19 Excellent TV Performances from 2018

They say it’s the “Golden Age of TV,” and if 2018 is any indication, “they” are right. There may not be enough awards in Hollywood for everyone who deserves them, but there’s definitely enough space on the internet to recognize them.

We’ve compiled our 19 favorite TV performances of 2018, a mix of lesser-acknowledged fan favorites and those that were widely critically acclaimed. After all, we can’t begin to enjoy 2019’s TV offerings before we pay respects to the best of 2018!

Here (in no particular order) are 19 excellent TV performances from 2018. Expect spoilers below.

1. Sarah Drew on Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 10, “Personal Jesus” (Aired January 25, 2018) 

On Grey’s Anatomy Season 14 Episode 10, “Personal Jesus,” Dr. April Kepner has a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. But our consensus is that Sarah Drew gives an absolutely breathtaking performance throughout. For most of this list, we’ll be discussing individual scenes. But our team couldn’t pinpoint a standout moment from this episode — all of Drew’s scenes stand out.  

Never have eyes seemed more dead on an uninjured person than April’s in her shower scenes at the end of the day. But as a viewer, your heart probably breaks for her way before that.

Perhaps when her ex-fiancé is talking about the perfect life she’s meant to have, but it’s clear all she’s thinking of is her dead child and failed marriage. Or maybe you feel a sting for her when he leaves the chapel after she walks in, disgusted by the sight of her, though she’s desperately trying to cling on to hope for his child. 

Is it as you watch her stare helplessly at her colleagues in ORs, trying to do her job but realizing she’s not needed? Or as you watch her realize there’s nothing she can do to comfort Jackson while he treats a young black boy, Eric Sterling, who was shot by cops for forgetting the keys to his own home and trying to enter through a window?

Does your heart break for her then? Because even though she’s just on the edges of those scenes, Drew makes April’s desperation is palpable. Racial bias affects her daughter and the man she loves, after all. 

Whenever your heart breaks for her on this episode, one thing is for sure — it’s going to break. Perhaps, like some of us, you’ll never be able to watch it without crying.  That’s all because of Drew’s dedication to her craft. 

2. Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh, Killing Eve Season 1 Episode 5, “I Have A Thing About Bathrooms” (Aired May 6, 2018) 

Preparing dinner with the assassin you are meant to be hunting certainly is…. erm, shall we say, risky? But on Killing Eve Season 1 Episode 5, “I Have A Thing About Bathrooms,” it’s a thing that happens. 

From the moment Villanelle helps Eve out of her soaking wet dress to the moment she cheerfully exits the apartment, this writer feels chills down her arms. Why? It’s the sexual tension between the two women that makes this whole chase so complex — and of course, the anticipation of the confrontation that comes when Villanelle literally pins Eve against the fridge, knife to her chest.

Also, the slight panic that grows from watching them do something as ordinary as eat Shepherd’s pie at the same table, trading conversational jabs before Villanelle makes the final move of the scene. It’s all chilling. 

In the story, Comer’s Villanelle wins this particular battle. But we refuse to name a victor in the acting ring. Oh and Comer don’t battle here, after all. They dance a perfect Paso Doble. 

3. Lyric Ross on This Is Us Season 2 Episode 17,  “This Big, Amazing Beautiful Life” (Aired March 6, 2018)

It took some time for most viewers to warm up to Randall and Beth’s foster daughter Déjà Andrews. But thanks to careful storytelling and wonderful work by actress Lyric Ross, it’s almost impossible not to root for her by This Is Us Season 2 Episode 17, “This Big, Amazing Beautiful Life.”

Moving from bed-to-bed is exhausting. But Déjà doesn’t even get a break when she’s back home with her mom, Shauna (Joy Brunson.) By the end of the episode, when she collapses in Randall’s arms, we’re all tired for her. Ross shines through the whole episode, but the scenes set after her first stay with Randall and Beth stand out. 

Déjà has gotten a taste of what it’s like to feel safe in a bed. While her love for her mom wins, in these scenes you can see her struggling to balance her urge to be a kid with the responsibilities she’s always taken on for her mother.

