Emmy predix: Sharon Gless versus Christina Hendricks in supporting actress contest
Just as they disagree over who will prevail in the supporting drama actor race, our Emmy gurus Chris "Boomer" Beachum and Rob Licuria (Awards Heaven) differ on which woman will win the equivalent award. Boomer is buzzed about the return of two-time lead actress champ Sharon Gless ("Cagney & Lacey," 1986, 1987) to the derby while Rob prefers the chances of Christina Hendricks ("Mad Men"). However, both place another Emmy winner -- Christine Baranski ("The Good Wife") -- in the second position.
Their commentary on this contest is below. Rob and Boomer have already analyzed guest drama actor, guest drama actress, guest comedy actor and guest comedy actress. And the three of us have weighed in on the top drama series and comedy series races as well as best TV movie, best reality/competition show and best reality show host.
DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS: BOOMER'S PREDIX
1. Sharon Gless, "Burn Notice" ("Devil You Know")
2. Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife" ("Bang")
3. Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men" ("Love Among the Ruins")
4. Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men" ("Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency")
5. Archie Panjabi, "The Good Wife" ("Hi")
6. Rose Byrne, "Damages" ("Your Secrets Are Safe")
BOOMER'S COMMENTARY: Look back over the years, and you'll find two trends for this category. Voters like emotional performances with anger, fear, crying and/or overwrought emoting (a lot!!), and they usually like veteran actresses (Cherry Jones, Blythe Danner, Allison Janney, Stockard Channing, Tyne Daly, etc.). There is only one lady this year with an emotional performance (Sharon Gless), and she just happens to be a longtime Emmy favorite with multiple wins. I am as surprised as anyone that I am making this prediction for a popcorn action show like "Burn Notice," but follow the facts and not your heart to come to the same conclusion.
Christine Baranski is very solid in her episode but has no real emotional work, not even in the courtroom scenes, which normally win over voters due to the passionate speeches given. If voters want to reward consistency over time, they will select Elisabeth Moss for her great work on "Mad Men." Her character has gone from a meek, lowly secretary to a copywriter with more power at work and in her love life in just a few short yet pivotal years. Her chosen episode showcases some of that change but doesn't have a single "wow" moment.
Everybody seems to be jumping on the Christina Hendricks bandwagon, but I just don't buy it for an actual Emmy win yet. Her sexpot image will probably work against her with voters who will not give her credit for the fine acting she exhibits. I would love to see her recognized for this performance, though. Archie Panjabi is one of the strong points of her show, but I found nothing memorable on her episode to make me want to vote for her. Rose Byrne wins the prize for one of this year's worst episode selections. She barely has anything to do in it.
DRAMA SUPPORTING ACTRESS: ROB'S PREDIX
1. Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men" ("Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency")
2. Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife" ("Bang")
3. Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men" ("Love Among the Ruins")
4. Archie Panjabi, "The Good Wife" ("Hi")
5. Sharon Gless, "Burn Notice" ("Devil You Know")
6. Rose Byrne, "Damages" ("Your Secrets Are Safe")
ROB'S COMMENTARY: I am puzzled as to why Rose Byrne chose this episode, the third-season premiere. Perhaps she doesn't want to win an Emmy, or maybe she doesn't care all that much, because she is given very little at all to do in the episode, and when she is on screen, I liken her performance to something akin to comatose. Very disappointing, especially when she could have been really competitive with an episode from later on in the season (like "All That Crap About Your Family," for instance).
Sharon Gless is one of the Emmy veterans who pops up every so often for a show that is not usually on the Emmy radar. Having been close to a nomination before (Gless made the top 10 "run-off" a few years ago), this nomination was not a total shock but more of a welcome surprise. And to back up the affection that the academy has for her, the episode she has chosen really does showcase her character as best as possible and puts her in this race as a spoiler to her competition from more fancied Emmy-friendly shows.
Archie Panjabi is one of the breakthrough stars of the past TV season and one of my favorite characters on TV at the moment. I was a little concerned about what episode she would choose, because, although her character, Kalinda Sharma, makes an impact in every scene in which she appears, there is no real stand-out episode that Panjabi has to really knock the socks off voters. "Hi" was probably as best as she was going to find (although I would've picked the season finale, "Running").
Elisabeth Moss did some great work in Season 3, as her character Peggy began her "journey of self-discovery and sexual awakening." Her scene in the bar as she dines with a college boy is particularly effective and really showcases the nuances of her character's yearning to be a successful Manhattan woman while still being the innocent she will likely always be. But her other scenes in "Love Among the Ruins" are so-so in my opinion because there's no stand-out memorable moment for her. If she wins this category, it might be more for the love of this character and of the show.
I estimated that Christine Baranski had two or three episodes to choose from that would make her competitive ("Bad," "Lifeguard" and the one Baranski ultimately went with, "Bang"). In this, she has plenty of screen time, the usual courtroom material as well as some lighter moments back at the office. Her interplay with Julianna Margulies is good, but I suspect the episode is chosen most of all for her scenes with Gary Cole, which positively drip with sexual tension due in no small part to the dynamite chemistry between Cole and Baranski. I think this is an understated, genuinely likable performance from Baranski, and she is definitely a dark horse.
