Characters of the Week: SVU, RJ Decker, High Potential & More Unleash All the Feels!

We have a jam-packed week.

There were many Characters of the Week who were on our radar from L&O: SVU and 9-1-1: Nashville to Doc and High Potential.

Dive into our full list below and let us know if we missed anyone!

Shane Florence (The Hunting Party)

It’s time to give Shane his due. Josh McKenzie gave one of his most layered performances as Shane experienced one of his worst days.

For starters, he learned that Col. Lazarus was his birth mother. While he wanted answers, he didn’t want his mom to be a Pit graduate who would cause problems for him and his friends.

His world continued to collapse when he realized his friends had known the truth but never told him. Yet, Bex and Hassani seemed angrier that Shane never told them about his initial search or that he knew Dr. Dulles.

Shane has always been curious about the nature-versus-nurture debate, and this latest finding on The Hunting Party made perfect sense.

However, we hated that Dr. Fairfax wanted to make Shane his latest guinea pig since Shane would never become a vicious killer.

The only purpose of his kidnapping was to cement the trio’s found family relationship. Shane had been a lone wolf for years, since he lost his adoptive mom as a teen and had been focused on finding a place where he belonged.

Det. Terry Bruno (Law & Order: SVU)

I’ve always enjoyed Terry Bruno, but Law & Order: SVU Season 27 Episode 15 showed his sensitivity.

Bruno sensed that Romeo was exhibiting signs of trauma, so he tried to get him to trust him by revealing that he had been sexually assaulted by one of his mom’s friends as a teenager.

That was all it took to open the floodgates. Romeo just needed someone to understand that it wasn’t his fault, and he didn’t invite all these women to gawk and paw at him.

It’s so often that people believe the woman no matter what, and I loved that Bruno looked past the bloody mess to realize that there was a scared kid underneath there who needed to be heard.

His quick thinking and sensitivity made it one of the best SVU episodes in ages.

Dr. Martin Best (Best Medicine)

Martin has evolved a lot and has learned to care about others and conquer his fears.

We witnessed that on Best Medicine Season 1 Episode 10 when he performed an emergency procedure on Peter, despite his blood phobia.

He cared about that kid and felt guilty for not having noticed how sick he was earlier.

It’s obvious that Martin needs Louisa to anchor him when he’s nervous, but he’s afraid to truly trust and care about someone again, besides his aunt, who’s stuck with him.

So many people, including Louisa, had waited for Martin to kiss her, but then Martin backtracked.

He’s made some baby steps and isn’t nearly as gruff, but can he conquer his greatest fear – love? – Laura Novak

Joan Ridley (Doc)

For most of Doc Season 2, we’ve known that Joan was battling a health issue that she was trying to keep under wraps. And it was sadly something that could jeopardize her patients.

But in Doc Season 2 Episode 17, it all comes to a head when her secret is revealed, and Joan has to face the consequences.

Except, instead of a fallout that would have her going down in flames and infamy in the halls of Westside, she gets to go out on a respectable high after performing a remarkable surgery that would be one for the books on a close friend of hers, and thus saving his life.

A woman who has spent her entire life consumed by her career and her calling to save lives gets to sign off and retire her scalpel with dignity and the respect she has earned.

The hour leans into her strong friendship with Amy, which is endearing because we see the genuine love between the two and an understanding that far exceeds other characters’ finds with anyone else.

And it also leads to her reunion with her son, as she takes the next steps toward mending a strained relationship. It’s all beautiful, especially by the end, when she gives an encouraging speech to everyone that moves you to tears. It’s clear that, as far as swan songs go, Joan Ridley goes out in style. – Jasmine Blu

Daphne Forrester (High Potential)

If you’ve been following along with us, you know that we’ve been clamoring for some quality Daphne content.

And High Potential Season 2 Episode 14 finally delivers. It allows Daphne to step into the spotlight and step forward to lead an investigation. Through that, we see exactly what we’ve always suspected: Daphne is brilliant, a great detective, and a natural-born leader.

It’s a breath of fresh air for the season and the series, with Daphne leading the charge, and it results in some of the strongest and most cohesive team problem-solving in the investigation.

We also got some interesting background on her that was worth appreciating, particularly with her dynamic with Dottie.

And special moments with Ava, bonding over the experiences of being a Black woman and having others doubt your gifts and abilities, made for an hour that was as heartfelt and meaningful as it was entertaining and illuminating.

Wish Aiken (RJ Decker)

It’s true, RJ Decker is shaping up to be one of the best new shows to emerge this year.

And while the entire cast is strong, RJ Decker Season 1 Episode 2 was such a delightful hour in large part because of Wish.

We learned during the pilot just how much of an influence he has on those around him, but it’s in the second episode that we see that in full action when he honors the memory of his late friend by doing whatever it took and pouring whatever funds it required to ensure that his friend’s son didn’t go to prison for murder.

Wish often feels like a fairy godfather, but his sincerity in helping those he cares about and making the world a better place for those around him never feels remotely gimmicky.

It was one thing to help Marcus, but the grace he extends to Kelly Ann, after the bad things she did, is what makes him stand out even more.

Wish’s ability to see past people’s flaws and mistakes and respond to their humanity with compassion is what makes him one of the series’ greatest characters.

Vernon “Doc” Mullins (Virgin River)

We won’t spoil anything about Virgin River Season 7.

But we will say that the season is strong for Doc, who is at the center of Virgin River’s community, given how much time he spends fighting for the well-being of its residents.

He faces so many hardships, his career and medical licenses on the line, and Grace Valley Hospital’s presence looming over him and all that he does in his town.

But he handles it all in stride, leaning into his loved ones in compelling ways and embarking on a new journey with his close-knit family as it expands.

It’s a beautiful journey, and Tim Matheson is a delight to watch. Don’t forget to check our exclusive interview with him!

Roxie Alba (9-1-1: Nashville)

Can we all agree that 9-1-1: Nashville has been on fire recently? Pardon the pun.

After spending the first half of the season sidestepping some of its most interesting characters, we’ve gotten more arcs that focus on them, and this week, we learned so much more about Roxie and why she stepped away from being a doctor in the Bronx.

With her job on the line after a vindictive mother wanted to punish her for helping her daughter, we learned about Roxie’s past, the patient she lost who changed everything for her, and what motivates her.

We also saw this compassionate, brilliant, stubborn woman who would sacrifice anything, including her own career, if it meant helping to save people.

It was so genuinely refreshing to have an hour devoted so much time to one of Nashville’s most compelling characters, and if we didn’t love Roxie before, that love is undeniable now.

It takes a lot to keep indie sites like ours running — and you can help.
Comment if you care, share if you dare, and maybe even whitelist us in your ad blocker — no pressure, just appreciation.

TV Fanatic is searching for passionate contributors to share their voices across various article types. Think you have what it takes to be a TV Fanatic? Click here for more information and next steps.