Top 20 Best TV Monologues

Top 20 Best TV Monologues

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Best TV Monologues.

For this list, we’ll be looking at impressive speeches from fictional shows. Since some of these monologues reveal major plot points, a spoiler warning is now in effect.

Do you have a favorite TV monologue? Let us know in the comments.

#20: “Twice as Good.”
“Scandal” (2012-18)

We’re used to seeing Ms. Pope taking charge. However, when her dad comes around, she usually sits back and listens. After he finds out about Olivia and Fitz’s relationship, Papa Pope reminds her of a crucial lesson he taught her. During his blistering speech, he reminds her that she has to double her effort to reap just half of the rewards that a white person would get. This scene between father and daughter is so tense that Olivia retreats like a child being scolded by a parent. Joe Morton delivers a commanding monologue that leaves us feeling like we’re in trouble.

#19: “Please Tell Me That’s Changed in the Future.”
“One Tree Hill” (2003-12)

When students are asked to record videos for a time capsule project, most of them look back on memories, make shocking confessions, or talk about their problems. But Brooke Davis does things her way. She talks about how hard it is to be a girl in both high school and in society in general. In Brooke’s video, she calls out the double standard that girls face about their sexuality and appearance. She shares an honest hope that society will be different in the future...and that maybe people will have this whole romance thing figured out by then.

#18: “I’m Really Smart.”
“Sex Education” (2019-)

Maeve is known for being an intelligent and feminist badass. She’s also willing to be fiercely loyal to those who aren’t there for her. When Headmaster Groff threatens to call the police on her brother Sean for dealing drugs, Maeve protects her brother and takes the blame. She’s given the chance to avoid expulsion by making a speech. She gives a very honest and blunt answer as to why she deserves to have an education and stay at the school. Backed by an incredible performance by actress Emma Mackey, this speech will have you rooting for Maeve more than before.

#17: “Eyeliner, Let’s Do This.”
“Sorry for Your Loss” (2018-19)

“Sorry for Your Loss” dives deep into how Leigh Shaw mourns the death of her husband Matt. While attending an event at the school he taught at, she retreats to the bathroom to cry it out. Leigh uses her phone to record herself while addressing the longevity of her waterproof eyeliner. She also wonders out loud why she tries to hide her grief by putting on an external facade. Although there’s a little humor in the “conversation” she’s having with her eyeliner, her current emotional state makes the scene incredibly sad. Elizabeth Olsen knows how to find the balance of dark humor and raw emotion.

#16: “She Will Not Be Speaking for Us.”
“Orange Is the New Black” (2013-19)

In the penultimate episode of season four, Poussey Washington dies after being restrained by CO Bayley during a protest in the cafeteria. Tasha “Taystee” Jefferson’s reaction to this heart wrenching loss led to one of the most painful monologues in the series. When she addresses the press in season five, she tells the full truth about the tragic death of one of her best friends. Taystee makes an impassioned plea for change in the prison system and calls out how impoverished people of color are treated. Danielle Brooks delivers this incredibly powerful monologue that is still relevant today.

#15: “Not a Single One of Them Were Curious.”
“Ted Lasso” (2020-)

Jason Sudeikis’ comedy series has become one of the most quotable shows. Whether it’s an inspirational speech or an unusual metaphor, Ted’s always giving us something to recite. One of his best speeches came when he played a high stakes game of darts. He’s pitted against Rupert, Rebecca’s arrogant ex and former AFC Richmond owner. Without missing a mark, Ted delivers a heartfelt monologue. He wears a huge smile while he quotes Walt Whitman and teaches Rupert a little lesson on underestimating people. Ted ultimately wins both the dart game and life.

#14: “Not Monica, Me.”
“Shameless” (2011-21)

Fiona Gallagher has carried the weight of raising her siblings and her dad since she was just a kid. When she was nine, her mother Monica walked out on them. Fiona’s had to point out all that she does a lot for her family on several occasions. But her most striking speech came when she heard her mom had passed. Fiona is unsurprisingly not that distraught over the dark news. But Frank still fights to convince his daughter how good of a person his ex-wife was. However, Fiona reminds Frank that she's been taking care of everyone, including him, in one strong monologue. Emmy Rossum’s acting is definitely award-worthy in this emotional scene.

