If I Had An Emmy Ballot: Supporting Actor In A Drama

Its that time of the year again!  Summer is in full swing, the Blackhawks have won the Stanley Cup, The networks are rolling out droll programming, and the Emmy nominations will be announced, and surely, piss me off.  Once again I will disclose what my Emmy ballot would like, should they ever be smart enough to give me one.  I am working off the actual Emmy ballot so I wont be picking people who didn't submit themselves.  I am also abiding by the category choices actors made, even if that means supporting actors submitting as a lead (Rob Lowe) or vice versa (Amy Schumer as supporting actress for a show named after her).

First up is one of the deepest categories; Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.  This is such a deep category that I could probably do an entire secondary ballot and still not have to reach for 6 people to nominate.  In any other year Walton Goggins, Noah Emmerich, Michael Cudlitz, John Slattery, Dax Shepard,  and Ryan Hurst would represent a very deserving ballot, but this year none of them make my list

Aaron Paul has now won this award the last 2 times he was nominated for his role as Jesse Pinkman on Breaking Bad.  There is a reason for that; the guy is fantastic.  The truncated Breaking Bad season had to cut someone’s role down and even though at times it seemed like Jesse didn't have much to do, the show was always able to provide Paul with fantastic material.  Whether it was Jesse during the great train heist, or his reactions to the most awkward dinner ever with Skylar and Walter, Paul was able to portray exactly what Jesse was feeling.  I thought Paul should have lost to a Breaking Bad co star last year (Giancarlo Esposito), and I am kind of leaning towards another one of his co stars this year (more on that later)  but every award Aaron Paul gets for Breaking Bad is well deserved.

Last year, i thought one of Paul's Breaking Bad co-stars deserved this award.  I feel the same way this year, albeit with a different co-star.  Jonathan Banks took Mike Ehrmantraut from bad ass henchman to one of Walter White's partners and main foils.  Mike was always a deep character, but this season allowed him to not only show more of his cold-hearted side, but developed his family man side even more.  It allowed him to play Mike as a torn man, knowing that going into business with Walk and Jesse would end bad, but wanting so desperately to leave a nest egg for his granddaughter.  In his final scene, Mike just wants Walt to let him die in peace.  Hopefully, he takes an Emmy win with him.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of Homeland’s dominance last year was the lack of nomination for Mandy Patinkin’s portrayal of Saul.  Patinkin plays the shows most grounded character and he does it with such that is hard to imagine that the Emmys will fail to recognize him again this year.  While season 2 of Homeland was extremely up and down, Patinkin's performance remained powerful and steady.  He got more screen time, more emotional material (particularly in the prison visit and in the finale) and provided a sense of reassurance every time the story cut away from the tense and awkward Carrie/Brody scenes to show what Saul was up to.

If Netflix's first real foray into original programming brought us nothing else other than allowing Corey Stoll to break out, i would still consider it a major success and worth my time.  As Peter Russo in House of Card, Stoll got to do a little bit of everything.  He got to drink and do drugs, he got to make grandiose political speeches, he got to fall off the wagon, and ultimately, he got to die.  It's a raw performance that is flamboyant at times and quietly nuanced at others.  He held his own with Oscar winner Kevin Spacey for crying out loud!  His actual odds are tough to predict, as it will be interesting to see if the voters treat the Netflix shows as actual shows, or just view them as an afterthought (except for Spacey, he is getting nominated no matter what).  Either way, if it were up to me, Stoll would be there, and he would have a decent shot at winning.

Is it weird that Mads Mikkelsen is submitted as a supporting actor for a show named after his character   Sure it is, but it allows me to add him to his list.  Hannibal in season 1 was ultimately the story of Will Graham, but that didn't stop Mikkelsen from giving us a version of Hannibal Lecter that we haven't really seen before.  He's playing a character who was an Oscar-winning icon, then a self-parody, then so oft-imitated elsewhere that he seemed to lose all cultural currency. And he's found a way to make Dr. Lecter feel fresh and new and not remotely like a bad imitation of Anthony Hopkins.  Not many people watched Hannibal, and it really is a shame because they are missing one of the best performances on TV.

