Emmy Nomination Analysis: Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

This award will be announced at the Creative Arts Emmys Ceremony on September 15th.


CATEGORY: Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

NOMINEES: Elizabeth Banks for 30 Rock, Kathy Bates for Two and a Half Men, Margaret Cho for 30 Rock, Dot-Marie Jones for Glee, Melissa McCarthy for Saturday Night Live, Maya Rudolph for Saturday Night Live

ANALYSIS: The only performance I had not previously seen was Bates' on Two and a Half Men, so I made it my first episode to watch. Knowing a little background on the Charlie Sheen incident made this situation a little funny, and seeing such a respected actress play a total scumbag made for some laughs. Bates played a reincarnation of Charlie Sheen's old character, who had been killed off in the beginning of the season. He comes back to persuade his ailing brother Alan to move out of his house, only to appear later, once Alan has moved into an awful new house, to tell Alan he was playing a prank on him. Personally, I found some of the humor a little over the top and was surprised at how much the writers were able to get away with on a broadcast network, especially CBS. However, Bates was completely game for the raunch, and it really made this role work. Jones is the sole actor/actress nominated for Glee, which used to be a perennial Emmy favorite, but I was so glad she was nominated this year (although I was really pulling for a nomination for Naya Rivera in the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category). The major problem here is that Jones' performance is dramatic, which begs the question of whether this is an award for best performance in a comedy series or best comedic performance in a comedy series. If it's the latter, Jones doesn't have a shot, she only makes a joke or two the whole episode. But if it's the best performance on a show that just happens to be categorized as a comedy, then Jones is a worthy nominee and a real contender for the award. Side note: I do have a bit of trouble categorizing Glee as a comedy series, and I am a proponent for the Academy to creative a dramedy category). Jones' character deals with spousal abuse in this episode, a topic that, for a comedy series, is not handled lightly, nor should it be. On a show like Glee with such a large ensemble, it is very hard sometimes to stand out, and this storyline was not even the big story of the week. Still, Jones did a very good job and the final scene, split between cuts of a beautiful version of Florence + The Machine's "Shake It Out" and Jones' character Beiste returning to her abusive husband made for a heartbreaking conclusion to the episode. I spy a dark horse in this race. Banks and Cho submitted the same episode for Emmy consideration this year, an episode in which Banks' character, Avery Jessup, returns to the United States after being captured by North Korea and Kim Jong Il, impersonated here by Cho. These performances are from different sides of the spectrum, in my opinion. I had no idea Margaret Cho was the person playing Kim Jong Il, given the different sex and how small the role was. Cho only appears in three very short scenes in this episode, and a lot of the acting is very over the top, but when parodying someone like an obsessive, oppressive leader, that can make for good television. The character made for some great laughs, but I found myself wondering if it was Cho or the jokes that were making me laugh, and with a performance so tiny, can she really compete? On the other hand, Banks walked into this episode knowing it was time to make her entrance. Having been missing for a whole season, this was the first time we had seen Banks since her character was abducted in last year's season finale, yet she fell right back into the pace of the show. This time, she seemed to fit perfectly into the story and made for quite a compatible partner to Alec Baldwin, no small feat. Her snark was delivered perfectly, and I was more impressed the second time around than I was originally. She is certainly a frontrunner. Finally, I rewatched the two nominated guest actresses for Saturday Night Live: McCarthy and Rudolph. After originally watching these episodes earlier this year, I knew these two actresses would be nominated for their work, hosting the best episodes of Saturday Night Live this year. While some say the show itself has had a bit of a tumble in recent years, these two episodes stuck out as highlights, no doubt thanks to the hosts. McCarthy's episode gained quite a lot of attention when it aired in early October, and as a huge Bridesmaids fan, I was ecstatic to see her host. There is no shortage of memorable characters from this episode: Arlene, the sexed-up office employee; Gloria, the Hidden Ranch Valley enthusiast; and the fifth, butch sister of the Laurence Welk Show's favorite singing group. The writing was good, but McCarthy's commitment to the work was unmatched. I said it back in October and I'm saying it again now: there is no way McCarthy doesn't win this award. Her biggest match might just be the other SNL host, Rudolph, who returned for her first hosting gig after leaving the show. Having this experience, Rudolph fits in some seamlessly with the cast, and having worked with a lot of them before, it's no surprise she seems so in her element. Standout skits like Bronx Beat and Beyonce and Jay-Z's baby greeting played to her strong suits: impressions and accents. While I was hoping for a Whitney Houston impression, it seemed fitting not to do one this time around, as the singer had passed away a little over a week before Rudolph's episode. Regardless, there is no shortage of strong work here, and Rudolph would be a very deserved winner. But when it comes down to it...

WHO SHOULD AND WILL WIN: ...this is McCarthy's award. She is such a tour de force, it will be hard for voters not to recognize her hilarious work, especially if she does not win the award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

RANKINGS:
1. Melissa McCarthy - Saturday Night Live
2. Maya Rudolph - Saturday Night Live
3. Elizabeth Banks - 30 Rock
4. Dot-Marie Jones - Glee
5. Kathy Bates - Two and a Half Men
6. Margaret Cho - 30 Rock

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Evan