My Personal Primetime Emmy Award Winners

A while...while back I posted my choices for the Emmy nominees. Here are the winners and why I chose them :)

Best Drama Series

Bronze: Bates Motel [A&E] ("The Man in Number 9")
Silver: American Horror Story: Asylum [FX] ("I am Anne Frank, Parts 1 & 2")

Gold: Homeland [Showtime] ("State of Independence")

I don't care what anybody says, Homeland's second season is far superior to it's first. No episode (minus "The Weekend", maybe) from the first set of episodes, had me as riveted as episodes 3, 4 and 5 from the second set. "State of Independence", "New Car Smell" and "Q&A" are the three best hours of television I saw all season and not even the deliciously twisted Bates Motel and insanely great AHS: Asylum can come close to those crowning achievements. I seriously hope it wins Best Drama Series at the Emmy's tonight.

Best Comedy Series

Bronze: Veep [HBO] ("Midterms")
Silver: Girls [HBO] ("Bad Friend")

Gold: Arrested Development [Netflix] ("Flight of the Phoenix")

Leave it to Netflix to bring back one of the most hilarious shows out there. Not only am I a huge devoted fan now, but I hope that a follow up season and/or movie takes place. Veep's sophomore run started off strong, and got progressively a little weaker and Girls sophomore run had it's good episodes and bad episodes. For what it's worth, AD's 4th season had me laughing every time I signed on to Netflix.

Best Leading Actor in a Drama Series

Bronze: Hugh Dancy - Hannibal ("Releves")
Silver: Matthew Rhys - The Americans ("Pilot")

Gold: Damian Lewis - Homeland ("Q&A")

No question about it: Damian Lewis deserves to win the Emmy once again. He has quite a showcase in "State of Independence" as well. but "Q&A" really made him lay it all on the table. The once defensive Nicholas Brody slowly has his walls torn down by his former lover, and Lewis is riveting to watch throughout. Tears were streaming down my face by the end of this one. Hugh Dancy provided an amazing fractured psyche, and the always reliable Matthew Rhys made us really care about a Soviet spy trying to take over America. However, Lewis takes this in a cake walk.

Best Leading Actor in a Comedy Series

Bronze: Will Arnett - Up All Night ("Home/Office")
Silver: Michael Cera - Arrested Development ("Blockheads")

Gold: Jason Bateman - Arrested Development ("Flight of the Phoenix")

Will Arnett also offered hilarious work in the unfortunately cancelled Up All Night and Michael Cera's last scene in the "Blockheads" episode was absolutely devastating. I never considered him to be much of a lead character until this climax pushed him up to the front. However, no one can play neurotic, depressed, happy and anxious all in one like Jason Bateman can. Michael Bluth is a constant mess of emotions, but a small wind storm compared to the hurricane his family is.

Best Leading Actress in a Drama Series

Bronze: Jessica Lange - American Horror Story: Asylum ("Dark Cousin")
Silver: Vera Farmiga - Bates Motel ("The Man in Number 9")

Gold: Claire Danes - Homeland ("State of Independence")

Jessica Lange was fabulous in the first American Horror Story season, and here she is once again giving another fantastic turn in the madness that was Asylum. Speaking of madness, Vera Farmiga was this close to snatching the top prize away for her crazy descend into modern Norma Bates' psyche. Firing on every cylinder all the time, Farmiga gives it her everything in every second of every episode. There's only one other actress that has been able to do that in my mind and that is Claire Danes. She would have gotten my prize last year too, but holy moly I was not prepared for this. "State of Independence" may be my favourite Homeland episode so far, and it is in large part thanks to Danes' dazzling work. Thanks for making me cry 3 times (yup, 3!) in this one hour alone. You are a genius and I look forward every week to see what you do.

Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series

Bronze: Lena Dunham - Girls ("Bad Friend")
Silver: Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Veep ("Midterms")

Gold: Laura Dern - Enlightened ("The Key")

HBO all the way baby! All of these ladies are amazing and not just because they all come from the same network (well, two of them do now...). Girls has always been a polarizing show to some, but I see the authenticity Lena Dunham brings to her proceedings. In the drug fueled hour "Bad Friend", Dunham's Hannah goes on a cocaine bender at a club with her friend/roomie Elijah for a news story. Bitter truths are revealed and it's the honesty Dunham brings forth in the later scenes with Marnie that drive the hour home. Julia Louis-Dreyfus always makes me howl with laughter when I watch Veep and the sophomore season premiere was no exception. However, if I am going to point a finger at the beloved HBO, it would have to be the middle one for cancelling Enlightened. Laura Dern gave a comedic performance for the ages and one with layers upon layers of emotion, thoughts and feelings. Despite me wanting the show to go on longer, creator Mike White did give Amy Jellicoe the best send off she could have, and in the end that's what we all wanted anyways.

Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Bronze: Robert Carlyle - Once Upon a Time ("Manhattan")
Silver: Mandy Patinkin - Homeland ("The Clearing")

Gold: Zachary Quinto - American Horror Story: Asylum ("The Origins of Monstrosity")

Robert Carlyle will always be the true Rumpelstiltskin we were all of afraid of when we were little. Finding his own son, however, gave him unexpected layers deeper than we thought they were. Always in Carrie Mathison's corner, Mandy Pantinkin's Saul is the person we would want most on our side (...at the time...) and Patinkin is devastating in "The Clearing", letting the tough exterior of Saul completely dissolve before our eyes. It is Zachary Quinto though who played the biggest hat trick this season. The charming, very nice and helpful Dr. Thredson was Lana's (and our) only hope of getting out of Briarcliff. What Quinto gave way to, was actually the nasty, twisted serial killer Bloody Face. A shocker if there was one, the mind behind the "Doctor" revealed was as scary as anything else AHS had to offer last season and that is in no small thanks to Quinto's haunting performance.

Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Bronze: Luke Wilson - Enlightened ("Higher Power")
Silver: Will Arnett - Arrested Development ("A New Attitude")

Gold: David Cross - Arrested Development ("A New Start")

Luke Wilson did the work of his career in Enlightened, so that's nothing to gawk at. Blending humor and quite a bit of sadness, he has never shone like he did there. Gob Bluth's transformation in his episode wouldn't have charmed or touched me the way it did without Will Arnett's awesome performance. The winner though has to go to David Cross by a mile for making me cry until I had tears running down my face and my sides hurt from laughter. From Tobias' shock at finding out everyone thinks he's gay, to misunderstanding the difference between a Methadone Clinic and a Method One Acting Class, Cross had me rolling from start to finish.

Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Bronze: Lana Parilla - Once Upon a Time ("The Cricket Game")
Silver: Lily Rabe - American Horror Story: Asylum ("The Name Game")

Gold: Sarah Paulson - American Horror Story: Asylum ("Spilt Milk")

Once Upon a Time will always hold a place in my mind and heart that reminds me my of my childhood, with the Disney characters being weaved seamlessly into the narrative. Adding to that is Lana Parilla's dynamite performance as the Evil Queen and Regina. Not always shown as the bitch everyone thinks she is, Parilla shows us the human side to the queen and it is heartrendingly authentic. Lily Rabe brought out the innocence, playfulness and nastiness as Sister Mary Eunice who finds herself the Devil's play toy. The switch from innocent, to devilish-sexy nun was riveting to watch. The most sterling work goes to Sarah Paulson, though, who really shone in her guest appearances in the first season, but took a deep dive into the dark for the second. Suffering some of the most indignation in that Asylum, Paulson made Lana's situation feel all too real and the culmination of those events was golden.

Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Bronze: Anna Chlumsky - Veep ("Midterms")
Silver: Jessica Walter - Arrested Development ("Queen B.")

Gold: Jemima Kirke - Girls ("Video Games")

Being a part of one of the funniest ensembles on television can't hurt, and Anna Chlumsky makes the most of it. Dealing with the harried Selina Meyer is hilarious enough, but Chlumsky was able to show a different side of her frazzled Amy by blending both humor and sadness with the news of Amy's father in the hospital. Plus, I will never forget Vada Sultenfuss ;) Lucille Bluth has always been my favourite person on Arrested Development, so it's no surprise that Jessica Walter knocked the new material out of the park. Portraying the mother that, let's face it, isn't the best mom in the world, Walter is hilarious from getting her acceptance into an Asian lady gang, segueing to the heartbreaking realization that she doesn't love her husband anymore. However, the one performance that didn't get a lot of attention from anybody is most assuredly the best. Jemima Kirke's devastating work in the "Video Games" episode of Girls cemented her status as the best performer on that show (sorry Lena! Love you <3) Confronting her father for not being there as she was growing up, Kirke let all of Jessa's walls down and showed us beneath the tough exterior is a girl's love waiting to be accepted by her father. Brilliant stuff!

Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series

Bronze: James Rebhorn - Homeland ("The Smile")
Silver: Jere Burns - Bates Motel ("The Boy and his Dog")

Gold: Dylan McDermott - American Horror Story: Asylum ("Madness Ends")

Carrie Mathison's dad has always tried to provide stability to her life and James Rebhorn's performance shows how much Mr. Mathison loves his daughter. Jere Burns was a creepy standout in Bates Motel's freshman season, going toe to toe with Vera Farmiga's Norma. The creepiest however, has to be Dylan McDermott's terrifying performance in AHS's second season. The showdown between himself and Sarah Paulson's Lana was riveting to watch.

Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Bronze: Henry Winkler - Arrested Development ("Flight of the Phoenix")
Silver: Ben Stiller - Arrested Development ("A New Attitude")

Gold: Seth Rogen - Arrested Development ("Flight of the Phoenix")

All hail Arrested Development! No other ensemble has made me laugh as hard as they all have. No wonder all of the winners in this category are from the cast. Henry Winkler plays the worst lawyer on the planet with honest/false conviction and hilarious results, while Ben Stiller showed a softer side to his arrogant magician. His chemistry with Will Arnett was also on point. Seth Rogen deserves the gold though for perfectly capturing George Senior Bluth in his younger days. Great stuff!

Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Bronze: Franka Potente - American Horror Story: Asylum ("I am Anne Frank, Parts 1 & 2")
Silver: Susan Misner - The Americans ("Covert War")

Gold: Barbara Hershey - Once Upon a Time ("The Queen is Dead")

Franka Potente changed the course of history with her potrayal of "Anne Frank", turning her into a strong headed woman out to uncover the truth. Susan Misner unleashed all of the pent up rage of Stan Beeman's wife out on her neglectful husband with powerful force (SO happy she is a regular for season 2!) The one villain everyone loved to see though was Barbara Hershey's Cora in Once Upon a Time. We wondered for a while what made Regina the way she is and when Hershey showed up all the answers became clear.

Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series

Bronze: Molly Shannon - Enlightened ("The Ghost is Seen")
Silver: Kristen Wiig - Arrested Development ("Flight of the Phoenix")

Gold: Maria Bamford - Arrested Devlopment ("A New Start")

Enlightened's blend of comedy and drama made it one of the best shows on TV, and Shannon was touchingly honest in her episode with the even more touchingly honest Mike White. Kristen Wiig was awesome as a young Lucille Bluth from the voice to the hilariously exaggerated facial expressions. The one actress that had me crying from so much laughter though was Maria Bamford as DeBrie Bardeaux in Arrested Development. The interplay with David Cross is stellar and everything that had to do with her character was side splitting from start to finish.

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Best Directing for a Drama Series

Bronze: Lodge Kerrigan - Homeland ("New Car Smell")
Silver: Lesli Linka Glatter - Homeland ("Q&A")
Gold: Lodge Kerrigan - Homeland ("State of Independence")

Best Directing for a Comedy Series

Bronze: Jesse Peretz - Girls ("Bad Friend")
Silver: Mitchell Hurwitz & Troy Miller - Arrested Development ("A New Start")
Gold: Mitchell Hurwitz & Troy Miller - Arrested Development ("Flight of the Phoenix")

Best Writing for a Drama Series

Bronze: Joe Weisberg - The Americans ("Pilot")
Silver: Henry Bromell - Homeland ("Q&A")
Gold: Alexander Cary - Homeland ("State of Independence")

Best Writing for a Comedy Series

Bronze: Mike White - Enlightened ("The Key")
Silver: Lena Dunham & Sarah Heyward - Girls ("Bad Friend")
Gold: Dean Lorey & Jim Vallely - Arrested Development ("A New Start")