Hoping for the Best: The 2008 Emmy Awards

In spite of last year's pathetic excuse for Emmys, I cannot help but care about the outcomes this year. It would take at least one more year of glaring omissions from the nominations and ridiculous results for the winners to make me stop placing any value in the most prestigious award show for my favorite medium. Every year, I enjoy watching the Oscars, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors' Guild Awards, but the greatest hope I have for my beloved television shows/actors/writers/producers/etc., is that they be recognized for their achievements by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. For some reason, those awards hold the most weight. So even though the 2007 Emmys were the most disgraceful spectacle I have ever beheld, I anxiously await the Fall, knowing that not every one of my favorites will end up winning but hoping that excellence will be championed.

One sign that perhaps my hope is not futile: the press release from the ATAS this week revealing their shortlists for the Best Comedy and Drama categories. Obviously this is not the final list of nominees - these will be whittled down to 5- but for the first time ever, it looks like The Wire might have a shot at winning. The critically-acclaimed HBO show throws a spotlight on a group of Baltimore cops trying to infiltrate a drug ring, as well as the criminals on the other side, addressing social and economic issues in the process. After its fifth and final season wrapped up in March, Emmy finally seems to be taking notice (the only other nomination to date for the show was one for Best Writing in 2005). I feel a little silly at the moment... I haven't even watched The Wire yet (it's on my list!), but here I am passionately ranting about its merits. I just strongly believe that the Emmys should reward high-quality work, and this list of finalists for the 2 biggest categories seems like a good sign to me that the awards show this year could get back on track.

TOP 10 COMEDY SERIES FINALISTS
"Curb Your Enthusiasm" ("The Bat Mitzvah")
"Entourage" ("The Day F***ers")
"Family Guy" ("Padre de Famila")
"Flight of the Conchords" ("Sally Returns")
"The Office" ("Local Ad")
"Pushing Daisies" ("Pie-lette")
"30 Rock" ("Cooter")
"Two and a Half Men" ("Rough Night in Hump Junction")
"Ugly Betty" ("Something Wicked This Way Comes")
"Weeds" ("Go").

[I actually did not love the "Local Ad" episode. I didn't think it was nearly as funny as "Chair Model." "Something Wicked This Way Comes" was a good episode in an overall not so good season of Ugly Betty. I'd be thrilled with a win for either Weeds or Flight of the Conchords. Or Pushing Daisies, obviously, but I don't think it's got much of a chance for a shortened first season.]

TOP 10 DRAMA SERIES FINALISTS
"Boston Legal" ("The Court Supreme")
"Damages" (Pilot)
"Dexter" ("The Dark Defender")
"Friday Night Lights" ("Leave No One Behind")
"Grey’s Anatomy" ("Freedom, Parts 1 and 2")
"House" ("Frozen")
"Lost" ("The Constant")
"Mad Men" (Pilot, "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes")
"The Tudors" (#205)
"The Wire" (Series finale, "30")

[Although I would be pleased if The Wire took this one, "The Constant" was the most beautifully written episode of LOST possibly ever. And seeing as that's my favorite show on tv right now, I hope they can add another award to the one they earned for the first season.]

TOP 10 BEST DRAMA ACTOR FINALISTS
Gabriel Byrne, In Treatment ("Paul and Gina: Week 4")
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights ("Last Day of Summer")
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad ("Pilot")
Patrick Dempsey, Grey's Anatomy ("Freedom, Parts 1 & 2")
Michael C. Hall, Dexter ("There's Something About Harry")
Jon Hamm, Mad Men ("The Wheel")
Eddie Izzard, The Riches ("Last Temptation of Wayne")
Hugh Laurie, House ("House's Head")
Denis Leary, Rescue Me ("Babyface")
James Spader, Boston Legal ("The Court Supreme")

[Note: These are all very talented men, but, I'm sorry, no one deserves this award more than Michael C. Hall. That's not my opinion, that's a fact.]

