Nominees are pictured and listed in alphabetical order. Submitted episode titles are in parentheses. Beware of spoilers for listed episodes.
Christine Baranski as Beverly Hofstadter, The Big Bang Theory (The Maternal Congruence)
Baranski was nominated in this category for the same performance last year. She has an advantage this time because her uptight character loosens up when she discovers alcohol, and Baranski is also a double nominee thanks to her new CBS show “The Good Wife.” Baranski is a respected actress who will likely win another Emmy soon, but with Betty White in the mix this year, don’t count on this being the time.
Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes, Glee (The Rhodes Not Taken)
Chenoweth won an Emmy last year for the cancelled “Pushing Daisies” and found success in her first post-PD role guesting on the most popular new show of the year. Chenoweth is charming as always and gets the chance to sing and dance for sensible reasons (they made it happen on “Pushing Daisies” somehow too). If for some crazy reason White didn’t win, Chenoweth would be next in line, but I don’t see it happening.
Tina Fey as Herself, Saturday Night Live (Host: Tina Fey)
The ultra-popular Fey won this award last year for hosting SNL, and her repeat performance is just as funny and endearing. She even reprises her imitation of Sarah Palin, which audiences and voters alike adore. Fey’s series “30 Rock” is also still popular, so she has everything going for her. Fellow SNL host and nominee Betty White thinks Fey is going to repeat, but as Tom O’Neil points out on his blog, she’s probably wrong. Fey is going to have to yield to her elder this year.
Kathryn Joosten as Karen McCluskey, Desperate Housewives (The Chase)
Beware Mrs. McCluskey. Joosten has won both times she was previously nominated, for the show’s first and fourth seasons. Now she contends again for her appearance in an episode of this season that had me pointing out how strange it was that she was so randomly reintroduced. Her Emmy track record is spotless, but I think showier comediennes should lower her batting average this year.
Jane Lynch as Herself, Two & a Half Men (818-JKLPUZO)
Lynch is fantastic, there’s no debating that. But she shouldn’t be here for her effortless performance as Charlie’s shrink on “Two and a Half Men,” where she barely lifts a finger and makes a few slightly funny puns. If she had been nominated for “Party Down,” that would have made more sense, but this is purely a response to her growing popularity with her new role on “Glee.” She’ll probably win that race, but not this one.
Elaine Stritch as Colleen Donaghy, 30 Rock (The Moms)
This is Stritch’s fourth straight nomination for playing mom to Alec Baldwin’s Jack Donaghy (she won only on her first try). As the episode title suggests, she’s one of many memorable mothers who show up to 30 Rockefeller on Mother’s Day. She’s had much more to do in the past, so I hardly think this is the year that she would repeat given the less prominent showcase she got this time.
Betty White as Saturday Night Live (Host: Betty White)
A Facebook campaign got her the gig of hosting SNL, and the show gave her much to do in the penultimate episode of the season. It’s clear from the audience reaction every time she comes on stage that White is, as some have called her, a national treasure, and she’s simply too adored not to win this thing. The fact that she’s 88 years old and still doing all of this only helps her.
Who should win (based on entire season): Chenoweth (my ballot)
Who should win (based on individual episodes) : Chenoweth (though White is great too)
Who will win: White
Next up: Best Directing for a Drama Series
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