Emmy Picks, Predictions, Unsung Heroes & Oh-No-Nos – 2016

Here it is. Did you think I’d forgotten? No such luck. I’ve just been really busy watching hunners of telly for months, and I think I’ve found some good stuff. Some stuff you’ll really like. Some really niche stuff you probably haven’t even heard of. And maybe I can save you some time by telling you what not to bother with. That’s what I’m all about; I don’t just do this for me, you know. So, without much further ado, let’s dive into some opinionated Picks, incorrect Predictions, overrated Unsung Heroes, and categorically correct Oh-No-Nos.

1. Outstanding Comedy Series
Nominated: Black-ish, Master of None, Modern Family, Silicon Valley, Transparent, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Veep

30 Rock and Parks and Recreation have both left our screens in recent years, yet there are still plenty of quality comedy shows out there. I’ve yet to see Black-ish (it’s on my list), but I’ve heard mostly good things, and the rest of these are all worthy nominees. Modern Family takes the wooden spoon for me, though; it’s still worth a watch, but it seems to be running out of ideas, and this season was patchy at best.
That three of the shows nominated here come from non-traditional TV outlets show the tides continuing to turn, with Netflix already a major player and Amazon moving in the same direction. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt returned for another terrific season, and has been renewed for more, much to NBC’s chagrin, I’m sure. Kimmy’s journey into the real world continues to delight and amuse, and she’s remarkably well-adjusted, considering her three main guides to modern life. As if Titus, Lillian and Jackie Lynn weren’t bad enough, Tina Fey turns up and makes a real mess. Despite a suspicious lack of Jon Hamm, the second season surpasses the first, and is my Pick for the Emmy.
I suspect Veep will win, however, and it’s hard to argue, with the political comedy having its strongest season yet, despite creator Armando Iannucci stepping down as showrunner. Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm writer, David Mandel, stepped up to the baseball plate and knocked the baseball ball out of the baseball park with his first swing of the baseball bat, as they say. Holy cow! Not a bad game of baseball. A particular highlight was the documentary episode, Kissing Your Sister, which almost reaches the heights of Queen of Jordan, not praise I give lightly. Every member of the cast was at their best (more on that below), and although it would be good to see some new names on awards, Veep would certainly be a worthy winner this year.
Aziz Ansari’s absence from the small screen was mercifully brief, returning to us as the central character of the Netflix show Master of None, which he also co-created and co-writes. While a couple of the episodes didn’t really land for me, the majority allowed Aziz to get his teeth into plenty of topical issues and throw jokes into my eyes and ears. Sharp, witty, relevant, and engaging, it almost defies comparison; there has been very little else like it. It’s somewhat similar to Seinfeld and Louie, but it’s also very much its own thing. I don’t want to freak you out, but I think that he may be the voice of our generation, even if he isn’t quite as blinkered and whiny as some other contenders.
There are several series that could stake a claim for the Unsung Hero slot – It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Broad City, Grace and Frankie – but I’ve gone for You’re The Worst. After a first season that would make It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia look cheery and optimistic, its second took a darker turn, exploring the depression of one of the lead characters. Somehow, it finds its funniest moments here, and brings humanity and humility to even Jimmy Shive-Overly, who’s exactly as unlikable and up himself as you imagine. A very under-watched and underrated show, it certainly deserves a nomination, although it’s unlikely to appeal if you’re an optimistic kind of person.

My Pick – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
My Prediction – Veep
My Unsung Hero – You’re The Worst
My Oh-No-No – Modern Family

2. Outstanding Drama Series
Nominated: The Americans, Better Call Saul, Downton Abbey, Game Of Thrones, Homeland, House Of Cards, Mr. Robot

