A monthly 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 the past month.
A MILLION LITTLE THINGS, "Surprise", March 2, 2022, Actors: Romany Malco, Christina Moses, Adam Swain, The Scene: Tyrell comes back
Marko: As Rome's journey with depression continues it was beautiful to see his reaction to Tyrell's return. Romany Malco proves time after time how versatile and strong he is as an actor and how far his range of emotions go. Tyrell coming back to them was such a strong pull for Rome that his whole energy shifted. It was beautiful to see how such a small moment can induce Rome with so much energy to pull him out of his dark place.
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, "Desking", March 29, 2022, Actors: Chris Perfetti and more
The Scene: The group meets Jacob's boyfriend
Marko: With every episode the cast and writers of Abbott Elementary are getting more comfortable with each other which translates to the screen in hilarious ways. The way the interactions between the cast members flowed and made this scene feel so natural and hilarious just made my day. All the accolades to them.
BRIDGERTON, "Capital R Rake" & "A Bee in Your Bonnet", March 25, 2022, Actors: Jonathan Bailey, Simone Ashley, Adjoa Andoh, The Scenes: Kate opens up to Mrs. Landbury & Anthony's panic attack
Justyna: I've decided to check out the latest season of Bridgerton after reading that it's better than season one. Four episodes in and it's been good. I've especially enjoyed episode three and finally getting to know Anthony. Despite the fact that his character has been around since the beginning of the series I feel like I didn't actually know much about him until this hour. It was an interesting deep dive, watching the impact his father's death had on him and understanding all the struggles he's faced since then. The fact that it was his mother's grief that really had him shut down and avoid love at all cost certainly added another layer to his character. Considering the setting and the episode title I've spent the hour expecting someone (likely Kate) to get stung by a bee. But it still didn't prepare me for Anthony's reaction. The absolute panic and desperation on his face, him being genuinely terrified to lose another person (and one that he's starting to develop feelings for) in the same way as he lost his father - all that certainly makes for a very memorable scene. Wonderful work by Jonathan Bailey. The moment also turns out to be a turning point in Anthony and Kate's story, both expected and surprising at the same time. Great interactions between these two so far. Excited to see the rest of the season. Kudos.
Marko: Kate opens up to Mrs. Landbury. What a crucial scene for Simone's Kate. She set such a strong and powerful foundation for Kate's whole character development throughout this season. Poignant and smart, strong but fragile, Ashley expressed a spectrum of emotions that defined her character for all future developments.
CHARMED, "Unlucky Charmed", March 25, 2022, Actors: Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, The Scene: The sisters open up to each other in the woods
Marko: After losing Macy, Mel and Maggie departed on separate paths. Isolating themselves from their feelings and grieving in their individual ways, avoiding their emotions and issues. The newly presented circumstances pushed them to each other again and created a beautiful sisterly moment. Seeing the two of them escaping their repetitive ways and letting part of their pain out was heartwarming and powerful. The two of them embracing each other in their pain showed what this show is really about.
KILLING EVE, "It's Agony and I'm Ravenous", March 20, 2022, Actors: Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw, The Scene: Carolyn’s air guitar
DJRiter: Watching Fiona Shaw’s stoic and reserved Carolyn cut loose with a wicked air guitar to Villanelle’s delight will go down as one of my favorite Killing Eve scenes, if not for this season surely for the entire series. Shaw has been killing it this season, saving a lackluster end of the series.
LEGACIES, "Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost", March 10, 2022, Actor: Danielle Rose Russell, The Scene: Hope struggles with her own humanity
Marko: Such a powerful closure to an episode. Danielle just excelled in this solo scene. Expressing her pain and sadness while containing all her emotions was just so brilliantly executed. When given the proper material and being far away from Landon Danielle's Hope excels and thrives with every moment.
