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.
9-1-1, "Athena Begins", November 4, 2019, Actors: Angela Bassett, Peter Krause
The Scene: Athena breaks over her fiance's death
Klutzy girl: Athena finally breaks over her fiance's death. The entire episode, she hunted down his murderer, determined to find him. And when she finally did, she broke - thirty years of pent-up grief came pouring out of her at once, and I'm so glad Bobby was there for her. It was an amazing, painful scene with some fantastic acting by Angela Bassett.
ARROW, "Present Tense", November 5, 2019, Actors: Stephen Amell, Katherine McNamara, Ben Lewis and more, The Scenes: Oliver brings his kids home & The opening scene
Justyna: This episode was full of emotional, memorable moments. Choosing just one to highlight was not an easy choice. Since the powerful opening is already included in the article I decided to go with a quiet but deeply meaningful scene when Oliver takes his kids home and finally has a chance to learn something important about them. It's clear that the two didn't grow up with their father, but Oliver hopes that at least they found each other. The expression on his face when he learns they only just met is heartbreaking. Stephen Amell has been doing an exceptional job with his performance this season but he truly shined in all those scenes between Oliver, Mia and William. My favorite interaction has to be the one between Oliver and William, right after Mia leaves the room to rest. William advises his dad not to involve Felicity until they have a better understanding of their situation and at this point Oliver needs to hear something, anything good about the future. He's very proud to hear about his son's successful business but even more when William tells his father that he's gay. Oliver's reaction is absolutely perfect in this moment. He's happy to hear William opening up to him and admits that he knew all along. It turns out that Oliver and Felicity were just waiting and hoping that one day William will feel comfortable enough to share this news with his parents. The knowledge that he never got that chance is painful, Oliver even apologizes for not allowing his son to have that opportunity but at least they share this moment. A beautiful part full of love, understanding and sadness about all the little things they never got to have. Both Stephen Amell and Ben Lewis are wonderful in this scene. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them together. In fact I can't wait to watch Oliver and his kids learn more about each other, for however long they might have. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for all their work!
Marko: The opening scene. Exceptional opening to another strong episode. The intensity and amount of raw emotions was perfectly handled as the actors put in all they‘ve got. Especially impressed by the performance of Joseph whose shock of seeing his dad was palpable through the screen. Happy and heartbroken like everyone present in the scene.
BATWOMAN, "Mine Is a Long and a Sad Tale", November 3, 2019, Actors: Rachel Skarsten, Dougray Scott, Gracyn Shinyei, Ava Sleeth and more, The Scenes: Beth confronts her father & Beth is almost found
Justyna: This one really did turn out to be a long and a sad tale. We've seen flashbacks where Kate and her father were doing everything in their power to find Beth, but this time we got a glimpse of her tragic side of the story. There were two moments during the episode that stood out for me the most and since the "almost rescue" is already included in the article let me highlight the confrontation between Jacob Kane and his adult daughter Beth/Alice. Jacob has been in denial from the beginning of the show, he's refused to acknowledge the fact that his own daughter could become a monster and a murderer that the Crows have been chasing. All the things he has recently learned finally come to a head when his search for Kate puts him right in front of his enemy - Alice. A simple question "Where is Kate?" prompts a powerful and emotional response that he didn't see coming. Alice loses her temper, angry that all her father cares about is his other daughter, never her. She asks him when was the last time he thought and cared about Beth. She lets out all of her feelings about being left behind, about the fact that he didn't even believe her when she called him, asking for help all those years ago. He also told his men to kill her, gave up on her completely. And finally, Jacob admits to himself she truly is Beth and reaches out to her, calls her his daughter. He lowers his gun and she uses this opportunity to stab him. Her face expression changes immediately, she's back to her cold, calculated, mad self. But before she does all that her pain is clear, she might not be in her right mind, but I do believe all her words were true. And everything about this broken family feels tragic. You can't help but wonder what could have been if only Jacob and Kate did find Beth trapped in that house many years earlier... Rachel Skarsten is doing a wonderful job as Alice/Beth since the start of the show, she was especially great during this hour. Dougray Scott also gave a powerful and memorable performance during this confrontation. I'm very interested to see where this troubled family goes from here. Kudos to cast & crew for their work!
