"Television is a goddamned amusement park."
Now that Boardwalk Empire has wrapped, director Martin Scorsese and writer Terence Winter, joined by rock legend Mick Jagger, have moved on to the 1970s rock n’ roll era. HBO has finally released a teaser trailer showcasing Scorsese’s trademark sensibilities and two of his favorite Rolling Stones hits. The series stars Bobby Cannavale, Olivia Wilde, Ray Romano, Juno Temple, Andrew Dice Clay among others.
A premiere date has not been set for the 2016 drama.
The best thing I can possibly say about “3,” the first non-Scully X-Files episode, is that it’s filled with my favorite color – red. There are red lights, red exits signs, glasses of red wine, red skies from distant burning fires, and so on. The imagery and cinematography brilliantly evoke a proper vampire setting even if everything else feels trite and dull. “3” ultimately commits the worst sin of all – it fails the “timeless episode” test that so many of the best episodes pass.
The prologue involves a married businessman having a lurid one-night stand with a beautiful, mysterious woman. As they begin to have sex in a hot tub, she bites him and drinks his blood. Horrified, he begins to struggle only to be murdered by two other male vampires hiding in the shadows. These are apparently vampire serial killers who operate, logically, by night and have killed in multiple locations, warranting a file in the newly reopened X-files. Mulder begins to investigate and ultimately captures one of the three – the “Unholy Trinity” of “The Father,” “The Son,” and “The Unholy Spirit.” Before revealing the location of his companions, the captured “Son” is burned alive by the rays of the son, proving their status as vampires. “The Son” had a tattoo on his hand leading Mulder to Club Tepes (after Vlad Tepes, the original Dracula) where he meets a beautiful vampire wannabe. Random, mindless events ensue until the wannabe ultimately burns herself and the “Unholy Trinity” to death.
I said the episode’s worst crime was how luridly dated it was – Mark Snow’s early 90s synthesizer music had me grabbing for the remote – but actually that’s wrong. It’s real worst crime is following up a seismic event like the disappearance of Dana Scully with this limp rag of an episode. Mulder’s first appearance in the episode involves his opening of the X-files office and filing away Scully’s personal effects as an X-file. He also clings to her cross necklace. That’s it. I personally found it insulting to imagine that Mulder wouldn’t try to find her. That he wouldn’t investigate government contacts. That he wouldn’t try to find Alex Krycek. Instead, the writers send him on an unrelated “Monster of the Week” episode. I realize things will change soon, but it is an offense to fans of the show to throw casual references to Scully’s disappearance and wipe everything away with such a bad episode.
“3” is designed to be dangerous and sexy – a more adult version of The X-Files that Duchovny could undertake without the more maternal Scully in tow. However, the vampire storyline is dull, and the “Unholy Trinity” have little character development to make them noteworthy villains. Plus, the concept of a vampire club and wannabes just feel like incredibly dated ideas that are more groan-worthy than sexy, giving the episode a Red Shoe Diaries feeling that betrays the integrity of The X-Files.
Note: This post is the latest in an on-going series of pieces exploring the major categories at the 2015 Emmy awards. We will cover actors, actresses, and series – Comedy and Drama – through the end of the voting period on August 28. See something you like or a performance you’d like to single out? Share the posts and create some Twitter buzz! We’ll see you at the Emmys.
One of the most diverse Emmy categories, Outstanding Supporting Actor offers performances ranging from traditional sitcom roles to serio-comic performances to the traditional sketch comedy turn. It seems a shame to single someone out from this talented roster. This year, only past winner Ty Burrell shows up from Modern Family when in past years they have nearly shut out all competitiors – another sign that Family‘s star may be declining. What makes this an exciting race is the question of who is the heir apparent assuming Burrell doesn’t repeat this year. Will an African-American actor take home the trophy, further driving home the fact that television more broadly supports and rewards diversity over its cinema cousin? Only Adam Driver seems unlikely to win given his limited work in Girls Season Four. Oh well, he has a little Star Wars project coming up to help him sleep at night, right?
Performer: Andre Braugher as Captain Ray Holt in Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Episode: “The Mole” (Season Two, Episode Five)
Highlights: Internal Affairs investigates the department for a potential leak. As he works to identify the mole, Captain Holt struggles with loss of control.
Why he could win: Andre Braugher is an Emmy favorite having won two awards in a total of nine nominations. Traditionally known for drama, Brooklyn Nine-Nine wisely uses him as the straight man, reacting with trademark stoicism to the gallery of eccentricities around him. “The Mole” gives Braugher a wonderful monologue – something rarely seen in a traditional sitcom- when someone asks him “Are you ok?” What follows is a beautiful flow of near-Shakespearean dialogue delivered impeccably by Braugher. That coupled with his unlikely chemistry with star Andy Samberg provide an excellent platform to convince voters he deserves a third Emmy, this time for comedy.
Why he could lose: While it’s a great performance, Braugher isn’t really a comic actor. His presence on the show relies on his stoicism and stern demeanor. I’m not sure voters will award Braugher the Emmy over broadly comic actors. Plus, he has won two already, and he definitely has great work ahead of him.
