The single BEST acting moment in an episode! by Muggi

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The single BEST acting moment in an episode!

POSTED BY: MUGGI
UPDATED: Sunday, January 13, 2008 23:55
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Friday, January 11, 2008 2:19 PM

Ok so gonna go the OTHER way..

When were they at their best. I'm not talking about great lines, forceful delivery, or anything grandiose. I mean the small stuff. Who knocks a minor line or movement out of the park!

for me:

1. Two Inara scenes from "Trash". First, Inara's shuttle early in the episode, where Mal says, "How about I stay out of your whoring.." the gem is Morena's reaction and delivery of the line "Well that didn't take long.." Second, Inara's confrontation with YoSafBrig at the trash container, Morena's delivery of the line "Honey, you look horrific!" even off-camera, its delivered with the perfect amount of confrontational, condescending bitchy-ness.

2. Jayne's lines in the infirmary during "Ariel". First, his "Shut it, I ain't talking to you" line to Simon, and a few seconds later, his "Maybe Kaylee. Or Inara." line..it's perfect. There's anger and fear in his voice, and his slightly labored breathing is absolutely PERFECT. Adam delivers that line as in-character as one can get.

Discuss!

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Friday, January 11, 2008 3:05 PM

ECGORDON

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity.

I always get goosebumps in "Safe" when River tells Simon that she knows "you found me broken." As great as everyone is throughout the series, I still think Summer did as good a job as anyone, and she was the least experienced.

wo men ren ran zai fei xing.

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Friday, January 11, 2008 3:12 PM

EVILDEAD1971

as i've stated here n there, it's kaylee in serenity; "that's my girl, that's my good girl" the love she has for her ship is clearly brought out in her voice and the way she touches her

http://www.boomstick.org

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Friday, January 11, 2008 3:16 PM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Muggi:

1. Two Inara scenes from "Trash". First, Inara's shuttle early in the episode, where Mal says, "How about I stay out of your whoring.." the gem is Morena's reaction and delivery of the line "Well that didn't take long.." Second, Inara's confrontation with YoSafBrig at the trash container, Morena's delivery of the line "Honey, you look horrific!" even off-camera, its delivered with the perfect amount of confrontational, condescending bitchy-ness.

Just watched it last night- and YES, those we shiny moments indeed!

Trashed Chrisisall

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 12:27 AM

CLJOHNSTON108

Jewel's expression when she whispers "All aboard" in "Serenity".

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 12:42 AM

SINGATE

My moment has absolutely no dialogue, it's the flashback when Mal sees Serenity for the first time. The look on his face is so appropriate. More impressive is that in reality Nathan was looking at nothing. Now that's acting.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 4:10 AM

FREMDFIRMA

Seconded, in fact the entire scene with Inara and YaSafBrig at the dumpster in Trash...

I took a plate to the sink during and damned near dropped the thing, Morena sounded SO MUCH like my ex in voice, style and form that it gave me the screamin willies...

Still does.

Just that one scene though... and pray, hard, that you never meet my ex.

-Frem

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 4:16 AM

REGINAROADIE

Easy. In "Ariel", the moment when Simon is seeing the hologram of River's brain and moving it around. Just the look on his face really conveys just how much damage the Alliance has done to her. Up to that point, we've just been told "The Alliance did this to her", but now we've actually seen what the full extent of River's damage is. We're experiencing it alongside both Simon and Jayne.

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"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 4:28 AM

CLJOHNSTON108

Quote:
Originally posted by Fremdfirma:
Seconded, in fact the entire scene with Inara and YaSafBrig at the dumpster in Trash...

Yeah, Inara's smile when she says, "What, you didn't see it coming?" makes me smile every time I think about it.

Quote:
Originally posted by reginaroadie:
Easy. In "Ariel", the moment when Simon is seeing the hologram of River's brain and moving it around. Just the look on his face really conveys just how much damage the Alliance has done to her. Up to that point, we've just been told "The Alliance did this to her", but now we've actually seen what the full extent of River's damage is. We're experiencing it alongside both Simon and Jayne.

Concur.
Especially when Simon says, "They stripped her amygdala."
There's a certain hollowness in his voice that really conveys the disbelief that anybody could be so cruel.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 4:33 AM

REGINAROADIE

To me, it's all in the eyes. And when Jayne asks what an amygdala is, the image that Simon conjurs up really sells the audience what exactly is wrong with her. "She feels everything. She can't NOT feel it."

Also, my favorite "group scene" with all of them together and you see nine different points of view is the table scene in "Object's in Space" and them discussing the white elephant in the room, unaware that two other people are listening in on it.

**************************************************
"And it starts with a sentence that might last a lifetime, or it all might just go down in flames. If I let you know me, then why would you want me? Each day I don't is a shame. Each day I don't is a great shame."

Loudon Wainwright III - "Strange Weirdos" off the "Knocked Up" soundtrack

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 4:51 AM

HIXIE129

River dancing.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 5:07 AM

LWAVES

Gotta agree with River's/Summer's 'You found me broken..' scene. Just so heartfelt.
And Kaylee/Jewel when she praises the ship in the pilot.

Then River/Summer again in OIS where she 'wakes up' with the gun in her hand and the whole scene is chaotic. Her look of fear and confusion is fantastic and the way she quietly calls for Simon just tops it off.

There are sooo many though it's difficult to choose....

