It's Emmys time and everybody has their predictions, favorites and gripes about the awards ceremony.
The Emmys are just days away, so it's time to study the nominees and prepare to celebrate wins ... or complain about them. Below is a breakdown of the major categories. Be sure to tell us who you think should take home each award and follow our obsessive coverage this Sunday night.
EMMYS BALLOT HERE
Outstanding Drama
"Breaking Bad"
"Downton Abbey"
"Game of Thrones"
"Homeland"
"House of Cards"
"Mad Men"
Last Year's Winner: "Homeland"
What The Critics Are Saying: The Hollywood Reporter chalks this one up to a race between "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men", but would give the award to the former, due to the fact that "[Mad Men] had what many consider an erratic year. 'Breaking Bad' did not. In fact, it never has." The folks at Vulture decidedly disagree. "'Breaking Bad' is nominated for the first half of Season 5, and it was pretty great -- but not as goddamn fantastic as these final eight episodes have been," they argued. "So this round goes to 'Mad Men,' which took us down to the deplorable depths of Don Draper, and then, at the end, up the other side."
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Comedy
"30 Rock"
"Girls"
"Louie"
"Modern Family"
"The Big Bang Theory"
"Veep"
Last Year's Winner: "Modern Family"
What The Critics Are Saying: "'30 Rock' went out with a bang," Vulture said of their pick, convincingly arguing that "one last Emmy would make a perfect wedding gift for Liz Lemon and Criss Cross." Although, The Hollywood Reporter would give "Louie" the nod, and thinks the race "shouldn't even be close, particularly because 'Arrested Development' got snubbed. 'Louie' came into the world brilliant and hasn't looked back."
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama
Connie Britton, "Nashville"
Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Michelle Dockery, "Downton Abbey"
Vera Farmiga, "Bates Motel"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
Kerry Washington, "Scandal"
Robin Wright, "House of Cards"
Last Year's Winner: Claire Danes, "Homeland"
What The Critics Are Saying: The Hollywood Reporter speculates that Claire Danes will win this one again, but thinks the award should "[go] to Moss and is, in fact, long overdue." Vulture agrees, saying, "Moss has never been recognized for her work on 'Mad Men,' and that is starting to feel egregious." E! is also in support of Moss, but thinks Kerry Washington will take home the award.
What You Think:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama
Bryan Cranston, "Breaking Bad"
Hugh Bonneville, "Downton Abbey"
Damian Lewis, "Homeland"
Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom"
Last Year's Winner: Damian Lewis, "Homeland"
What The Critics Are Saying: "Spacey was brilliant on Season 1 of 'House of Cards'," E! said of their pick, "and his star power plus the buzz behind the Netflix series will give him the victory over three-time winner Cranston." Vulture also debunked Cranston, on the basis of his three previous wins, but they're rooting for Jon Hamm, as is The Hollywood Reporter. "Jon Hamm was bursting at the seams this season," said Vulture, "a pressure cooker readying to blow."
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy
Laura Dern, "Enlightened"
Lena Dunham, "Girls"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Tina Fey, "30 Rock"
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"
Last Year's Winner: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
What The Critics Are Saying: The troops are clearly divided on this one. The Hollywood Reporter hopes that Louis-Dreyfus takes the statue home again this year, saying, "Everybody finally got up to the greatness of 'Veep' by the second season and thus witnessed Louis-Dreyfus remind us how talented she is as a comic actress." E! suggests that "Poehler is long overdue for making her character, and the show she also produces, so great. It's extremely unlikely, but we'd love to see her finally get her due props." Yet, Vulture's poetic vetting of Laura Dern is perhaps the most convincing: "Laura Dern's performance as Amy Jellicoe on the late great 'Enlightened' is in another league. 'Enlightened' is a beautiful and hopeful but ultimately sad story about the limits of optimism, and the fact that the show was anything other than a straight-up tragedy is mostly thanks to Dern's surprising emotional buoyancy."
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy
Jason Bateman, "Arrested Development"
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"
Matt LeBlanc, "Episodes"
Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
Louis C.K., "Louie"
Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Last Year's Winner: Jon Cryer, "Two and a Half Men"
What The Critics Are Saying: Vulture would give this one to the hilarious Louis C.K., while The Hollywood Reporter is in support of "the glue that holds 'Arrested' together" : Jason Bateman. E! also called Bateman "glue," but speculates that Alec Baldwin also has a strong chance of winning.
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama
Anna Gunn, "Breaking Bad"
Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones"
Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife"
Morena Baccarin, "Homeland"
Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men"
Last Year's Winner: Maggie Smith, "Downton Abbey"
What The Critics Are Saying: Vulture is rooting for Anna Gunn, saying the actress "needs to win for playing the impossible position in which Walt’s put Skyler -- fierce and broken, seething and weary -- all season long." The Hollywood Reporter agreed, saying, "Ignore absurd viewer reaction to Gunn's character; it says much about the genius in the creation of the series but still is misguided. She earned it. It's hers." -- though they think Maggie Smith is most likely to win.
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy
Mayim Bialik, "The Big Bang Theory"
Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"
Anna Chlumsky, "Veep"
Jane Krakowski, "30 Rock"
Jane Lynch, "Glee"
Sofia Vergara, "Modern Family"
Merritt Wever, "Nurse Jackie"
Last Year's Winner: Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"
What The Critics Are Saying: Vulture hopes this year the Academy will "notice that 'Modern Family' has stopped being funny," and suggests they recognize the talents of Jane Krakowski: "Look into the cam-er-a and try to explain how Jane Krakowski has never won for '30 Rock.' It can't be done! This is her fourth nomination and last chance to win for her performance as the hideously amazing Jenna Maroney." Perhaps The Hollywood Reporter has been watching a different show. They'd like Bowen to win again, nothing that her "continued exceptional work can't be ignored."
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama
Jonathan Banks, "Breaking Bad"
Bobby Cannavale, "Boardwalk Empire"
Jim Carter, "Downton Abbey"
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"
Mandy Patinkin, "Homeland"
Aaron Paul, "Breaking Bad"
Last Year's Winner: Aaron Paul, "Breaking Bad"
What The Critics Are Saying: The nod would go to Mandy Patinkin's beard, if Vulture had their way. "Saul is so wise and sage he could be ['Homeland's'] Yoda, except that Saul's also heartbroken and weary and he knows enough to be frightened for himself, for his sorta-daughter Carrie, for his country," they said. If Patinkin doesn't take home the statue, The Hollywood Reporter would pick Aaron Paul to win again this year.
What Do You Think?:
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy
Adam Driver, "Girls"
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, "Modern Family"
Ed O’Neill, "Modern Family"
Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
Bill Hader, "Saturday Night Live"
Tony Hale, "Veep"
Last Year's Winner: Eric Stonestreet, "Modern Family"
What The Critics Are Saying: "It's gotta be Tony Hale," according to Vulture, "No one plays whipped better, and he should really be nominated for both 'Veep' and 'Arrested Development.' But unlike 'Arrested's' motherboy Buster, 'Veep's' Gary is self-sufficient. And tragic!" Conversely, The Hollywood Reporter insists that "this belongs to Driver" because his performance on "Girls" is "fearless and funny."
What Do You Think?:
Find out who takes home the awards on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
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