Riveting scenes

Shane on the rooftop with Gigi and Rex trying to talk him down was very impactful, emotional and well done. Austin Williams (Shane) had one a fine job throughout this entire s/l and even Farah Fath sold me on Gigi's terror seeing her child suicidal and hurt. Usually I'm a big critic of hers. I don't think she usually handles heavy drama well, and I was expecting her fall flat but sold me. She works best when she's playing Gigi concerned about Shane. I wasn't sold on JPL (Rex) on the roof, but his anger at the principal in the hallway after they got him down was better.

I agree that it was all truly awesome and riveting.

Stand By Me! When Gordy (Wil Wheaton) shoots the gun overhead, the one we forgot he had, and then trains it on Ace (Kiefer Sutherland). Ace says 'what are you going to do, shoot us all?' and Gordy says "no, Ace. Just you."

Powerful!

I found JPL really dragged those scenes down. The storyline was powerful, as was the dialoge, but JPL and FF... those facial expressions just ruined it all for me. JPL kept getting this grimace on his face that made me burst out laughing and it kept ruining the moment. Today was the same, when Rex was crying. JPL's expressions and alligator tears ruined what could have been a very powerful moment. JPL really isn't capable of playing a multi-layered character and this storyline is suffering for it. The scenes with Rex lashing out at the principal weren't cringe-worthy the way many of the emotional scenes were, but they didn't crap me because all I could think about was how campy Rex made the rooftop scenes look and how horrible the expressions on his face were. Totally ruined things for me. JPL should stick to comedy.

FF had find facial expressions. FF has natural facial expressions unlike some. FF rocked those scenes. Best performances yet of 2011.