2014 Emmy Nominations Reaction: They Can't Get Them All Right

All of these people deserved nominations,
 alas only one of the five got one.

Every year I try, & thus far fail, to post all of the people/shows I view as deserving of Emmy nominations. The reason I do this is because I tend to find a fair number of their nominations* lacking. Just a couple of examples being The Wire never landing a major nomination despite being the greatest television show of all time, & I'm hardly the only person with that view, & Nick Offerman not receiving a single nod for his work as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. With the Emmy nominations announced this morning you can be sure I'll be posting my own nominees yet again because some of these... Well, you'll see. Now a quick rundown of the major categories. 

*Their inability to correctly reward the right nominees is a whole nother story. Pour one out for Steve Carell & the entire cast of Mad Men. 

COMEDY SERIES

Outstanding Comedy Series
"The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
"Louie" (FX)
"Modern Family" (ABC)
"Orange Is the New Black" (Netflix)
"Silicon Valley" (HBO)
"Veep" (HBO)

Four of these are good choices that I either fully agree with or at least respect, & if any of them win I'll be pleased, then we have Modern Family & The Big Bang Theory. I loved Modern Family back in season 1, liked it a lot in season 2, thought it was solid in season 3, & then just couldn't take any more of Cam's shit (which is to say the writers increasing inability to write a gay character with any nuance). Maybe it rebounded this year––I wouldn't know–but I highly doubt it. As for The Big Bang Theory I just don't get it. The writing is stale & the acting only occasionally elevates it, but 20 million people disagree with me so what do I know?* 

*I know it's garbage & people are stupid. That's what I know. 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Ricky Gervais, "Derek" (Netflix)
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes" (Showtime)
Don Cheadle, "House of Lies" (Showtime)
Louis C.K., "Louie" (FX)
William H. Macy, "Shameless" (Showtime)

I don't like this list at all. We've already covered my BBT thoughts, Cheadle's only in because he's a movie star, I can only assume LeBlanc gets nominated courtesy of Friends nostalgia, & Macy... I'm actually OK with him making it. That's three people who shouldn't be here & I'd be fine with that, because I expected all three, but Ricky Gervais for Derek over Andy Samberg's work on Brooklyn Nine-Nine?! What the hell Emmy voters? You took the time to watch Ricky Gervais in a hairpiece acting, maybe, mentally handicapped but couldn't manage to catch the best new network comedy in years? Ugh... I hate you. Oh &, obviously, C.K. should win.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Lena Dunham, "Girls" (HBO)
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep" (HBO)
Melissa McCarthy, "Mike & Molly" (CBS)
Amy Poehler, "Parks & Recreation" (NBC)
Taylor Schilling, "Orange Is the New Black" (Netflix)

This is much better. I'm happy to see Dunham, Poehler, & Louis-Dreyfus back for another year. Taylor Schilling (nominated for season 1 here––confusing since season 2 just aired, I know) is definitely deserving as well. As for the other two I'd have preferred someone else (say Abby Jacobson & Ilana Glazer of Broad City) but Falco's a good actress & McCarthy... Well she was funny in Bridesmaids so that's something.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, "Brookiyn Nine-Nine" (FOX)
Adam Driver, "Girls" (HBO)
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "Modern Family" (ABC)
Ty Burrell, "Modern Family" (ABC)
Fred Armisen, "Portlandia" (IFC)
Tony Hale, "Veep" (HBO)

Slowly Modern Family's death grip on this category has faded, thank God. Andre Braugher should win (thank God, again, that some voters did watch B99), & Adam Driver continues to give a phenomenal performance on Girls. The other four wouldn't be my picks but Hale is very good on Veep & Burrell was the one person I could always count on in Modern Family so they're fine by me. Since I don't watch Portlandia I'll only count Tyler Ferguson's nomination against voters, but man they left some good people out.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Mayim Bialik, "The Big Bang Theory" (CBS)
Julie Bowen, "Modern Family" (ABC)
Allison Janney, "Mom" (CBS)
Kate Mulgrew, "Orange Is the New Black" (Netflix)
Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live" (NBC)
Anna Chlumsky, "Veep" (HBO)

If you're wondering why Uzo Aduba ("Crazy Eyes"), Laverne Cox (Sophia), or Natasha Lyonne (Nicky) aren't nominated for Orange Is the New Black fear not, they all submitted as guest stars & received nominations. If you're wondering where Danielle Brooks & Samira Wiley (Taystee & Poussey) are the answer is Emmy voters are dumb.* As for the actual nominees Mulgrew & Chlumsky are deserving, McKinnon's one of the better SNL players & after that... Well I'm not thrilled––I would've loved to see any actress from Brooklyn Nine-Nine/Community/Parks and Recreation––but Bowen & Janney are at least good actresses even if I'm not a fan of their shows.

*That said, in their defense this is all for season 1 so Wiley's omission isn't the abomination it will be if she's not in next year. 

