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.
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT, "Holes", October 3, 2017, Actors: Evan Peters, Alison Pill and more
The Scene: Ivy and the rest of the clan kill RJ
DarkUFO: Kai makes Ivy and the rest of his clan kill RJ with a nailgun, each taking turns to fire a nail into his skull. One of the few scenes this year that was difficult to watch.
BLACK-ISH, "Juneteenth", October 3, 2017, Actors: Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and more, The Scene: The song about freedom
Kristie: The entire episode was a 30-minute history lesson in the form of a Hamilton musical... but if I have to pick one scene, it would be the song about freedom. The slaves joyfully sang about all the things they'd do now that they're free (owning businesses, getting loans, not worrying about burning crosses or getting sprayed with hoses). It was kind of a painful tongue-in-cheek scene because we all know that's not what happened. Black-ish doesn't shy away from calling out history and current events, in hopes of sparking societal discussions.
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, "The Big House Pt. 2", October 3, 2017, Actors: Andre Braugher and more
The Scene: Holt pretends to be straight
Laura: This is self-explanatory.
CRIMINAL MINDS, "To a Better Place", October 4, 2017, Actors: Matthew Gray Gubler, Paget Brewster, The Scene: Reid admits to Prentiss he wanted to kill Scratch
Samantha: I thought this was a brilliant scene and a great follow-up on last week. Reid has obviously been changed by everything he has been through, and a lot of people, including himself, will doubt him. But Emily's faith is unwavering. She could've been concerned over his comments & kept him out of the field, but instead she acknowledged it and reassured Reid how he was feeling was perfectly natural. I like when the show takes a bit of time out from the case of the week stuff, and gives us these character moments, because it's why we've stuck around for 13 years.
GREY'S ANATOMY, "Go Big or Go Home", October 5, 2017, Actors: Ellen Pompeo, Caterina Scorsone, Kelly McCreary, The Scenes: Amelia asks for Maggie's help & Meredith comforts Amelia
Luana: Amelia asks for Maggie's help. I loved this scene, it was a nice bonding moment between them and showed no matter how stubborn Amelia is, she knows who to go to for help. She picked people that would push her to do the right thing, and that's a very mature thing to do even if that hasn't been her most prominent feature before. But the whole tumor thing is being wonderfully handled, the fact that Amelia suddenly starts questioning every single decision in her life is so heartbreaking, and her reason for not wanting to tell Mer made so much sense, that has to be the worst "I told you so" in history, even if Mer was never going to say it.
Klutzy girl: After Meredith finds out about Amelia's tumor, she shows up and jumps into the bed to comfort her. Their relationship has come so far and I'm hoping it improves from here.
HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, "I'm Not Her", October 5, 2017, Actors: Viola Davis, L. Scott Caldwell and more, The Scenes: Annalise slays at court and wins the case & Jasmine tells her story to Annalise
Luana: Annalise slays at court and wins the case. Now, we all know how amazing Viola Davis is, and we all know Annalise kills it every time she gets the spotlight in a courtroom, especially when she fights for those who have nothing. But this speech was particularly transcendental, her talking about how one decision from a biased person in the judicial system can ruin somebody's life and take away any chance for a better life, it was heartbreaking and empowering, and she's a damn goddess (both Viola and Annalise). This episode should've been the premiere and this is how we need HTGAWM to continue moving forward.
Marko: Jasmine tells her story to Annalise. Chills! What a brilliant monologue by L. Scott Caldwell. HTGAWM's second season 4 episode was a brilliant outing and it was so hard to choose just one scene. A heartbreaking and raw performance penned by Maya Goldsmith just changed the whole episode.
LETHAL WEAPON, "Dancing in September", October 3, 2017, Actors: Hilarie Burton, Clayne Crawford, Kevin Rahm and more, The Scene: The phone call at the morgue
Justyna: It's so good to have the show back. It happens to be one of my favorite combinations of heartwarming, action-packed, emotional and hilarious stories that I've ever seen. There are some great shows out there which perfectly represent their genres but I rarely see a series with such a wonderful balance between a comedy, drama and an action show. And the scene I wanted to highlight this week is a fun example of what makes Lethal Weapon so unique. After his time in Mexico and the death of his wife's murderer Riggs is doing his best to move on. He's far from healthy and "normal" that he tries to be, but at least he's trying to stay hopeful and open for what life brings him. This week he's reunited with Palmer and he attempts to fix what's broken between them. In this moment, Riggs, Murtaugh and Captain Avery visit the morgue and try to figure out the next lead for their case when Palmer calls. All the advices Martin gets from his friends right away were hilarious. And so were their reactions when they realize what Palmer's planning, and start running to beat her to it. All these guys have wonderful dynamics and it was a joy to watch all their interactions this week. Kudos to cast & crew for another great episode!