"I don't believe in suicide, but if you'd like to try it it might cheer me up to watch."

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 5:39 AM

CAUSAL

Mal, at the very end of The Message. So. Much. Pain.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 5:44 AM

SHINYSEVEN2

causal: I agree about "The Message"--heartbreaking!

But I'd also nominate Adam Baldwin absolutely knocking it out of the park at the end of "Jaynestown" when he talks to Mal and struggles to understand what happened.

And another favorite moment of mine is in a deleted scene from the pilot, when Simon talks about the Battle of Serenity. The way he says "shen me?" just brings a whole world of civilization and elegance that is in such short supply in his new environment.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 5:49 AM

CAUSAL

Speaking of Adam, how about the moment in Jaynestown where he rips the tape off his belly? Priceless!

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 7:29 AM

SHEPARDBOOKEM

Episode - OOG

The look in Wash's eyes on the bridge after explaining to Mal about his "miricle button" rig.
Also - same ep, the scene between Inara and Mal
in her shuttle, and Mal's line; "everybody dies alone"! Killer!!

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 7:31 AM

CAUSAL

Ooh, ooh! How about in Bushwhacked: the totally non-verbal reaction of Alan's after Kaylee says, "'Sides; if I screw up, it's not like you'll be around to yell at me." Priceless.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 3:05 PM

FREEBROWNCOAT

Summer ... War Stories ... "No power in the 'verse can stop me."
Just how much is needed to know how far over the bounds River has been taken, where she lives, her 'verse? And Summer sells it totally.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 6:09 PM

SAB39

"Time to go to sleep again?"

The note of despair and resignation in her voice as she says that is heartbreaking. And of course Simon's response is just as beautifully perfect.

I'm surprised that so many people have mentioned "you gave up everything you had to find me and you found me broken" but nobody's mentioned Simon's "everything I have is right here"...

www.fans4writers.com

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Saturday, January 12, 2008 6:23 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Oh, almost missed this one...

"I threw up on your bed.."

Simons reaction is flawless.

-F

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 10:44 AM

FREEBROWNCOAT

Accompanied with the smallest of River's giggle. That really sells it for me.

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 5:12 PM

ECAMBER

Summer really knocked this little monologue out of the park: "Played with Kaylee. Sun came out, and I walked on my feet and heard with my ears. I ate the bits, the bits stayed down, and I work. I function like I'm a girl. I hate it because I know it'll go away. The sun goes dark and chaos has come again. Bits. Fluids. What am I?!"

She manages to take what is almost nonsense on paper and infuses it with so much raw confusion and pain. It chokes me up every single time I've seen it.

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 6:24 PM

SHEPARDBOOKEM

A gem from Mal -

"Whoa, good bible" (whilst steam comes from his ears, and 'nethers'!)

Gotta give it to Christina Hendricks too, for her scene there with Mal, and the one just following, with Wash on the bridge... as she says in "Trash"
she is HOT!!

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:03 PM

TERRI

Two, of course there are thousands:

1) (OiS) Kaylee's reaction when Jubal asks 'You ever been raped?" Just sooooooo gut wrenching. Like, you can practically see her spirit break in two. You can almost hear it.

2) (OiS) Jubal and Simon's exchange about "Am I a Lion". Richard Brooks makes it equally absurd and believable. And he adds that little 'that was weird' at the end, and you just can't seem to believe the exchange.

*Frankly that entire ep was awesome.

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 7:18 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN

River - I didn't think you would come for me. Pilot.

Jayne - Yeah. Well. - final farewell to Mal in OoG.
- I was aiming for his head - TTJ
- What are you gonna tell them about how I died? - Ariel.

Kaylee - The Strawberry.

Zoe - I can hurt you. - Shindig
- Clear. - Ariel

Wash - He's not gonna get days. - War Stories.

Mal - Seemed like the thing to do.
- We're starting a book club now? What? Are you trying to torture me? - both from War Stories.
- Public relations. - Pilot.

Book - You don't fix a Bible, it fixes you. - Jaynestown.

Simon - She's my sister. - Pilot.
- She'll still be dead. - Pilot.

Inara - I was expecting you. - to Book while topless in Pilot.

Jubal - Am I a lion?

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 8:48 PM

CHOCOBOJOE

I've gotta say, Jonathan Woodward as Tracey as he dies. Specifically his delivery of

"When you can't run, you crawl... and when you can't crawl... when you can't do that --"

That scene makes me cry.

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 9:04 PM

CHOCOBOJOE

Quote:
Originally posted by Terri:
1) (OiS) Kaylee's reaction when Jubal asks 'You ever been raped?" Just sooooooo gut wrenching. Like, you can practically see her spirit break in two. You can almost hear it.

Agreed entirely.

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:38 PM

GUYWHOWANTSAFIREFLYOFHISOWN

Quote:

I'm surprised that so many people have mentioned "you gave up everything you had to find me and you found me broken" but nobody's mentioned Simon's "everything I have is right here"...

agreed.

Why is the rum always gone?

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Sunday, January 13, 2008 11:55 PM

ZZETTA13

One of my favorites, Jayne admitting to being the selfish fellow only out to make his own buck and not worth hero worship from the mudders;

" You pepole, ya think somebodys just ganna drop a box of monney on ya?!! Money they could use? Well there ain't people like that! There's just people like me."

You can see he has guilt and desides to tell them he's not worth their loyalty.

Z

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