I was waffling back and forth over which Mad Med actor i wanted to include here.  That was until the season finale aired.  After that, it was clear that this spot belonged to Vincent Karthieser.  Karthieser was able to do  what i once thought was impossible in that he made my sympathize and empathize with Pete Campbell.  I'd say Vincent Kartheiser has had more Emmy-worthy moments this season than Slattery has, at least in front of the camera.  Lets be honest, he deserves to be here for his reading of "NOT GREAT BOB!" from the finale alone.

Navigating Netflix: My Thoughts on "The Nine"

***There are SO many movies available to watch on Netflix instant streaming service.  A good portion of these movies are not very well known and it can be difficult to sift through the good ones and bad ones.  As a service to my readers, I will use this new column “Navigating Netflix” to give reviews to movies I watch***


"Everything that is, is because of you. And if that's all there is, that's enough."


For the first Hour and 20 minutes of “The Nines” I thought the movie was about something very different then it ended up being about.  The last 20 minutes of the movie made it clear that I had an incorrect impression about what I was watching.  While I still maintain that what I thought I was watching would have made for a slightly better movie, lets examine what I actually saw.

The Nines is a movie that is broken up into 3 short intertwining stories.  Each story is primarily made up of 3 characters, always portrayed by Ryan Reynolds,  Melissa McCarthy and Hope Davis.  The first story revolves around  Gary, and actor who gets himself sentenced to house arrest after a drug induced bender,  Margret(McCarthy) his publicist, and Sarah (Davis) a neighbor.  The second story revolves around a reality show follow Gavin, a TV writer.  Melissa (McCarthy) is the actress he want to cast in the pilot for his new show and Davis plays Susan, a television executive.  The last story focuses around Gabriel, his wife Mary and a stranger named Sierra that they meet while out on a family day.  Each story follows a similar pattern in which things slowly start to go wrong for Gary/Gavin/Gabriel and at the point where he is about to completely lose it, we move on to the next story.  In each story,  the character that Hope Davis is playing is trying to keep Gary/Gavin/Gabriel away from whatever character Melissa McCarthy is playing.  Each story also relies heavily on the repetitive use of the number 9 which starts to alarm the male lead.

Well now that we got that confusing part out of the way, what did I think this movie was about?  And what did it actually turn out to be about?  Well I had originally thought the movie was about alternate realities and how they all exist at the same time with out us knowing what the alternate versions of ourselves are doing.  In all three stories, Reynolds character starts seeing small aspects of the other stories slowly bleeding into his life.  I have always been fascinated with the idea that the world we are in now is just one of many simultaneous existences that are going on.  It seemed like the movie was getting to the point that when these realities begin to mix is when a person is forced to deal with the idea of insanity.

This movie, however, had much grander aspirations then just that.  Here is what I took from it.  Ryan Reynolds characters are not human.   They are some God-like creator.  We know he is not actually god because as we are told, God is a 10, and Gary/Gavin/Gabriel (I’ll call him G from here on out) is a 9.  And as someone who is a 9 but not perfect enough to be God, a 10, he is not infallible.  G becomes so consumed by the world and the people that he creates, that he becomes consumed in them, not able to realize that he can not stay in these worlds because he is not a human part of them.  Still with me?  Good.