ONCE UPON A TIME, "Hyperion Heights", October 6, 2017, Actors: Lana Parrilla, Andrew J. West, Dania Ramirez and more, The Scenes: Regina refuses to sign her bar over to Victoria & Henry and Jacinda/Cinderella meet in present time
Samantha: Regina refuses to sign her bar over to Victoria. I loved this scene & the montage that accompanied it. Regina may not remember who she is, but she still has that same old fire & I say this as someone who had never watched an episode of this show until now. It's really fun seeing Gabrielle Anwar play a villain, and I can't wait to see where this all leads.
Marko: Henry and Jacinda/Cinderella meet in present time. I'm a big sucker for romantic stories and Henry meeting Jacinda in present time was just a perfect moment. The spark in Andrew's eyes while looking at the simple and beautiful Jacinda was just captivating.
Jennise: Roni refuses to sell her bar to the Evil Stepmother. Nearly every season I give up on this show. Either I get annoyed or I just lose track of it. But idea of the new book intrigued me. I liked this premiere a lot and am loving the feisty Roni. Her refusal to sell her bar to a bully like the Evil Stepmother was awesome. I’m looking forward to watching them fight it out over the season.
OUTLANDER, "Of Lost Things", October 1, 2017, Actors: Sam Heughan, David Berry and more, The Scenes: Jamie says goodbye to Willie & Jamie asks John to raise his son
Kristie: Jamie says goodbye to Willie. The little boy didn't understand why his closest friend was leaving, but Jamie knew it had to happen... even if it meant never seeing his son again. Little Willie ran after Jamie, but Jamie was stoic on the outside, never turning around. Even though Jamie was physically free, he'll never truly be free separated from his son. Also picked by Darth Locke
Jennise: Jamie asks John to raise his son. One of the bright spots of the episode was Jamie finally getting to spend some time raising one of his children. But given his position on the estate and the consequences for his son if the truth is known, he realizes he has to leave Willie. He asks John to, not only look out for the boy, but to act as a father to him. It’s a lot to ask and Jamie’s willing to sleep with John as payment. John’s reaction was priceless. John then tells Jamie he’s engaged and Jamie’s reaction to that piece of news was priceless.
STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, "Context Is for Kings", October 1, 2017, Actors: Sonequa Martin-Green, Jason Isaacs and more, The Scenes: Michael is proved wrong by Captain Lorca & Captain Lorca secures the creature on the ship
Milo: Michael being proved wrong(?) by Captain Lorca was a great moment that allowed Jason Isaacs to shine. This episode was a much improved one from the pilot and this was a standout scene for me, with Lorca showing Michael the true purpose of Discovery to create a technology that will enable instant travel across entire planets in the blink of an eye. Those experienced with the Trek franchise will know things don't quite turn out that way, so immediately, a sense of foreboding is created that will be very interesting to watch unfold as the season progresses.
Darth Locke: Although I did like the first two episodes, episode three really gives a lot more to ponder about by setting the stage for a very sci-fi covert cold war-like story. The word "displacement" was mentioned in relation to the other science ship's experiments, possibly suggesting it may not come from this universe! Isaacs' character did his best to convince Michael she was wrong about everything, but having him secretly secure the creature on his ship accompanied by some rather interesting and controversial speeches, proves this man has some duplicitous leanings and is willing to go places other Star Fleet Captains wouldn't. I'm rather intrigued.
THE BLACKLIST, "Greyson Blaise", October 4, 2017, Actors: James Spader and more
The Scene: Red pretends to be part of the security team
George: Red pretends to be part of the security team and walks into Blaise’s house to steal something. It was hilarious to see him boss everyone around and everyone believe him.
THE GIFTED, "eXposed", October 2, 2017, Actors: Stephen Moyer, Jamie Chung, Percy Hynes White and more, The Scene: The final chase scene
Justyna: Such a strong start for this new show. We got introduced to the new, yet familiar, world and a number of interesting, complex characters. I absolutely loved Strucker family and how much they were fighting for and supporting each other throughout the hour. Though the parents didn't know about their kids' powers they didn't hesitate to leave everything behind just to keep their children safe. And the brother-sister dynamics are already one of my favorite things about the show. The moment when everyone meets at the end and has to quickly unite to run from the common enemy was both very intense and significant for the story. While I expected that somebody would get left behind, it didn't take away from the emotional impact of that loss. Also, I loved the use of all the powers in that final scene. Blink saved the day by opening the portal for everyone to get away, but it's Andy's power that hit me the most. Just the shot of him destroying these seemingly indestructible weapons was truly powerful. It's a great ending for the premiere and even better start for the next chapter of the story. Very excited to see what this show will do in the future episodes. Kudos!
