The TVLine Performers of the Week: Ethan Hawke and Devery Jacobs

THE PERFORMERS | Ethan Hawke and Devery Jacobs

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THE SHOW | Reservation Dogs

THE EPISODE | ‘Elora’s Dad’ (Sept. 20, 2023)

THE PERFORMANCE | For most of her life, Elora Danan knew nothing about her father. That all changed in the penultimate episode when she finally came face to face with Rick (Hawke), the man who left her behind many years ago.

Over the last three seasons, Jacobs has shown demonstrable strength at juggling conflicting emotions, so when it came time for her character to track down dad for help with her college application, we knew we were in for a heavy episode. The actress didn’t disappoint. Over a cup of coffee, her body language swayed from guarded and defensive, to naturally curious, as Elora reluctantly navigated the uncomfortable encounter. But little by little, Jacobs let her stiff exterior loosen, first when Rick gave her character a picture of her late mom, and later, subtle smiles emerged when she met her three half siblings.

Then there’s Hawke, whose performance was just as delicate, and full of mixed feelings. As the episode progressed, Rick treated Elora like glass, not wanting to force too much and scare her away. Hawke’s eyes and delivery displayed Rick’s inner turmoil as shame, fear, excitement and love all swirled throughout him like an emotional tornado. And when he spoke of Cookie’s death and subsequent funeral (which he did not attend), the actor’s hurt felt palpable, as did his admission to feeling relieved that Elora’s res family would ultimately raise her.

Thanks to Hawke and Jacobs’ nuanced choices and rejection of melodrama, Rick felt like a man whose intentions were pure, but whose decisions led him down a road of regret. Spending just one episode with this estranged father/daughter pair could’ve gone 100 different ways, but thanks to such sturdy performances and an honest focus, we couldn’t help but feel warm and fuzzy (and a bit hopeful) from the characters’ brief reconnection.

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

HONORABLE MENTION: Steve Martin

Anyone who has followed Martin’s career knows he’s musically gifted — have you seen the man play banjo? — yet we still weren’t prepared for the greatness bestowed upon us when he took center stage in Tuesday’s Only Murders and delivered Charles’ patter song, “Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It.” Martin was, in a word, sublime. The 78-year-old was quick as a whip as he made his way through the increasingly difficult show tune, hitting every accented refrain with just the right amount of fervor. His cadence was flawless, his pitch impeccable. The only crime is that we’ll never get to see him perform it in person on a real Broadway stage.

HONORABLE MENTION: Patricia Kalember

Ever since Kate’s first appearance on the original Power, we’ve been impressed with Patricia Kalember’s range. After all, it’s hard to watch Tommy’s conniving, uncouth, drug-addicted mother and remember she’s played by the same actress who was Sisters’ salt-of-the-earth Georgie. We marveled yet again at Sunday’s episode of Power Book IV: Force, in which a newly sober Kate reckoned with the notion that her adult sons may not yet be ready to forgive her for a lifetime of hurt and neglect. Kalember dropped Kate’s tough affect as the character told her 12-step group everything she hadn’t been able to say while making amends to Tommy and JP, her voice climbing higher as she fought tears. As Kate struggled to sit with the painful consequences of her addiction, you could see the warring emotions on Kalember’s face — it was captivating. This new, contrite Kate heralds challenges for Kalember, and we can’t wait to watch her meet them.

HONORABLE MENTION: Clémence Poésy

The casting gods smiled down upon The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon when they delivered unto the spinoff Sister Isabelle’s portrayer. She’s as captivating a presence as we’ve seen on television all year, a distinction that she masterfully underscored in Sunday’s “Alouette.” As the episode toggled between past and present, Poésy, with admirable subtlety, revealed the emptiness of her character’s life before she got in the “habit” of doing good. She demonstrated the sly humor for which Isa so rarely has a use. (Father Daryl, indeed!) And, perhaps most impressively, she navigated the future nun’s harrowingly swift transition from worried about her pregnant sister to horrified at her death and reanimation to utterly amazed that baby Laurent was born unscathed. Frankly, we were amazed, too — by Poésy.

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

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