We've had multiple nominees from the
same series in Best Supporting Actress every single year this decade so far.
And it rarely works out for one of the nominees from the drama that has the
most nominees. Prime example: It's very
likely the split between the four nominees from The White Lotus last
year helped pave the way for Katherine LaNasa's win for The Pitt – which
clearly shocked her.
Now she's the favorite to repeat but
the shoe's on the other foot. There are four other nominees from The Pitt that
very likely will divide the vote. Throw in the fact a couple of other
performers have won awards for shows this season and this is far from decided.
For the record I'm going to do what I
did for Supporting Actor in a Drama and throw in my personal pick from The
Pitt as well as a favorite from a different show. Keep in mind this is a
top heavy field.
Taylor Dearden, The Pitt (My
Pick for The Pitt). For Playing: Dr. Mel King, sweating a deposition and
finding out new facts about her sister. Pro: Dearden is my favorite character this season for many
reasons. For one thing she's still incredibly nervous about working here in a
way most of the staff isn't, spending the first half of the shift terrified of
a deposition. For another, she's centered her entire life around the care of
her disabled sister so it appalls her to learn that not only does her sister
have a better social life she does but is pulling away from her because of it.
And there's the realization that she's trying to keep things together without
flying apart and has formed so many bonds that I already care about deeply.
Throw in the fact that she is the daughter of Bryan Cranston and there's a feel
good story. And come on for that post Season 2 credits rendition of You Ought
to Know alone she deserves respect. (I want her and Isa Briones to recreate
that moment on the Emmy stage this year.) Con: Like Mel herself it seems
likely that Dearden will always be overshadowed by greater talent. I rest
assured by the certainty that while this is his first nomination, it won't be
her last.
Fiona Dourif, The Pitt. For
Playing: Dr. Cassie McKay, facing a chaotic shift where she watches a
terminally ill patient make a difficult decision. Pro: Like Dearden, Dourif is the daughter
of a great actor. (Indeed her father Brad appeared in Season 1.) But her work
is often more subtle and compassionate. Much of her work this shift dealt with
her taking care of a terminally ill cancer patient and her family and then
watched as she made the decision to end her life and spent most of that shift
trying to prepare her family and most frequently her children to say goodbye.
In one of those deep ironies that often affects this show, Cassie was on the
street when her patient passed away and that clearly hit her even deeper then
the death itself. Dourif's nomination was the least expected of the four
nominees on this show but in my mind it’s one of the better choices by the
Emmys overall this year. Con: The storyline she's a part of may help her
– Tai Anderson was nominated for an Emmy along with Dourif – but its far more
likely she will be overshadowed by other forces
Alison Janney, The Diplomat. For
Playing: Grace Penn, ascending to the White House after the death of the
President. Pro: There's
the historical part if Janney were to pull of a victory here. It would be her
eighth Emmy as an actress, putting her into a tie with Julia-Louis Dreyfus for
most Emmys won by a performer. There's the synchronicity of it: her first four
Emmys came for her work as CJ on The West Wing where she merely spoke
for the President and now she is playing the President. There's the continued
fact of her versatility and excellence. Going into this Emmy cycle she had a
chance to be nominated in comedy for her work in Palm Royale and TV
Movie Limited Series for Miss You, Love You. There's the fact that over
the last two years, incredibly, the Emmy have shortchanged her, especially by
ignoring her in this category last year when she was nominated for every award
in the book for her role. And then there's the fact that yet again she
demonstrates all the qualities that have made Janney one of the greatest
actresses in history as Grace Penn, a President who has committed treason just
before she took office and now has concerned about what will be done. Con: The
Emmys might very well want to give a prize to someone who hasn't already
got an Emmy in every acting category a performer can win in in both drama and
pretty much comedy as well. Not saying they won't give it to Janney, or that
she doesn't deserve it, but it hasn't been their pattern this decade
Katherine LaNasa, The Pitt (EXPERTS
PICK). For Playing: Charge Nurse Dana Evans, dealing with a chaotic shift while
still recovering from her assault from last year. Pro: It's been clear this shift that Dana
is only slightly more put together then Robby. She spent much of the season
helping a trainee adjust to her first day and several hours dealing with a
victim of sexual assault, then erupting in fury when she learned a rape kit
from weeks earlier still hadn't been collected. She spent the shift handling
the analog ER and trying to protect her trainees and increasingly becoming
worried by Robby's harsh and mean-spirited behavior. It all exploded in a long
confrontation after Dana ended up dosing a patient who assaulted one of her
nurses and she told Robby everything would be here when he came back. When he
answered: "What if I don't come back?" you could see the terror
forming over LaNasa's faces even as he never answered the question. All in all,
it was a superb performance that deserves to repeat in this category. Con: What
worked for LaNasa last year could very well work against her this year. Throw
in the fact of what happened at this year's Astras and I'm beginning to think
momentum might be shifting to…
Sepideh Moafi, The Pitt (DARK
HORSE). For Playing: Dr. Al-Hashimi, the interim replacement who clashes with
Dr. Robby and is hiding a diagnosis. Pro: Moafi was the most central new cast member to The Pitt
in Season 2, an accomplished doctor with a clear history behind her who was
more than qualified to replace Dr. Robby and yet no matter how good she was he
challenged her in every scene they shared. The overwhelming majority of this
was on him: as an outsider with no knowledge of the history she had the
clearest look at how horrible his behavior was to his fellow doctor and it was
satisfying watching her cut him down throughout the entire season. But there
was clearly something she was hiding and when she told Robby about in the final
episodes it faced him with an ethical dilemma that we're still not sure how it
will be resolved next season. It was a restrained, calm performance the type
that usually doesn't get recognition. So the fact that Moafi managed to win at
the Astras a few weeks ago in this category is the clearest sign yet that it
might resonate with Emmy voters. Con: Moafi's problem is the same as
every other nominee for The Pitt: the other three actresses will (for
good reason) take votes away from her. I don't envy them their jobs: all of
these actresses gave superb performances and it's going to be tough for them to
choose.
