#he's like. right between bill hader and david harbour

[ambreiiigns]

he's insane i'm in love w him

[mdwatchestv]

Emmy Blog 2k18: Monday’s Revenge

That's right it's that very special time! Except this time that very special time falls on a MONDAY AFTERNOON when I will be at my job working hard to craft non-Emmy nominated television for you all. I feel personally attacked by this scheduling.

Speaking of me, this is my second annual Emmy blog which means I have maintained this blog for over a year now! Yes that is correct I have actually shown commitment and follow-through on a project, I would like to thank the Academy.

Last year I was wildly unprepared for how long it would take to type such a blog so I'm not going to mess around with all the loving analysis of yesteryear. Also last year I simply had no idea how tired I would be this year, because I was too tired to imagine that far into the future. So you will get your analysis up front and then nothing but pure, unadulterated nominee sass.

As always we must mention last week’s Creative Arts Emmys-  Congratulations to the casting winners Nina Gold + Robert Sterne (The Crown), Meredith Tucker, Jeanie Bacharach and Cindy Tolan (The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) and Courtney Bright + Nicole Daniels (The Assassination of Gianni Versace). See these casting names, know them, learn them, love them. Also it's bullshit Megan was not given an Emmy For Megan #justiceformegan

 Last year I commented on how the Emmy's were beginning to reflect the increasing diversity in the television landscape. While progress on that front continues to be frustratingly slow, this year did boast a remarkable number of incredible roles for women! Not only are we seeing roles for women that extend beyond wives, mothers, and girlfriends, we are also seeing more series that STAR women! This year boasts some VERY EXCITING Best Actress categories, and I am HERE FOR IT. In contrast though most of the male categories are a total snooze fest, and the fact that AMC's The Terror wasn't nominated for ANYTHING shows that absolutely no one cracked the seal on their screeners.  With an increasingly populated television landscape, it seems like voters went to old favorites rather than branching out and discovering some new gems. On some level this is to be expected, but at that same time there is an increasing disparity between what is recognized at these kind of events, and what is airing. 

Okay on to the main event! Disclaimer: Once again these predictions are based on nothing but flights of fancy and raw gut instinct. 

Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Sara Bareilles (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live In Concert”) Penelope Cruz (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Judith Light (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Adina Porter (“American Horror Story: Cult”) Merritt Wever (“Godless”) Letitia Wright (“Black Museum” (Black Mirror))

God, wasn't AHS: Cult like six AHS's ago? Letitia Wright should win this because she won't get any other hardware for stealing Black Panther.

Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Jeff Daniels (“Godless”) Brandon Victor Dixon (“Jesus Christ Superstar”) John Leguizamo (“Waco”) Ricky Martin (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Edgar Ramirez (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Michael Stuhlbarg (“The Looming Tower”) Finn Wittrock (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”)

There are plenty of actors I like, like in life here but.......sorry I fell asleep. 

Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie:

Antonio Banderas (“Genius: Picasso”) Darren Criss (“The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story”) Benedict Cumberbatch (“Patrick Melrose”) Jeff Daniels (“The Looming Tower”) John Legend (“Jesus Christ Superstar”) Jesse Plemons (“USS Callister”)

This category is insane. What do we got, a second Jeff Daniels nomination, a Black Mirror, John Legend for acting, Harry Potter, Benedict Cumberbatch who always seems to sneak into the Emmys, and Antonio Banderas. I am trying really hard to have an opinion about this. I’m going to pick my boyfriend Darren Criss just so I can put a gif of him on this blog. 

Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie:

Laura Dern (“The Tale”) Jessica Biel (“The Sinner”) Michelle Dockery (“Godless”) Edie Falco (“The Menendez Murders”) Regina King (“Seven Seconds”) Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story: Cult”)

Okay now here we go! Now this is a category! However the Laura Dern rule is in effect here, which is whenever Laura Dern is present in a category the choice MUST be Laura Dern.

Best Limited Series

“The Alienist” “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” “Genius: Picasso” “Godless” “Patrick Melrose”

Can none of the above be an answer?

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Louie Anderson (“Baskets”) Alec Baldwin (“Saturday Night Live”) Tituss Burgess (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) Brian Tyree Henry (“Atlanta”) Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) Kenan Thompson (“Saturday Night Live”) Henry Winkler (“Barry”)

Are we really nominating Alec Baldwin for that Trump impersonation? What a time to be alive. Tony Shalhoub is an Emmy darling, I think if he wins another he gets a free one on his punch card. Henry Winkler was pitch perfect on Barry, Kenan Thompson has been on SNL for a million years, and Brian Tyree Henry's performance on Atlanta is deceivingly effortless. I think Shalhoub, the Academy will likely have missed voting for him, it just comes so naturally to them. 