This is a much more open race now that Mad Men and Breaking Bad have finished, although the latter’s spin-off is my Pick this year. Better Call Saul is more light-hearted than its predecessor, as you’d expect, but it gets the balance of looking ahead and behind exactly right. As easy as it is to hate sleazy lawyers, it’s harder when you see Jimmy try time and again to be a good guy, and have the world, including his brother, spit in his face and drive him down and down. Former cop Mike Ehrmantraut is on a similar spiral, though the two of them seem to share very little with each other. The close working relationship they shared in the parent show is still a way off, but the upcoming return of a familiar face may change things.
House of Cards might not be as big a hit as a couple of years ago, but I thought the fourth season was a real improvement of the third. It has moved to more of an ensemble show, with less focus on Kevin Spacey and more on the people behind the scenes, while Robin Wright’s character may have surpassed him in terms of importance and/or screen time. I’m not sure if perhaps they attempted to do too much this season, or if the story was always intended to follow into the next one. Either way, there were a couple of episodes where it felt like they were treading water a little. That said, the trail of Frank Underwood’s devastation follows him from two/three seasons back, threatening to catch up, and overall, it still feels like a very well-executed piece of television.
Orange Is The New Black‘s absence strikes me as strange, especially with the third season being, for me, where everything really fell into place. However, Orphan Black is my main concern. Tatiana Maslany’s performance has at last been recognised with back-to-back nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress, but the show as a whole is yet to have the honour. It’s silly at time, yes, but the stakes are high and the story’s engaging (as long as you like clones, which comes more easily to some of us than others). Anyway, it’s no sillier than House of Cards, Mr. Robot, or that show with the dragons and people dying all the time. Mr. Robot, incidentally, I wasn’t sure about. There were things I liked about its first season, but things I didn’t. Rami Malek’s performance was strong, as was Christian Slater’s (although I’d expected to see more of him), and the plot kept me guessing, but at times it felt extremely convenient. Unbelievably so, in fact. I’ll probably watch the second season, but I’m not in any great hurry.

My Pick – Better Call Saul
My Prediction – Game Of Thrones
My Unsung Hero – Orphan Black
My Oh-No-No – Game Of Thrones/Homeland

3. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominated: Anthony Anderson, Aziz Ansari, Will Forte, William H. Macy, Thomas Middleditch, Jeffrey Tambor

I don’t have any hugely strong feelings for this category this year. Most of the best sitcoms of the day have female leads, which suggests that all those letters to the Metro and tweets from people with egg avatars must have been wrong. Weird. Anyhoo, I’d be inclined to give it to Aziz Ansari this year. After six years of being an important part of an ensemble, he’s now shown that he can carry more of the work onscreen, as well as the bulk of it offscreen. I expect Jeffrey Tambor to retain the title, though. Transparent might not be my favourite of his sitcoms, or even my second favourite, but it would be churlish to deny that he’s extremely good in it. I wasn’t quite as keen on the second season, though; several episodes left me feeling cold, which I don’t remember being the case last year. I think, this time round, they tried to focus too much on a wider array of characters, and the initial focus of the show was lost to an extent. The season picked up towards the end, and it certainly made some important points, but overall, I felt there wasn’t enough humour for an out-and-out comedy. You know me, I like my sitcoms dark and pessimistic, but jokes are also important.
Chris Geere is my Unsung Hero this year, for his role as Jimmy in You’re The Worst. Initially nothing more than your standard self-involved womanising writer, Jimmy is fleshed out further in the second season, as he is horrified by feeling the feelings he discovers he feels for Gretchen, and we meet his family and see where his insecurities come from. His attempts to help Gretchen might be misguided, but they are sweet; he is not without flaws, but there is more to him than there first appears. The depth (and potential depth) of his character is one of the most compelling things about a show that I already liked, but initially felt might have a very limited lifespan. This no longer concerns me.

