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.
ABBOTT ELEMENTARY, "Development Day", September 21st, 2022, Actors: Quinta Brunson, Sheryl Lee Ralph and more, The Scene: Janine's breakdown
Giulia: It's hard to choose just one scene when you're watching a great episode of TV and all the scenes are top-notch. The one that I choose is Janine's breakdown, mainly because it features the whole cast and it is a perfect example of why the show is so successful. Janine has spent the entire development day making sure that everything she organized was perfect and that she was fine after her break-up. Obviously, she isn't and everyone with her reminded her that bad things happen, but it's all part of being an adult and being a functioning human being. Barbara, as always, is the voice of reason and the guiding light for everyone.
BLOOD AND TREASURE, "Raid on the Hidden Fortress", September 18th, 2022, Actor: Mark Gagliardi, The Scene: Chuck calls Danny after he gets intel
Folie-lex: Chuck is a precious bean, oftentimes the MVP of the show and he deserves all the recognition for playing a corrupt Cardinal... and he's all too giddy to let Danny know as much. I love these voice messages he leaves his BFF and I really wish we got more of them.
CHICAGO FIRE, "Hold on Tight", September 21st, 2022, Actors: Hanako Greensmith, Jimmy Nicholas, The Scene: Violet shows up at Evan’s place
Beth: As Jimmy Nicholas would say ‘Hawkami nation rise!’. Evan had given up and was letting Violet have her space and when he saw her, he thought he was in a dream. The two made up and my shipper heart was so happy.
CHICAGO MED, "How Do You Begin to Count the Losses", September 21st, 2022, Actor: Oliver Platt, The Scene: Dr. Charles tries out a new therapist
Joanna: This scene was such a delightful way to end the episode, but also was interesting as Daniel is finally reaching out to find a new therapist, and we have seen what he does as a psychiatrist and how his sessions were with Lonnie in past seasons, and how this therapist is so disengaged and worried about filling out his form and not listening. Unfortunately this is also the grim reality for many people who are seeking mental health support, and the way Daniel just leaves and the doctor doesn't even initially notice is not only humorous but also a real testament to what many people likely wish they could do when they feel they are not heard.
CHICAGO PD, "The Real You", September 28th, 2022, Actors: Patrick John Flueger, Marina Squerciati, The Scene: The ending scene with Kim and Adam
Lexi: The ending scene. The entire episode was spectacular, but my favorite scene was at the end where Kim tells Adam her and Makayla are moving into the house. The look on Adam's face, hearing that Kim believes in him, the pure joy when they are with each other just made me melt. It was a moment me and the entire Burzek fandom have been waiting years for!
FBI: INTERNATIONAL, "Don't Say Her Name Again", September 27th, 2022, Actors: Ruby Jay, Bastian Tyrko and more, The Scene: Charlotte confronts Horváth about what he did to her
Joanna: This scene was so brilliantly acted by this young lady, and was so compelling, showing her amazing bravery at such a young age to stand up to the man who had tormented her for a year and that she was not going to let it define or defeat her. It was so powerful and a message that I wish could be seen by anyone who was cyberbullied or exploited - that there is light on the other side. Well done Ruby Jay! Brilliant job!
GOOD TROUBLE, "This Is Not My Beautiful House", September 1st, 2022, Actors: Emma Hunton, Josh Pence, The Scene: Davia and Dennis kiss
Luana: About time! This has been coming for a while and the will-they-won't-they was getting a little long, I'm glad they were finally on the same page for once.
HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, "We Light the Way" & "The Princess and the Queen", September 18th & 25th, 2022, Actors: Nanna Blondell, Emma D'Arcy, Fabien Frankel and more, The Scenes: Laena's death & Joffrey's death & Rhaenyra takes her baby to Alicent
Justyna: I have rather mixed feelings about this show overall but the cast is excellent and the series is certainly engaging to watch. At times even heartbreaking. And Laena's death was such a tragic and unexpected moment. The realization that she won't survive the childbirth was brutal but her absolute desperation to choose the way her story ends was heart-wrenching to watch. She repeatedly yells "Dracarys" - first as a command, later as an emotional plea, begging Vhagar to end her pain. Vhagar's reaction feels surprisingly moving. There's a clear confusion and hesitation on the dragon's side but ultimately she chooses to follow her rider's last order. As Laena takes her final breath and prepares for death, Daemon shows up and calls his wife's name only to watch her burn. Such a haunting and very memorable moment. Wonderfully acted by Nanna Blondell. Kudos to cast & crew for all their great work.
