get through to her friend the best way she knows how, but she quickly realizes she has no proof for anything she says and the truth about being trapped in a different reality is too impossible to just accept like that. She almost leaves to reconsider her approach, but a familiar sight causes her to try to make Coulson remember TAHITI. It's a great callback to season one and I'm happy to see that something this important and life-changing isn't so easily erased but still remains in Phil's memories, even when he refuses to let it in. "It's a magical place" clearly has an impact on Coulson when Jemma repeats this famous phrase but he's not ready to understand yet, so her desperate attempts to bring him back don't work when she needs him the most. Simmons crying out to him "you need to remember me!" was the most powerful, emotional and tragic part. Elizabeth Henstridge continues to be incredible in her performance, there's not enough words to describe this wonderful actress and her work on the show. Clark Gregg is also absolutely great in his portrayal of Coulson, even more now with his memories locked away but fighting to surface again. Kudos to both actors and rest of the cast & crew for another brilliant episode. Can't wait to see what's next.
Klutzy girl: The car chase scene after Framework Ward reveals he's part of the Resistance. I loved his and Skye's conversation in the car as they ran away from Hydra. He joined the Resistance to protect her! And while he technically isn't real, *this* is the Grant Ward I've missed, not the villain they turned him into the last few seasons. It was nice and felt so good to see him again. Plus, I love that Skye went back to apologize when she didn't have to and told him her new name when asked. I just loved everything about this scene and am looking forward to more interactions between them.
Aimee: Jemma finds Coulson. This was an incredible feat of acting from Elizabeth Henstridge. In fact, this entire episode was a tour de force for her. That’s made all the more impressive by the fact that it sounds like she might have been sick during the filming of it. Throughout her voice is hoarse and at points, it sounded very strained, which makes her on point performances all the more impressive with each scene she was in hitting the perfect tone. Given that Jemma effectively came back from the dead her hoarse voice actually really aided in showing the strain placed on Jemma. Also, the fact that the episode had her running around through the woods and filming on cold nights probably didn’t help anything yet never once did it impact her performance and instead she managed to make it help elevate her performance. She delivered so many incredible scenes in this episode, as did the whole cast, but this one really showed off some serious acting by both her and Clark Gregg. She really showed off Jemma’s desperation to find some way to get through to one of their lost friends. When she came into the room she had so much hope which was quickly dashed. Jemma dug deep even zeroing in on the Tahiti connection and trying her best to use that to get through to Coulson. The fierceness coming from Jemma showed off just how strong she’s become through all of this. She is fighting for the lives of her friends and for both her and Daisy’s lives. This is quite literally a life or death situation and she was desperate to get at least Coulson to remember the truth. No one can say she didn’t give it a hundred and ten percent effort to get through to him. Clark Gregg was also exceptional in this scene and the way he played Coulson showed off the fact that his true self was locked away just below the surface. But Elizabeth Henstridge stole just about every scene she was in throughout this episode and this was definitely an impressive scene for both her and Jemma. It is clear that Daisy and Jemma have their work cut out for them to get out alive and save their friends. This was an exceptional scene.
AMERICAN CRIME, "Season Three: Episode Four", April 2, 2017, Actors: Ana Mulvoy-Ten and more
The Scene: Shae argues with the judge for her freedom of choice (picked by Marko)
ARCHER, "Archer Dreamland: No Good Deed", April 5, 2017, Voiced by: H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Jessica Walter, The Scene: The opening montage
Laura: Welcome back, Archer. I was not expecting to enjoy your first outing of the season as much as I did! But the fact is, this intro really put me in my place right away. There's a funeral going on and one would be inclined to believe it's Archer's somehow. But it's revealed to be Woodhouse's sendoff. It was so bittersweet and actually respectfully done. Everyone was there (except Archer, of course) and they were all teary eyed. Then we see Archer lying in a hospital bed, stuck in a coma from that gunshot wound. It turns out Malory hasn't left his side very often, and she doesn't intend to. Awww. Lana shows up just to talk to him. It's all so beautiful, but all the while Archer is dreaming about, you guessed it, Dreamland. It's a fantastic setup and I can't wait for the rest of the season.
BATES MOTEL, "Inseparable", April 3, 2017, Actors: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot
The Scene: The fight over Dylan's life
Saloni: ’Mother’ hits Dylan on the head with a glass and is about to stab him to death when Norman intervenes, leading to a whole beautifully shot fight scene with Norman and Norma on the dinner table, as Dylan watches in horror. Seriously, this scene was quite phenomenal and Vera, Freddie, and Max were brilliant. Also picked by Darth Locke
BIG LITTLE LIES, "You Get What You Need", April 2, 2017, Actors: Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgård and more, The Scenes: The final confrontation & Celeste on the bathroom floor & Perry tells Celeste he knows about the apartment
Milo: Pretty much the key cast members of the series were here for this emotional climax where we found out who died. It was a powerful moment that really worked with Perry being pushed down the stairs to his death by Bonnie that showed the women coming together to defend Celeste who was under attack from Perry. Especially helped by the scene that followed and the use of the cover of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want that played at the end of the episode really made an excellent touch to what has been one of the best shows of the year so far. A great way to resolve things and for the show to bow out on.
