It was a powerhouse week across television, and we’re eager to dive into our favorite standout characters.
Breakdowns, breakthroughs, and gut-punching performances from these characters commanded the screen and our hearts.
From Brilliant Minds and Maxton Hall to NCIS: Origins, Pluribus, and Chicago PD, these are the performances we’re still thinking about.
Did your favorites make the list?
We’d love to hear your thoughts about these characters and performances. And if you’re enjoying our Characters of the Week series.
If there’s anyone you think we’ve missed, please let us know in the comments below.
Ericka Kinney – Brilliant Minds
I want to shout from the rooftop about Ashleigh LaThrop’s performance in Brilliant Minds Season 2 Episode 7. It was raw and powerful, building on a season so far that’s shown she’s deeply struggling.
While we’d already seen her confess to Jacob, she didn’t quite break down in the way she did with Dana. After being confronted about missing pills, Ericka snapped, but not in a way that caused her to lash out.
Instead, she let out everything that she was feeling, and it captured a raw moment that so many with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues feel.
She doesn’t know what’s “wrong” with her. In a world where mental health is so heavily stigmatized, she feels like a failure because she can’t figure out how to “fix” herself.
She isn’t as “strong” as she once thought she was, and she’s even said in the past that she judges herself for needing help to deal with her mental health issues.
It’s all part of the problem, but part of the solution is leaning on people for support. Now that she’s let it all out, she can focus on healing because others can be there to support her.
Mike Franks – NCIS: Origins
When it comes to powerful performances, Mike Franks takes it in NCIS: Origins this week. Is it just me, or has Season 2 stepped up the game since how hit-and-miss Season 1 could be?
We got to see more layers to Mike as Mason turned up, and we delved more into his past.
There were heartbreaking moments as he released all the pent-up anger over not seeing his mom before she died. With that came the realization that he was so caught up in his own trauma and his drug use that he didn’t even see there was a problem with his mom until it was too late.
That sort of guilt sits with you, and when he was able to use his feelings to really think about the case and help the young kid who reached out in his own cry for help, it showed that Mike isn’t just a judgmental investigator of the 1990s.
He has a heart, and at the end of the day, he wants to help people, not just lock up the bad guys.
Marissa Irvine – All Her Fault
I adore strong female performances, and Sarah Snook broke my heart as she portrayed Marissa Irvine in All Her Fault, a woman whose young child was kidnapped.
It was raw and honest as Marissa realized that if she’d called ahead, she might have realized that the text was fake and prevented this from happening.
She was exhausted, and the press’s insinuation that she was a horrible mother who made the kidnapping up to collect money only began pushing her to the edge.
A mother’s love often dictates her choices, and she’ll do anything to protect her child. That’s what made All Her Fault so gripping and emotional.
James Beaufort – Maxton Hall — The World Between Us
We’re only three episodes into Maxton Hall Season 2, and as we outlined in our Maxton Hall Review, the season is already off to a stellar beginning.
Much of that is due to the incredible character exploration of James Beaufort. The season is remarkable in its exploration of heavy themes, including grief and mental health. And it’s through James that we see it outlined with a raw vulnerability and thoughtfulness.
The writers have taken extreme care when exploring James’ struggles, and Damian Hardung is putting forth a tour de force performance in a manner that, quite frankly, feels career-defining (breakthrough role at its finest, no?)
James’ spiral upon learning of his mother’s death was heartbreaking. The raw emotion that he displays when falling apart, so much so that his usual stoic, antagonistic father even takes time to console and nurture him, actually aches to see.
But it’s how he crumbles into Ruby’s arms that’s so haunting that it makes you physically want to reach through the screen and console him yourself.
Everything from the tremble in his voice when he’s choked up to the myriad of facial contortions as he battles between embodying his father’s preferred stoicism and completely letting loose like a wounded child makes you ache.
However, it’s not just those profound moments of grief and sadness that have him standing out, but also his deep, unfiltered, and pure love for Ruby or even his sister that resonate, too. With every move he makes and words he utters, his passion for Ruby is undeniable, as his devotion to her as well as his sister.
The desire to be the best possible version of himself is so very much tied to these two women who see the best in him.
James’ vulnerability in the therapist’s office as he confronts the root of his issues with his father, and that rare moment when he hesitantly drops his walls and becomes emotional, are perfectly subtle moments that reveal an old version of him warring with a new, evolved one.
And the way he opens up completely in a room full of people and speaks about his struggles so publicly at the gala leaves you holding your breath, as well as acknowledging the turning point it serves as for his character.
And that knowing smirk — a satisfied glimpse of a content James who knows on some level, he’s liberated himself from the shackles of his father’s toxicity? Stellar.
Carol Sturka — Pluribus
If humanity ever needs a designated driver to steer us away from the apocalypse, it should probably be Carol Sturka — though she’d show up late, hungover, and furious that she had to do it.