Eve: Laena is pregnant with her 3rd child from Daemon, but complications arise during pregnancy. These complications are very similar to the ones we saw for Aemma in episode 1 and with almost certainly the same outcome. Fearing the worst Laena walks out into the castle grounds and begs Vhagar to burn her alive. The dragon hesitates but ultimately grants her wish. A shocked Daemon watches on from afar. Laena chose to die on her own terms. A very powerful scene.
Laura B: Ser Criston Cole impulsively beats Joffrey Lonmouth to death shortly after Joffrey reveals he knows all and attempts to make a pact between the two to protect the almost-newly weds... Well, it wouldn't really be A Song of Ice and Fire as we HBO viewers have come to know it, if there wasn't a violently disturbing wedding to get this story really going! And while I was expecting something, I didn't think they would change the actual exchange between Cole and Lonmouth from the source material, which IMO had a truly great and horrific effect given that both Frankel and the writers went out of their way to make viewers think there was this charming noble pushover, possibly easily dismissing some flaws in the tourney along with perhaps not really realizing how unfeeling Rhaenyra's choice to not let him go was.
Luana: Rhaenyra takes her baby to Alicent. I still have a little PTSD because of GOT but I still love every time Rhaenyra shows how much of a badass she is.
RESIDENT ALIEN, "Cat and Mouse", September 14th, 2022, Actors: Sara Tomko, Kaylayla Raine, The Scene: Asta tells Jay she loves her
Prpleight: After Harry made Asta forget her appointment to celebrate Jay's (the daughter Asta gave up for adoption) birthday with her I was worried that Asta's hope for a relationship was over. After meeting her own birth mother, Asta decided to tell Jay that she loves her; to give Jay the things she desperately wished her own mother had been able to give her. Asta doesn't ask for anything she simply tells Jay she loves her and will be there for her if she's needed. What made this scene such a standout for me was Kaylayla Raine's performance. She made Jay's desperate need to hear and be able to believe these words evident without a line of dialog.
SHE-HULK: ATTORNEY AT LAW, "The Retreat", September 29th, 2022, Actors: Tatiana Maslany, Tim Roth and more, The Scene: Jen opens up during a group therapy session
Justyna: This show has been such an important character study for Jen. When the series tends to gravitate more towards the comedic aspects of the story it makes the emotional scenes like this one hit especially hard. Jen has been struggling in her new reality. Initially she kept convincing herself and everyone around her that nothing has changed and her life can remain the same as it was before she gained her powers. But as Bruce tried to explain back in episode one it's simply not possible to avoid the truth forever. For better or worse Jen Walters is now also She-Hulk. And that realization and new reality become clearer for her with each episode. In the most unexpected place, surrounded by former supervillains, Jen admits how she truly feels and opens up to this group of strangers during their therapy session. She's honest and vulnerable, clearly hurt and chooses to protect herself by transforming to She-Hulk when needed. She feels alone and underappreciated, hidden in the shadow of her other persona. Tatiana Maslany does a wonderful job during the scene. It's hard not to feel for Jen but it's also surprisingly sweet and heartwarming to see her receive the support and comfort that she truly needs. Blonsky might actually be helping people...? Who would have thought...
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, "Reflections", September 22nd, 2022, Voiced by: Eugene Cordero, The Scene: Old!Rutherford "dies"
Folie-lex: After the imaginary race takes a deadly turn, Rutherford lets go of his former self as that part of his subconscious dies, though not before divulging some more information regarding the mystery of the implant and letting Rutherford know his friends have made it all worth the while.
TELL ME LIES, "Merry F*cking Christmas", September 21st, 2022, Actors: Grace Van Patten, Natalee Linez, The Scene: Lucy and Lydia hang out
Luana: I loved seeing this side of Lucy, especially when it ended with a punch. I'm a little tired of wanting to slap her all the time so it was nice to see her being a good friend and a fun person for once.