My Pick – Aziz Ansari
My Prediction – Jeffrey Tambor
My Unsung Hero – Chris Geere
My Oh-No-No – None

4. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Nominated: Ellie Kemper, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Laurie Metcalf, Tracee Ellis Ross, Amy Schumer, Lily Tomlin

I’d love Ellie Kemper to win this year, but Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won for Veep each of the last four years, and she’s only getting better. Smashing the Seinfeld curse to smithereens, JLD is at the heart of what is surely the funniest ensemble on TV. While her character attempts to maintain a relationship with her daughter, as well as a sex life, at the same time as remaining President of the United States (spoilers), she has to deal with all of these things getting in the way of the others. Her incompetent staff offer little support, but conversely, the actors portraying them provide a lot of the laughs on the show. While I don’t mean to undermine the excellent supporting cast on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Ellie Kemper has a larger proportion of the screen time, and does at least as good a job, if not better. It’s her time.
Honourable mention must also go to Lily Tomlin. With a main cast of four Sorkin alumni, it’s no wonder I like Grace and Frankie so much. The story of two older women dealing with their husbands’ leaving them for each other, and the unlikely friendship that grows from this, is as charming as it is funny. Grace (Jane Fonda) and Sol (Sam Waterston) are both great to watch, but it is Lily Tomlin as Frankie who is the real star of the show. I’m not terribly keen on Martin Sheen’s character, Robert, though. He is somewhat pompous, selfish and difficult to like, not terribly convincing in his more affectionate moments with Sol, and he puts on his jacket in a thoroughly unremarkable way. He’s no Jed Bartlett, that’s for sure. Irregardless, the show is very entertaining and at times brilliant, if you can handle old women saying “vagina” a lot, and old men being homosexual together. It also takes a very dark turn towards the end of the second season, and if there’s one thing I like, it’s a dark turn. (I also like several other things.)
Three years in, and still no nominations for Broad City. This season didn’t seem to be quite as popular as the last two, but I thought we saw some of the best stuff this year. In particular, Abbi’s storyline of edging reluctantly towards adulthood, and worrying about where this will leave her with Ilana, was both touching and comical. On top of that, the episode where she had to fill in for Ilana at the co-op was just terrific, so Abbi Jacobson is my Unsung Hero.

My Pick – Ellie Kemper
My Prediction – Julia Louis-Dreyfus
My Unsung Hero – Abbi Jacobson
My Oh-No-No – None

5. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Nominated: Kyle Chandler, Rami Malek, Bob Odenkirk, Matthew Rhys, Liev Schreiber, Kevin Spacey

I’d be quite surprised if Rami Malek’s popularity didn’t win him the award. He wouldn’t be a bad shout at all, but I’m leaning more towards Liev Schreiber and Bob Odenkirk. Ray Donovan‘s third season was the strongest so far, I thought, and though Eddie Marsan, Paula Malcomson, Kerris Dorsey and Ian McShane were big parts of it, Schreiber is always at the heart of the show. Better Call Saul might not have the same level of widespread popularity as Breaking Bad enjoyed, but it has allowed Odenkirk to flex his dramatic muscle a bit more. The spin-off was always going to be a bit more comedic than its parent, since Saul was the main comic relief character in the original, but with the focus shifting, the dynamic does likewise, and I feel that Odenkirk has handled the transition very well. He’s my Pick, but there are several worthy contenders.
Bloodline‘s second season didn’t appeal to me as much as the first, what with the events that transpired at the end of the first season. Ben Mendelsohn, the best thing about the show, has a reduced role this time around, somewhat to my chagrin. I said last year that the show was good, if somewhat smug about how good; this season seemed somewhat directionless and all over the place, at least at first. It picked up towards the end, though, and has left me intrigued, so in that sense, it’s done its job. I’ve handed Kyle Chandler the Oh-No-No because, although I thought he was more interesting this time around, I still find him annoying and not the strongest lead for the show.
The first season of How To Get Away With Murder was all about Viola Davis, and although she certainly isn’t getting any worse, the rest of the cast came more into their own this year. Alfred Enoch had a big part to play this time around, and did a terrific job of portraying Wes’s gradual discovery that everything he thought he knew may not be quite as true as he had thought. I doubt he’ll ever steal the spotlight from the show’s true star, but as murky pasts continue to be uncovered, it’s likely that he’ll find another big challenge awaiting him in the upcoming third season.

