Performer of the Week: Betty Gilpin

THE PERFORMER | Betty Gilpin

THE SHOW | Starz’s Three Women

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THE EPISODE | “Two Women” (Oct. 25, 2024)

THE PERFORMANCE | In Three Women Episode 7, after orchestrating her own candy-coated sexual fantasy with surprising force, Betty Gilpin introduced new complexity to her lovesick Lina. Appearing glossy-eyed and almost drunk, the actress made us acutely aware of all that is at odds within Lina — the strong, sexy aloofness of the woman she wishes she was, and the weak, tragic, childish girl that she is. In the end, Gilpin injected the scene with joy, sadness and longing, which had all the ingredients to be hot, but her messy and chaotic delivery revealed the truth: It was hot only in the way a child might imagine sex to be, and the way this grown-up still believes it to be.

Later, when Lina revealed she’s more haunted by her high-school breakup than a gang rape — a fact that should be hard to believe — we weren’t skeptical. Thanks to Gilpin’s self-assured delivery of Lina’s experience, the moment never veered toward trite, as conversations surrounding sexual assault on TV so often can. Gilpin told Lina’s rambling story casually, through laughs and asides, expressing emotion only when she mentioned Aidan.

When examined closely, we noticed Gilpin had channeled all of Lina’s aching into her hands — which are often gloved to ward off aches of the physical variety. We’ve seen her use her hands to cover her face in front of Aidan, when her aching is closer to longing. But when Gia pushed Lina to confront her assault, Gilpin’s hands rumbled, scratching her neck and face, signaling a forthcoming explosion. Punctuated by one pointed finger, Gilpin’s Lina stood up for herself. In this singular moment of resistance, Gilpin powerfully displayed the two sides of Lina — the woman and the girl — that she’s been developing all season long.

Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week...

HONORABLE MENTION: Aisha Hinds

There’s a running joke among 9-1-1 fans that the show will never stop finding new and creative ways to bring the Wilson family’s worst nightmares to life. That said, no one was laughing this week when the 118 sprang into action to rescue Hen and Karen’s son Denny, who was pinned against a house by an out-of-control car on Halloween night. And just as Hen had the medical prowess to think fast and save her child, so too did Aisha Hinds arrive on the scene armed with her own well-refined skills, delivering a powerful performance that left us appropriately haunted. Hen’s relentless determination as she powered through her overwhelming panic was exhilarating, transforming an inherently tense moment into an unforgettable viewing experience. — Andy Swift

HONORABLE MENTION: Patti LuPone

The Agatha All Along cast had told us that Episode 7 would be a favorite, because of Patti Lupone. They were not wrong. All season long, we witnessed Lupone’s Lilia experience “out of time” moments where she blurted random things. This week’s episode shed light on what we learned was a tragic, lifelong affliction of suffering “gaps” in time. But when Teen faced a tarot card-themed trial, Lilia got a grip on her disorder and used her peeks into the future to make the most of the present. As Lilia toggled between times and places (including flashbacks to childhood lessons from a Maestra), Lupone showed the witch overcome deep-seated melancholy, and grief for a lost coven, to have her hero moment. With a tour de force sequence in which Lilia seized command of the tarot cards, then antemortem farewells to Jen et al, Lupone conjured every emotion. “I loved being a witch.” And we loved watching her. —Matt Webb Mitovich

HONORABLE MENTION: Kayvan Novak

We’re already mourning the end of FX’s supremely silly vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows as it begins its final season, so we’re trying to savor every last giggle — including those provided by Kayvan Novak’s reliably hilarious turn as clueless vampire Nandor. Novak showed off his full comedic range in this week’s third episode: Colin used sleep hypnosis to remind Nandor he is a fierce warrior, and Novak gleefully tapped into his primal side as Nandor reasserted his violent warlord status. Then he topped himself when Colin sleep-hypnotized Nandor into thinking he’s Richard Nixon, with Novak employing a surprisingly spot-on Tricky Dick impression. The actors on Shadows are so consistently funny that it’s easy to take them for granted, but we want to make sure to shine a bright light (though not sunlight, of course) on Novak’s inspired slice of comic lunacy. — Dave Nemetz

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

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