When Déjà learns that her mom used the money they had saved up to pay bills on her no-good boyfriend Lanzo’s bail, our hearts break with hers. 

4. Justina Machado on One Day at a Time Season 2 Episode 9, “Hello, Penelope” (Released January 26, 2018) 

The brilliance of One Day at a Time is how effortlessly they address important issues while staying securely in the sitcom genre (as opposed to sliding over to dramedy).

On no episode is this more apparent than One Day at a Time Season 2 Episode 9, “Hello Penelope.” Justina Machado stands out for perfectly portraying the gradual slide that occurs when someone goes off their medication without the proper guidance. Her co-stars provide strong support, but we have to give her the credit here.

The sequence where she apologizes for yelling at Schneider that flashes back to her recording the voice note to herself stands out. Sure, recording one’s thoughts while suffering is hard. But the extra level of depth here comes from the vulnerability to share those thoughts with a friend. 

Even though she admits that the woman she hears in the recording is “not okay,” she gets defensive when Schneider mentions that she needs her medication. 

“I shouldn’t have to need it,” she frustratedly says, physically moving herself off the couch and away from him. It’s a push and pull that many people on medication for mental illness experience. Once we overcome the stigma of actually needing the medication and going on it, we still must overcome society’s belief that we should only need it for a short amount of time to be “normal.” 

The nuances of Penelope’s feelings are hard to nail, but Machado does. The best part is, the scene ends with a joke that feels completely in character and true to life. There are shades of gray within darkness, even when you can’t quite see light.

5. Debra Messing on Will & Grace Season 10 Episode 5, “Grace’s Secret” (Aired November 1, 2018) 

Debra Messing gives one of the most important performances of the year on Will & Grace Season 10 Episode 5, “Grace’s Secret.” It’s so important that it made two of our lists this year — and rightfully so. 

Grace’s confession to her father that his friend Harry sexually assaulted her is uncomfortable. Not just because her dad thinks so — it’s uncomfortable for the viewer, and that’s great work.

Will & Grace goes deeper into the topic of sexual assault than most other shows have in a few ways. Grace’s father at first represents all of the men who want to look away and excuse sexual attacks. But he’s not the stereotypical jerk that is usually “taken down” in this plot. 

That’s probably because he is Grace’s father. But he still gives her plenty of resistance, and she pushes back every step of the way. In these scenes, Messing is representing every woman who pushes through these conversations, every woman who is so numb she doesn’t cry. It’s a responsibility she nobly bears. 

The scene is brilliant because it is layered. Not only does Grace have to confront her father, she has to forgive him for not protecting her. The notion that men have a responsibility to protect (through not feigning ignorance) is a detail that’s hardly explored.

Bravo, Ms. Messing. Thank you.

6. Donald Glover on Atlanta Season 2 Episode 6, “Teddy Perkins” (Aired April 5, 2018) 

Atlanta Season 2 Episode 6, “Teddy Perkins,” is one of those episodes that sticks with you for a thousand different reasons. It’s equal parts horror and dark comedy. This mood is rarely replicated effectively on television.

Darius heads to an estate to take a piano. But what he finds there is the mysterious Teddy Perkins. The stranger’s sad, weird life story adds to the unsettling tone of the episode. 

But Donald Glover’s portrayal of the Michael Jackson-esque Teddy is what has earned this unique episode critical acclaim. His portrayal is so focused, you’ll almost feel empathy for Jackson through Teddy. But make no mistake — it’s scary as hell. 

We want to say more, but it’s just one of those moments in TV that transcends any words we could type on a screen. Even months after watching, the episode sticks with you for all the right reasons. 

7. Dominique Provost-Chalkley on Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 5, “Jolene” (Aired August 17, 2018) 

Wynonna Earp Season 3 Episode 5, “Jolene,” is special in no small part because of Dominique Provost-Chalkley’s performance — in particular, the climactic confrontation between Waverly and Jolene. 

