The TVLine Performer Of The Week: Timothy Olyphant

THE PERFORMER | Timothy Olyphant

THE SHOW | FX's Justified: City Primeval

THE EPISODE | "Backstabbers" (July 25, 2023)

THE PERFORMANCE | So much about Raylan Givens over the years has been about the actions he takes — dogging varmints, warning that the "next one's comin' faster," and of course being quick with the draw.

But the third episode of FX's limited sequel series was so much about Raylan reacting to things, including daughter Willa's questions about her place in his life, and Olyphant had us just as rapt as if he was staring down a hooligan, his finger hovering beside a trigger.

"Willa, what do you want from me?" "Breakfast. With my dad."

Coming out of last week's volatile encounter with Mansell, who dared to cozy up to the visiting U.S. Marshal's teenage daughter, Raylan tried to make Willa see how she had dangerously dovetailed with his "work" life. "You're mad because you saw me in the 'red zone,'" he said. "Well, he's a killer, Willa. And he enjoys it."

When Willa broke Dad's heart by suggesting "you wish I weren't around"? Wow, the look Tim Olyphant's face was one we perhaps have never seen him give unflappable Raylan. "It's hard, Willa...," he sighed, both trying to stick to his guns but also concede some of her point. "I'll do better. I'll do better."

Olyphant got to be his usual fiery self midway through the hour, when Raylan defended his pummeling of Mansell to the "Wildman's" lawyer Carolyn. "There are goddamn boundaries, and he crossed a line!" he asserted, Olyphant near-hissing. "He ain't some misguided boy, someone to defend."

We then got a series of scenes in which Raylan purely reacted to things — the sweetness of Willa playing with some kids, the serenity of Willa sleeping, a hilarious double-take upon realizing the Albanian plans to marry Sandy (!).

And then there was the sadness of Raylan in fact putting Willa on a plane, explaining, "I cannot do my job and take care of you." Olyphant's face — his eyes, the hint of a very sad frown — as Raylan watched Willa check in at the gate and head down the ramp...? Someone is gonna miss his little girl.

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

Having to carry an entire episode on one's back is no simple feat for any TV character, but that task becomes infinitely more challenging when the show in question is an ensemble fantasy drama like The Witcher. Still, we would have gladly spent another hour wandering the desert alongside Ciri in Episode 7, an unexpectedly moving hour to which Freya Allan gave every ounce of herself. As Ciri's surroundings, both tangible and hallucinatory, threatened to consume her, it was impossible not to share in her utter despair, making it all the more satisfying when she finally broke through and stepped into her power. And that haunting little tune she sang to close the episode? We get chills just thinking about it. In short, long live the princess.

We love a good Villain Monologue — especially when the baddie has a valid point, and even more so when there's an A-plus actor saying the words. So when Secret Invasion's Gravik got his alone time with Fury and seized the opportunity to make clear his grievances, Kingsley Ben-Adir made a damn meal out of the moment. Railing about how Fury used Skrulls as assets on Earth and yet bailed on his promise to find them a planet to call home, Gravik roared, "You pimped us, Fury! You put us out to work for you, and when you were done with us, you threw us away!" Ben-Adir then somehow got even more intense, as Gravik spelled out, "First, I'm going to kill you. And then, I'm going to take a flamethrower to humanity. [T]he massacres and the wildfires, and the imminent removal of humans from their habitat? That is all you!" Amid a faulty finale, Ben-Adir's showcase was unarguably super.

Dr. M'Benga has been a fairly straightforward character thus far, but this week's Star Trek: Strange New Worlds unraveled complex new layers in one of the sci-fi show's most thought-provoking episodes to date. A visit from a former Klingon general triggered traumatic wartime memories for the Enterprise's chief medic, and portrayer Babs Olusanmokun deftly navigated each conflicting emotion with expert precision. The actor was an elegant dichotomy throughout the hour, illustrating the horrors of war through harrowing panic attacks in one moment, and wearing a mask of chilling stoicism that concealed M'Benga's despair in the next. It was a stunning, tour-de-force performance that left us breathless and feeling just as haunted as the embattled doctor.    

Mark Proksch is reliably hilarious as What We Do in the Shadows' resident energy vampire Colin Robinson, and he sunk his teeth into a meaty spotlight this week as Colin found the perfect setting for his lethally dull personality: politics. Colin ran for city comptroller, and Proksch was delightfully deadpan as Colin took pleasure in boring Staten Island voters to tears with a mind-numbingly endless debate speech. Colin also reunited with his ex Evie, the emotional vampire played to perfection by guest star Vanessa Bayer, whose presence brought an extra pep to Proksch's step. (Their miserable trip to the energy vampires' bureaucratic lair was just icing on the cake.) When it comes to the funniest supporting performances anywhere on TV, Proksch always gets our vote.       

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