THE ARTIST | Christina Applegate
THE SHOW | dead to me
THE EPISODE | “We’ve Reached the End” (November 17, 2022)
THE PERFORMANCE | Before we even set eyes on the series finale of Netflix’s dark comedy, Applegate had already done some of his funniest and most heartfelt work in the previous nine episodes of Season 3. But in Episode 10 , aka the show’s swansong, the beloved TV veteran broke her own very high bar, delivering the best performance of her career in the process.
The prospect of Applegate’s Jen losing her partner in literal cancer-infused Judy (Linda Cardellini) crime dead to methe final season with unusual emotional weight and, in turn, allowed the Married with children alum and comedic power to flex its considerable dramatic chops (while simultaneously nailing zinger after zinger). This was especially true in the finale, which found Judy succumbing to her Stage 4 diagnosis.
At the start of the episode, Jen remained in denial that Judy’s time was running out. But Applegate masterfully guided her alter ego through the perilous phase of acceptance in small heartbreaking increments, the first of which came when Jen came face-to-face with the ’66 Mustang that claimed her husband’s life. As Jen rejected Judy’s directive to “kick the shit” out of the PTSD trigger vehicle with a golf club, Applegate subtly lowered her character’s guard long enough for Jen to quietly, tearfully unload the most healing of truth bombs: “How do I hate it? It brought you to me.
When Judy later completely ripped the band-aid off, revealing to Jen that their three-week vacation would become, for her, a “permanent” vacation, Applegate gave us a glimpse of the most vulnerable and emotionally present Jen. Clinging to her best friend for life as tears streamed down both of their faces, Jen told Judy, “You changed my life.” Applegate’s ability to anchor the moment with a beautifully restrained combo platter of pain and gratitude only added to its resonance.
Applegate recently suggested Variety that her MS diagnosis could force her into early retirement, dead to me potentially being his final role. Selfishly, we hope not. As this episode – and the season as a whole – demonstrated, she’s only just begun to tap into her considerable powers.
HONORABLE MENTION | The series finale of The Walking Dead (recap here) was marked by strong performances, including from Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. But Christian Serratos still managed to stand out, bidding us farewell to Rosita who was alternately thrilling ferocity and breathtaking vulnerability. As Coco’s mother rescued her from the hell of the Commonwealth nursery, the actress went into turbo action hero mode but added an underlying emotion that made Rosita’s frenzy all too real. (Does anyone’s heart not still down their throats after falling backwards into the horde?) Then, when the tough guy revealed to Eugene that she had been bitten, Serratos tempered the sadness of the moment with an understated dignity that made the end inevitable of Rosita all the more poignant.
HONORABLE MENTION | With greater power comes greater responsibility. And like Titans‘ Kory realized that with greater responsibility comes frankly impossible decisions, Anna Diop has been diving into some of her best bits in a while. As Kory and Rachel attempted to save Sebastian Sanger’s bacon by hiding it until the prophecy passed, Kory was challenged by her former mentor Zadira to fulfill her destiny and instead kill Mother Mayhem’s son. Diop, now embracing Kory’s agency like no season before, communicated both his alter ego’s resolve, but also the struggle within — especially when Kory got a glimpse of an idyllic… and then post-apocalyptic future. . When Mayhem herself found herself in the restaurant to claim her child, Diop once again embodied the power of Kory, albeit in a sadly losing battle.
HONORABLE MENTION | AJ Buckley and Alona Tal have both delivered, and more, in SEAL Team, which reunited Sonny and Stella for the first time since Clay’s death. Buckley kicked off our aqueducts when Sonny stood by Clay’s headstone and assured his late best friend that he would keep his promise to take care of Stella and baby Brian. When Tal next joined Buckley in the scene, the actors made you feel their characters’ shared heartache and near inability to speak. Tal later capped off her own fine performance when Stella assured Jason that she didn’t blame him for the Navy Cross he was to receive, since his heroism allowed Clay to come home and be father – if only for a while. Tal and Buckley took their years on the show, and the rich stories of their characters, and turned them into something tragically beautiful.
Which performance(s) hit your socks this week? Tell us in the comments!