Provost-Chalkley is stellar throughout the episode, expressing the confused swirl of thoughts and emotions Waverly is experiencing with a subtle wince or slightly furrowed brow. But it’s the final climactic confrontation with Jolene in the Gibson greenhouse where Provost-Chalkley simply shines and viewers see the full depth of her talent and craft.

Provost-Chalkley infuses the scene with a fragile vulnerability that makes your heart ache. Each insidious lie Jolene spits pushes Waverly to a point of emotional exhaustion that is palpable when she slumps to the ground, voice cracking, practically pleading, “It’s too much.”

But the resonance of Provost-Chalkley’s performance goes beyond the narrative. Jolene is not just some demon; she’s a stand-in for depression. Provost-Chalkley is not just telling Waverly’s story — she’s articulating the experiences of so many who struggle with the lies their own Jolenes tell.

Our hearts don’t just break for Waverly; they recognize the truth in Provost-Chalkely’s performance. That recognition helps viewers see themselves in Waverly, so when she’s finally able to pull herself out of the fog of Jolene’s manipulations, viewers know she’s talking to them too, urging them to stay and keep fighting.

Since “Jolene” aired, Waverly’s line “I’m here and I stay” has become an affirmation of self-worth for many fans, a vow not to give up that’s taken on profound meaning. There’s no higher achievement for a storyteller than that type of deep personal connection and it’s what makes Provost-Chalkely’s performance exceptional.

8. Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys on The Americans Season 6 Episode 10, “START” (Aired May 30, 2018) 

It’s amazing when a show can subvert your expectations. After six seasons of subterfuge, most were expecting the Jennings were to be killed or arrested at the end of the show’s final season. But instead, The Americans Season 6 Episode 10, “START,” the series finale, sends them back to Moscow. The awkward reality of being back home after decades is finally hitting them.

Philip and Elizabeth stop at a bridge and look into the horizon, reflecting on their mission. Philip recalls how he was recruited, and Elizabeth starts to imagine how things would have been if they hadn’t become agents. She muses, “Maybe we would have met. On a bus.”

Then, the conversation turns to their children: Henry, who they left behind intentionally, and Paige, who was training to be a spy like her parents before she decided to get off the train taking them to safety in the finale.

Everything goes quiet for a moment, and Philip mentions that it feels strange to be back after all these years. Elizabeth replies to Philip in Russian, “We’ll get used to it.” 

Quiet, reflective series finale moments like this are rare. After six seasons of living dangerous double lives with their characters, Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys absolutely nail it.

9. Yvonne Strahovski on The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 Episode 13, “The Word” (Aired April 25, 2018) 

There are so many amazing actresses on The Handmaid’s Tale, it’s hard to single out just one “best performance.” This year, we believe that belongs to Yvonne Strahovski for her work in Season 2 Episode 13, “The Word.” 

The scene in which Serena Joy petitions the council to amend laws so women can read the Bible is particularly chilling. First of all, most viewers can agree she’s not an easy character to like. The fact that we’re rooting for her as she stands up there is a testament to her growth.

The act is about power. The power of having supportive women literally stand behind her as she speaks. The power of an unshakable voice. The power of standing up for her children. The power of her audacity — to literally read from the Bible. No matter if she fails, she is powerful.

10. Bob Odenkirk on Better Call Saul Season 4 Episode 10, “Winner” (Aired October 8, 2018)

We’ve seen Bob Odenkirk play the slick criminal lawyer Saul Goodman, and the well-meaning screw-up Jimmy McGill. On Better Call Saul in 2018, we saw the latter slowly slip into the former in a mesmerizing performance from Odenkirk.

No moment was so poignant as when Jimmy gives the appeal committee a heartfelt monologue regarding the death of his brother on Better Call Saul Season 4 Episode 10, “Winner.” There is not a dry eye in the room. After he’s reinstated as an attorney, he flips a switch as if he never felt a thing.

To watch Odenkirk play such polar opposites in such a short time frame illustrates the depths of his ability and begins to fully form the Saul Goodman character.

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