{"id":32418,"date":"2021-09-24T07:46:16","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T02:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/emmys-2021-who-will-win-who-should-win\/"},"modified":"2021-09-24T07:53:23","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T02:23:23","slug":"emmys-2021-who-will-win-who-should-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centralrecorder.com\/emmys-2021-who-will-win-who-should-win\/","title":{"rendered":"Emmys 2021: Who Will Win, Who Should Win"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Last year\u2019s Primetime Emmy Awards were defined by dominance. Pop TV\u2019s Schitt\u2019s Creek <\/i>became the first series in Emmys history to sweep all four acting categories in its genre, while also winning for writing, directing, and Outstanding Comedy Series. HBO\u2019s Watchmen <\/i>and Succession <\/i>didn\u2019t do quite as well in, respectively, the limited series and drama categories, but they came close. The Television Academy of Arts and Sciences voters found the idea of sharing the wealth to be a strange concept on this night.<\/p>\n

Schitt\u2019s<\/em> Creek <\/i>won all those awards for its final season, though. Watchmen <\/i>was a miniseries with no current plans to return. And Succession <\/i>sat out the last year due to Covid. As a result, this year\u2019s Emmys will at least have some new winners, even if it appears that another feel-good comedy will have a night nearly as strong as Schitt\u2019s Creek <\/i>had last fall.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Here are our takes on the nominees that are the most deserving, those that look to have the best shot of taking home a trophy at Sunday night\u2019s ceremony on CBS, and those who were just plain snubbed in the major categories.<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES<\/h3>\n

black-ish <\/i>(ABC)
Cobra Kai <\/i>(Netflix)
Emily in Paris <\/i>(Netflix)
Hacks <\/i>(HBO Max)
Pen15 <\/i>(Hulu)
Ted Lasso <\/i>(Apple TV+)
The Flight Attendant <\/i>(HBO Max)
The Kominsky Method <\/i>(Netflix)<\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>Look, you and I and everyone who\u2019ll be gathered in the Microsoft Theater in L.A. on Sunday knows that a certain comedy about a mustachioed football coach is going to take home the prize. And a very easy argument could be made that it\u2019s the deserving winner. So let\u2019s just take a moment here to appreciate how wonderful it is that Pen15<\/i> \u2014 a weird, raunchy, beautiful, awkward, ridiculous comedy starring two women in their thirties playing themselves as middle-schoolers \u2014 made the cut for its fantastic second season. In a non-Lasso<\/em> year, things may have shaken out differently.<\/p>\n

Will win: <\/b>Whatever inevitable (and undeserved) backlash Ted Lasso<\/i> has experienced for its second season, it\u2019s the universally-adored first season that\u2019s up for consideration here. Like Schitt\u2019s Creek <\/i>a year ago, it\u2019s hard to imagine the feel-good Ted <\/i>losing any category for which it has one or more nominations this year.<\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>While Ted Lasso <\/i>was soaking up all the awards love, another Apple comedy, Mythic Quest<\/i>, had a superb second season. Perhaps it shouldn\u2019t be a surprise that a show involving so many people from the long-snubbed It\u2019s Always Sunny in Philadelphia <\/i>couldn\u2019t get Emmys traction, but it\u2019s still a shame, especially with Emily in Paris <\/i>somehow making the cut (as if the Golden Globes never really went away, but just infected other awards shows).<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES<\/h3>\n

