Full Circle Forecast: The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards

Despite the current state of the entertainment industry amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it is finally Awards season! Our team here at Full Circle Cinema has a bevy of differing opinions regarding who or what deserves to win big at this year’s ceremonies. With Full Circle Forecast, we break down the nominees for the biggest categories and give personal predictions for who we think will be taking the coveted statuettes home at the grandest stages of them all. 2020’s biggest television celebration is The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, which celebrates the best in TV from the last year. With some big surprise nominations this year and an unprecedented virtual event hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, here’s who we think will go home with the prizes.

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO)
• Dead to Me (Netflix)
• The Good Place (NBC)
• Insecure (HBO)
• The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
• Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV)
• What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

Prediction: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)

My heart belongs to the cast and crew of The Good Place (that series finale still keeps me up at night). However, Mrs. Maisel rises above this gaggle of comedies as the clear frontrunner. Critics continuously praise its episodic genius and the show has made a true star out of its lead Rachel Brosnahan. Additionally, the unique brand of charm sprinkled amongst a stacked cast including the likes of Wanda Sykes and Sterling K. Brown mixes for a perfect blend of heart and humor. Expect Amazon Prime to take home a big victory in this category as the series continues to add to its already lengthy list of accolades. 

Outstanding Drama Series

• Better Call Saul (AMC)
• The Crown (Netflix)
• The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu)
• Killing Eve (BBC America)
• The Mandalorian (Disney+)
• Ozark (Netflix)
• Stranger Things (Netflix)
• Succession (HBO)

Prediction: Better Call Saul (AMC)

The big story of this year’s Emmy Awards ceremony is the unbelievable number of nominations received by the first live-action Star Wars series The Mandalorian.  The series received 15 nominations, including nods for actors Giancarlo Esposito and Taika Waititi, and composer Ludwig Göransson. However, despite what would make for an amazing underdog story, Better Call Saul is one of the best things on TV right now. At any given moment in any given episode, fans can find a reason to deem it even better than its predecessor Breaking Bad. Its fifth season features what is perhaps the best storytelling of the entire series and it would feel wrong seeing any other series get the nod in the Drama category this year.

Outstanding Limited Series

• Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
• Mrs. America (FX)
• Unbelievable (Netflix)
• Unorthodox (Netflix)
• Watchmen (HBO)

Prediction: Watchmen (HBO)

Anyone who has read my last few Full Circle Forecasts knows that I tend to make some choices from the heart and not always what I think the Academy will vote for. However, this is one of those rare occurrences when the two decision-making tactics collide. HBO’s Watchmen is an absolute triumph in every sense of the word. Moreover, the series focuses on events surrounding racist violence in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and brought more interest to the real-life horror story that is the Tulsa Massacre. Expanding the existing Watchmen canon with a stellar cast including Regina King, Don Johnson, Tim Blake Nelson, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a license to print money and gather more awards than any mantle will hold.

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Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• Anthony Anderson as Andre “Dre” Johnson, Sr. on Black-ish (ABC) 
• Don Cheadle as Maurice “Mo” Monroe on Black Monday (Showtime)
• Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (NBC)
• Michael Douglas as Sandy Kominsky on The Kominsky Method (Netflix)
• Eugene Levy as Johnny Rose on Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV)
• Ramy Youssef as Ramy Hassan on Ramy (Hulu)

Prediction: Ted Danson as Michael on The Good Place (NBC)

I am very well aware that, when looking at this list of names, Eugene Levy sticks out as the clear frontrunner of the pack. However, With The Good Place ending its short lifespan a few months back, it should finally receive its roses. While William Jackson Harper and Kristen Bell may have the brightest futures following the swan song, Ted Danson stands above the rest as the most deserving of this particular recognition. The complete commitment to the silliness of the role of Michael was a constant delight throughout the series. The actor already touts a bevy of Emmy and Golden Globe nominations, but his work on the NBC series introduced him to an entirely new generation. Ted Danson knocks it out of the park every episode with supremely entertaining and charming performances. Moreover, that final scene in the series finale was simply one of the most uplifting television moments of 2020. Take it sleazy.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• Christina Applegate as Jen Harding on Dead to Me (Netflix)
• Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
• Linda Cardellini as Judy Hale on Dead to Me (Netflix)
• Catherine O’Hara as Moira Rose on Schitt’s Creek (Pop TV)
• Issa Rae as Issa Dee on Insecure (HBO)
• Tracee Ellis Ross as Dr. Rainbow “Bow” Johnson on Black-ish (ABC)

Prediction: Linda Cardellini as Judy Hale on Dead to Me (Netflix)

I’ll be honest: this one is a toss-up for me. Both Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini gave strong performances in the second season of Dead to Me. However, I’m going with Cardellini by an inch due to the rawness she conveyed throughout the season. Whichever actress winds up taking the Emmy home will have no choice but to share it with her on-screen partner. In a show designed to depict the shared experience of mutual grief, Cardellini is often able to bring a smile to the viewer’s face with her quick wit and comedic timing. However, any actress in this category could win. Additionally, with Academy darlings Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) out of the running this year, a new face could step forward and lead the category for years to come.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• Jason Bateman as Martin “Marty” Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
• Sterling K. Brown as Randall Pearson on This Is Us (NBC)
• Steve Carell as Mitch Kessler on The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
• Brian Cox as Logan Roy on Succession (HBO)
• Billy Porter as Pray Tell on Pose (FX)
• Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy on Succession (HBO)