DJRiter: As Celeste is telling the children good night before she and Perry leave for the party, Perry comes in and calmly reveals he knows Celeste has an apartment because he intercepted a message about someone installing smoke alarms. Nicole Kidman has been Emmy worthy this entire series and just watching the stark terror that comes into her eyes and the guarded way she keeps an eye on her husband as she tells their children good night is just a master thespian at the top of her game. Between this show and FEUD, this Emmy category is going to be one of the toughest this year.
Marko: Celeste on the bathroom floor, gasping for air after Perry's punch.
Darth Locke: Madeline, Jane, Celeste, and Renata struggle to fight off Perry and Bonnie comes to the rescue.
BLACK SAILS, "XXXVIII.", April 2, 2017, Actors: Toby Stephens, Rupert Penry-Jones, The Scene: Flint and Thomas reunite
Milo: There were so many good scenes from this epic series finale but it has to be the emotional reunion between Flint and Thomas Hamilton. The lack of dialogue outside of Silver's voiceover and the impact of having the two characters being reunited after so long apart gave Flint a well-deserved ending that was as happy as it could get especially when the odds had not looked good for him previously. This was such a powerful scene that really paid off, and actually succeeded in being one of the most emotional moments in a television show that I’ve seen, ever, helped by Toby Stephens' fantastic performance. Also picked by Laura
COLONY, "Ronin", April 6, 2017, Actors: Peter Jacobson, Josh Holloway and more, The Scene: The near showdown between Snyder with the Bowmans and Red Hats in the tunnel (picked by Darth Locke)
FEUD, "And the Winner is... (The Oscars of 1963)", April 2, 2017, Actors: Susan Sarandon, Jessica Lange and more, The Scenes: Bette finds Joan in the Oscar green room & Bette loses the academy award
DJRiter: Wow, what an episode. Wish I could nominate all the scenes from the Oscar ceremony sequence. This is truly Emmy caliber stuff. However if I have to single out one scene of that sequence it would have to be when Bette Davis, despite being told she didn't want to by Olivia de Haviland (a wonderful Catherine Zeta-Jones) rushes into the Oscar green room only to find Joan Crawford holding court! If looks could kill, Sarandon was magnificient in this scene and when Lange, equally as magnificent, walks over to smugly hold out her hand as Crawford and say good luck, I was waiting for the fur to fly!
Nirat: Bette loses the academy award. Bette waiting desperately as the announcer reads out the finalists was intense, especially as she played with her necklace, nerve struck. When the words, Anne Bancroft were uttered, the way the camera shifts to Bette’s reaction, the way her hand grabs her chest as her heart shatters broke mine. It was like she’d been shot by a gun, truly a fantastic performance from Susan Sarandon. Joan stamping her cigarette and walking out to collect the award on Anne’s behalf with such grace and happiness while Bette watched, frozen, was haunting. Even though Joan didn’t win, she still ripped away whatever hope Bette had, it was honestly so gut wrenching. Though it’s never long lasting, even Joan felt empty, the episode ending with her alone, on her bed with the award was the sad reality, fame is but a temporary fix. The way Bette was holding her tears in as Joan walked past gleefully with Olivia de Havilland unable to console her was so disheartening. This season has been a masterclass in acting from Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, I am not ready to say goodbye in a few weeks, I’ve fallen in love with this show.
iZOMBIE, "Heaven Just Got a Little Bit Smoother", April 4, 2017, Actors: Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin and more, The Scenes: Clive and Liv talk in the car & Clive discovers that Wally's been murdered
Laura: Clive in this episode tore me to pieces! Between this and the albeit predictable scene at the end of the episode I was riveted by Malcolm's acting. As an outsider in all this all he wants is to remain faithful and law-abiding. But it's so hard knowing what he knows and who he's friends with. When Liv's soldier brain starts wearing off she's feeling upset about Drake at her "base brain", I guess. Clive is there to reassure her throughout all of it, even there to take care of her drunkness (for the most part) later on. It was a very sad scene with some great acting from both Rose and Malcolm. I can't wait for this season either.