The Boys <\/i>(Amazon Prime Video)
Bridgerton <\/i>(Netflix)
The Crown <\/i>(Netflix)
The Handmaid\u2019s Tale <\/i>(Hulu)
The Mandalorian <\/i>(Disney+)
Pose <\/i>(FX)
Lovecraft Country <\/i>(HBO)
This Is Us <\/i>(NBC)
<\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>One of the weird things about Emmys eligibility these days is that shows which eventually get second seasons, like Big Little Lies <\/i>(or, we\u2019re guessing, Mare of Easttown<\/i>) can be submitted as limited series. Meanwhile, HBO declined to order a second Lovecraft Country <\/i>season, effectively making it a limited series, even though it\u2019s nominated here. However you categorize it, the highs of that one and only season, and its mashup of supernatural horrors with real-life racist ones, were higher than that of any show it\u2019s up against. Plus, a win here or elsewhere would make room in the broadcast to pay tribute to Lovecraft <\/i>co-star Michael Kenneth Williams, whose death last week will cast a pall over the ceremony.<\/p>\n

Will win: <\/b>This feels like the year that Netflix finally breaks through and wins a best series award. Which drama from the UK earns Netflix this award? The Crown <\/i>has been knocking on the door for a while, and seems more built to appeal to the older-skewing TV Academy membership. (Claire Foy even got an Emmy guest actress Emmy during the weekend to give them a quick cameo. But Bridgerton <\/i>was a phenomenon throughout the holidays, perhaps second only to Ted Lasso <\/i>last year. In lieu of flipping a coin, we\u2019ll guess that the focus on Princess Diana gives The Crown <\/i>a win.<\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>Year two of Apple\u2019s For All Mankind<\/i> was one of the most thrilling and poignant TV drama seasons in recent memory, but Emmys voters don\u2019t appear to be aware the show exists. It also might have been nice to see HBO\u2019s In Treatment<\/i> revival make the cut in this category, but the psychology drama never did so in its Gabriel Byrne incarnation, either.<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES<\/h3>\n
\n

\t\"\"<\/p>\n

HBO, Netflix<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

I May Destroy You <\/i>(HBO)
Mare of Easttown <\/i>(HBO)
The Queen\u2019s Gambit <\/i>(Netflix)
The Underground Railroad <\/i>(Amazon Prime Video)
WandaVision <\/i>(Disney+)
<\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>On a technical level, Underground Railroad <\/i>leaves not only the rest of this impressive field in the dust, but almost anything made for television over the past several years. Visually, aurally, and performance-wise, it\u2019s an absolute stunner. But it could also be a narrative muddle at times, where I May Destroy You <\/i>had more consistency in vision and execution. That gives Michaela Coel\u2019s sexual-assault drama a slight edge over Barry Jenkins\u2019 slavery epic.<\/p>\n

Will win: <\/b>That voters largely ignored Underground <\/i>in other major categories suggests it doesn\u2019t have the broad-based support to win. At last weekend\u2019s Creative Arts Emmys, it couldn\u2019t even win for cinematography, where it should have been an easy victor as one of the most beautiful-looking television shows ever made. Instead, that award and eight others went to The<\/em> Queen\u2019s Gambit<\/em>, which appears immune to the recency bias that sometimes hurts shows that premiered early in the eligibility window. Domination of the technical categories is a good omen for the Netflix chess miniseries, though I wouldn\u2019t count out the emotional punch of either Mare\u00a0<\/em>or\u00a0Destroy<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>While the comedy and drama series categories have been allowed to expand their number of nominees, the limited series categories \u2014 where arguably the best work in television is being done these days \u2014 are largely sticking to five nominees apiece. That left no room at the inn this year for Showtime\u2019s devastating historical satire The Good Lord Bird<\/i>, HBO Max\u2019s AIDS epic It\u2019s a Sin<\/i>, HBO\u2019s coming-of-age drama We Are Who We Are<\/i>, and Steve McQueen\u2019s collection of powerful films, Small Axe<\/i>, for Amazon. (Though the latter may have also suffered from all the \u201cis it TV show or a group of movies?\u201d confusion.)<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES<\/h3>\n

