4 years ago
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I just want to know where Sophia Bush's Emmy is.
A while back, we asked for sad underrated TV scenes, and we got SO many submissions that we made into lists. Well, now we're back to celebrate all the teen show monologues that were literally award-worthy. Here are 24 of the best!
1. On Euphoria, when Maddy confronted Cassie through the door about her relationship with Nate:
HBO
Alexa Demie is SO good as Maddy. Maddy comes off as so strong and fierce, which is why I love seeing these vulnerable moments where we understand how loyal and burned Maddy has been. I honestly hate Cassie for this.
2. Also on Euphoria, when Jules talked to her therapist about running away:
HBO
Everyone hating on Jules needs to watch her special episode IMMEDIATELY!!!! It's so important for her character, and Hunter Schafer absolutely kills it. I can't believe she had no acting experience before Euphoria.
3. Also on Euphoria, when Rue was trying to find the suitcase:
HBO
There are SO many scenes I can nominate for Zendaya (who actually did win an Emmy for her portrayal of Rue in Season 1), but I think this is my favorite of the season. She monologues a million times in the first few minutes of the episode, but this segment gets me because of how quickly she goes from self-hating to furious to devastated.
4. On Dawson's Creek, when Pacey confronted his passed out dad about not being there for him:
The WB
"When Pacey's on the beach with his passed out, drunk dad and has a conversation with him. It just kills me…'It’s your job to love me no matter who I am or who I become, because you’re my father.' Gets me every time."
5. On The Vampire Diaries, when Elena broke down after Jeremy's death:
The CW
Suggested by equine_duck15
I feel like Nina Dobrev never gets enough credit for her work on TVD, and that's a shame. She plays Katherine and Elena so distinctly that I literally forget they're both played by her. Elena gets a lot of emotional scenes, but this moment when she is overwhelmed by everything that's happened to her is just so good. It's also so important for the plot. If Nina hadn't killed this scene, I don't think I would've understood Damon's decision to make Elena turn her humanity off.
6. On One Tree Hill, when Brooke and Lucas fought at Haley and Nathan's wedding:
The WB
Suggested by g_bernie
Sophia Bush is another actor who is underrated because she was in a teen show. She brought so much strength and depth to Brooke, even in this scene alone. Brooke's failing relationship with Lucas wouldn't have gotten to me so much (I low-key hate Lucas) without Sophia's incredible performance as someone desperately trying to hang on and be the perfect, understanding girlfriend.
7. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Buffy finally broke down in front of Dawn after their mom died:
The WB
"When Buffy says, 'Who’s going to be if I’m not? Have you even thought about that? Who’s going to make things better? Who’s going to take care of us?' it always makes me cry. The way her voice breaks. She and Alyson Hannigan as Willow never fail to make me sob with them."
8. On Teen Wolf, when Stiles convinced Scott not to kill himself and called Scott his brother:
MTV
Suggested by cheese
Dylan O'Brien is another actor (like Zendaya — seriously, I think Dylan is almost on the level of Zendaya when it comes to acting, and I don't know why he isn't in more things) where I could choose a million scenes for him, but I get why this one was nominated. Stiles is such a great quiet hero and the heart of the show, and his chemistry with Tyler Posey really shines in this scene.
9. On The Vampire Diaries, when Bonnie stopped Damon before he desiccated in a coffin for 60 years and told him how she felt about him not even saying goodbye:
The CW
Okay, I also don't think Kat Graham gets enough credit for TVD. Her character went through the most out of everyone, IMO, and yet we never tired of her (like we did Elena) because of the strength and vulnerability Bonnie showed. That's all because of Kat. Even when she's angry and crying, she's strong and protective of herself, and you can see alllll those layers in this scene.
10. On The 100, when Monty left behind a tape for Clarke and Bellamy:
The CW
11. On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, when Anya had trouble conceiving of death after Joyce died:
The WB
"The little speech she has while standing in Willow’s dorm room is so heartbreaking. I can hold myself together before that, but once Anya breaks down, I’m sobbing."
—Meg
12. On The Vampire Diaries, when Damon talked to Alaric's headstone:
The CW
"We never really saw an emotional side to Damon until this moment. It makes me cry every single time."
13. On Teen Wolf, when Sheriff Stilinski finally remembered Stiles:
MTV
"The moment when he finishes and Scott smiles always makes me cry."
