The nominations have been announced for The 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. So now, it's time to speculate on who will and should win in each major category. Next up for analysis is Guest Actress in a Drama Series.The Nominees Ranked By Which Should Win:
- Jessica Lange for FX's American Horror Story: Apocalypse - "Return to Murder House"
- Phylicia Rashad for NBC's This Is Us - "Our Little Island Girl"
- Carice van Houten for HBO's Game of Thrones - "The Long Night"
- Laverne Cox for Netflix's Orange Is the New Black - "Well This Took a Dark Turn"
- Cherry Jones for Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale - "Holly"
- Cicely Tyson for ABC's How to Get Away With Murder - "Where Are Your Parents?"
Because American Horror Story: Apocalypse incorporated characters and stories from previous stories, it was forced into competing as a drama series this year. That had the fortunate effect of allowing Jessica Lange to once again be recognized by the voters. It was a delight to see her return to the franchise. Her collaborations with Ryan Murphy over the past decade have just been so inspiring. Her AHS character may be wickedly over-the-top and conceited but Lange simply has so much fun playing her. The narrative may have delved a little too much into exposition territory in her specific episode. But it was still just a pleasure to see Lange in that world once more. The same goes to Phylicia Rashad on This Is Us. Viewers had been asking for more details about Beth's family and upbringing. They got exactly what they wanted in an hour that showcased a complicated journey through her past and present. Again, the third season had some major problems. But Rashad brought such a compelling energy to the screen. In fact, it's just fantastic to see so many depictions of strong and complicated women get the recognition that they deserve here. Many of their stories may have been tragedies. And yet, it was so compelling to watch all the way through. In fact, it's surprising just how moving Carice van Houten and Laverne Cox were in the fleeting moments of their shows that had largely moved beyond their characters. That indicates just how significant their contributions have been in the past.
The Nominees Ranked by Which Will Win:
- Phylicia Rashad for NBC's This Is Us - "Our Little Island Girl"
- Jessica Lange for FX's American Horror Story: Apocalypse - "Return to Murder House"
- Cherry Jones for Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale - "Holly"
- Carice van Houten for HBO's Game of Thrones - "The Long Night"
- Cicely Tyson for ABC's How to Get Away With Murder - "Where Are Your Parents?"
- Laverne Cox for Netflix's Orange Is the New Black - "Well This Took a Dark Turn"
This really does present as a tight race between Phylicia Rashad and Jessica Lange. Cherry Jones and Carice van Houten are potential spoilers simply because of the strength of their overall shows amongst the voters. That love could potentially propel them to victory. They certainly had active roles but they don't present as the immediate frontrunners. Similarly, Cicely Tyson and Laverne Cox are the perennial nominees of this category. They always get the appreciation from the voters but never actually get the award for these specific performances. That seems unlikely to change this year. So again, it's a battle between Lange and Rashad. The last time that Lange played Constance Langdon on American Horror Story she won the Emmy. Not only that she also won the Golden Globe and SAG Award too. It was a character and performance that voters across the industry were eager to reward. That may present them with less urgency to do so now especially because Lange was only a guest performer during the Apocalypse season. And yet, she still dominated so much of the screen even though her story was only one component of the overall episode. That may factor into who wins. Rashad has never actually won an Emmy which is absolutely preposterous. It doesn't seem to make any logical sense given her lengthy career. She is long overdue for a victory. This Is Us at least has the proven track record of giving veteran character actors their chance to be up on that stage giving a speech.
What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my predictions? Let me know in the comments below!