My Pick – Bob Odenkirk
My Prediction – Rami Malek
My Unsung Hero – Alfred Enoch
My Oh-No-No – Kyle Chandler

6. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Nominated: Claire Danes, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, Tatiana Maslany, Keri Russell, Robin Wright

Viola Davis was certainly worthy of this award last year, and made a terrific speech upon receiving it. She’s made a very good case for taking it home again, but once again, I think Tatiana Maslany has made a better one. Quite simply, there is nobody else out there doing the kind of job she is doing. Playing multiple lead characters so distinctly, so well and so thoroughly is, as far as I’m aware, quite without precedent. It’s quite possible that Orphan Black is not taken seriously enough to actually win an award, which would be a real shame. It deserves greater recognition, particularly for Maslany, since she plays almost everybody.  Go on, go on, go on, etc.
My Unsung Hero this year is Paula Malcomson. Abby was given a lot more of her own story on the third season of Ray Donovan, and Malcomson took the American football ball and ran with it until she reached the end area, where she touched it down. I thought the third season in general was much stronger, with Ian McShane turning up, and Bridget and Terry both involved in engaging storylines of their own, with less dependence on Ray and Mickey’s relationship. The frustrated mob wife character has already been perfected by Edie Falco, but Abby is very much her own character. She dropped the ball somewhat as a mother this season – which isn’t ideal, given Ray’s limitations as a father – but she can hardly be blamed for wanting to reestablish herself as her own person. She stands up to Ray at last, and earns back his (grudging) respect, which sets us up nicely for the fourth season, currently in progress.
Claire Danes remains where nobody wants to be as part of my ongoing protest against Homeland.

My Pick – Tatiana Maslany
My Prediction – Viola Davis
My Unsung Hero – Paula Malcomson
My Oh-No-No – Claire Danes

7. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Nominated: Louie Anderson, Andre Braugher, Tituss Burgess, Ty Burrell, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Matt Walsh

This one is pretty open and shut – Tituss Burgess ruled supreme on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt again, and having been passed over last year, I’m even more insistent that he wins this time around.
He’s up against some pretty stiff competition, though. Two-time winner Tony Hale is nominated again for his role as Gary Walsh on Veep, as is his co-star and almost-namesake, Matt Walsh, as Mike McLintock. Mike has always been my favourite of Selina’s support staff, so it’s nice to see Walsh recognised, but I expect Hale to win again. There was little between them, truth be told; the entire Veep cast is top-notch.
Honourable mention also goes to Andre Braugher for continuing to be the best thing about Brooklyn Nine-Nine. A particular highlight was the episode in which he and Andy Samberg were quarantined with mumps, and attempted to solve an old case while losing their minds. He also had the honour of working opposite Nick Offerman, in a delicious cameo as Braugher’s ex-boyfriend.
Hannibal Buress’s role on the third season of Broad City was reduced somewhat, as the show continues to be a victim of its own success, making stars of its supporting players and writers. This only served to make my heart grow fonder, and I very much appreciated the moments he did give us. He could never be the best thing about this show, but he is always the best Hannibal he can be, and that’s more than good enough. A nomination is surely overdue.
Ty Burrell finds himself out of favour after having what I thought was a weak season on Modern Family, although the whole show declined somewhat this year.

My Pick – Tituss Burgess
My Prediction – Tony Hale
My Unsung Hero – Hannibal Buress
My Oh-No-No – Ty Burrell

8. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Nominated: Anna Chlumsky, Gaby Hoffmann, Allison Janney, Judith Light, Kate McKinnon, Niecy Nash

Anna Chlumsky has somehow never won this award, despite having a few past nominations. I think this year has to be hers, although Gaby Hoffmann gave her a run for her money in Transparent. Amy proves once again that she is the most valuable member of Selina’s team, and Chlumsky portrays the stay-or-go struggle perfectly. She’s constantly pushed aside by Dan, Mike, Kent, Ben and even Gary, and undervalued by Selina. She wants to leave, but knows that there aren’t a lot of bigger gigs out there. Once you reach the NBA, you don’t go back to shirts and skins.
As much as I love Allison Janney, and I do, I haven’t yet got around to watching Mom, so I don’t know how good she is in it, although I expect it’s a lot to very.
Tina Fey appears towards the end of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt‘s second season, and does the thing she usually does where she makes everything better. She plays Kimmy’s therapist, who suffers from an alcohol-induced form of multiple personality disorder. Well, she might suffer, but the audience benefit greatly. It allows Tina to show off some of her range, most of which includes being excellently funny. Even when she is sung, she’s undersung, in my opinion.

