Breaking Down The Emmy Nominations

Before you start whining about award shows and how nobody cares about them, just click the big ole X in the corner. I'm not an award super-fan, but I love using them as an excuse to talk about the shows that I love and hate. In this recap I am going to bold the movies that I think WILL win the award, as well as give a little breakdown of why and talk about the other nominees. Also, I skipped a few categories that I frankly don't care about. 

Outstanding Drama Series:

The Boys
Bridgerton
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Lovecraft Country
The Mandalorian
Pose
This Is Us

You'll see a common theme throughout this and it is that award shows love the Crown. Is it the best drama series of the year? I don't know. Is it very good? YES. Undeniably. But it is also built to win award shows which annoys me. Anyway, Shoutout to the Boys for getting some love here. Amazon has made the 2 best superhero shows in recent memory with that and Invincible, and I just assumed it would never be something getting a mainstream nod. Good for them! Mando got a pnod which was also nice to see. Bridgerton wa top tier, and Pose/Lovecraft Country were right on the cusp of that. Handmaid's tale kind of fell off a bit, and This is Us is just not what it used to be IMO. 

Outstanding Comedy Series:

black-ish
Cobra Kai
Emily in Paris
Hacks
The Flight Attendant
The Kominsky Method
PEN15
Ted Lasso

Ted Lasso should win, and it likely WILL win. I remember when I first heard about this show, I was veeeeeeery out. Its obviously based off the commercial character Sudekis did, and the first example that came to mind with that flight path was that TERRIBLE Geico caveman show. But you know what? It is just so damn good. Funny, charming, FULL of heart and a very easy watch. I do want to highlight that Cobra Kai and Hacks were both extremely good, as was PEN15 to a lesser degree. I'm still not entierly convinced that the Kominsky Method is a real show, and I DEFINITLY don't want to know what strings the producers pulled to get Emily in Paris any nominations in any award show this year because that show is pure ass.

Outstanding Limited Series:

I May Destroy You
Mare of Easttown
The Queen’s Gambit
The Underground Railroad
WandaVision

I think TQG has the most momentum and is the most emmy-built series on this list. It was also a very good series, so I have no problem with it taking home a W. That said, I May Destroy You really blew me away, and Mare of Easttown was very entertaining. Not top-tier HBO, but very good. WandaVision was a lot of fun for what it was, but I don't see it winning much. As for the Underground railroad, I have not watched it yet nor heard much about it.

 Outstanding Drama Actor:

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
Josh O’Connor, The Crown
Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason

I think that Page was the most impressive in this group, but O'Connor is going to be the favorite through-and-through. The Crown is an award show darling and will clean up until it finally ends. O'Connor was also fantastic in this season, so that isn't to say that the award wasn't well deserved. SKB was SKB, and I don't feel like the character of Randall has evolved much. Porter was very entertaining, but I don't think he is the one I would highlight from the cast. Rhys and Majors were also both ok. Lovecraft Country was fantastic sci-fi and Perry Mason was aggressively "just fine" drama. 

Outstanding Drama Actress

Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Emma Corrin, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Mj Rodriguez, Pose
Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country

Like with O'Connor, this is Corrin's award to lose thanks to the nature and quality of The Crown. I have not seen In Treatment, but I do want to not that both Moss and Colman were phenomenal in their respective roles. The Handmaid's tale has lost a little juice in this last season, but none of that is Moss's fault. I do want to highlight that MJ Rodriguez was very impressive in Pose and I'd love to see more of her in other stuff. 

Outstanding Comedy Actor

Anthony Anderson, black-ish
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
William H. Macy, Shameless
Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
Kenan Thompson, Kenan

I would be SHOCKED if Sudeikis didn't win. And that is not just me being a homer. He has all the momentum and he is who I personally thing SHOULD win out of this group. No disrespect meant to any of the other actors/shows except for the pussy eating king himself and his fake show Kominsky Method but I don't think any other comedy actor could do what Sudeikis did for Ted Lasso.