MOON KNIGHT, "The Goldfish Problem", March 30, 2022, Actors: Oscar Isaac and more, The Scene: The car chase
Justyna: A very intriguing and strong beginning for the series. We are introduced to the world of Steven Grant, a quiet and mild-mannered man looking for stability and lasting connection, but struggling with his lack of social skills and more importantly suffering from blackouts and memory losses. Throughout the episode we follow his struggle to live an ordinary life with sudden and extreme interruptions, increasing in frequency as the hour progresses. The best example for what it feels like to be Steven has to be the car chase scene. The quick and unexpected cuts, the absolute confusion and shock on Steven's face every time his circumstances change drastically, the lack of patience and disappointment in Khonshu's voice... The music in the background, the editing and of course Oscar Isaac's incredible performance make this scene especially memorable. I do appreciate the creators' choice to start the story from Steven's perspective. Though confusing, it is also very effective and even immersive experience. Kudos!
RESIDENT ALIEN, "An Alien in New York", March 2, 2022, Actors: Elizabeth Bowen, Corey Reynolds, The Scene: Sheriff Thompson tells Liv about losing his best friend
Prpleight: This show is filled with quirky characters. Frequently the quirk is over the top. (Which is one of the most fun things about the show.) The Sheriff has been so off the wall (with a lot of unexpected dialog) that I feared there would be no way to give the character depth without removing his uniqueness. Most shows that I've watched have made that mistake. The writers here have managed to infuse the character with depth without sacrificing his quirk. In this scene, Corey Reynolds delivers a heartbreaking recount of 20 years of friendship that ended with a death he blames himself for, all while staying true to his unique character. It's not that they added any of his dialogue shenanigans to this scene, but that the dialogue still felt true to the character. Great performances and great writing.
STAR TREK: PICARD, "Watcher", March 24, 2022, Actors: Jeri Ryan, Michelle Hurd and more, The Scene: Punk Rocker on city bus
DJRiter: To the delight of Star Trek fans everywhere season two of Star Trek: Picard has paid homage to its history and heritage by peppering great Easter eggs throughout the episodes. The best one so far came when the show recreated an iconic Kirk/Spock scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine and Michelle Hurd’s Raffi replace William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy having to take public transportation on a city bus and deal with a punk rocker and his obnoxious music. The beauty of this Easter egg is that the producers reached out and hired the original punk rocker from Star Trek IV, Kirk Thatcher to reprise his role.
SUPERMAN AND LOIS, "30 Days and 30 Nights", March 29, 2022, Actors: Alex Garfin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Dylan Walsh, The Scene: Jordan saves Lois and Sam
Justyna: Jordan's character has really grown on me this season. Watching his transformation into a hero has been a challenging and interesting journey. After defending his brother in the previous episode, he's now faced with the world without Superman and it's clear how much he wants to help everyone in his dad's absence. His growth is especially prominent when he joins his mother and grandfather in their search for an X-K manufacturing hub. Despite the severity of the situation he doesn't jump into action at the first sight of danger. Instead, he listens to Lois and stays behind in the car, waiting for her to reach out to him when the help is truly needed. He enters the building just in time to save Sam's life and when confronted by an X-K user, Jordan proves just how much more powerful and in control he is by comparison. He takes his time (using the superspeed), plans his next steps and de-escalates the situation. He even shares the same moves that Clark used back in season one. What a great reference. Also, loved the part where everything goes quiet for a few seconds and then, just as Jordan takes control of the fight, the heroic music follows his rise to victory. Calm, collected and stronger than ever. A wonderful character and action moment all in one scene. Kudos!
THE DROPOUT, "Green Juice", March 3, 2022, Actors: Amanda Seyfried, Naveen Andrews, The Scene: Elizabeth Holmes becomes The Elizabeth Holmes
Cecile: After initially looking equally frumpy and frazzled, and being called out on it by Apple's former designer, Elizabeth realizes that to be taken seriously, she is going to need to look (and sound) the part as Elizabeth Holmes: CEO of Theranos. With Sunny's reluctantly accepted green juice in hand, the uniform she'll come to be known by is finally, and slowly, revealed: dressed in black from head to toe with a nod to Steve Jobs's turtleneck sweaters, a (fraudulous) star is born. While the first three episodes were intent on showing Elizabeth's early struggles as she set off to create Theranos, this scene truly marks the point when things are going to change. Her demeanor, her voice, and her ruthless business strategy.
