Final Emmy Winner Predictions

I’m in Los Angeles for the Emmys for the first time in a long time, if not ever, and therefore I’ll be sitting down to watch this show at 5pm and done with it at exactly the time I’d usually start. Though that precludes me from watching it with friends who have to be at work, I don’t mind getting an earlier start on the evening.

Going into tonight, we actually have a number of competitive races, and I’m betting against some of the frontrunners. I’m actually 0/4 on the guest categories, with Ron Cephas Jones, Samira Wiley, Katt Williams, and Tiffany Haddish triumphing. I could have seen the first and last ones but was very surprised by the middle two. Either way, it shouldn’t have much bearing on tonight, other than to give Wiley and Williams’ shows, “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Atlanta,” respectively, a bit of a boost.

Best Drama Series is a dead heat between “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Game of Thrones.” I thought both were terrific, so I don’t really mind which one wins, though I am rooting most strongly for Yvonne Strahovski to win since I think she was superb and deserves a win. Best Comedy Series is so close between “Atlanta” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and I really prefer the latter. I’d also love to see “Barry” pick up a few wins.

For the other categories, I don’t know much, since I just watched the first hours of “The Alieniest,” “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” “Godless,” and “Patrick Melrose,” and didn’t love any of them. I’ve also sampled “Twin Peaks,” “The Looming Tower,” and “American Vandal,” which are all up for other awards, and none of those impressed me much. Only “Waco,” which picked up an acting nomination for supporting actor John Leguizamo, who was far from the best part of that project, did I watch in its entirety and enjoy, along with “The Tale,” which was a movie back when I saw it at Sundance in January. I haven’t seen “U.S.S. Callister: Black Mirror,” which already picked up the Best TV Movie award last week at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, though I’ve heard terrific things, and as a result I will be considerably less invested in all of the categories not related to drama and comedy series.

As always, I’m excited for the show, and will post some brief reactions either immediately afterwards or the next morning. Enjoy the show, and leave your thoughts in the comments! For detailed predictions in all applicable categories, click on the hyperlinked category name.

No guts, no glory (last year, my choice of Ann Dowd was right!):
Betty Gilpin wins for “GLOW”

DRAMA SERIES:
The Handmaid’s Tale

DRAMA LEAD ACTOR:
Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us)

DRAMA LEAD ACTRESS:
Claire Foy (The Crown)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale)

DRAMA DIRECTING:
The Dragon and the Wolf (Game of Thrones)

DRAMA WRITING:
START (The Americans)

COMEDY SERIES:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

COMEDY LEAD ACTOR:
Bill Hader (Barry)

COMEDY LEAD ACTRESS:
Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Alex Borstein (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY DIRECTING:
Pilot (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

COMEDY WRITING:
Pilot (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel)

LIMITED SERIES:
The Assassination of Gianni Versace

TV MOVIE/LIMITED ACTOR:
Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED ACTRESS:
Laura Dern (The Tale)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Jeff Daniels (Godless)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Penelope Cruz (The Assassination of Gianni Versace)

TV MOVIE/LIMITED DIRECTING:
The Assassination of Gianni Versace

TV MOVIE/LIMITED WRITING:
U.S.S. Callister: Black Mirror

VARIETY TALK SERIES:
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES:
Saturday Night Live

VARIETY DIRECTING:
The Oscars

VARIETY WRITING:
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Presents: The Great American Puerto Rico