The movie is REALLY well acted.  All 3 actors, especially Reynolds, tackle the 3 separate roles head on, and bring enough difference and subtlety to each person that they are playing, that you often forget that you are watching the same actors just portraying different people.  And I cant say I was ever really bored.  I usually really love movies that are really ambiguous and left to interpretation.  But there is such a thing as reaching a little to high.  I think this movie may have done that because in the end, It can really mean anything you want it to mean

The whole thing I think is somewhat of an allegory for the experiences of the writer, being so involved in his own creation that real and fiction became somewhat blurred. Like G in "The Nines", he ultimately wants the world to be perfect for all these characters he's created, which is like what a writer experiences. I suppose you could also say that this movie is an allegory for anyone who becomes obsessed with some kind of false world like perhaps a gamer, or a game designer, or anyone who creates things. I think it is really genius that in G makes himself a creator of other worlds even in his own creation. Anyways, besides that aspect it is also just a really interesting idea to think that perhaps our own reality is not the ultimate reality, and just some creation of which there are many different versions, and we're just a tiny little speck in the whole “everything"

In the end, I was definitely very entertained by this movie.  It had the courage to reach higher then most movies, and also had the courage to be different.  Ultimately I think the end my be a little to grandiose and ambivalent for a lot of people, and feel that they missed out on a chance to be an amazing movie about alternate realities converging, but it is a movie I would absolutely recommend watching.  At worst, it will give you and your friends something to talk about.

Rating: 7.5 out 10

How I Met Your Mother Review: Weekend At Barney's

  


      How I Met Your Mother has been a sub par show now for the better half of 2 plus seasons.  However much enjoyment someone gets from the show, they would at least have to admit that these last few seasons were no where near where the show was in its first few seasons, be it from an emotional or comedic standpoint.  While the last 3 or 4 episodes may have pointed to the writers MAYBE being able to right the ship, "Weekend At Barney's"  once again demonstrated that this group of writers are just struggling mightily to write for these characters this late in the game.
  
This episode gives us one of the most false and ridiculous lines that anyone on this show has ever muttered.  We finally get to see the scene where Ted is sitting on a stoop with all of his belongings in ruin because of an ugly break up with Jeanette.  That's all fine and well until narrator Ted tell us that he is ready to stop dating and settle down, and here's the kicker "And kids, for the first time in my life, I really meant it."

Excuse me?  That line was a joke a right?  The writers have to be just trolling me now.  Last time i checked,  Ted Evelyn Mosby has been looking to settle down since the pilot episode of this show 8 years ago.  It was not only the single most defining aspect of his character, but it was also what made us love him and root for him to find happiness.   Even as Ted morphed into an insufferable jerk over the last few seasons, we still remembered that this has always been the journey of Teds happiness, and that happiness was tied to his desire to settle down.  This man would have been married to Victoria by the end of season 1 had she not moved to Germany and would have been married to Robin by the end of season 3 if she wanted kids.  Heck, he could have been living the married life in JERSEY had Stella not gone back with Tony.  This kind of short sighted writing has been a theme of recent HIMYM but its usually on a smaller level to manufacture a laugh.  It is quite sad that it has come to a point where now they have to manufacture emotion.

As for Robin and Barney, what is left to say really?  This will always be a horrible couple that is getting forced fed to us.  Constantly reminding us that this is a horrible couple isn't funny and doesn't help.  There is a version of this couple that could work, but at this stage of the show, both characters seem to be in their worst forms.  Robin is annoying and shrill and Barney is not going to stop lying anytime soon, because he still has to be Barney as long as the show is going on.  The fact that we can still get a laugh or two from Barney's hijinks is the only redeeming quality, but not enough for me to care about them as a couple.

Marshall and Lily's story in this episode was largely a throwaway story but it was also the one i enjoyed the most.  The highlight being the Skittles gag, not only because it was funny, but because this writing team was actually able to set up a joke and pay it off in the same episode, instead of making us wait 2 years for a payoff that falls short of expectations.

But on the plus side, THE RED COWBOY BOOTS ARE GONE!

The Top 15 Shows of 2012

I usually do end of the year lists at the end of the year ( Ha! Imagine that!)  Circumstances beyond my control delayed my end of year columns this time around but have no fear, they are here. While this was a very down year for brand new shows, many returning shows had very strong seasons, and for this reason i have decided to make this a top 15 list as opposed to my usual top 10.  Without further ado, the top 15 shows of 2012.

