A weekly feature in which we're trying to find the most compelling, best acted, written, directed and just generally great scenes that we've seen recently on TV.
BANSHEE, "The Fire Trials", January 9, 2015, Actors: Hoon Lee, Geno Segers and more, The Scenes: Job's New York mission & Chayton and his team take down the armored trucks
Sandi: As Sugar says, it does seem quiet when Job isn't in town. Chayton may be causing mayhem and Kai is wandering the streets a free man, but no-one quite does an entrance, or delivers a line, like Hoon Lee's Job! I'm kinda sorry in a some ways that Fat Au doesn't go to Banshee with him as the two of them have some great banter - I wouldn't complain if there was a mini-series based on their past exploits. Though it's painfully obvious during the phone call with Hood that that's where Job's true loyalties lie. Also picked by DarkUFO and Bradley Adams
Sharon Seymour: Chayton and his team take down the armored trucks. Banshee does such great action scenes and this was up there.
BROADCHURCH, "Episode 2.1", January 5, 2015, Actors: Matthew Gravelle, David Tennant, Olivia Colman and more, The Scene: Joe Miller pleads not guilty
Justyna Kubica: This was a brilliant season premiere - intense, captivating, powerful and spectacularly well acted. In fact, it was easily one of my favorite episodes of the week and one of the best of the series. Which obviously made it impossibly hard to pick just one scene worth mentioning in the article. In the end, I decided to go with the moment that had the strongest effect on both the story and its characters - Joe's "not guilty" plea. Everyone's reactions to the news, the complete shock and heartbreak was quite painfully hard to watch. And since both David Tennant and Olivia Colman stole the entire hour for me, they were also fantastic in this scene. Joe's decision not to quickly end the case and give others a chance to move on suddenly became a plot engaging enough to drive (along with Sandbrook mystery) the second season of the show. I absolutely can't wait to see what's coming next as there are so many interesting aspects of the story to explore now. Kudos to the cast and crew!
CHICAGO FIRE, "Let Him Die", January 6, 2015, Actors: Kara Killmer, Jesse Spencer and more, The Scenes: Brett writes in the blood to "let him die" & Casey and Dawson break up
Laura Markus: When Brett wrote in the blood to "let him die" (him being one of the two men that took them hostage). This was already an intense scene because Mills and Brett were away from home, but then throw in the fact that they were ordered to save the life of someone who wanted to end theirs! It was a great scene, and Brett's regrets for having written that message later on were also great to watch.
Ben Norton: This was yet another emotional scene (and heartbreaking) produced by Chicago Fire. Casey and Dawson have been through a lot, though I'm sure they will eventually find their way back to each other, I'm sure this is the right decision for now. Its best to let Dawson focus on her candidacy, and Casey be there for her as her Lieutenant, not her boyfriend.
CHICAGO PD, "Shouldn't Have Been Alone", January 7, 2015, Actors: Jason Beghe, Marina Squerciati, The Scene: Voight offers Burgess' a spot in Intelligence
Ben Norton: This was a great scene, and produced a great ending for the 2015 premiere, it had a lot of emotion and heart, all of which are built into the core DNA of the show. The fact that Voight was willing to overlook the fact that Ruzek and Burgess are dating, was big, and I'm excited to see how Burgess goes in Intelligence, and especially how Ruzek and Burgess' relationship holds up.
ELEMENTARY, "The Eternity Injection", January 8, 2015, Actors: Jonny Lee Miller, Lucy Liu, The Scene: Holmes talks with Watson about his sobriety
Jimmy Ryan: Elementary scored season high ratings and audience figures this week and the episode was highly deserving. Picking a favorite scene is tough, but in the end I'm going with the scene where Holmes discusses his downtrodden demeanor with Watson, explaining that maintaining his sobriety is becoming more and more mundane and difficult. Instead of blowing it off as attention-seeking, Watson immediately offered to help, and it was the first time this season that the pair have connected on that level - similar to how their relationship began and grew in the series' first season.
