BEST ACTRESS, DRAMA
Now we know why there are so few
good parts for women in the movies -- TV has them locked up. This may be the one area where broadcast TV
still has a slight edge over cable and streaming -- though it won't for much
longer. I know I'm going to leave a bunch of good choices out. Believe me, it's
not intentional.
Claire Danes, 'Homeland'
For a change, Carrie started Season
5 on the outside, and actually looking whole for the first time since we met
her - then a cyberterrorist dragged her back in, kicking and screaming. To see
her putting up as much resistance, and then dealing with some of the more
shocking twists that she's had to deal with - including the final episode,
where she seemed to lose everything - made me realize that Danes has kicked up
her game to a new level. And to think
there was a time when the Emmys short-changed her.
Viola Davis ,
'How to Get Away With Murder'
Regardless that the second season
of this series was a huge disappointment, both critically and audience-wise,
the fact remains that in the second half of the season - when we finally got a
big hint as to what made Annalyse become the woman she is in the present - was
one of the more darker arcs that this series has put the anti-heroine through.
She's already repeated at the SAG awards, I think it's a done deal she'll get
nominated again.
Taraj P. Hanson, 'Empire'
And regardless that the sophomore season
of this series was, even by its own fans, regarded as disappointing, again
there's the fact that Cookie Lyon has become one of the more indelible
characters on the TV landscape. Add this to the fact that Hanson did win the
Golden Globe this year, and has become one of the stronger forces on television
in general, it would be ridiculous to think that she wouldn't have a place on
the podium.
Tatiana Maslany, 'Orphan Black'
Last year, I was foolish enough to
take her off the list of nominees, even though she's one of the most brilliant
thespians working today. And the Emmys rewarded my lack of faith by nominating
her for the first time. The fact of the matter is, Maslany's work has risen to
a whole new level this season as the storyline has improved, and the series got
darker. The episode where all the clones went through a major downturn when
their 'mother' was shot - especially the tour-de-force where Sarah went on a
bender that nearly led to her death - is more than a justification for her to
repeat. There are a lot of great actresses on TV these days, and Maslany is
four or five by herself.
Juliana Margulies, 'The Good Wife'
Why exactly did they shut her out
last year? (Oh, that's right. See above.) But the fact remains this is the
Emmys last chance to recognize one of the great actresses of our time in one of
the great roles of our time. Considering the majesty of Alicia's journey this
entire season - the sequence where she confided to Luca just how truly
miserable she was while trying to do laundry is worthy of a nomination in
itself - leading up to the final episodes is a reason to give this superb lead
one more shot at the golden prize.
Robin Wright, 'House of Cards'
Forget Frank Underwood. This season
of 'Cards' was all about Claire. From her struggles with the President (some of
which were literal) her family battles, finally revealing her past, her
determination to get a place at the table, and what she was willing to do in
order to keep it, is one of the more frightening and knockdown brilliant pieces
of acting that this series has done yet. The odds are low that she'll be
recognized, but this season taught us you ignore Claire at your own peril.
WILD CARD
Shiri Appleby, 'UnREAL'
There are a lot of good candidates
that could shake up the race, from Keri Russell to Carrie Coons to Krysten
Ritter. But one of the best choices is alphabetically first. Watching Rachel
manipulate contestants on Everlasting, protesting all the while that she wants
to do something better with her life, has created one of the more memorable new
female characters on TV. You want to sympathize with her, then she does
something truly horrible, and you find yourself amazed that a character like
this is the lead of a Lifetime series. Rachel loves to shake things up. It
would be remarkable and fitting for this veteran actress to do this to the
Emmys.
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