Anthony Anderson, black-ish
<\/i>Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method<\/i>
William H. Macy, Shameless
<\/i>Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso
<\/i>Kenan Thompson, Kenan<\/i>
<\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>A pretty blah category filled with tired nominees (Macy, Douglas) and odd ones (everyone loves Thompson, but how many voters actually watched Kenan<\/i>?) Sudeikis is the obvious choice. Ted Lasso <\/i>has a lot of strong attributes, but if its star isn\u2019t believably endearing as the world\u2019s most positive-seeming coach, none of the rest of it works.<\/p>\n

Will win:<\/b> Bet Sudeikis early, bet Sudeikis often.<\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>Like Sudeikis, Michaela Coel, and several of this year\u2019s other acting nominees, Mythic Quest <\/i>star Rob McElhenney wears multiple hats as a writer and executive producer on that show. His acting is also worthy of recognition. He walks a fine line between sociopathic narcissism as well as something much more humane and vulnerable.<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES<\/h3>\n

Aidy Bryant, Shrill
<\/i>Kaley Cuoco, The Flight Attendant
<\/i>Allison Janney, Mom
<\/i>Tracee Ellis Ross, black-ish
<\/i>Jean Smart, Hacks<\/i>
<\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>A tough call between the two HBO Max stars, Cuoco and Smart. Cuoco has to hold together the disparate tones of The Flight Attendant <\/i>and make it function as a thriller, a comedy, and a character study, without one element undermining the others. Smart is meanwhile a great performer in her career-limiting role as a showbiz legend who wants to prove that she still has something to say. Let\u2019s go with Smart \u2014 as much for her recent run of excellence everywhere (<\/i>Fargo<\/i>, Watchmen<\/i>, Mare of Easttown<\/i>) as for how great she is in Hacks<\/i> \u2014 even though either would be a terrific winner.<\/p>\n

Will win: <\/b>When in doubt, look to what Emmys voters have done before. They actually like Smart a lot, having given her 11 nominations (including two this year, for Hacks <\/i>and Mare<\/i>) and two wins. Janney is an Emmys powerhouse, with six wins in the past, two of which were for this role. Smart may be able to win because she is a performer, as Hollywood loves nothing more than honoring actors, singers and comedians.<\/p>\n

Robbed:<\/b> It may have been hard for voters to choose between Pen15 <\/em>stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, but then why not just nominate both? And while HBO Max already has two representatives on this list, Cristin Milioti was pretty terrific in Made For Love<\/i>. Renee Elise Goldsberry was nominated for the filmed version of Hamilton<\/i>, but not for how hilarious she is on an actual television show, Peacock\u2019s Girls5Eva<\/i>, while Charlotte Nicdao is just as crucial to the creative success of Mythic Quest <\/i>as McElhenney.<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES<\/h3>\n

Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
<\/i>Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country
<\/i>Josh O\u2019Connor, The Crown
<\/i>Reg\u00e9-Jean Page, Bridgerton
<\/i>Billy Porter, Pose
<\/i>Matthew Rhys, Perry Mason<\/i><\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>Page exploded into the public consciousness as the dashing Duke of Hastings. These awards shouldn’t always go to the best or most complex performance. But sometimes, it feels right to recognize the star who made Page famous.<\/p>\n

Will win: <\/b>Again, this feels like a year where everything finally comes together for The Crown<\/i>, which would make O\u2019Connor the favorite. Porter was a winner in the past, so don’t be afraid to back him.<\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>The Boys\u2019 <\/i>unexpected drama series nomination didn\u2019t translate into a nom here for leading man Antony Starr, but it should have. And if voters knew For All Mankind <\/i>existed, they surely would have nominated Michael Dornan for his work as an astronaut fighting through PTSD to get back to the moon for one more grand adventure.<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES<\/h3>\n
\n

