Emmy Nomination Analysis: Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

CATEGORY: Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

NOMINEES: Christine Baranski for The Good Wife, Joanne Froggatt for Downton Abbey, Anna Gun for Breaking Bad, Christina Hendricks for Mad Men, Archie Panjabi for The Good Wife, Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey

ANALYSIS: Previously, I had seen Baranski and Panjabi's tape. Panjabi won this Emmy two years ago, and had a standout season last year, but she wasn't given a whole lot to do this year. Regardless, she still is great in her submission tape, in which we finally get to see a cracked Kalinda, scared and unsure. She's got a great moment in the middle where she becomes a hardass and breaks through a wall for money and weapons, and it's all very "Kalinda." The end of the episode is very suspenseful, and Panjabi does a great job. Her co-star, Baranski, despite being one of the biggest stars on the show, was not given a whole lot to do in the first two seasons, but she got some great stories this year, including this episode. Baranski runs the show here, and her character Diane runs the show. She's involved in two big story lines, so her screen time is a lot greater than season's past submissions. Maybe she could be the third actress from The Good Wife to win an Emmy. She's definitely a frontrunner. Next, I watched Gunn's episode. She's very good, but the biggest detractor here is screen time. She's got two good scenes but they are the very first scene and the very last scene of the episode. There's a small scene about thirty minutes in, but it doesn't have an effect. It's hard to judge this episode because while Gunn is very good, she hardly makes the same kind of statement the other nominees do in their episodes. Next, I watched the Downton Abbey ladies. Of course, both actresses' performances in each episode will be seen, so there must be judgment for each lady in both episodes. Smith's submission is good, but her screen time is very limited (of course, with a ridiculously huge ensemble, that's a given). She is the comic relief, from what I can see, and everyone loves Maggie Smith regardless. Joanne Froggatt has a sad storyline here as she fights for the affections of her lover while battling his own wife. It's pretty sad. Froggatt also has a great episode while defending the woman she works for, as Smith tries to convince a young man to fight for the woman he loves. Both of them are standouts in the ensemble, but Smith is beloved, and that will get her more votes. Heck, she could even win the whole thing based on that love alone, so she's gotta be someone to keep an eye on. Finally, I watched Hendricks' tape, which had a pretty powerful story in which she succumbed to her morals and slept with another man in order to advance in her workplace. Her performance is so understated, but she says so much without saying anything. Remember that Mad Men, despite winning Best Drama Series for four years, has not won a single acting award. Hendricks could break that curse. Overall, there was no actress who really stood out with a flawless performance in this category, and it's possible we could see a dark horse winner here.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Baranski's been giving consistent performances on The Good Wife for three years, and in a season where she finally shines, she should take home the gold.

WHO WILL WIN: Good performance + overall love for her = an Emmy win for Maggie Smith. 

RANKINGS: 

1. Maggie Smith - Downton Abbey

2. Christine Baranski - The Good Wife

3. Christina Hendricks - Mad Men

4. Joanne Froggatt - Downton Abbey

5. Archie Panjabi - The Good Wife

6. Anna Gunn - Breaking Bad

Which Downton Abbey or Good Wife lady do you think should win the award? Or perhaps you think the redheaded bombshell of Mad Men or dedicated wife of Breaking Bad should take home the big prize? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section!

Evan