Milo: The final chase scene with Blink using her powers to help the group escape from the building was great. The emotional buildup to seeing Reed Strucker left behind was a powerful one, and given that Blink is one of my favourite X-Men characters, it was great to see that it looks like she's playing a key role in this series too. The tension and stakes felt very high over the course of this episode and culminated in an excellent final act that establishes this show as one of the best new series of the fall season. Also picked by Darth Locke
Jennise: That final chase scene. “Deploy the weapon sir” just had an ominous ring to it. Those mechanical spider thingies were kinda scary and fast and relentless. I was nearly holding my breath through the entire sequence and I rarely do that. Just seeing numerous red lights appear through the warehouse. Just when we thought everyone was through….dag rabbit!
THE GOLDBERGS, "Hogan Is My Grandfather", October 4, 2017, Actors: Sean Giambrone and more
The Scene: Adam shows his class a video of Pop's real war story
Samantha: Heroes do come in all shapes and sizes & everything that a person does is important, regardless of whether they're on the front line or behind the scenes and I really liked the message that this sent out.
THE GOOD DOCTOR, "Mount Rushmore", October 2, 2017, Actors: Freddie Highmore and more, The Scene: Shaun comes back for the little girl
Justyna: I continue to very much enjoy this show and especially watching the struggles of its main character. Shaun is just such a genuinely good and caring person. He may have problem communicating but his great knowledge and determination to help people is already making him a good doctor in my eyes. This week the moment that I wanted to highlight the most is the part where he goes to the little girl's house, worried that her condition is worse than everyone believes it to be. In the flashbacks we see how hard this action is for him and we recognize the important change in his adult life. Not only he refuses to leave without checking on the girl, he gets her to the hospital right away and saves her life in the process. Seeing the memories of his brother's accident in parallel with this scene was quite heartbreaking but it was a significant moment for Shaun and I was glad that he got to be proud about his actions in the end. Freddie Highmore's performance is fantastic and the story of his character's evolution is being beautifully told. Kudos to cast & crew for another great episode!
THE GOOD PLACE, "Team Cockroach", October 5, 2017, Actors: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson
The Scene: Eleanor asks Michael if Chidi's ever refused to help her
Klutzy girl: Eleanor asks Michael if Chidi's ever not helped her, and he tells her that in every single attempt, he has. I love Eleanor/Chidi so much and this just proves to me they're meant to be together.
THIS IS US, "A Manny-Splendored Thing", October 3, 2017, Actors: Milo Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore, Chrissy Metz, Hannah Zeile, The Scenes: Kate and Rebecca fight after her performance & Jack tells young Kate he's an alcoholic
Kristie: The fight between Rebecca and Kate. That was rough and raw. When it was over, nothing felt resolved. Mothers and daughters have such a complicated relationship, especially these two Pearson women. Also picked by Marko
Luana: Jack tells young Kate he's an alcoholic. The relationship between father and daughter is so touching, the way both times she took his face in her hands and told him everything was going to be okay, such amazing acting. You know This Is Us is back when you're crying like a baby once a week.
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: CULT, "Holes", October 3, 2017, Actors: Evan Peters, Alison Pill and more
The Scene: Ivy and the rest of the clan kill RJ
DarkUFO: Kai makes Ivy and the rest of his clan kill RJ with a nailgun, each taking turns to fire a nail into his skull. One of the few scenes this year that was difficult to watch.
Kristie: The entire episode was a 30-minute history lesson in the form of a Hamilton musical... but if I have to pick one scene, it would be the song about freedom. The slaves joyfully sang about all the things they'd do now that they're free (owning businesses, getting loans, not worrying about burning crosses or getting sprayed with hoses). It was kind of a painful tongue-in-cheek scene because we all know that's not what happened. Black-ish doesn't shy away from calling out history and current events, in hopes of sparking societal discussions.
BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, "The Big House Pt. 2", October 3, 2017, Actors: Andre Braugher and more
The Scene: Holt pretends to be straight
Laura: This is self-explanatory.
