Friday, July 1, 2016

Predicting This Years Emmys, Part 4

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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