TOP 10 BEST DRAMA ACTRESS FINALISTS
Patricia Arquette, Medium ( "Aftertaste")
Glenn Close, Damages ("Pilot")
Minnie Driver, The Riches ("Dead Calm")
Sally Field, Brothers and Sisters ("History Repeating")
Mariska Hargitay, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit ("Undercover")
Holly Hunter, Saving Grace ("Tacos, Tulips, Duck and Spices")
Elizabeth Moss, Mad Men ("The Hobo Code")
Mary McDonnell, Battlestar Galactica ("Faith")
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer ("Manhunt")
Jeanne Tripplehorn, Big Love ("Take Me As I Am")

[OHMYGOSH! It's about time they took notice of McDonnell's depth and amazing-ness. "Faith" was an absolutely mind-blowing episode and showcased her ability like never before. I can't imagine them overlooking her performance, even though I thought "Manhunt" was the best episode of The Closer that I had ever seen.]

TOP 10 BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTOR FINALISTS
Naveen Andrews, Lost ("The Economist")
Bruce Dern, Big Love ("Good Guys and Bad Guys")
Christian Clemenson, Boston Legal ("Roe vs. Wade, The Musical")
Ted Danson, Damages ("Jesus, Mary and Joe Cocker")
Michael Emerson, Lost ("The Shape of Things to Come")
Zeljko Ivanek, Damages ("I Hate These People")
T.R. Knight, Grey's Anatomy ("Freedom, Parts 1 & 2")
William Shatner, Boston Legal ("Mad About You")
John Slattery, Mad Men ( "Long Weekend")
Blair Underwood, In Treatment ("Alex: Week 6")
Jake Weber, Medium ("Wicked Game, Part 1")

[And the Emmy goes to...Michael Emerson. (Anything else would be a crime against mankind.)]

TOP 11 (?) BEST SUPPORTING DRAMA ACTRESS FINALISTS
Jane Alexander, Tell Me You Love Me (Episode 10)
Candice Bergen, Boston Legal ("The Mighty Rogues")
Rose Byrne, Damages ("Because I Know Patty")
Jill Clayburgh, Dirty Sexy Money ("The Watch")
Sharon Gless, Burn Notice ("Identity")
Rachel Griffiths, Brothers and Sisters ("Domestic Issues")
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men ("Babylon")
S. Epatha Merkerson, Law and Order ("Bottomless")
Sandra Oh, Grey's Anatomy ("The Becoming")
Dianne Wiest, "In Treatment" ("Paul and Gina: Week ?")
Chandra Wilson, "Grey's Anatomy" ("Lay Your Hands on Me")

[Nothing really to say about this one... I have no contenders in this race.]

TOP 7 BEST COMEDY ACTOR FINALISTS (3 have yet to be decided, which probably means that the 5 nominees will come from these 7 guys)
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock ("Rosemary's Baby")
Steve Carell, The Office ("Goodbye, Toby")
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm ("The Bat Mitzvah")
David Duchovny, Californication ("The Last Waltz")
Lee Pace, Pushing Daisies ("Pie-lette")
Tony Shalhoub, Monk ("Mr. Monk and the Naked Man")
Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men ("Is There a Mrs. Waffles?")

[I'm completely biased- I think Steve Carell is the funniest person alive- but I still think this one belongs to him.]

TOP 10 BEST COMEDY ACTRESS FINALISTS
Christina Applegate, Samantha Who? ("The Restraining Order")
Marcia Cross, Desperate Housewives ("Now You Know")
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty ("Odor in the Court")
Tina Fey, 30 Rock ("Sandwich Day")
Anna Friel, Pushing Daisies ("Bitter Sweets")
Felicity Huffman, Desperate Housewives ("Now I Know, Don't Be Scared")
Eva Longoria Parker, Desperate Housewives ("In Buddy's Eyes")
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, New Adventures of Old Christine ("One and a Half Men")
Mary-Louise Parker, Weeds ("Bill Sussman")
Sarah Silverman, The Sarah Silverman Program ("Bored of the Rings")

[Hmm... This is a tough one. Anna Friel is adorable as the Pie Maker's darling, Chuck. But, Christina Applegate is outstanding as the amnesiac, Samantha Newly. Or, Marcia Cross, whose Bree has become by far the most interesting housewife on Wisteria Lane. I'd be pleased with any of those three.]