Abby: Young Beth keeps silent when Young Kate comes to look for her. In a flashback episode we see what happened after the Kane family accident. Beth was held captive in a basement by a madman but at one point she was close to freedom. She was able to make a phone call to her father and he and Kate arrive at the traced location. But Beth was told before that if anyone comes to look for her they will be killed. At one point Kate is standing right outside the door of the room Beth is locked in, calling for her sister, but Beth remains silent in fear for her family. We see Beth mouthing for her sister to help her and that she loves her. Kate leaves without knowing her sister was inches away. Beth becomes Alice years later. It's a tragic and powerful scene because of the what-ifs involved and the heartbreak on Beth's face. She's so scared but she still thinks her sister will save her.
EVIL, "Let x = 9", November 7, 2019, Actors: Katja Herbers, Michael Emerson, The Scene: Kristen cuts Leland's neck
Laura B: Just woah! The ball is finally starting the roll on this series, allowing the characters to become more and more complicated. Kristen's a character that on the surface seems almost homely and above violence, but her sharp sensibility to protect her children and her mother from Leland was surprisingly apt, as she grabs a large butcher knife from the kitchen, takes him to her office, pins up against the wall and makes a serious threat by cutting across his neck, telling him he has 20 minutes to get to a hospital. It's not that I didn't think Kristen has teeth, I just wasn't expecting to see it so soon!
FOR ALL MANKIND, "Prime Crew", November 8, 2019, Actors: Joel Kinnaman, Sonya Walger and more, The Scene: The ending montage
Milo: Setting catchy upbeat music to astronauts walking towards their spaceships is this show's greatest strength, and it catches the inspirational feel of what it must be like to witness the first woman from your country to be headed into space brilliantly. Reading the room, Ed lets Molly walk ahead of him and take the lead on this operation - with the trio bonding over some gallows humour once they finally board Apollo 15. The music - set to The World Song by Petula Clark, let the episode end on a rewarding high note that has me eagerly looking forward to episode five and a return to the moon, with even greater agency than Armstrong's mission.
GREENLEAF, "Gratitude", November 5, 2019, Actors: Lynn Whitfield, Deborah Joy Winans, The Scene: Lady Mae scolds Charity for her choices
WK: The S4 finale was incredibly delicious with its fiery confrontations and unexpected revelations, but one of the highlights of the episode involved Lady Mae finally scolding Charity for her poor choices. In a feeble attempt to make face, the youngest daughter boldly lies to her mother about outing Grace’s secret to Phil, resulting in Mae doing what she does best - devouring others with her words. Unmoved by Charity’s deceit, Mae takes it upon herself to unpack the repercussions surrounding her daughter’s betrayal. I can’t reiterate how much I cherish Lynn Whitfield’s poise because it adds to how refined her delivery is. “Do damage to even one small part of that life and the WHOLE life suffers... He is smart enough to make a big fool out of you and that is the extent of his genius.” You could just feel the wrath of Mae’s intimidation consume the room and for that we must give respect to Lynn’s performance.
HIS DARK MATERIALS, "Lyra's Jordan", November 3, 2019, Actors: Dafne Keen, James McAvoy and more, The Scene: Lyra watches Asriel leave
Justyna: This has been an interesting start of the show. I have never read the books, but I'm familiar with the story and I have every intention to keep following this adaptation. I very much enjoyed learning more about this world and its characters during the premiere and I found myself most invested in a complicated relationship between Lyra and Asriel. They had a few unexpected interactions throughout the hour but the one that hit me the most was Asriel's sudden departure when he chooses to (once again) leave Lyra behind. He seems rather cold, distant towards her, but their short exchange during this scene revealed that there's more to them than meets the eye. His reaction when she asks about her parents' death changes his expression for a moment. He hesitates, seems to almost hide a more emotional response and gives a sad, short answer to Lyra's question. She turns away from him and he flies away, as little Roger yells at him, telling Asriel just how special Lyra is. There seems to be a bigger picture set in Asriel's mind, though, with his reply being "Everyone is special." All the actors did a great job during this scene, I had an impression we got a glimpse of a different side of Lord Asriel that he doesn't display often. The cinematography, music and the setting all worked well for me too. Kudos!