Prediction: Jason Bateman as Martin “Marty” Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)

Jason Bateman has been nominated three times now for his Ozark performance at the Emmy Awards and, at long last, it feels like this could be his year. Many industry experts are fawning over Succession on HBO, and for good reason. With both Brian Cox and Jeremy Strong touting nods in this category, the safe choice would be either of them. However, given the success of Succession on HBO, voters may have a hard time choosing between the two. When quarantine shutdowns began back in March, a common question asked among friends became “have you watched Ozark?” Bolstered interest in the series could spell victory for the multi-talented filmmaker. However, the Emmy Awards are famous for their repeat winners, so the great Billy Porter could sneak in with back-to-back victories for Pose. 

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Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy on The Morning Show (Apple TV+)
• Olivia Colman as Queen Elizabeth II on The Crown (Netflix)
• Jodie Comer as Oksana Astankova/Villanelle on Killing Eve (BBC America)
• Laura Linney as Wendy Byrde on Ozark (Netflix)
• Sandra Oh as Eve Polastri on Killing Eve (BBC America)
• Zendaya as Rue Bennett on Euphoria (HBO)

Prediction: Jennifer Aniston as Alex Levy on The Morning Show (Apple TV+)

Jennifer Aniston is absolutely killer in The Morning Show. Her character, Alex Levy, co-host of The Morning Show, is thrown in a position where she must make incredibly tough decisions as she navigates the ever-changing landscape of a television production following a sexual abuse scandal. Her scenes with Reese Witherspoon, Tom Irwin, and Steve Carell were filled with a silent intensity. Towards the ends of the series, her character work progresses in a way that is both touching and empowering to women in entertainment. However, if looking to shine a light on the bonafide future of the industry, rewarding the amazing Zendaya for her groundbreaking HBO series Euphoria may entice voters as well. If Aniston fails to snag the trophy, Zendaya could come in to claim it as her own at the Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie

• Jeremy Irons as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias on Watchmen (HBO)
• Hugh Jackman as Dr. Frank Tassone on Bad Education (HBO)
• Paul Mescal as Connell Waldron on Normal People (Hulu)
• Jeremy Pope as Archie Coleman on Hollywood (Netflix)
• Mark Ruffalo as Dominick and Thomas Birdsey on I Know This Much Is True (HBO)

Prediction: Jeremy Irons as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias on Watchmen (HBO)

How good is Watchmen? More than that, how good is Jeremy Irons in Watchmen? His performance provided some of the biggest cliffhangers during the weekly episodic limited series as the mystery surrounding his whereabouts kept fans coming back. Moreover, his ability to weave in and out of menacing and gleeful really created a version of Ozymandias that stands beside the original film’s version portrayed by Matthew Goode. However, despite my gushing, look for this category to feature a healthy amount of competition. Jackman proved to be the best thing about HBO’s Bad Education while Ruffalo’s dual role in I Know This Much Is True was more heartfelt and hopeful than many realize. 

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Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie 

• Cate Blanchett as Phyllis Schlafly on Mrs. America (FX)
• Shira Haas as Esther “Esty” Shapiro on Unorthodox (Netflix)
• Regina King as Angela Abar/Sister Night on Watchmen (HBO)
• Octavia Spencer as Madam C. J. Walker on Self Made (Netflix)
• Kerry Washington as Mia Warren on Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)

Prediction: Regina King as Angela Abar/Sister Night on Watchmen (HBO)

As beautiful as a Watchmen sweep within its biggest nominated categories would be, this prediction will sit pretty as my least confident choice until the events of Sunday evening. The Emmy Awards may want to get the Oscar-winning cinematic legend Cate Blanchett one step closer to an EGOT so she will be a serious contender until the envelope opens. Nevertheless, Regina King completely owned every scene she graced during Watchmen‘s first season. Her charismatic and powerful performance as Sister Night turned heads on a weekly basis. Through her passionate performances alongside Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to getting a firsthand look at the origins of Hooded Justice, King’s ability to display the emotions of being a black woman in a racist America resonates and deserves to be lauded as a triumphant achievement. Additionally, this could be the start of King’s domination of Awards season with her directorial debut One Night In Miami already getting Oscar buzz. 

Additional Quick Predictions:

• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Mahershala Ali as Sheikh Ali Malik on Ramy (Hulu)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Alex Borstein as Susie Myerson on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring on Better Call Saul (AMC)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Calvin “Cal” Abar/Doctor Manhattan on Watchmen (HBO)

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with these choices? Be sure to let us know your Emmy Awards thoughts and predictions in the comments below! – Christian Hubbard

The 72nd Emmy Awards air live September 20th on ABC.

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