TOP 10 BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTOR FINALISTS
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men ("Meander to Your Dander")
Kevin Dillon, Entourage ("The Dream Team")
Justin Kirk, Weeds ("Bill Sussman")
Neil Patrick Harris, How I Met Your Mother ("The Goat")
John Krasinski, The Office ("Branch Wars")
Jack McBrayer, 30 Rock ("Episode 210")
Tracy Morgan, 30 Rock ("Secrets and Lies")
Jeremy Piven, Entourage ("The Day F***ers")
Fred Willard, Back to You ("Cradle to Grave")
Rainn Wilson, The Office ("Money")

[As much as I looooooove John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson excelled in "Money." Dwight hosting Jim and Pam at Schrute Farms was the most hilarious, enjoyable Office experience of Season 4. Nevertheless, I am aware that the competition here is intense- especially from the 2 Entourage boys, the 2 30 Rock boys, and HIMYM's Harris. As long as that damn Jeremy Piven doesn't win again, I'll survive. Alright! We get it! Ari Gold is hilarious! Can we move on, please?]

TOP 10 BEST SUPPORTING COMEDY ACTRESS FINALISTS
Kristin Chenoweth, Pushing Daisies ("Girth")
Conchata Ferrell, Two and a Half Men ("Fish in a Drawer")
Jenna Fischer, The Office ("Fun Run")
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock ("The Collection")
Judith Light, Ugly Betty ("I See Me, ICU")
Elizabeth Perkins, Weeds ("Risk")
Amy Poehler, Saturday Night Live ("Tina Fey")
Jean Smart, Samantha Who? ("The Girlfriend")
Holland Taylor, Two and a Half Men ("Media Room Slash Dungeon")
Vanessa Williams, Ugly Betty ("Bananas for Betty")

[Chenoweth's Olive Snook is a unique comedic character that certainly merits the award, but I doubt it will be hers. I am pretty much against Two and a Half Men on principle, so I'm hoping for a win for either Jean Smart or Jane Krakowski.]

TOP 11 GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES FINALISTS
Polly Bergen, Desperate Housewives ("Distant Past")
Edie Falco, 30 Rock ("Episode 210")
Vivica A. Fox, Curb Your Enthusiasm ("The Rat Dog")
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives ("Welcome to Kanagawa")
Annie Potts, Ugly Betty ("Zero Worship")
Carrie Fisher, 30 Rock ("Rosemary's Baby")
Shirley Knight, Desperate Housewives ("If There's Anything I Can't Stand")
Jane Lynch, Two and a Half Men ("Rough Night in Hump Junction")
Amy Ryan, The Office ("Goodbye Toby")
Sarah Silverman, Monk ("Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan")
Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock ("LudaChristmas")

[Both Falco and Ryan rocked (and, hopefully, will continue to rock on 30 Rock and The Office), but Silverman's one episode on Monk was memorable and ginormously funny.]

TOP 10 GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES FINALISTS
Keith Carradine, Dexter ("Morning Comes")
Charles Durning, Rescue Me ("Yaz")
Danny Glover, Brothers and Sisters ("The Feast of Epiphany")
Robert Morse, Mad Men ("Nixon vs. Kennedy")
Peter O'Toole, The Tudors ("Episode 208")
Oliver Platt, Nip/Tuck ("Carly Summers")
Peter Riegert, Damages ("Do You Regret What We Did?")
Stanley Tucci, E.R. ("The War Comes Home")
Glynn Turman, In Treatment ("Alex: Week 8")
Robin Williams, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit ("Authority")

[I've got no clue here, really. If I had to guess, I'd say either Charlie Durning or Peter O'Toole because, you know... they're super old.]