Milo: Lyra watches her Uncle leave. After learning more about Dust and the North, this set-piece moment was a big, important spectacle for His Dark Materials to deliver and it more than met the bill, seeing Lord Asriel leave Oxford in the airship knowing that he was no longer safe and people were after him for his information that he knows. Seeing Lyra watch her uncle leave so soon after seeing him again hit the emotional level effectively, and it was believably acted by the brilliant Dafne Keen and James McAvoy.
LEGACIES, "Since When Do You Speak Japanese?", November 7, 2019, Actors: Danielle Rose Russell, Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant, The Scene: A possessed Lizzie faces Josie and Hope
Marko: Quite impressed by the performance from Jenny Boyd as she was split between Lizzie and Oni. The heartbreak of Sebastian‘s „non-existance“ combined with the torturous struggle within her brought out one of Jenny‘s better performances on the show so far.
MAYANS MC, "Hunahpu", November 5, 2019, Actors: Clayton Cardenas, Ray McKinnon
The Scene: Potter tells Angel his son was born
Beth: Angel learning that he was a father was extremely bittersweet because he could very well never meet his son. Here was Angel in such a juxaposition of happiness over becoming a father, and despair because that picture of his son is all he may ever get. Few words were needed thanks to the physical way Cardenas played this moment, I felt Angel's pain just by reading his face.
NEW AMSTERDAM, "Good Soldiers", November 5, 2019, Actors: Anupam Kher, Tyler Labine and more, The Scene: Dr. Kapoor performs in Iggy's play
DJRiter: Kapoor standing in to perform for his patient in Iggy’s play- The normally quiet and reserved Kapoor reaches down and channels some old fears and anger when portraying a wounded soldier in Iggy’s unusual therapy method of performing a play by Sophocles. He had stepped in for his patient who had found performing too triggering. This was a doctor going above and beyond for his patient and Kher was incredible and heart-rending in Kapoor’s performance in the production. New Amsterdam continues to grow and is becoming one of the best crafted dramas on television with a stellar cast.
STUMPTOWN, "Dex, Drugs and Rock & Roll", November 6, 2019, Actors: Cobie Smulders, Jake Johnson, Cole Sibus, The Scene: Grey and Dex reassure Ansel about staying friends
Klutzy girl: Grey and Dex reassure a worried Ansel that the former isn't going anywhere despite the fact that they're fighting. The three of them are definitely a family, and this was such a sweet moment. I love that they temporarily pushed past their own problems to address this issue and make sure Ansel knew nothing was going to change.
DJRiter: Dex and Grey stop mid fight to reassure Ansel – The strained relationship and tension brewing between Dex and Grey reached a fevered pitch as they angrily argued outside Grey’s office while trying to coax Ansel to come out. Their raised words caused a triggered Ansel to yell at them to shut up and confess his fear that one or both were going away because apparently whenever their parents argued one of them went away. Dex and Grey set aside their differences long enough to reassure him that was not the case. Smulders and Johnson’s timing during the argument was spot on, but it was Sibus who stole the scene with his outburst and confession that his greatest fear was going to happen. Ansel’s words and reactions told us volumes more about Dex and her brother’s troubled past and Sibus stood out in that moment.
SUPERGIRL, "Dangerous Liaisons", November 3, 2019, Actors: Jesse Rath, Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh, The Scene: Brainy becomes a host for an alien assassin during interrogation
DJRiter: Brainy allowing himself to be a host for the alien assassin spider tatoos being questioned by Alex and Supergirl. From attempting the swagger of Brainy channeling his idol Keanu Reeves to come up with a code word to activate and deactivate the meta assassin to his instantaneous maniacal demeanor, Jesse Rath’s Brainy owned this scene. His split-second shifts from one character to the next were masterful as was the slight comedic edge to his response to Alex’s snapped, “Pop quiz, hotshot” when an upset Supergirl left the interrogation. Rath has been one of the best cast additions to Supergirl in recent years.
SUPERNATURAL, "Atomic Monsters", November 7, 2019, Actors: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and more, The Scene: The opening scene
Klutzy girl: The glimpse into the AU that Sam dreamed. It's so interesting and fascinating to see what could have happened, and I'd love to know why the world turned out that way. Why did Sam fall off the wagon and end up killing everybody? I can't wait to learn more about what's going on.