THE GOOD FIGHT, "The End of Eli Gold", September 29th, 2022, Actors: Alan Cumming, Mike Pniewski, The Scene: Frank Landau was shot in front of Eli
Laura B: Frank Landau was shot in front of Eli in the bathroom at the Democratic fundraiser. Just whoa! This season has been such a roller-coaster so far. Not only has it had this eerie sick feeling with these civil/cold war-like protests along with calling back to other familiar The Good Fight things, but also The Good Wife too, but with really dark twists! I haven't been this surprised with a death since Will, but I have to say the gore was also right on par with Braindead, which is really what made this different and kind of shocking for the 'legal drama'. I don't know what else is all going to happen, but the Kings & company have this long-time viewer on the edge of my seat!
THE HANDMAID'S TALE, "Ballet" & "Border" & "Dear Offred", September 14th, 21st & 28th, 2022, Actors: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd and more, The Scenes: Aunt Lydia proposes changes & Serena turns Fred's funeral into an international spectacle & Lily thanks June for what she did
Laura B: Aunt Lydia proposes changes to Commander Lawrence about the Handmaid's societal structure. Where to start?! The Aunt Lydia storyline with Janine beginning to make Aunt Lydia realize the sacrilegious nature of Gilead has been a great highlight so far this season, especially knowing that HULU plans to also adapt The Testaments! But Ann Dowd just truly killed it this episode, making the duplicitous Commander Lawrence look creepier than usual. Looking forward to a possible showdown between them.
Lisa: Serena convinces the collective to give Fred the funeral he deserves and turns it into an international spectacle. June and Luke have gone on a date and stop to kiss in the Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto and as they look up, they see the international news coverage of the funeral on all the huge television screens. Serena has saved her best for last, and as June and Luke watch with horror, Hannah emerges from a group of young women to present Serena with a bouquet of white flowers. Serena smiles down, seemingly right into June's eyes. This sequence was made even better by the overlay of the ballet that Luke and June attend - June dressed in white with black boots - the white swan - to Serena all in black - the black swan...
Luana: Lily thanks June for what she did - After feeling like a failure for a while it was good to see some recognition for what she did because realistically the aftermath has been very hard on her.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER, "Udûn", September 30th, 2022, Actors: Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova and more, The Scene: The eruption of Mount Doom
Justyna: I've been really enjoying the show so far. There's a number of scenes I wanted to highlight in the article, like anything with Elrond and Durin, Arondir's attempted escape, MÃriel changing her mind or Poppy's song montage, but after the latest episode I can't possibly choose anything other than that ending. It truly was such a "welcome to Mordor" moment. I don't think I've ever really thought about the full extent of the damage caused to this place. To see beautiful scenery of the Southlands turn to fire, smoke and darkness in an instant was shocking and breathtaking. The visuals on this series are stunning and this scene proves that once more. I'm no geologist, so it wasn't until the first sight of magma that I realized the purpose of all the tunnels and the dam burst. The slow realization worked perfectly for me. The absolute shock and fear of the people and elves is felt throughout the sequence. There is no place to hide. There's nothing but fire and pain. The Mount Doom is here, marking the true beginning of the One Ring's story. This is surely the end of the Southlands and beginning of Mordor. And it's so much more impactful after seeing our characters fight to their last bit of strength for their lives and freedom during the entire episode. Only for all of it to end like this. This scene will stay with me for a while. A true game-changer and such a powerful visual with Galadriel watching the volcanic eruption and accepting the inevitable, fully aware that there's nothing she can do to stop it or to help anyone around her. An unforgettable experience and remarkable sequence. Kudos to cast & crew for all their fantastic work on the series so far!
THE ROOKIE, "Double Down", September 25th, 2022, Actors: Melissa O'Neil, Eric Winter, The Scenes: Tim confronts Lucy about their kisses & Lucy finds out that Rosalind escaped
Folie-lex: As Beth and Luana rightfully nominated the hand grab (which I totally endorse BTW), this has left me open to get to nominate another significant moment from the episode between Tim and Lucy. I will agree that the kiss and the final scene are great shippy moments that made us all squee. However Tim confronting Lucy about what has been going on, to me carries more weight. Lucy might be more emotionally available, but Tim is far more emotionally mature. This is a grown ass man who has been through the motions of life and love and likes to call a spade a spade, so of course he would want to clear the air when he no longer can sweep things under the rug. He is basically letting Lucy know there is something going on and to watch her try to reason and deflect, while he deflates is a rather interesting switch in their dynamic, that sets up the board for them for the rest of the season rather nicely.
