NOMINEES: Hugh Bonneville for Downton Abbey, Steve Buscemi for Boardwalk Empire, Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad, Michael C. Hall for Dexter, Jon Hamm for Mad Men, Damian Lewis for Homeland
ANALYSIS: Previously, I had not seen anyone's tapes (shocker, I know!). First, in Bonneville's tape, he's dealing with some kind of affair with a maid, or at least that's what I picked up on. The problem is, once again, that the enormous ensemble doesn't provide for a lot of screen time for these nominated actors, although Bonneville is definitely one of the show's biggest stars, and his character seems fairly important so his screw time is a bit more impressive than others on this show. However, in a category driven by performances from actors who own their shows, I don't know if that's doing him any favors. However, there is another actor in this category who doesn't really own the show: Buscemi. Yes, he's certainly the lead, but his fingerprints aren't all over the episode like some of the other stars. He does the same thing Bonneville does as ring leader, sort of overseeing the action of the episode, but he also gets a pretty good storyline in the death of his father. At first, his tough guy exterior disables him from showing any true emotion about the loss, but when he finally comes face to face with his father's casket, it's heartbreaking and it's Emmy bait. I'd say his chances are a bit better than Bonneville's. However, both prove superior to the category's surprise nominee: Hall. He definitely wasn't expected to get another nomination this year as Dexter as kind of fallen off the Emmy radar. His episode doesn't prove that he had stellar work worth an Emmy this year. He takes a road trip to Nebraska to confront a killer (that's what I got from it), and he's able to be a little relaxed, but when he's working, the performance is just okay. He doesn't get a big scene that justifies his nomination, and he's not a threat at all. If anything, he's a little better than your average leading man on your stereotypical procedural drama. That cannot be said of Jon Hamm, who at this point should adopt the motto "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride," after being nominated here four times and never winning. Could this be the year? Well...maybe. He's got a really good episode, and from what I've seen of Mad Men (only a few episodes here and there), he's in his Don Draper element. He's got a pitch scene that the Emmy voters really seem to love about Mad Men, and his final scene with Elisabeth Moss shows the character's dark side. It's a great episode, but the competition may prove to be hard to overcome. As you may be aware, I spent the past couple of days watching the first season of Homeland and I was completely impressed. I know Claire Danes gets a lot of the attention, but I hope Emmy voters give the same respect to Lewis. He's so awesome on this show, and particularly in this tape. For those who may be watching the first season, I'll try not to spoil anything but his performance is intense, nerve wracking, raw, personal, emotional, it's all packed into one hell of a tape. Personal bias aside, Lewis should deserve the same level of recognition his female co-star is sure to receive, and I hope he gets it. The only person standing in his way is the man who has owned this category for the three years: Bryan Cranston. After being ineligible last year (leading the way to my favorite Emmy win ever for Kyle Chandler's flawless performance on Friday Night Lights), Cranston is back again this year in the search for the Emmy. In his episode, I wasn't utterly impressed to start, but things started rolling with an intense car accident and a kidnapping in a desert. It wasn't until the final moments of the episode that I realized why Cranston had a good shot at getting his fourth Emmy for this performance. In the final episode, he is looking through his hidden stack of money to find some of it gone. His wife appears and reveals to have given it away. Cranston freaks out at first, but it leads to a haunting laugh that reverberates through the last two minutes of the episode. It's intense and freaky, you don't feel comfortable, and Cranston is all in. Honestly, the Emmys love Cranston so much that I could just see them giving him the Emmy because he's been gone for a year and they just can't resist giving it to him.
WHO SHOULD WIN: Damian Lewis' performance has everything: terror, excitement, horror, frustration, tenderness, emotion, etc. It would be so upsetting to see Danes walk away with an Emmy, but not Lewis for a performance that is just as good, if not better.
WHO WILL WIN: Sometimes, when the Emmys love someone, they really love someone. I think that relationship exists between the Academy and Bryan Cranston. Not that it is not deserved, but it would appear Cranston will walk away with another Emmy, meaning he has won the award for every season of Breaking Bad to air so far (and with a fifth season just wrapping up, he'll be eligible once again come next year).
RANKINGS:
1. Bryan Cranston - Breaking Bad
2. Damian Lewis - Homeland
3. Jon Hamm - Mad Men
4. Steve Buscemi - Boardwalk Empire
5. Hugh Bonneville - Downton Abbey
6. Michael C. Hall - Dexter
What do you think? Can Lewis beat out perennial frontrunner Cranston? Can Hamm break the Mad Men curse that threatens to plague his show's fellow nominees? Can Buscemi love run over with an Emmy win? Will the Emmy worship of Downton Abbey present Bonneville with a surprise win? Or could Hall pull off one of the biggest upsets of the year? Let me know what you think below!
Evan
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