THE AFFAIR, "511", November 3, 2019, Actors: Dominic West, Anna Paquin and more, The Scene: Noah tells Joanie Alison's story
Laura B: Noah tells Joanie Alison's story and gives her good advice. This is one of the best series finales I have ever seen! Between the two song versions of Whole of the Moon being a strong through line from start to finish, Helen and Noah finally coming together with Helen being more honest, The Flash Mob at the wedding, Whitney taking good advice from a rarely kind & lucid Bruce, coming together with her siblings, and Noah rising above it all made it one of the most bittersweet, albeit hopeful endings that I'm not sure anyone expected. I chose this scene though because it proved how much Noah had changed and marked a sense of atonement for the consequences of his and Alison's affair by telling Joanie Alison's story (and not his own) and encouraging her to not give up on her marriage, but especially her own children. He saved Joanie from herself by revealing the truth and that's something I think Alison would have really wanted. It felt like the end of some great long lost American novel. It couldn't have been more perfect, considering what the writers had to work with.
THE GOOD DOCTOR, "45-Degree Angle", November 4, 2019, Actors: Freddie Highmore, Jasika Nicole, The Scene: Carly and Shaun have the talk
Naomi: Carly reveals to Shaun that she is upset because he allows other people to speak for him when he has an issue in their relationship. Shaun apologizes, but then he asks Carly why she neglected to invite him to a get together she had with friends. She is honest and says that she assumed Shaun would be uncomfortable with her friends. He opens up to her, telling her that when he was younger his father's friends would come over and make fun of the way he talked. Carly apologizes and tells Shaun that she was not a very good girlfriend for that decision. This makes Shaun realize he is a boyfriend. Shaun is excited that the status of their relationship is cemented. What a sweet and poignant scene! Carly and Shaun both needed to get things off their chests. With an honest talk, they were able to clear up the misconceptions. Hats of the Freddie and Jasika for making Shaun and Carly's relationship journey so believable!
THIS IS US, "The Dinner and the Date", November 5, 2019, Actors: Susan Kelechi Watson, Sterling K. Brown, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Omar Epps, The Scene: The fight over Deja and Malik
WK: In an emotionally heated scene, Beth and Kelly come to verbal blows upon the negative impact that Deja and Malik had on one another. Both Susan and Marsha were powerhouses as their characters firmly stood by their children’s side without faltering. It was a raw moment that summoned a new side of Beth that viewers hadn’t seen before. Before the women’s confrontation escalated, the men found themselves at odds with one another over a disparaging comment that Randall made towards Darnell. Such tension conveyed the nuances surrounding classism that keeps the Hodges and the Pearsons separated, which is incredibly intriguing from the perspective of two different black families. I hope to see more of Omar and Stephanie in the future because they brought out some of the strongest material Sterling and Susan worked with.
WATCHMEN, "She Was Killed by Space Junk", November 3, 2019, Actors: Jean Smart and more, The Scene: The opening bank robbery sequence
Milo: This was such a nice surprise and I like how the show introduced Jean Smart's Laurie Blake, taking down and surprising a vigilante with the help of fellow FBI Agents disguised as innocent victims of a bank robbery. This had echoes of Justified's famous bank robbery scene where Raylan walked in alone and I loved how cool, confident and collective Smart was here.
9-1-1, "Athena Begins", November 4, 2019, Actors: Angela Bassett, Peter Krause
The Scene: Athena breaks over her fiance's death
Klutzy girl: Athena finally breaks over her fiance's death. The entire episode, she hunted down his murderer, determined to find him. And when she finally did, she broke - thirty years of pent-up grief came pouring out of her at once, and I'm so glad Bobby was there for her. It was an amazing, painful scene with some fantastic acting by Angela Bassett.