Luana: O'Neil is awesome, she has been especially killing it every time the Rosalind storyline comes up and this time was no exception, the way she reacted and the way Tim was there for her was just perfect.
Beth: Sure, you could pick the bathroom make out or Tim walking through the door after Lucy invited him, but what got me was Tim’s subtle grab of Lucy’s hand to steady her. It showed the deep intimacy Chenford shares with just a simple act. He knew she needed a calming presence and did it by instinct. These two are meant for each other.
Giulia: It's hard to choose just one scene when you're watching a great episode of TV and all the scenes are top-notch. The one that I choose is Janine's breakdown, mainly because it features the whole cast and it is a perfect example of why the show is so successful. Janine has spent the entire development day making sure that everything she organized was perfect and that she was fine after her break-up. Obviously, she isn't and everyone with her reminded her that bad things happen, but it's all part of being an adult and being a functioning human being. Barbara, as always, is the voice of reason and the guiding light for everyone.
BLOOD AND TREASURE, "Raid on the Hidden Fortress", September 18th, 2022, Actor: Mark Gagliardi, The Scene: Chuck calls Danny after he gets intel
Folie-lex: Chuck is a precious bean, oftentimes the MVP of the show and he deserves all the recognition for playing a corrupt Cardinal... and he's all too giddy to let Danny know as much. I love these voice messages he leaves his BFF and I really wish we got more of them.
CHICAGO FIRE, "Hold on Tight", September 21st, 2022, Actors: Hanako Greensmith, Jimmy Nicholas, The Scene: Violet shows up at Evan’s place
Beth: As Jimmy Nicholas would say ‘Hawkami nation rise!’. Evan had given up and was letting Violet have her space and when he saw her, he thought he was in a dream. The two made up and my shipper heart was so happy.
Joanna: This scene was such a delightful way to end the episode, but also was interesting as Daniel is finally reaching out to find a new therapist, and we have seen what he does as a psychiatrist and how his sessions were with Lonnie in past seasons, and how this therapist is so disengaged and worried about filling out his form and not listening. Unfortunately this is also the grim reality for many people who are seeking mental health support, and the way Daniel just leaves and the doctor doesn't even initially notice is not only humorous but also a real testament to what many people likely wish they could do when they feel they are not heard.
CHICAGO PD, "The Real You", September 28th, 2022, Actors: Patrick John Flueger, Marina Squerciati, The Scene: The ending scene with Kim and Adam
Lexi: The ending scene. The entire episode was spectacular, but my favorite scene was at the end where Kim tells Adam her and Makayla are moving into the house. The look on Adam's face, hearing that Kim believes in him, the pure joy when they are with each other just made me melt. It was a moment me and the entire Burzek fandom have been waiting years for!
FBI: INTERNATIONAL, "Don't Say Her Name Again", September 27th, 2022, Actors: Ruby Jay, Bastian Tyrko and more, The Scene: Charlotte confronts Horváth about what he did to her
Joanna: This scene was so brilliantly acted by this young lady, and was so compelling, showing her amazing bravery at such a young age to stand up to the man who had tormented her for a year and that she was not going to let it define or defeat her. It was so powerful and a message that I wish could be seen by anyone who was cyberbullied or exploited - that there is light on the other side. Well done Ruby Jay! Brilliant job!
GOOD TROUBLE, "This Is Not My Beautiful House", September 1st, 2022, Actors: Emma Hunton, Josh Pence, The Scene: Davia and Dennis kiss
Luana: About time! This has been coming for a while and the will-they-won't-they was getting a little long, I'm glad they were finally on the same page for once.