Samantha: Clive discovers that Wally has been murdered. From the moment we were introduced to Wally I knew something bad would happen, but that still didn't prepare me for Clive's heartbreak at arriving onto the murder scene of a boy he'd mentored & had a deep connection to. I'm so glad he's now in on the zombie stuff and really looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, "Aruba", April 4, 2017, Actors: Caity Lotz, Dominic Purcell and more, The Scenes: Sara sees Laurel & Mick tells Leonard about his punishment
Aimee: Sara sees Laurel. This scene has been needed since the moment Laurel was killed off on Arrow. Sara needed this moment with her sister even if it wasn’t real. Caity Lotz and Katie Cassidy have always had a really great sisterly dynamic, so it was terrific to see them get to work together again. Sara and Laurel were always each other’s greatest champion. They had their differences, all siblings do, but they loved each other with all their hearts. Laurel even found a way to resurrect her sister, which is partly what has been haunting Sara. While Laurel used the pit Sara has time at her disposal, but can’t go back in time to change the timeline. That fact has been eating away at Sara since the moment she found out what happened to Laurel. Then she was suddenly in possession of the one item that could have saved her sister, but ironically, it was her sister who helped her make the right choice. Sara is a good person even if she struggles with understanding that some days. This was a great moment to set Sara at ease and let her have a moment to say goodbye to her sister. It was a beautiful scene that really helped to bring the Lance sisters story to a nice conclusion.
Klutzy girl: Mick tells Leonard that his punishment for his actions is that he's going to become a better man, that it'll happen to him too. The scene made me emotional and it was only worsened when Mick erased Leonard's memory and then walked away.
DJRiter: When the Spear of Destiny takes Sara to a visit with Laurel, the touching Lance Sisters moment brings a tear to your eye when Sara realizes that using the spear to bring Laurel back isn't the right thing to do. Lotz and Cassidy were perfect and at that decisive moment Lotz shined as Sara, and her character's evolution from assassin to true hero was complete.
ONCE UPON A TIME, "A Wondrous Place", April 2, 2017, Actors: Karen David, Deniz Akdeniz and more, The Scene: Jasmine frees Agrabah with True Love's kiss (picked by Marko)
REIGN, "Uncharted Waters", April 7, 2017, Actors: Adelaide Kane, Megan Follows
The Scene: Catherine arrives to see Mary
Luana: Catherine arrives in the exact moment Mary feels completely at a loss. I love the relationship these two have and it's a pity we don't get to see them work together anymore. That's why this was so perfect, Mary is at a crossroads, one we know won't end well, and she needed someone to hold her, especially the closest thing she has to a mother right now.
RIVERDALE, "Chapter Nine: La Grande Illusion", April 6, 2017, Actors: Camila Mendes and more, The Scene: Veronica breaks down
Samantha: Veronica breaks down after hearing Ethel's dad tried to kill himself. To make a scene of this depth with no dialogue & focus just on the emotion work is extremely difficult, and takes a special kind of actress. Too much and the audience are drawn out of the scene, too little and the audience doesn't believe what the character is feeling. It was only a brief scene but it still gutted me because Veronica Lodge is not your typical rich girl. She cares about people and what the effects of actions can have on people, and we know she was truly devastated to hear what Ethel's dad had done to himself.
SPEECHLESS, "C-h-Cheater!", April 5, 2017, Actors: Micah Fowler, Minnie Driver and more, The Scene: JJ overhears his family discussing his future
Samantha: Speechless can do serious. I felt really bad for JJ when he walked in on his family discussing his future, or to be more exact what kind of future he can actually have. Part of me was willing for someone to notice JJ had come in & give him reassurance, but at the same time relieved when JJ left because you don't want someone who you're trying to reassure can have independence & do things for themselves knowing you're discussing them in that way & visa versa. As heartrending as the scene was it was also incredibly truthful, and the way the conversation came about felt so natural as opposed to a show trying to shoehorn something in so they can say they've covered it.
SWITCHED AT BIRTH, "The Wolf is Waiting", April 4, 2017, Actors: Ryan Lane, Vanessa Marano, The Scene: Travis tells his mother the truth
Saloni: Travis finally tells his mother about being molested as a child by his uncle. This was such a powerful scene. Ryan acted the hell out of it. It was heartbreaking because he tells her how her own brother took advantage of Travis being deaf and that she was unable to sign or understand what he would say, with Travis’ mom breaking down in disbelief, followed by Bay alleviating the situation between them.
