TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Elizabeth Dulau

THE PERFORMER | Elizabeth Dulau

THE SHOW | Andor

THE EPISODE | "Make It Stop" (May 13, 2025)

THE PERFORMANCE | "Ghorman. Scarif. Kyber. Krennic. Erso."

Kleya said not much more than that in the Star Wars series' antepenultimate episode, as she repeated back to Luthen what he'd just learned from (ill-fated) Lonni in the cold open. And while it was tempting to instead honor Elizabeth Dulau for Episode 11 (in which Kleya implores Cassian to make Luthen's sacrifice mean something).... No, it really was Episode 10 in which the actress moved us most.

Yes, there was the aforementioned exchange with Luthen, soon after he'd gotten wind of the "super weapon" Krennic has been building for a decade. Kleya assumed she herself would take care of destroying their comm station at the gallery, but Luthen insisted on doing the deed — to Kleya's dismay.

That "burn" would be interrupted by one Dedra Meero, leading to Luthen's attempted, secret-keeping suicide. As Kleya from a distance watched his body taken away by a med team, Dulau's acting journey began — accentuated by flashbacks to how a Sergeant Lear, 17 years prior, came to be her guardian and mentor.

Every time the camera caught Dulau's face, you saw the conflict. As a pragmatic spy, she knew what needed to be done. That she had to finish what Luthen began with that ancient blade. But man, Dulau also made clear the silent anguish Kleya was feeling, about ending her father figure's life.

There's also much to be said for how Dulau sold us on Kleya's impressive skillset, of which we'd only had glimpses. She thought fast on her feet, seizing opportunities to infiltrate and navigate the hospital halls. She was handy and stealthy with a small blaster. And when she triggered the explosives to distract the troopers guarding Luthen's room, you could feel her recalling a similar button press from her past.

In the end, Kleya overcame all obstacles and made her way to Luthen's ICU room. Without hesitation, she coldly detached the life support mechanism that was barely keeping him alive. Then... then she looked at him, as he exhaled a final breath. Dulau's brow knitted, a tear rolled down a cheek. Kleya knew an unexpected chapter of her life was ending. And an unpredictable one was about to begin.

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

There were a number of capital-M moments in the Season 8 finale of ABC's 9-1-1, but one in particular will remain at the forefront of our memories as we anxiously await the show's return this fall. We're referring to the incredible speech delivered by Chimney to the rest of the 118, following a successful mission at a collapsed apartment building. More than simply powerful, the two-minute monologue felt vital, authoritative and, dare we say, healing. And while the writing and cinematography certainly enhanced the epic moment, most of the credit goes to Kenneth Choi, whom we could feel stepping into his power with each sentence, like the steady beat of a drum. Though we can't say for sure what will happen when 9-1-1 returns for Season 9 this fall, we're confident that we'll look back on this speech as the moment Chimney took his rightful place as the firehouse's new captain. — Andy Swift

For six seasons, Ann Dowd built a Handmaid's character we've loved to hate: a holier-than-thou harridan who grabbed the infinitesimal amount of power Gilead gifted her and used it to oppress other women. Dowd made Aunt Lydia someone we could reliably despise... until this week's episode. Dowd started the scene at the Red Center with Lydia's usual righteous fervor, bellowing about insubordination and threatening major violence. But when June appeared, Dowd began the delicate work of dismantling Lydia, piece by piece. Faced with the reality of the rape and violence she'd helped perpetrate, Dowd had Lydia visibly soften, her resolve crumbling as her face trembled and her eyes filled with tears. And when Lydia finally capitulated to her own guilt, Dowd falling to her knees and offering up an anguished cry to God, it only made us all the more excited for the arrival of the series' Lydia-centric sequel, The Testaments. — Kimberly Roots

Piper Perabo left it all on the operating-room floor in the Season 21 finale of Grey's Anatomy (recapped here). After Jenna was told yet again to be patient about daughter Dylan's recovery — or lack thereof — the desperate mom snapped, going so far as to take hostages in hopes of forcing a miracle. From there, her portrayer became the embodiment of a raw nerve, alternately rageful and reflective, apologetic and frightening. She offered glimpses of the lovely, sensitive person Jenna might have been on better days, then over and over snapped her back into the fraught moment at hand. When finally Dylan's bleeding stopped, Jenna collapsed in tears, Perabo allowing her whole body to shake from the shock and relief that the ordeal was over. — Charlie Mason

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