In the end, I can't go past Christina Hendricks. Firstly, she should have been nominated for her stellar work in Season 2 of "Mad Men." But now that she has made the cut here, her performance in "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency" has some of the elements that I think are enough to secure her the trophy -– the "sassy" side of her character, Joan, during the office party, her scene with Jon Hamm at the hospital, her strong and nurturing side with a defeated husband and as she takes charge at the scene of an ugly office accident. If voters are paying attention, she should rightly be the front-runner in what has ended up being quite a competitive category.
Photos: Sharon Gless in "Burn Notice." Credit: USA. Christina Hendricks in "Mad Men." Credit: AMC
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Let me restate: Loretta Swit (who was absolutely fantastic as the gossip sleuth in Blake Edwards' movie "S O B") was going to be "Cagney." Then due to the machinations of Ho'wood, someone else -- oh, it was Sharon Gless-- was chosen for that role. Let's not quibble about 'pilot this,' Meg Foster that. It was created for Loretta Swit's..
So: - this Sharon Gless person took the part away from the incomparable Loretta Swit. With this choice, one begins to see just how Ho'wood works. Anyway, it was purely a coincidence that the one character I found supremely annoying on "Queer as Folk,' (Debby) turned out to be Sharon Gless. This is not my fault. I did not know this for many months of watching Queer as Folk re-runs. Finally one day I just had to look up the casting credits on IMDb. 'Debby' was Sharon Gless -- the one who was wrongfully cast in the role that was intended for the incomparable Loretta Swit.
Shame on Hollywood. Just goes to show ya: Sandard Operational Boolsheesh. S O B.
(What was the show she is nominated for? To be completely fair, I will indeed buy a copy of the DVD and watch it. It might serve as an antidote to the annoyance of watching her all-too-regular appearance as 'Debby' on Queer as Folk.
Posted by: Caroms2051 | August 15, 2010 at 03:14 PM
I really wanted Rose Byrne to win the Emmy this year, but I can't believe she chose the first episode of season 3 when there were better episodes she could have chosen, especially since she's really a co-lead of the show as opposed to a supporting character. I hope that when season 4 happens (whether it be this coming t.v. season or next since they got a new deal with Direct TV), I hope Damages is still a viable show and that Rose Byrne chooses an episode that delivers that Emmy.
I wish she had gotten it for season 2 since she had some incredible material that year.
Posted by: Scott | August 09, 2010 at 08:30 PM
FIrst of all, Christina Hendricks is amazing on "Mad Men". She is my favorite character on the show and I really wish they would show more of her. Still, as much as I love Christina's Joan, she is my second choice. My first choice is the continuously stellar work done by the magnificent Archie Panjabi on "The Good Wife." Kalenda could have easily been an also-ran on the show, just a support to the incredible work done by Julianna Margulies. But Panjabi has elevated that character to heights of mystery and intrigue...and she did it in a way that was so subtle. She deserves to win, hands down!
Posted by: Mark | August 09, 2010 at 07:52 PM
Archie Panjabi is a great actress, who makes the most of her character's constraint. However, we seem to be forgetting that voters are getting to see her in two episodes submitted in this category: hers and Baranski's.
Baranski's submitted episode is a much better showcase of range for Panjabi and she really does great work in every scene she's in. Now, I'm not saying that she is going to win but she should definitely not be counted out. After all, haven't competing cast mates' submissions won Emmys for the 'wrong' person before?
Posted by: Freddy | August 06, 2010 at 12:17 PM
By the way Caroms, Gless was excellent on "Queer as Folk".
Christina Hendricks is a solid presence on "Mad Men" and deserves to win. The problem with the Emmys is that it all comes down to ONE or TWO episodes and therefore about strategy in submission as opposed to a season-long body of work AS IT SHOULD BE.
Posted by: Terrence | August 06, 2010 at 08:51 AM
Why on earth did Rose Byrne make such a poor submission choice?! I thought she actually had a chance this year, but now her loss seems absolutely guaranteed. So sad. I agree that "All That Crap About Your Family" was the episode that would have given her a fighting chance. Someone should have stopped Rose from making such a terrible mistake.
Posted by: mick | August 06, 2010 at 03:31 AM
Wow, Caroms2051, you're about as clueless as can be. Sharon Gless did not replace Loretta Swtt on CAGNEY AND LACY -- she replaced Meg Foster. Swit was merely in the pilot. Gless went on to do a phenomenal job portraying Christine Cagney for several years -- garnering enthusiastic fans and winning two Emmys (out of a total six nominations) along the way.
So, you've never watched BURN NOTICE, but you've already made your decision regarding Gless's performance (and, what's more, felt the need to post your oh so informed opinion here). Pathetic.
Posted by: mick | August 06, 2010 at 03:28 AM
The character of Joan on MAD MEN is the most intriguing female character to come along on episodic TV since Edie Falco's multi-faceted character on THE SOPRANOS. And my only complaint about all three seasons of MAD MEN is I want more Christina Hendricks as Joan. She deserves an Emmy for all three seasons. Go, Christina!!
Posted by: Tom O | August 05, 2010 at 05:48 PM
Ever since I read that Sharon Gless beat out Loretta Swit for the role of Detective Cagney on the old-timey TV show, "Cagney and Lacey," Ms Gless has been on my 'not a fave' list.
Then, to reinforce this dislike, I used to watch re-runs of 'Queer as Folk,' and there was one character who was especially annoying. Yes, it turned out to be "Sharon Gless."
So 'veteran actress' or not, Sharon G should NOT win this year's Emmy, because I doubt she is really that good in whatever TV show she is nominated for this year.
Posted by: Caroms2051 | August 05, 2010 at 04:28 PM