Performer: Tituss Burgess as Titus Andromedon in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Episode: “Kimmy Goes to School!” (Season One, Episode Six)
Highlights: It’s the one everybody knows… Pinot Noir!
Why he could win: Well, in two words, black penis. Burgess smartly submitted the most viral of all things Kimmy Schmidt when he and Lillian (Carol Kane) film a music video for the self-penned song “Pinot Noir,” Titus’s ode to black penis. In terms of overall performance, it’s silly, self-indulgent, and completely hilarious. Burgess parades through the episode in multiple costumes, sings his song, and even plays a straight handyman to avoid detection. Burgess is the biggest breakout star of Kimmy Schmidt, and this is the pinnacle of his performance. What also works in his favor is the three other episodes submitted by actors nominated from the series – Jon Hamm, Tina Fey, and Jane Krakowski – that not only feature great performances by those actors but also scene-stealing turns by Burgess. One of the big theories about Felicity Huffman’s Emmy win over Terri Hatcher for Desperate Housewives was her strong presence in the other actresses’ submissions. Burgess could most definitely benefit from the same phenomenon.
Why he could lose: Burgess isn’t exactly a household name. Also, while Kimmy Schmidt did well in the nominations, it failed to garner the expected nomination for lead actress Ellie Kemper. Is that a sign of weakness? Will voters consider his “Pinot Noir” stunt to be only just that? A You Tube viral stunt?
Performer: Ty Burrell as Phil Dunphy in Modern Family
Episode: “Crying Out Loud” (Season Six, Episode Twenty-Three)
Highlights: Phil takes the kids on Alex’s Senior Ditch Day but is sidetracked by the potential demolition of an old theater he once helped build.
Why he could win: Emotion, emotion, emotion. “Crying Out Loud” is widely acclaimed as the best episode of Modern Family‘s sixth season thanks mostly to Ty Burrell’s performance. He has some brilliant physical comedy moments with Luke that echo the skills and comedy prowess of the great comedians. Most importantly, though, he has truly deep, emotional moments that resonate within anyone watching, particularly fathers. Many critics pointed to a single, tear-inducing moment as the highlight of the episode: when the kids finally begin to operate together, he tells the camera it’s okay that the theater is going to be torn down because, “I made that.” Funny, heartfelt, and touching – a real triple threat.
Why he could lose: He’s won this award twice, including a surprise win last year just when we all thought Modern Family was out of favor. Even though his talent is indisputable, isn’t it time to spread the wealth? Of course, we’ve been saying this for years now, and the Modern Family train keeps on chugging.
Performer: Adam Driver as Adam Sackler in Girls
Episode: “Close-up” (Season Four, Episode Six)
Highlights: Adam’s relationship with Mimi-Rose reaches critical mass as she reveals to him that she’d aborted his child.
Why he could win: Driver’s performance in the episode is wild and unhinged. He is afforded the opportunity to move from love-sick puppy to enraged and hurt boyfriend when reacting to the news. What differentiates this outburst from other’s he’s had is that he’s allowed to pull it back at the end and show a brand of personal maturity and growth not typically seen on Girls. Plus, many people consider Driver the best thing about the show, and certainly the Emmys seem to agree. His nomination this year in the face of stiff competition is a bit of a wonder as his character was on the outskirts of the action for much of the year.
Why he could lose: Again, he’s lost favor in the season thanks to a separation with Lena Dunham’s Hannah, and almost no one is talking about Girls these days. Plus, I’m very surprised he didn’t submit the season finale “Home Birth” where not only is he given comic freak-out moments over the birth of his sister’s child but also a realistic final break-up moment with Hannah over the baby’s incubator. I thought that episode provided a much more well-rounded array of Driver’s comic talents. As it is, he stands little chance of winning.
Performer: Tony Hale as Gary Walsh in Veep
Episode: “East Wing” (Season Four, Episode Two)
Highlights: Gary plans a state dinner to welcome the Israeli Prime Minister but goes comically over-budget, meriting the nickname “Gary Antoinette.”
Why he could win: No one plays slavish devotion quite like Tony Hale in Veep, and he managed to rise above the stunning supporting cast that included potential candidates Hugh Laurie and Reid Scott. The beginning of the episode shows a more expected, nebbishy performance as he fussily makes preparations for the event. The real meat of the performance comes at the end when Selina angrily confronts him – not just confronts him but more eviscerates him. Hale stands there, focused on her tirade with hurt, terror, and a willingness to anticipate her next need on display in his eyes. The scene devolves into something of a platonic lover’s quarrel where Hale finally gives it back to her. No doubt voters are awarding his character’s sudden growth of testicles. The ultimate bow on the package is their make-up over an extravagant cake. For fans of the series, this is catnip, and Hale managed to find new avenues to explore in a character that borders on becoming rote material.
Why he could lose: He’s won before. While Season Four managed to find some new avenues for Hale to explore, the role is starting to feel a little redundant. Looking back over the season, Hale’s performance isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, and, as great as his episode selection was, his presence doesn’t exactly loom large over Season Four on the whole. I thought his performance in “Tehran,” when Gary and Mike are left behind in the Iranian airport while attempting to smuggle alcohol onto a plane – was slightly better and more broadly comic.
