The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for HBO's Watchmen - "A God Walks Into Abar"
- Louis Gossett Jr. for HBO's Watchmen - "See How They Fly"
- Jovan Adepo for HBO's Watchmen - "This Extraordinary Being"
- Tituss Burgess for Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend
- Jim Parsons for Netflix's Hollywood - "Outlaws"
- Dylan McDermott for Netflix's Hollywood - "Meg"
Nothing in the last year of television quite compares to HBO's Watchmen. It took a beloved story and turned it on its head to make it relevant and searing to the present day. The drama centered itself around issues of race and the generational trauma that extends from the inability to have a serious conversation about the past. The three actors nominated here all got to portray people who actively took power for themselves in spaces where they typically aren't allowed to thrive. It was a complicated journey for all of them. Sacrifices were made. Their stories couldn't last forever. That was how the devastation of the storytelling was rooted. It was all fated to occur but the audience was begging for more time to be spent in this world with these characters. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II got to play a superhero. And yet, all he wanted to do was fall in love and have a peaceful, idyllic life. He got that for years until it was tragically taken away from him. Jovan Adepo and Louis Gossett Jr. highlighted the pain that comes from a man's life filled with vitriol and the passion to do something about it. It came at the cost of his personal relationships. It was done in the name of doing something good. It just took awhile for that to fully be appreciated. All three of them were perfect in the roles they were given. They would each be deserving winners.
The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:
- Jim Parsons for Netflix's Hollywood - "Outlaws"
- Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for HBO's Watchmen - "A God Walks Into Abar"
- Louis Gossett Jr. for HBO's Watchmen - "See How They Fly"
- Dylan McDermott for Netflix's Hollywood - "Meg"
- Jovan Adepo for HBO's Watchmen - "This Extraordinary Being"
- Tituss Burgess for Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend
Unfortunately, Tituss Burgess is the odd man out in this competitive race. He is going up against two clusters of nominees. Moreover, he is the only actor in a comedic project. That may help him stand out. However, it's just so rare that the voters reward comedy in the limited series categories. As such, it may once again just be a pleasure to be nominated for him. That's disappointing because he was always so great and absurd on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Moreover, Hollywood and Watchmen are such vastly different shows. One received much more critical acclaim. Watchmen dominated with critics, viewers and voters. However, Jim Parsons and Dylan McDermott went all in on the camp with their Hollywood roles. That entire ensemble was essentially trying to out-act each other. They were all desperately chewing as much scenery as they could. That can absolutely be grating. It's not enough to sustain and build a compelling longterm story. And yet, it can still be dazzling to voters who are tasked with judging the quality of a person's acting. It makes their jobs slightly easier. With Parsons having already won four Emmy Awards from his time on The Big Bang Theory, he seems like a clear favorite in this race. If nothing else, McDermott and Parsons have proven their partnerships with Ryan Murphy tend to be well-received no matter what. Watchmen could very well win across the board though. This could be another category it scoops up. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Louis Gossett Jr. would both be deserving. Jovan Adepo seems valid as well because of just how insanely good his episode was.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