THE AMERICANS, "Lotus 1-2-3", April 4, 2017, Actors: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys
The Scene: Elizabeth tells Philip that they were wrong about the crops (picked by Bradley)
THE EXPANSE, "Here There Be Dragons", April 5, 2017, Actors: Frankie Adams and more, The Scene: Bobbie loses it
Kollin: Over the past few episodes of The Expanse we agonizingly saw Bobbie let herself be repeatedly bullied and controlled for the benefit of Mars, but we knew it would not last long. This past week the imposing, short-tempered Sgt. finally takes out all that anger kept inside of her on Captain Martens, each punch packing so much emotion as she drew information out of him. It was both glorious and humurous to see the corrupt Martian thrown around like a rag doll, finally getting his comeuppance, and it was a defining moment when we see Bobbie coming into her own.
THE ORIGINALS, "Keepers of the House", April 7, 2017, Actors: Riley Voelkel, Christina Moses, The Scene: Freya removes the “leash” from Keelin
Aimee: Freya isn’t a character that shows her vulnerable side very often. Any vulnerability is usually reserved for her immediate family. The only non-Mikaelson to ever see any semblance of her vulnerable side is Hayley, but she’s practically family. This scene actually showed off an interesting side of this very guarded character. In prior episodes, she has been quite rough with Keelin, but in this scene, she was very gentle. She held out her hand and let Keelin choose to come to her instead of forcing anything on her. Then when she held Keelin’s hand, to remove the magical leash, she was very gentle. In fact, once she dropped Keelin’s hand she almost seemed shy about the whole situation. She’s a good person but struggles with her good side being acknowledged. Freya and Klaus are very much alike in that they both keep their hearts very guarded, but there are a few very special people who can break through their very well-guarded hearts. For Klaus it was Cami and it’s looking increasingly possible that Keelin could be the one to break Freya’s heart free from its self-imposed cage. Though, for Keelin’s sake, I hope that she won’t meet the same fate as Cami. The writers have certainly set up a possible romantic something between these characters. If they do develop something this was definitely the point where it started. It was a very nice acting choice by Riley Voelkel to play Freya as reserved at the end of the scene. She and Christina Moses have a really good dynamic that is certainly showing early signs of great acting partner chemistry. This will definitely be an interesting pairing to watch over the next few episodes.
THE WALKING DEAD, "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life", April 2, 2017, Actors: Andrew Lincoln, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan and more, The Scene: The fight at the end
Saloni: The whole fighting scene at the end was so damn good. Negan is about to whack Carl and Shiva leaps on someone behind him, with Carol, Ezekiel and Morgan coming in to fight for Alexandria and the whole crew. King Ezekiel’s “Alexandria will not fall today” was hilarious! And this was followed by Maggie, Jesus and Hilltop coming in, too, guns blazing. Team Family just reunited and Negan had no choice but to retreat. This season needed the action. Maggie’s final monologue as a tribute to Glenn was beautiful.
YOU ME HER, "Freaky Little Love Poodles", April 4, 2017, Actors: Chelah Horsdal, Laine MacNeil
The Scene: Lori grounds Ava
Luana: Lori grounds Ava for being an asshole. Lori has come a very long way this season and it's great to see her become less of a pain in the ass and be a better example for her daughter. The writers on this show are so brilliant, this scene was funny, and cute, and made the two most annoying characters on the show grow.
YOUNG AND HUNGRY, "Young & Josh's Dad", April 3, 2017, Actors: Jonathan Sadowski, Andy Buckley
The Scene: Josh confronts his dad in the hospital
Klutzy girl: This show doesn't do emotional scenes so the intensity surprised me. Jonathan was absolutely amazing when Josh told his father that he would be paying his hospital bills but that was the only money he's getting out of him.
Justyna K: Unlike most of the other Netflix shows I decided to take more time to watch this one. It's one of the most powerful stories I've seen and certainly one of the hardest to watch. Not just a show, but more like an experience with too many familiar sights and memories from our lives. Most of the events taking place in this series are daily struggles for heartbreaking number of people. But as difficult as it might be to watch, I hope everyone would eventually have a chance to see and understand the message and meaning of this powerful creation. If you're planning to watch you should know how emotionally draining but also how special this story is. And if "13 Reasons Why" finds its way to at least one person in need then it makes all the difference in the world. Every life has meaning that words simply can't express, but this story does the incredible job of trying to make the viewers know and remember that in a way I've never seen before. And it matters, matters more than I can say. There's one scene that I feel is especially important here, that truly shows the regret and pain of the road not taken, the future that could never happen, the painful question of "what if". And that's exactly the moment I want to highlight in this week's article. In the series we are following the story of Hannah Baker, but also one of Clay Jensen, the life with Hannah and the life without her. Watching how these two kept missing each other, all the miscommunication, the lost signals, different perspectives, how they were so close to find one another but never could, that's one of the saddest things about this powerful story. Hannah was so full of light and she began to fade away, fall apart piece by piece long time before her death. And Clay was always living in his quiet world, away from most, but trying to reach her, never quite ready but hoping to get there one day. The most tragic thing, I truly believe if they found each other, if Hannah was able to hold on to him, things would have been different. And after listening to the tapes and waiting for the one recorded for him, overcome with guilt that he's the reason Hannah died, Clay finally hears the truth. And it might be even more heartbreaking than he imagined. Hannah tells him just how different he was from the others, how he mattered and that he's not one of the reasons she took her life. But she wanted him to understand, to know her part of their story. Her words hit him hard. Clay breaks down and finally admits to Tony (and himself) that he loved Hannah and how much he wishes to change things, to save her, hold her, help her but it's too late for that... And we get to see a different version of the events, the one that should have been, where Clay stays with Hannah, tells her how he feels and promises to always be there for her. It's heartwrenching, it's memorable, it's the story that remains with you. It's a lesson to be learned. Dylan Minnette and Katherine Langford are extraordinary in the series and the way the show is done is better than I expected or even hoped for. Thank you cast & crew for the story, all the tears and the words that will stay in our memories for a long time. I know how much the story meant to me and I hope it will find the way to all the people who need it the most.