Angel

When I decided to watch Buffy from the beginning, there was never a doubt in my mind that I would watch Angel, too. If you're going to commit to something, you've got to do it all the way - even if that commitment meant watching 254 episodes of television, by far my greatest undertaking ever. I think my assumption about Angel was that it would just be an extension of Buffy. I knew I would enjoy it because I love the character of Angel pretty much more than life itself. But, at the same time, a Buffy show without Giles and Willow and Xander (and Buffy, too - she's kind of important) is not Buffy at all. I realized that this is the wrong attitude to take because Angel is a very different show. It's similar in that it has Joss Whedon's Midas touch, and sometimes the stories would crossover, but Angel was wonderful in its own right. It dealt more with redemption, what it means to be a hero, and choice - how our choices define us, and how they always have consequences.
My Top 10 Favorite Episodes:
1) "The Magic Bullet" (written by Jeffrey Bell), episode 4.19- Fred is the only one who has seen Jasmine's true form, so she works to break the spell that her friends are under before free will disappears from the world.
2) "A Hole in the World" (written by Joss Whedon), episode 5.15- Angel and Spike travel to England to try to save Fred from a virus that is working through her body to make way for the ancient demon, Illyria.
3) "I Will Remember You" (written by David Greenwalt & Jeannine Renshaw), episode 1.08- Buffy comes to L.A., and a demon attacks that turns Angel human. They spend one happy day together before Angel sacrifices his humanity to continue the good fight.
4) "Not Fade Away" (written by Joss Whedon & Jeffrey Bell), episode 5.22- Angel and the gang prepare for war against Wolfram & Hart's "Senior Partners." Understanding that some of them will probably die, everyone lives their perfect last day.
5) "Through the Looking Glass" (written by Tim Minear), episode 2.21- Cordelia serves as princess of Pylea while Wesley, Gunn, and Lorne try to find a portal back to L.A. "Numfar, do the dance of joy!"
6) "Orpheus" (written by Mere Smith), episode 4.15- With Faith and Angelus in comas after their great battle, Willow comes to help Wesley, Fred, Lorne, and Gunn restore Angel's soul while possessed Cordelia seeks to undermine their efforts.
7) "Lullaby" (written by Tim Minear), episode 3.09- Angel tries to protect Darla and his unborn son from their old enemy, Holtz, as well as various other evil forces.
8) "You're Welcome" (written by David Fury), episode 5.12- Cordelia awakens from her coma to help Angel one last time against Lindsey who is trying to summon a demon that will destroy Angel.
9) "Disharmony" (written by David Fury), episode 2.17- Cordelia gets a visit from her high school friend, Harmony, as the Angel Investigations team looks into a vampire cult.
10) "Sense and Sensitivity" (written by Tim Minear), episode 1.06- The normally brooding Angel gets infected by a sensitivity stick courtesy of Wolfram & Hart that forces him to share all his feelings.


Spike fights Puppet Angel

LOST & Battlestar Galactica Finales

This post is long overdue. One good excuse is that these phenomenal shows are very dense and require a great deal of processing...yeah, that's it, I was processing. The delay has certainly not been because I was watching other things, like Buffy and Angel...

Anyways! Both were quite excellent. There isn't really anything left to say about them. Haha! Okay, that was a joke. Get it? Because there's lots left to say. I seriously dropped the ball on LOST reporting during the last half of the season. I had wanted to try moving from the realm of "recap" into that of "commentary," but then became too intimidated by the task. After all, in a show like LOST, trying to explain what you think things mean results in your being wrong a great majority of the time. I don't tend to handle failure well... But for this finale post and for later seasons, I'm going to attempt to be a risk-taking writer because I find that to be the most interesting. In cases where my theories are completely off, I hope my readers will at least be able to admire my bold ideas. (Either that, or I'll go back and change what I wrote to make it seem like I knew the right answers all along.)

