Nominees are pictured and listed in alphabetical order. Beware of spoilers for listed episodes. The six episodes listed for each show make up the three tapes that could have been sent to voters. Please refer to my original reviews and chime in with your own commentary and predictions in the comments!
BREAKING BAD
"No Mas" & "Sunset"
"One Minute" & "Fly"
"Half Measures" & "Full Measure"
These episodes are enormously strong and the pairings work pretty well too. The season premiere is paired with the astonishing episode where Walt and Hank almost come face to face, while directing nominee “One Minute” is put with the aggravating but fascinating “Fly.” The third tape contains the last two episodes of the last season, which are both magnificent but may prove less accessible to first-time viewers. I predicted this show to overtake “Mad Men” last year, and this season has been even better than the last (in both cases, which isn’t helpful). Still, consider this a dark horse, but the fact that it’s so dark will probably hurt rather than help it.
DEXTER
"Dex Takes a Holiday" & "Dirty Harry"
"Road Kill" & "Hungry Man"
"Hello Dexter Morgan" & "The Getaway"
These tapes are enormously strong, featuring consecutive episodes from different parts of the season. The first installment, episode four, features a great guest star in the form of Christina Cox, and the second emphasizes Dexter’s humanity and role as a family man. The second tape is truly fantastic, with two episodes that see Arthur really lose it (not to mention the best episode of this show’s season: the Thanksgiving one). The final tape includes the last two episodes of the season which pack their own particular punch. Simply put, this was the show’s best season since the first (before the show was nominated), and these tapes represent it well. The fact that John Lithgow already won a guest acting Emmy for his performance indicates that this show might do really well this year. It definitely has a chance.
THE GOOD WIFE
"Pilot" & "Threesome"
"Hi" & "Bang"
"Fleas" & "Heart"
I don’t have reviews of all these episodes because I didn’t really like the show for a while following the pilot. It did grow on me, however, and those who liked the pilot probably liked the whole show more than I did. These episodes do a good job of incorporating Peter’s arc and Alicia’s dilemma about starting an affair with Will. Nominated actresses Julianna Margulies, Christine Baranski, and Archie Panjabi all submitted one of the above episodes, which is a good sign considering they all highlight the fine work done by the thespians. It’s been a long time since a procedural won Best Drama Series, but this is the best shot any show like this had for a long time.
LOST
"Dr. Linus" & "Ab Aeterno"
"Happily Ever After" & "The Candidate"
"The End, Parts 1 & 2"
It’s important to first point out that “The Sopranos” is the only show ever to win for its final season. The submissions for this show are strong and may be exactly the ticket to really competing in this race. The first three focus on wildly popular characters (Ben, Richard, and Desmond), while the fourth showcases some major shocking deaths, and then there’s the super-sized finale. This show may have divided too many people to take home another top award after winning in its first, still-fresh year, but it wouldn’t be too big a surprise if it did manage to overcome the odds.
MAD MEN
"My Old Kentucky Home" & "The Gypsy & the Hobo"
"Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" & "Seven Twenty Three"
"The Grown Ups" & "Shut the Door, Have a Seat"
This show is the reigning champ with two consecutive wins, and its third year was just as good as, if not better than, the previous ones. Smart submissions mean that the show is once again the frontrunner to win, and it’s only a matter of whether a show can muster up enough buzz to dethrone it. “The West Wing” won for its first four seasons, and some even thought it was losing some of its freshness by that point. This show, on the other hand, remains just as well-received as ever. These episodes are taken out of order but all marvelously effective. Each tape has one truly well-liked episode, and the others are great too. I imagine this show will make it three in a row this year.
TRUE BLOOD
"Nothing but the Blood" & "Scratches"
"Shake & Fingerpop" & "Never Let Me Go"
"I Will Rise Up" & "Frenzy"
Many have expressed that this show’s nomination is its win. That’s likely true, given both the plot of the show and given the fact that it has no other major nominations. “Big Love,” another HBO show, scored only one nod last year, which was in this category, and while “True Blood” does have four other technical nominations, it still doesn’t have much of a shot. The episodes themselves are fine but even, and they’re certainly not going to help this show win. “Keep This Party Going,” “Release Me,” and “Timebomb” weren’t even included, and those were all stronger than the selected episodes. Maybe next year, though I doubt that the show will get nominated again.
Who should win (based on entire season): “Mad Men” (my ballot)
Who should win (based on individual episodes): “Breaking Bad”
Who will win: It could be any of the shows except for “True Blood,” but I think it’s going to be “Mad Men” again.
Next up: Best Comedy Series
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