Superlative Sunday :: the 2011 Emmys and how I feel about them

I’m gonna sort this one by award and just skip the comedy and miniseries categories altogether.  (I watch… Glee of the comedies.  I wasn’t into this season really, and they didn’t win anyway.  So.  I saw The Pillars of the Earth, it was okay.  I saw Mildred Pierce.  They did a good job with completely despicable characters.  I’m happy for Kate and Guy, but I don’t care that much.  I didn’t see any other miniseries nominees.)

So.

Writing, Drama Series:
Mad Men, “The Suitcase,” written by Matthew Weiner
Mad Men, “Blowing Smoke,” written by Andre and Maria Jacquemetton
Friday Night Lights, “Always,” written by Jason Katims
The Killing, “Pilot,” written by Veena Sud
Game of Thrones, “Baelor,” written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss
My vote was “The Suitcase.”  That episode broke my heart, made me grin like an idiot, and was just generally perfect.  But I’m a Mad Men groupie, basically.  “Blowing Smoke” would have been fine too.  I’d have been completely all right with “Baelor,” too.  I would honestly be tempted to give them an award just for having the nerve to decapitate their main character.  I know this happened in the books, but they very well could have just… not done that.  I wouldn’t have been surprised.  Decapitating the first name in the opening credits is basically unheard of and therefore awesome, and deserved to be rewarded.  And yet… Friday Night Lights won.  I’ve never seen Friday Night Lights, and for all I know it could be brilliant.  But it’s not even on a channel that lets them say the “s word.”  It can’t be nearly as, pardon my French, ballsy as Game of Thrones, and Mad Men has been pushing their envelope lately, too.

Directing, Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire, “Pilot,” directed by Martin Scorsese
Boardwalk Empire, “Anastasia,” directed by Jeremy Podeswa
The Borgias, “The Poisoned Chalice/The Assassin,” directed by Neil Jordan
The Killing, “Pilot,” directed by Patty Jenkins
Game of Thrones, “Winter is Coming (Pilot),” directed by Tim Van Patten
Touche.  I love Boardwalk deeply, and I really could have accepted any of these choices.  I don’t watch The Killing, but I wouldn’t have been devastated.  Being the HBO whore I am, though, Boardwalk or Game of Thrones was going to get my vote.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series:
Kelly Macdonald as Margaret Schroeder, Boardwalk Empire
Christina Hendricks as Joan [I hate using her married name so hard that I choose to write it out in that way where maiden name comes before married name just ’cause, so Holloway] Harris, Mad Men
Michelle Forbes as Mitch Larsen, The Killing
Archie Panjabi as Kalinda Sharma, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale as Mags Bennett, Justified
Christine Baranski as Diane Lockhart, The Good Wife
As I’d mentioned before, I’d have been all right (more than) with Kelly or Christina.  Kelly’s performance was beautiful, and Christina… well.  Not only am I in love with her, this season brought some wonderful Joan moments that made me want to cry with happiness.  But Margo… damn.  That woman pulled quite the performance out, and it’s not like Mags can come back next season.  Kelly and Christina still have their chances (and anyway, I still got to stare at Christina, wearing her glasses during the ceremony and being perfect).

Supporting Actor, Drama Series:
John Slattery as Roger Sterling, Mad Men
Andre Braugher as Owen, Men of a Certain Age
Walton Goggins as Boyd Crowder, Justified
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles as Will Gardner, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming as Eli Gold, The Good Wife
The Mad Men groupie in me would have been fine if John won.  Even if sometimes I wanna slap Roger upside the head.  (That means he’s doing a good job performing, right?)  I was all right with Peter winning; I enjoy him.  Tyrion is one of the least d-baggy characters on Game of Thrones (which says something, ’cause he’s still a d-bag sometimes, but hey) and I do appreciate him.  I’d have slapped someone upside the head if either of the Good Wife nominees won (I enjoy Alan Cumming, but really) and likewise Andre Braugher (what even is that show?  I have no idea).  But really.  Really.  WALTON GOGGINS.   (Maybe you were just nervous, Peter, so I’ll try to forgive you for calling him “Walter Goggins” in your speech.)  Hey, but Boyd isn’t dead.  There’s still hope for the future.