Justyna: This episode was full of emotional, memorable moments. Choosing just one to highlight was not an easy choice. Since the powerful opening is already included in the article I decided to go with a quiet but deeply meaningful scene when Oliver takes his kids home and finally has a chance to learn something important about them. It's clear that the two didn't grow up with their father, but Oliver hopes that at least they found each other. The expression on his face when he learns they only just met is heartbreaking. Stephen Amell has been doing an exceptional job with his performance this season but he truly shined in all those scenes between Oliver, Mia and William. My favorite interaction has to be the one between Oliver and William, right after Mia leaves the room to rest. William advises his dad not to involve Felicity until they have a better understanding of their situation and at this point Oliver needs to hear something, anything good about the future. He's very proud to hear about his son's successful business but even more when William tells his father that he's gay. Oliver's reaction is absolutely perfect in this moment. He's happy to hear William opening up to him and admits that he knew all along. It turns out that Oliver and Felicity were just waiting and hoping that one day William will feel comfortable enough to share this news with his parents. The knowledge that he never got that chance is painful, Oliver even apologizes for not allowing his son to have that opportunity but at least they share this moment. A beautiful part full of love, understanding and sadness about all the little things they never got to have. Both Stephen Amell and Ben Lewis are wonderful in this scene. I'm looking forward to seeing more of them together. In fact I can't wait to watch Oliver and his kids learn more about each other, for however long they might have. Kudos to the entire cast & crew for all their work!
Marko: The opening scene. Exceptional opening to another strong episode. The intensity and amount of raw emotions was perfectly handled as the actors put in all they‘ve got. Especially impressed by the performance of Joseph whose shock of seeing his dad was palpable through the screen. Happy and heartbroken like everyone present in the scene.
Justyna: This one really did turn out to be a long and a sad tale. We've seen flashbacks where Kate and her father were doing everything in their power to find Beth, but this time we got a glimpse of her tragic side of the story. There were two moments during the episode that stood out for me the most and since the "almost rescue" is already included in the article let me highlight the confrontation between Jacob Kane and his adult daughter Beth/Alice. Jacob has been in denial from the beginning of the show, he's refused to acknowledge the fact that his own daughter could become a monster and a murderer that the Crows have been chasing. All the things he has recently learned finally come to a head when his search for Kate puts him right in front of his enemy - Alice. A simple question "Where is Kate?" prompts a powerful and emotional response that he didn't see coming. Alice loses her temper, angry that all her father cares about is his other daughter, never her. She asks him when was the last time he thought and cared about Beth. She lets out all of her feelings about being left behind, about the fact that he didn't even believe her when she called him, asking for help all those years ago. He also told his men to kill her, gave up on her completely. And finally, Jacob admits to himself she truly is Beth and reaches out to her, calls her his daughter. He lowers his gun and she uses this opportunity to stab him. Her face expression changes immediately, she's back to her cold, calculated, mad self. But before she does all that her pain is clear, she might not be in her right mind, but I do believe all her words were true. And everything about this broken family feels tragic. You can't help but wonder what could have been if only Jacob and Kate did find Beth trapped in that house many years earlier... Rachel Skarsten is doing a wonderful job as Alice/Beth since the start of the show, she was especially great during this hour. Dougray Scott also gave a powerful and memorable performance during this confrontation. I'm very interested to see where this troubled family goes from here. Kudos to cast & crew for their work!
Abby: Young Beth keeps silent when Young Kate comes to look for her. In a flashback episode we see what happened after the Kane family accident. Beth was held captive in a basement by a madman but at one point she was close to freedom. She was able to make a phone call to her father and he and Kate arrive at the traced location. But Beth was told before that if anyone comes to look for her they will be killed. At one point Kate is standing right outside the door of the room Beth is locked in, calling for her sister, but Beth remains silent in fear for her family. We see Beth mouthing for her sister to help her and that she loves her. Kate leaves without knowing her sister was inches away. Beth becomes Alice years later. It's a tragic and powerful scene because of the what-ifs involved and the heartbreak on Beth's face. She's so scared but she still thinks her sister will save her.
Laura B: Just woah! The ball is finally starting the roll on this series, allowing the characters to become more and more complicated. Kristen's a character that on the surface seems almost homely and above violence, but her sharp sensibility to protect her children and her mother from Leland was surprisingly apt, as she grabs a large butcher knife from the kitchen, takes him to her office, pins up against the wall and makes a serious threat by cutting across his neck, telling him he has 20 minutes to get to a hospital. It's not that I didn't think Kristen has teeth, I just wasn't expecting to see it so soon!
Milo: Setting catchy upbeat music to astronauts walking towards their spaceships is this show's greatest strength, and it catches the inspirational feel of what it must be like to witness the first woman from your country to be headed into space brilliantly. Reading the room, Ed lets Molly walk ahead of him and take the lead on this operation - with the trio bonding over some gallows humour once they finally board Apollo 15. The music - set to The World Song by Petula Clark, let the episode end on a rewarding high note that has me eagerly looking forward to episode five and a return to the moon, with even greater agency than Armstrong's mission.
