The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:
- Patricia Clarkson for HBO's Sharp Objects - "Closer"
- Patricia Arquette for Hulu's The Act - "Teeth"
- Margaret Qualley for FX's Fosse/Verdon - "Where Am I Going?"
- Emily Watson for HBO's Chernobyl - "Open Wide, O Earth"
- Vera Farmiga for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part Two"
- Marsha Stephanie Blake for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part Three"
It's really quite astonishing how Patricia Arquette and Patricia Clarkson got nominated in this category for playing eerily similar characters. They were both such complicated women suffering from versions of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Having to choose between the two of them as the best of the nominees this year may ultimately come down to which version of the story the viewer preferred. With Sharp Objects, it was much more subtle. It was to the point where Clarkson's Adora was an unnerving presence who had the capability of going too far to control her children. An outside perspective was so refreshing but still got way too sinister and traumatic in the end. With The Act, it was incredibly in-your-face about the abuse and the horrors that Arquette's Dee Dee Blanchard inflicted on her young daughter. It is the much more scandalous version of the story. One that still ends in a murder investigation. But one that also promised to wear the performer down in such a physical way too. Both were such compulsive and gripping performances. They were hardly the only ones in this category though. Again, all of the performers from When They See Us were stellar across the board. It didn't matter if they had a big or small role. They each brought such necessary depth to every character across that demoralizing story. Meanwhile, Margaret Qualley's nomination was such a delightful surprise. She went all in on mimicking the look and sound of Ann Reinking. It was phenomenal to watch in a show that already had two stellar performers at the top of the action.
The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:
- Patricia Clarkson for HBO's Sharp Objects - "Closer"
- Patricia Arquette for Hulu's The Act - "Teeth"
- Emily Watson for HBO's Chernobyl - "Open Wide, O Earth"
- Vera Farmiga for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part Two"
- Marsha Stephanie Blake for Netflix's When They See Us - "Part Three"
- Margaret Qualley for FX's Fosse/Verdon - "Where Am I Going?"
It may truly be a battle between Patricia Clarkson and Patricia Arquette in this category. Both have strong narratives in their corners as well. They have both previously won at the Emmys - Clarkson for Six Feet Under and Arquette for Medium. In fact, they both won Golden Globes earlier this year. Sure, Arquette's win was for the other limited series she starred in this past year - Showtime's Escape at Dannemora. But momentum is clearly on both of their sides. It's just a matter of how much love the Emmy voters are willing to extend. Arquette gave two terrific performances. Will she win for both of them? She is certainly the frontrunner in both categories. But Clarkson was also just as stunning. The voters could feel more of an urgency for her to win here because Arquette seems like more of a lock as a lead actress. It's such a complicated category this year. It would be stunning if someone else won. But it is always possible. These voters do have a tendency of surprising us with their winners. Chernobyl and When They See Us were breakout hits over the last few months. Having two performers from When They See Us may help them prevail. Of course, Vera Farmiga has more name recognition while Marsha Stephanie Blake actually appears in both episodes. So, it may be complicated for the voters to collectively settle on a winner amongst them. This is somehow Emily Watson's first Emmy nomination despite her being stellar in every performance. Are the voters aware of that though? That could fuel some urgency for her to win. Margaret Qualley seems like a long shot simply because of the strength of the other performers and the shows they are on. And yet, she can't be written off as too improbable. This is a category where anything could happen even if Clarkson and Arquette appear to be the safe bets.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
