The Film Experience

By Juan Carlos Ojano

For the last three years, The Handmaid’s Tale has dominated this category with wins for Alexis Bledel (2017), Samira Wiley (2018), and Cherry Jones (2019). This year, Bledel is poised for a victory lap in this category after competing in Supporting last season. Last year’s winner Jones is also back, but for a different show. She even pulled off a surprise win last year over Phylicia Rashad, who reappears in this category. Aside from Jones, Succession gets another nomination for Harriet Walter. Meanwhile, category mainstays Cox and Tyson are in for the fourth and fifth time, respectively, for their characters in their final seasons (though neither has won for these roles).

Let’s consider each nominee...

Alexis Bledel as Emily Malek/Ofglen in The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
Episode: “God Bless the Child”

Bledel is a series regular who didn’t make it into the 50% of episode count this season, hence qualifying this season as guest. In this episode, Emily faces the challenge of reconnecting with her estranged wife (Clea DuVall) and child in Canada after escaping sexual slavery in Gilead. Her arc in this episode is wonderfully laid out and heartbreaking from start to finish. She has to deal with the disorientation caused by Canadian traffic, the unease of seeing her family’s home, and her eventual reunion with her wife and child. All of her scenes are tear-inducing (I am crying while writing!), but perhaps the most powerful is her scene reading a science book to her son. The difficulty of reconnecting with her child, the ability to read again, the desire to make up for the time lost. Bledel plays these notes beautifully, punctuating every moment with brutal emotional truth. She is the MVP of this episode, reminding us of the trauma that Gilead causes, even for those who've escaped.

Laverne Cox as Sophia Burset in Orange is the New Black (Netflix)
Episode: “God Bless America”

A recurring nominee for this role, Cox’s performance in this submission is super brief. Her first appearance comes during the end of the scene where Piper (Taylor Schilling) gives an update on her life to the prison personnel (I don’t regularly watch the show, sorry). In her 25-second interaction with Piper, Cox shows Sophia’s amiable connection with Piper while giving subtle shade on her appearance. Her second scene, lasting for 2 ½ minutes, heightens that dynamic with Piper even more. Helping Piper prepare for a fundraiser, she contradicts Piper’s penchant for sticking with her memories in prison. Cox subtly navigates contradicting Piper’s position and even trying to convince her without ever coming off as contrarian. Nevertheless, this nomination baffles me. Not because of the quality of her work or even the runtime, but because of the lack of material.

Cherry Jones as Nan Pierce in Succession (HBO)
Episode: “Tern Haven”

Coming off of a surprise win last year for The Handmaid’s Tale, Jones is now competing as the Pierce matriarch, an influential force that, unintentionally or not, disrupts the Roys in their quest to buy her company. Jones wields effortless power, making her a formidable presence. The direction of this episode makes it sure that we understand the gravity of her presence in this episode. In some ways, she is the exact opposite of Logan. Jones brandishes dominion not with the nasty words, but with kindness combined with sharpness and alertness in reading the room. When she listens, there is an underlying intention, whether it is to genuinely listen or to catch the Roys off-guard. Notice the difference in demeanor from the dinner and the morning meeting. Jones understands how to command a room and shift it in accordance on how she wants conversations to flow. Nan Pierce is a memorable creation from Jones and it would even be a more deserving win than her win last year.

Phylicia Rashad as Carol Clarke in This is Us (NBC)
Episode: “Flip a Coin”

Expected to win last year, Rashad comes back as Beth Pearson’s (Susan Kelechi Watson) mother. We see her in two timelines. In the present, she comes to the opening of Beth’s dance studio, putting more pressure on Beth and Randall (Sterling K. Brown). With Randall becoming protective of Beth, a very subtle series of clashing is sprinkled in the smallest of conversations. Her quiet observation contains much power too. Rashad has an authoritative energy that her maternal instincts (that word would come up in another nominee) drives her to have. In the flashbacks, we see Carol when Randall and Beth are still in college. That same authority remains, but we also see her put her guard down when she has a touching conversation with Rebecca (Mandy Moore) as recently widowed mothers. While not necessarily the most impactful part of the episode, Rashad remains a dependable presence in the show.

Cicely Tyson as Ophelia Harkness in How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Episode: “Stay”

Another recurring nominee for this role, returns as Annalise Keating’s mother. While her daughter faces a life-changing trial, Ophelia gives the quiet and determined maternal support. Tyson provides that reliable force while being backgrounded for a lot of the scenes, sometimes even blurred in the background. Two moments stand out: one is a very quick scene. As she hears gunshots, she screams “is she hurt?’ with such raw, gut-wrenching pain that you're instantly pulled into the emotional intensity of the moment. The second one is her conversation with Annalise on the eve of her defense. While grappling with the moral ambiguity of her daughter, Tyson combines her desire to toughen Annalise up with a morale boost. It’s a solid performance from this acting legend. I just wished she was given more to do in this episode.

Harriet Walter as Caroline Collingwood in Succession (HBO)
Episode: “Return”

Walter appears around the 43-minute mark as Shiv and Roman have been sent to Caroline to convince her to give shareholder support. Their interactions start with pleasantries, but Walter gradually gives off a touch of detachment from Shiv and Roman. She sees through their intentions immediately so her character quickly transforms the conversation into interrogation, a passive-aggressive confrontation with her children. It’s a delicious shift from mother to businessperson and back, demonstrating her uncanny understanding of the negotiations. She even treats the divorce settlement as a savvy business transaction. Her next interaction is with Kendall where she immediately changes her tone once she understands that Kendall is not just there for business. Her struggle (or hesitation) to connect with her son when dealing with personal issues is striking. Walter does sturdy character work in these moments.

Personal Ranking:

Alexis Bledel - The Handmaid’s Tale
Cherry Jones - Succession
Phylicia Rashad - This is Us
Harriet Walter - Succession
Cicely Tyson - How to Get Away with Murder
Laverne Cox - Orange is the New Black

Predicted Winner: Alexis Bledel - The Handmaid’s Tale

Potential Spoiler: Cherry Jones - Succession

Again, another prediction that needs justification. While Succession is clearly the frontrunner for Drama Series, I am predicting Bledel because: a) Cherry Jones just won last year, albeit for a different show; b) The Handmaid’s Tale has won this category for three straight years, even when it wasn’t widely predicted to win; c) Bledel’s performance is traditionally showier and more emotional than Jones’; d) Jones might split votes with Harriet Walter, and; e) this could be the only chance for The Handmaid’s Tale to win a major award.