It’s been penultimate and actual finales, resulting in some standout characters.
This week’s offerings have impressed us, and we have compiled a list of the biggest standouts.
From a passionate mother who will stop at nothing to a diabolical, dirty cop, we have the epitome of range regarding the best characters of the week!
Did your favorites make the list?
Please let us know in the comments below.
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On that note, let’s get into it!
Deputy Chief Reid – Chicago PD (NBC)
There is something to be said about a show that teases something and follows through on the promise.
Chicago PD Season 12 Episode 21 featured a game of wits between Intelligence and Reid as the former sought to obliterate the latter but failed.
Reid might be the villain this season, but seeing him put the fear of god in Intelligence is incredibly satisfying.
He adds stakes to the show that has plenty of them and looks good doing it.
Have you ever seen someone do such a smooth takedown?
Honorable Mention: Hank Voight
We’ve watched all season as Voight has seemingly been having this internal conflict between who he used to be and the man he is now.
Hank’s evolution has been quietly and subtly one of the series’ greatest successes, but it reaches new heights during “Open Casket,” when we can visibly see the long leash Voight had on this reformed version of himself snap.
For so long, he’s been working on being a better person and doing everything the right way. But during this incredible hour, every second he spends across from Reid is one where he recognizes he’s dealing with someone he can only take down one way.
There were so many defining moments for Voight. One of the most notable was his barely concealed reaction as Reid effectively took everything that mattered to Voight in one fell swoop.
But his crowning moment was ignoring Chapman, knowing that she would try to keep him in line, and then facing himself in the mirror, knowing that the only way to defeat Reid was to unlock the part of himself capable of being just as bad.
Samantha Maroun- Law & Order (NBC)
While Sam and Nolan often butt heads over cases, Sam felt extremely passionate about putting Carter Mills away on the Law & Order Season 24 finale.
They found his DNA on her dead sister’s body, which was a cold case, and the judge threw the DNA out of the case.
This was one of the few times her personal judgment affected a case, and those emotions showed through as she begged Nolan to understand why she altered the case.
This could be the case that tears apart their law team and her career, but she stayed true to her convictions.
Will Trent -Will Trent (ABC)
Will Trent Season 3 has blessed us with many character arcs. On Will Trent Season 3 Episode 18, Will fears that almost all of his found family is in danger from a terrorist organization.
Will dealt with seeing his honorary mother, Amanda, in danger while reluctantly bonding with his new birth father, Caleb.
He had never admitted how much she meant to him until he saw her in that hospital bed, but he realized she might be the only constant in his life.
That’s because Will also learned Angie had officially moved on, and he looked so defeated at that realization.
Honorary Mention – Ormewood
We’ve said it countless times, but Michael Ormewood has had one of the most compelling “redemption arcs.” It’s remarkable how he went from such an off-putting character during Will Trent Season 1 to one of the MVPs of the third season.
His resolve during the shootout with those military types was enough to get our hearts racing, as he was willing to put his life on the line to save his friends and that archer crew.
A truly breathtaking moment fueled by tension was when it finally seemed he’d have his heroic takedown, only to face down the barrel of a shotgun.
Of course, his pure relief at Will’s rescue, and their hilarious and sweet exchange after that, was genuinely fun until they pulled the rug from undearth our feet by the close of the finale.
Gio Palmieri – General Hospital
As a younger actor on the soap scene, Giovanni Mazza stood out as his character, Gio Palmieri, took a verbal beating from Dante.
Gio thought he was doing what was best for Rocco after the teen drank too much at a college party.
When Dante blamed him for everything, the Gio took the beating and accepted responsibility.
The actor then joined General Hospital and easily stepped into the world of daytime. His standout performance gives us hope for what’s to come when the soap reveals the secret that he is Brook Lynn and Dante’s child.
Jennifer Jareau – Criminal Minds: Evolution
If you’re like us, you’re reeling from Will’s loss on Criminal Minds: Evolution Season 3 Episode 1. You’re also enamored by JJ and the emotional ride she was on.
She’s always going through it, but the moments at home and dealing with personal elements like her marriage or motherhood are most compelling.
Her innate fear that someone, Henry and his friend, stumbled across those deep fake pictures of her made for a great moment for her as it reminded the audience that her trauma from that never disappeared.
But losing Will had JJ taking it a step further. One’s heart ached as she cradled him and called for help.
And that final scene of her coming out to the waiting room, despondent, and telling everyone that he didn’t make it was the most striking moment for her yet.
Hope Logan – The Bold and the Beautiful
Hope’s reaction to the news that Liam is dying was Emmy-worthy.
Their love story was one viewers loved, and the admiration between the two is clear in the scenes that aired all week. She doesn’t want to watch her daughter’s father die, and accepting the reality isn’t an option for her.
The emotions and tears didn’t feel forced or fake, and we cried along with her as the two remembered what they mean to each other.
It would be a shame if Annika Noelle didn’t add these to a reel for the Daytime Emmy nominations.
Chimney Han – 9-1-1
9-1-1 Season 8 Episode 18 left a lot to be desired, but one character who stood out amongst the mediocrity was Chimney Han, who stepped up for his team when they needed a leader and a voice of reason in the aftermath of their former leader’s death.
Bobby’s demise has left the 118 without a captain, and while Hen seemed like the obvious choice, she has repeatedly stated that she’s not interested in stepping into the role at this point.
While Chimney has been a temporary captain in the past with mixed results, this may be his time.
Kenneth Choi has consistently put in incredible work over the years, and he’s absolutely wonderful in the finale, as he steps up to give the speech of all speeches to a battered and bruised group of firefighters who’ve felt lost since Bobby’s death.
If the series decides it’s time for Captain Chimney to have his turn, we have no doubt the 118 will be in the very best of hands.
Jenna – Grey’s Anatomy
There’s no love quite like a mother’s love, and Jenna proved that during Grey’s Anatomy Season 21, Episode 18.
Somehow, the series made Jenna a deeply sympathetic character even when she endangered those we love.
She was a mother who didn’t have many solutions, so she created one on her own. Her love for her daughter and desperation were so palpable that the intensity of her arc alone made the finale a worthwhile watch.
Piper Perabo was exceptional, truly showing off her range in this role as Jenna held Simone hostage and demanded that Amelia perform a seemingly impossible surgery on her daughter.
The fear that she would release the gas or start that spark grew stronger every moment she riled herself up.
However, her collapse after Amelia succeeded truly earned her a spot on this list. Knowing her daughter was safe, this woman collapsed into herself, apologizing profusely for the trauma she had caused others. The authorities arrested her, but it didn’t seem to matter, given her relief over her daughter living, nor did the damage she inflicted by the shocking end.
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Say something in the comments, share if you’re moved to, and keep reading. Independent voices need readers like you.
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