The finale, "There's No Place Like Home," left our characters with futures more uncertain than ever before. Jack, Kate, Aaron, Desmond, Sun, Hurley, and Sayid departed from the island by helicopter. My darling Sawyer heroically jumped out to lighten the load, but not before he kissed Kate and whispered something in her ear - a favor involving his daughter, Clementine, most likely. He swam back to the island (oh, bless the shirtless magic) where he joined Juliet in her Happy Hour. The freighter blew up, killing Michael. Jin was on the deck when the explosion occurred, but I suspect he survived and was blasted into the water, sucked into Ben's Great Island Move. With a great burst of light, the island disappeared, taking with it: Locke, the new leader of the Others; Charlotte, Miles, and Faraday; Juliet and Sawyer; and, hopefully, Jin. To what place (or time) the island went, we do not know. All we know is that off-island, the Oceanic Six have been going about their separate lives. None of them is happy. Jack is a depressed, alcoholic druggie with a lumberjack beard. Sayid's wife has been murdered, leading him to work as an assassin for Ben Linus. Hurley gets regular visits from dead people in his mental institution ("Checkmate, Mr. Eko."). Sun has become ruthless in her mission to avenge Jin's death. Kate had a nightmare with a foreboding message from Claire. All of them were visited by a man named Jeremy Bentham who told them that they had to return to the island. This turned out to be our man in the coffin from the Season 3 finale, none other than LOCKE. Ben came to see Jack to tell him that he had some ideas on how they could return to the island, but that everyone had to be brought back. This includes Locke, and obviously the Six, but who else? Possibly Walt. I doubt that helicopter pilot, Frank, would be required. I'm hoping that Desmond will not have to go. His reunion with Penny was the most beautiful resolution to the heartache I had been experiencing ever since "The Constant." He promised her that he would never leave her again. As much as I will miss Henry Ian Cusick, I want more than anything for him to stay where he belongs.

I have a feeling that next season is going to be very different, structure-wise, than it has been. Rather than flashbacks and flash-forwards, I think we will be alternating between the people who were left back on the island and those who have to find a way to return. It will certainly be interesting to see what Locke discovers about his precious island, and what would make him leave...

Battlestar Galactica. More like Battlestar FANTASTIC-A! The last two episodes of 4.0 had more depth and emotion than I have seen yet on this show. "The Hub," written by Buffy rock star Jane Espenson, followed the Cylon rebel bayship in its journey back to the resurrection hub. Roslin explored her responsibility as a leader to the rest of humanity. She finally allowed herself to feel the love that she had for Adama. D'Anna was unboxed and withheld her knowledge of the Final Five until they met back up with Galactica and the fleet. Cylons and humans worked together to attack and destroy the resurrection hub. In one swift blow, they laid the burden of mortality on all Cylons, now without the ability to download into new bodies. The finale, "Revelations," finally delivered on the promise that served as the show's mantra this half-season: "All will be revealed." D'Anna decided to hold Roslin and the rest of the human pilots hostage on the rebel bayship until the 4 Cylons in the fleet were released. Admiral Adama finally learned the truth about his best friend and was consumed with anger and grief. Lee, still serving as Acting President, had to figure out if he could rescue his people without risking the loss of the way to Earth. Tigh, Tyrol, and Anders followed the music in their heads to Starbuck's mysterious Viper, which now pointed the way to Earth. Lee and the humans made an agreement with D'Anna and the Cylons that they would all go their new home together. They didn't have to continue the lies and the manipulation: on Earth, they could start fresh. The problem, however, arose when they landed on the planet of their dreams to find destruction.

BSG returns sometime next year for its final 11 episodes. LOST returns in January for the 16 episodes of its fifth and penultimate season. I find it hard to believe that over the next two years, I will witness the conclusion of these masterpieces. Undoubtedly, my experience will be one of fulfillment and despair at the same time, for what could possibly take their place?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