14. On Julie and the Phantoms, when Julie spoke to her mom in the alleyway:
Netflix
Suggested by orchuk1105
I know that Julie and the Phantoms has a super-sad premise, but it's largely a fun and sweet show. That's also why I think this moment hits so hard. You truly feel so much for Julie and realize again just how young she is in this scene.
15. On Glee, when Finn's mom broke down after his death:
Fox
I know that Cory Monteith's death hit every cast member really hard, especially when it came time to film "The Quarterback," but I truly was the most moved by Romy Rosemont's performance. The way she talks about losing a child is so viscerally painful that it's hard for me to remember that her and her relationship to Finn aren't real.
16. On Pretty Little Liars, when Ali revealed what happened to her:
Freeform
The Season 4 finale of PLL is largely an expositional monologue by Sasha Pieterse, but it still slaps, partly because we finally get so many answers we've been waiting for, and partly because Sasha CARRIES that episode. Ali has been a polarizing, often cruel figure for four seasons, but here we finally truly see her vulnerability and are reminded of the fact that she's just a teenage girl, not some evil ice queen that has everything under control.
17. On Pretty Little Liars, when Spencer talked about finding Toby's body:
Freeform
Troian Bellisario was the most talented of the PLL cast, IMO, and I loved when they gave her the opportunity to shine. PLL put its girls though horrible trauma every episode, and Troian portrayed that through Spencer's character so well, especially in this breakdown. It's not just grief or anger that she's portraying — it's a culmination of years of trauma and a nuanced mental health struggle that brings SO much more to PLL as a show. I actually believed Troian was someone who had been through what Spencer had.
18. On Veronica Mars, when Veronica realized Cassidy was the one who raped her:
UPN
I feel like we all know Kristen Bell is great, but it's still worth acknowledging that she was always great. Her finally confronting Cassidy is such a moment of catharsis, and Bell so perfectly portrays Veronica's deep-seated anger and yet her strength at the same time.
19. On Outer Banks, when JJ showed off the hot tub and his friends saw bruises on him:
Netflix
I feel like people recognize this as a great sad scene from a modern teen drama and a great moment for JJ, but I feel like Rudy Pankow himself doesn't get enough recognition. It's a lot easier to portray an emotion as an actor than it is to portray someone actively trying to suppress an emotion, and Rudy walks that line so well.
20. On Glee, when Burt had a heart attack and Kurt talked to him in the hospital:
Fox
...Okay, fine, this one is totally cheating because Chris Colfer DID win an Emmy for it. But I'm still going to talk about it, because I love it. "Grilled Cheesus" is the best Glee ever was, perfectly balancing absurdist, over-the-top humor while also serving a genuine look at teen issues, including dealing with the mortality of your own parents, loss of religion and faith, and societal and religious views on being gay. For once, Glee actually achieved the perfect balance, and I think that's all because of Colfer, who truly carried this episode. You completely felt everything he was going through.
21. On Secret Life of the American Teenager, when Adrian lost her baby:
Freeform
A bit of cheating again, because I don't know if this counts as a monologue, but I have to nominate Francia Raisa for this episode. Everyone's so incredible, but it's Francia who's given the hardest task, and she proves herself up for the challenge. I love the way she shows that confusion that comes with grief here.
22. On Skins, when Emily confronted Naomi after discovering she'd cheated on her:
E4
This scene makes me ugly cry every time. It's such a devastating betrayal and breakup, especially after all it took to get Emily and Naomi together. Kathryn Prescott was so relatable and vulnerable, and she helped make this scene so great.
23. On 13 Reasons Why, when Clay gave a tour of the school to the new exchange students:
Netflix
See, I'm not just nominating crying scenes, y'all! The other actors did a great job at helping create the tension and culture of silence at the school, but Minette especially helped make it believable that Clay had been driven to the point to break it. It's so cathartic and almost empowering to see Clay take a stand like this, and his bitterness and anger is just so good in this scene.
24. And finally, on Skins, when Effy began to remember her past:
E4
"Effy´s 'I'm not scared anymore' monologue in Skins. It always blows my mind that Kaya was still a teenager when she did that scene. Kaya deserves way more credit for her phenomenal performance in Skins."
What teen drama scenes did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
Submissions have been edited for length/clarity.
English (US) ·