GALAVANT, "Joust Friends", January 4, 2015, Actors: Joshua Sasse, Timothy Omundson and more, The Scenes: The Joust's final round & "Maybe you're not the worst thing ever" song
Justyna Kubica: It was such a brilliant week on TV that there are a dozen other scenes I could have mentioned here but in the end, I just couldn't not say anything about Galavant because the show might just be my favorite thing about this past seven days. It was the funniest and the most charming thing I've seen in a while. With such a brilliant cast (special shout-out to the amazing Timothy Omundson!) and great premise I'm not surprised by the positive reactions the series has received from the audience. As for the scene, I went with the one that made me, my sisters and a little brother laugh the most - the final round of the Joust. "First one to his feet is the winner?" Loved it! I will absolutely tune in to watch the rest of the episodes and in case you haven't given the show a chance yet, I highly recommend it!
Laura Markus: The song, but also any and all moments with King Richard. Timothy Omundson completely stole the show. Also picked by Tyler James
GOTHAM, "Rogues' Gallery", January 5, 2015, Actors: Donal Logue, Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
The Scene: Harvey comes to Arkham Asylum
Bradley Adams: Harvey comes to Arkham Asylum and takes Director Dr Lang to the precinct.
MARVEL'S AGENT CARTER, "Now is Not the End" & "Bridge and Tunnel", January 6, 2015, Actors: Hayley Atwell, James D'Arcy and more, The Scenes: Peggy beats up Mr. McPhee & Peggy and Jarvis escape the factory
Tonya Papanikolas: Peggy beats up Mr. McPhee while the Captain America radio program plays the sound effects of a fight. What a clever scene. I loved how it was written and filmed. It was entertaining to watch as the radio sound effects intermixed with the real fight. It was a fantastic combination of shots and a very creative fight scene! I loved it.
Tyler James: Peggy and Jarvis escape the factory after the orb exploded. Also picked by Sharon Seymour and Diana Mack
NCIS, "Check", January 6, 2015, Actors: Mark Harmon, Melinda McGraw, The Scene: Diane is killed
Daniel van der Veer: NCIS once again managed to come back with a very strong episode after the Holidays. A hillarious episode turns into a very serious one mid-way through the episode. And then there is a shocking moment that is on par with the ending of 'Shabbat Shalom': Diane, Gibbs' first ex-wife is shot through the head. This death was so similar to Kate's death and yet it had someting unique as Diane dies in Gibbs' arms. The most shocking moment of the season, and I will greatly miss Diane and her humor.
NCIS LOS ANGELES, "Spiral", January 5, 2015, Actors: Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Barrett Foa, Renée Felice Smith, The Scene: Group Zen at the end
Tonya Papanikolas: This scene was hilarious with all of its sexual innuendos. The dialogue was fantastic and each character's expressions were priceless. A very funny and well-written scene.
PERSON OF INTEREST, "If-Then-Else", January 6, 2015, Actors: Sarah Shahi, Amy Acker, Jim Caviezel and more, The Scenes: Shaw sacrifices herself to save Team Machine & The sped up simulation
Justyna Kubica: It was such a powerful way to start a New Year! Not only this week brought us one of the show's best episodes yet but it looks like we're going to have to say goodbye to one of its greatest characters - Shaw. And in the final minutes of the hour, the audience has a chance to go from feeling relieved (after the team's survival chance suddenly goes up when Sameen appears) to completely heartbroken (when Shaw closes the elevator's door). Very emotional, intense and shocking moment absolutely worthy of the Scene of The Week nod. If this truly is an ending for Shaw, it's the best one she could get in these circumstances. And the way the entire scene was shot and edited, with the perfect music in the background, is pretty breathtaking. Kudos! And thank you for your brilliant performance on the show, Sarah Shahi!
Jimmy Ryan: Person of Interest welcomed the new year with an absolute blinder of an hour. The whole episode is worthy of Scene of the Week but as that isn't allowed, I'm going with the episode's final scene where we see, in slow motion, Shaw dash across the hallway and hit the elevator button only to be gunned down by Martine. As the elevator doors closed The Machine had Shaw at very small odds to survive, but there is still a glimmer of hope. Also picked by DarkUFO and Diana Mack
Ben Norton: This ending scene was an incredible ending, to what I would call the best episode the show has ever created. The fact that there is still a glimmer of hope left for Shaw creates an interesting dynamic for the show, none the less, it was a fantastic way to end an incredible episode.