DRAMA SERIES

Outstanding Drama Series
"Breaking Bad" (AMC)
"Downton Abbey" (PBS)
"Game of Thrones" (HBO)
"House of Cards" (Netflix)
"Mad Men" (AMC)
"True Detective" (HBO)

Once again we have four good picks & two, should be, head scratchers. Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, & Mad Men* all deserved to be back. Maybe True Detective should be in the miniseries** category but since it's not it absolutely deserved to be among these six. Downton Abbey & House of Cards though? Granted I've never watched Downton but I've read nothing that makes me believe it should be here & House of Cards is a solid B+ show but that ridiculous last episode, & the continued thinness of Frank Underwood as a character, should be a reminder to all this is a show merely grasping to join the elites of television. There are at least a half dozen shows that should've beat those two out.

*You might be able to argue me out of Mad Men, but if it's not one of the six best shows than it's the seventh.

**The upside to this is "Fargo" should absolutely clean out the miniseries category where it got four acting nominations. Of course should & will are two very different things, but I'm hopeful. 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Woody Harrelson, "True Detective"
Matthew McConaughey, "True Detective"
Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards"

Somehow Jeff Daniels won this award last year, shoot me if that happens again. Outside of that this is a solid list. Cranston & McConaughey will battle it out for the win, as they should, while Hamm & Harrelson are also clearly deserving. As for Spacey I think he deserves a great deal of credit for disguising Frank Underwood as an interesting character, but he still falls into camp a little too often* & in truth Michael Sheen is doing much better work on Masters of Sex, as our Hugh Dancy & Mads Mikkelsen on Hannibal. 

*You could argue, & I probably would, that that campiness makes the show more entertaining but it's also not remotely how anyone else is playing their part. At times it's like Spacey thinks he's on "Scandal" while everyone else is on some much more serious show. Then again it was "Cards," not "Scandal," that threw in a threesome for shock value. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Lizzy Caplan, "Masters of Sex"
Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Michelle Dockery, "Downton Abbey"
Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"
Kerry Washington, "Scandal"
Robin Wright, "House of Cards"

Wooh! Lizzy Caplan! At long last a former cast member of Party Down has an Emmy nomination! Also, out of the people nominated, she should win. Danes definitely doesn't deserve to win for a third straight time but I have no issue with her as a nominee. Robin Wright was easily the highlight of the second season of House of Cards. I don't watch Margulies or Dockery's shows but from what I know about those shows & their performances I'm fine with the former & skeptical of the latter. As for Kerry Washington... I love Scandal but having a good cry shouldn't by itself nab you a nomination. That's not all, or even mostly, Washington as poor writing for her character hobbled her most of the season, but she has no business beating out Keri Russell of The Americans. Mostly though it's just a shame that for the second straight year the best actress on television failed to be nominated. Alas maybe next year Emmy voters will watch Orphan Black & discover the greatness of Tatiana Maslany. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Aaron Paul, "Breaking Bad"
Jim Carter, "Downton Abbey"
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"
Josh Charles, "The Good Wife"
Mandy Patinkin, "Homeland"
Jon Voight, "Ray Donovan"

Yay Peter Dinklage! Aaron Paul! Mandy Pantinkin! Whatevs Josh Charles. Ugh Jim Carter & Jon Voight. Apologies to Dean Norris who should absolutely be here for his work as Hank on Breaking Bad & a host of others* who should've replaced at least those last two. Even though they got at least half the nominations right this might be the category that makes me the saddest. 

*The good news for "Scandal" fans is that even though Jeff Perry (Cyrus) may never get nominated Joe Morton, aka Papa Pope, & his crazy good monologues got nominated for Guest Actor.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Anna Gunn, "Breaking Bad" (AMC)
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey" (PBS)
Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey" (PBS)
Lena Headey, "Game Of Thrones" (HBO
Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men" (AMC)
Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife" (NBC)

Anna Gunn broke through for a much deserved win last year & she should pull off the repeat, especially if Emmy voters opt for McConaughey over Cranston.* Lena Headey continues to be a strong presence on Game of Thrones & I'd argue she shouldn't be the only actress from the show to make this list (paging either of the Stark girls). Did Christina Hendricks deserve a nomination for this shortened season of Mad Men? Probably not, but that's because of lack of screen time not a lacking performance, plus she should've won one of these by now, so I'm all for her inclusion. Baranski's an Emmy mainstay for The Good Wife, & supposedly had her best season yet, so she's cool. Ah, we meet again Downton Abbey. I have no idea who Joanne Froggatt is but what I've read of her performance this past year suggests she was at least a decent selection but Maggie Smith... I get it. I love The Grand Budapest Hotel. I love Professor McGonagall. I love eighty-year-old women who dish out nasty quips. But with the number of deserving women out there a good English burn now & again shouldn't be enough for a nomination.**

*To be clear here I'm saying both she should win & I expect she will win. 

**I mean come on, Bellamy Young's Mellie Grant has great putdowns on "Scandal" all the time & she does a whole lot more than that too. Maybe she should start speaking with an English accent next season, as part of some mental breakdown from the death of her son, & she'll be able to get a nomination. 

Well that's it. As you can see Emmy voters continued to be hit & miss (MASLANY!!!!!!! That's an exclamation mark for each character she played this past season) across the board, let's just hope this year they don't give us any embarrassing winners.