THE PERFORMER | Harrison Ford
THE SHOW | Paramount+’s 1923
THE EPISODE | “One Ocean Closer to Destiny” (Feb. 12, 2023)
THE PERFORMANCE | Jacob Dutton is a pretty level-leaded guy who takes crises in stride; we’re guessing that’s key to his longevity on Montana’s unforgiving plains. Even when Jake was nearly unconscious on the kitchen table earlier this season, bleeding out from several bullet wounds, his biggest concern was directing wife Cara on how to proceed with ranch business in the event of his death.
But a life-threatening injury and prolonged recovery will change a person, and the Jake of Sunday’s episode was a physically weakened man who’d had far too long to ruminate on the nature of justice — specifically, justice for his family in the wake of Banner Creighton’s ambush. And because Ford had played the patriarch at such a low boil in the past, Jake’s heightened reactions to a few of the episode’s major beats had maximum impact.
During the hour, Ford’s Jake is hit with two very troubling truths: the knowledge that Cara has defied him and brought the sheriff into the brewing ranch war, and the sheriff’s refusal to let Jake mete out punishment on the sheep men. Ford quickly, beautifully and apoplectically threw an adult tantrum right there in the front yard.
Ford masterfully built the tension within Jake’s body, all disgruntled head shakes and agitated steps, until it exploded in a fury so intense it literally caused him to rip his character’s shirt open. Ford’s loudness and the way he continually, threateningly advanced his body into the sheriff’s space was quite a nice piece of acting… topped only by his performance in the scene where a cooler Jake explained to Cara why retribution is so important to him.
As Jake calmly laid out his reasons for protecting his land and his family, Ford filled the words with weariness and certainty: This was a man who knew that there’s a good chance he’ll lose the fight against progress and its price, but he was going to fight like hell anyway. The way his voice faltered, suddenly full of tears, as Jake lamented a future in which Cara’s grave would be paved over for a city road? A loving, moving bonus delivered by one of the best in the biz.
Scroll down to see who scored Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
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HONORABLE MENTION: Lamar Johnson
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO The Canadian actor, whose stateside resume includes a recurring stint in the first season of Showtime’s Your Honor, made an indelible impression during his relatively brief guest stint on HBO’s The Last of Us. His arc came to a devastating end in Sunday’s episode when his character, FEDRA collaborator Henry, was forced to shoot and kill his infected younger brother Sam before turning the gun on himself. Johnson’s initial expression of shock and horror at the sudden, violent loss of his beloved sibling spoke volumes of the worst nightmare scenario unfolding before his tear-soaked eyes. And when Henry began articulating his anguish, Johnson’s broken, shattered repetition of “What’d I do?” beautifully, heartbreakingly conveyed in real-time one man’s struggle to comprehend the incomprehensible. It also underscored the deep and profound love Henry had for his brother.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Charles Melton
Image Credit: Courtesy of Peacock Charles Melton has mostly been stuck in the background as Riverdale‘s Reggie, but this week on Poker Face, he got a chance to flash some movie-star charisma, along with a sinister side. As race car driver Davis McDowell, Melton had a cocky yet undeniable charm, even winning over the ever-skeptical Charlie. But as Charlie untangled this week’s complicated crime, she discovered that Davis would do just about anything to finish first on the racetrack. When she confronted him, Melton had to walk a fine line between justifying Davis’ deeds and displaying real menace, and he did so with impressive ease. Riverdale may be ending soon, but based on his work here, Melton’s career is just getting revved up.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Sheryl Lee Ralph
Image Credit: Hulu screenshot This week’s Abbott Elementary gave Emmy Award winner Sheryl Lee Ralph another chance to show off her impressive comedy chops. After Barbara’s Jesus candle and shawl were identified as the culprit for a fire in the teachers’ lounge, Barbara set out to prove to a counselor that she was totally fine. Ralph brought the typically composed teacher to the brink, delivering increasingly hilarious and ridiculous declarations with determined energy (“I never listen to Chaka Khan’s ‘Through the Fire’ when it comes up on my Pandora. I’m every woman, not a pyromaniac”). Then Barbara confessed the truth behind her nerves: her husband’s health scare. By the time Barbara told a scared student that she, too, is afraid sometimes, Ralph had served vulnerable emotion on top of laughs.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Rafael Silva
Image Credit: Courtesy of Fox Look, we’re not saying we’re glad that Carlos spent most of Tuesday’s 9-1-1: Lone Star bound and gagged in a serial killer’s kitchen, but it certainly gave Rafael Silva a chance to show his character’s more vulnerable side as he fought to save himself and return to his fiancé. This wasn’t a typical episode of the Fox procedural, and much was required of Silva to sell every aspect of Carlos’ waking nightmare, from the fear of facing his own mortality to the desperation with which he spoke of T.K. Equal parts romantic and terrifying, the whole ordeal was very 9-1-1, and we loved every second of it.
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in Comments!