#13: “You Can’t Begin to Imagine.”
“Black Mirror” (2011-)

“San Junipero” is one of the most highly regarded episodes of “Black Mirror.” A major reason why it’s beloved is because of Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Mackenzie Davis’s incredible chemistry. In this episode, both Yorkie and Kelly meet in a simulated city that you can visit even after death. While the two are attracted to each other, they try to avoid developing feelings for different reasons. But things come to head when Yorkie asks Kelly to stay with her forever. Kelly explains why she’s unwilling to in an emotional monologue about lost love. Even if you were rooting for this couple, this raw speech will make it clear why Kelly hesitates.

#12: “I Lost Myself for a Long Time.”
“Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)

This monologue reminds us why Dr. Cristina Yang has trouble letting people in. When Owen gets curious about Cristina’s ex-fiancé Burke, it’s clear she doesn’t want to talk about it. But after some pushing, she gives in and opens up to Owen. Christina tells him how she changed herself in her relationship with Burke. We see how afraid she is to lose her sense of self and why the feelings she has for Owen scare her. Thanks to the brilliant Sandra Oh, Cristina is incredibly relatable. Her amazing performance in this scene truly tugs at our heart strings.

#11: “The World Went Quiet.”
“Euphoria” (2019-)

HBO’s “Euphoria” follows teenager Rue Bennett as she struggles to overcome her issues with dependency to illegal substances. But not long after she returns home from rehab, she immediately goes to her friend/dealer Fez to feed her bad habits. They eventually talk about why at a party. She explains to Fez that this is the best way to deal with the panic attacks she’s had since she was a kid. During this conversation, Rue describes depression and happiness in extremely poignant ways. Fortunately, this was just one of the first of many captivating monologues she’d give in the series.

#10: “Love Persevering.”
“WandaVision” (2021)

“WandaVision” is visually masterful, beautifully written, and wildly entertaining. It takes time to explore the weight of grief and what lengths we’re willing to go through to overcome it. In “Previously On,” Wanda is forced to revisit a number of pivotal moments throughout her life. She eventually comes to a memory where she opens up to Vision about losing her brother Pietro. While Elizabeth Olsen is phenomenal in this scene, Paul Bettany stole the show with a monologue of his own. Vision breaks down the nature of grief and delivers what has become the most quoted line in the series. This scene struck a chord with many fans and will likely be remembered for years to come.

#9: “I Feel Nothing.”
“Killing Eve” (2018-22)

Jodie Comer has proven herself to be an outstanding actress in both film and television. In her most notable role, she played a stylish and ruthless assassin named Villanelle. While can definitely come off as cold and indifferent, she has her moments of intense emotion. While undercover for MI-6, Villanelle attends an AA meeting as Billie. She eventually opens up about the unending boredom of not being able to feel anything. Neither Villanelle nor the audience is sure if she’s really being honest here. Although we’re left a little unsure about her motivations, this monologue about feeling nothing definitely makes us feel everything.

#8: “I Was Just This Dark, Empty Black Hole.”
“The Haunting of Hill House” (2018)

On “The Haunting of Hill House”, Theo has the unfortunate ability to feel other people’s emotions just by touching them. This comes into play after she attends her sister Nell’s funeral. As Theo is arguing with her sister Shirley in the car, a ghostly apparition of her sister appears. After this incident, Theo breaks down and tells Shirley that she touched Nell’s body and felt an overwhelming sense of nothingness. She explains that accidentally touching Shirley’s husband Kevin brought her back. Theo’s monologue is exhausting, exhilarating and emotional. This devastating scene never fails to make us cry.

#7: “It’s My Story to Tell”
“Barry” (2018-)

While aspiring actress Sally Reed is helping her friend Barry prepare for an audition, her frustration and anxiety boils over. She lets all her feelings out at once in this one-take monologue. Sally goes from being angry to hilarious to apologetic all in the same breath. Sarah Goldberg’s nuance here is incredible. She somehow manages to be simultaneously unsure of herself and extremely confident in her words at once. After Sally’s speech reaches a fever pitch, she finally confesses that she feels jealous of Barry for his career strides and tries to move on. Seeing her conflicting emotions all crash into each other at once leaves us speechless every time.

