THE PERFORMER | Bel Powley
THE SHOW | National Geographic’s A Small Light
THE EPISODE | “Legacy” (May 22, 2023)
THE PERFORMANCE | You know how some shows, and some performances, stick with you well past the closing credits? That’s how we feel about Powley’s turn as Miep Gies in the limited series, which reframed Anne Frank’s well-known story by spotlighting the people who risked everything to hide the teen and her family.
While we’d especially like to focus on Powley’s deeply affecting work in Monday’s finale, we also need to take a step back and give the Morning Show alum credit for her portrayal throughout the show’s eight-episode run. A Small Light worked so well because Powley was immediately lovable as Gies — both as the floundering young woman we met at the start of the show and the steely member of the resistance she grew into by the end. She invited audiences in by letting every one of Miep’s emotions play out on her face, the character’s inability to cover disgust or outrage communicated nimbly via Powley’s deeply expressive eyes. This was especially fun to watch at the beginning of Miep’s relationship with Otto Frank (played by Liev Schreiber), where the slightly sassy patina Powley’s gave her character provided a fun foil for the quiet and serious Mr. Frank.
Which brings us back to that finale, which gave Powley an array of great stuff to play. A few of our favorite bits: Miep’s bravery as she marched into Nazi headquarters, Powley’s shoulders set in grim determination as her character attempted to bribe guards to let the Franks and their friends go. The way Powley had Miep’s frustration with hunger and the lack of wartime rations melt into relief at the Allied food drop. (The bliss with which she ate that piece of chocolate!) And most stirringly, the mix of devastation and love — tears blended with a wide-eyed hopefulness, in spite of everything — brought to the scenes with Schreiber as their characters came to terms with everyone they’d lost.
Scroll down to see who scored Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
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HONORABLE MENTION: Lizzy Caplan
Image Credit: Paramount+ screenshot Over the course of Paramount+’s smart, stylish Fatal Attraction, Lizzy Caplan has taken full advantage of the chance to dig deeper into the role of Alex Forrest than Glenn Close could in the movie. The result is a version of the infamous character that is no less compelling than the original but tinged with a greater sense of poignance and possibility that keeps her resolutely human. Caplan’s work is especially stunning in the latest episode, “The Dillingers,” in which flashbacks reveal how quickly the light in Alex could darken. The actress navigates the hairpin turns of this emotional roller coaster with such admirable subtlety — a slight change in her stance or even her breathing — that, like the friends concerned about Alex, we don’t realize what has happened until it’s already too late.
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HONORABLE MENTION: James Cromwell
Image Credit: Courtesy of HBO Some Succession fans may have forgotten that Logan Roy even had a brother named Ewan, but James Cromwell made sure we remembered him in this week’s penultimate episode, with Ewan giving a revelatory and unsparing eulogy at Logan’s funeral. Other family members didn’t want Ewan to speak because of the bad blood between the brothers, but he started out cordial with stories about growing up with Logan, with Cromwell infusing Ewan’s recollections with fond sentimentality. But Ewan also stayed true to himself, attacking Logan’s lack of moral fiber, and Cromwell brought a fiery righteousness to Ewan’s eloquent oratory. He was mourning not only the death of his brother, but also the despicable man his brother had become, and Cromwell deftly reminded us that not every Roy has followed Logan to the dark side.
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HONORABLE MENTION: Heléne Yorke and Josh Segarra
Image Credit: Max screenshot (2) In its current third season, The Other Two remains one of TV’s most reliably funny comedies. It’s just as compelling, though, when it pivots to drama, as evidenced by this week’s fight between Heléne Yorke‘s Brooke and Josh Segarra‘s Lance. Yorke had already showcased her comedy chops earlier in Thursday’s episode, with Brooke making a hilariously under-the-radar return to talent management. But she was heartbreaking and infuriating (we mean that as a compliment!) when Brooke later unloaded her insecurities onto Lance. And Segarra, who has thus far played Lance to himbo perfection, broke through with stunning clarity as Lance passionately countered Brooke’s arguments and fought for his own needs as a partner. The fight may have ended in a breakup for Lance and Brooke — but man, what a way to go out.
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in Comments!
This story originally appeared on TVLine
