Now, how about we lighten the mood (in most cases, anyway) with a few funny men.
You heard my spiel in the video I posted, and it’s true: once the nominees are set and they (and their “people” and/or the network) pick the one episode for Emmy voters to judge their past year’s performance on, I watch all of them. Yes, ALL. (Nerd alert!)
I figure, if you’re going to be an armchair awards prognosticator, you need to do your homework. Thank goodness for summer travel and all its trains, planes and subways, because that, my friends, is a lot of TV.
So, give or take three hours later, here are some musings from the Pop gallery:
- Fred Armisen, “Portlandia”: Fred is funny, and he gets to play a number of entertaining characters in his submission, “Pull-Out King.” But aside from one in particular—the ultimate tailgater guy—I didn’t find them to make a lingering impression, the culprit no doubt being the format of the show. Unlike the other reels where you follow an actor’s character through an arc and come to know them, the “one-and-done” approach doesn’t usually snag the statue.
- Andre Braugher, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”: He’s won twice in the drama race, and what he does in “Christmas”—ranging from Ray’s frustrated, stoic cop façade to more tender moments with his husband and members of the force at his holiday party—is only going to garner him more fans among voters. His spot-on line deliveries, powerful presence and major screen time all bode well for Braugher.
- Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”: As classic—and impressive—as a supporting comedy actor’s reel can get: Burrell showcases his stellar range in “Spring-a-Ding Fling,” from touching father-daughter scenes with Haley, who fills in as his date to the Realtor’s Banquet, to an endearingly goofy song-and-dance.
- Adam Driver, “Girls”: This guy can do no wrong in my book. Far and away the best part of Girls (a show I like, and know as many of you loathe as love), Driver comes to the forefront as Adam makes his Broadway debut in the season finale, “Two Plane Rides.” The dramatic forefront, that is. There are tears in the dressing room scene, roars in the alley later on and more tears when things get real with Hannah. Heartbreaking, but sadly (literally), not funny.
- Jesse Tyler Ferguson, “Modern Family”: On first reaction, I thought Tyler Ferguson got it wrong by not submitting his sweetly moving work in the wedding season finale, but he’s pitch-perfect when Mitchell confronts Jay over his feelings about the nuptials in “Message Received.” And he’s not only good throughout the episode, he’s sympathetic—and voters love themselves a sympathetic character.
- Tony Hale, “VEEP”: Last year’s winner, he didn’t have all that much to do that was memorable in “Crate” until the bathroom scene where Gary struggles with a bloody nose as Selina gives him the news of POTUS’s plan to step down. Here, Hale makes up for lost time, seamlessly running the gamut from tears to side-splitting hysterics in a matter of seconds.
The Breakdown: Either of the Modern Family guys could easily—and very justifiably—win, and though Hale is a one-scene threat that shouldn’t be counted out, I think this one is Braugher’s to lose.
What do you think? Is Andre really going to make another trip to the mic? And stay tuned: next up is The Supporting Actresses: Drama Series