Rhea Seehorn’s Carol isn’t “the most miserable person on Earth” like the logline claims — she’s the last one still paying attention. She’s sarcastic, bruised, and drowning her grief in liquor, but she’s also the only person who remembers that feeling bad is part of being alive.
While the rest of the world politely merges into one big kumbaya consciousness, Carol’s out there shouting the quiet parts: “You freaks get the hell away from me!” and “You don’t ask a drug dealer to describe their heroin.” It’s not just funny — it’s honest.
Carol is messy, mouthy, and magnificent, a walking argument for why humanity’s imperfections are the only things that make us worth saving. If being real is rebellion, she’s leading the revolution — one snarky comment and one bottle of whiskey at a time.
Dante Torres – Chicago PD
In what many have hailed as the best episode of the season, Chicago PD Season 13 Episode 6 highlights Dante Torres yet again, as he delves back into his continued descent into darkness.
Except, this hour is more than just his dark headspace, struggles, and existentialism, as well as his struggles with faith. No, this installment places a troubled man in a position to make a situation right.
It allows Torres to step into his calling, whether it’s a divine one from a God with whom he has struggled to connect with lately, or simply that of what his job leads him to do.
Odell Morgan takes Torres hostage, and from that moment on, fate, chance, or whatever else brought them together on the path of an extraordinary ride. But it’s where their journey takes Torres that is most compelling.
We’ve watched him struggle, and it’s been reflected incredibly well in every aspect of his character, from his physical appearance and wardrobe to the way he carries himself.
But something clicks into place — when Morgan passes out in the parking lot, you see the exact moment where Torres makes a decision, the wheels turning in his head, and he decides, at great risk to himself, team, and career, that he’ll take Morgan to a sanctuary and help him as best as he can.
Torres walking through the church again, still hesitant, is the type of subtle character work that stands out. His listening to Morgan’s story is so compelling because we visibly see the exact moment he steps out on faith and genuinely believes him.
And from that forward, we see Torres mediating, orchestrating a plan for justice, and embodying all that he always wanted this job to be for him — the hour reminds us and Torres why he’s here in the first place — why he wanted to become a cop and what he wants to uphold as one.
It also subtly reconnects him with his faith as he lives out the scripture he holds so dearly, which is tattooed on his back. “Send me, Lord.”
What goes without saying, yet we’ll reiterate it for the umpteenth time, is that it’s some of Benjamin Levy Aguilar’s finest work. His performance is simply sublime.
The hour showcases the range that he can display with each microexpression and movement. The darkness that Torres carries is like a cloak for him; yet, as the hour unfolds, he becomes lighter, more determined, the spark is back in his eyes, and he’s a man full of purpose.
Stumbling upon a conspiracy, even after losing Morgan, has been the push that he’s needed, and Aguilar conveys all of that with such intention and conviction that it’s laudable. And thus we applaud him.
Honorary Mention: Odell Morgan
Few guest characters stand out in a procedural like Chicago PD that has so many moving parts. Still, even without a suspenseful and intriguing conspiracy at play, Odell Morgan would be burned into memory.
What are the chances that an inmate would seize an opportunity, take a cop hostage, and embark on a ride that would clear his name?
Morgan’s desperation was palpable, but so was his resolve, his determination, and his faith and belief that somehow and in some way, he’d get justice not just for himself, but for his late wife.
Chad L. Coleman is a true talent; thus, it was no surprise that he delivered a strong performance in this hour. Alongside Aguilar, the acting during this hour was splendid, resulting in character moments that will linger with us.
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Maxton Hall Season 2 Is a YA Drama Masterclass — Powerhouse Performances, Riveting Themes & an Unmatched Love Story
Maxton Hall — The World Between Season 2 kicks off with a devastating, raw, and beautiful exploration of grief and growth amid James and Ruby’s love story. Our Review!
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All Her Fault Plays the Blame Game: It Shouldn’t Only Be the Mother’s Responsibility
Peacock’s All Her Fault highlights the responsibility two moms feel when a young child is kidnapped, but why are only the moms responsible?
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Pluribus Series Premiere Review: Please Keep Your Perfect Happiness Away From Me
Pluribus opens with Contact-like wonder and slides into a chilling, Stepford-meets-They Live dystopia with Rhea Seehorn in the hot seat.
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Chicago PD Season 13 Episode 6 Has Avenging Angel Torres Unraveling a Shocking Conspiracy
A twist of fate or sign from God has Torres stumbling upon a shocking conspiracy after he’s taken hostage on Chicago PD Season 13 Episode 6.
The post Characters of the Week: Chicago PD, Maxton Hall & NCIS: Origins Bring Breakdowns, Breakthroughs & Breathtaking Performances appeared first on TV Fanatic.