THE PERFORMER | Paula Newsome and Regina Taylor
THE SHOW | CSI: Vegas
THE EPISODE | “The Promise” (March 30, 2023)
THE PERFORMANCE | We had been promised essentially the most emotional CSI: Vegas episode to this point. And that, it was.
As Maxine’s group labored to establish the stays of a younger woman present in a barrel on the backside of Lake Mead, a girl named Raquel Williams confirmed as much as put an precise face to “Jane Doe” — that of her daughter Phoebe, who was murdered 41 years prior. And for the following 45 minutes, Newsome and Taylor had us rapt.
Raquel, at first, had zero religion within the crime lab’s investigation offering any closure. In any case, within the speedy wake of Phoebe being gunned down “in chilly blood, in the midst of the road,” “The police wrote their rattling report with a boring pencil on a cocktail serviette. The telephone by no means rang,” she instructed Maxine, Taylor’s voice reflecting a lot long-held resentment. “‘Sorry to your loss,’ my ass!”
Newsome in flip gave us a Maxine crammed with resolve, to a level we had by no means fairly seen earlier than. “‘They’ is me now,” she instructed Raquel, begging for cooperation. “Phoebe is on my watch. And my watch does not want winding.”
Raquel finally warmed as much as Maxine and recounted what precisely occurred on that evening in 1982, tears rolling down Taylor’s cheeks whereas Newsome’s face made clear that Maxine was absorbing each tragic element. Raquel then revealed the place a lacking second bullet had landed. “I have it,” she mentioned, pointing to a scar on her chest. “Phoebe died attempting to save lots of my life.” Maxine requested Raquel if she’d bear surgical procedure to retrieve the bullet, in order that it may inform its “story” and presumably ID the shooter. Raquel responded by rhetorically asking Maxine if she would threat her life for her personal little one. “I believe we each know the reply to that,” the CI nodded.
Newsome and Taylor’s most stunning work got here at Raquel’s hospital bedside, the place the episode’s title — “The Promise” — revealed itself. “I want one thing from you…,” Raquel mentioned to her newfound ally. “If one thing was to occur [during surgery], bury my little one in her rightful state.” “I promise,” Maxine warmly assured her. Later, in what can be the final phrases she’d ever say, a post-op Raquel handed Maxine the bullet, and whispered, “Go get the person.” Maxine did, and that promise was saved.
Scroll all the way down to see who scored Honorable Point out shout-outs this week…
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HONORABLE MENTION: Daniel Ezra
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of The CW Although it’s been a tremendously powerful loss to course of, Billy Baker’s loss of life on All American has allowed the forged to do series-best work as Billy’s family members mourn him. This week, Spencer’s grief was within the highlight, and Daniel Ezra was beautiful as he lastly launched his character’s long-suppressed ache. The majority of Spencer’s emotion was unleashed in a shifting scene late within the hour, as he wept to his therapist over the numerous losses he’s skilled in his younger life. And but, it was the way in which Spencer’s anger bubbled over with Coop earlier that day that’s caught with us. With simply three phrases (“Depart me alone!“) yelled at high quantity, Ezra not solely confirmed us his appreciable performing vary, however revealed how deeply Spencer’s heartache has run since Billy’s loss of life. Is it too late to get in on that group hug on the James residence?
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HONORABLE MENTION: Hong Chau
Picture Credit score: Netflix screenshot From go, The Night time Agent‘s Diane Farr was a drive to be reckoned with. Imbued with (oft-vicious) vim by Hong Chau, the White Home chief of employees was somebody you needed in your nook — if at any given second you thought you might actually belief her. Chau and that dynamite wig stole each scene she was in, however it was Episode 9 of the Netflix hit the place she explored the widest vary of fabric. In a gap flashback, Chau confirmed us the battle that Diane felt upon being given a sordid activity, earlier than caving to guard her POTUS. Mid-hour, we bought a scrumptious face-off between Diane and the VP, as she held Redfield’s ft to the hearth but once more. Then, when confronted at dwelling by Peter, Chau amazingly made us really feel for Diane, who had been blindsided by the veep’s true agenda. Season 2 is coming, and we hope The Night time Agent provides Chau one other name.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Angela Lewis
Picture Credit score: Hulu screenshot Say what you need about Louie’s actions on Snowfall, however there’s no denying that portrayer Angela Lewis delivered a compelling emotional journey on this week’s episode. Reeling from Jerome’s shocking loss of life final week, Wednesday’s installment discovered Lewis navigating advanced feelings because the grieving widow ready to put her husband to relaxation. Louie’s anguish as she refused to be parted from Jerome’s corpse was intestine wrenching, her zombie-like state whereas talking with Cissy was chilling, and the venomous rage effervescent beneath her calm voice as she known as Franklin the satan was downright unsettling. With only some episodes left, we’re invested in seeing the place this grief takes her subsequent.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Juliet Mills
Picture Credit score: ABC screenshot HONORABLE MENTION | Whether or not you fondly keep in mind Juliet Mills from Nanny and the Professor or Passions, you needed to have been tickled to see her flip up as Jules’ roommate Max in Thursday’s Gray’s Anatomy. The shock visitor look not solely felt like reuniting with an previous good friend — Martimmies throughout! — however the veteran actress gave an totally pleasant efficiency as Max, who’d solely come to Gray Sloan to get a gal pal checked out, found that each of them had caught gonorrhea from the identical womanizing loverboy! To high all of it off, Mills superbly rendered a bittersweet monologue concerning the upside of a girl changing into invisible after a sure age. Mockingly, in that second, we’d have sworn that we’d by no means seen her extra clearly.
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