My (Mostly) Pleased Reactions to the Emmy Nominations, Concluded: Limited Series Et Al

 

I have to be honest: the only real flaw I have with the Emmy nominations for Best Limited Series this year is the fact that there are still only five nominees in the major category. Otherwise this is the best collective grouping of nominated series and actors I’ve seen since the class of 2017 when Big Little Lies, Season 3 of Fargo, The Night Of  and Bette & Joan faced off.

Let’s start with the show I’m the most glad isn’t here: The Regime. I was encouraged when the Astras completely ignored it last week but I still believed that the aura of Kate Winslet in a HBO series would at least earn her a nomination. The judges showed wisdom here. To be sure they also ignored Apples Never Fall and A Gentleman in Moscow but both had almost no chance anyway.

And the Emmys actually one-upped the Astras on a critical note: they acknowledged Capote Vs. The Swans. Yes they ignored it for Best Limited Series but they made up for it by nominating it in almost every other major category with twelve nominations overall, including one in every acting category. Ever since Peak Limited Series began ten years ago, only the first season of American Crime and Beef managed this accomplishment. This is something that no incarnation of Fargo or American Crime Story could do let alone all the other great limited series of that era.

And as you’ll see, while I might differ on one major nominees presence in the Best Limited Series category that is my issue, not the Emmys. I knew it was coming even if I didn’t like it. Anyway let’s begin.

 

OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES

Ten years after they debuted Fargo and True Detective are finally going head to head and will be competing in almost every major category. Baby Reindeer and Ripley are two of the great triumphs of 2024 and Lessons in Chemistry has been lurking in the wings for nearly a year. Sad that Capote and Fellow Travelers aren’t here, but as you’ll see they were both nominated where it counted.

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES

I’ll dispense with the TV movie part because no actors in TV movies were nominated this year.

No complaints because all five of the actors I wanted to see nominated are present and accounted for: Richard Gadd, Jon Hamm, Tom Hollander, Matt Bomer and Andrew Scott. Five very interesting versions of what it means to be a man in this version and all of them worthy nominees or winners.

 

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES

Four of my leading ladies are represented. Two former Oscar winning child actors will be the most formidable of Emmy nominees: Jodie Foster goes up against Brie Larson. Ted Lasso is gone but Juno Temple is still here: for the fourth consecutive year she is nominated for an Emmy, this time for Fargo. Naomi Watts is represented for her work as Babe on Feud.

I’ll confess, I didn’t think Sofia Vergara had a chance for Griselda. I figured Winslet or even Annette Bening had a better opportunity. Sadly she has less of a chance for winning here than she did for her work on Modern Family. Still this is great company.

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES

Robert Downey Jr. played four roles but his Emmy nomination is the only one The Sympathizer got. Does that hurt his chances or help them? Treat Williams is represented for Feud and Jonathan Bailey is here for Fellow Travelers. Lewis Pullman is here for Lessons in Chemistry. I predicted John Hawkes would be here for True Detective. I didn’t think Lamorne Morris would get nominated for Fargo but I’m pleased he was it’s a nice reward for a good guy,

I’m not sure I thought Tom Goodman-Hill had a real chance for a nomination for Baby Reindeer. It’s not that he wasn’t very powerful; it’s that he only appeared in two episodes during the series. Still it’s a worthy nomination and I can live with Jake Lacy being ignored.

 

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES

I got five of these right. Jessica Gunning, Aja Naomi King, Diane Lane and Kali Reis all seemed sure things. I’m thrilled to see Dakote Fanning here. I didn’t predict her presence but the work of Nava Mau in Baby Reindeer was superb.

I hate to say that I have issues with Lily Gladstone. I’m not saying she isn’t worthy for her work in Under the Bridge but I’m decidedly irked that Jennifer Jason Leigh, who seemed to be the odds on favorite for her work in Fargo was ignored. Then again, considering that she was also ignored by the Astras might have been a telling sign. And maybe it’s fitting that Gladstone is here while the performer who beat her for the Oscar, Emma Stone, isn’t. Gladstone probably was more worthy.

 

WRITING AND DIRECTING

Issa Lopez, Richard Gadd and Steven Zaillian did every episode of True Detective, Baby Reindeer and Ripley so of course there here for writing. Noah Hawley is represented for Fargo and I’m thrilled to see Fellow Travelers nominated. I have questions about Black Mirror’s presence but I always do.

Lopez and Zaillian also directed every episode of Night Country and Ripley so they’re here and Hawley has been a preeminent director of Fargo. Glad to see Lessons in Chemistry here as well as Baby Reindeer. I’m most thrilled that Gus Van Sant was acknowledged for his superb direction on Feud and I’m assuming one of the episodes was the one dealing with the black and white ball.

Representation is out in force in every category to an extent. Three openly gay actors are competing for Best Actor in a Limited Series and there’s more than significant representation for the LGBTQ+ community in the major acting category as well as writing.

The biggest racial diversity is in Outstanding Supporting Actress, where two indigenous performers will be competing against each other for the first time in Emmy history – and maybe for any established awards. Lopez’s presence in both writing and directing is a major feat: she’s the first Mexican-born nominated for both of either gender to achieve this in Emmy history. Two of her co-nominees in directing for Baby Reindeer and Lessons are also women. There were also two female nominees for directing in both Comedy and Drama, five of the six nominated scripts in comedy were written or co-written by women and the same was true of five of the drama scripts. Progress comes to the Emmys as it does everywhere.

Now some ephemera. I’m thrilled to see X-Men 97 and Blue Eye Samurai facing off against Bob’s Burgers and The Simpsons. I’m glad to see Ken Jennings and Pat Sajak nominated for Best Game show host and despite my love of Jeopardy I’d actually be fine if Sajak was honored for his final year hosting Wheel of Fortune. I’d like Jeopardy to win Best Game Show again, but it’s possible the endless postseason may have worked against it. (Then again, given Drew Basile’s presence, maybe it can qualify in reality competition this year? Inside joke.)

Well, on the one hand I’m still fine with the majority of the nominated shows and actors this year. On the other hand it’s going to make my job predicting the winners next month a lot harder without so many nominated series and actors I don’t hate. Then again, it’ll be easier to work up genuine enthusiasm then its been in previous years too.

Stay tuned when I start trying to predict the nominees and winners in the middle of August. It might be more fun than usual.