Samantha: I thought this was a brilliant scene and a great follow-up on last week. Reid has obviously been changed by everything he has been through, and a lot of people, including himself, will doubt him. But Emily's faith is unwavering. She could've been concerned over his comments & kept him out of the field, but instead she acknowledged it and reassured Reid how he was feeling was perfectly natural. I like when the show takes a bit of time out from the case of the week stuff, and gives us these character moments, because it's why we've stuck around for 13 years.
Luana: Amelia asks for Maggie's help. I loved this scene, it was a nice bonding moment between them and showed no matter how stubborn Amelia is, she knows who to go to for help. She picked people that would push her to do the right thing, and that's a very mature thing to do even if that hasn't been her most prominent feature before. But the whole tumor thing is being wonderfully handled, the fact that Amelia suddenly starts questioning every single decision in her life is so heartbreaking, and her reason for not wanting to tell Mer made so much sense, that has to be the worst "I told you so" in history, even if Mer was never going to say it.
Klutzy girl: After Meredith finds out about Amelia's tumor, she shows up and jumps into the bed to comfort her. Their relationship has come so far and I'm hoping it improves from here.
Luana: Annalise slays at court and wins the case. Now, we all know how amazing Viola Davis is, and we all know Annalise kills it every time she gets the spotlight in a courtroom, especially when she fights for those who have nothing. But this speech was particularly transcendental, her talking about how one decision from a biased person in the judicial system can ruin somebody's life and take away any chance for a better life, it was heartbreaking and empowering, and she's a damn goddess (both Viola and Annalise). This episode should've been the premiere and this is how we need HTGAWM to continue moving forward.
Marko: Jasmine tells her story to Annalise. Chills! What a brilliant monologue by L. Scott Caldwell. HTGAWM's second season 4 episode was a brilliant outing and it was so hard to choose just one scene. A heartbreaking and raw performance penned by Maya Goldsmith just changed the whole episode.
Justyna: It's so good to have the show back. It happens to be one of my favorite combinations of heartwarming, action-packed, emotional and hilarious stories that I've ever seen. There are some great shows out there which perfectly represent their genres but I rarely see a series with such a wonderful balance between a comedy, drama and an action show. And the scene I wanted to highlight this week is a fun example of what makes Lethal Weapon so unique. After his time in Mexico and the death of his wife's murderer Riggs is doing his best to move on. He's far from healthy and "normal" that he tries to be, but at least he's trying to stay hopeful and open for what life brings him. This week he's reunited with Palmer and he attempts to fix what's broken between them. In this moment, Riggs, Murtaugh and Captain Avery visit the morgue and try to figure out the next lead for their case when Palmer calls. All the advices Martin gets from his friends right away were hilarious. And so were their reactions when they realize what Palmer's planning, and start running to beat her to it. All these guys have wonderful dynamics and it was a joy to watch all their interactions this week. Kudos to cast & crew for another great episode!
Samantha: Regina refuses to sign her bar over to Victoria. I loved this scene & the montage that accompanied it. Regina may not remember who she is, but she still has that same old fire & I say this as someone who had never watched an episode of this show until now. It's really fun seeing Gabrielle Anwar play a villain, and I can't wait to see where this all leads.
Marko: Henry and Jacinda/Cinderella meet in present time. I'm a big sucker for romantic stories and Henry meeting Jacinda in present time was just a perfect moment. The spark in Andrew's eyes while looking at the simple and beautiful Jacinda was just captivating.
Jennise: Roni refuses to sell her bar to the Evil Stepmother. Nearly every season I give up on this show. Either I get annoyed or I just lose track of it. But idea of the new book intrigued me. I liked this premiere a lot and am loving the feisty Roni. Her refusal to sell her bar to a bully like the Evil Stepmother was awesome. I’m looking forward to watching them fight it out over the season.
Kristie: Jamie says goodbye to Willie. The little boy didn't understand why his closest friend was leaving, but Jamie knew it had to happen... even if it meant never seeing his son again. Little Willie ran after Jamie, but Jamie was stoic on the outside, never turning around. Even though Jamie was physically free, he'll never truly be free separated from his son. Also picked by Darth Locke
Jennise: Jamie asks John to raise his son. One of the bright spots of the episode was Jamie finally getting to spend some time raising one of his children. But given his position on the estate and the consequences for his son if the truth is known, he realizes he has to leave Willie. He asks John to, not only look out for the boy, but to act as a father to him. It’s a lot to ask and Jamie’s willing to sleep with John as payment. John’s reaction was priceless. John then tells Jamie he’s engaged and Jamie’s reaction to that piece of news was priceless.
