Category Archives: Best Thing on TV This Week

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (1/25 – 2/1)

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This week in television kicked off with a Sunday that showcased the best in both sports and film/television. The NFL Pro Bowl, NHL All Star Game, and SAG Awards all aired on Sunday, along with another hilarious episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine that put Jake and Terry in a room full of defense attorneys. Tuesday’s lineup included another excellent hour of Parks and Recreation that saw the return of Treat Yo Self Day and the best hour of Agent Carter yet. Wednesday was a night of season premieres for some of my favorite cable dramas. On Suits, Louis’s sense of betrayal led to him lashing out at everyone around him, and on The Americans, no character escaped the hour without their vulnerabilities being brought into the spotlight. Finally, Saturday gave us my favorite episode of Saturday Night Live so far this season, as J.K. Simmons proved to be quite the natural host.

This was a week for fabulous ladies on television getting stuff done—whether it was Leslie figuring out a way to save her beloved JJ’s Diner and get her national park on Parks and Rec, Elizabeth taking down a pair of FBI agents on The Americans, or Amy using her conflict resolution skills on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. But my favorite fierce female performance this week was Hayley Atwell’s work on a fantastic episode of Agent Carter.

Peggy and Howard’s tense, emotional scene in her room was the finest moment so far on this great show. It gave real depth to Howard, but the most memorable part of that scene was Peggy’s monologue about why Howard has no right to Steve Rogers’s blood. In just a few sentences, Atwell was able to convey so much emotion: Peggy’s love for Steve—not Captain America but Steve Rogers and the selfless good he stood for; her disgust with herself for losing sight of what Steve would have wanted her to do and—more importantly—what the woman she once was would have done; and her deep sense of betrayal by someone she thought believed in the same things she did. Atwell has been fantastic as Peggy from her first moments in Captain America, but she has never been better than she was in that scene.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (1/18 – 1/25)

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While many TV shows took a little hiatus this week, there were still plenty of memorable moments to get us from Sunday to Sunday. The week began with playoff football, and the fallout from one of those games dominated much of the television landscape this week in the form of nonstop talk about “Deflategate.” On Monday, Castle featured a trip into the dramatic world of telenovelas. And Tuesday’s hour of Parks and Recreation offered plenty of laughs and even more tears.

“Leslie and Ron,” the second half of Tuesday’s Parks and Rec double-header wasn’t just the best thing I’ve seen on TV this week. It was the best episode of television I’ve seen so far this year (and probably this whole TV season). The phrase “instant classic” is often hyperbolic, but I honestly believe it’s the perfect way to describe “Leslie and Ron.” It was a series highlight for a series filled with highlights—that’s how special it was.

While it’s difficult to select just one moment in the episode as the best, I can’t stop thinking about the unforced emotion in the scene where Ron told Leslie what motivated him to leave the Parks Department. That scene was a testament to what happens when great writing over the course of an entire series combines with performances given by actors who love and understand their characters even more than their passionate fans do. Ron admitting to Leslie that he missed his friends so much that he was willing to ask for a job with the federal government only resonated the way it did because of who we know Ron Swanson to be as a character and the emotions Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler brought to that moment. It was sweet, it was sad, and it was simply perfect. Such a brilliant, effortlessly moving scene could only be achieved by writers and actors at their top of their game. I’m so glad that my favorite show on television seems to be going out on top creatively in a way few shows I’ve loved ever have before.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (1/11 – 1/18)

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This week in television began with Sunday’s highly entertaining Golden Globe Awards, featuring strong jokes from Amy Poehler and Tiny Fey as well as big wins for some very deserving actors and shows. Sunday night also gave us a hilarious new episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and an episode of The Good Wife that attempted to tackle the issue of racial unrest in America while also featuring Alicia’s big debate. Monday’s episode of Castle proved that taking Castle out of the precinct was actually a wonderful decision for the show. And Tuesday gave us the return of Parks and Recreation, joining a night of television that also featured another strong episode of Agent Carter and an excellent guest appearance by Lee Pace on The Mindy Project.

I’m a sucker for a good award show acceptance speech, so this year’s Golden Globes were an embarrassment of riches for me. From George Clooney’s love for his wife to Michael Keaton’s love for his son, sincerity was the real winner, which is rare for a Hollywood event. However, no moment was more sincerely joyful and emotional than Gina Rodriguez’s acceptance speech for Best Actress in a Television Comedy. I don’t even watch Jane the Virgin (Yet! That will change soon.), but I found myself moved to tears by her pure gratitude. This was a year for inspiring, diverse projects and people to take home Golden Globes, and Rodriguez’s win set the tone for the whole evening in such a beautiful way: “My father used to tell me to say every morning, ‘Today is going to be a great day. I can and I will.’ Well, Dad, today is a great day. I can and I did.”

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (1/4 – 1/11)

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This week saw the return of a bunch of great TV shows from their winter hiatuses. Sunday’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine took all of its characters on a weekend trip, and The Good Wife featured a huge sigh of relief for Cary while tensions rose around Kalinda. Monday gave us the return of The Bachelor with farmer Chris looking for love. Tuesday staked its claim as a fantastic night for television in 2015 with an excellent series premiere for Agent Carter and our first look at Mindy’s time at Stanford on The Mindy Project. And there were plenty of things for sports fans to cheer about as the NFL playoffs kicked off.