\t\"\"<\/p>\n

HBO, Netflix<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Uzo Aduba, In Treatment
<\/i>Olivia Colman, The Crown
<\/i>Emma Corrin, The Crown
<\/i>Elizabeth Moss, The Handmaid\u2019s Tale
<\/i>Mj Rodriguez, Pose
<\/i>Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country<\/i><\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>Smollett\u2019s dance with the baseball bat<\/a> in the third Lovecraft <\/i>episode was as electric a moment as TV had in 2020, and it would be a wonderful breakthrough for Rodriguez to win for her tremendous work across all three Pose <\/i>seasons. That said, the pick here is Aduba, who does both the best acting in the category and the most<\/em> acting in the category, as one of only two characters onscreen for most of 24 intense, emotional, dialogue-heavy episodes of TV. She is also spending half an hour playing opposite herself in her submitted episode.<\/p>\n

Will win:<\/b> Colman seemed to have this award locked down a year ago, only to lose to Euphoria <\/i>star Zendaya, who\u2019s not in the running this time. Did Colman\u2019s loss mean that voters don\u2019t care for her Queen Elizabeth as much as they did Claire Foy\u2019s? She still feels like the favorite here, though Corrin could push past her, given that Diana was so important to the latest Crown <\/i>season.<\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>It would have been nice for Reg\u00e9-Jean Page\u2019s Bridgerton <\/i>co-star Phoebe Dynevor to get a nomination to match his, no?<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE<\/h3>\n

Paul Bettany, WandaVision
<\/i>Hugh Grant, The Undoing
<\/i>Ewan McGregor, Halston
<\/i>Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
<\/i>Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton<\/i><\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>It\u2019s Bettany more or less by default, since the category otherwise features two Hamilton <\/i>actors who are great but shouldn\u2019t be eligible (it is highly sketchy that the Emmys allowed so many performance nominations for a filmed version of a stage show); a genuinely bad performance by McGregor; and a performance by Grant that was sorely hamstrung by some creaky plotting that needed to keep his motives secret until the end. Bettany was very good at having to work in all those different sitcom worlds on WandaVision<\/i>\u00a0(and, like Uzo Aduba on\u00a0in Treatment<\/em>, he spent an episode acting opposite himself),\u00a0but the heavy lifting on that show came from his co-star.
<\/p>\n

Will win: <\/b>Voters loved Hamilton<\/i> enough <\/b>to give it 12 nominations, so put your money on Odom repeating his Tony win over Miranda.
<\/b><\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>What even is the point of awards like this if not to honor a thunderous performance like the one Ethan Hawke gave as unhinged but heroic The Good Lord Bird <\/em>abolitionist John Brown? Instead, he and Small Axe <\/i>star John Boyega are on the outside looking in due to the Hamilton <\/i>shenanigans and some of the category\u2019s other lazy choices.<\/p>\n

OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE<\/h3>\n

Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You
<\/i>Cynthia Erivo, Genius: Aretha
<\/i>Elizabeth Olsen, WandaVision
<\/i>Kate Winslet, Mare of Easttown
<\/i>Anya Taylor-Joy, The Queen\u2019s Gambit<\/i>
<\/p>\n

Should win: <\/b>Savage. It was a brutal category, and one that would be deservedly won. But we have to pick one, and Taylor-Joy gets the thinnest of margins over her peers because so much more of Queen\u2019s Gambit <\/i>rested on her magnetic, vulnerable performance than any of her competitors\u2019 shows did. Without her, it\u2019s a forgettable (if pretty) period piece; with her, it was a phenomenon.<\/p>\n

Will win: <\/b>A really tough call. Feels like the WandaVision <\/i>nominations were that show\u2019s awards, though, and if Coel gets honored for her sensational work, it\u2019ll be as a writer rather than a performer. Winslet was the frontrunner before the Creative Arts ceremony. But Taylor-Joy seems to be the slight favorite.<\/p>\n

Robbed: <\/b>While The<\/em> Underground Railroad <\/i>was most memorable for its sights and sounds, its performances \u2014 particularly by Thuso Mbedu as the story\u2019s brutalized, determined heroine, Cora \u2014 were certainly worthy of recognition, even in a category as stacked as this one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n