My Pick – Anna Chlumsky
My Prediction – Anna Chlumsky
My Unsung Hero – Tina Fey
My Oh-No-No – None

9. Outstanding Limited Series
Nominated: American Crime, Fargo, The Night Manager, The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, Roots

Some of this year’s best drama came in the form of limited series, a format which has taken off in the last couple of years thanks to Fargo and True Detective (remember that?). The second season of Fargo may be even better than the first. The chemistry between Ted Danson and Patrick Wilson is excellent, as is that of Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons. It tells a familiar type of story, and for the most part you can see where it’s going, but it’s told so well and each of the characters is played so precisely, and fits in so brilliantly, that it’s all about the ride. Packed full of top performances, it both delights and saddens me that the next installment will be with new characters in a new era; the format leaves you wanting more of the same but excited about what will come next. Despite limited involvement from the brothers, this somehow feels like the most Coen project there could ever be.
While I have a slight preference for Fargo, I expect the almost equally good The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story will win the award. The story of O. J.’s case is a fascinating one, and although I thought I knew quite a bit about it (mostly through repeated references in Seinfeld), it turns out I did not. There’s a lot of courtroom stuff, so if that’s not your thing, this might not be your thing, but it features some of the best performances you’re likely to see this year. Almost every character/genuine real actual person in the series has their own separate conflict to deal with, some related, some unrelated to the main plot, and it is very interesting to watch this landmark case and infamous verdict played out from the point of view of the accused, his defence team, the prosecution, the victims, friends and family of those involved, police officers, ordinary people, and even baby Kardashians. I couldn’t get enough of it, and wolfed the whole thing down in less than three days.
Another excellent limited series was The Night Manager. A few of John le Carré’s books have been adapted into films recently, but this one was done over six hour-long episodes, and done extremely well. Tom Hiddleston leads the line as a double agent of numerous names, while Hugh Laurie matches his presence as the worst (and poshest) man in the world, Richard Onslow Roper. It’s exactly what you’d expect from a le Carré story: intrigue, subterfuge, double- and triple-crossing, guns, passports, flights, hotels, and difficulty in working out what’s going on. The best thing about the whole series, though, is Olivia Colman, who saves the world while heavily pregnant. Not bad going at all.

My Pick – Fargo
My Prediction – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story
My Unsung Hero – None
My Oh-No-No – None

10. Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Nominated: Bryan Cranston, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Cuba Gooding Jr., Tom Hiddleston, Courtney B. Vance

