Emmys 2017: This Is Us, Bob Odenkirk, Claire Foy top our Drama favorites
Today, though, we discuss Drama, which is in the midst of a relatively-interesting time. Because of when they aired on the schedule shows like Game of Thrones and Outlander are not eligible. Meanwhile, shows like Orange is the New Black were considered for the year prior (probably a good thing, given that it’s coming off of its weakest season). Overall, though, this was an extraordinary year, one where network TV at times fought back against the cable big dogs, and also one where streaming providers like Hulu started to make more of their presence known in awards season with shows like The Handmaid’s Tale.
Below are some of our personal picks in these categories; we’ll be back on Sunday with more on the actual winners, with analysis of whether or not the Television Academy made the right choice.
Drama Series – This Is Us (NBC). Out of all of the shows of the past year, this is the one that continuously pulled out our heart and stomped on it. It burst onto the scene with love, care, emotion, and stellar writing and performances. It proved that if you tell the right story, you can still have an enormous hit on network TV. It’s the show that raises the game for all of the different networks, and it may just be a once-in-a-generation show that should not be forgotten.
Lead Actor – Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC). As Jimmy McGill starts to slip more into Saul Goodman territory, Odenkirk continues to only up his game. He presents this caring, passionate guy, but also the side of him that is selfish, manipulative, and angry. The scenes with Michael McKean this season were on another level, and we remain very much bitter that he wasn’t nominated in supporting.
Lead Actress – Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix). As brilliant as every other performer may have been from this past season, we do foresee Foy having a clear edge for not only delivering on the character of Queen Elizabeth II, but injecting a spirit and an edge that was strictly her own. She was the driving force behind the series, and one of the main reasons this was not another down-the-middle royal biopic we’ve seen so many times before.
Supporting Actor – Ron Cephas Jones, This Is Us (NBC). William was the emotional core for “Memphis,” one of the best episodes of the show and the one that probably caused you to go through an entire box of tissues. How could they do William and Randall like that? Jones was brilliant; it’s not always fair to call something the “performance of their career” since that implies that they won’t do better stuff to come; still, we do very much think that this performance elevated everyone else and showed how strong parental characters can be on TV with the right writing and power behind them.
Supporting Actress – Chrissy Metz, This Is Us (NBC). Another incredible, genre-altering performance. Metz brought a lot of vulnerability to Kate, but also recognition, strength, devotion, and depth. Before this show, she was someone we knew mostly from a single season of American Horror Story. Now, she’s someone we will never forget.
Who do you think should win the Drama Series awards at the Emmys this year? Share in the comments below!
Photo: AMC