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL, "How Do You Get to Carnegie Hall?", March 11, 2022, Actors: Rachel Brosnahan, Luke Kirby, The Scene: Lenny talks to Midge on the stage of Carnegie Hall
Laura B: After his performance, Lenny has a serious talk with Midge on the stage of Carnegie Hall - Season four of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel at times seemed distant and maybe even uneven, but the last two episodes brought things together in a rather emotional way I was not expecting. Yes, Lenny & Midge finally get together, but the biggest emotional blow was that Lenny was so disappointed that Midge didn't accept his offer after he pulled some really big strings to get Midge out of the strip club and back doing real gigs. The fact that both of the characters whom have more progressive views would each succumb to going against what they preach with Lenny being rather capitalistic and Midge using feminism as an excuse to not challenge herself and move forward in her career was one of the most interesting gambits the show has done and feels so right, as the next season will be the show's last. I chose this scene, because I was not expecting such emotion depth, especially from Luke Kirby's Lenny Bruce --- it drove the whole season home!
THE WALKING DEAD, "Warlords", March 20, 2022, Actors: Michael Biehn, Jason Butler Harner and more, The Scene: The turning point
Lisa M: This was a terrific episode, featuring the stunt casting of Michael Biehn as Ian - the leader of a group of people. As he interrogates Carlson, Gabriel, and Aaron it seems like he's the leader of a violent group and a psychopath or possibly religious zealot. The way the episode was structured led us to have this reading on the scene, so when Carlson suddenly goes from being abjectly on his knees apparently begging for his life to disarming Ian and shooting him and killing his guards, it's a shocking surprise and the turning point of the entire episode. In fact, it's also the turning point of the season as it also reveals the hidden underbelly of the Commonwealth. As Lydia points out in the next episode, they wear masks every bit as much as the Whisperers did. Everyone is fabulous in this scene as Aaron and Gabriel try to difuse the situation and persuade Ian they aren't a threat to Biehn's performance and Harner's swift turn from seemingly merely incompetent to the true psychopath in the room.
WECRASHED, "Summer Camp", March 18, 2022, Actors: Jared Leto, Anne Hathaway, The Scene: Rebekah searches for Adam
Cecile: Adam Neumann is a family man first, a CEO second. Rebekah Neumann's idyllic life has come to a screeching halt as she learns that her father needs her help in yet another trial, and then becomes the subject of millenial ire when she declares that a woman's role is to help her man fulfill his potential. Desperate, unable to sleep as the Summer Camp party rages on a few hundred feet away, Rebekah sets off to look for Adam. As she weaves her way around the wasted WeWork teams, Adam is nowhere to be found and her face says it all: she's expecting the worst (as one would, when faced with this kind of debauchery, all instigated by Adam). Defeated, she heads back to their mansion and suddenly stumbles upon him in the garden, carefully rocking their newborn daughter. Not partying, not cheating on her with one of the many WeWork fangirls in his teams, just spending time with their child. He doesn't notice her and after watching him for a few seconds, she quietly heads back to the house, obviously relieved. The Adam/Rebekah courtship is an odd one, and I'm not saying this makes it all okay, but if there's one thing that's undeniable about their relationship, it's that Adam would do anything for Rebekah. Ultimately, his family is more important to him than anything else, including WeWork's frenzied rise (and subsequent fall).
Marko: As Rome's journey with depression continues it was beautiful to see his reaction to Tyrell's return. Romany Malco proves time after time how versatile and strong he is as an actor and how far his range of emotions go. Tyrell coming back to them was such a strong pull for Rome that his whole energy shifted. It was beautiful to see how such a small moment can induce Rome with so much energy to pull him out of his dark place.
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, "Desking", March 29, 2022, Actors: Chris Perfetti and more
The Scene: The group meets Jacob's boyfriend
Marko: With every episode the cast and writers of Abbott Elementary are getting more comfortable with each other which translates to the screen in hilarious ways. The way the interactions between the cast members flowed and made this scene feel so natural and hilarious just made my day. All the accolades to them.