WK: The S4 finale was incredibly delicious with its fiery confrontations and unexpected revelations, but one of the highlights of the episode involved Lady Mae finally scolding Charity for her poor choices. In a feeble attempt to make face, the youngest daughter boldly lies to her mother about outing Grace’s secret to Phil, resulting in Mae doing what she does best - devouring others with her words. Unmoved by Charity’s deceit, Mae takes it upon herself to unpack the repercussions surrounding her daughter’s betrayal. I can’t reiterate how much I cherish Lynn Whitfield’s poise because it adds to how refined her delivery is. “Do damage to even one small part of that life and the WHOLE life suffers... He is smart enough to make a big fool out of you and that is the extent of his genius.” You could just feel the wrath of Mae’s intimidation consume the room and for that we must give respect to Lynn’s performance.
Justyna: This has been an interesting start of the show. I have never read the books, but I'm familiar with the story and I have every intention to keep following this adaptation. I very much enjoyed learning more about this world and its characters during the premiere and I found myself most invested in a complicated relationship between Lyra and Asriel. They had a few unexpected interactions throughout the hour but the one that hit me the most was Asriel's sudden departure when he chooses to (once again) leave Lyra behind. He seems rather cold, distant towards her, but their short exchange during this scene revealed that there's more to them than meets the eye. His reaction when she asks about her parents' death changes his expression for a moment. He hesitates, seems to almost hide a more emotional response and gives a sad, short answer to Lyra's question. She turns away from him and he flies away, as little Roger yells at him, telling Asriel just how special Lyra is. There seems to be a bigger picture set in Asriel's mind, though, with his reply being "Everyone is special." All the actors did a great job during this scene, I had an impression we got a glimpse of a different side of Lord Asriel that he doesn't display often. The cinematography, music and the setting all worked well for me too. Kudos!
Milo: Lyra watches her Uncle leave. After learning more about Dust and the North, this set-piece moment was a big, important spectacle for His Dark Materials to deliver and it more than met the bill, seeing Lord Asriel leave Oxford in the airship knowing that he was no longer safe and people were after him for his information that he knows. Seeing Lyra watch her uncle leave so soon after seeing him again hit the emotional level effectively, and it was believably acted by the brilliant Dafne Keen and James McAvoy.
LEGACIES, "Since When Do You Speak Japanese?", November 7, 2019, Actors: Danielle Rose Russell, Jenny Boyd, Kaylee Bryant, The Scene: A possessed Lizzie faces Josie and Hope
Marko: Quite impressed by the performance from Jenny Boyd as she was split between Lizzie and Oni. The heartbreak of Sebastian‘s „non-existance“ combined with the torturous struggle within her brought out one of Jenny‘s better performances on the show so far.
MAYANS MC, "Hunahpu", November 5, 2019, Actors: Clayton Cardenas, Ray McKinnon
The Scene: Potter tells Angel his son was born
Beth: Angel learning that he was a father was extremely bittersweet because he could very well never meet his son. Here was Angel in such a juxaposition of happiness over becoming a father, and despair because that picture of his son is all he may ever get. Few words were needed thanks to the physical way Cardenas played this moment, I felt Angel's pain just by reading his face.
DJRiter: Kapoor standing in to perform for his patient in Iggy’s play- The normally quiet and reserved Kapoor reaches down and channels some old fears and anger when portraying a wounded soldier in Iggy’s unusual therapy method of performing a play by Sophocles. He had stepped in for his patient who had found performing too triggering. This was a doctor going above and beyond for his patient and Kher was incredible and heart-rending in Kapoor’s performance in the production. New Amsterdam continues to grow and is becoming one of the best crafted dramas on television with a stellar cast.
Klutzy girl: Grey and Dex reassure a worried Ansel that the former isn't going anywhere despite the fact that they're fighting. The three of them are definitely a family, and this was such a sweet moment. I love that they temporarily pushed past their own problems to address this issue and make sure Ansel knew nothing was going to change.