Luana: Clay tells Tony what he wishes he’d done. This scene was more painful than I think I can put into words, but I’ll give it a try. It not only helped Clay come to terms with what happened and what he truly felt, but I think it also resonated with every single person who’s lost someone important in their lives and wished they'd done something, said something, different. And also with anyone who’s had the earth shattering thought that, maybe, there was something they could’ve done, a way they could’ve made it all better. On the edge of a cliff, Clay tells Tony what he would’ve said to Hannah if he’d known what she was going through and we see the scene in is mind. He tells her he’s not leaving until she tells him what’s going on, he admits his mistake and confesses he was just jealous, he admits he loved her all along and says he’ll never hurt her, and never leave her, she asks why he never said that when she was alive and in response he hugs her putting his word into action, giving her all she needed, only too late. The whole show was perfect and heartbreaking (and it feels a bit weird calling it a show, it was more like an experience in some ways). I honestly think it will haunt me forever, every single thing I saw after it had a tinge of darkness, of trying to figure out in how much pain people could be. I truly think these characters, and their stories, won’t leave me for a long, long time, it’s not an easy thing to watch, but I think it’s an absolute necessity.
Justyna K: After the fantastic end of the "LMD" arc, the show started its next story with another brilliant episode. The Framework is far more complex and realistic than Jemma or Daisy could have expected and their task to bring back their friends (or go back home) appears quite impossible for now. Their struggles and their experiences in this "new world" brought us some of the best scenes in "What If..." and it's always a challenge to highlight just one single moment in a great hour like that. However, the part that both stole the episode for me and beautifully showcased just how heartbreaking and difficult the situation truly is has to be the scene where Jemma finds Coulson. Ever since the introduction of Phil Coulson he was always quite a rock for the group, their leader, their friend, the father figure. Whatever happened, like Daisy mentioned in another memorable scene of the episode, he's the person the others often turn to for support, advice, comfort. To see Coulson not recognizing Jemma there, when she's been through so much and is barely holding it together, turned out to be the most emotional moment of the hour for me. Phil Coulson - the teacher loyal to Hydra, what a bizarre world this is. Jemma tries to get through to her friend the best way she knows how, but she quickly realizes she has no proof for anything she says and the truth about being trapped in a different reality is too impossible to just accept like that. She almost leaves to reconsider her approach, but a familiar sight causes her to try to make Coulson remember TAHITI. It's a great callback to season one and I'm happy to see that something this important and life-changing isn't so easily erased but still remains in Phil's memories, even when he refuses to let it in. "It's a magical place" clearly has an impact on Coulson when Jemma repeats this famous phrase but he's not ready to understand yet, so her desperate attempts to bring him back don't work when she needs him the most. Simmons crying out to him "you need to remember me!" was the most powerful, emotional and tragic part. Elizabeth Henstridge continues to be incredible in her performance, there's not enough words to describe this wonderful actress and her work on the show. Clark Gregg is also absolutely great in his portrayal of Coulson, even more now with his memories locked away but fighting to surface again. Kudos to both actors and rest of the cast & crew for another brilliant episode. Can't wait to see what's next.
Klutzy girl: The car chase scene after Framework Ward reveals he's part of the Resistance. I loved his and Skye's conversation in the car as they ran away from Hydra. He joined the Resistance to protect her! And while he technically isn't real, *this* is the Grant Ward I've missed, not the villain they turned him into the last few seasons. It was nice and felt so good to see him again. Plus, I love that Skye went back to apologize when she didn't have to and told him her new name when asked. I just loved everything about this scene and am looking forward to more interactions between them.