Justyna: I've decided to check out the latest season of Bridgerton after reading that it's better than season one. Four episodes in and it's been good. I've especially enjoyed episode three and finally getting to know Anthony. Despite the fact that his character has been around since the beginning of the series I feel like I didn't actually know much about him until this hour. It was an interesting deep dive, watching the impact his father's death had on him and understanding all the struggles he's faced since then. The fact that it was his mother's grief that really had him shut down and avoid love at all cost certainly added another layer to his character. Considering the setting and the episode title I've spent the hour expecting someone (likely Kate) to get stung by a bee. But it still didn't prepare me for Anthony's reaction. The absolute panic and desperation on his face, him being genuinely terrified to lose another person (and one that he's starting to develop feelings for) in the same way as he lost his father - all that certainly makes for a very memorable scene. Wonderful work by Jonathan Bailey. The moment also turns out to be a turning point in Anthony and Kate's story, both expected and surprising at the same time. Great interactions between these two so far. Excited to see the rest of the season. Kudos.
Marko: Kate opens up to Mrs. Landbury. What a crucial scene for Simone's Kate. She set such a strong and powerful foundation for Kate's whole character development throughout this season. Poignant and smart, strong but fragile, Ashley expressed a spectrum of emotions that defined her character for all future developments.
Marko: After losing Macy, Mel and Maggie departed on separate paths. Isolating themselves from their feelings and grieving in their individual ways, avoiding their emotions and issues. The newly presented circumstances pushed them to each other again and created a beautiful sisterly moment. Seeing the two of them escaping their repetitive ways and letting part of their pain out was heartwarming and powerful. The two of them embracing each other in their pain showed what this show is really about.
KILLING EVE, "It's Agony and I'm Ravenous", March 20, 2022, Actors: Jodie Comer, Fiona Shaw, The Scene: Carolyn’s air guitar
DJRiter: Watching Fiona Shaw’s stoic and reserved Carolyn cut loose with a wicked air guitar to Villanelle’s delight will go down as one of my favorite Killing Eve scenes, if not for this season surely for the entire series. Shaw has been killing it this season, saving a lackluster end of the series.
LEGACIES, "Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost", March 10, 2022, Actor: Danielle Rose Russell, The Scene: Hope struggles with her own humanity
Marko: Such a powerful closure to an episode. Danielle just excelled in this solo scene. Expressing her pain and sadness while containing all her emotions was just so brilliantly executed. When given the proper material and being far away from Landon Danielle's Hope excels and thrives with every moment.
Justyna: A very intriguing and strong beginning for the series. We are introduced to the world of Steven Grant, a quiet and mild-mannered man looking for stability and lasting connection, but struggling with his lack of social skills and more importantly suffering from blackouts and memory losses. Throughout the episode we follow his struggle to live an ordinary life with sudden and extreme interruptions, increasing in frequency as the hour progresses. The best example for what it feels like to be Steven has to be the car chase scene. The quick and unexpected cuts, the absolute confusion and shock on Steven's face every time his circumstances change drastically, the lack of patience and disappointment in Khonshu's voice... The music in the background, the editing and of course Oscar Isaac's incredible performance make this scene especially memorable. I do appreciate the creators' choice to start the story from Steven's perspective. Though confusing, it is also very effective and even immersive experience. Kudos!
Prpleight: This show is filled with quirky characters. Frequently the quirk is over the top. (Which is one of the most fun things about the show.) The Sheriff has been so off the wall (with a lot of unexpected dialog) that I feared there would be no way to give the character depth without removing his uniqueness. Most shows that I've watched have made that mistake. The writers here have managed to infuse the character with depth without sacrificing his quirk. In this scene, Corey Reynolds delivers a heartbreaking recount of 20 years of friendship that ended with a death he blames himself for, all while staying true to his unique character. It's not that they added any of his dialogue shenanigans to this scene, but that the dialogue still felt true to the character. Great performances and great writing.
DJRiter: To the delight of Star Trek fans everywhere season two of Star Trek: Picard has paid homage to its history and heritage by peppering great Easter eggs throughout the episodes. The best one so far came when the show recreated an iconic Kirk/Spock scene from Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine and Michelle Hurd’s Raffi replace William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy having to take public transportation on a city bus and deal with a punk rocker and his obnoxious music. The beauty of this Easter egg is that the producers reached out and hired the original punk rocker from Star Trek IV, Kirk Thatcher to reprise his role.
