Nominees are pictured and listed in alphabetical order. Submitted episode titles are in parentheses. Beware of minor spoilers for listed episodes.
Cara Buono as Faye Miller, Mad Men (Chinese Wall)
Buono earned her first Emmy nomination for her recurring portrayal of Faye Miller, consultant to the firm. In her submitted episode, she is asked by Don to leak secrets and gets the chance to tell him off. It’s a strong showcase, but Buono is a relatively unknown actress up against plenty of heavyweights, so I don’t see her winning this, though her nomination makes me very happy.
Joan Cusack as Sheila Jackson, Shameless (Frank Gallagher: Loving Husband, Devoted Father)
Two-time Oscar nominee Cusack got her first Emmy nod for her season-long performance that some readers of this blog have argued is in the wrong category. No one can deny its brilliance, however, thanks to her mesmerizing portrayal of agoraphobia. Frank’s son ends up outside her home in her submitted episode, so it’s a great showcase that’s highly likely to win her this thing.
Loretta Devine as Adele Webber, Grey’s Anatomy (This Is How We Do It)
Devine represents one of the former Best Drama Series’ two nominations this year. Devine plays the wife of the Chief of Surgery, who in her episode is insistent that she doesn’t have Alzheimer’s. Kate Burton, who played another Alzheimer’s sufferer on this show, was nominated twice and didn’t win, and while Devine is certainly memorable and stands out, I think Emmy voters’ love for this show has long passed.
Randee Heller as Miss Blankenship, Mad Men (The Beautiful Girls)
Heller netted her first awards nomination after a career spanning over thirty years. It’s a fun role, playing a grumpy and ineffective secretary who dies at her desk, prompting the other employees to figure out the subtlest way to remove her without anyone noticing. She’d definitely be the entertaining choice, but I’m not sure the performance is as substantial as should be necessary to merit an award.
Mary McDonnell as Captain Sharon Raydor, The Closer (Help Wanted)
McDonnell returns with her second nomination in this category after an “ER” guest spot in 2002, finally earning some residual love from her almost-nominated days on “Battlestar Galactica.” She gets the chance to vet candidates for the position of chief of police in her submitted episode, which is a lot of fun. She’s since been promoted to series regular and announced to star in the forthcoming spinoff. I’m not sure it’s her time to win yet, but I’d certainly love to see it happen.
Julia Stiles as Lumen Pierce, Dexter (In the Beginning)
Stiles appeared in most of season five of the serial killer drama, and in her submitted episode, she prepares to kill with Dexter and then begins a romance with him. It’s a strong arc, though I’m not sure how well it will come off with just one small sampling. The first-time Emmy nominee is definitely a threat and could win if voters want to reward the show.
Alfre Woodard as Ruby Jean Reynolds, True Blood (Night on the Sun)
This is Woodard’s sixteenth Emmy nomination, and she’s triumphed four times in the past, most recently in this category in 2003 for “The Practice.” Here she’s playing Lafayette’s crazy mother who attacks his home, both verbally and physically. She’s the kind of actress that’s great in anything, and while she’s always a threat, I don’t think this performance is going to win her another Emmy at this point.
Who should win (based on entire season): Cusack
Who should win (based on individual episodes): Cusack
Who will win: I think that Cusack is far ahead of the rest of the pack.
Next up: Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
3 comments:
Abe, I really don't think Cusack will win. I mean, she's great in the show and I would love to see her win, but I think she's at a disadvantage being the only nomination from her show. That almost guarantees that Emmy voters will only see her submitted episode and therefor will not get a more full picture of her performance. This is where I think Stiles has more of a shot, because since her show is nominated for Outstanding Drama Series and the last six episiodes of the show are nominated, voters will see all those episodes and get a more full picture of her performance, so this is why I think Stiles has a bigger advantage. Same with Buono and Heller, they are in other episodes of Mad Men that voters will probably see. Any of those four women I believe will be a deserving winner, though, but I do think, especially when it comes to guest stars who are actually recurring characters, that getting a wider sampling of the show helps their chances (thenagain, the last few einners in this category have been one-time SVU appearances, so we'll see).
The guest categories do weird things sometimes. I would still say that her submission is top-notch, and also note that her being the only nominee from her show isn't that big of a problem. Stiles could win, sure, but I'm still not sure how seriously she's taken.
Well, it looks like we were both wrong. It was just announced that Loretta Devine took this award (did not see that coming).
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