I didn’t think I could ever get behind somebody other than Phil Morris playing Johnnie Cochran, but my goodness, what a performance from Courtney B. Vance. In a series full of fine acting and big personalities, it was going to take something special to rise to the top, but Vance nailed it as O. J.’s charismatic and controversial attorney. In a performance that almost rivals Morris’s for comedic value, and of course surpasses it for drama, he managed to put across a man who would clearly do just about anything to clear his  client’s name, regardless of the truth, but also someone who believed he was doing the right thing, if not for quite the right reasons.
He’s my Pick for this one, but my Prediction is Tom Hiddleston, who wouldn’t be a bad shout at all. I haven’t been that keen on Hiddleston until relatively recently. I greatly enjoyed his performance in High Rise, a film I understand was not popular among those who have read the book on which it is based, which I have not. He was great in The Night Manager, but I think due to the nature of the character, the wall that he has to put up between himself and everyone else, he isn’t able to put across the range of emotion and the numerous situations found in The People v O. J. Simpson.
Vance’s co-star, Cuba Gooding Jr., really impressed me as O.J. I hadn’t viewed him as a particularly serious actor, but he nailed this part. Given the verdict in the case, and the fact that O. J. may be the only person in the world who really knows whether or not he did it, the series was limited in what it could show, state and imply. Therefore, Gooding had to decide if he was playing an innocent man or a killer trying to pass himself of as one. I was particularly impressed with him at the end of the series, when his character realises that, even though he was found not guilty (spoilers), and he is still a rich, free man, there are plenty of people who don’t believe him, and are not happy with the wider implications of the verdict. His life is not going to be easy, and he has to live with the consequences of what he did or was accused of doing.
One name I was surprised to find absent from the list of nominees was Patrick Wilson, whom I had previously known as That Guy, You Know, He Was In Watchmen And That Episode Of Girls, And He Was Jason Bateman’s Enemy In The Switch. Still, that’s all water under the bridge now. Wilson had the hard task of playing a younger version of Lou Solverson, a beloved breakout character from the first season of the show, and to do so clean-shaven opposite these two could not have made it easier. He did a terrific job, though, and although the format of the series doesn’t really lend itself to having a main character as such, Wilson was the glue holding it together, as he was involved in the majority of storylines. I thought he was excellent, but since I’m somehow still not being consulted during the nomination process, my seal of approval will have to suffice in lieu of a wee statue.

My Pick – Courtney B. Vance
My Prediction – Tom Hiddleston
My Unsung Hero – Patrick Wilson
My Oh-No-No – None

11. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Nominated: Kirsten Dunst, Felicity Huffman, Audra McDonald, Sarah Paulson, Lili Taylor, Kerry Washington

I didn’t think I could ever get behind somebody other than Tina Fey playing Marcia Clark, but my goodness, what a performance from Sarah Paulson. Clark, who led the prosecution case against O. J. Simpson, had the unenviable task of trying to convict a popular athlete with a huge amount of public support. Despite initially having a good deal of convincing evidence, a series of blunders from the prosecution, as well as a well-argued case about the institutionalised racism within the LAPD being to blame for Simpson’s arrest, the case against him unravels. Clark takes this extremely personally, as she had taken an interest in the case very early on due to numerous allegations of domestic violence made against Simpson by his ex-wife (one of the people he was accused of murdering). On top of the case, Clark is dealing with a divorce and custody battle, trying to raise her children, and a battle with the media over her negative public image. Paulson portrays all of these separate-yet-connected struggles perfectly. As the main figurehead for her side of the case, opposite Cochran, Clark has a good deal of the screen time. Somehow, the way Paulson and Vance’s performances are balanced allows the viewer to root for each of them at different times, feel the pain of one while cheering on the other, and respect both of them as lawyers, and appreciate the actors behind them.
As great as Paulson was, my Pick for this one is Kirsten Dunst. Another actor who has reinvented herself somewhat through a limited series, Dunst shouldered a great deal of the weight in the second season of Fargo. As an ordinary person thrust into a highly unusual situation, for which she was as much to blame as Wallace Wells, Peggy Blumquist displays both the confidence needed to propel oneself through such situations, and the terror felt by a novice upon finding oneself in such situations. Unlike Martin Freeman’s Lester Nygaard in the first season, Peggy does not find herself alone, but rather dragging her deadweight husband, Ed, along with her, and remains stronger and far more convincing than Nygaard. It’s this kind of similar-yet-different approach that can allow Fargo to continually reinvent itself while remaining familiar to the viewer.

My Pick – Kirsten Dunst
My Prediction – Sarah Paulson
My Unsung Hero – None
My Oh-No-No – None

12. Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Nominated: Sterling K. Brown, Hugh Laurie, Jesse Plemons, David Schwimmer, John Travolta, Bokeem Woodbine