Performer: Keegan-Michael Key as Various in Key and Peele
Episode: “Sex Detective” (Season Four, Episode Seven)
Highlights: Key plays several characters in the episode including an incognito Black Republican, an 80s era action hero, and Obama’s Anger Translator.
Why he could win: Three words: Obama’s Anger Translator. In the episode he submitted, Key expertly channels the stereotype of the “angry Black man” to convey Obama’s inner frustrations while his exterior (Peele) seems cool and collected. Key explodes on camera and dominates the scene on a viral performance that, even if you don’t watch the show, you’ve seen in various outlets, including the White House Correspondants dinner. Aside from that, Key brings laughs in drag and as the shocked cop reacting to Peele’s Sex Detective. In a year where Emmy diversity is on everyone’s mind, he could benefit with a surprise win.
Why he could lose: Performers in comedy sketch shows almost never win, and, if they do, then it’s with an undeniable performance like Tina Fey’s Sarah Palin (even that was a Guest Emmy honor). This show belongs to Peele as much as the omnipresent Key, so Emmy voters might downgrade Key’s performance because he’s so tightly connected to the equally funny Peele.
Should I be concerned with how quickly I reacted/identified to Hulu’s new bitchy comedy, Difficult People? Television could really use more characters as wickedly loud and frustrated as Julie and Billy. They navigate their lives through New York City and dealing with all the jackwagons around them with an enviable aplomb. Hulu debuted two episodes this week, but people will want more very soon.
Julie and Billy seem to get themselves into situations that most people would avoid. For instance, they excitedly attend a performance of the Broadway musical Annie, and their casual cussing catches the attention of a mother several rows in front of them. When she asks them to stop using such language, they are offended, and Julie then proceeds to tell the youngsters, “You’re seeing the understudy anyway. You know what understudy means? It means you’re a disappointment.”
While Billy ignores customers at his serving job, Julie writes television recaps for a website (maybe that’s where it’s all so familiar…), but they both long to do other things. She wants to be a writer, and he wants to get back into acting. Gabourey Sidibe and Cole Escola play his overly bitchy co-workers who like to rub the salt in all of Billy’s wounds. They surely have a show on another streaming service, right? By the way, if you are unfamiliar with Escola, please watch any of his videos on YouTube where he accurately impersonates the legendary Bernadette Peters.
Of the two episodes that debuted, the pilot is stronger, because Julie and Billy are allowed to be together more. The second episode (titled “Devil’s Three-way”) allows us to get to know other characters like Julie’s husband, Arthur (James Urbaniak; you know, the guy who sniffed Charlotte’s shoes on Sex and the City), and her hypnotist mother played by the incomparable Andrea Martin.
Klausner and Eichner have a screech to a halt chemistry. They are hurling insults at whoever is opposing them so quickly that the other person wouldn’t even have time to catch all the barbs being thrown. It’s hard to describe this cattiness without unsuccessfully quoting it all. It’s slanderous and acid and sardonic. Any show that begins its second episode with an unsuccessful story about being stuck in an elevator with Katharine McPhee goes to the top of my list.
These are difficult people that I want to hang out with.
Note: This post is the latest in an on-going series of pieces exploring the major categories at the 2015 Emmy awards. We will cover actors, actresses, and series – Comedy and Drama – through the end of the voting period on August 28. See something you like or a performance you’d like to single out? Share the posts and create some Twitter buzz! We’ll see you at the Emmys.
Gird your loins, everyone, because ADTV is having octuplets! Well, not really. It’s just the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series category. And, no, bringing up the plethora of nominees this year will never get old. Instead of having 6 or 7 ladies nominated, the category has ballooned up to a robust 8 participants thanks to a percentages rule. At least they come from a variety of different comedy programs. Does anyone in particular stick out, or is the number of nominees too overwhelming?
Performer: Mayim Bialik as Amy Farrah Fowler in The Big Bang Theory
Episode: “The Prom Equivalency” (Season Eight, Episode Eight)
Highlight: The gang decides to re-enact their high school proms because no one had a memorable one (except Penny, naturally). Amy reveals that her prom wasn’t exactly like everyone else’s.
Why She Could Win: Lest we remind everyone that Bialik is the only acting nominee from The Big Bang Theory this year? That sound you hear is Jim Parsons reaching for another glass of scotch. Bialik’s Amy has always been a sort of (dare I say it?) pathetic hopeless romantic when it comes to her relationship with Parsons’ Sheldon. More impatient women would have given up on him years ago, but she presses on. Amy was actually on the clean-up crew at hers, so geeks voting at home might be able to relate to her character and her disappointing high school experience. Fans of the show will also remember that this is when Sheldon tells Amy he loves her. Fans also might be sad at how their relationship was put on hold at the end of the season.
Why She Could Lose: Would voters really throw Bialik a bone just because Big Bang was so overwhelmingly snubbed this year? It seems unlikely that they would just toss a trophy her way when the field is so packed. Amy’s unrequited love of Sheldon is cute, but it’s something that can get tiresome whenever it’s the focus of the scenes between the two of them. If her last name was Parsons, she might have a better shot.