Sharon Seymour: The sped up simulation scene where the machine removed the characters dialogue and inserted things like "insert witty retort". Extremely funny and well executed.
Bradley Adams: Can I pick the whole episode? No? OK. One of the things I love about Person of Interest is its ability to add humour even into the most serious of episodes. The Machine knows the characters so well it can accurately summarise dialogue, and did so in a hilarious way.
SCORPION, "Kill Screen", January 5, 2015, Actors: Elyes Gabel, Riley B. Smith, The Scene: Ralph guides Walter in the game
Daniel van der Veer: As team Scorpion finds the real culprit for the CIA safehouse leak, Walter realizes they need Raph to play the game again to catch the bad guy. It was fun to see Ralph guide Walter instead of the other way around. Seeing the young genius and the adult genius work together was great.
THE GOOD WIFE, "Hail Mary", January 4, 2015, Actors: Matt Czuchry, Julianna Margulies and more, The Scenes: Cary is freed and his case dismissed & Alicia celebrates the news about Cary
Tonya Papanikolas: Cary is freed and his case dismissed with false information. What a bittersweet, awful scene to take in - but very poignant. Cary is finally freed but in the process Kalinda is in hot water. And she can't do anything to stop it. She sees it all spiraling out of control around her as the "evidence" she was going to fake (until she found real evidence) is accidentally and unknowingly presented by Diane to the judge. Kalinda can't say a word because it's already out there. It was horrifying to watch. Archie Panjabi was fantastic. She looks helpless and terrified. Kalinda keeps looking at the officer whose name is being smeared by the false information. It was all horrible to see but very effective. This huge misunderstanding can't be undone. And it was worse to see how it contributed to freeing innocent Cary in the end. He is finally in the clear but she is definitely not. This might be her undoing and it was very sad.
Wilson Crawford: Alicia celebrates the news that Cary's prison sentence has been overturned. After Alicia's mock debate, she gets a call on the way to her car: The charges against Cary have been dropped! She gives out a celebratory "whoooh!" Johnny overhears and asks if Alicia is alright. With a brilliant smile, she walks over and kisses him right on the mouth. Then she continues walking away, leaving him dumbfounded in her wake.
THE MENTALIST, "Green Light", January 7, 2015, Actors: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney
The Scene: Jane gets surprised by Lisbon's birthday gift
Diana Mack: She managed to keep the pieces of his old tea cup from the CBI. What a sweet romantic scene!
THE MUSKETEERS, "An Ordinary Man", January 9, 2015, Actors: Ryan Gage, Luke Pasqualino, The Scene: Louis and d'Artagnan talk about their fathers
Sandi: Such a wonderful episode with many great scenes, but this is the one that stands out for me. When Louis talks about losing his father at such an early age you get an understanding of why he is so different to d'Artagnan, who had a close relationship with his father until he was killed. Since their father's murders they have had an entirely different support structure around them, which has also made a huge impact on their lives. One was spoilt rotten and got his own way, whilst the other has had to struggled to earn his keep yet had a strong sense of brotherhood around him - neither of them are an 'ordinary man' in any sense of the word! Ryan Gage and Luke Pasqualino played this quiet moment perfectly, with such sadness that you really felt their loss.
Sandi: As Sugar says, it does seem quiet when Job isn't in town. Chayton may be causing mayhem and Kai is wandering the streets a free man, but no-one quite does an entrance, or delivers a line, like Hoon Lee's Job! I'm kinda sorry in a some ways that Fat Au doesn't go to Banshee with him as the two of them have some great banter - I wouldn't complain if there was a mini-series based on their past exploits. Though it's painfully obvious during the phone call with Hood that that's where Job's true loyalties lie. Also picked by DarkUFO and Bradley Adams
Sharon Seymour: Chayton and his team take down the armored trucks. Banshee does such great action scenes and this was up there.