Julianne Nicholson, Paradise (My
Pick). For Playing: Sarah Redmond, code name Sinatra facing threats from
without and within after emerging from a month-long coma. Pro: I'm very grateful the Emmys have been
catching up with one of the most undervalued actresses in 21st
century TV. She won an Emmy for playing
'Dance Mom' on Hacks last year while being nominated in this same
category. While her role in Paradise was somewhat diminished compared to
Season 2, Nicholson continued to flesh about Sinatra to the point where by the
end of the season (and in theory her life) she went from villain to antagonist
to someone who did bad things for the right reasons. It's clear that all along
she's been trying to save humanity and that caused her to horrific things even before
the reality of the bunker. But we saw the good person she once was while she
watched the birth of the first child in Paradise, someone who genuinely wanted
the approval of her therapist, someone who may have done everything to see her
son again and may have succeeded. In the final minutes of Season 2 she seemed
at peace for the first time in the entire series, watching the bunker she spend
her life and fortune on collapse over her head and in that final moment perhaps
realize what she wanted all along. I don't really know if this will be the end
of Nicholson's tour (as we saw throughout the season we saw a lot of the people
who died last year in flashbacks) but it's the kind of role deserving of an
award. Con: As superb as her work is I have to admit it's not at the
same level of even some of the other non-Pitt nominees. But considering
she's recreating the role that won the first Emmy she got in Mare of
Easttown in Season 2 of Task I think it's safe to say she'll have
another chance sooner rather than later.
Karolina Wydra, Pluribus. For
Playing: Zosia, the representative of the hive mind to Carol. Pro: Wydra was one of the breakout stars of
2025 for her work as Zosia and that's saying something considering that most of
the season she's basically a representation of the forces that have conquered
Earth rather than a character of her own. I always give extra credit for those
whose roles have deeper layer and you can't get much deeper than someone who
doesn't think she's an actual person. Most of the time the viewer doesn't trust
Zosia's motives any more than Carol does and we watch as Carol clearly becomes charmed
by her with a sign of concern. But there's something about Zosia's very real
ability to struggle with calling herself 'I' rather then the hive mind 'We'
that is very really, along with the memory she shares with Carol as Zosia for
the first time in the series. In that montage where its clear Carol has fallen
in love with Zosia for the briefest of moment we want to believe in it not just
for Carol, but for Zosia. That's how good a job Wydra has done. It's a
revelatory performance that has gotten deserved respect, including a Saturn for
Best Supporting Actress. Of all the nominees who aren't in The Pitt, I
think Wydra has the best chance of breaking through and winning. Con: Wydra
is a supporting actress in a series that was created by Vince Gilligan. We all
know just how well that tends to work for them the last decade.
Prediction: I think that this one is more wide
open then it looks. For the moment I'm predicted Moafi but I'm not confident of
it. To be clear they are all deserving winners.
Now let's look through the remaining
categories.
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Colman Domingo has previously won in
this category and is the heavy favorite to repeat for the final season of Euphoria.
I'm actually inclined to think that it will go to Jeff Kober for his work
as Duke in the final stretch of The Pitt.
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Having seen all six performances my
personally preference is for Shailene Woodley who is still the favorite for her
work in Paradise. Brittany Allen is gaining on her but I'd personally
bet on Tai Anderson for pulling it off for someone from The Pitt.
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING AND WRITING
I expect Pluribus to win in
both of these categories. That being said, don't rule out an upset by Slow
Horses in either one as that does seem to be their pattern. It's currently
ranked in third place in writing for the season finale behind The Pitt and
Pluribus so I'm guessing that's where it would happen if it does.
Next week, I will wrap up by coverage
with Best Limited Series. Oh and stay tuned this weekend as I let the Emmy have
it with both barrels as to how they're doing it this year. One week to
change your mind, NBC.
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