Actress, Drama Series:
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson, Mad Men
Connie Britton as Tami Taylor, Friday Night Lights
Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson, Law and Order: SVU
Mireille Enos as Sarah Linden, The Killing
Julianna Margulies as Alicia Florrick, The Good Wife
Kathy Bates as Harriet “Harry” Korn, Harry’s Law
WHAT IS THE GOOD WIFE I FEEL COMPELLED TO CAPSLOCK RAGE BECAUSE OF MY IGNORANCE TO IT.  She keeps winning for it, and I know nobody who watches it, including people’s parents.  (Not that I know what a lot of my friends’ parents watch, but still.)  I think I’m just bitter because Elisabeth.  My girl.  I just love Peggy more and more as time goes on, and she’s grown so freaking much, and she’s just an amazing character.

Actor, Drama Series:
Steve Buscemi as Nucky Thompson, Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall as Dexter Morgan, Dexter
Kyle Chandler as Coach Eric Taylor, Friday Night Lights
Jon Hamm as Don Draper, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie as Gregory House, House
Timothy Olyphant as Raylan Givens, Justified
Again.  It could be really good.  It could be absolutely amazing.  Kyle Chandler’s performance could be phenomenal.  I just… I don’t care.  Between the genius that is Steve (anytime, anyplace, ever) and the immense love I have for both Jon (lord, and how brilliant Don Draper is as a character) and Timothy (I’d say more, but coherency would start to lack) I just can’t want anyone else.  It was 50/50 that someone I wanted would win, but 50/50 odds are rarely in my favor.

Drama Series:
Boardwalk Empire
The Good Wife
Mad Men
Friday Night Lights
Dexter
Game of Thrones
Here, though, 50/50 was in my favor.  I’d have been happy with Boardwalk or Thrones, again, and I don’t even care that Mad Men always wins this category.  It always deserves it.  It is telecinematographic perfection, or just about perfection.

–your fangirl heroine.

Television Tuesday :: summer’s a-comin’.

Rather, it’s more or less already here, and that means for the most part, TV in shorter supply.  I mean, HBO is giving us our True Blood in 19 days (!!!) and that’s something.  Once Camelot is over, Starz is premiering Torchwood: Miracle Day, which… well, I’m not entirely sure how I’d feel about it otherwise, and I’ve never seen the original, but.  Dichen Lachman.  1:36 in.

I don’t know what she’s doing there, exactly, or how long she’ll be there.  Or why that woman is punching her in the face.  I do know that nope, I’m automatically going to watch because she is there.  Because A) epic girlcrush?  I think so, and B) supporting my Whedon women?  I think so.

I dunno.  United States of Tara is ending forever soon.  And it’s not going to be a happy conclusion, I can just tell.  Weeds will be starting again, soon, and that’s good I suppose?  I’m curious to see what in the hell they do with it now that she’s all jail-bound.  We will have Sons of Anarchy, and there’s no kidnapped baby, so that’s a blessing.  We won’t have Glee or anything, but honestly.  I sort of need the break.  The Borgias is over, Game of Thrones will be ending.

In short?  I think it’s time to watch a lot more Buffy and maybe do an epic rewatch of Dollhouse, too, and finally finally start Castle.

–your fangirl heroine.

Television Tuesdays :: so The Borgias is over for the season.

Short seasons, man.  They get you.  I’d been anticipating it being over, but I was still a bit sad.  Also worn out after the last episode; not exactly from emotional investment, but certainly from the fact that there was so much going on.

We had intrigue both romantic and political, a crap ton of sexual tension (some of it between Francois Arnaud’s Cesare and Holliday Grainger’s Lucrezia, which is creepy ’cause they’re siblings; some of it with Cesare and Ruta Gedmintas’ Ursula-now-Martha, which is creepy ’cause she’s now a nun), a lot of Jeremy Irons’ scowly growly “ohai remember when I was a cartoon lion?” face, a lot of pretty scenery and costumes, general wackiness ensuing.

