Emmy Nominees: Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

My predictions: 2/7, picking only Cusack and Stiles

So long, SVU. For only the second time in the past decade, not one actress from any of the “Law & Order” brand is in this race. In fact, only one actress from a procedural of any sort is here, and that’s Mary McDonnell (The Closer), a wonderful choice and a particularly good sign for the future star of her own spin-off, especially since Kyra Sedgwick got booted from the list of nominees this year. I’m pleasantly surprised that both Cara Buono and Randee Heller made it in for “Mad Men” given that no guest star other than Robert Morse has made it in the past three years. It’s also fun that young, smart Faye and old, cranky Miss Blankenship both got recognized. Joan Cusack (Shameless) deserves this nomination so much, and it’s just a shame that the show received no other mentions at all. Julia Stiles (Dexter) managed to get in even though costar Jonny Lee Miller didn’t. Apparently someone is still watching “Grey’s Anatomy,” as Loretta Devine earns her first-ever Emmy nod. As for Alfre Woodard (True Blood), I think her name alone merited her inclusion here since she didn’t have all that much of a part on the otherwise forgotten HBO series.

Who should win? Cusack
Who will win? I’m guessing Cusack, though it could be any of them.