TVLine's Performer of the Week: Megan Stalter

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4 days ago

THE PERFORMER | Megan Stalter
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THE SHOW | Netflix's Too Much
THE EPISODE | 'The Idea of Glue' (July 10, 2025)
THE PERFORMANCE | We already know Megan Stalter is flat-out hilarious from her supporting turn as overeager talent manager Kayla on HBO Max's Hacks. And she's certainly hilarious in her new Netflix show Too Much, too, but series creator Lena Dunham brought out a touchingly vulnerable side in her as well — and both of those were on full display in the season finale, as Jessica grappled with serious setbacks before stepping into her rom-com heroine destiny.
As the finale opened, Jessica was still reeling from learning that her boyfriend Felix had slept with someone else, and Stalter's drained face and slumped shoulders conveyed the crushing heartbreak Jessica was stewing in as she declared, 'I guess I'll just have to get used to being alone.' Things got even worse for her when her beloved senior dog Astrid passed away suddenly, but she received a lifeline when her ex's new girlfriend Wendy reached out to her for a chat. Stalter dug deep and found a radiance inside Jessica as she bonded with Wendy and realized that this supposedly perfect woman actually had a lot in common with her. (Stalter is great at outlandish bursts of comedy, but her performance here let us see she can shine in the quieter moments, too.)
Stalter then snapped into Bridget Jones mode as Jessica chased after her love Felix in classic rom-com fashion, tracking him down at a protest and gluing her hands to the road to demonstrate her commitment to him. It was weird and chaotic, but it was also kind of beautiful, and Stalter expertly channeled her wild energy into a swooningly romantic happy ending for Jessica and Felix, with them eventually walking down the aisle. Sure, the road for them got plenty bumpy along the way, but Stalter's endearingly messy work turned Jessica's flaws into strengths… and had us fully rooting for that happy ending.
Scroll down to see who got Honorable Mention shout-outs this week…
HONORABLE MENTION: Taissa Farmiga
It's customary for a bride to cry on her wedding day, but in an ideal situation, she's shedding tears of joy — not ones of anxiety, uncertainty and impending doom. Gladys Russell found herself plagued by all of those emotions and more on Sunday's episode of The Gilded Age, haunting viewers with TV's most ominous wedding march since Game of Thrones. (What gives, HBO?) And while this ceremony didn't end in bloodshed, it did conclude with a powerfully unsettling moment in which Gladys reluctantly accepted her character's loveless fate before God and New York society. Speaking only with her eyes, Taissa Farmiga took viewers on a perilous journey through Gladys' fractured psyche until her shallow breathing and elevated heart rate began to mirror our own. Every ounce of air was sucked out of that church (and our living rooms) as the guests awaited Gladys' painfully drawn-out 'I do,' which Farmiga finally delivered with heartbreaking vulnerability. The duke and duchess' wedding may have been a larger-than-life affair, but it's often the smallest moments that leave the biggest impressions. — Andy Swift
HONORABLE MENTION: Ethan Peck
Since Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Spock is infamously free of emotion, Ethan Peck is naturally limited in how much traditional 'acting' he can do on Paramount+'s Trek prequel. But Peck found a way to slip some humor and heartache into Spock this week, as he learned that his beloved Chapel had returned to the Enterprise with a new boyfriend in tow. Peck had us giggling as Spock stiffly practiced ballroom dancing with La'an, and we felt for him as he gazed longingly at Chapel with her new man. (Vulcans can pine, too!) But when a mischievous alien gave Spock the gift of an alternate reality where he and Chapel were getting married, Spock nobly turned it down — and Peck let us see just how hard it was for Spock to let Chapel go. Spock is one of the most iconic characters in TV history, but Peck has found a way to make the role his own, and performances like this have us looking forward to many missions to come. — D.N.
HONORABLE MENTION: Maggie Q
Too often in media, a 'strong woman' character can be mistaken for 'impervious.' But in Ballard Episode 7 — the one after the home invasion/Ballard's brawl with Driscoll — Maggie Q found so many interesting layers to play by not concealing Renée's wounded state. Ballard had only barely survived a violent choking/attempt on her life, so Maggie Q affected a raspy voice and carried herself with a bit less swagger for an episode-plus. (Kudos to the make-up team for keeping Renée bruised/sporting a swollen eye for a realistic stretch of time.) Ballard is not easily sidelined, and when she returned to HQ to apologize to the team for keeping secret Driscoll's dirtiness, and then dive into a new case, Maggie Q made clear how passionately her character feels about cold case work. Strength comes in many forms, and character is an important one. — Matt Webb Mitovich
Which performance(s) knocked your socks off this week? Tell us in the comments!
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