Emmys Predictions, Part 2: Outstanding Comedy Series

In an oddity for me, I’m actually more comfortable with the comedies this year than the dramas. Some of them I came to late, but having seen them, I can fully acknowledge that some of them are among the best shows of the year. Many may end up considering that Veep will lock it up for its final season. But before we get there, let’s take a look at the nominees.

Barry: 6-1

Sophomore slump? Never heard of it. I foolishly ignored this brilliant series last year, but I can say with certainty the second season was just as masterful. Barry tried to balance his careers as contract killer and budding actor, but found them intertwining in the worst way. His girlfriend tried to face her dark past – and found the fiction easier to handle. And the final minutes of the season showed that Gene’s memory might bring about more carnage than the slaughter at the monastery. Pro: In my humble opinion, this is the HBO sitcoms the Emmys should be showering with awards, if for nothing else than the incredible ‘ronny/lilly’, a miniature kung fu movie that was one of the great episodes of the year – and maybe of all time. The Peabody seems to think the same Con: This series can be bloodier than Game of Thrones – which may not be what the Emmys consider the ideal comedy

Fleabag:11-2

Ignored this series, too – then binged the entire thing. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is one of the most incredible talents in all of television. The second series premiere was an incredible peace of work, and it just kept becoming more dazzling as it unfolded, with everybody on the series getting a happy ending – except, sadly, the title character. The heartbreaking moment in the conclusion was all the more searing, and not just because Waller-Bridge insists that this will be the last season. Pro: Waller-Bridge is an incredible talent (see Season 1 of Killing Eve), and her moment may have arrived. The TV Critics Association agreed – giving the series Best Comedy and Show of the Year. The eleven nominations for some reason doesn’t seem nearly enough. Con: Though it’s stock has been rising the last few months, does Fleabag have enough mo to slow down the Veep juggernaut? (Then again, this is it’s last season too…)

The Good Place:13-2

To say that I was overjoyed when this incredible series – already on my short list for one of the best shows of the decade – finally got Emmy love this year would be a forking understatement. As the Cockroach crew tried to redeem themselves on Earth – not for themselves, but for humanity – learned just how much more complicated it is to be good, and found themselves gambling for the fate of humanity, this series was never more funny – or more moving, when Eleanor and Chibi seemed to make the ultimate sacrifice. And all that’s without counting ‘janets’, a triumph of technical and creative performance that stands as one of the masterpieces of television. Yes, you heard me right. Pro: It’s a network comedy, which is having trouble finding room in the Emmys. It has higher philosophical standards than any series on TV. And its in it’s penultimate season, which means Emmy is running out of time to acknowledge. Con: Even in the era of Peak TV, this series has had trouble getting noticed. Can the Emmys show some forking sense?

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: 11-2

Last year’s Emmy titan was just as accomplished as its title heroine.. Midge continued to find a path for herself, as her secret life went public and she had to choose between two men. Abe and Rose tried to deal with problems as they learned their daughter wasn’t the only child holding secrets, and they were having trouble with their dreams. And the show’s travels to Paris and the Catskills showed a level of ambition you don’t usually see in a comedy. Pro: If number of nominations is a standards, this show should be the leader – its 20 nods were second only to Game of Thrones this year. If other awards are the standards, Marvelous leads the pack – it swept the Critics Choice and the SAG awards. And if old habits are any standard, then the fact that it won last year should be enough to put over the top. Plus, its bubbly attitude and optimism are somewhat of an outlier for comedies in this category. Con:  I’m not sure really, except the constant desire to honor Veep.

Russian Doll:13-2

Came to this one late to, I admit, and initially didn’t think the premise – a woman keeps dying over and over on her 36^th birthday – was sustainable. But after seeing the entire series, I must say that Natasha Lyonne’s  Netflix vehicle is just like the title object: you keep opening one layer, and another more intricate one appears. Watching Nadia – and later, Alan – try to figure out how their lives – and deaths  - are linked, with the fate of the world seemingly in the balance was one of the most breathtaking, dark, and surprisingly funny journeys I’ve taken all year. I’m not sure what Season 2 will bring, but I look forward to it. Pro: Has a fair amount of forward momentum, helped by the fact that the TCA considered it the best New Series of the Year. Con: The fact that this is a far more intricate series than a single episode can demonstrate – much less a comedy – may end up harming this series more than any other

Schitt’s Creek: 7-1

The rare occasion that a beloved series , filled with beloved actors, finally gets the acknowledgement from the Emmys it deserves. This engaging – and dare I say, lovable – series about a wealthy family forced to squat in Canada, has slowly emerged into one of the most beloved cable series of all time. It’s truly a family affair, featuring two of the greatest comic actors in history, demonstrating just how brilliant they are after all these years. Pro: A dark horse that has the interest argument that it might be due, and the rare series that seems to encompass all audiences – Daniel Levy won the Best Comic Performance from the MTV TV and Movie awards, so its definitely got grass roots appeal. Con: Like The Good Place, this series is coming to an end next year, so its very possible that the nominations may serve as the reward rather than the prize – albeit a much deserved one.

Veep: 11-2

The darkly cynical – even for this really bizarre political era – came to its perhaps inevitable conclusion this year. And if anything, the series ended in an even darker vein than Game of Thrones did, painfully, with all alliances being shredded near the end, and catharsis, but no sign of any hope. In other words, it’s the perfect mirror fro the era in which we live. I don’t know what that says about us. Pro: As much as I came to openly loathe the series the last two seasons, I can’t really deny that the final episode was satisfying in a very sick and twisted way. It may have been bad for the country, but its showed that Selina got what she deserved in the end –  ignominy, the literal fate worse than death. Plus, given Julia Louis-Dretfus’ health problems, could the series be a sentimental favorite? Con: Habits of the Emmys. If you don’t win the year before, you generally lose (unless you’re a watershed series like The Sopranos).And even though the circumstances were not by design, it may work against them.

PREDICTION

This is a lot tougher than the Dramas. I’d like to see The Good Place win, but my gut tells me it will be Veep. That said, don’t rule out an upset from either of the Amazon woman run series.