Milo: Michael being proved wrong(?) by Captain Lorca was a great moment that allowed Jason Isaacs to shine. This episode was a much improved one from the pilot and this was a standout scene for me, with Lorca showing Michael the true purpose of Discovery to create a technology that will enable instant travel across entire planets in the blink of an eye. Those experienced with the Trek franchise will know things don't quite turn out that way, so immediately, a sense of foreboding is created that will be very interesting to watch unfold as the season progresses.
Darth Locke: Although I did like the first two episodes, episode three really gives a lot more to ponder about by setting the stage for a very sci-fi covert cold war-like story. The word "displacement" was mentioned in relation to the other science ship's experiments, possibly suggesting it may not come from this universe! Isaacs' character did his best to convince Michael she was wrong about everything, but having him secretly secure the creature on his ship accompanied by some rather interesting and controversial speeches, proves this man has some duplicitous leanings and is willing to go places other Star Fleet Captains wouldn't. I'm rather intrigued.
THE BLACKLIST, "Greyson Blaise", October 4, 2017, Actors: James Spader and more
The Scene: Red pretends to be part of the security team
George: Red pretends to be part of the security team and walks into Blaise’s house to steal something. It was hilarious to see him boss everyone around and everyone believe him.
Justyna: Such a strong start for this new show. We got introduced to the new, yet familiar, world and a number of interesting, complex characters. I absolutely loved Strucker family and how much they were fighting for and supporting each other throughout the hour. Though the parents didn't know about their kids' powers they didn't hesitate to leave everything behind just to keep their children safe. And the brother-sister dynamics are already one of my favorite things about the show. The moment when everyone meets at the end and has to quickly unite to run from the common enemy was both very intense and significant for the story. While I expected that somebody would get left behind, it didn't take away from the emotional impact of that loss. Also, I loved the use of all the powers in that final scene. Blink saved the day by opening the portal for everyone to get away, but it's Andy's power that hit me the most. Just the shot of him destroying these seemingly indestructible weapons was truly powerful. It's a great ending for the premiere and even better start for the next chapter of the story. Very excited to see what this show will do in the future episodes. Kudos!
Milo: The final chase scene with Blink using her powers to help the group escape from the building was great. The emotional buildup to seeing Reed Strucker left behind was a powerful one, and given that Blink is one of my favourite X-Men characters, it was great to see that it looks like she's playing a key role in this series too. The tension and stakes felt very high over the course of this episode and culminated in an excellent final act that establishes this show as one of the best new series of the fall season. Also picked by Darth Locke
Jennise: That final chase scene. “Deploy the weapon sir” just had an ominous ring to it. Those mechanical spider thingies were kinda scary and fast and relentless. I was nearly holding my breath through the entire sequence and I rarely do that. Just seeing numerous red lights appear through the warehouse.
THE GOLDBERGS, "Hogan Is My Grandfather", October 4, 2017, Actors: Sean Giambrone and more
The Scene: Adam shows his class a video of Pop's real war story
Samantha: Heroes do come in all shapes and sizes & everything that a person does is important, regardless of whether they're on the front line or behind the scenes and I really liked the message that this sent out.
Justyna: I continue to very much enjoy this show and especially watching the struggles of its main character. Shaun is just such a genuinely good and caring person. He may have problem communicating but his great knowledge and determination to help people is already making him a good doctor in my eyes. This week the moment that I wanted to highlight the most is the part where he goes to the little girl's house, worried that her condition is worse than everyone believes it to be. In the flashbacks we see how hard this action is for him and we recognize the important change in his adult life. Not only he refuses to leave without checking on the girl, he gets her to the hospital right away and saves her life in the process. Seeing the memories of his brother's accident in parallel with this scene was quite heartbreaking but it was a significant moment for Shaun and I was glad that he got to be proud about his actions in the end. Freddie Highmore's performance is fantastic and the story of his character's evolution is being beautifully told. Kudos to cast & crew for another great episode!
THE GOOD PLACE, "Team Cockroach", October 5, 2017, Actors: Kristen Bell, Ted Danson
The Scene: Eleanor asks Michael if Chidi's ever refused to help her
Klutzy girl: Eleanor asks Michael if Chidi's ever not helped her, and he tells her that in every single attempt, he has. I love Eleanor/Chidi so much and this just proves to me they're meant to be together.
Kristie: The fight between Rebecca and Kate. That was rough and raw. When it was over, nothing felt resolved. Mothers and daughters have such a complicated relationship, especially these two Pearson women. Also picked by Marko
Luana: Jack tells young Kate he's an alcoholic. The relationship between father and daughter is so touching, the way both times she took his face in her hands and told him everything was going to be okay, such amazing acting. You know This Is Us is back when you're crying like a baby once a week.
