Saturday, September 1, 2018

Emmy Predictions 2018 - Who Will and Should Win for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series?

The nominations are in for The 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. So now, it's time to speculate on who will and should win in each major category. Next up for analysis is Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.






The Nominees Ranked By Which Actress Should Win:
  1. Betty Gilpin for Netflix's GLOW - "Debbie Does Something"
  2. Alex Borstein for Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - "Doink"
  3. Zazie Beetz for FX's Atlanta - "Helen"
  4. Kate McKinnon for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Bill Hader"
  5. Leslie Jones for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Donald Glover"
  6. Megan Mullally for NBC's Will & Grace - "Rosario's Quinceañera"
  7. Aidy Bryant for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Chadwick Boseman"
  8. Laurie Metcalf for ABC's Roseanne - "No Country for Old Women"

When GLOW debuted, it was a period comedy starring Alison Brie and Marc Maron. By the end of the season though, Betty Gilpin was the performer everyone was talking about. Sure, her co-stars were just as worthy of nominations. But it's so fantastic that she got into this crowded field because her role was so transformational and signaled that she was capable of doing so much more than what the industry has previously given her to play. It was exceptional. The same is also true of Alex Borstein and Zazie Beetz. They are also key members of their shows' respective ensembles. They have some truly terrific showcase moments as well. They are playing characters that at first seem conventional but actually blossom into something much more nuanced and meaningful. The more time the audience spends with them, the more we fall in love. Elsewhere, Megan Mullally and Laurie Metcalf getting into the race shows the continued strength of revivals on the broadcast networks. In fact, it caps a pretty impressive year for Metcalf as she was nominated for an Oscar, Tony and Emmy. Of course, I didn't think this final season of Roseanne was all that good. So, it's disappointing to rank Metcalf so low because I absolutely love her as a performer who is capable of doing almost anything.

The Nominees Ranked by Which Actress Will Win:
  1. Kate McKinnon for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Bill Hader"
  2. Alex Borstein for Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - "Doink"
  3. Laurie Metcalf for ABC's Roseanne - "No Country for Old Women"
  4. Megan Mullally for NBC's Will & Grace - "Rosario's Quinceañera"
  5. Betty Gilpin for Netflix's GLOW - "Debbie Does Something"
  6. Zazie Beetz for FX's Atlanta - "Helen"
  7. Leslie Jones for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Donald Glover"
  8. Aidy Bryant for NBC's Saturday Night Live - "Host: Chadwick Boseman"

This category is the perfect example for why the Emmys need to expand the list of nominees in the majority of the categories. Even though there are three nominees from one show, the Saturday Night Live women don't overwhelm the category. They aren't half the ballot. Yes, they are still a significant block. But the voters still allowed a number of other terrific women into the category who also deserved to be nominated. Sure, it's crazy that there are eight nominees and none of them are Rita Moreno from One Day at a Time. That's a magnificent performance from a legend. But in analyzing who will win from this crop, a lot of value must be placed on the three former winners. McKinnon, Metcalf and Mullally have all won before for the specific roles they are all playing again here. The biggest potential for a surprise will probably be Borstein. Rachel Brosnahan is the breakout star of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. And yet, Borstein was just as pivotal to the success of the show. She's a character actress who has long deserved a role like this and to be recognized for her stellar work. Of course, there are many nominees who deserve to win. They are all doing strong work. It just feels like it will go to either one of the former winners or the nominee from the most popular new show. 


What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!