Performer: Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in Modern Family
Episode: “Valentine’s Day 4: Twisted Sister” (Season Six, Episode Fourteen)
Highlight: Claire and her hapless husband, Phil, celebrate V-Day by reviving their sexy role-playing game as a couple who meet in a hotel lobby, but Claire begins to worry that she isn’t enough for her husband. Claire steals a bottle of champagne from a hotel bar and then forces her husband to go skinny dipping.
Why She Could Win: Bowen’s Claire Dunphy is a mash-up between a sexy MILF and an off-kilter self-consciousness. The bond between Claire and Phil is rock solid, so it’s nice to see Claire actually questions her doofy husband’s desires in this episode. When she’s pretending to be someone else, Bowen exudes a confidence that is missing from her normal persona. We are literally watching her act her ass off, and it’s fun, relaxing and sexy all at the same time.
Why She Could Lose: Is this Bowen’s best episode this season? While the chemistry between her and Ty Burrell is as strong as ever, she doesn’t necessarily shine brightest in this episode. Claire’s boldness (and subsequent paranoia) definitely drives the episode, but Burrell is just as funny. The side stories are strong in this episode as well. Eric Stonestreet, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Sofia Vergara may stick to their shtick, but we love these characters for these exact reasons. Plus, Bowen has won twice already in this category.
Performer: Anna Chlumsky as Amy Brookheimer in Veep
Episode: “Convention” (Season Four, Episode Five)
Highlight: Duh—Amy lets Selina have it. This was Emmy clip ready from its conception.
Why She Could Win: Amy gets to do what every person in America dreams of: telling off your boss. Frustrated with Selina’s newest advisor, Karen, Amy flies off the handle and delivers an unapologetically obscene rant that should get points for how ballsy it is. It wouldn’t work if you didn’t feel Amy’s bottled up rage, and, boy, do you feel it. “You are the worst thing to happen to this country since food in buckets,” should be handed to someone to say in the upcoming election just to see if anyone can deliver it with Chlumsky’s verve. They’ll fail.
Why She Could Lose: Is one epic rant big enough to net Chlumsky a win? I’m sorry, but I’m having a hard time arguing against this. The fourth season of Veep was met with somewhat lukewarm response, but everyone remembers that tirade.
Performer: Jane Krakowski as Jacqueline Voorhees in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Episode: “Kimmy Gets a Job!” (Season One, Episode Two)
Highlight: Jacqueline treats her son’s birthday as a welcome home party for her husband.
Why She Could Win: The fact that Krakowski never won for playing Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock is a crime. A crime, I tell you! In the second episode of Kimmy Schmidt, we continue to see how out of touch Jacqueline Voorhees really is. She is worried that her marriage to her husband is on the brink of falling apart, so her mind is reeling as to how she should welcome him home. At one point, she even puts on a stewardess outfit, because she’s sure her husband will remember how they met. Krakowski is a pro at this material (she likens Kimmy’s decorations to “the reception for an Appalachian incest wedding”), so seeing her back on television as a vapid, insecure, arrogant mess is a joy…
Why She Could Lose: …but is it too similar to her role as Jenna Maroney? A lot of fans complained that Krakowski was simply playing the same character she did on 30 Rock, and she wasn’t delivering anything new. The overcrowded category doesn’t help matters either, but that argument could be given to anyone this year.
Performer: Gaby Hoffmann as Ali Pfefferman in Transparent
Episode: “Rollin’” (Season One, Episode Three)
Highlight: As Maura continues to come out to her family, Hoffmann’s Ali experiments with drugs and sex. A threesome on “moon rocks.” What more could Emmy ask for!
Why She Could Win: The Emmys clearly like Hoffmann this year. Not only is she nominated in this category (everyone had money on Judith Light here), but she’s up for Guest Actress in a Comedy for HBO’s Girls. Ali quite literally breaks up a threesome when she’s high on “moon rocks,” a drug that’s apparently like E. When she proposes a threesome with her buddy and his roommate, everyone is down, but she accidentally breaks it up when she suggests that the 2 guys want to actually want to hook up with each other. It’s a hilarious moment that makes you cringe at the same time—something Transparent excels at in its first season.
Why She Could Lose: How secure is Hoffmann in this category? Is the nomination the win? A lot of people still think Transparent should be in the drama category, and the show definitely rides that fine line where other women in this year are doing more “obvious” comedy.
Performer: Kate McKinnon as Various in Saturday Night Live
Episode: “Taraji P. Henson/Mumford & Sons” (Season Forty, Episode Eighteen)
Highlight: Hillary Clinton struggles with technology in the cold open.
Why She Could Win: McKinnon has always been a force of nature since she joined the sketch comedy series, and she’s consistently the strongest player even when the skit is falling flat. She has the enviable ability of throwing herself into almost anything and not worrying that she will look like a total fool. As the 2016 presidential election slowly approaches, the Hillary Clinton impersonation is in full force—expect it to only increase when the show comes back in the fall. Her cold open as the presidential hopeful makes Lady MacBeth’s ambition look like a preschool game of Red Rover.