This may have been one of the most difficult choices I’ve had to make yet for the best thing on television this week—between Captain Holt eagerly playing a game designed to poke fun at him on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Peggy threatening a sexist jerk with just a fork on Agent Carter, and Cary’s sentencing on The Good Wife. Ultimately, though, I went with what moved me the most—and that came from The Good Wife.

Matt Czuchry’s performance as it dawned on Cary that the case against him was being thrown out was so incredible that I want him to get an Emmy nomination this year for that moment alone. The pure relief and gratitude on his face was paired with a deeper sense of exhaustion that made the relief feel even more powerful. Playing “overwhelmed” can lend itself to overacting, but Czuchry proved that he has taken lessons from the Christine Baranski/Julianna Margulies playbook with the subtlety he brought to that moment. Being able to convey so much emotion in just a facial expression is something every member of the cast of The Good Wife excels at, and Czuchry’s reaction provided perhaps the most earned and cathartic moment I’ve seen on television this season.

The way The Good Wife balanced the relief Cary felt and we felt for him with the fear Kalinda felt and we all felt for her just added to the brilliance of that scene. Nothing on The Good Wife is ever simple; everything is layered. And that kind of emotional complexity made what was already a fantastic scene even better by showing that Cary’s freedom and happiness has a cost, and that cost is one Kalinda is going to have to pay.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (12/14 – 12/21)

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This was a relatively slow week in the world of television, as most shows have already started their winter hiatuses. However, Sunday night was still a great night of television, featuring a jam-packed midseason finale of Once Upon a Time and the ultimate test of Jake and Boyle’s friendship on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

As far as emotionally powerful moments go, Once Upon a Time‘s midseason finale had not just the best of the week but perhaps the best of the whole television season so far, as Belle found her voice and her strength, ordering Rumplestiltskin to leave Storybrooke. Both Emilie de Ravin and Robert Carlyle were at their absolute best in this scene, breaking my heart even as I cheered for Belle finding the courage to walk away from a man who was never going to make her his first choice, who was never going to love her the way she deserved to be loved. There was such righteous anger in de Ravin’s performance, but there was also such palpable disappointment—in both Rumplestiltskin and in herself.

The moment when Belle told Rumplestiltskin that she lost herself trying to help him stay on the right path was so powerful because it felt so real; it was such an honest look at the reality of unhealthy relationships. And that’s when Once Upon a Time is at its best—when it uses these fairytale characters and magical situations to show us real truths about life and love.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (12/7 – 12/14)

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This was a very strong week of television, with plenty of midseason finales and penultimate episodes to keep us talking all week. On Sunday, Ingrid’s storyline concluded in a truly beautiful and emotional way on Once Upon a Time, and the holidays were in full swing on Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Monday’s Castle winter finale ended on one heck of a cliffhanger, and Tuesday’s Christmas episodes of New Girl and The Mindy Project both made me happy cry. Wednesday’s Nashville was jam-packed with emotional moments—with one bright spot amid a whole lot of darkness. And Saturday Night Live had perhaps its strongest episode of the season in Martin Freeman’s capable hands.

It was incredibly tough to choose just one moment as the best of the week. Both Ingrid’s final scene on Once Upon a Time and Danny’s Christmas gift to Mindy on The Mindy Project were absolutely perfect. However, this week, I chose a moment that stood out for being a reason to smile during an hour of television filled with so much sadness.

The midseason finale of Nashville featured paternity problems, a possible cancer diagnosis, a potential death by overdose, and a canceled wedding. But in the middle of all of those things, my favorite couple on the show—Juliette and Avery—got back together, engaged, and married all within the course of a few minutes of screen time. Both of these characters have grown so much together and apart, and I loved that this was a moment of them choosing not to be without each other anymore, because they’re good together; they help each other be their best selves. Their love story grew to become one of my favorite things about this melodramatic primetime soap opera, and there’s nothing like watching a TV couple you’ve rooted for finally get married. And as someone who loved Juliette Barnes like I love only a handful of other ladies on television, it filled my heart with joy to see her get this moment of pure happiness, starting a beautiful family with the man she loves.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (11/30 – 12/7)

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This week in television featured a lot of shows gearing up for their winter finales, as well as plenty of holiday fun. On Sunday, Once Upon a Time gave us an hour filled with emotional reunions and even more emotional farewells, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine gave all of us Jake/Amy shippers a new sense of hope. Monday’s Castle had a fun action-move A-plot, but it will be remembered for its B-plot, which saw Beckett say goodbye to the apartment where she rebuilt her life. Tuesday’s New Girl gave us some more insight into Jess and Cece’s friendship, and The Mindy Project gave us some real character growth for Mindy. Wednesday’s Nashville Christmas episode was the relative calm before what looks to be a stormy midseason finale, and Friday brought out my generation’s nostalgic side with Girl Meets World‘s Christmas special.