Justyna: I have rather mixed feelings about this show overall but the cast is excellent and the series is certainly engaging to watch. At times even heartbreaking. And Laena's death was such a tragic and unexpected moment. The realization that she won't survive the childbirth was brutal but her absolute desperation to choose the way her story ends was heart-wrenching to watch. She repeatedly yells "Dracarys" - first as a command, later as an emotional plea, begging Vhagar to end her pain. Vhagar's reaction feels surprisingly moving. There's a clear confusion and hesitation on the dragon's side but ultimately she chooses to follow her rider's last order. As Laena takes her final breath and prepares for death, Daemon shows up and calls his wife's name only to watch her burn. Such a haunting and very memorable moment. Wonderfully acted by Nanna Blondell. Kudos to cast & crew for all their great work.
Eve: Laena is pregnant with her 3rd child from Daemon, but complications arise during pregnancy. These complications are very similar to the ones we saw for Aemma in episode 1 and with almost certainly the same outcome. Fearing the worst Laena walks out into the castle grounds and begs Vhagar to burn her alive. The dragon hesitates but ultimately grants her wish. A shocked Daemon watches on from afar. Laena chose to die on her own terms. A very powerful scene.
Laura B: Ser Criston Cole impulsively beats Joffrey Lonmouth to death shortly after Joffrey reveals he knows all and attempts to make a pact between the two to protect the almost-newly weds... Well, it wouldn't really be A Song of Ice and Fire as we HBO viewers have come to know it, if there wasn't a violently disturbing wedding to get this story really going! And while I was expecting something, I didn't think they would change the actual exchange between Cole and Lonmouth from the source material, which IMO had a truly great and horrific effect given that both Frankel and the writers went out of their way to make viewers think there was this charming noble pushover, possibly easily dismissing some flaws in the tourney along with perhaps not really realizing how unfeeling Rhaenyra's choice to not let him go was.
Luana: Rhaenyra takes her baby to Alicent. I still have a little PTSD because of GOT but I still love every time Rhaenyra shows how much of a badass she is.
Prpleight: After Harry made Asta forget her appointment to celebrate Jay's (the daughter Asta gave up for adoption) birthday with her I was worried that Asta's hope for a relationship was over. After meeting her own birth mother, Asta decided to tell Jay that she loves her; to give Jay the things she desperately wished her own mother had been able to give her. Asta doesn't ask for anything she simply tells Jay she loves her and will be there for her if she's needed. What made this scene such a standout for me was Kaylayla Raine's performance. She made Jay's desperate need to hear and be able to believe these words evident without a line of dialog.
Justyna: This show has been such an important character study for Jen. When the series tends to gravitate more towards the comedic aspects of the story it makes the emotional scenes like this one hit especially hard. Jen has been struggling in her new reality. Initially she kept convincing herself and everyone around her that nothing has changed and her life can remain the same as it was before she gained her powers. But as Bruce tried to explain back in episode one it's simply not possible to avoid the truth forever. For better or worse Jen Walters is now also She-Hulk. And that realization and new reality become clearer for her with each episode. In the most unexpected place, surrounded by former supervillains, Jen admits how she truly feels and opens up to this group of strangers during their therapy session. She's honest and vulnerable, clearly hurt and chooses to protect herself by transforming to She-Hulk when needed. She feels alone and underappreciated, hidden in the shadow of her other persona. Tatiana Maslany does a wonderful job during the scene. It's hard not to feel for Jen but it's also surprisingly sweet and heartwarming to see her receive the support and comfort that she truly needs. Blonsky might actually be helping people...? Who would have thought...
STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS, "Reflections", September 22nd, 2022, Voiced by: Eugene Cordero, The Scene: Old!Rutherford "dies"
Folie-lex: After the imaginary race takes a deadly turn, Rutherford lets go of his former self as that part of his subconscious dies, though not before divulging some more information regarding the mystery of the implant and letting Rutherford know his friends have made it all worth the while.
TELL ME LIES, "Merry F*cking Christmas", September 21st, 2022, Actors: Grace Van Patten, Natalee Linez, The Scene: Lucy and Lydia hang out
Luana: I loved seeing this side of Lucy, especially when it ended with a punch. I'm a little tired of wanting to slap her all the time so it was nice to see her being a good friend and a fun person for once.