Why She Could Lose: You can’t scrub a turd into gold. Even though McKinnon is gung-ho every week, she can’t do very much with the material she’s given. In this episode, she knocks it out of the park as Hillary, but the only other big part she plays is Jane Lynch in a pitiful Hollywood Game Night riff. If she would have submitted an episode as that whacky cat owner, she might have a better chance of winning.
Performer: Niecy Nash as Didi Ortley in Getting On
Episode: “The 7th Annual Christmas Card Competition” (Season Two, Episode Four)
Highlight: Didi slow dances with the doctor she has her eye on even though she tells him it can’t go any further.
Why She Could Win: Nash is primarily known from her roles on Comedy Central’s Reno: 911! and TV Land’s The Soul Man and a slew of short-lived sitcoms (she has Scream Queens coming up). As a newcomer to the show, I was surprised by Didi’s stillness and quietness. From just the episode I watched, I got to see a different side of Nash that I had never seen. Didi seems like she just wants to do her job and keep her head down, and she has accepted that she will never be able to get with the hunky doctor that has caught her eye. The episode’s title comes from a picture of a woman’s vulva circulating around the hospital after it was accidentally entered in a Christmas card contest. The doctors match the picture to an elderly patient, and they spout medical terms out of embarrassment of the incident. Didi tells it to her straight: “This is a picture of your pussy.”
Why She Couldn’t: I can’t be the only one who didn’t realize that Getting On was still on the air? It’s a show that has been brushed under HBO’s program carpet, and surely some voters might blow off watching the episode just due to fatigue. Co-star Alex Borstein gets broader comedy in this episode as her character, Dawn, squabbles with her boyfriend, and Emmy-winner Laurie Metcalf spends the majority of the episode talking about female fecal incontinence. Nash could get commended for more serious work but forgotten for not being as overtly funny.
Performer: Allison Janney as Bonnie Plunkett in Mom
Episode: “Dropped Soap and a Big Guy on a Throne” (Season Two, Episode Eighteen)
Highlights: Bonnie injures herself and becomes tempted by prescription drugs.
Why She Could Win: Let’s be realistic. Janney could fart on a snare drum for 22 minutes, submit it, and it could land her an Emmy nomination. She won two (count ‘em two) awards just last year, and she probably has an entire shelf in her house dedicated to the gold she won for The West Wing. There’s a reason for this: Janney steals every scene she’s in on Mom. It feels like a show that shouldn’t work, but it ultimately does because of her mixture of cutting wit and down-to-earth charm. If last year started a streak of winning for her, I personally wouldn’t mind.
Why She Couldn’t: With Big Bang getting virtually shut out, are people feeling some Chuck Lorre fatigue? Perhaps people aren’t as enthusiastic as I am, and they want to award one of the other 124532 nominees in this category. Is awarding her 3 trophies in 2 years too much?
As a follow up to the previous laser-focused “Duane Barry,” the latest episode of The X-Files, “Ascension,” is rather sloppy and all over the map. Call it kitchen sink television. Even so, an overstuffed, back-half episode of The X-Files promises to be incredibly amusing and engaging even if it doesn’t come close to matching the quality of its first half.
The episode picks up not long after Scully’s abduction by Duane Barry when Mulder finally hears the event captured on his voicemail. With the FBI investigating the crime scene, Mulder begins to (naturally) obsess over his disappearance, unsure if she is dead or alive. Scully is alive, of course, and is bound and gagged in the back of her car, which is driven by Duane Barry as he races toward the Blue Ridge Mountains to meet the aliens he believes will take her instead of him. Duane Barry is pulled over by a state trooper, and, rather than risk detection, he shoots the trooper and speeds away, unaware that the entire event was recorded on dash cam. The tape ends up in the hands of the FBI, and Mulder figures out where Duane Barry is headed. With Krycek in tow, Mulder forces a gondola operator to allow quick access to the top of the mountain, despite a safety risk with the equipment. In a tense moment, Mulder pushes the speed of the gondola twice as fast as it’s safe to travel but eventually approaches the summit.
Krycek, instructed to stall Mulder as much as possible, kills the gondola operator and stops the ride. Rather than risk Mulder’s life, Krycek restarts the gondola, and Mulder reaches the summit only to find Scully gone and Duane Barry raving about her successful abduction. Later, in custody, Mulder questions Duane Barry, nearly killing him, before Duane Barry actually dies at the hands of Krycek who, as we discovered, is working for the Smoking Man. Mulder stumbles across evidence of Krycek and Smoking Man’s alliance and decides to confront Agent Skinner with the evidence. Faced with the truth and Krycek’s sudden disappearance, Skinner agrees to re-open the X-files, but the victory is small comfort to Mulder who mourns the missing Scully.
