It is that time of the year again, this Sunday, September 23rd, on ABC is the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards. The Best Drama category is damn impressive and for the first time in a long time I think that ll of the shows are very deserving, and while only one can get the award, I don’t think anyone could have hard feelings for which show is ultimately chosen. Lets take a look at the nominees.
Game of Thrones – Not Going to Win.
I can not tell you how excited I am that Game of Thornes got the honor of a nomination and the second season of supernatural medieval drama would be well deserving of a win… but sadly there isn’t a chance of it happening. The series has already taken home six Creative Arts Emmys; Outstanding (non-prosthetic) Make Up, Costumes, Art Direction, Visual Effects, Sound Mixing, and Sound Editing. The show also has the real possibility of Peter Dinklage taking home his second Best Actor Emmy for his portrayal of Tyrion Lannister, afterall this past season rested firmly on his shoulders and he knocked it out of the part.
Broadwalk Empire – Not Going to Win.
The second HBO series to get the Best Drama nomination and the show did already take home the Creative Arts Emmys for behind the scenes work, but like Thrones is not going to win. The second season of the period gangster drama was well received by fans and critics and ended with a (literal) bang, but it just didn’t have the raw power to overcome the beyond strong seasons delivered by Breaking Bad, Mad Men, and newcomer Homeland.
Downton Abbey – The Wild Card.
I have to admit here, I have not seen the wildly popular PBS series. It has a very strong cast and an even stronger following and could actually surprise people like me with a win here. In its third season the show is a drama, but does it have the intensity to win? Does every episode leave the viewer wanting and needing to know what happens next?
Mad Men – A Strong Possibility.
Normally this would be a sure bet. Mad Men returned with a top notch season; featuring great writing, acting, direction, etc. But in a sense it was just more of the same. It gave us exactly what we wanted, but was it surprising or shocking? Sure, Christina Hendricks’ Joan Harris took an unexpected turn well as the fate of Jared Harris’ Lane Pryce, but they were two turns I would have preferred not to see.
Homeland – 50/50.
I avoided watching the first season of Homeland for as long as possible, but I could only last so long with everyone telling me that I needed to give it a shot. And I am very happy I did. The storytelling was tight and suspenseful. They kept me on the edge of my seat like only Breaking Bad and Dexter usually can. Claire Danes, Damian Lewis, and Mandy Patinkin all had award caliber performances. My only gripe was the disappointing and drawn out season final. It was a half an hour too long. Had it been as tight and well paced as the other episodes than Homeland might have a sharper edge for the win.
Breaking Bad – 50/50.
What can I say about a show that gets better and better with every episode? It has drama, action, thrills, and laughs, along with one of the best casts of television. Between Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Giancarlo Esposito, Anna Gunn, Jonathan Banks, Bob Odenkirk, Dean Norris, and Betsy Brandt there is not a weak link in the bunch. The story always feels like it is moving forward going into surprising and entertaining directions. The rise of Walter White, in the nominated season in particular, to the dark side puts Darth Vader to shame. And that is saying something.
Who do you think will take home the Outstanding Drama Emmy?
