Emmy Hopefuls: Will Vikings star Katheryn Winnick get the nomination she deserves?

In today’s edition of our ongoing CarterMatt Emmy Hopefuls series, the focus is on Vikings and, in particular, actress Katheryn Winnick who has surprisingly never received the attention or support that she deserves from the Television Academy. Really, you could say this almost about the entire cast of the History series; for one reason or another, it has been routinely ignore to the point of great frustration.

Before diving into potentially why that is, let us focus first on what Winnick brings to the table as Lagertha that makes her such a standout for Emmy consideration. For starters, you have who this character is; Lagertha is a fierce warrior, and is extremely formidable both in terms of her battle prowess and also her strategic problem-solving. She has been through the wringer (especially when it comes to her love life), and as a result of that she has understood hardship and pain in a way few others have. While she has shown moments of vulnerability, she has also shown tremendous strength and resolve that stems from some of that. She does not allow herself to be defined by what she has gone through.

What Winnick has successfully done over the years is amplify the great material from Michael Hirst. You care about Lagertha even when she makes moves you don’t agree with – you want to be there for both her successes as well as her missteps. You understand what she’s been through and Winnick has pulled you into her world with great care. She brings so many layers to her dialogue and often uses so much more than her words to make Lagertha’s presence felt.

When it comes to everything from her strength to her suffering, there are few better examples of Winnick’s skill than the most recent midseason finale. We saw Lagertha as a warrior and a Queen set to stare death in the face, but also someone broken and lost. In the aftermath of Astrid’s death the second half of the season could both look and feel totally different for the character. There is something about venturing into that great unknown that remains exciting.

Why hasn’t Winnick been nominated before now? – Personally, we do wonder as to whether or not the Emmy voters have enough awareness of History as a network at all. Their shows are often snubbed, and for whatever reason they have never been able to fully immerse themselves in the mithos and the story of the show. Series that often do have a heavy action component do find themselves ignored and this may be the case here. It may also be harder for the Emmys to pinpoint an individual performer in the midst of a show like Vikings that has so many who could be recognized. Game of Thrones is really the exception more so than the rule when it comes to actors from a show with a large cast being recognized.

Related – Check out some other editions of our Emmy Hopefuls series

Do you think that 2018 is the year for Katheryn Winnick to be recognized for Vikings? Be sure to share in the attached comments below.

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