As the television universe has steadily expanded in recent years, the Emmys have come under fire for having extremely stagnant nominees. Granted, they’re not the most lethargic of voting bodies (hello, SAG) and it’s difficult to recognize every last worthy contender considering the limited slots and massive volume of material, but it can be disheartening for TV fans to see the most prestigious TV awards body not really going for projects off the beaten path. That’s especially problematic after last year, when the Emmys expanded the final round voting, neutralized the tape system that had been established for years, and wound up with a series of populist winners.
With voting set to take place from June 13th through June 27th, nominations following on July 14th, now seems as good a time as ever to stump for your contender of choice. After combing through the recently released ballots, I decided on 9 contenders that I would like to see on the final ballot next month; given my lack of expertise in the technical categories (e.g. costumes, cinematography, lighting, sound), these picks mostly stuck to acting, writing, and directing nominees. I deliberately went with one nominee per show, though there are multiple shows represented that I think deserve multiple nominations overall, and I tried to hem close to those who either haven’t been nominated at all or who haven’t been nominated for this particular project. Additionally, after reading through these 10 nominees and why I think they should be selected, click over to the next page to see the full list of who I think should be nominated (and win) at the Emmys this year.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series: Eva Green – Penny Dreadful (Showtime)
The role of Vanessa Ives could have swallowed any actress whole. You have to learn made up languages, contort your body in impossible angles, and be able to give gravity to material that involves covens of naked witches and Satan himself. Thankfully, the role was imbued with the off-kilter, almost dangerous energy of Eva Green, whose bone-deep commitment to the part has made Ives, tortured by demons both literal and figurative, one of the best characters on television. Green is able to gnarl herself into the ball of darkness, loneliness, and lost opportunity that is Vanessa Ives while never losing her character’s vulnerability or the inner strength that has gotten her to this point. Quite frankly, it’s a marvel of a performance, capable of being physically intimidating and deeply sympathetic (sometimes in the same scene), and one that deserves Emmy gold.
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie: Riley Keough – The Girlfriend Experience (Starz)
Stillness is the key for Riley Keough’s performance as lawyer-turned-escort Christine Reade, a woman with no time for personal connection beyond the physical and an aching desire to escape a life she doesn’t wish to hold onto any longer. In a role where dialogue can be sparse, Keough’s performance is all about subtext, making every lingering glance or turn of phrase all the more important. Impressively, she adeptly sells Christine’s ease at manipulating those around her and makes every pivot away from the icy, distant exoskeleton the law intern has built around herself utterly mesmerizing to watch. It’s that type of control that makes her screen presence one to look out for in the future.
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Connor Jessup – American Crime (ABC)
While the second season of acclaimed ABC anthology American Crime featured the likes of Oscar nominee Felicity Huffman, Oscar winner Timothy Hutton, Emmy winner Regina King, and Emmy nominee Hope Davis, it was Falling Skies alum Connor Jessup who turned in the best performance as Taylor Blaine, a Midwestern high schooler who accuses a fellow classmate of rape. Deeply moving in its sensitivity and sadness, Jessup’s performance as an anxious outsider in a tight-knit, sports obsessed community grew in complexity and scope the deeper the show got into Taylor’s story, culminating in a shocking moment of violence that exemplified the frustration and isolation that comes with being victimized.
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series: Frances Conroy – The Real O’Neals (ABC)
The entire time Frances Conroy’s Grandma Agnes is on screen, you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop, as the devoutly religious woman isn’t aware that her grandson had recently come out of the closet. Though she helps facilitate some laughs in the episode, most notably through a dream sequence centered on gay conversion camp, Agnes mostly contributes to the episode by providing a face to religion-based familial homophobia. This wasn’t a gay basher who talked with their fists, nor was this a zealot on television preaching doctrine centered on hate; this was someone’s grandmother talking about how God doesn’t love someone she claims to love. Not only did it force people to see that homophobia comes in all shapes and sizes, it helped unite the O’Neal family in ways that pay off later in the season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZuywrIOcB0
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Getting On – “Reduced to Eating Boiled Magazines and Book Paste” (Mark V. Olsen & Will Scheffer)
The series finale of underappreciated HBO comedy Getting On is as perfect an encapsulation of its themes and what makes it truly special as the show ever put together. Culminating in a fire that destroys the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit and one final act of mercy between two grudging friends, the series remained as unflinching and tenacious in its portrayal of aging and the United States healthcare system as ever, its deeply human look at the elderly matched only by a towering performance from Laurie Metcalf as the unit’s director of medicine.
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series: Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce – “Rule #65: You Can Go Home Again” (Paul Adelstein)
Written by star Paul Adelstein, “Rule #65: You Can Go Home Again” is the final rip of the band aid that was holding Abby McCarthy and her estranged husband Jake Novak together. Over the course of a single uninterrupted weekend without their kids, the two talk through their past and present before realizing that their future didn’t include the other, at least not in a romantic context. It was a thoughtful, warts-and-all look at one of the most important relationships on the show while also serving as a love letter to those couples who simply don’t fit together anymore. Scary as it may be, sometimes it’s okay to start over.
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – “Josh Just Happens to Live Here!” (Marc Webb)
Directing a pilot can sometimes be difficult, as you have to establish a show’s tone/rhythms while making the episode captivating enough that audiences will want to check out future episodes. It’s particularly difficult when the show itself is very specific, as CW musical dramedy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend is; the pilot features multiple musical numbers, animation, flashbacks, mental health issues, romantic awkwardness, and a sense of humor that wasn’t particularly broadcast-friendly. But “Josh Just Happens to Live Here!” director Marc Webb ((500) Days of Summer) was able to balance everything the show asked of him and helped create a weird, wonderful world unlike anything on broadcast television.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKnWw7ou4ik
Outstanding Main Title Design: Flesh and Bone (Starz)
Utilizing an acting troupe with dancing experience, including American Ballet Theater alumni Sascha Redetsky, Irina Dvorovenko, and Sarah Hay, Starz ballet limited series Flesh and Bone was an unparalleled visual delight whenever the focus was on performing, a monument to the dedication and will it takes for someone to reach the pinnacle of their talent. It took you down the rabbit hole of competitive and artistic genius, chronicling the mental and physical toll that throwing oneself into art can take, but it was the show’s opening credits, set to a cover of “Obsession” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O, that was the true artistic achievement.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4n_VpzBQIA
Outstanding Animated Program: Archer – “Deadly Velvet: Part II” (FX)
The seventh season of Archer found Sterling and the gang rebounding from being blacklisted by the CIA through the founding of a Los Angeles private detective agency. The change of scenery was a huge win for the show, giving it a jolt of energy while preserving the central dynamics, while the case of the season was solidly engrossing and even threatened to overshadow the season’s more episodic turns. But it was the season finale, filled to the brim with clones, staggeringly funny one-liners, and a genuinely surprising reveal, that indicated this was a show that would never be the same again.
