To my mind, it’s Tony and Carmela’s third argument in Whitecaps (Sopranos episode 4×13) ( https://youtu.be/rjNMb_CRP2A?si=nO2OAy72th_L26Tv ). Gandolfini and Falco both at their absolute peak. Anyway, $4 a pound.
by amusicalfridge
To my mind, it’s Tony and Carmela’s third argument in Whitecaps (Sopranos episode 4×13) ( https://youtu.be/rjNMb_CRP2A?si=nO2OAy72th_L26Tv ). Gandolfini and Falco both at their absolute peak. Anyway, $4 a pound.
by amusicalfridge
43 Comments
Martin Sheen’s monologue in Two Cathedrals, from the West Wing.
That’s a very hard question, but one of my all time favourites for sure is Tony Shalhoub’s monologue to his friends about never having really been there for his daughter in the last season of The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel. That scene is a masterclass of acting and always brings me tears (of joy). IMO the series is worth it for that scene alone.
Found it: https://youtu.be/sAuLnyg4p9U?si=5Wiw-13V9hwOPa6V
There’s a big blowout fight that Tom and Shiv have on “Succession” where they finally lay all their cards out on the table that they don’t even like each other, just cutting deeper and deeper with every line.
that was riveting work from both actors
It might be recency bias but Sam Rockwell and Walton Goggins on the White Lotus when Rockwell does his monologue is up there.
Walt’s phone call at the end of Ozymandias. His voice and words being menacing and pure evil, while his face is portraying heartbreak (all where there’s a part of him that means everything he’s saying)
Boyd and Raylans last meeting in Justified. We dug coal together
The uncut drug kidnapping scene from True Detective S1
Aaron Paul in Breaking Bad after Hank beats him up and he’s in the hospital bed.
https://youtu.be/yp2G586zOEE?si=MLuAZQ_PY-pZgIzE
[Stellan Skarsgård sacrifice monologue in Andor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3RCme2zZRY)
Harrison Ford’s speech at the party in S2 of Shrinking. Heart breaking and warming all at once you don’t know which is stronger but all you do know is you’re bawling.
Also from Shrinking Jason Segel and Brett Goldstein on the train platform…same reason.
Peter Dinklage on trial for the murder of Joffrey. That scene will always stick with me
Desmond and Penny call in Lost.
Mad Men, basically the entire series but “that’s what the money’s for!”, especially for how all of Peggy’s work frustrations and Don’s life frustrations collide
https://youtu.be/BnNV4_8izkI?si=GBxaYZMIlmAdtcAF
The other is when Don and Betty have that conversation about his past
https://youtu.be/6upHj0J-rOo?si=om91nSF55SEVmiwG
Adolescence E3 both the kid and the therapist. A masterclass on both of their parts. As terrifying and dark as Hopkins and Foster in Silence of the Lambs.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer season 5 episode 16 “The Body” – the entire episode but opening scene in particular.
Avery Brooks’ breakdown in front of his co-workers when they won’t publish his story because of racism in Far Beyond The Stars. DS9 could punch so far out of weight class sometimes.
1. Station Eleven hamlet scene
2. Big Little Lies S1 finale when Nicole breaks down in the car after they pull up to the school event telling Skarsgaard she’s done
3. Claire Foy in The Crown S2 telling her uncle there is no question of her forgiving him but rather how on earth he can forgive himself
The Leftovers. Beach ball scene. Carrie Coon.
Alan Aldas chicken baby scene from Goodbye Farewell Amen episode of MASH. If you know you know. Legendary scene
Alan Shore in Boston Legal talking about what friendship means. I don’t know the episode but it’s season 3
When Hank confronts Walt in the garage. His voice changing as he says “tread lightly” is just absolutely perfect!
Adebisi keeping his hat on every episode.
Walt letting Jane die in Breaking Bad. You see his his entire thought process play out in what is a nearly wordless scene, but Cranston conveys everything just perfectly so they are not needed.
The Americans series finale in the parking garage.
