With the Creative Arts Emmys approaching this weekend, I'm planning on knocking out the last two guest categories, whose winners will be announced at the ceremony this Saturday. First, let's begin with Guest Actress in a Drama Series, a race with a big frontrunner who might get snubbed in favor of showier performances.
Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Kate Burton - Scandal (episode: "A Door Marked Exit")
Jane Fonda - The Newsroom (episode: "Red Team III")
Allison Janney - Masters of Sex (episode: "Brave New World")
Kate Mara - House of Cards (episode: "Chapter 14")
Margo Martindale - The Americans (episode: "Behind the Red Door")
Diana Rigg - Game of Thrones (episode: "The Lion and the Rose")
Burton has been a utility player on "Scandal" in the first two seasons, but the third season let her shine and collect her first nomination for the show (but her third for a Shonda Rhimes show -- she was nominated in this category twice for earlier seasons of "Grey's Anatomy"). She certainly has a very bait-y tape (
SPOILERS) as we dive right into the beginning of the episode with a manic monologue delivered to her deceiving and closeted husband, building up to Burton taking a pair of scissors and murdering him in her office. It's a scene that grabs your attention immediately and a beautiful, over-the-top acting showcase for Burton. She's powerful, but delicately balances her character's desires of being in power and feeling heartbroken by her husband's betrayal. She is sent into shock after committing the murder, as her character is heavily religious and this is mortal sin. She remains mute for much of the episode, but her silence speaks volumes. Her next big scene doesn't really come until the end, when she finally explodes (again) and says her husband deserved to die. It doesn't make as big an impact as the first scene, but it exposes her true colors. These are the kinds of scenes that win Emmys, and it could definitely do the job for Burton, who easily gets the showiest tape of the category. Her only competition in that title is Fonda, whose tape doesn't have her showing up until the final five minutes of the episode, where she essentially chews up and spits out every character on screen. It does hurt that she doesn't make an appearance until the very end of the episode, but her performance is the last thing voters will remember. In her five minutes, Fonda is, like Burton, manic and angry, but it also grabs your attention. Burton has the upper hand in this battle of scene-chewery, but Fonda is a legend and that could help her chances. Janney had a banner year on television, stealing the show on two brand new series that couldn't be more different; she is nominated for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for "Mom," a traditional sitcom that allows her to be raunchy, loud, and crazy. Yet, her turn on "Masters of Sex" is the total opposite, opting for a quiet, subdued, but powerful performance. It's a testament to how great Janney is, and her two Emmy nominations make it quite obvious that she is worthy of praise. In her submission episode, we are introduced to Janney's character for the first time, knowing only that she is married to a closeted gay man. Unlike Burton's wrath against her secretly gay husband, Janney's character has a hint that something is wrong, but doesn't confront the situation. The episode instead sees Janney taking control of her own sexuality, exploring the study done by the series' main characters, Bill and Virginia. She has great moments throughout the episode that aren't over-the-top, but feel human and you certainly gain sympathy for a woman who has struggled to identify herself. She confesses to have never had an orgasm, and by episode's end, that is no longer the case. She finds satisfaction in a man who is not her husband, yet you feel happy for her, knowing that she is finally realizing what she missed out on all along. It feels like a complete arc in one episode for the character, full of self-realization and demanding empathy from the audience. Complete with Janney's history with the Emmys (hint: they really really love her) and a great tape, Janney is a frontrunner, for sure.
