Emmy Episodes: UnREAL

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. This year, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

UnREAL: Season 1, Episode 3 “Mother” (C+)
Nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (Constance Zimmer)

I’m more than happy to be officially done with this show, at least for the season, now that I’ve gotten to Zimmer’s submitted hour. This absolutely is not my kind of show, and usually I’m at least a little bit interested in where the plot is going to go and what’s going to happen, but I really don’t care much here. The title of the episode has a lot more to do with Rachel than it does with Quinn, and what a monster of a mother she has, so determined to control her life that she withholds financial support if her daughter refuses to engage in therapy with her, which is totally unethical in every way. It’s true that Rachel is good at her job because of how twisted her brain is, and that her natural impulse is to stir up the drama in a way that her hapless colleague Shia just doesn’t have. But back to the Emmy nominee at hand – this is definitely a smart submission for Zimmer. Giving Chet another chance seemed like a step backward, but I don’t think she expected him to have a heart attack while they were having sex. Getting talked down to by his wife was a harrowing moment, and one that Zimmer handled very well in her portrayal of Quinn. It’s the meatiest role on a soapy show, and therefore I think Zimmer might have a decent shot at taking home the Emmy for her performance. I’ve enjoyed her better in other projects, but I suspect that she’ll be a returning nominee given the positive reception to season two of the show.