Outstanding Comedy Actress

Aidy Bryant, Shrill
Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
Allison Janney, Mom
Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
Jean Smart, Hacks

Agaim, not being a homer here, but Smart is the most well-deserving of a win in this group AND the most likely to win. She absolutely kicks ass in Hacks, AND in the previous 2 shows she did on HBO (Watchmen, Mare of Easttown). It was awesome to see her in a starring role where she got to give us that dry delivery in more than just a small dose. As for the rest of the nominees, Cuoco really surprised me in the Flight Attendant. I always thought of her as the Big Bang lady and didn't have a ton of interest in seeing this show for that reason, but she rocked. 'Mom' never really clicked with me. The same goes with black-ish. Also, I didn't love the last season of Shrill for whatever that's worth. 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series

Paul Bettany, WandaVision
Hugh Grant, The Undoing
Ewan McGregor, Halston
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton

I want to note right off the bat that it is SHOCKING that Ethan Hawke didn't get a nomination for The Good Lord Bird. I started this show about a month ago after interviewing Rafael Casal, who is in the show, because he said it was going under the radar. For something I expected to be very depressing, it is surprisingly quick, funny and featured and insanely good performance by Hawke as John Brown. Maybe it being a showtime joint hurt it's chances, I don't know. That said, Hugh Grant is probably the most likely to win out of this bunch. Personally, I HATED the ending of that show and it soured me on the whole thing. I won't let that take away from Grant's performance, but god damn. Lin-Manuel and Leslie Odom are great in Hamilton…the play. I don't see their filmed version winning them anything here, though. As for Bettany, I will never forgive him for clickbaiting us. 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series

Michaela Coel, "I May Destroy You"
Cynthia Erivo, "Genius: Aretha"
Elizabeth Olsen, "WandaVision"
Anya Taylor-Joy, "The Queen's Gambit"
Kate Winslet, "Mare of Easttown"

Again, as a general rule of thumb, shows like the Crown and the Queens Gambit are built for this.

I feel like I could make an argument for almost anyone on this list winning, though. Like I mentioned early, I May Destroy You really surprised me in a great way. Winslet made Mare in the same way Olsen made WandaVision. The win is almost ironclad for ATJ, who was phenomenal, but we will see. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie

Jean Smart, Mare of Easttown
Julianne Nicholson, Mare of Easttown
Kathryn Hahn, WandaVision
Phillipa Soo, Hamilton
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton
Moses Ingram, The Queen's Gambit

The mouse is going to demand at least one win, and I think that this is the category they can easily get it. Olsen was the star of WandaVision, but Kathryn Hahn really stole the show in my opinion. Not just the song, but the whole shebang. Moses Ingram doesn't have much a chance, nor does Goldsberry/Soo. You could make the argument for Nicholson MAYBE and Smart DEFINITLY, but it would be kind of shocking if Hahn didn't take it. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

Daveed Diggs, Hamilton
Jonathan Groff, Hamilton
Anthony Ramos, Hamilton
Thomas Brodie-Sangster, The Queen's Gambit
Evan Peters, Mare of Easttown
Paapa Essiedu, I May Destroy You

There were, to put it lightly, a LOT of snubs in this category. John Boyega was one of the big contenders after he delivered a HUGE performance in Small Axe. I heard Donald "I'm an old-school Kok Sukkar" Sutherland name thrown around for The Undoing and Bill Camp For The Queens Gambit. However, we ended up instead with 3 dudes who were in a televised play instead.  Out of this group, I'd say Paapa Essiedu had the biggest impact any of them had on their respective show. Peters was solid in a role that was out-of-type for him, and I really like Sangster. After seeing them load this category up with Hamilton people, though, I think this goes to Diggs as he was the best out of that trio.

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country
Charles Dance, The Crown
Don Cheadle, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Timothy Olyphant, The Mandalorian
Carl Weathers, The Mandalorian

Again, the Crown reigns supreme. Let's just call it the British Rule from now on. I think both Olyphant and Weathers were very entertaining in their respective Mando roles, but I don't think they have much of a chance.Same with Courtney B. Vance. The big question mark in this category, though, is Don Cheadle. When I saw they nominated him, I thought it was a typo or something because I honestly couldn't even remember him being in the series. You know why? Because he WAS barely in the series! So for him to get a nom (which presumably is the result of a push by the mouse) is crazy, especially when Carl Lumbly legitimately delivered an incredible performance in that same show but got no love at all.

Outstanding Variety Sketch Series

A Black Lady Sketch Show
Saturday Night Live

I don't give a shit who wins, I only want to note this because it is FUCKED that I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson isn't up here. 

Also, in honor of the thumbnail, here you go.