Mara submitted, well, her only option (
MAJOR SPOILERS) as this is the episode where her character dies. Mara, whose character broke out in season one as a gritty journalist getting the inside scoop, meets her fate in the first episode of the second season when she is pushed in front of a moving train. It's not exactly an acting showcase, but Mara is found at the center of the major action of the episode. It finds her character continuing to dig for the truth about the corruption of her mole, Francis Underwood, before he ultimately kills her. She gets some good scenes, but nothing that really steals the show, and again, her biggest moment gets more notice for the shock factor instead of anything Mara does, particularly. It's still a good performance, and the impact is definitely there, but I'm not sure this will win Mara an Emmy. Martindale scores a second nomination in this category for the same show, but it's quite obvious that this is a case of name-checking. Martindale barely makes an appearance in her episode, but unlike Fonda, she has no impact in her short screentime. She has tiny, thirty second scenes scattered throughout the episode, but her only scene of impact comes at the end, but it doesn't make a big impression at all. This won't win an Emmy, and Martindale already has an award, so there's no need to award her for being overdue. It's a low impact performance in a category that has much stronger competitors. The same could almost be said for the category's final performer, Rigg. She appears much more frequently in her tape, but is nowhere near central to the story. She appears in the background of many scenes, but only speaks on a few occasions. She doesn't get many lines of great substance, but she is enjoyable when she's put front and center. Still, this is another performance that's not winning any Emmys.
Rankings based on strength of tapes:
1. Allison Janney - Masters of Sex (episode: "Brave New World")
2. Kate Burton - Scandal (episode: "A Door Marked Exit")
3. Jane Fonda - The Newsroom (episode: "Red Team III")
4. Kate Mara - House of Cards (episode: "Chapter 14")
5. Diana Rigg - Game of Thrones (episode: "The Lion and the Rose")
6. Margo Martindale - The Americans (episode: "Behind the Red Door")
This race, as seems to be the case with many of this year's categories, can be split right down the middle. Janney, Burton and Fonda have the best tapes. Janney has the total package: she is likable, sympathetic, but powerful although subdued. She gets a total arc and has great impact. Burton gets the showiest tape of the bunch (and from a show like "Scandal," that's no shock), and she definitely gets to show the widest range of emotions. She gets two big scenes that bookend an episode that gives a difficult and, at many times, dialogue-less performance. She's a huge threat to win the trophy. Fonda only has five minutes at the very end of her episode, but she milks them for what they're worth. She steals the show and has a big impact. It's not as great as Burton's, but it still works in her favor. Mara is less flashy in her role, but she still gets impact because of the episode's twists and turns. She is good as usual, but no better than what she's done in the past. Rigg provides some good moments in this big episode from "Game of Thrones," but ultimately doesn't do enough to warrant an Emmy. And if possible, Martindale does even less than that. She's not touching this award.
Rankings based on likelihood of winning:
6. Margo Martindale - The Americans
5. Diana Rigg - Game of Thrones
4. Kate Mara - House of Cards
3. Jane Fonda - The Newsroom
2. Kate Burton - Scandal
1. Allison Janney - Masters of Sex
As I've said, Martindale isn't winning an Emmy for this episode which relegates her to popping up to deliver some directions and a few pieces of advice. It seems like a severe case of name-checking, which is unfortunate because there are better performances that should've gained recognition. Rigg is always fun on "Game of Thrones," but she's not central enough to the story to get the screentime or story to warrant an Emmy. The impact of her tape (as "Thrones" fans know) doesn't really settle in until a few episodes later. Mara's nomination surprised me a little bit, as I didn't think she would get an award for her brief appearance this season, but her episode isn't great enough to steal away from the category's other titans. Fonda's biggest drawback is that she's not in the episode until nearly fifty minutes in, then has one scene, and the episode finishes. However, it's a big scene where she is at the forefront, and that impact might be enough. Impact also works in the favor of Burton, who has a winning tape, for sure. She's got it all in one episode, not to mention that she's well-liked and "Scandal" won Guest Actor in a Drama Series last year, so we know voters do like these kinds of episodes and performances. However, I wouldn't bet against Janney, who has a great episode that showcases just how good of an actress she is. She gets major points for gaining the audience's sympathy and having a big moment at the end of the episode that'll have voters checking off her name. Janney is an Emmy powerhouse and her performance, while more subdued against flashier roles, has the best shot of winning this award on Saturday, but I would only be a little surprised if Burton happened to walk away with the award instead. It's a real subtlety vs. scene-chewery battle, but I'm picking Janney in the end.
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