Emmy Predictions: Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Titles in parantheses are the episodes chosen as submissions for the Emmy awards in this category. I have watched all the episodes in this category in preparation for analysis of possible winners and their chances.

The nominees:

JAIME PRESSLY AS JOY, MY NAME IS EARL (Jump for Joy)
I still cannot wrap my head around how people like this show. Pressly certainly gives her performance her all but I cannot understand how it is remotely award-worthy. Her episode is well-chosen for the role it gives her character, but deserves no place in an awards category.

JENNA FISCHER AS PAM, THE OFFICE (The Job)
Fischer truly nails it in this episode, particularly in her final scene with John Krasinski. The main detractor is that it is not nearly as showy as every other performer in this category, but the performance is true and hopefully she will ride the popularity of "The Office" to a well-merited Emmy win.

CONCHATA FERRELL AS BERTA, TWO AND A HALF MEN (Repeated Blows to His Unformed Head)
Ferrell certainly delivers some laugh-out-loud hilarious lines in this episode, but her screen time is fairly limited and the performance is not terribly difficult. Nonetheless, playing off of Jon Cryer and being on an immensely popular show should not hurt her chances.

HOLLAND TAYLOR AS EVELYN, TWO AND A HALF MEN (The Sea is a Harsh Mistress)
Taylor certainly has the power to command the screen, but this episode does not showcase her best work. How she got nominated is a mystery, and her screentime is almost less frequent than the already slim Ferrell's. She does not appear in Ferrell's episode at all, so no help there.

VANESSA WILLIAMS AS WILHELMINA, UGLY BETTY (Don't Ask, Don't Tell)
Williams is really in the background of this episode, and hardly does anything. I have only seen the pilot apart from this episode, but it seems an unwise move to submit this hour. Her "money scene" is not all that great.

ELIZABETH PERKINS AS CELIA, WEEDS (Pittsburgh)
Sort of an odd choice for Perkins, who does not appear very much in this episode and acts like a crazy person for most of it. She is perhaps taken better over the whole season, and I doubt she can muster a win with the show's lukewarm reception at the nominations.

Who should win (based on entire season): Fischer
Who should win (based on individual episodes): Fischer
Who will win: I have to hope that this one goes to Jenna Fischer, though I certainly note the dangerous threats posed by Conchata Ferrell and Vanessa Williams, both underused but occasionally hilarious on their respective ridiculously popular shows.

Next: Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series