TVLine's Performer Of The Week: Walton Goggins

THE PERFORMER | Walton Goggins

THE SHOW | The White Lotus

THE EPISODE | "The Meaning of Dreams" (Mar. 2, 2025)

THE PERFORMANCE | Of all the guests this season on HBO's luxury hotel dramedy, Rick has been the toughest to read, sulking and grumbling his way through his Thailand vacation with girlfriend Chelsea. But just like the snakes he's so fond of, Rick has started to shed his skin and reveal new layers underneath, and Goggins was outstanding this week as Rick's simmering inner turmoil led him down some strange (and dangerous) roads.   

At breakfast, Rick poured on the charm as he spun a story for resort owner Sritala about being a big-time Hollywood producer, and it was a refreshing change to see Goggins smile for once. (Even Chelsea was surprised.) Then at another stress relief session with Amrita, Goggins gave us another glimpse at the intense pain Rick is carrying around, confessing that he's "done a lot of bad things" and musing that maybe he "can still get some satisfaction" after his father's murder. (Goggins has a knack for subtly adding emotion to his voice to convey vulnerability without breaking down in theatrical sobs.) When Rick left the resort to find weed, Goggins' face filled with relief as Rick took his first puff, finally at peace again. But then Rick took Chelsea to a local snake show, and Goggins was genuinely touching as Rick sympathized with the poor caged creatures, even setting them free — and getting Chelsea bitten by a cobra as a result.

With a panicked look in his soulful eyes, Goggins finally let us see how much Rick truly cares for Chelsea as he rushed with her to the hospital. She was fine, though, and he later took issue with her labeling snakes as evil: "Even evil things shouldn't be treated like s–t. It's only gonna make them more evil." (Is he talking about himself a bit there, we wondered?) For someone who just came off as a grumpy jerk at first, Rick has really blossomed into a fascinating character, and Goggins' insightful work has made him the true VIP guest of Season 3 so far.        

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

This diner scene, man. Just, wow. After launching with a tragic twist accompanied by a sprawling slugfest, Disney+'s Daredevil: Born Again leaped forward a year and sat Matt Murdock across from Wilson Fisk, for a reunion years in the waiting (for Marvel fans, at least). Slipping back into the Fisk voice and composure he crafted 10 years ago, Vincent D'Onofrio veritably held court from that vinyl diner seat, as the crime kingpin-turned-mayoral candidate sized up anew his onetime adversary (played again by Charlie Cox). The gravelly texture that D'Onofrio puts on every syllable, his distinct rhythm of speaking as Fisk.... It commands attention and at times strikes fear (especially of "consequences"), but there's no denying there's also an unspoken, professional fondness that Fisk has for his lawyer/vigilante foe. "It's not entirely unpleasant seeing you again," 'tis an understatement. (Watch a clip above.) — Matt Webb Mitovich

In a moment that was three seasons in the making — and decades in the making for the characters — The Way Home's Alice and Colton had a long-awaited conversation as granddaughter and grandfather in this week's Season 3 finale. The weighty importance of the exchange, in which Alice and Colton came clean to each other about all things time travel, was on the shoulders of their performers, Sadie Laflamme-Snow and Jefferson Brown, and they both carried it with the emotional reverence that the scene deserved. When Alice confirmed that Jacob will come home one day, and Colton realized that he won't get to see his son because he'll be dead, Laflamme-Snow and Brown's tearful expressions were absolutely heartbreaking. Yet, Brown also managed to convey wonder and gratitude as Colton marveled at the fact that he got to know his granddaughter in two different eras. The heartfelt bonding moment was capped by Laflamme-Snow's wonderfully vulnerable voice when Alice told Colton that she loves him and called him grandpa, before leaping into the pond. No wonder the showrunners advised viewers to have their tissues at the ready! — Vlada Gelman

This week's Chicago Med served as an incredible showcase for Luke Mitchell, whose character, Dr. Mitch Ripley, came to the rescue of a mother and daughter trapped in a well. The actor was confident and collected as Ripley assessed the dangerous situation, working opposite a terrific scene partner in guest star Holly Curran as the terrified mom, Sadie. Mitchell and Curran's easy interplay felt genuine and was full of a surprising amount of flirty charm despite the characters' dire predicament. Making the absolute most of her guest spot, Curran imbued palpable fear and loving warmth into Sadie's tearful rendition of "Winnie the Pooh" to calm her scared daughter. When Ripley later found himself buried in the rubble of a tunnel collapse and hallucinated a conversation with his dead friend Sully, Mitchell delivered his own powerful breakdown. The intense hour asked a lot of Mitchell and Curran, emotionally and physically — acting in a tightly enclosed space, even a fake one, is no easy task — but the pair's performances were so impactful that we didn't want the episode to end. — V.G.

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