THE ARTIST | Sabrina Impacciatore
THE SHOW | The White Lotus
THE EPISODE | “Abductions” (December 4, 2022)
THE PERFORMANCE | As the narrowly hurt manager of the Sicily resort town, Valentina, Impacciatore – a comedic actress famous in her native Italy – served mostly as comic relief in Season 2, glaring and muttering sarcastic insults at her pampered guests. . She began to show signs of genuine vulnerability, however, and this week she absolutely wowed us as Valentina let her guard down and tapped into long-buried desires.
Sunday’s episode marked Valentina’s birthday, and Impacciatore’s eyes danced with nervous anticipation as Valentina dared to ask her pretty front desk worker Isabella for a celebratory drink. And when Isabella really said yes? We had never seen Valentina so happy. (To be fair, she’s usually miserable.) But when Isabella later asked her to drive Rocco back to the reception — and revealed that she and Rocco were engaged — that fleeting joy immediately evaporated from Valentina’s face. She offered weak congratulations, but we could see the pain welling up in Impacciatore’s big brown eyes. Valentina abruptly canceled their plans and returned to business mode, but Impacciatore’s quivering chin betrayed the fact that Valentina’s romantic hopes were dashed.
Valentina eventually found solace in a cocktail party, then in an impulsive fling with pianist Mia, Impacciatore infusing their scenes with goofy but undeniable passion. It was easy to write off Valentina at first as just a reliable source for one-liners, but Impacciatore’s deftly layered work showed us that the buttoned-up manager was much deeper than we’d imagined.
HONORABLE MENTION | Rip Wheeler, your smooth talker, you. Of course, on Sunday Yellowstone put on a nice showcase for the grumpy gravitas Cole Hauser brings to his character by officiating rather than stopping bride Beth’s brawl. (Our recap has the details.) But we already knew that rare is the actor who can embody grumpy disapproval as sublimely as Hauser. So his scene in “Watch ‘Em Ride Away” which really thrilled us was the one in which he had to course correct Rip after he made the mistake of telling his better half to “put the boobies away.” like the cowboy properly begged his wife to come with him to the Spring Gathering, Hauser played the invite with a balance of humor and sincerity that left us smiling as broadly as Beth.
HONORABLE MENTION | Decades after the 1988 original, Warwick Davis’ eponymous hero remains a favorite among fantasy enthusiasts. Now with a willow series of sequels, Davis is able to build on that performance with an even more layered and likeable ride. He does a great job passing down the physical cost of his magic; Yes, Willow is a formidable witch, but even the strongest magic users have their knees wobbly from excessive spellcasting. In this week’s episode, Willow is forced to unleash a burst of magic that ends a brutal battle. and puts him out of harm’s way. More impressive than all that, though, is how effectively Davis sells us on the overwhelming sense of defeat his character feels. He’s a new mentor who already feels like he’s failed. It is from this sense of desperation that Davis draws some of his most inspired actors to date.
HONORABLE MENTION | land of fire the fans probably dreaded still testifying to how Vince reacted to the death of his daughter Riley years ago in real time. This week, Billy Burke in flashback was tasked with exploring that immeasurable grief, and he packed it into the punch we were guessing. From doubling over at the scene of the fiery and gruesome crash to grilling his son Bode over his responsibility for the tragedy and then lashing out at Luke for being the ‘fun uncle’, Vince has been overwhelmed with wave after wave of angst, pointing desperately. Meanwhile, in today’s scenes, Burke communicated how affected Vince was by the car accident no different at hand – to the point that he would try to risk his own life to save the children. from another couple.
HONORABLE MENTION | As DC’s StargirlThe three-season run of has come to an end, Brec Bassinger shone brighter than ever, bringing new layers to Courtney as a heroic star and ordinary girl. Upon realizing how she could snatch Cosmo from “Starman” in the final showdown, Court displayed a vital newfound confidence, deriding the current Guardian of the Cosmic Staff as unworthy. (She even let out a cocky grin as Cosmo came within reach.) Later, in scenes with Pat, Becky and then Cameron, Bassinger made it clear Courtney’s growth as a girl, assistant and teenage love interest, making feel the surreal journey of his alter ego. too real. She was, in a word, great.
Which performance(s) hit your socks this week? Tell us in the comments!