Laura B: Frank Landau was shot in front of Eli in the bathroom at the Democratic fundraiser. Just whoa! This season has been such a roller-coaster so far. Not only has it had this eerie sick feeling with these civil/cold war-like protests along with calling back to other familiar The Good Fight things, but also The Good Wife too, but with really dark twists! I haven't been this surprised with a death since Will, but I have to say the gore was also right on par with Braindead, which is really what made this different and kind of shocking for the 'legal drama'. I don't know what else is all going to happen, but the Kings & company have this long-time viewer on the edge of my seat!
Laura B: Aunt Lydia proposes changes to Commander Lawrence about the Handmaid's societal structure. Where to start?! The Aunt Lydia storyline with Janine beginning to make Aunt Lydia realize the sacrilegious nature of Gilead has been a great highlight so far this season, especially knowing that HULU plans to also adapt The Testaments! But Ann Dowd just truly killed it this episode, making the duplicitous Commander Lawrence look creepier than usual. Looking forward to a possible showdown between them.
Lisa: Serena convinces the collective to give Fred the funeral he deserves and turns it into an international spectacle. June and Luke have gone on a date and stop to kiss in the Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto and as they look up, they see the international news coverage of the funeral on all the huge television screens. Serena has saved her best for last, and as June and Luke watch with horror, Hannah emerges from a group of young women to present Serena with a bouquet of white flowers. Serena smiles down, seemingly right into June's eyes. This sequence was made even better by the overlay of the ballet that Luke and June attend - June dressed in white with black boots - the white swan - to Serena all in black - the black swan...
Luana: Lily thanks June for what she did - After feeling like a failure for a while it was good to see some recognition for what she did because realistically the aftermath has been very hard on her.
Justyna: I've been really enjoying the show so far. There's a number of scenes I wanted to highlight in the article, like anything with Elrond and Durin, Arondir's attempted escape, MÃriel changing her mind or Poppy's song montage, but after the latest episode I can't possibly choose anything other than that ending. It truly was such a "welcome to Mordor" moment. I don't think I've ever really thought about the full extent of the damage caused to this place. To see beautiful scenery of the Southlands turn to fire, smoke and darkness in an instant was shocking and breathtaking. The visuals on this series are stunning and this scene proves that once more. I'm no geologist, so it wasn't until the first sight of magma that I realized the purpose of all the tunnels and the dam burst. The slow realization worked perfectly for me. The absolute shock and fear of the people and elves is felt throughout the sequence. There is no place to hide. There's nothing but fire and pain. The Mount Doom is here, marking the true beginning of the One Ring's story. This is surely the end of the Southlands and beginning of Mordor. And it's so much more impactful after seeing our characters fight to their last bit of strength for their lives and freedom during the entire episode. Only for all of it to end like this. This scene will stay with me for a while. A true game-changer and such a powerful visual with Galadriel watching the volcanic eruption and accepting the inevitable, fully aware that there's nothing she can do to stop it or to help anyone around her. An unforgettable experience and remarkable sequence. Kudos to cast & crew for all their fantastic work on the series so far!
Folie-lex: As Beth and Luana rightfully nominated the hand grab (which I totally endorse BTW), this has left me open to get to nominate another significant moment from the episode between Tim and Lucy. I will agree that the kiss and the final scene are great shippy moments that made us all squee. However Tim confronting Lucy about what has been going on, to me carries more weight. Lucy might be more emotionally available, but Tim is far more emotionally mature. This is a grown ass man who has been through the motions of life and love and likes to call a spade a spade, so of course he would want to clear the air when he no longer can sweep things under the rug. He is basically letting Lucy know there is something going on and to watch her try to reason and deflect, while he deflates is a rather interesting switch in their dynamic, that sets up the board for them for the rest of the season rather nicely.
Luana: O'Neil is awesome, she has been especially killing it every time the Rosalind storyline comes up and this time was no exception, the way she reacted and the way Tim was there for her was just perfect.
Beth: Sure, you could pick the bathroom make out or Tim walking through the door after Lucy invited him, but what got me was Tim’s subtle grab of Lucy’s hand to steady her. It showed the deep intimacy Chenford shares with just a simple act. He knew she needed a calming presence and did it by instinct. These two are meant for each other.