15.  THE L.A COMPLEX-  Oh, you don't know what this show is?  Well that is your loss.  This little Canadian darling was imported to us by the CW this past summer, and almost no one watched it.  The show, dealing with a bunch of young people who live in rundown hotel rooms trying to make it in L.A, featured a fantastic cast of unknowns and perhaps the best portrayal of a closeted homosexual alpha male that i have ever seen on television.  While the ratings are low, it is very cheap for the CW to air it, so we still may see the show return this summer.  And if it does, i suggest you watch.

14. 30 ROCK- I normally like my comedies to have a little soul and emotion in them, which is why it is usually very hard for 30 Rock to crack my list. Tina Fey and company took the funny to a new level this past season, and so far the beginning of the last season has been spot on, even including a few emotional moments such as the wedding of Liz Lemon.

13. THE LEAGUE- You know what you are getting from The League year in and year out now and that is: A bunch of funny improv, and interesting look at the dynamics of the male friendship, and some questionable at best knowledge about fantasy football.  The show has gotten so good at what it does that it has attracted guest stars from everywhere, be it comedy veterans like Sarah Silverman or bigger names such as Ray Liotta and Jeff Goldblum.

12. COUGARTOWN- Cougartown ended its run on ABC (new episodes begin on TBS on January 8) with perhaps its most consistent season, and definitely its most romantic, as Jules and Grayson marched towards a goofy and beautiful wedding, the Cul De Sac Crew helped Bobby land what seemed to be his dream girl, and Travis continued to wrestle with his feelings for Laurie. This is an incredibly sweet, ridiculous, warm show whose continued existence, even in a new home, makes me very much look forward to the start of the new year.

11. PARENTHOOD- Parenthood is a show i have always enjoyed a lot, but before this season, viewed it as more of a guilty pleasure than an actual great show.  That idea is no more.  With the cancer storyline bringing into focus so much of what the show does great, Parenthood has reached a new level.  The cries are still there, as they always have been, but now they feel much more earned from a character perspective rather than just relying on the strengths of its amazing ensemble cast.

10. NEW GIRL- One of only 2 "new" shows to crack my top 10.  New girl started its first fall season a little rough but really came into its own with the episodes aired in 2012.  The show made Dermot Mulrony likable for crying out loud!  The show steered the focus from just Jess to more of an ensemble comedy and has become much better for it.  Both Nick and Schmidt are amazing characters, and while Winston hasn't found the same identity as them, the writers learned to use him much better as well.  This show would have cracked the top 15 for "You got me cookie, i gave you cookie" line delivery alone.

9. HAPPY ENDINGS-  What i wrote for 30 Rock goes double for Happy Endings.  The laughs are a mile a minute and the cast just clicks so well.  The show has gotten much better it seems with every episode and has turned what was once the shows anchors, Alex and Dave, in to 2 genuinely hilarious characters.

8. HOMELAND- Here's a show that would have been in the top 5 if i was just going off the first half of this last season.  The scenes between Carrie and Brodie before he turns informant are some of the best of the series, and i was really curious to see where they would go with it.  Unfortunately they chose to go in a direction that focused on a romance i didn't believe in and a direction that turned their central terrorist villain into an Al-Qaeda Freddy Kruger.  However, the performances are too strong to ignore and the finale did help salvage some of the story.  We will see what season 3 has in store for this show, and if it can recapture the magic of the first season.

7. SONS OF ANARCHY- The difference between this show and my number 8 show?  I've come to expect soapy and ridiculous stories from this show.  SOA had its strongest season since season 2.  The show was strong for the entire season for the first time in 2 years and set a new standard for violence, blood, and gore.  The addition of Jimmy Smits to the cast was a revelation and Donal Logue was the same in his brief stint that should carry over to next season.  Sure the season still had some bumps in the road (I for instance think Opie's death was dealt with too quickly)  but Kurt Sutter and the gang left me on the edge of my seat every week and I can't see what else they have in store.