DJRiter: Dex and Grey stop mid fight to reassure Ansel – The strained relationship and tension brewing between Dex and Grey reached a fevered pitch as they angrily argued outside Grey’s office while trying to coax Ansel to come out. Their raised words caused a triggered Ansel to yell at them to shut up and confess his fear that one or both were going away because apparently whenever their parents argued one of them went away. Dex and Grey set aside their differences long enough to reassure him that was not the case. Smulders and Johnson’s timing during the argument was spot on, but it was Sibus who stole the scene with his outburst and confession that his greatest fear was going to happen. Ansel’s words and reactions told us volumes more about Dex and her brother’s troubled past and Sibus stood out in that moment.
DJRiter: Brainy allowing himself to be a host for the alien assassin spider tatoos being questioned by Alex and Supergirl. From attempting the swagger of Brainy channeling his idol Keanu Reeves to come up with a code word to activate and deactivate the meta assassin to his instantaneous maniacal demeanor, Jesse Rath’s Brainy owned this scene. His split-second shifts from one character to the next were masterful as was the slight comedic edge to his response to Alex’s snapped, “Pop quiz, hotshot” when an upset Supergirl left the interrogation. Rath has been one of the best cast additions to Supergirl in recent years.
SUPERNATURAL, "Atomic Monsters", November 7, 2019, Actors: Jared Padalecki, Jensen Ackles and more, The Scene: The opening scene
Klutzy girl: The glimpse into the AU that Sam dreamed. It's so interesting and fascinating to see what could have happened, and I'd love to know why the world turned out that way. Why did Sam fall off the wagon and end up killing everybody? I can't wait to learn more about what's going on.
Laura B: Noah tells Joanie Alison's story and gives her good advice. This is one of the best series finales I have ever seen! Between the two song versions of Whole of the Moon being a strong through line from start to finish, Helen and Noah finally coming together with Helen being more honest, The Flash Mob at the wedding, Whitney taking good advice from a rarely kind & lucid Bruce, coming together with her siblings, and Noah rising above it all made it one of the most bittersweet, albeit hopeful endings that I'm not sure anyone expected. I chose this scene though because it proved how much Noah had changed and marked a sense of atonement for the consequences of his and Alison's affair by telling Joanie Alison's story (and not his own) and encouraging her to not give up on her marriage, but especially her own children. He saved Joanie from herself by revealing the truth and that's something I think Alison would have really wanted. It felt like the end of some great long lost American novel. It couldn't have been more perfect, considering what the writers had to work with.
Naomi: Carly reveals to Shaun that she is upset because he allows other people to speak for him when he has an issue in their relationship. Shaun apologizes, but then he asks Carly why she neglected to invite him to a get together she had with friends. She is honest and says that she assumed Shaun would be uncomfortable with her friends. He opens up to her, telling her that when he was younger his father's friends would come over and make fun of the way he talked. Carly apologizes and tells Shaun that she was not a very good girlfriend for that decision. This makes Shaun realize he is a boyfriend. Shaun is excited that the status of their relationship is cemented. What a sweet and poignant scene! Carly and Shaun both needed to get things off their chests. With an honest talk, they were able to clear up the misconceptions. Hats of the Freddie and Jasika for making Shaun and Carly's relationship journey so believable!
WK: In an emotionally heated scene, Beth and Kelly come to verbal blows upon the negative impact that Deja and Malik had on one another. Both Susan and Marsha were powerhouses as their characters firmly stood by their children’s side without faltering. It was a raw moment that summoned a new side of Beth that viewers hadn’t seen before. Before the women’s confrontation escalated, the men found themselves at odds with one another over a disparaging comment that Randall made towards Darnell. Such tension conveyed the nuances surrounding classism that keeps the Hodges and the Pearsons separated, which is incredibly intriguing from the perspective of two different black families. I hope to see more of Omar and Stephanie in the future because they brought out some of the strongest material Sterling and Susan worked with.
WATCHMEN, "She Was Killed by Space Junk", November 3, 2019, Actors: Jean Smart and more, The Scene: The opening bank robbery sequence
Milo: This was such a nice surprise and I like how the show introduced Jean Smart's Laurie Blake, taking down and surprising a vigilante with the help of fellow FBI Agents disguised as innocent victims of a bank robbery. This had echoes of Justified's famous bank robbery scene where Raylan walked in alone and I loved how cool, confident and collective Smart was here.
