THE ARTIST | Steve Carell
THE SHOW | Hulu’s The patient
THE EPISODE | “Company” (September 13, 2022)
THE PERFORMANCE | For many, Carell will always be Michael Scott of Office — and that’s understandable, since it was one of the best comedic performances ever on television. But he’s quietly ventured into drama in recent years, and his work on Hulu’s tense psychological thriller might just be his best dramatic work yet. This week he deftly balanced high anxiety and deep compassion as therapist Dr Alan Strauss did his best to stop his patient Sam from killing again.
Carell’s eyes were haunted as Alan remembered the horror of Sam dragging a new victim, still alive, into a locked room next to where he is holding Alan captive. With a calm voice and quiet demeanor, Alan was almost like a hostage negotiator, carefully talking to an agitated Sam about his feelings and convincing him to spare his victim’s life for the time being. (He kept his composure even when a persistently beeping phone seriously ratcheted up the tension.) Alan also struck up a sweet conversation with the unseen victim through a locked door, trying to soothe his frayed nerves, and Carell managed to make their discussions engaging, even though he was the only person on screen. As the victim dictated a final note to his parents that simply read, “I love you,” Carell paused thoughtfully, holding back tears as Alan replied, “I think that’s the main point.
As Sam grew more determined to take his victim’s life, Alan grew more desperate, with Carell’s voice becoming frantic and strained. But he managed to get a reprieve, and Alan and the victim shared a poignant moment as they sang John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” together. Four episodes in, The patient has been very compelling television – and that’s in large part thanks to Carell’s delicate work.
HONORABLE MENTION | Oh, Eil Gold, how we’ve missed you. Alan Cumming has made his long-awaited return to the Good universe this week via The good fight and his return more than met our exorbitant expectations. It helped that the legendary swagger was no longer encumbered by TV’s prudish censors, allowing Eli to become the worst version of himself – and allowing Cumming to fully embody the colorful role. But it wasn’t just the episode’s opening F-bomb tirade and the snarky asides that followed (Rahm Emanuel’s crack!) that Cumming nailed. He also gave us a glimpse of Eli’s rarely seen humanity in scenes with his daughter Marissa, especially during their tense encounter towards the end of the hour that found him struggling to express affection. that he clearly feels for her. And the best: we get at least two more episodes of it!
HONORABLE MENTION | As Music Director Earn, AtlantaDonald Glover is generally a cool customer, oblivious to the surreal chaos swirling around him. That changed, however, in this week’s second episode, with Earn opening up during therapy. He recalls being kicked out of college after being accused of breaking into another student’s dorm – and also revealed he was abused as a child – and Glover showed more emotion in this scene than we’ve seen of him in four seasons, breaking down in long-repressed sobs. Glover also had a chilling gleam in his eye when we learned that Earn pulled an elaborate revenge prank on an airport employee who had unjustly harassed him, adding another complex (and not entirely admirable) layer to Earn’s personality. Glover has always been the main creative force behind Atlantais a genius, and it’s nice to see him in the spotlight on screen as well.
HONORABLE MENTION | From the outset, Alan Tudyk expressed harley quinn‘s Clayface with a fluid and undulating timbre, perfect for such a malleable mouth. And given the character’s penchant for the dramatic – especially during this season A Hard Wayne will fall arc – this voice rises comically! and falls with every mood change. The Season 3 finale was a particularly notable showcase for Tudyk, as Clayface struggled with his very complicated feelings of being celebrated for his performance in the aforementioned biopic.. albeit in the guise of Billy Bob Thornton. In Thomas Wayne’s cinematic and overly dramatic death scenes, followed by Clayface’s futile reveal to screening attendees, Tudyk had us in stitches, all while feeling sorry for the unrecognized pod.
Which performance(s) hit your socks this week? Tell us in the comments!