Justyna: Jordan's character has really grown on me this season. Watching his transformation into a hero has been a challenging and interesting journey. After defending his brother in the previous episode, he's now faced with the world without Superman and it's clear how much he wants to help everyone in his dad's absence. His growth is especially prominent when he joins his mother and grandfather in their search for an X-K manufacturing hub. Despite the severity of the situation he doesn't jump into action at the first sight of danger. Instead, he listens to Lois and stays behind in the car, waiting for her to reach out to him when the help is truly needed. He enters the building just in time to save Sam's life and when confronted by an X-K user, Jordan proves just how much more powerful and in control he is by comparison. He takes his time (using the superspeed), plans his next steps and de-escalates the situation. He even shares the same moves that Clark used back in season one. What a great reference. Also, loved the part where everything goes quiet for a few seconds and then, just as Jordan takes control of the fight, the heroic music follows his rise to victory. Calm, collected and stronger than ever. A wonderful character and action moment all in one scene. Kudos!
Cecile: After initially looking equally frumpy and frazzled, and being called out on it by Apple's former designer, Elizabeth realizes that to be taken seriously, she is going to need to look (and sound) the part as Elizabeth Holmes: CEO of Theranos. With Sunny's reluctantly accepted green juice in hand, the uniform she'll come to be known by is finally, and slowly, revealed: dressed in black from head to toe with a nod to Steve Jobs's turtleneck sweaters, a (fraudulous) star is born. While the first three episodes were intent on showing Elizabeth's early struggles as she set off to create Theranos, this scene truly marks the point when things are going to change. Her demeanor, her voice, and her ruthless business strategy.
Laura B: After his performance, Lenny has a serious talk with Midge on the stage of Carnegie Hall - Season four of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel at times seemed distant and maybe even uneven, but the last two episodes brought things together in a rather emotional way I was not expecting. Yes, Lenny & Midge finally get together, but the biggest emotional blow was that Lenny was so disappointed that Midge didn't accept his offer after he pulled some really big strings to get Midge out of the strip club and back doing real gigs. The fact that both of the characters whom have more progressive views would each succumb to going against what they preach with Lenny being rather capitalistic and Midge using feminism as an excuse to not challenge herself and move forward in her career was one of the most interesting gambits the show has done and feels so right, as the next season will be the show's last. I chose this scene, because I was not expecting such emotion depth, especially from Luke Kirby's Lenny Bruce --- it drove the whole season home!
Lisa M: This was a terrific episode, featuring the stunt casting of Michael Biehn as Ian - the leader of a group of people. As he interrogates Carlson, Gabriel, and Aaron it seems like he's the leader of a violent group and a psychopath or possibly religious zealot. The way the episode was structured led us to have this reading on the scene, so when Carlson suddenly goes from being abjectly on his knees apparently begging for his life to disarming Ian and shooting him and killing his guards, it's a shocking surprise and the turning point of the entire episode. In fact, it's also the turning point of the season as it also reveals the hidden underbelly of the Commonwealth. As Lydia points out in the next episode, they wear masks every bit as much as the Whisperers did. Everyone is fabulous in this scene as Aaron and Gabriel try to difuse the situation and persuade Ian they aren't a threat to Biehn's performance and Harner's swift turn from seemingly merely incompetent to the true psychopath in the room.
Cecile: Adam Neumann is a family man first, a CEO second. Rebekah Neumann's idyllic life has come to a screeching halt as she learns that her father needs her help in yet another trial, and then becomes the subject of millenial ire when she declares that a woman's role is to help her man fulfill his potential. Desperate, unable to sleep as the Summer Camp party rages on a few hundred feet away, Rebekah sets off to look for Adam. As she weaves her way around the wasted WeWork teams, Adam is nowhere to be found and her face says it all: she's expecting the worst (as one would, when faced with this kind of debauchery, all instigated by Adam). Defeated, she heads back to their mansion and suddenly stumbles upon him in the garden, carefully rocking their newborn daughter. Not partying, not cheating on her with one of the many WeWork fangirls in his teams, just spending time with their child. He doesn't notice her and after watching him for a few seconds, she quietly heads back to the house, obviously relieved. The Adam/Rebekah courtship is an odd one, and I'm not saying this makes it all okay, but if there's one thing that's undeniable about their relationship, it's that Adam would do anything for Rebekah. Ultimately, his family is more important to him than anything else, including WeWork's frenzied rise (and subsequent fall).