Aimee: Jemma finds Coulson. This was an incredible feat of acting from Elizabeth Henstridge. In fact, this entire episode was a tour de force for her. That’s made all the more impressive by the fact that it sounds like she might have been sick during the filming of it. Throughout her voice is hoarse and at points, it sounded very strained, which makes her on point performances all the more impressive with each scene she was in hitting the perfect tone. Given that Jemma effectively came back from the dead her hoarse voice actually really aided in showing the strain placed on Jemma. Also, the fact that the episode had her running around through the woods and filming on cold nights probably didn’t help anything yet never once did it impact her performance and instead she managed to make it help elevate her performance. She delivered so many incredible scenes in this episode, as did the whole cast, but this one really showed off some serious acting by both her and Clark Gregg. She really showed off Jemma’s desperation to find some way to get through to one of their lost friends. When she came into the room she had so much hope which was quickly dashed. Jemma dug deep even zeroing in on the Tahiti connection and trying her best to use that to get through to Coulson. The fierceness coming from Jemma showed off just how strong she’s become through all of this. She is fighting for the lives of her friends and for both her and Daisy’s lives. This is quite literally a life or death situation and she was desperate to get at least Coulson to remember the truth. No one can say she didn’t give it a hundred and ten percent effort to get through to him. Clark Gregg was also exceptional in this scene and the way he played Coulson showed off the fact that his true self was locked away just below the surface. But Elizabeth Henstridge stole just about every scene she was in throughout this episode and this was definitely an impressive scene for both her and Jemma. It is clear that Daisy and Jemma have their work cut out for them to get out alive and save their friends. This was an exceptional scene.
AMERICAN CRIME, "Season Three: Episode Four", April 2, 2017, Actors: Ana Mulvoy-Ten and more
The Scene: Shae argues with the judge for her freedom of choice (picked by Marko)
Laura: Welcome back, Archer. I was not expecting to enjoy your first outing of the season as much as I did! But the fact is, this intro really put me in my place right away. There's a funeral going on and one would be inclined to believe it's Archer's somehow. But it's revealed to be Woodhouse's sendoff. It was so bittersweet and actually respectfully done. Everyone was there (except Archer, of course) and they were all teary eyed. Then we see Archer lying in a hospital bed, stuck in a coma from that gunshot wound. It turns out Malory hasn't left his side very often, and she doesn't intend to. Awww. Lana shows up just to talk to him. It's all so beautiful, but all the while Archer is dreaming about, you guessed it, Dreamland. It's a fantastic setup and I can't wait for the rest of the season.
BATES MOTEL, "Inseparable", April 3, 2017, Actors: Vera Farmiga, Freddie Highmore, Max Thieriot
The Scene: The fight over Dylan's life
Saloni: ’Mother’ hits Dylan on the head with a glass and is about to stab him to death when Norman intervenes, leading to a whole beautifully shot fight scene with Norman and Norma on the dinner table, as Dylan watches in horror. Seriously, this scene was quite phenomenal and Vera, Freddie, and Max were brilliant. Also picked by Darth Locke
Milo: Pretty much the key cast members of the series were here for this emotional climax where we found out who died. It was a powerful moment that really worked with Perry being pushed down the stairs to his death by Bonnie that showed the women coming together to defend Celeste who was under attack from Perry. Especially helped by the scene that followed and the use of the cover of The Rolling Stones’ You Can’t Always Get What You Want that played at the end of the episode really made an excellent touch to what has been one of the best shows of the year so far. A great way to resolve things and for the show to bow out on.
DJRiter: As Celeste is telling the children good night before she and Perry leave for the party, Perry comes in and calmly reveals he knows Celeste has an apartment because he intercepted a message about someone installing smoke alarms. Nicole Kidman has been Emmy worthy this entire series and just watching the stark terror that comes into her eyes and the guarded way she keeps an eye on her husband as she tells their children good night is just a master thespian at the top of her game. Between this show and FEUD, this Emmy category is going to be one of the toughest this year.
Marko: Celeste on the bathroom floor, gasping for air after Perry's punch.
Darth Locke: Madeline, Jane, Celeste, and Renata struggle to fight off Perry and Bonnie comes to the rescue.