Westworld, first Season, Anthony Hopkins comes to my mind: https://youtu.be/8dagzaFjHU4?si=XGzSI5_-P78hpK3W
Shane telling Vic he killed Lem in The Shield.
[Niles pants on fire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBFl00WSkXE).
Five minutes, no dialogue, every beat is perfect.
Maybe not the greatest but one of the best is Ozark s4 when Ruth langmore finds out what happened to Wyatt and goes over to Marty’s house. Incredible emotional weight in that scene by Julia garner
That argument between Tony and Carmela in the kitchen is the best acted scene I’ve ever watched
The scene in TV that gets me worked up every time is Nate burying Lisa in Six Feet Under
The Wire – Omar meeting Brother Mouzone in the alleyway
Court scene in Chernobyl
When Utred and Alfred are having their final meeting in The Last Kingdom.
Avery Brooks, DS9 “In the Pale Moonlight” monologue.
Interwoven as a story telling device throughout the episode (it’s his log entry), you get a full gamut of what morals are and where the line gets drawn in a war. He absolutely crushes it, and I can’t believe its not been mentioned yet.
My list off the top of my head.
Ben’s Cab Ride – Ozark – Tom Pelphrey is phenomenal in this scene (and all scenes of course)
Shane breaks down to Mara – The Shield. This being after the big event (ALSO incredible) but Walton Goggins’ sheer rage of her not accepting his apology to then immediate defeat and just confesses to her.
Jesse tells Walter that it’s not about the money – Breaking Bad. “Its not about the money, its about YOU.” Ugh incredibly powerful scene.
Nate finds out Brenda is cheating- Six Feet Under – the two of them in this scene are so incredible and finally take out all their rage on eachother…”There, barf.”
Father’s acceptance. – Adolescence – Stephen Merchant in his son’s bedroom in the last scene of the show is up there with the best acting I’ve ever seen.
I’m all apart – Succession – theres a reason they ALL won awards for the show
Theres a lot more I just cant think of them all off the top of my head
The Shield, Vic Mackey’s confession in the second to last episode of the series. The long pause he takes before speaking is some of the best nonverbal acting I’ve ever seen. You can see his hesitation and once he does speak its not over the top with emotion, just so cold and uncaring like the true sociopath he is. Entire series building up to this moment and Michael Chiklis absolutely nails it
In Scrubs when Dr. Cox loses his patients to rabies. That whole sequence right before he gets paged that his final patient is coding. Absolutely phenomenal acting by John C. McGinley with good support from Judy Reyes and Zach Braff
Surprised no one has said Mr. Robot (S04E06). The episode is structured like a play and each act could easily fit here tbh but I would probably pick the “big reveal” between Elliot and Krista (iykyk). Absolutely stunning stuff.
The dinner scene from the Seven Fishes episode of The Bear. So fucking uncomfortable to watch. Really reminded me of my family a bit.
I scrolled through the comments to see if someone had mentioned this and couldn’t find it.
Better Call Saul – Jonathan Banks (Mike) and his “I Broke My Boy” monologue is such a powerful scene. I found the clip online, but I don’t know if I can bring myself to rewatch it yet.
https://youtu.be/RFr9iQ2fhkA?si=Qb_BzUCtkRz7b7NZ
Better Call Saul – Kim Wexler confronting Howard in his office after Chuck’s death. Rhea Seehorn was so good in BCS. Glad she finally got some recognition with Pluribus
Comedy acting never gets brought up in this kind of thread but I often think it’s just as hard to pull off as drama.
Seinfeld, George’s speech about saving a whale. “The sea was angry that day.”
[scene](https://youtu.be/2a3TZC69tSg?si=0Uao_oKMEMWGPsmp)
Simon Pegg at the end of the first season of Spaced talking about wanking and turning it into a realization of how sad it is he is pining for his ex. “It’s like walking in on yourself. Whatareyoudoin and that’s me sitting here feeling my heart skip a beat every time the door opened, what the fuck are you doing?”
[scene](https://youtu.be/vivCrJ6EpZQ?si=oeVVDreNf6RDsJg5)
Rhea Seehorn / Kim Wexler crying on the bus in Better Call Saul