There are more than their fair
share of contenders in this category. And considering that last year the Emmys
nominated 5 contenders when every other category got six or more seems a little
odd. So I have no idea where the Emmys will come down this season. But there
have been a lot of great contenders this year - some which people wanted more
of, some which are gone too soon. Here are my picks
American
Crime (ABC)
It's one of the greatest
achievements on any medium, broadcast or streaming, cable or otherwise. Daring
to do things with an anthology series that not even Ryan Murphy has been
willing to try yet, the third season dealing with the consequences of human
trafficking was its darkest yet - and arguably its best. A series with some of
the greatest actors in any medium doing some of their best work anywhere - and
there were more than a few Oscar winners in the cast. Regina King did some of
her greatest work, and I really hope the Emmys will recognize some of the less
honored players, like Timothy Hutton or Benito Martinez this time out. It was a
travesty that this series was canceled. The Emmys should recognize it for its
greatbess.
Big
Little Lies (HBO)
David E. Kelley had great return to
form this year, adapting a brilliant novel into one of the most astounding
works I've seen anywhere, even on HBO.
Framed as a murder mystery where both the victim and the perpetrator
were not revealed until the last minutes of the final episode, this series
turned into a devastating look at some of the lives of quiet desperation of a group
of women, trying to find a life for their children in Monterey .
There were so many brilliant performances that its going to be difficult for
Emmy voters to pick just a handful to honor. And it was astounding, even among
the dark levels, just how funny this series could be. This may be the one to
beat for Best limited series this year.
Fargo
(FX)
It has always astonished me how
Noah Hawley can do what he does with each subsequent incarnation of his
brilliant anthology series. Looking within the world of darkness and criminals,
you see that the few elements of goodness in the world are always either being
ignored or stomped out. This time taking
place in the age of social media, with arguably its most frightening portrayal
of villainy yet (we'll get to David Thewlis in due time, believe me), this
episode had more than its share of unsettling moments, brilliant characters,
and stunning visuals. There may not be any elements of the Coen Brothers movie
in this series, but this is still a show they should be more than proud to be
attached to.
Feud:
Bette & Joan (FX)
One could few this next incarnation
of Ryan Murphy's ever widening grip on the anthology market in two ways: either
as a relevant tale of ageism and antifeminism in Hollywood that has echoes to this
day, or simply as a series which takes a stark and unflinching look at two of
the greatest actresses the world has ever seen, and the dark feuds that
followed them before, during and after their one collaboration in the classic What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? Either
way, we got to see two of the greatest actresses in any medium once again
demonstrate how good they are, and how good a finger Murphy has upon the
Zeitgeist of America
The
Night of (HBO)
The only reason this series could
possibly be ignorde by the Emmys is if their memories can't stretch as far back
as last July. It doesn't, however, change the fact that this by far one of the
most twisting works by a network that seems to have rediscovered its focus
after years of wandering. Telling two equally compelling stories - one about a
crime that was never truly resolved, and the consequences for the accused, the
other about an attorney who almost against his will finds himself helping the
protagonist - this is one of the rare projects of a miniseries that deserves
another installment. Even if it never gets one, the performances and writing
were do good to be ignored by people
with short memories.
When
We Rise (ABC)
For the briefest of moments, ABC
rediscovered what it was like to devote four consecutive nights of programming
to a brilliant, and socially relevant subject. Even if it got collectively
lower ratings than The Catch, the
fact was, it featured some of the most undervalued actors in Hollywood
telling the story about one of the most compelling stories - the rise of the
gay rights movement - through some of the more important activists. This story
may have been seen by few, but it especially relevant now.
WILD CARD
I don't know if this series will be
considered until next season. And even if it is it's going to be really
difficult for even the most devoted fans to admit that it is logical, coherent
or understandable. But that may be irrelevant. This is the most stunning and
visually imaginative series since, let's be honest, the original Twin Peaks aired a quarter of a century ago.. And
in an era where every other classic series remade is almost always a pale
imitation of what was great about the original, it takes real balls to make one
where the title town is barely present, and even fewer of the original
characters are there. It may be the greatest folly of Lynch's career, or his
greatest achievement, but one can't deny that its wonderful and strange.
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