KimTiu 2015 Emmy Predictions Part 1: Drama

Kim: “This is it. The recap of the past year in TV excellence. Game of Thrones and Transparent seem poised to become the night’s biggest winners. We’ll see, wont we?”

Drama Series

• Better Call Saul
• Downton Abbey
• Game of Thrones 
• Homeland
• House of Cards
• Mad Men
• Orange is the New Black

Sean: “Game of Thrones has its strongest shot of winning for the first time this year; it’s the most nominated show in any category this year, and it has continued to reap more nominations with each passing season. Moreover, it’s already won 8 Emmys at the Creative Arts Awards, indicating that support for the show is especially strong. While the fifth season is arguably a little uneven – especially the terrible Dorne storyarc – Thrones was nonetheless compelling as it further navigated the increasingly darker storylines of Westeros.

With that said, I would like to see Mad Men get the nod for its outstanding final season, which ended the show on a perfect note.”

Should Win: Mad Men

Will Win: Game of Thrones

Kim: “Can Mad Men finally win in a post-Breaking Bad ­landscape? This is a tough one. While Game of Thrones obviously dominates news headlines in traditional and social media, buzz doesn’t necessarily translate to an Emmy win. I say Weiner and co. take it for Mad Men as a final gift from the Academy.”

Should Win: Mad Men

Will Win: Mad Men

Lead Actor

• Kyle Chandler as John Raburn on Bloodline
• Jeff Daniels as Will McAvoy on The Newsroom
• Jon Hamm as Don Draper on Mad Men
• Bob Odenkirk as Jimmy McGill on Better Call Saul
• Liev Schreiber as Ray Donovan on Ray Donovan
• Kevin Spacey as President Frank Underwood on House of Cards

Sean: “Jon Hamm is going to win. He’s currently the record holder for most consceutive nominations in the category without winning, and there’s very little chance that the Academy will let him walk away without a win. Not that it’s undeserved mind you, as Hamm delivered consistently phenomenal work through all seven seasons of the show, and his work on the series finale was among his best on the entire show.”

Should Win: Jon Hamm

Will Win: Jon Hamm

Kim: “Kyle Chandler could set a new trend thanks to Bloodline or the Emmys could pull another upset by giving it to Daniels or Spacey. Still, Jon Hamm was always inches from getting one all these years and his final season performance was amazing. Definitely deserves it.”

Should Win: Jon Hamm

Will Win: Jon Ham

Lead Actress

• Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison on Homeland
• Viola Davis as Annalise Keating on How To Get Away with Murder
• Taraji P Henson as Loretha “Cookie” Lyon on Empire
• Tatiana Maslany as Various on Orphan Black
• Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson on Mad Men
• Robin Wright as First Lady Claire Underwood on House of Cards

Sean: “While I’d like to see Elisabeth Moss take the trophy, her work on Mad Men isn’t showy enough – she’s the most low key of the actresses nominated here – and, unlike Jon Hamm, there isn’t as much clamor for her to be rewarded for her equally powerful work. Tatiana Maslany arguably has the most difficult job among the nominees as she’s portraying six distinct characters, but the Academy still has its prejudice against science fiction; it’s highly likely that the nomination is its own reward for her.

In contrast, Viola Davis is a two-time Oscar nominee and is simply compelling in How To Get Away with Murder. She easily dominates the screen whenever she’s present, and her episode choice has her displaying a wide range of emotions, which should be more than sufficient to garner her a win.”

Should Win: Tatiana Maslany/Elisabeth Moss

Will Win: Viola Davis

Kim: “Among voters and the insider buzz leading into the show, it seems Viola Davis is the favorite. I also would like to see Maslany or Moss finally win but I concur about their chances. A possible upset is Robin Wright though. While Spacey had terrible material for Season 3, Wright really did well with what she had.”

Should Win: Tatiana Maslany

Will Win: Viola Davis