Milo: There were so many good scenes from this epic series finale but it has to be the emotional reunion between Flint and Thomas Hamilton. The lack of dialogue outside of Silver's voiceover and the impact of having the two characters being reunited after so long apart gave Flint a well-deserved ending that was as happy as it could get especially when the odds had not looked good for him previously. This was such a powerful scene that really paid off, and actually succeeded in being one of the most emotional moments in a television show that I’ve seen, ever, helped by Toby Stephens' fantastic performance. Also picked by Laura
COLONY, "Ronin", April 6, 2017, Actors: Peter Jacobson, Josh Holloway and more, The Scene: The near showdown between Snyder with the Bowmans and Red Hats in the tunnel (picked by Darth Locke)
DJRiter: Wow, what an episode. Wish I could nominate all the scenes from the Oscar ceremony sequence. This is truly Emmy caliber stuff. However if I have to single out one scene of that sequence it would have to be when Bette Davis, despite being told she didn't want to by Olivia de Haviland (a wonderful Catherine Zeta-Jones) rushes into the Oscar green room only to find Joan Crawford holding court! If looks could kill, Sarandon was magnificient in this scene and when Lange, equally as magnificent, walks over to smugly hold out her hand as Crawford and say good luck, I was waiting for the fur to fly!
Nirat: Bette loses the academy award. Bette waiting desperately as the announcer reads out the finalists was intense, especially as she played with her necklace, nerve struck. When the words, Anne Bancroft were uttered, the way the camera shifts to Bette’s reaction, the way her hand grabs her chest as her heart shatters broke mine. It was like she’d been shot by a gun, truly a fantastic performance from Susan Sarandon. Joan stamping her cigarette and walking out to collect the award on Anne’s behalf with such grace and happiness while Bette watched, frozen, was haunting. Even though Joan didn’t win, she still ripped away whatever hope Bette had, it was honestly so gut wrenching. Though it’s never long lasting, even Joan felt empty, the episode ending with her alone, on her bed with the award was the sad reality, fame is but a temporary fix. The way Bette was holding her tears in as Joan walked past gleefully with Olivia de Havilland unable to console her was so disheartening. This season has been a masterclass in acting from Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon, I am not ready to say goodbye in a few weeks, I’ve fallen in love with this show.
Laura: Clive in this episode tore me to pieces! Between this and the albeit predictable scene at the end of the episode I was riveted by Malcolm's acting. As an outsider in all this all he wants is to remain faithful and law-abiding. But it's so hard knowing what he knows and who he's friends with. When Liv's soldier brain starts wearing off she's feeling upset about Drake at her "base brain", I guess. Clive is there to reassure her throughout all of it, even there to take care of her drunkness (for the most part) later on. It was a very sad scene with some great acting from both Rose and Malcolm. I can't wait for this season either.
Samantha: Clive discovers that Wally has been murdered. From the moment we were introduced to Wally I knew something bad would happen, but that still didn't prepare me for Clive's heartbreak at arriving onto the murder scene of a boy he'd mentored & had a deep connection to. I'm so glad he's now in on the zombie stuff and really looking forward to seeing where this story goes.
Aimee: Sara sees Laurel. This scene has been needed since the moment Laurel was killed off on Arrow. Sara needed this moment with her sister even if it wasn’t real. Caity Lotz and Katie Cassidy have always had a really great sisterly dynamic, so it was terrific to see them get to work together again. Sara and Laurel were always each other’s greatest champion. They had their differences, all siblings do, but they loved each other with all their hearts. Laurel even found a way to resurrect her sister, which is partly what has been haunting Sara. While Laurel used the pit Sara has time at her disposal, but can’t go back in time to change the timeline. That fact has been eating away at Sara since the moment she found out what happened to Laurel. Then she was suddenly in possession of the one item that could have saved her sister, but ironically, it was her sister who helped her make the right choice. Sara is a good person even if she struggles with understanding that some days. This was a great moment to set Sara at ease and let her have a moment to say goodbye to her sister. It was a beautiful scene that really helped to bring the Lance sisters story to a nice conclusion.
Klutzy girl: Mick tells Leonard that his punishment for his actions is that he's going to become a better man, that it'll happen to him too. The scene made me emotional and it was only worsened when Mick erased Leonard's memory and then walked away.
DJRiter: When the Spear of Destiny takes Sara to a visit with Laurel, the touching Lance Sisters moment brings a tear to your eye when Sara realizes that using the spear to bring Laurel back isn't the right thing to do. Lotz and Cassidy were perfect and at that decisive moment Lotz shined as Sara, and her character's evolution from assassin to true hero was complete.
ONCE UPON A TIME, "A Wondrous Place", April 2, 2017, Actors: Karen David, Deniz Akdeniz and more, The Scene: Jasmine frees Agrabah with True Love's kiss (picked by Marko)
REIGN, "Uncharted Waters", April 7, 2017, Actors: Adelaide Kane, Megan Follows
The Scene: Catherine arrives to see Mary
Luana: Catherine arrives in the exact moment Mary feels completely at a loss. I love the relationship these two have and it's a pity we don't get to see them work together anymore. That's why this was so perfect, Mary is at a crossroads, one we know won't end well, and she needed someone to hold her, especially the closest thing she has to a mother right now.
