Performer of the Week: David Oyelowo

THE PERFORMER | David Oyelowo

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THE SHOW | Paramount+’s Lawmen: Bass Reeves

THE EPISODE | “Part VII” (Dec. 10, 2023)

THE PERFORMANCE | If you haven’t yet caught Oyelowo’s work on the Paramount+ drama, you’re missing something rather special. It’s no secret that the man is an accomplished actor who’s won acclaim for projects as varied as Selma, Silo and Nightingale. But watching his subtle, studied performance as the first Black deputy U.S. marshal, particularly in last week’s episode, is revelatory.

Bass’ internal conflict had been growing all season, as the former enslaved man rose to a position that required him to arrest and capture others. The fact that many of the alleged outlaws’ skin tone matched his own intensified the guilt; given Bass’ taciturn nature, this uneasiness often was expressed via Oyelowo’s troubled eyes or furrowed brow. When Bass did speak of justice, the principle on which he’d build his entire life, Oyelowo made his words feel shakier than they’d been in previous episodes. After all: What is justice if racist murderers like Esau Pierce are allowed to roam free?

Bass’ inner torment came to a boil in Judge Parker’s chambers. Oyelowo let everything that had been roiling in Bass come to the surface, skillfully schooling the older man by contrasting his quaint childhood story with the rough reality of Bass’ upbringing on the plantation. The barely-restrained fire in Oyelowo’s voice! The intensity of his stare!

Like we said earlier, Oyelowo’s performance is an amazing reason to catch up if you’re behind on Bass. The season finale starts streaming this Sunday — giddy-up.

Scroll down to see who scored Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…

HONORABLE MENTION: Jonathan Bailey

As impressive as Jonathan Bailey‘s American accent has been throughout Fellow Travelers, it was the actor’s transformative and deeply-felt performance in the Showtime limited series that stood out most, especially in this week’s finale. There was a new boldness in the way that Bailey carried his character when Tim returned home from the war, now a man, as his lover Hawk remarked. Unable to stay away from each other, Tim and Hawk rekindled their affair — until Tim learned that Hawk cost him a job because he was becoming a liability. Bailey’s eyes filled with palpable hurt at the painful truth. But it was his tearful expression as he stared at Hawk’s newborn son, realization dawning on Tim’s face that there was no place for him in Hawk’s life, that was Bailey’s shining moment. —Vlada Gelman

HONORABLE MENTION: Jennifer Jason Leigh

Fargo has had its share of charismatic villains across five seasons, and Jennifer Jason Leigh is carrying on that grand tradition as obscenely wealthy matriarch Lorraine Lyon, who looks physically pained when she has to speak to someone below her social station. Leigh — a Coen brothers movie veteran herself from The Hudsucker Proxy — brings a chilly elegance to Lorraine with her superior vocal tone and bored demeanor, and this week, she put on a rhetorical masterclass, with Lorraine dismantling a pair of bankers who dared to underestimate her business acumen before moving on to dress down macho sheriff Roy. She even found time to taunt poor Indira for tumbling into a lifetime of debt. We can’t say we’re rooting for Lorraine, exactly, but we are definitely enjoying the barrage of verbal fireworks that Leigh brings to the party. —Dave Nemetz

HONORABLE MENTION: Nathan Stewart-Jarrett

It was an emotional run for ex-criminal Joe Petrus, but it was Culprits‘ finale that had Nathan Stewart-Jarrett working overtime. After squashing the threat against his family, Joe and Officer’s futures looked bright until — SPOILER ALERT — his friend was abruptly shot dead by a vengeful Azar. The actor immediately dropped to his knees, cradled his friend’s body and yelled. The shell-shocked look upon his face gave us chills, as we raced to process it alongside the character. Then when he finally faced his fiancé to apologize for lying about his true identity, Stewart-Jarrett’s eyes watered as he awaited Jules’ response to his mea culpa. The actor showed himself to be a man of many talents, but balancing action-packed work with humanity and heart was the true cherry on top of this consistently thrilling heist story. —Nick Caruso

HONORABLE MENTION: David Tennant

There was much to enjoy about Tennant’s performance in The Giggle. Fourteen’s matching of wits with the Toymaker. His personal awe at bi-generation. The warm “family” dinner in the back yard. But the scene that struck us as especially powerful was the Doctor diagnosing the titular tittering that had triggered humankind’s worst instincts. “But it’s not only The Giggle. Don’t go think you’ve got an excuse,” Fourteen said to Donna, Kate and a UNIT stooge, Tennant’s voice starting clam but rolling to a boil. “The human race might be clever and bright but it’s also venal and relentless. All the anger out on the street, the lies, the righteousness — that’s human, that’s who you are! And hating each other, you never needed any help with that.” Not the best pre-game pep talk, but wise words from an alien observer. — Matt Webb Mitovich

Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!

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