This might be the most difficult category to call. I’ve already mentioned my affection for Laurie in The Night Manager, and I was impressed with Plemons in Fargo as well, after being less than convinced by him in Breaking Bad. Although I’m quite fond of David Schwimmer, he didn’t have a great amount of screen time in The People v. O. J. Simpson, and although I appreciate the importance of the Robert Kardashian character to O. J.’s personal arc within the wider story, I didn’t think there was a huge amount of merit to his inclusion as a major character.
Honourable mention goes to Sterling K. Brown, who played Christopher Darden in The People v. O. J. Simpson. His character had perhaps the most difficult job of all, as a black man attempting to prosecute Simpson. As the case became more and more focused on race, it became increasingly difficult for Darden to maintain his position under scrutiny from those among the African-American community who believed Simpson was a scapegoat. His arc ends with a passionate speech rejecting Cochran’s peace offering, as Darden still believes he did right, and while Cochran might have done his job, he has in fact set back progress within the LAPD, rather than making a positive contribution to civil rights. Brown portrays this internal conflict masterfully, torn between two sides of what some see as the same argument, while he can see there are at least two. Eventually, he is resigned to the realisation that, win or lose, he is going to lose.
My Pick this year is Bokeem Woodbine, and in an unusual move, he’s also my Prediction. His role as Mike Milligan (of Mike Milligan & The Kitchen Brothers) on Fargo was a relatively small one, but a crucial one to the story and to the overall ambience of the show. The season would have been somewhat light on comic relief had it not been for him, despite the presence of Nick Offerman and Ted Danson. Over ten relatively brief appearances, Woodbine cultivates a memorable character who might well have comparisons all over the place, but few if any peers.
Breaking his own record for Unsung Hero places, it’s Nick Offerman, whose excellent turn as Karl Weathers in Fargo convinced me that he had been in more than five episodes. Shockingly, he also lost a Best Beard contest with co-star Ted Danson, with whom he shares the slot. In an (almost) unprecedented move, I’ve allocated a third place in this category to Tom Hollander, who played Corky in The Night Manager. Hollander specialises in playing abusive uppity pricks with ideas above their stations (see The Thick Of It, About Time, Pirates Of The Caribbean, etc.), but he surpassed himself in this particular outing. My overstuffing of the Unsung Hero slot in this category, on top of the excellent selection of nominees, is testament to the exceptionally high quality of the series on offer this year.
John Travolta didn’t do a bad job as such, but I found it impossible to take him seriously with his ridiculous face that he has. I bet he wishes he’d made his swap with Nicolas Cage a permanent deal.

My Pick – Bokeem Woodbine
My Prediction – Bokeem Woodbine
My Unsung Hero – Nick Offerman/Ted Danson/Tom Hollander
My Oh-No-No – John Travolta

13. Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Nominated: Kathy Bates, Olivia Colman, Regina King, Melissa Leo, Sarah Paulson, Jean Smart

With all due respect to everyone else, this has to be Olivia Colman’s award. I mean, come on. I haven’t seen Sarah Paulson’s other nominated role (on American Horror Story: Hotel), but she’s my Oh-No-No because she doesn’t need two Emmys. That’s not fair. Give Olivia Colman one.
Christin Milioti could easily be among the nominees after her turn on Fargo. She had a strange job, in that viewers with good memories knew where her story was heading, and she was somewhat incidental to the main plot, existing largely as the connection between Danson and Wilson. But that’s what a good supporting actor does – sticks in your head after the series is finished, and makes you feel stuff as their character arc zooms towards an inevitable conclusion.

My Pick – Olivia Colman
My Prediction – Olivia Colman
My Unsung Hero – Cristin Milioti
My Oh-No-No – Sarah Paulson (unless she doesn’t win the other one, I suppose)

 

 

And that’s that. If you strongly agree or strongly disagree with anything I’ve written here, please feel free to let me know. If you have no strong feelings either way, they’re probably best kept to yourself. And, as ever, if any of these excellent series and actors have yet to cross your path, you should of course make their acquaintance.
You may have noticed a bit of a shake-up of the categories, which was due to my having more to say about some categories this year, and less to say of others. You may also have noticed fewer Oh-No-Nos in this installment, which could suggest personal growth on my part as I become less inclined to criticise artists and hold vindictive grudges against them, or it could be due to better telly this year. I suppose we’ll never know the truth, but it’s fun to speculate.

It’s been great fun. Until next year, folks.