Emmys: The Lead Actors: Drama Series

Six seriously badass guys.

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, after watching over six hours of great performances, here are some musings from the Pop gallery:

  • Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”: This doesn’t even warrant a tee-up. Instead, here’s a refresher on the highlights of Cranston’s explosive performance in “Ozymandias”: revealing a human side to Walter’s soul as he passionately pleaded for Hank’s life, bookended by a flashback reminding us of the gentle man he used to be; the venom-filled “I watched Jane die” speech to Jesse; yelling “We’re a family!” after the chilling physical confrontation with Skyler; and the scene where the police record his call to her while on the run with Holly. Master class.
  • Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”: Daniels surprised some by taking home this award last year, but after watching the tapes, the writing was on the wall—or in this case the page, in the form of wiz-bang monologue after monologue that the actor nailed (Aaron Sorkin says “you’re welcome”). This year, he puts forth a far more subdued reel, “Election Night, Part Two,” that pivots around his Will proposing to Mac against the backdrop of ballot box fever. Daniels gives an earnest, emotionally affective performance throughout (the proposal and makeup room scenes are lovely), but it’s a sparkler in a group of fireworks.
  • Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”: Speaking of subtle, Hamm is runner-up to Daniels on the low-key performance scale, opting for “The Strategy,” which is relatively quiet on the Don front. It’s a fine performance, and his scenes with Elisabeth Moss’s Peggy are quite special (a la the season four episode they should have both won for, “The Suitcase”). I’m just not sure it’s enough to pull him over the line.
  • Woody Harrelson, “True Detective”: Harrelson no doubt has his tribe of supporters for his complex, rounded, multi-faceted portrayal of Marty in “The Locked Room.” From multiple confrontation scenes with both his wife and Matthew McConaughey’s Russ, to the obsessed rage he unleashes at his mistress and her new beau, and all the way to a beautifully played scene with his young daughter, he turns in great work. But Harrelson has a big problem, and his name is McConaughey. He inherently has the showier role, and while Harrelson also gets bonus screen time to wow voters in his co-nominee’s reel, McConaughey benefits much more. Speaking of…
  • Matthew McConaughey, “True Detective”: In the season finale, “Form and Void,” McConaughey is, in a word, spectacular. His goose bump-inducing delivery of the line we waited all season to hear—”Marty, this is the place”—was as relieving as it was terrifying. And what can be said about his final scene in the wheelchair outside the hospital with Marty other than: yup, that’s definitely the guy who just won the Best Actor Oscar.
  • Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards”: In “Chapter 26,” the show’s second season ender, Spacey does his usual “Spacey thing,” giving us a glimpse into the darkest corners of Frank’s inner sanctum as he finally ascends to power. It’s a reliable, very strong performance, but it doesn’t feel like Spacey’s year in light of the competition.

The Breakdown: Let’s put it this way: 2014 is going to be noted as a very good year for either recent Tony winner Cranston or current Oscar champ McConaughey. Without a chance to honor either one for their roles next year, I don’t expect sentiment will be a factor and predict McConaughey will come out on top.

In a race this tight, what do you think: Matthew or Bryan? Or, is a left-field dark horse going to trample them? Next up: The Lead Actors: Comedy Series

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