Samantha: Veronica breaks down after hearing Ethel's dad tried to kill himself. To make a scene of this depth with no dialogue & focus just on the emotion work is extremely difficult, and takes a special kind of actress. Too much and the audience are drawn out of the scene, too little and the audience doesn't believe what the character is feeling. It was only a brief scene but it still gutted me because Veronica Lodge is not your typical rich girl. She cares about people and what the effects of actions can have on people, and we know she was truly devastated to hear what Ethel's dad had done to himself.
Samantha: Speechless can do serious. I felt really bad for JJ when he walked in on his family discussing his future, or to be more exact what kind of future he can actually have. Part of me was willing for someone to notice JJ had come in & give him reassurance, but at the same time relieved when JJ left because you don't want someone who you're trying to reassure can have independence & do things for themselves knowing you're discussing them in that way & visa versa. As heartrending as the scene was it was also incredibly truthful, and the way the conversation came about felt so natural as opposed to a show trying to shoehorn something in so they can say they've covered it.
Saloni: Travis finally tells his mother about being molested as a child by his uncle. This was such a powerful scene. Ryan acted the hell out of it. It was heartbreaking because he tells her how her own brother took advantage of Travis being deaf and that she was unable to sign or understand what he would say, with Travis’ mom breaking down in disbelief, followed by Bay alleviating the situation between them.
THE AMERICANS, "Lotus 1-2-3", April 4, 2017, Actors: Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys
The Scene: Elizabeth tells Philip that they were wrong about the crops (picked by Bradley)
Kollin: Over the past few episodes of The Expanse we agonizingly saw Bobbie let herself be repeatedly bullied and controlled for the benefit of Mars, but we knew it would not last long. This past week the imposing, short-tempered Sgt. finally takes out all that anger kept inside of her on Captain Martens, each punch packing so much emotion as she drew information out of him. It was both glorious and humurous to see the corrupt Martian thrown around like a rag doll, finally getting his comeuppance, and it was a defining moment when we see Bobbie coming into her own.
Aimee: Freya isn’t a character that shows her vulnerable side very often. Any vulnerability is usually reserved for her immediate family. The only non-Mikaelson to ever see any semblance of her vulnerable side is Hayley, but she’s practically family. This scene actually showed off an interesting side of this very guarded character. In prior episodes, she has been quite rough with Keelin, but in this scene, she was very gentle. She held out her hand and let Keelin choose to come to her instead of forcing anything on her. Then when she held Keelin’s hand, to remove the magical leash, she was very gentle. In fact, once she dropped Keelin’s hand she almost seemed shy about the whole situation. She’s a good person but struggles with her good side being acknowledged. Freya and Klaus are very much alike in that they both keep their hearts very guarded, but there are a few very special people who can break through their very well-guarded hearts. For Klaus it was Cami and it’s looking increasingly possible that Keelin could be the one to break Freya’s heart free from its self-imposed cage. Though, for Keelin’s sake, I hope that she won’t meet the same fate as Cami. The writers have certainly set up a possible romantic something between these characters. If they do develop something this was definitely the point where it started. It was a very nice acting choice by Riley Voelkel to play Freya as reserved at the end of the scene. She and Christina Moses have a really good dynamic that is certainly showing early signs of great acting partner chemistry. This will definitely be an interesting pairing to watch over the next few episodes.
Saloni: The whole fighting scene at the end was so damn good. Negan is about to whack Carl and Shiva leaps on someone behind him, with Carol, Ezekiel and Morgan coming in to fight for Alexandria and the whole crew. King Ezekiel’s “Alexandria will not fall today” was hilarious! And this was followed by Maggie, Jesus and Hilltop coming in, too, guns blazing. Team Family just reunited and Negan had no choice but to retreat. This season needed the action. Maggie’s final monologue as a tribute to Glenn was beautiful.
YOU ME HER, "Freaky Little Love Poodles", April 4, 2017, Actors: Chelah Horsdal, Laine MacNeil
The Scene: Lori grounds Ava
Luana: Lori grounds Ava for being an asshole. Lori has come a very long way this season and it's great to see her become less of a pain in the ass and be a better example for her daughter. The writers on this show are so brilliant, this scene was funny, and cute, and made the two most annoying characters on the show grow.
YOUNG AND HUNGRY, "Young & Josh's Dad", April 3, 2017, Actors: Jonathan Sadowski, Andy Buckley
The Scene: Josh confronts his dad in the hospital
Klutzy girl: This show doesn't do emotional scenes so the intensity surprised me. Jonathan was absolutely amazing when Josh told his father that he would be paying his hospital bills but that was the only money he's getting out of him.
