As is frequently the case in this
category and the next, the more things change, the more they stay the same.
The change: there are no nominees this
year who were nominated last year and only two who were nominated two years
ago. The same: as has been the case for at least the past ten years at least
one show has a plurality of nominations.
The difference between this year and
quite a few in the past is that I'm more than fine if The Pitt ends up
with a winner, as I wasn't with other HBO dramas in the past. (Cough:
Succession, Game of Thrones.) So I'm going to mix it up with this category
and Supporting Actress. I'm going to list the expert's pick, dark horse and my
pick. But I'm also going to list my pick for The Pitt because while all
of the performances are excellent in both cases I differ with the experts.
All clear? Hopefully it will be. Here
are the nominees.
Patrick Ball, The Pitt (EXPERTS
PICK) For Playing: Dr. Langdon, returning to the ER for his first shift after
six months in rehab. Pro: Let's
get this out of the way. Ball absolutely should have been nominated last year
for his incredible work as Langdon and he more than matched in Season 2. This
was a more humble Langdon then last year, a man who had learned his lessons and
was trying to atone to those he knew he'd wronged, particularly Robby who made
it very clear he didn't trust him no matter how well he did. It's clear of all
the characters we met last season he's come the closest to rebuilding his life
after the trauma he went through and we can see the doubts he has in every
action he takes. We see him trying to be a good person, knowing of his flaws
and showing signs of him in other ways (the bond between him and Mel is already
one of the series' deepest) and we know it's a long way back but he is taking
the necessary steps. He's already managed to win the Astra for Best Supporting
Actor in a Drama and all things are set for a triumph in this category. Con:
The exact same thing could have been said about Walton Goggins and we all
saw how that worked out for him. When there are many qualified nominees from a
single show in a category the vote splitting will often hurt one more than
qualified nominee over the others. HBO shows can avoid this at times (Peter
Dinklage for Game Of Thrones, Matthew MacFayden for Succession his
last two nominations) but it can work against you a lot. This is true, to be
clear, for the other two nominees from The Pitt as well.
Billy Crudup, The Morning Show. For
Playing: Cory Ellison, a former TMS executive dealing with increasing personal
struggles. Pro: Crudup
has won two Emmys in this category before and in a series with two of the
greatest actresses in TV history, it says a lot that Cory has become for many
fans the real star of Morning Show. In fact he is the only actor who has
been nominated every season it has been on the air. As Cory spent much of the series trying to
find his new path he was faced with a horrible tragedy at the end of the series
that led to him giving into his addiction in a big way in the season finale. As
The Morning Show heads into its final season Crudup is finally getting
the recognition he deserves for thirty years as one of our most underrated
actor. Con: In 2024 The Morning Show was one of the most
nominated series by the Emmys. In 2026 Crudup's nomination is the sole one The
Morning Show earned. Aside from the obstacles facing you if you are the
only nominee from your series, there's also the fact that The Morning Show has
always been on the border between peak TV and hatewatching ever since it
debuted and The Emmys have rarely been as generous to it as other great dramas
of the period. (There's a possibility it did so well for Season Three because
of the aftereffects of the 2023 strike in the industry.) Throw in the two Emmys
he already has and there's no realistic chance of him winning.
Shawn Hatosy, The Pitt. For
Playing: Dr. Jack Abbott, starting his shift early as his sideline mixes with
his day. Pro: When
Hatosy chose to submit for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama instead of Guest
Actor – where he deservedly won last year – some had doubts. He only appeared
in five episodes compared to the fifteen of his co-nominees. But Jack Abbott
has a way of making his presence known in the few episodes you see him,
particularly in every scene he has with Noah Wyle's Robby. This was true in the
season finale which almost certainly the episode he submitted for consideration
in which he finally calls Robby out on his BS and makes it clear that there is
a reason for him to live. It was dark and depressing and incredibly funny at
the same time. And that last line – "I'm listed as your emergency
contacted and I do not want to be contacted' – speaks for so much that
you can't help but love. There's also the history involved as Hatosy could be
one of a handful of actors to win in two different categories for playing the
same character. (One of them was nominated this year, by the way). I would be
fine if he did that. Con: Same problem as Ball, compounded by the fact
some voters may have issues with giving a smaller role to someone from this
category whose more qualified. Not saying it won't happen, just saying they
might.
