TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Adam Scott

THE PERFORMER | Adam Scott

THE SHOW | Severance

THE EPISODE | "Cold Harbor" (Mar. 21, 2025)

THE PERFORMANCE | Scott didn't stop at giving us just one great performance in the Season 2 finale of Apple TV+'s mind-bending thriller. He gave us two! Scott delivered his best work of the series, bar none, as Mark's Innie and Outie squared off in a heated battle for control... before one of them made a decision that's sure to change everything.

As the finale opened, Innie Mark was hesitant to risk his own existence to save Gemma, so Ms. Cobel brought in someone to convince him: his own Outie, who asked for his help in a videotaped message. A look of pure wonder crossed Scott's face as Innie Mark glimpsed Outie Mark for the first time, but that wonder turned to anger when Innie Mark started to feel used by his Outie. In a remarkable sequence, the two Marks argued with each other in dueling video messages, and Scott made each Mark feel wholly distinct from the other as they took turns pleading their case. (Scott also helped us feel the ragged desperation of Innie Mark as he faced total annihilation and the loss of his beloved Helly.) Then when he got back to Lumon, Mark shared his concerns with Helly, and she encouraged him to try to find some kind of life on the outside. "But I want to live with you," Mark told her, Scott's voice trembling in heartbreaking fashion. He did end up trying to save Gemma, with Scott playing the role of reluctant action hero as Mark accidentally shot Mr. Drummond in the throat and sprinted through the Lumon halls while spattered with blood.

The episode's final moments served as one last flourish for Scott, too, with him silently conveying Innie Mark's confusion and ultimate commitment to Helly as he left Gemma behind in favor of her. Scott has made a career out of playing sarcastic smart-asses who turn everything into a joke — but this was no joke. He dove deep into genuine emotion this week and helped make the Severance finale one we'll be talking about and debating for years to come.

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

Of the myriad eccentric personalities inhabiting Netflix's The Residence, there's a short list of characters we'd actually want to grab drinks with. And White House butler Sheila Cannon, played with humor and heart by Edwina Findley, is at the top of our list. Simultaneously no-nonsense and all-nonsense, Sheila had our full attention from her first nervous inquiry ("Can I smoke in here?"), and we remained firmly locked in as her story unfolded — or should we say unraveled? — throughout Episode 4. Is Sheila the most "reliable" narrator? Probably not. But with Findley bringing her words to life, she's a damn fun one, with each version of her truth being more entertaining than the last. And just for the record, she was not flirting with Hugh Jackman. He was flirting with her. — Andy Swift

Netflix's Adolescence is an absolute gut-punch of a crime drama about a 13-year-old boy being arrested for murder, and it's so packed with stellar performances that it feels unfair to single out just one. But we have to shine a light on Stephen Graham, who not only co-created the series but starred as the boy's gruff father Eddie, putting on a masterclass of anger and grief in the fourth and final episode. It was Eddie's birthday, and he tried to keep things light, warmly joking around with his wife and daughter as they drove to the hardware store. But his mood turned sour when he caught up with some ruffians who defaced his van, with Graham uncorking a volcanic reserve of rage within Eddie. It was when Eddie's son told him he was pleading guilty, though, that Graham truly shined, as Eddie wept to his wife about what he could've done better as a father to prevent this — and then finally, heartbreakingly, tucked his son's teddy bear into his childhood bed as if it were his son. Adolescence came out of nowhere to knock us off our feet, and Graham, in particular, deserves a standing ovation. — D.N.    

Has anyone ever done more with less screen time than Sam Rockwell did on The White Lotus this week? The Oscar winner made a surprise cameo as Rick's pal Frank, who met up with Rick in Bangkok — and shared just about the wildest sex story we've ever heard, revealing that his sex addiction led to him dressing up like an Asian girl and having sex with men, all in the pursuit of a satisfaction that lasts. Rockwell's face didn't betray a hint of irony as Frank unspooled his bizarre tale while sipping chamomile tea, cloaking each word with a serenity that only comes from pushing desire to the absolute limit. (And if they gave out Emmys for reaction shots, we'd hand one to Walton Goggins for Rick's befuddled face as he took all this in.) It was a virtuoso monologue that topped anything we've seen from The White Lotus yet — and that's saying something — and with his hilariously nonchalant delivery, Rockwell made the most out of every minute. — D.N.

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