#6: “I’m Exhausted.”
“This Is Us” (2016-)

Randall tried to keep his personal struggles with racism to himself while growing up as the only Black person in a white family. He did it to avoid any awkward conversations or making his family members feel bad. However, when Kate tries to have a conversation about racism, Randall has to get real. Despite her good intentions, he has to honestly tell her how tired he is of putting the rest of his family’s feelings before his own. Sterling K. Brown portrays a quiet rage and overwhelming sadness from a place of deep pain. Without even raising his voice, he manages to deliver an incredibly powerful statement on racial issues in America.

#5: “I Think You’re Just Vindictive.”
“The West Wing” (1999-2006)

Dolores Landingham was President Bartlet’s loyal secretary and friend. Unfortunately she loses her life to a drunk driver the night she goes to pick her car up. The President hangs back in the cathedral after Mrs. Landingham’s funeral to talk to God alone. The devastated leader directs his anger above for his current and past losses. As he lists off some of the tragedies in his life in both English and Latin, his rage and frustration increases. The president's loss and pain is palpable in this scene. Out of the many exceptional monologues he delivered in the series, this grieving rant may be his best.

#4: “It’s Called the Carousel.”
“Mad Men” (2007-15)

The critically acclaimed “Mad Men'' series brought us one of the most intriguing characters in TV history. While Don Draper isn’t always the most emotionally expressive character, he can sometimes get incredibly sentimental. During a pitch for Eastman Kodak, Don discusses the joy and pain of nostalgia. As he flips through slides of his family, he reminds his clients that they should treasure the time they have with loved ones because time will march on relentlessly. His pitch is effective enough to bring people to tears. It’s safe to say that this meeting went well.

#3: “Tell Me What to Do.”
“Fleabag” (2016-19)

Part of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s allure is her unapologetic authenticity. As creator and lead actress in “Fleabag,” every scene feels a bit like a confession. In the second and final season, Waller-Bridge hit us with the show’s most raw and relatable monologue. She openly talks about her deepest sins and fears. Although we normally see her hide behind wit and jokes, she doesn’t cover anything up here. She breaks down and admits that she wants guidance because she has lost faith in her own decisions. This intensely relatable speech made us feel like we were truly seeing her for the first time.

#2: “It’s Not the Greatest Country In the World.”
“The Newsroom” (2012-14)

“The Newsroom” began with a now iconic speech. Atlantis Cable News anchor Will McAvoy attends a panel at Northwestern University. When asked by a student if he can say why America’s the greatest country in the world, he gives a controversial answer. It isn’t anymore. In an emotional and well constructed rant, Will expertly uses statistics to back up his claim that America’s status in the world isn’t as high as people believed. His hard hitting monologue leaves the crowd, the pushy moderator, and us absolutely stunned. Jeff Daniels credits this particular monologue with saving his career and we can see why. Its blend of nostalgia, anger and earnestness makes it a must watch.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“We Were So Beautiful!”, “Misfits” (2009-13)
Nathan Gives An Impassioned Rooftop Speech About His Generation

“Stand Here & Lose Her”, “Grey’s Anatomy” (2005-)
Dr. Miranda Bailey Confides in Richard After a Personal Tragedy

“It’s Fine, I’m Fine. “Jane the Virgin” (2014-19)
She Goes Through All Stages of Grief in a 7-Minute Monologue

“Everybody Wrote Us Off.”, “Friday Night Lights” (2006-11)
Coach Taylor’s Inspirational Locker Room Speech Really Stuck With Us

#1: “Let’s Finally Guarantee Its Rights to All of Our Citizens.”
“How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-20)

Viola Davis gave us many iconic speeches while she played Annalise on “How to Get Away with Murder.” So, we knew something special would happen when she took part in a Shonda Rhimes crossover. This significant episode sees her go to “Scandal’s” Olivia Pope for help with a class action case. They both highlight how Black defendants are mistreated by the legal system. After Olivia helps get the case on the Supreme Court’s docket, Annalise addresses the court with a towering speech about institutionalized racism. She breaks down the varying amount of ways the justice system has historically failed Black people in America. In just a few minutes, Viola Davis delivers a powerful and unforgettable monologue that makes it clear that things need to change.