TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Sarah Paulson

THE PERFORMER | Sarah Paulson

THE SHOW | Hulu's "All's Fair"

THE EPISODE | "This Is Me Trying" (Nov. 18, 2025)

THE PERFORMANCE | In its first four episodes, "All's Fair" established Paulson's Carrington Lane as a hilarious nuisance, a side character who existed solely to drop nasty one-liners and to provide the show's leading lawyers with a common, low-stakes enemy. But all that changed in Episode 5, which not only put Paulson in the spotlight but also put her character under a microscope, resulting in the type of heartbreaking, hysterical and fully realized performance that both the viewers and Paulson deserve.

Let's start light: While there's nothing inherently funny about drinking and driving, we could watch Carr fail a sobriety test all day, especially if it begins with Paulson singing "Edge of Seventeen" (a shout-out to her "American Horror Story: Coven" co-star Stevie Nicks!) while swerving all over the road. Watching her play the calculated character in a moment of overconfidence and self-unawareness was thoroughly entertaining, even if Officer What's-His-Name appeared less than amused during Carr's breathalyzer test.

And that was merely the cherry on top of Carr's previous encounter with Chase, in which she stripped him down, washed his hair, and roasted his personality, all while delicately dodging his aggressive advances. It was the very definition of a "what is even happening here?" scene, but Paulson's layered performance kept us happily guessing — and frankly a little disappointed when their evening finally came to an end.

Now for the more serious moments: Episode 5 peeled back the curtain of Carr's private life, particularly her unconventional relationship with her daughter Amabel (Juliette Mae Diamond). You could feel how desperately Carr wanted to be a good mother, if only she could get out of her own way. One particularly stunning scene involved Amabel expressing how Carr's cutting affected her as a kid, presented through the lens of Carr helping her write a compelling prep-school admissions essay about perseverance. Processing genuine emotion under the guise of crafting a well-worded argument is an extremely Carr thing to do, and Paulson juggled the duality of the situation with tremendous grace.

Another particularly powerful scene came when Carr paid a visit to Amabel's father Sebastian (Jason Butler Harner), who was none too pleased to find his hurricane of an ex back on his doorstep. As they rehashed their messy history, including their marriage of mutual convenience, you could feel Carr fighting the urge to unravel until she ultimately surrendered to her truth — that she needs help. We also got some really terrific, understated moments between Paulson and Lorraine Toussaint as Alberta Dome, the first person to recognize Carr's need for a helping hand.

Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week...

Gary Cole has been cracking cases on "NCIS" for the past few years, but we have a soft spot for the goofier version of Cole we remember from "The Brady Bunch Movie" and "Office Space." So it was fun to see him tap back into that comedic side on Netflix's "A Man on the Inside" as obnoxious billionaire Brad Vinick. In Episode 3, Cole had us giggling as Brad immediately sized up private eye Julie as "competent" (and "pretty hot") before launching into visions of a giant statue in his honor where he's racing against a horse... and winning! Then Brad continued blabbing at Julie while she tagged along on his ridiculous longevity treatments, with Cole charging forward with an unshakable arrogance. We like seeing Cole every week on "NCIS," but we also like getting to see him spread his wings a little, like he did so hilariously here. — Dave Nemetz

OK, Taylor Sheridan, we'll forgive you for how little we got to see Demi Moore in "Landman" Season 1, given the showcase you gave her in the Season 2 premiere. Cami's big presentation to the moneymen was a shots-across-the-bow warning to those who thought they might take advantage of Monty's widow as she ascended to company boss, and Moore killed it. Speaking quietly but with purpose, she had her character lull the audience into a sense of false security... then, like a stealthy predator on the Serengeti she referenced, she went in for the kill. We don't know what we loved more: Moore's matter-of-fact delivery of how Cami would systematically destroy her opposition or the smugness with which she had Cami encourage everyone in the room to enjoy their lunch, because "I paid for it with your f**king money." Baller speech, given by an actress who knows a little something about being underestimated. If this performance was a preview of what Moore has in store this season, sign us up. — Kimberly Roots

Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!