Performer of the Week: Ted Danson
THE PERFORMER | Ted Danson
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THE SHOW | Netflix’s A Man on the Inside
THE EPISODE | “The Spy Who Came In From the Cold” (Nov. 21, 2024)
THE PERFORMANCE | For a lot of us, we can’t remember a time when Ted Danson wasn’t on our TV screens. Following his iconic run as Sam Malone on Cheers, Danson has continued to deliver top-notch performances on shows like The Good Place, Bored to Death and Curb Your Enthusiasm. And now he’s placed yet another feather in his already well-feathered cap, mixing sharp humor and aching vulnerability as lonely widow Charles in the heartwarming Netflix comedy A Man on the Inside.
Danson proved he still has plenty of spring in his step as Charles, who fought off boredom by going undercover for a private eye at a retirement home. Charles’ giddy eagerness to have something to do was adorable, but Danson also took a clear-eyed look at the crushing isolation Charles felt as a new widow. He shined all season long, but he outdid himself in the finale as Charles solved the case of the missing necklace, deducing that the unwitting culprit was Gladys, who was suffering from dementia. Danson was heartbreakingly gentle as Charles sat down with Gladys, charming her into returning the necklace without ever accusing her of a crime.
Danson later gave us one of the most emotionally wrenching scenes of his entire career as Charles cleaned out his late wife’s belongings with his daughter Emily. He confessed to Emily that he was planning to take her mom to memory care before she died. “I promised she would never leave her house,” he admitted through sobs. “I broke that promise.” Charles also challenged the private eye’s client on why he didn’t visit his mother more, with Danson flashing a righteous anger, and he warmed our hearts again as Charles made peace with his new friend Calbert. (Danson and Stephen McKinley Henderson made a fantastic comedy duo, one that we’d love to see more of if there’s a Season 2.)
It all added up to a triumphant victory lap for one of the greatest TV performers of our time. And who knows? Maybe Danson still has a few more good roles up his sleeve. After all he’s given us over the years, we’d never count him out.
Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
HONORABLE MENTION: Brett Goldstein
In Shrinking‘s latest, Brett Goldstein tapped into his softer side as Louis’ backstory unraveled via flashback before his drunk driving accident. The actor was delightfully charming during his early moments with his girlfriend, sneaking in sweet, intimate smiles and later bursting into joy when they moved in together. But the couple’s days were numbered. Before Louis was scheduled to serve prison time, he broke up with Sarah, telling her she would forever remind him of the worst thing he’s ever done, breaking our hearts along with hers. The actor fought back tears after she left, channeling Louis’ guilt and pain, and exhibiting a soul-crushing look of sadness on his face. If acting is all about versatility and tackling new emotional ground, Goldstein’s done it. And we can’t wait to see what he does next. — Nick Caruso
HONORABLE MENTION: Dawn Olivieri
Before Yellowstone emphasized the “fatal” part of Olivieri’s femme fatale in Sunday’s “Three Fifty-Three,” the actress delivered a knockout of a performance that was equal parts fierce, funny and frightened. As the hit that Sarah ordered on John came ever closer to being revealed, her portrayer replaced her cool, confident demeanor with the bearing of someone who knew she was a dead woman walking. But even shaking in her stilettos, Sarah remained a force, lying with ease as she bought a burner phone and shrugging off store policy like an unusually stylish Karen. Where Olivieri really got to let loose, though, was in Sarah’s confrontation with co-conspirator Jamie, a showdown that packed a punch in more ways than one. So merciless was her mockery in the face of her lover’s complaints that it had to have hurt more than even the blows that they exchanged. Through it all, Olivieri was compelling to the nth, a live wire that we hated to see cut. — Charlie Mason
HONORABLE MENTION: Austin Stowell and Kyle Schmid
When Gibbs met Franks… it was not love at first sight. As NCIS: Origins flashed back to the oneday colleagues’ rough start, Austin Stowell and Kyle Schmid did nice work with difficult material. Stowell in each flashback scene conveyed the unspeakable hurt that Gibbs felt upon returning home from Kuwait to a tragically emptied house, while Schmid showed us a Franks who wanted to ease this soldier’s pain, but alas couldn’t. The scene in which Franks revealed the mangled car in which Gibbs’ family had perished was a standout, with Franks reluctantly recounting how Shannon and Kelly died, and Stowell letting loose with a bone-chilling wail. Later, when a drunken Gibbs took a swing at Franks but ultimately broke down in the NIS agent’s arms, it was quite a gut punch, due to Stowell’s all-out performance and Schmid’s quiet, nuanced work, hinting at the strong bond about to form. — Matt Webb Mitovich
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!
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