THE INTERPRETERS | D’Pharaon Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Lane Factor and Paulina Alexis
THE SHOW | Reservation dogs
THE EPISODE | “I Still Believe” (September 28, 2022)
THE PERFORMANCE | In the Season 2 finale of Sterlin Harjo’s gem, the Rez Dogs learned how much stronger they are together than apart.
While the late crew friend Daniel had always been part of the Rez Dogs’ DNA, their excursion west showed us just how much Bear (Woon-A-Tai), Willie Jack (Alexis) , Elora (Jacobs) and Cheese (Factor) were still in mourning. And in just 30 minutes, the band finally acknowledged that their friend’s suicide had left holes in them that may never be repaired.
While we had already honored Jacobs for his work in Episode 4, we couldn’t dare separate the Dogs because they fulfilled Daniel’s last great wish: to go to California with his friends. No actor eclipsed the others; rather, it’s their combined chemistry and the characters’ reliance on each other that made us laugh at their antics and upset us in their grief.
Despite Elora’s car being stolen (with all their money and Daniel’s letter inside), the group relentlessly pursued the mission. When they finally reached the edge of the ocean, they were met with all kinds of feelings and realizations. Jacobs showed great vulnerability in his body language and diction as Elora admitted her fear of letting Daniel go. Woon-A-Tai broke down in tears, as Bear was consumed with love for his friends. Alexis showed great fortitude as Willie Jack proved to be both the Dogs’ safety net and comic relief. And after they came together for a prayer, Factor shivered and choked on his emotions as Cheese revealed his lingering anger.
Reservation dogs turned out to be special in so many ways, and most of the praise we bestow on it rests on the stunning work of these four young actors. They may still be at the start of their hopefully successful career, but they have already delivered a powerful showcase that we won’t soon forget.
HONORABLE MENTION | Much of the criticism directed at Netflix Dahmer focused on the limited series’ decision to focus on the ubiquitous serial killer and not his countless victims. Perhaps that’s why Paris Barclay’s sixth episode, “Silenced,” spends most of its hour focusing on Tony Hughes (Deaf U‘s Rodney Burford), a 31-year-old deaf gay black man murdered by Dahmer – such a welcome aberration, and Karen Malina White’s performance such a gift. The veteran actress plays Shirley, Tony’s doting-turned-griefed mother, with such heartbreaking restraint that you find yourself wanting to step through the screen to hug her. The unconditional love and, eventually, outsized pain that beams through White’s expressive eyes — especially in this beautifully rendered closing table scene — carries home all the tragic weight of a promising life cut short.
HONORABLE MENTION | In this week The Handmaid’s TaleLuke has come a lot closer to seeing things the way June did, and we say: Praise be. The character development opens up some very interesting new avenues for OT Fagbenle, who has been so good throughout Luke’s long history in trying to dissuade his wife June from her murderous ledge. Luke’s new bloodlust – or at least his debut – on Wednesday allowed Fagbenle to give his performance a heightened sense of barely contained frustration and a very moving sense that he was a character who has ultimately, ultimately been pushed to the limit. Case in point: Luke’s confrontation with Serena, during which Fagbenle dazzled by turning his character from mock calm to murderous rage in the span of minutes.
HONORABLE MENTION | Andor‘s Stellan Skarsgård had several engaging scenes this week, each one talking about Luthen’s commitment to the cause. First, we saw Luthen persuade Cassian to join Vel’s motley crew on Aldhani to “put a real stick in the eye of the Empire. (“I didn’t risk my ass for the Starpath unit,” he confessed. you. “) Then there was his horn-locking with Vel, who objected to the idea of an outsider being forced into his heist plan. (When Luthen yelled at him, “Listen to me!”, it clearly showed how critical he thought Cassian – sorry, “Clem” – was of their effort.) where we saw him transition to his character jocular from Coruscant, followed by said alter ego’s secret assignment with Senator Mon Mothma. Throughout this episode and the one before it, Skarsgård made Luthen a memorable, fearsome (and unpredictable) player.
Which performance(s) hit your socks this week? Tell us in the comments!