Justyna Kubica: This was a brilliant season premiere - intense, captivating, powerful and spectacularly well acted. In fact, it was easily one of my favorite episodes of the week and one of the best of the series. Which obviously made it impossibly hard to pick just one scene worth mentioning in the article. In the end, I decided to go with the moment that had the strongest effect on both the story and its characters - Joe's "not guilty" plea. Everyone's reactions to the news, the complete shock and heartbreak was quite painfully hard to watch. And since both David Tennant and Olivia Colman stole the entire hour for me, they were also fantastic in this scene. Joe's decision not to quickly end the case and give others a chance to move on suddenly became a plot engaging enough to drive (along with Sandbrook mystery) the second season of the show. I absolutely can't wait to see what's coming next as there are so many interesting aspects of the story to explore now. Kudos to the cast and crew!
Laura Markus: When Brett wrote in the blood to "let him die" (him being one of the two men that took them hostage). This was already an intense scene because Mills and Brett were away from home, but then throw in the fact that they were ordered to save the life of someone who wanted to end theirs! It was a great scene, and Brett's regrets for having written that message later on were also great to watch.
Ben Norton: This was yet another emotional scene (and heartbreaking) produced by Chicago Fire. Casey and Dawson have been through a lot, though I'm sure they will eventually find their way back to each other, I'm sure this is the right decision for now. Its best to let Dawson focus on her candidacy, and Casey be there for her as her Lieutenant, not her boyfriend.
Ben Norton: This was a great scene, and produced a great ending for the 2015 premiere, it had a lot of emotion and heart, all of which are built into the core DNA of the show. The fact that Voight was willing to overlook the fact that Ruzek and Burgess are dating, was big, and I'm excited to see how Burgess goes in Intelligence, and especially how Ruzek and Burgess' relationship holds up.
Jimmy Ryan: Elementary scored season high ratings and audience figures this week and the episode was highly deserving. Picking a favorite scene is tough, but in the end I'm going with the scene where Holmes discusses his downtrodden demeanor with Watson, explaining that maintaining his sobriety is becoming more and more mundane and difficult. Instead of blowing it off as attention-seeking, Watson immediately offered to help, and it was the first time this season that the pair have connected on that level - similar to how their relationship began and grew in the series' first season.
Justyna Kubica: It was such a brilliant week on TV that there are a dozen other scenes I could have mentioned here but in the end, I just couldn't not say anything about Galavant because the show might just be my favorite thing about this past seven days. It was the funniest and the most charming thing I've seen in a while. With such a brilliant cast (special shout-out to the amazing Timothy Omundson!) and great premise I'm not surprised by the positive reactions the series has received from the audience. As for the scene, I went with the one that made me, my sisters and a little brother laugh the most - the final round of the Joust. "First one to his feet is the winner?" Loved it! I will absolutely tune in to watch the rest of the episodes and in case you haven't given the show a chance yet, I highly recommend it!
Laura Markus: The song, but also any and all moments with King Richard. Timothy Omundson completely stole the show. Also picked by Tyler James
GOTHAM, "Rogues' Gallery", January 5, 2015, Actors: Donal Logue, Isiah Whitlock, Jr.
The Scene: Harvey comes to Arkham Asylum
Bradley Adams: Harvey comes to Arkham Asylum and takes Director Dr Lang to the precinct.
Tonya Papanikolas: Peggy beats up Mr. McPhee while the Captain America radio program plays the sound effects of a fight. What a clever scene. I loved how it was written and filmed. It was entertaining to watch as the radio sound effects intermixed with the real fight. It was a fantastic combination of shots and a very creative fight scene! I loved it.
Tyler James: Peggy and Jarvis escape the factory after the orb exploded. Also picked by Sharon Seymour and Diana Mack
Daniel van der Veer: NCIS once again managed to come back with a very strong episode after the Holidays. A hillarious episode turns into a very serious one mid-way through the episode. And then there is a shocking moment that is on par with the ending of 'Shabbat Shalom': Diane, Gibbs' first ex-wife is shot through the head. This death was so similar to Kate's death and yet it had someting unique as Diane dies in Gibbs' arms. The most shocking moment of the season, and I will greatly miss Diane and her humor.
NCIS LOS ANGELES, "Spiral", January 5, 2015, Actors: Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Barrett Foa, Renée Felice Smith, The Scene: Group Zen at the end
Tonya Papanikolas: This scene was hilarious with all of its sexual innuendos. The dialogue was fantastic and each character's expressions were priceless. A very funny and well-written scene.