So, what’s my beef with “Ascension?” It’s not that I particularly disliked it, per se. It’s a fun episode, I can’t deny that, but it’s not nearly as tightly orchestrated as “Duane Barry.” Perhaps that’s an unfair comparison since “Duane Barry” is essentially a tight-knit hostage drama at heart while “Ascension” aspires to be a beat-the-clock action adventure hour. It’s as if you’d re-imagined North by Northwest as an alien abduction drama. Personally, I appreciated the taut tension of the previous episode over the dramatic action of “Ascension.” That’s all. It’s a fine wrap-up to the arc. It’s just not classic in my opinion. One strange thing about it is a brief scene toward the end of the episode where Scully is shown to be the object of alien experimentation. Aside from this scene, the episode is vaguely non-committal on what actually happened to Scully. The Smoking Man seems to know something as if he orchestrated it, but, assuming the Scully scene is true, then she has been kidnapped by aliens. And there’s something weird going on with Anderson’s pregnant belly.
Are the writers somehow incorporating a pregnancy story into Scully’s character arc? Guess we’ll have to see…
This new trailer feels more plot driven than Season One. What do you think?
The newest season of The Leftovers debuts October 4.
After several casting announcements, NBC announced on this morning’s Today show that 18-year-old Shanice Williams has landed the role of Dorothy in its upcoming live production of The Wiz Live!.
Williams won the part after an exhaustive nationwide open casting call. Her previous experience is limited to several years of local theater productions.
Her casting announcement helps round out the high profile cast which includes Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Mary J. Blige (Evillene, the Wicked Witch), and David Alan Grier (Cowardly Lion). The telecast will be produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron with Kenny Leon and Matthew Diamond directing the stage and telecast versions, respectively.
The Wiz Live! will air on NBC December 3.
Note: This post is the latest in an on-going series of pieces exploring the major categories at the 2015 Emmy awards. We will cover actors, actresses, and series – Comedy and Drama – through the end of the voting period on August 28. See something you like or a performance you’d like to single out? Share the posts and create some Twitter buzz! We’ll see you at the Emmys.
The Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama category is full of fantastic, often scenery chewing, performances that often dominate their respective seasons. In some cases, the actors are the very definition of the classic supporting actor – solid, dedicated performances that seldom detract from the main talent but are always there to lend additional spice – while some performances could be arguably considered leads. If you’re looking for advice on how to select the winners, then look at the performances which are more prominent throughout the entire series. Sure, the actors select examples of their own work that best represents their overall performance, but it never hurts to show up in other category submissions or give something of an iconic, can’t miss performance. There’s also another secret… Be Jonathan Banks in what feels like his can’t-miss year.
Performer: Jonathan Banks as Michael “Mike” Ehrmantraut in Better Call Saul
Episode: “Five-0” (Season One, Episode Six)
Highlights: The entire episode is dedicated to a crucial backstory involving the death of his son and the restitution Mike pays to Stacey, his daughter-in-law, and granddaughter.
Why he could win: This episode is widely seen as the highlight of Saul‘s first season, and it is nearly a one-man Mike show with Bob Odenkirk only briefly appearing. The character of Mike was a Breaking Bad fan favorite, but Banks never won this award during that show’s award-winning run. There is probably an overall sense that it’s finally Banks’s turn after being dominated by Aaron Paul so frequently and given Banks’s long career in television and film (He was previously nominated twice in this category for Wiseguy and Breaking Bad). Plus, he’s just never been better than he is in this hour as he expertly moves Mike from his trademark stoicism to his tearful confession as he admits he broke his own son’s spirit. The scene (and the episode itself really) is dream material for actors, and Banks excels in this Critics Choice-award winning performance.
Why he could lose: Breaking Bad fatigue? Saul comes fast on the heels of last year’s big Emmy winner, so voters may want to spread the wealth a bit. Although, since Banks never won during Bad‘s run, I don’t think he’ll be impacted by any sense of awards gluttony attributed to the Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul family. Who am I kidding? This award is truly Banks’s to lose.
Performer: Jim Carter as Mr. Carson in Downton Abbey
Episode: “Episode 5.09” (Season Five, Episode Nine)
Highlights: Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes go house hunting despite Mrs. Hughes’s financial woes. Mr. Carson later proposes to Mrs. Hughes, and she accepts, bringing to fruition something viewers have wanted since Day One of the series.
Why he could win: Carter has always been one of the silent strengths of the series, perfecting his withering glances and witty retorts to nearly match the power of Maggie Smith but in a less flashy way. Even though he specifically selected Episode Nine (this year’s annual Christmas episode), he’s prominently featured in every episode, which can only help make his case. But in Episode Nine, he spends a lot of personal time with Mrs. Hughes and lets loose his stiff upper lip, giving us a side of Mr. Carson we don’t often see – tenderness. The expressions on Carter’s face as he hears the sad story of Mrs. Hughes’s sister are expertly rendered proving the man can do more with a single glance than most actors can with pages of dialogue. The money shot (as Downton Abbey money shots go) comes in the closing moments as Mr. Carson proposes to Mrs. Hughes. The moment is sweet and tender, melting geriatric hearts on multiple continents. This moment is the moment that won Carter the nomination.
Why he could lose: It’s Mr. Carson. He’s often wallpaper on Downton Abbey. He’s the cilantro, never the main course. He feels like an obligatory perennial nominee, and, despite the enhanced emotion of this particular performance, it doesn’t feel particularly exception or vital enough to warrant a win. Plus, he’s not Jonathan Banks.