6. COMMUNITY-  The best installment of Community season 3, “Remedial Chaos Theory,” aired in 2011, but the 2012 episodes were frequently splendid in their own right, whether they featured Troy and Abed being normal, Jeff turning into the Incredible Hulk, Abed and Annie digging deep in the Dreamatorium, or the entire cast turning into 8-bit video game avatars of themselves. There were some missteps along the way (Chang turning into the dictator of Greendale), and the show wasn’t quite as consistent at blending dark psychological material with laugh-out-loud comedy as it was in previous seasons, but the Dan Harmon era of “Community” still concluded in a way that reminded me of how special this show has been.

5. GIRLS- In all fairness, i hated the pilot for this show when i watched.  Just found every person on it unlikable and found the humor to be rather dull.  Watching the pilot again now, i can see so much charm in it that i didn't see before.  Girls ran the gauntlet of emotions before it even premiered, but by the time the season ended most people would agree that HBO had a genuine fantastic show on their hands.I loved the distinctive voice of creator, director and star Lena Dunham, and the way that she and her collaborators were unafraid to make their four young heroines come across as selfish, naive, foolish, and/or simply unlikable.

 

4. PARKS AND RECREATION- Parks and Recreation was my third favorite show on television a year ago. It was pretty darned terrific in 2012, as well, wrapping up a lengthy arc about Leslie’s campaign for city council in warm and funny fashion, then transitioning into a new season that saw every character struggling to adapt to new roles. Leslie shifted into politics, Tom attempted to become a legitimate businessman, and Ron Effing Swanson even dated a sane single mom. With Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Nick Offerman, Chris Pratt and company on hand, “Parks and Recreation” rarely does anything fancy — other than perhaps this season’s cameo by Vice-President Biden — but simply executes better than any other comedy in the business.

3. LOUIE-  The third season of FX’s "comedy" was less consistently great than its all-time classic second season. Yet it was a season that gave us Parker Posey on the most unsettling, memorable date of Louie’s life. It gave us terrific guest turns from Oscar winners Melissa Leo, F. Murray Abraham and Robin Williams. And it gave us the surprisingly moving three-episode arc where Louie auditioned to succeed David Letterman. Louis C.K. has decided to take an entire year off from the show to avoid feeling burned out, and it’ll be a long wait for more installments of this deeply personal, funny, touching series.

2. BREAKING BAD- The number 1 show on my list from last year moves down 1 spot, though its really no fault of its own.  Last season of Breaking Bad would have been nearly impossible to match even if they had a full 13 episodes to do it, but in 8 episodes? The show fell a little short of the amazing stories they were able to tell before.  Yet this half-season still astounded as it chronicled Walter White’s ascent to the throne of a drug empire, even as he systematically pushed away everyone who cared about him. We got the usual great work from Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Anna Gunn, Jonathan Banks and all the rest, the usual gorgeous cinematography and smart storytelling.  With one season left, we are buckled in for a riveting, probably gruesome end to the Walter White Story.

1. MAD MEN- Mad Men was off the air for almost a year and a half.  It's hard to tell if my immense enjoyment of this seasons was really due to this season truly being the shows best or if it was a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder.  Whatever it was, i found myself watching Mad Men episodes with the excitement usually reserved for Breaking Bad or LOST.  It was a dark year for Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce that included betrayal, infighting, humiliation, boxing, drug use, prostitution and even suicide taking place in and around the office. But even as Don Draper wasn’t acting anything like himself, week after week, “Mad Men” reminded us of its artistry, its intelligence and its depth. I questioned a character choice here and there, but overall, “Mad Men” was the best TV show I watched in 2012.