Justyna Kubica: It was such a powerful way to start a New Year! Not only this week brought us one of the show's best episodes yet but it looks like we're going to have to say goodbye to one of its greatest characters - Shaw. And in the final minutes of the hour, the audience has a chance to go from feeling relieved (after the team's survival chance suddenly goes up when Sameen appears) to completely heartbroken (when Shaw closes the elevator's door). Very emotional, intense and shocking moment absolutely worthy of the Scene of The Week nod. If this truly is an ending for Shaw, it's the best one she could get in these circumstances. And the way the entire scene was shot and edited, with the perfect music in the background, is pretty breathtaking. Kudos! And thank you for your brilliant performance on the show, Sarah Shahi!
Jimmy Ryan: Person of Interest welcomed the new year with an absolute blinder of an hour. The whole episode is worthy of Scene of the Week but as that isn't allowed, I'm going with the episode's final scene where we see, in slow motion, Shaw dash across the hallway and hit the elevator button only to be gunned down by Martine. As the elevator doors closed The Machine had Shaw at very small odds to survive, but there is still a glimmer of hope. Also picked by DarkUFO and Diana Mack
Ben Norton: This ending scene was an incredible ending, to what I would call the best episode the show has ever created. The fact that there is still a glimmer of hope left for Shaw creates an interesting dynamic for the show, none the less, it was a fantastic way to end an incredible episode.
Sharon Seymour: The sped up simulation scene where the machine removed the characters dialogue and inserted things like "insert witty retort". Extremely funny and well executed.
Bradley Adams: Can I pick the whole episode? No? OK. One of the things I love about Person of Interest is its ability to add humour even into the most serious of episodes. The Machine knows the characters so well it can accurately summarise dialogue, and did so in a hilarious way.
Daniel van der Veer: As team Scorpion finds the real culprit for the CIA safehouse leak, Walter realizes they need Raph to play the game again to catch the bad guy. It was fun to see Ralph guide Walter instead of the other way around. Seeing the young genius and the adult genius work together was great.
Tonya Papanikolas: Cary is freed and his case dismissed with false information. What a bittersweet, awful scene to take in - but very poignant. Cary is finally freed but in the process Kalinda is in hot water. And she can't do anything to stop it. She sees it all spiraling out of control around her as the "evidence" she was going to fake (until she found real evidence) is accidentally and unknowingly presented by Diane to the judge. Kalinda can't say a word because it's already out there. It was horrifying to watch. Archie Panjabi was fantastic. She looks helpless and terrified. Kalinda keeps looking at the officer whose name is being smeared by the false information. It was all horrible to see but very effective. This huge misunderstanding can't be undone. And it was worse to see how it contributed to freeing innocent Cary in the end. He is finally in the clear but she is definitely not. This might be her undoing and it was very sad.
Wilson Crawford: Alicia celebrates the news that Cary's prison sentence has been overturned. After Alicia's mock debate, she gets a call on the way to her car: The charges against Cary have been dropped! She gives out a celebratory "whoooh!" Johnny overhears and asks if Alicia is alright. With a brilliant smile, she walks over and kisses him right on the mouth. Then she continues walking away, leaving him dumbfounded in her wake.
THE MENTALIST, "Green Light", January 7, 2015, Actors: Simon Baker, Robin Tunney
The Scene: Jane gets surprised by Lisbon's birthday gift
Diana Mack: She managed to keep the pieces of his old tea cup from the CBI. What a sweet romantic scene!
Sandi: Such a wonderful episode with many great scenes, but this is the one that stands out for me. When Louis talks about losing his father at such an early age you get an understanding of why he is so different to d'Artagnan, who had a close relationship with his father until he was killed. Since their father's murders they have had an entirely different support structure around them, which has also made a huge impact on their lives. One was spoilt rotten and got his own way, whilst the other has had to struggled to earn his keep yet had a strong sense of brotherhood around him - neither of them are an 'ordinary man' in any sense of the word! Ryan Gage and Luke Pasqualino played this quiet moment perfectly, with such sadness that you really felt their loss.