(Seriously, I can’t be the only one of my generation who cannot listen to Jeremy Irons, even when he’s dressed up like the pope, and not see a cartoon lion.  And then I imagine a cartoon lion in a pope outfit, and die inside of giggles.)

I don’t care about these people on a people level, pretty much across the board, but I do care about these people insofar as I want to see what else they get into.  I want to see Lucrezia woman up and poison some bitches.  I want to see Cesare bitch-slap his brother metaphorically and prove that he’s a better warrior.  I want to see what wackiness good ol’ Pope Lion gets up to next.

And I have to wait till 2012?  Siiigh.

–your fangirl heroine.

Television Tuesday :: Showtime is almost as epic as HBO.

I don’t really have anything against network, per se.  Though I loathe reality shows.  And I loathe anything that’s so franchised it has spin-offs known only by the acronyms for different cities, not out of snobbery but it just… isn’t my thing.  (I can say this with surety, because I once watched Law & Order because Susan Blackwell was on it, and it bored me to tears, almost.)  I’m just… kind of a sucker for primetime.

Between the deliciously messed up Borgias and the latest season of United States of Tara?  They’re providing everything I need right now, basically.  And they’re responsible for my favorite costume drama, The Tudors, and for my other favorite half-hour comedy, Weeds, so they seem to get it right a lot of the time.

The Borgias, based on said historical crime family, is delightful.  It’s all sex and sin in the best of ways, but at the same time it doesn’t feel excessive (well, maybe the king who killed and stuffed his enemies and arranged them in a tableau of the Last Supper was a little much, maybe the thirteen year old marrying a twentysomething who’s screwing his older brother was a little much, but I assume those are historical facts, so).  The clothes are, of course, beautiful.  I’m a bit less gape-mouthed DO WANT than I am with The Tudors, but that’s largely because I prefer Elizabethan dresses selfishly.  Well, Renaissance ones are too high-cut and don’t provide for people with much of a figure, and Elizabethan ones are all CORSET.  YOU WERE SAYING?

I don’t know if I care about the characters, but I care about watching them embroiled in their scandals.  I don’t like them, they’re hideous people, but I’m still interested in them.  Devious characters are as fun, if not more fun sometimes, as people I want to hug.  And I’m enjoying watching Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger) learn to be devious slowly.  And as with all television programs I enjoy, I’m enjoying seeing character actors I know pop up and waving hello at them.

United States of Tara is completely the opposite kind of fun.  This week’s episode provided more giggles than I can remember any particular half hour doing in a long time.  Yet even amidst the funny, I care about these people.  I care about what happens to Tara (Toni Collette) and Max (John Corbett). I really, really, really do.

I want to put Marshall (Keir Gilchrist) honorarily on that list of people who need a hug, because if I have a son ever, I want that one, please.  I love his dry sense of humor, I love that he listens to jazz, I love that he cares about things and he observes things but he’s not obnoxious or pretentious.

I kind of want to be best friends with Kate (Brie Larson).  I mean, A) Brie Larson is epic.  B)  She’s precious and kind of dresses in that cute weird vintage but not pretentious hipster way that I want to steal.  C) She’s funny.  And not just one-note funny, she’s genuine.

I… kind of don’t like Charmaine (Rosemarie Dewitt) that much.  But I do wish the best for her and Neil (Patton Oswalt) and their baby, who apparently responds to Chinese swear words.  (Oh Patton Oswalt, repping the Browncoats everywhere, hearts.  I refuse to believe that it’s a coincidence.  It can’t be.)  And I hope Charmaine and Tara’s mom isn’t just bitching it up all over the place.

Basically?  Showtime is well-balanced.  It works the drama, the funny, the poignant, the creepy, the OMGPRETTYCLOTHES, the real, the historical, the genuine… all of those things, and well.

–your fangirl heroine.