There’s something to be said for shows that are high on tension and thriller-factor. This week’s Hypable Honors performances hail from two with VERY high stakes.
The Following and The Walking Dead have quite a bit in common when you think about it. One takes place in the middle of a zombie apocalypse and the other exists in a world where killers could be hiding around any corner, so, not that far off.
This week’s selections for Hypable Honors have shown that despite the crazy circumstances and high stakes, a single performer can stand out from the fray and really shine. One of them plays a complicated hero, and the other a psychotic, personality-split killer, but both bring incredible talent to the table.
Hypable Honors
Show: ‘The Walking Dead’
Actor: Andrew Lincoln
If you haven’t been keeping up with The Walking Dead, you’ve missed a really great series of episodes for Andrew Lincoln, which was proved most effectively this week.
Rick’s been trying to keep his demons at bay while simultaneously attempting to figure out how best to convince the people of Alexandria that the way they’ve been doing things is dangerous and must be remedied before a real threat shows up at their gates. This past week, Rick’s patience and emotional stability took a hit, and then he proceeded to get a few hits in of his own.
Watching Rick Grimes unleash the anger and frustration of his current circumstances on a man deserving of the beating was both cathartic and terrifying. The fight was probably less terrifying than Rick brandishing his gun and using it to gesture as he tries to convince the Alexandrians that they have to wise up.
While Rick’s journey continues to be fraught with emotional landmines, Andrew Lincoln has been a steady and true force on The Walking Dead. No matter what crazy circumstances are thrown his character’s way, Lincoln has always impressed with his ability to show Rick’s complicated way of trying to navigate through the emotional minefield of a zombie apocalypse.
With the season finale looming ahead, there’s no telling what’s next for Rick’s group, but as long as they stick together (even if that means knocking your leader out cold once in a while), there’s no doubt that eventually they will find a way to not only survive, but to live.
Show: ‘The Following’
Actor: Sam Underwood
From the first episode of season 2 of The Following it was clear that Sam Underwood would prove to be an asset to both the cast and the story. That has never been more clearly evident than after this week’s episodes.
While he may not have been the central focus of the plot, he managed to take whatever moments he had on screen and absolutely demand 100 percent of the audience’s attention. Sam Underwood has managed to go from playing two very distinctly different twins, to playing one twin with a serious personality disorder.
Embodying one character while switching seamlessly into an entirely different consciousness is a challenge not many actors face, but thanks to Sam Underwood, we know what it looks like when it’s done perfectly. There is little doubt that this actor can take on any challenge and master it.
Mark Gray managed to escape by the skin of his teeth this week, so we know we haven’t seen the last of him, but we can’t help but wonder what his focus will be when we see him next. For so long he has been determined to see Ryan Hardy and Mike Weston brought to justice for covering up the true circumstances of his mother’s death. While he will ultimately still have his sights set on vengeance, we can’t help but wonder if his methods may make a significant shift.
No matter what Mark Gray has up his sleeve next, we know that Sam Underwood will never disappoint. He has become a true asset to The Following, and we can only hope that the creative forces behind the show have a multitude of ways to keep him wowing us for seasons to come.
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