Emmy Review: Lead Actress in a Comedy
Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 8:00AM
I’m still sad that Elle Fanning isn’t here for The Great and I can’t understand how Better Things gets nothing but rave reviews and somehow Pamela Adlon isn’t nominated? That said, the list of actresses here is strong, And you'd think that previous winner Rachel Brosnahan would be the frontrunner with last year’s tough competition, victor Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) and six-time consecutive champ Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) out of the way. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel may be the comedy nominations leader, but Brosnahan isn’t likely to eclipse Moira Rose.
I’ll try to avoid major plot details in my analysis – but if you’d like more spoiler-filled descriptions, click on the episode titles. Let’s consider each nominee…
Christina Applegate as Jen Harding in Dead to Me (Netflix)
Episode: “It’s Not You, It’s Me”
Applegate won an Emmy in 2003 for guest-starring on Friends, and was also nominated twice in this category for her starring role on Samantha Who? Last year, she was the lone representative of this show, and now her costar Linda Cardellini is nominated, along with the show itself in the top category. Her portrayal of a recently widowed realtor is brimming with unrestrained rage, and therefore her submission of the penultimate episode that finds her contemplating her future in a more careful and consequential manner is an interesting choice that shows range. Frankly, season one gave her more to do, and now with internal competition, her chances at a win are much lower.
Rachel Brosnahan as Midge Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
Episode: “A Jewish Girl Walks into the Apollo…”
This is Brosnahan’s third consecutive nomination. She won for season one of this show and also contended in the guest category in 2015 for reprising her House of Cards role. You can say that Brosnahan has already been sufficiently rewarded – an Emmy, two Globes, two Critics Choice Awards, a SAG, and more – but she is absolutely fantastic as the fast-talking comedienne. Her work in season three is just as good as in the pilot, and in the season finale she gets to relive hopeful days in flashbacks, confront a vengeful person from her past, and face unexpected news about her future. If this category didn’t have a frontrunner, Brosnahan would be the default winner.
Linda Cardellini as Judy Hale in Dead to Me (Netflix)
Episode: “If Only You Knew”
Cardellini wasn’t included last year for her show’s first season when costar Christina Applegate was, so it's wonderful that she's in this year. This is her second career nomination following a guest bid in 2013 for Mad Men. To me, she was the undisputed MVP of Dead to Me this season, with Judy eagerly chatting up anyone she encountered and going above and beyond to insert herself into every situation, even those where she should have stayed far away. Cardellini's episode submission is a knockout, involving a comedic start that she handles fabulously and a far deeper and more haunting turn as it goes on. I don’t think she has any shot to win, but if she did, I’d be so happy.
Catherine O’Hara as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek (Pop)
Episode: “The Incident”
O’Hara won an Emmy along with her current costar Eugene Levy as part of the writing staff of SCTV Network 90 back in 1982. She was nominated for Temple Grandin in 2010 and then last year for this role when Emmy voters finally realized Schitt’s Creek existed. I don’t love the show or her performance nearly as much as every person I’ve met (I’m sorry), but there’s no denying that she’s working hard and doing very well playing an actress committed to an impressive presentation at every moment in her life. The episode submission involves a social media channel and it's peak Moira. It's easy to see how it will likely win over more than enough voters to propel her to a win.
Issa Rae as Issa Dee in Insecure (HBO)
Episode: “Lowkey Happy”
It’s great to see Rae nominated again after her first bid two years ago, and her show is up for Best Comedy Series for the first time. She’s always been energetic and entertaining as a hard-working woman in Los Angeles encountering frequent relationship and professional troubles, but her performance in season four was even more watchable as her character took on a daunting community project. Her submitted episode finds her delving back into an old romance and showcases the best of her awkwardness and her aspirations. If somehow O’Hara doesn’t win, she could be a formidable and exciting spoiler.
Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Jackson in Black-ish (ABC)
Episode: “Kid Life Crisis”
This is Ross’ fourth nomination, making a return to this category after missing out last year. She plays one half of the parenting team raising five Black children in what they see as a predominantly white world. Ross also provides narration on the latest spin-off of this show, Mixed-ish , which explores Bow’s biracial childhood. Ross is often the glue that holds her show together when costar Anthony Anderson is leaning into the comedy of his character, Dre, which sometimes makes her episodes more serious. This year’s submission finds Bow and Dre on vacation struggling to relax, and it’s simply not the best or most prominent work Ross has done. Not this year but she might have a shot to win when it’s announced that this show is ending, whenever that might be.
Personal Ranking
- Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
- Rachel Brosnahan, Marvelous Mrs Maisel
- Issa Rae, Insecure
- Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
- Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek
- Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
What's yours?
Predicted Winner: Catherine O’Hara – Schitt’s Creek
Potential Spoiler: Rachel Brosnahan – Mrs. Maisel
All Categories Covered:
DRAMA: Lead Actress | Lead Actor | Guest Actor | Guest Actress
COMEDY: Lead Actor | Guest Actress | Guest Actor |
MISC: TV Movie | Costumes Fantasy
Reader Comments (20)
I think Applegate was still better than Cardellini this season, though they make a good team. There’s something so powerful about her rage, and she brings such depth to her comedy.
