The TVLine Performers Of The Week: Anjana Vasan And Paapa Essiedu

THE PERFORMERS | Anjana Vasan and Paapa Essiedu 

THE SHOW | Black Mirror 

THE EPISODE | "Demon 79" (June 15, 2023) 

THE PERFORMANCES | Netflix's chilly anthology is always a reliable source of high-tech dread, but it's also a reliable source of top-notch acting, and the newly released Season 6 was no exception, with several standout turns to be found in the fresh batch of episodes. Our favorite, though, was actually a double act, with Vasan and Essiedu forming a very unlikely pair — the meek shoe salesgirl and the demon commanding her to kill — as they layered comedy on top of horror on top of apocalyptic drama to make "Demon 79" this season's most entertaining installment. 

Vasan — who first grabbed our attention as unassuming assassin Pam on Killing Eve — went the mousy route again here as salesgirl Nida, who lived a drab life in 1970s England. Vasan knows how to blend into the background, but she also showed hints of violent impulses beneath Nida's timid exterior. Into her life strolled Gaap, a demon who took the form of a flamboyant rock star played by I May Destroy You alum Essiedu. He informed Nida that she needed to kill three people in three days to save the world from fiery destruction, and just the visual contrast between the funky, charismatic Gaap and the quiet wallflower Nida was enough to get us laughing. Essiedu was playfully devilish as Gaap needled Nida to make her required kills, and Vasan shivered with understandable panic as Nida grappled with the immense weight of her mission. The two actually made a terrific comedy team, in spite of all the carnage they created, and brought about as much lighthearted fun as we could ask from a horror story about ritual sacrifice. 

Their mission went awry, though, and Vasan and Essiedu displayed a genuine tenderness as Nida and Gaap faced an uncertain future... but at least they faced it together. "Demon 79" certainly wasn't standard-issue Black Mirror — there wasn't even a smartphone in sight — but it absolutely delivered on a human level (and a demon level), thanks to Vasan and Essiedu's divinely inspired duo.  

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

In High Desert's penultimate episode, Patricia Arquette continued to radiate as a well-intentioned, kinda-sorta recovering addict who can't help playing with fire. The actress deftly embodied Peggy's quick wit and bulls–t artistry while dealing with her unpredictable bosses and a crime family she wronged. Despite the character's unique blend of craftiness and unreliability, the actress grounded the hustler and forced us to root for her. But when a near-death experience and a phone call from her estranged son sent her into a tailspin, Peggy called out for her dead mom, as she rubbed her tear-soaked face all over the deceased's clothing. Even though she's reaped everything she sowed, we couldn't help but empathize with her struggles and loss. Arquette was simply that compelling.  

We're just going to say it: Nancy and Ace's curse is actually a blessing. While there's nothing we want more than for Nancy Drew's star-crossed lovers to get the happy ending they desperately deserve, we're thoroughly enjoying — nay, feasting upon — the drama that #Nace is serving up in the meantime. Kennedy McMann and Alex Saxon have always had bonkers chemistry, but this week's episode pushed the limits of the relationship they've created beyond anything we've seen before. Come on, that body painting scene? Someone cue up "Unchained Melody," because that was on par with the pottery sequence from Ghost as far as we're concerned. And don't even get us started on that kiss. OK, fine, get us started. This was a moment that fans have been absolutely fiending for, and McMann and Saxon anchored it with every bit of gravity (and then some) required to make it instantly iconic. The hour may have ended with #Nace at odds, but after the emotional buffet that was this week's episode, we remain fully satisfied.

We couldn't let Never Have I Ever come to its conclusion without giving its star a final round of applause. We've previously waxed poetic about Ramakrishnan's comedic chops, as well as her ability to tap into harder emotions when tougher material called for it. What a treat, then, to get to experience both in the series finale. Our favorite scene: the one in Devi's bedroom during Nirmala's wedding, when the young actress let Devi's mounting worries about moving away to college rush out of her in a teary tumult as she clung to her mother and second-guessed her decision to attend Princeton. Ramakrishnan looked utterly wrecked while Devi whimpered her fears to Nalini, who in turn confessed her own worries about the next phase of their lives before comforting the teen by reminding her of their unbreakable bond. What fine work by Ramakrishnan, and what a fine way to ring out a fun gem of a show.

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