Gerran Howell, The Pitt (MY
PICK FOR The Pitt) For Playing: Dr. Whitaker, no longer the fresh-faced
newbie from the first season. Pro: I
was overjoyed when Howell was nominated in this category as I'd been pulling
for him the most over frontrunners like Ball and Hatosy. In a very short time
its clear Whitaker is Huckleberry no more. (Though every so often you get a
sign of it.) He clearly has learned the lessons Robby taught him in the past
year, and he's clearly got the mentorship down with so many of the other
younger doctors then he did when we first met him. He can give as good as he
gets, he clearly has more compassion then anyone currently on staff and there's
a genuine heart to him that you see far more often then any other character. I
feel more optimistic about Whitaker at this point then his fellow new residents
and I'd love to see him win. Con: I'll be honest, even if it weren't for
the divide in this category, I just don't see Howell winning. His role just
isn't as flashy as some of those who win awards in this category and that's
what tends to win in my lifetime.
Jack Lowden, Slow Horses. For
Playing: River Cartwright, a Slow Horse battling a terror threat on London and
increasing personal difficulties. Pro: I was overjoyed to see Lowden back in the ranks after
being cast aside by The White Lotus and Severance last year. His
work in Season 4 was absolutely the kind of role the Emmys should have
nominated. In a series that is dominated by some of the greatest actors in
history and who Lowden spends most of his screen time with its astonishing just
how good River is. It's clear he's by far the most competent agent Slough House
is, ridiculously overqualified to get back in MI-5. Much to the frustration of
Lamb, he still gives a damn about doing the right thing and it clearly bugs the
hell out of him. Lowden is absolutely going to be an action hero in his own
right some day and he's clearly one of the great forces on this show. Con: I'll
be honest, I can see almost anyone else in the cast winning an Emmy during this
show's run but Lowden. This is the kind of role that never gets
recognized by the Emmys these days because River is so duty bound and a sucker
at the same time. His energy and activity are almost annoying for the viewer
despite being the engine for this show. It's a superb performance, not gonna
win this year, probably not ever gonna win. But Lowden works at Slough House.
He gets it.
Tom Pelphrey, Task (DARK HORSE,
MY PICK) For Playing: Robbie Prendergast, a working man robbing a biker gang
for complicated reasons.
Pro: Not gonna lie I've been pulling for Pelphrey ever since I saw Task
last September. I've had immense respect for him as a performer for a very
long time. He's been acting for over 20 years and has been in some superb shows
but America only became aware of him five years ago during his stint as the
doomed Ben on Ozark. He's starred in a lot of underrated series so it's
hard to say his work as Robbie is his best performance. But it's an incredible
one just the same. Robbie is a working man his entire life who has turned to a
life of crime out of a sense of vengeance for his dead brother. He doesn't have
the stomach for violence and murder so when a young boy is found at a stash
house he doesn't kill but takes him home to his family. This sets off a chain
of events that leads to the death of his friends, the isolation of his sister
and finally a situation that leads to him dying in the back of a police car
where the FBI agent who he held hostage an hour ago tries to save his life.
It's an incredible performance because Robbie isn't doing this for him, he
isn't good at it, and he hates how it makes him feel. And in that long
conversation between him and Tom where Brandis thinks these are his last
moments, you can see Robbie struggling with what he knows he must do and his
genuine goodness – and that goodness wins out. I would really like to see him
win. Con: There's a good chance he will be overpowered by The Pitt.
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, Pluribus. For
Playing: His name is Manousos. He is not one of them. He wishes to save the
world. (I'm sorry I couldn't help it.) Pro: He doesn't say a word in our introduction to him in the
fourth episode. We don't see him again until the sixth. And honestly he only
really has much of a presence in two of the nine episodes in the first season.
Much of his dialogue is in Spanish and he says very little the rest of the way.
And yet for all of that you get a very clear picture of who Manousos is by the
time the season ends: meticulous, determined, with a clear sense of ethics. And
it tells you something that by the time he finally shares the screen with Carol
(in a first meeting that mostly takes under an umbrella over Google translate
on a cell phone) that you clearly think you know him as well as a character
whose essentially been onscreen the entire series. There are few moments of
self-determination as Manousos marching through the Isthmus of Panama,
repeating over and over "My name is Manousos. I am not one of them. I wish
to save the world." Carol has sent a message of what humanity is and he is
making clear what it means to him. It's a bravura work. Con: Of all the
nominations in this category I suspect Vesga's was the biggest surprise as no
other awards show and recognized him. It's a great performance but I'm pretty
sure it's not going to win.
My Prediction: I think the momentum is shifting to
Pelphrey in the voting. Still don't rule out the possibility Patrick Ball will
prevail.
Tomorrow I will wrap things up this
week with Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama as well as the other major
awards in this category.
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