I think the big thing holding Brosnahan back from repeating is that she comes off as really unlikeable in her tape. Yes, she gets punished in the end, but her big Apollo scene feels hard to watch, though she plays her character well.
This has got to come down to O’Hara and Issa Rae. Rae doesn’t get to do a lot of slapstick, but she shows so much heart and for voters who remember her when she was last nominated, I suspect some will be impressed by her growth as an actress. In a year where the culture is being changed by BLM and her show fired on all cylinders, I could see her pulling ahead and deservingly winning.
Also, Tracee Ellis Ross is a good actress but one of the all time worst submitters. The show needs to give her an episode that she narrates next season and just send that out as part of her FYC campaign. A big challenger for her is that she’s a lead/supporting character, never getting quite as much material as Anderson since the show is from his perspective.
I also prefer Applegate to Cardellini in Dead to Me.
2020 sucks so much that I can totally see O'Hara losing this one.
The lack of a clear alternative surely helps O'Hara - and it would be so odd to see SCHITT'S CREEK amass that haul of nominations, only for its leading lady, on the show's final season, come up short.
So Laura Linney is the fifth best nominee for Best Actress in a Drama, and Catherine O'Hara is the fifth best nominee for Best Actress in a Comedy?
Assuming you don't perfectly align with the six they picked (when does that ever happen?), did either of them deserve to be nominated at all in your opinion?
Let's take it even further and say there were five nominees.
So interesting how O'Hara went from total non-player to surprise nominee last year to favorite to win this year. I for one am glad it happened. SCHITT'S CREEK really should win at least one major Emmy before it's just TV history and I'm guessing this is the one it will get, although I'm not counting Dan Levy out. People tend to feel he's the reason that show exists, at least in my circles.
Give it to Issa.
Christina Applegate gives one of my favorite performances of the last ten years or so. I've never seen a better portrayal of the toxic, insane feelings and behaviors that grief brings to a person's life. As someone who has experienced some pretty traumatic grief in the last 6 years, it touched me deeply, helping me to laugh through the pain. She deserves the world for this performance.
But, given that, I am so in the tank for Schitt's Creek that I'm kinda rooting for all-time great Catherine O'Hara!
Linda Cardellini for the win!
O'Hara does have a lot of buzz but I'm torn between thinking she'll win, or that they'll just go with Brosnahan again.
@Abe: Thank you for lamenting Elle Fanning's absence. She is indeed missed here (as is Nicholas Hoult in Comedy Actor)
@JF That's a good question. I do "hand out" my own awards at TVwithAbe.com each year and have kept every category to five nominees even after Emmy expanded. I'm going to post mine right after the Emmys this year but on average my nominees will only match up with one or two of the Emmy choices in each category.
I don't regularly watch either Ozark or Schitt's Creek (or Succession, for that matter), but tried to get into all three this season, especially knowing how much TFE readers love them all. From this category, only Cardellini and Brosnahan make my list. For drama actress, Linney makes the top ten - she impressed me more than I thought even I wouldn't bump the likes of Mj Rodriguez or Elisabeth Moss for her.
I appreciate Nathaniel's enthusiasm for having me, Juan Carlos, and Claudio list our personal rankings - they don't always (and may rarely) match what we expect Emmy voters to pick, but it's impossible to completely separate how we perceive these performances and shows from how we think others will.
please please please let it be catherine o'hara
I adore O’Hara, but I haven't been able to hop on the Schitt's Creek train. I just couldn't get into it after about 6 episodes of the first season, but I do plan to revisit eventually. I hope Issa Rae gets it. The show is really as much a drama as it is a comedy at this point, but she has anchored it beautifully throughout.
I am all in for Catherine O'Hara. Moira Rose is a great comic creation, and reminds me a little of Jennifer Saunders and Edina Monsoon. Fingers crossed.
I feel like it's a perfect storm for both O'Hara and Schitt's Creek in that without Fleebag there, voters could choose to go backwards or keep forward momentum. Plus SC is something of a traditional sitcom, and Jim Parsons has a few Emmys to prove they still like those.
I tell everyone to start with season 2 of "Schitt's Creek." The first season, the show didn't have confidence and the show was still finding its rhythm. From season 2 on, the show is an unstoppable charm machine (aside from Roland). O'Hara's submission episode is a shiny showcase for her, Levy, Murphy, and the, sadly, not nominated Noah Reid.
Oh wow. Before reading this I though O'Hara with Brosnahan hot on her heels, but for some inexplicable reason you've convinced me it may be Cardellini. Voters regretting her missing out for season 1 while her co-star got in, her arguably stronger season this year, and coming off a supporting role in a Best Picture Oscar winner a couple years back. Did Abe just crack the code?
Because Pamela Adlon's character is so 'cool' and 'edgy' and 'not like other moms' people overlook just how saccharine and cheesy Better Things is. Enjoyable, but your mileage may vary.
I would love an O'hara or Rae win... hell, a tie - why not?
I wanted Tracee Ellis Ross to win a few years back when Black-ish had more buzz, so I do hope she could pull off a last season farewell win one day. Love her.
Would love to see the PEN15 ladies here next year.