There is no conceivable way for me to adequately describe my experience of watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the first time. Even if I could, I don't think that I would be willing to share everything I felt about it because, frankly, it is far too personal and can only be understood by others who have watched it. Just ask my friends who started giving each other confused and frustrated glances when my Buffy mentors, Will and Duffee, and I entered into discussions about vampires, Slayers, Watchers, and a world full of demons and other worlds. Once I realized that this was happening, I of course felt bad about it, but it was near impossible to stop. The intensity of my love for these characters, their story, and the art of Joss Whedon, forced me to reevaluate my perspective on other television shows. I know that I have loved many before this--Scarecrow & Mrs. King showed me my capacity to become obsessed with tv back at the young age of 12, Alias opened my eyes to how incredible and moving and beautiful tv could be (and will always be most dear to me because I grew up with the help of that show), and LOST fulfilled the need that I had for great tv when Alias left me and then exceeded all my previous standards for great tv--but how do those shows now compare to Buffy? I posed this question to Will and Duffee, and she gave the perfect response: "Buffy just matters more." That's exactly it. It's life and death, good vs. evil, in every single episode. The themes of family, redemption, and human nature, are universal, but the execution is one-of-a-kind.

Top Ten Favorite Non-Joss Episodes:
It goes without saying that the best episodes were those written and directed by Joss himself. They were epic on every level, from character development to story advancement. So I am going to put them on a separate list because it's just not fair to the many fantastic episodes over Buffy's 7 seasons:
1) "Fool for Love" (written by Doug Petrie), 5.07- Spike tells Buffy the stories of how he killed two previous Slayers.
2) "Tabula Rasa"(written by Rebecca Rand Kirshner), 6.08- Willow casts a spell that backfires and causes everyone to forget their identities. Giles and Anya think they are engaged, Spike thinks he is Giles' son Randy, and Buffy calls herself Joan.
3) "The Wish" (written by Marti Noxon), 3.09- Cordelia makes a wish that Buffy had never come to Sunnydale, transferring her into an alternate reality where the Master rules the town, Willow and Xander are his most loyal vampires, and there is no Slayer to help.
4) "Earshot" (written by Jane Espenson), 3.18- Buffy fights a demon that gives her the ability to read minds.
5) "Band Candy" (written by Jane Espenson), 3.06- All the adults in Sunnydale eat chocolate bars that turn them into teenagers.
6) "Selfless" (written by Drew Goddard), 7.05- Flashbacks show Anya's past as a vengeance demon.
7) "Pangs" (written by Jane Espenson), 4.08- A mysterious curse brings an attack from Native Americans on the Scooby Gang.
8) "Passion" (written by Ty King), 2.17- Angelus continues to torment Buffy and those around her.
9) "Intervention" (written by Jane Espenson), 5.18- Giles takes Buffy into the desert to learn more about the history of the Slayer, and Spike's Buffy-bot confuses everyone back in Sunnydale.
10) "Lover's Walk" (written by Dan Vebber), 3.08- Spike returns to Sunnydale and kidnaps Willow to do a spell that will make Drusilla come back to him.

Top Ten Favorite Joss Episodes:
1) "Once More with Feeling," 6.07- A demon comes to Sunnydale that makes everyone express their feelings through song and dance.
2) "Doppelgangland," 3.16- The vampire version of Willow from "The Wish" enters her counterpart's universe.
3) "The Gift," 5.22- Buffy and her friends fight against Glory to try to prevent her from opening a portal into other worlds and letting demons flood in.
4) "Chosen," 7.22- Buffy and the Potentials take their fight against the First down into the Hellmouth, and Willow changes the world.
5) "Amends," 3.10- Angel is being haunted by his past victims, and Buffy tries to help him understand why he was brought back from the dead.
6) "The Body," 5.16- Buffy faces the death of her mother.
7) "Becoming, Pt. 2," 2.22- Buffy has to stop Angelus from opening a gateway into hell while Willow works on the spell to get Angel's soul back.
8) "Who Are You?," 4.16- Faith and Buffy discover what it's like to live in each other's bodies.
9) "Hush," 4.10- A group of demons called the Gentlemen come to Sunnydale and steal everyone's voices.
10) "Nightmares" (also written by David Greenwalt), 1.10- People's nightmares start coming true. The episode where everything clicked for me.

Buffy + Angel forever