Performer: Alan Cumming as Eli Gold in The Good Wife
Episode: “Undisclosed Recipients” (Season Six, Episode Seventeen)
Highlights: After Alicia wins the State’s Attorney race, Eli guides her through post-election drama, specifically in avoiding alienating her financial supporters when they come to her with political demands. Eli also helps Alicia with damage control after Florrick, Agos and Lockhart’s email system was hacked, which could lead to scandalous emails being released about the newly elected SA.
Why he could win: Cumming is not messing around in this episode. He brings an intensity to his performance which triggers the funniest comedy The Good Wife saw this past season. (He’s probably funnier than the majority of the Comedy Supporting Actor nominees.) “Undisclosed Recipients” functions well as an Emmy submission especially because it’s the most overt and hammy performance in the category. Anytime he’s on screen, Cumming makes every facial expression and every line count. He definitely will leave an impression on voters, not only because he’s playing anger and frustration for most of the episode, but Eli constructs a phrase (“All options are open to me and I plan to decide in the next 48 hours.”) that Alicia repeats several times throughout the episode. Most importantly, the Emmy voters love the acting style on The Good Wife; it reflects in the fact that an actress from the show has won every year since it began. Cumming also has a respected name in the industry and was especially present this past year: he was on The Good Wife, starred in the Cabaret revival on Broadway, and published a book, Not My Father’s Son: A Memoir.
Why he could lose: Cumming’s performance mostly relies on his comedic skills, and while he’s brilliantly funny, voters may look to the darker work of Ben Mendelsohn and Jonathan Banks. Eli plays a critical part of the episode, but doesn’t have the massive screentime the other nominees do, like Banks who has an entire episode dedicated to his side character. He’s back in race this year, but Cumming’s most recent nomination for playing Eli Gold on The Good Wife was in 2011, when the show was more novel to voters. Many argue Cumming is a big-named star who acts mostly as a filler nominee. Plus, he’s not Jonathan Banks.
Performer: Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones
Episode: “Hardhome” (Season Five, Episode Eight)
Highlights: While the episode is most widely appreciated for the epic battle that closes it, it is also the most significant on-screen pairing between fan-favorites Daenerys and Tyrion. During their many conversations over the course of the episode, Tyrion convinces Daenerys to engage his services as her primary advisor.
Why he could win: Dinklage, the only previous winner of the category, is never better than when he’s selling Tyrion. Than when he’s using his gift of oration to save his life. Here, he and fellow nominee Emilia Clarke serve up a master class of acting by feeding off each other’s energy. It’s fitting that they’re both nominated because neither would be as a good without the other. Plus, the writers seem to love feeding Dinklage with crisp dialogue, and Dinklage loves to deliver it. It doesn’t hurt that he’s playing tipsy, also something at which Dinklage excels. When the two seal the deal, the effect on the series is weighty and feels like it will have ramifications for years to come.
Why he could lose: Basically, he’s won before. Perhaps in a weaker year would he repeat, but the competition is way too stiff to warrant a repeat. Also, voters are probably holding out for greater things to come as the series comes to its eventual conclusion. Nothing in this performance, as fine as it is, warrants another award halfway through the marathon event. Plus, he’s not Jonathan Banks.
Performer: Michael Kelly as Doug Stamper in House of Cards
Episode: “Chapter 27” (Season Three, Episode One)
Highlights: Doug Stamper awakens from his Season Two finale clobbering by Rachel. Much of the episode is dedicated to Stamper’s painful rehab and almost equally painful humiliation as he attempts to regain favor with now-President Frank Underwood.
Why he could win: Kelly, like Jim Carter, has been the quiet strength of House of Cards as Kevin Spacey chews every last bit of scenery in Washington, D.C. His intense, focused performance takes a new turn over Season Three as he receives some of his meatiest material to date. If voters watch the entire season, then they’ll likely be extremely impressed with his dramatic range, particularly in the third season finale where he makes the toughest choice of his career. In Chapter 27, though, his performance is the most outwardly physical performance he’s given to date – a nice turn from the more subtle work he’s turned in to date. Most specifically, the scene in which Stamper breaks his arm in the shower and sets it with a wooden kitchen spoon is some of the most brilliantly shattering and painful acting the category offers. Tell me you didn’t cringe when that happened and then cringe again when Underwood flat-out rejects him. The episode is structured around Kelly, and he gives a career-best performance here.
Why he could lose: Despite broader acting support from the Television Academy for Cards, Season Three missed out on key nominations, potentially serving as an indication of weakness. Kelly surprised many with his rather left-field nomination, so clearly he’s well regarded. Yet, many may consider the nomination reward enough. Plus, he’s not Jonathan Banks.
Performer: Ben Mendelsohn as Danny Rayburn in Bloodline
Episode: “Part 12” (Season One, Episode Twelve)
Highlights: Danny and John Rayburn’s brotherly showdown comes to its inevitable and brutal conclusion.
