66th Annual Emmy Awards 2014

Greg Vellante

With the 66th Annual Emmy Awards set to air on August 25, viewers can expect a terminally ill, meth-cooking mastermind and a group of female prison inmates to dominate the night. With AMC’s landmark series Breaking Bad finishing off its incredible final season last year, it certainly has frontrunner status in the Outstanding Drama Series category for not only being the biggest cultural phenomenon of the past few years, but for delivering consistently excellent televised storytelling week after week.

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul also have strong chances in their respective lead and supporting drama performance categories, though voters could show love for recent Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey’s fantastic performance in HBO’s True Detective. While Cranston and Paul certainly deserve their nominations, it’s a shame not to see names like Dean Norris and Anna Gunn on there, other members of the ensemble cast who were always on the top of their game, especially in the final season.

As for the comedy department, expect some awards to be given to the ladies of Netflix’s blazingly original streaming series, Orange is the New Black, a cultural hit that has killed it with two excellent seasons. The Emmy voters are focusing on the first year, but expect the raving reviews and excellent character acting of the second to play into their decisions as well. The series seems to be a lock for the top category, Outstanding Comedy Series, but the voters could bypass OITNB and instead choose the fourth season of Louis CK’s series Louie.

The performances of Orange is the New Black will certainly dominate. Taylor Schilling’s chances in the Lead Comedic Actress category are likely slim due to competition from heavy-hitters such as Parks and Recreation’s Amy Poehler and Veep’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus. But, since Orange is the New Black is built on its wide range of eclectic characters and the actors performing them, this is where the series could truly shine.

Kate Mulgrew as fiery-haired prison chef, Red, gave an outstanding supporting performance in season one of OITNB, has the strongest chance in this year’s Supporting Comedic Actress category. However, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon pull an upset since she has been slaughtering on the historic variety show and delivering some of the best impressions and characters that the show has seen in years; her Justin Bieber is so spot-on that it’s a tad frightening.

Where Orange is the New Black will most certainly dominate is in the Guest Comedic Actress category. Giving them more opportunities to receive attention, three of the supporting performances from season one were highlighted in this category, including Uzo Aduba’s Crazy Eyes, Natasha Lyonne’s Nicky, and Laverne Cox’s Sophia. Cox has the edge, using her transgender background to stir emotions in one of the first season’s most affecting episodes, which focuses on her transgender character.

As for Lead Comedic Actor, there is a strong possibility that Louis CK earns the prize for his work on this season of Louie, though it would be a nice to see the Emmy go to Ricky Gervais’s performance as Derek, the humble, simple, good-natured caretaker of a small nursing home. The show, available as an original streaming series on Netflix, is the perfect combination of humor and unbelievably touching moments. The tone has rubbed some people the wrong way but I adore the show, and Gervais’s performance is easily the emotional anchor of the entire series as his best conceived character to date.

The new critically acclaimed mini-series Fargo should pull off a win in the Best Miniseries department, while HBO’s adaptation of The Normal Heart should win in the TV Movie category. However, when it comes to other categories in which these two properties are competing based upon their many great performances, it is anyone’s game.

While most of these nominations feel fully deserved, those oddly omitted from being honored include Tatiana Maslany, who should be the frontrunner in the Lead Dramatic Actress category for her multiple roles as various clones on the original BBC series Orphan Black.

Overall, this year’s Emmys should offer entertainment for the audience and accolades for shows and performances that deserve it. It has taken years to see a resurgence in this new golden age of television, and this season’s Emmy nominees validate that claim. Aside from snubs and personal disagreements, the 68th Annual Emmy Awards are set to be a grand time celebrating the best of the best in television.

The 66th Annual Emmy Awards is hosted by Seth Myers and will take place on August 25th at the Nokia Theatre and air live on NBC