THE ARTIST | Harrison Ford
THE SHOW | Paramount + 1923
THE EPISODE | “An Ocean Closer to Destiny” (February 12, 2023)
THE PERFORMANCE | Jacob Dutton is a fairly balanced guy who handles crises with ease; we guess that’s the key to his longevity on the unforgiving plains of Montana. Even when Jake was nearly unconscious on the kitchen table earlier this season, bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds, his biggest concern was telling his wife Cara how to proceed with ranch business in the event of his death.
But a life-threatening injury and prolonged recovery will change a person, and the Jake of Sunday episode was about a physically weakened man who had had far too long to ruminate on the nature of justice – in particular, justice for his family. following Banner Creighton’s Ambush. And because Ford had played the patriarch to such a boil in the past, Jake’s heightened reactions to a few of the episode’s major beats had maximum impact.
During the hour, Ford’s Jake is struck by two very disturbing truths: the knowledge that Cara defied him and brought the sheriff into the brew ranch war, and the sheriff’s refusal to let Jake punish the shepherds. . Ford quickly, beautifully, and apoplectically threw a grown-up tantrum right there in the front yard.
Ford masterfully built the tension in Jake’s body, all the disgruntled head shakes and choppy footsteps, until he exploded into a fury so intense it literally made him rip his character’s shirt off. . Ford’s volume and the way he continually and menacingly thrust his body forward into the sheriff’s space was lovely acting… topped only by his performance in the scene where a cooler Jake explained to Cara why the retribution is so important to him.
As Jake calmly laid out his reasons for protecting his land and his family, Ford filled in the words wearily and certainty: He was a man who knew he stood a good chance of losing the fight against progress and his price, but he was gonna fight like hell anyway. The way his voice trailed off, suddenly full of tears, as Jake lamented a future in which Cara’s grave would be paved for a city road? A loving and moving bonus delivered by one of the best in the business.
Scroll down to see who scored honorable mentions this week…