Emmy Predictions by Committee

By Ryan O'Connell on 08/21/2014 • ( 0 )

The 2014 Emmy Awards are coming in hotter than a disrespected Walter White, airing this Sunday and hosted by…wait, what was that? The Emmys are on Monday? Monday??? That’s crazy. Bachelor in Paradise is on Monday night.

This must be a mistake; a regrettable oversight.

I imagine it will change.

In the meantime, let’s proceed.

The 2014 Emmy Awards are almost upon us- this year hosted by Seth Meyers, a certifiable funny dude. Now the obvious thought going into this year’s awards is that it’s going to be all about Breaking Bad, whose last string of episodes (remember, your friends at AMC split up the final seasons of their most popular shows) missed the cut for the 2013 awards, making them contenders this year. You would be inclined to believe that the 2014 Emmys will essentially be two tributes- one to Breaking Bad and one to Robin Williams. And you’d probably be half right. The late Robin Williams will most certainly get his due. Breaking Bad, though? Well if weren’t for those pesky True Detective boys it might a different story.

Let’s run through some of the more major categories- but we’re not going to just predict winners. Like I did last year, we’re going to hear from everyone involved. There’s the heart, who makes decisions based on what the heart wants and there’s the head, who makes decisions based on what the head thinks. And finally, there’s the gut, that is less concerned with decisions and more concerned with might be right or wrong.

Best Comedy Series

Nominees: The Big Bang Theory, Louie, Modern Family, Orange is the New Black, Silicon Valley, Veep
The Head: Veep
The Heart: Veep
The Gut: No Parks and Recreation?

Here’s some breaking news, Veep is the funniest show on television. It’s also one of the most re-watchable. It is one of five shows that I am legitimately excited to return.

Best Actress in a Comedy Series

Nominees: Lena Dunham (Girls,) Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie,) Julia Louis Dreyfus (Veep,) Melissa McCarthy (Mike & Molly,) Amy Poehler (Parks and Recreation,) Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black)
The Head: Julia Louis Dreyfus
The Heart: Julia Louis Dreyfus
The Gut: Taylor Schilling…dark horse?

JLD up in here! If anyone else wins then this then this award show is a sham. Unless if Amy Poehler wins. Then it’s not a sham. A bummer for JLD, but not a sham.

Best Actor in a Comedy Series

Nominees: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory,) Ricky Gervais (Derek,) Matt LeBlanc (Episodes,) Don Cheadle (House of Lies,) Louis C.K. (Louie,) William H. Macy (Shameless)
The Head: Louis C.K.
The Heart: Louis C.K.
The Gut: Wow, I don’t watch any of these shows

No really, I don’t watch any of these shows. The only comedies I watch are Veep, Parks and Recreation, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Silicon Valley, and…uh…reruns of Seinfeld.

Best Drama Series

Nominees: Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, House of Cards, Mad Men, True Detective
The Head: Breaking Bad or True Detective
The Heart: Breaking Bad
The Gut: No The Americans?

What would the reaction be if True Detective wins? I bet it’ll be mixed. I want Breaking Bad to win, because I think that show needs to be widely celebrated one more time. I watched the last few episodes recently and this is not breaking news, they were really effin’ good. True Detective was definitely something. But Breaking Bad was way more than that. Years from now, we’ll remember Breaking Bad. I don’t think we will remember True Detective. However, if time is in fact, a flat circle, that may help True Detective’s cause.

Best Actress in a Drama Series

Nominees: Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex,) Claire Danes (Homeland,) Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey,) Julianna Marguiles (The Good Wife,) Kerry Washington (Scandal,) Robin Wright (House of Cards)
The Head: Julianna Marguiles
The Heart: Michelle Dockery
The Gut: Keri Russell of The Americans should be on this list.

Having never watched The Good Wife, this one is based more on What People Say- and by “people” I mainly mean my boss Carey Loch who tells me I should watch the show at least once a week. Noted. Scandal was weak sauce this season and people have jumped off the Homeland train faster than Claire Danes filling up a cork board. If you were to ask me, though- Keri Russell for the win.

Best Actor in a Drama Series

Nominees: 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)
The Head: Cranston or McConaughy
The Heart: Cranston or Hamm
The Gut: Once again, The Americans gets the shaft. Matthew Rhys should be on this list.

Flip a coin and tell yourself you won’t be upset with the result.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series

Nominees: 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)
The Head: Peter Dinklage
The Heart: Peter Dinklage
The Gut: Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister on Game of Thrones) and Noah Emmerich (The Americans) should be on this list and if The Americans continue to get hosed, I may have to do something rash.

If Paul had more to do in the final run of Breaking Bad episodes, he’d be in the mix. But for the foreseeable future, this is Dinklage’s award to lose.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series

Nominees: Anna Gunn (Breaking Bad,) Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey,) Lena Headley (Game of Thrones,) Christine Baranski (The Good Wife,) Christina Hendricks (Mad Men,) Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
The Head: Anna Gunn
The Heart: Lena Headley
The Gut: All cool with this one