HONORABLE MENTION: Paget Brewster and Joe Mantegna
Hoo boy, Prentiss and Rossi are both going through it this season on Paramount+’s Criminal Minds: Evolution, setting the stage for fine work by franchise vets Paget Brewster and Joe Mantegna. Everywhere Emily looks she wants to see Gold Star’s handiwork, reeling as she is from Will Bailey’s murder; Brewster in turn shows us the passion and, yes, problematic tunnel vision with which Prentiss is chasing her goal. David meanwhile is unable to escape the literal spectre of Elias Voit, who buried him alive just weeks ago, and Mantegna makes us feel how unnerved the usually unflappable lawman is. Capping the actors’ winning Episode 2 performance was the dispute over the (biased) profile Emily wanted to deliver. You always hate it when mom and dad fight, but Brewster and Mantegna had us rapt as the longtime colleagues heatedly quarreled. — Matt Webb Mitovich
It’s good to see Benedict Cumberbatch winning this prize. I just finished watching the “Eric” program (and Eric was something else!) but one thing I found kind of awful was practically smelling that man. Yuk yuk yuk just watching him roll around in sewers and never changing clothes.
Just wanted to chime in and second Vlada in begging for a renewal for We Are Lady Parts! C’mon Peacock/Channel 4. I need more of these characters.
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That being said, I would give the honorable mention to Sarah Kameela Impey instead. As much as I loved Amina’s arc, I think Saira’s arc was the best of the season. She was a pretty one-note character in the first season. But this season, in losing everything chasing the dream, and actually getting everything she ever wanted before watching the dream crumble before her too, she showed so much range. She nailed the slapsticky awkwardness when her idol appeared unexpectedly. That wasn’t anything I would have ever expected from Saira. It all built to a point where Saira’s inner struggle between the dream and reality finally boiled over and came pouring out after her bandmates suggested that she didn’t care. Impey shined as she vented all the feelings she’d been holding inside for so long before leading the band to in creating Glass Ceiling Feeling. I’d even rank Amina’s arc this season beneath Ayesha’s, as Juliette Motamed did a fabulous job struggling with all the people trying to force her to be out to the world, rather than just her trusted inner circle. But I did love Amina and her new boundaries. I especially loved the way they affected Noor as she was struggling with all the pregnancy hormones. It was incredibly interested the way Amina putting up those boundaries actually brought the two of them closer together. Not to mention flipping Hoobastank has been stuck in my head for days now. Shout-out to Shobu Kapoor for being one of the best TV moms ever too.
McKinley Belcher is better in Eric than Benedict.