A post-liver transplant alcoholic and a mentally impaired man are among the hilarious characters represented.
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 a little over three hours of great performances, here are some musings from the Pop gallery:
- Don Cheadle, “House of Lies”: Cheadle competes with “Wreckage,” which gives him plenty to work with as he tackles an “actorly” to-the-camera monologue with real precision, much like he does when his Marty is tearing down colleagues at work, playing the family man and, in the end, a soft romantic. It’s a great choice, and could make Cheadle a sleeper to watch out for.
- Louis C.K. “Louie”: I really like Louis C.K. and think he’s wildly talented. However, his submission, “Model,” majorly lacks in both humor and sympathy—not exactly a winning combination. His Louie comes across as a schmuck throughout, accidentally punching a lady friend post-coitus and subsequently getting beaten up by her father (I almost cheered for the old man). Louis C.K. has a funny moment of physical comedy when he slips in the kitchen, but I think he’s better off hoping for good things in the writing or directing categories.
- Ricky Gervais, “Derek”: I jotted down three words in capital letters when I finished watching Gervais as Derek in the season finale: “THE PERFECT SUBMISSION!!” It’s a brilliant performance on a largely undiscovered show that’s both deeply touching and very funny, and Gervais dominates from opening to closing frame. It’s a fully realized, completely original character and a very tricky role that stuck with me long after I had seen the tape.
- Matt LeBlanc, “Episodes”: Playing a (hopefully very) exaggerated version of himself, LeBlanc has a ton of screen time in the season’s sixth episode. Whether comedically bedding his co-worker’s daughter (unbeknownst to him) or registering self-deprocating humor, he lands every joke. There were a few “Joey-ish” moments that some voters may see as a retread, but overall it’s an appealing performance.
- William H. Macy, “Shameless”: Macy’s work in “Lazarus” is powerhouse stuff, bringing humor and real believability to Frank’s stay at the hospital and eventual escape. He was so empathetic, in fact, that I could almost feel the pain of the doctor removing his staples post-surgery, and was along for the ride when he dramatically screams at the sky before choosing to take his first drink after liver replacement surgery. A real threat.
- Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”: A past winner many times over, Parsons is solid as ever in “The Relationship Diremption,” which is one of those classic multi-cam comedy submissions (see: co-star Mayim Bialik) that can tip the funny-haha scales with voters. Parsons is so creative in the way he physically removes his arm from underneath geology books at one point that you’re taken aback for a moment, and he does the hit-or-miss “drunk scene” thing very well.
The Breakdown: I imagine it would be hard for voters to deny Gervais, but Macy, Cheadle and Parsons are more than viable possibilities.
Do you think “Derek” will get enough traction with voters for a Ricky win? Next up: The Lead Actresses: Drama Series