10 Great TV Show Performances (No One Ever Talks About)

10. Scoot McNairy - True Detective

Few would argue with the third season of HBO's anthology crime series True Detective being seen as something of a return to form after a fairly divisive prior outing. And while the Oscar-winning Mahershala Ali undoubtedly did a lot of the dramatic heavy lifting throughout as Arkansas State Police detective Wayne Hays, another and arguably equally impressive turn from that last season has often been overlooked when looking back on the series in general.

Taking up the reins of Tom Purcell, a dad whose two children have gone missing, Scoot McNairy takes us on one hell of a journey here as he grapples with his sexuality, alcoholism, a flailing marriage and the anguish that comes with your offspring being stolen away. And he achieves all this with the sort of subtlety and nuance that many have come to expect from the often compelling character actor.

Sure, McNairy has perhaps picked up more acclaim and attention from his work in the likes of Argo and Halt and Catch Fire, but it's hard to look past this regularly forgotten gem of a deeply complex portrayal of a broken and desperate man as his finest turn to date.