Why he could win: As great as Banks is in Better Call Saul, Mendelsohn is a revelation in Bloodline. Yes, Kyle Chandler received a nomination, but everyone who watched the Netflix family drama came away talking about Mendelsohn, previously known for his work in the film Animal Kingdom. His overall performance deftly blends the charisma of the character with a creepy undercurrent of his suspect motives. But here in “Part 12,” Mendelsohn taps his inner Robert DeNiro in Cape Fear and confronts some of his family members with deadly threats glossed over with faux friendliness. He then has three great scenes that will wow voters. In the first, he is sequestered in a hotel room, on the run from local drug runners and his family, and discusses his situation on the phone with his brother John. Yet, the levity of the situation and a sudden realization of impeding doom is written all over Mendelsohn’s face. It’s a brilliant and tricky transition that he carries off wonderfully. Later, after Danny is assumed dead, Mendelsohn finally erupts at his mother (Sissy Spacek) in the kind of volcanic Tennessee Williams moment that Bloodline always seems to want but seldom delivers. Finally, Danny’s final confrontation with John is the epic payoff everyone’s been looking for, and this is the pinnacle of Mendelsohn’s DeNiro-influenced performance. Voters weary with Bloodline‘s leisurely pacing need only watch this single episode to appreciate Ben Mendelsohn’s fantastic work.
Why he could lose: Despite acclaim in film and television, Mendelsohn is the least known actor in the group. He’s certainly made a name for himself with Bloodline, but he doesn’t have the name recognition it sometimes takes to win these things. Voters who started Bloodline from the beginning on their own may be turned off by the imperfect pacing and decide not to watch the episode, assuming they’ve seen the performance already. Still, he’s a dark horse candidate if ever there was one. But, all together now, he’s not Jonathan Banks.
“Duane Barry” is apparently considered sacred across the Internet largely (slightly spoilery here) because of the landmark event in its second half. I did some research, you see, which – as Internet research tends to do – spoiled the ending for me. More on that tomorrow. Aside from that, “Duane Barry” is important because it is the first episode of the series actually directed by creator Chris Carter, and he acquits himself well by introducing an episode wholly devoted to the alien abduction mythology of the overall series. It’s an excellent episode, too, because Carter focuses on real-life tension between Mulder and the titular character Duane Barry (Steve Railsback, Helter Skelter) during a hostage standoff.
The prologue begins in the past as Duane Barry (he likes to refer to himself in the third person, so that does become a little tiring) is approached by aliens for what apparently becomes another Barry alien abduction. Little green men surround him, and he screams as a white light engulfs him. The camera pulls back revealing a UFO hovering above the house with a tracking beam pulling Barry into the sky. Flash-forward to modern day and Barry, a formerly successful FBI agent, lives in a mental institution under the care of Dr. Hakkie. In the blink of an eye, Barry overpowers a guard, takes his gun, and kidnaps Dr. Hakkie with the intent of having him witness a potentially pending alien abduction. Duane Barry makes his way to a travel office (ha) where he takes the staff hostage and attracts the attention of the FBI.
Mulder and Alex Krycek arrive on scene and begin to work with Agent Lucy Kazdin (CCH Pounder) on a method of freeing the hostages without giving into Barry’s psychosis. Ditching an attempt to converse via phone, Mulder volunteers to enter the travel agency after a blackout (and potential alien arrival – we’re never really sure about that) causes Barry to randomly fire into the dark, nearly fatally wounding a man. Mulder and a medic enter the agency, and Barry eventually agrees to let the injured man leave after Mulder earns his trust due to their mutual interest in alien abductions – remember Mulder’s sister (as if you could forget). Meanwhile, Scully investigates Barry’s past after a request from Mulder and discovers Barry’s frontal cortex was damaged by a gunshot wound that would impact his reason, logic, and trustworthiness. Crushed, Mulder convinces Barry to free the hostages (one even tells him she believes him) and allows Barry to be shot by nearby agents.
In the hospital, surgeons remove several metal objects from Barry’s nasal cavity and mouth – Duane earlier claimed the aliens drilled into his teeth. Of course the objects don’t appear to be manmade nor do the drill marks appear to have been made by any Earth-bound drill. On a hunch, Scully decides to scan one of the metallic objects at her local grocery, revealing what appears to be some sort of serial number. A tracking device perhaps? In the end, she calls Mulder to relay this information and leaves it on his answering machine. Huddled outside her window is the now-escaped Duane Barry who breaks into Scully’s apartment. Her cries for help are the last thing we hear on Mulder’s answering machine.
“Duane Barry” seems to be a great episode because Carter expertly balances the alien mythology aspects of the story with a classic hostage standoff situation. He assembles a great collection of actors – Pounder and Railsback are great – and gives them meaty material with a well-constructed screenplay. Still, given the double episode structure, it’s difficult to give a full evaluation. I’ll need to see the wrap-up to determine if the overall story arc is of high quality. I suspect it will be, given the Internet’s reaction to it. The Emmys certainly agreed giving the series its first big Emmy hug largely thanks to “Duane Barry.” Carter received a writing nomination, and Pounder was nominated for Guest Actress in a Drama. The series also received its first Drama Series nomination, largely thanks to this episode.
Bigger things are coming – poor pregnant Gillian Anderson huffs and puffs her way through the episode – but “Duane Barry” is certainly one of the best thus far. Time will tell where it ranks in the overall X-Files lore.