There were a plethora of great moments to choose from this week when picking my favorite: Anna saying her wedding vows to Kristoff thinking they were about to die on Once Upon a Time, Mindy’s assertion that she would be fine without Danny if he didn’t want her as much as she wanted him on The Mindy Project, Juliette and Avery finally flirting again on Nashville…

The moment that made me the happiest this week, though, came from an unexpected place: The Disney Channel. Girl Meets World‘s Christmas episode was a wonderful little dose of joyful nostalgia at a time of year when we all want to feel like kids again. Seeing Mr. and Mrs. Matthews and Shawn join Cory and Topanga for Christmas celebrations was enough to keep me smiling from ear to ear for 30 minutes. The episode told some pretty honest truths about growing up and becoming adults, but it did it in the charming way that Boy Meets World always approached its life lessons. And if you grew up watching Boy Meets World, there was no way you could watch Shawn and Cory reunite and not be swept up in the pure joy of lifelong friendship all over again.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (11/23 – 11/30)

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This holiday week in television began on Sunday with another fun episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and a very emotional midseason finale of The Good Wife. On Monday, a champion was crowned on Dancing with the Stars, and Esposito found himself in the middle of a hostage situation on Castle. Tuesday featured another Thanksgiving celebrated by the gang on New Girl and another exploration of Danny’s relationship with his mom on The Mindy Project. And, of course, with Thanksgiving comes the TV trifecta of the Macy’s Parade, the National Dog Show, and plenty of fun football games.

In a week that celebrates the things we’re thankful for, one thing I’m thankful for is the amount of dancing I get to see on TV. I don’t talk about my love for Dancing with the Stars a lot on here, but I’ve been a devoted fan of the show since its first seasons. And this season, Alfonso Ribeiro captured my heart like very few contestants have. His freestyle with Witney perfectly summed up everything I loved about watching him dance: his pure talent, his feel for the music, and his innate sense of joy. I love when you can see in someone’s body language and stage presence how happy dance makes them, and that kind of enthusiasm for dance was written all over this routine.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (11/16 – 11/23)

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This week in television kicked off with a two-hour episode of Once Upon a Time, the Thanksgiving episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and a perfectly tense hour of The Good Wife. Monday featured a fantastic semifinal of Dancing with the Stars and Castle and Beckett’s honeymoon on Castle. On Tuesday, Jess got closer to a gorgeous new teacher on New Girl, and Danny read Mindy’s diary on The Mindy Project. Wednesday’s Nashville made me angrier at Luke than ever before, but that was balanced with a whole bunch of happy Avery/Juliette feelings. And Thursday’s night of “TGIT” midseason finales gave us an episode of Scandal filled with crazy twists and the revelation of Sam’s killer on How to Get Away with Murder, and both episodes featured cliffhangers to keep us talking and guessing until their hiatus is over.

There were so many great moments on TV this week—from Alicia and Peter in the limo on The Good Wife to Avery and Juliette finally holding hands again on Nashville. However, my favorite moment of the week came from Once Upon a Time‘s two-hour extravaganza. This show has made a point of showing how all kinds of love are equally strong and important, and in “Smash the Mirror,” another kind of love was put in the spotlight: loving yourself. Learning to love yourself for exactly who you are is such an important lesson that doesn’t get shown to people—especially women—enough in the media, so I’m thrilled that Once Upon a Time took such a major episodes and used it to show the beauty and magic inherent in accepting and choosing to love yourself. Emma faced the parts of herself that scare her the most, and she chose to believe that she could save herself from that darkness.

It was wonderful to see the push she needed to do that come from Elsa, a woman who has faced her share of self-doubt and fear, but has finally come to accept herself and love herself. To see Elsa, a character once defined by her fear, help Emma stop being afraid, was beautiful. It was a moment of huge growth for both women, and it was a moment that showed what genuine, true friendship is all about—supporting someone as they work through the growing pains of learning to love themselves. It was such a powerful moment, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who was incredibly inspired by its message of self-acceptance and the power we all have to be our own saviors.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?

The Best Thing I Saw on TV This Week (11/9 – 11/16)

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This week in television began on Sunday with another emotional hour of Once Upon a Time, another hilarious episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and another captivating hour of The Good Wife. On Monday, Castle and Beckett finally got married. Tuesday gave us an episode of The Mindy Project filled with more great guest performances, and Wednesday’s Nashville gave me hope for Juliette and Avery for the first time since last season. Finally, Thursday’s Scandal featured more double-crossing than perhaps ever before, and How to Get Away with Murder was basically an hour-long lesson in “Why you shouldn’t trust your husband.”

For as much as I loved the acting in the interrogation scene between Emma and Ingrid on Once Upon a Time, if you thought I was picking anything other than Castle and Beckett’s wedding as the best TV moment of the week, you must not know me very well. It was everything I could have hoped for as someone who has loved this couple since the pilot and spent six years following their journey. It was simple, intimate, and perfect. And it’s still making me cry numerous re-watches later.

What was the best thing you saw on TV this week?