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Zazie Beetz (“Atlanta”) Alex Borstein (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) Aidy Bryant (“Saturday Night Live”) Betty Gilpin (“GLOW”) Leslie Jones (“Saturday Night Live”) Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”) Laurie Metcalf (“Roseanne”) Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”)

Yes once again the ladies are LIT, tearing it UP. But no one tore it harder, and more literally, than Betty freakin Gilpin.

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series:

Donald Glover (“Atlanta”) Bill Hader (“Barry”) Anthony Anderson (“Black-ish”) William H. Macy (“Shameless”) Larry David (“Curb Your Enthusiasm”) Ted Danson (“The Good Place”)

This is a tough one, there are a lot of golden oldies here. I was surprised by how much I loved Bill Hader’s performance in Barry, but I think it was too weird and too dark to garner the votes needed. Atlanta had a lot of momentum and buzz last year,  not sure if the Academy is going to pour the same love two years in a row. I’m going to go with Ted Danson, he’s impeccable on The Good Place and he’s also Ted Danson!

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series:

Pamela Adlon (“Better Things”) Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”) Allison Janney (“Mom”) Lily Tomlin (“Grace and Frankie”) Issa Rae (“Insecure”)

Ray Bro.

Best Comedy Series

“Atlanta” (FX) “Barry” (HBO) “Black-ish” (ABC) “Curb Your Enthusiasm” (HBO) “GLOW” (Netflix) “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon) “Silicon Valley” (HBO) “The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)

Unlike the Best Drama Series category, which I am going to drag through the dirt at the end of this post, there is a lot of goodness here. These shows are not only very different, but also compelling in their own ways. (Although The Good Place absolutely deserves to be here). While I fell in love with Barry this year, and think Atlanta has maintained a consistent brilliance for two seasons, I think the delightful confection that is Mrs Maisel has the awards momentum to take this category. 

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Game of Thrones”) Peter Dinklage (“Game of Thrones”) Joseph Fiennes (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) David Harbour (“Stranger Things”) Mandy Patinkin (“Homeland”) Matt Smith (“The Crown”)

And just like that my Betty Gilpin high has dissipated. I can't believe Homeland is still on. Do we reward David Harbour for having the perfect dad bod, or Matt Smith for being the perfect fuckboy? Decisions, decisions. If Matt Smith wins he needs to break that trophy in half and give it to Claire Foy. He can keep the globey part, but she gets the body and the stand. 

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Alexis Bledel (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) Millie Bobby Brown (“Stranger Things”) Ann Dowd (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”) Vanessa Kirby (“The Crown”) Thandie Newton (“Westworld”) Yvonne Strahovski (“The Handmaid’s Tale”)

I had to consciously uncouple from The Handmaid’s Tale this year, but that doesn’t mean those actresses stopped being brilliant in their performances. Ann Dowd is a Laura Dern in the sense that I will usually always pick her in a category, but Thandie Newton did arguably carry season 2 of Westworld almost on her own. There are a lot of good unique performances here, but I am going to say Vanessa Kirby because she crushed on The Crown (and for the last time). 

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Jason Bateman (“Ozark”) Sterling K. Brown (“This Is Us”) Ed Harris (“Westworld”) Matthew Rhys (“The Americans”) Milo Ventimiglia (“This Is Us”) Jeffrey Wright (“Westworld”)

Guys can we be really, really honest with ourselves, like look in the mirror and come face-to-face with cold hard truths honest? WERE these the best performances this year? I love all these guys, but are they really turning in their best performances on these shows? Truly? The only exception is Matthew Rhys who is in his final year of a tour-de-force role on The Americans so my money is on him. 

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Claire Foy (“The Crown”) Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) Sandra Oh (“Killing Eve”) Keri Russell (“The Americans”) Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”)

Now, this, THIS IS A CATEGORY. LOOK AT THESE WOMEN.  I love all of these actresses, and some of these performances are truly among the best I've ever seen on television. That is not a hyperbole, it is a true. I would be happy with almost anyone winning this slot, but I really feel like Sandra Oh is going to take it. I FEEL IT OKAY. 

Best Drama Series

“The Handmaid’s Tale” “Game of Thrones” “This Is Us” “The Crown” “The Americans” “Stranger Things” “Westworld”

KILLING EVE IS THE BEST DRAMA SERIES OF THIS YEAR AND ITS EXCLUSION IS A HORRIBLE MISTAKE!!!!! Like IS Westworld REALLY the Best Drama Series??? IS IT? Is Game of Thrones??? Yes they are highly enjoyable and I watch them both, but are they THE BEST? REALLY? Was Stranger Things season 2 THE BEST, or are we just charmed by the children? Was The Handmaid’s season 2 THE BEST, or did we just vote for it out of habit and a misguided feeling that it’s win would stave off Kavanaugh’s confirmation? The Americans should win. 

Okay I feel good now that that’s off my chest. I have a lot of thoughts of feelings, and please let me know yours! Phoebe Waller-Bridge forever!

xo Martha