It all started out so well.Emmy nominations were released on Thursday, and I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. While overall it was a somewhat lackluster year in television, there were some really great performances and exceptional episodes along the way. When I finally had time to go to the Emmys' site, at first I thought all of my dreams had come true--that the nominations were going to reflect the best of the year. The first list that popped up was lead actress in a drama series...and at the top of the list was Vera Farmiga from Bates Motel! This is what I had been waiting for! The Emmys to break their own routines, to recognize great breakout performances. This was such a good omen! But alas, my joy was short lived. As I kept going through category after category, it became clear this year was perhaps one of the worst in terms of snubbing the deserving and rewarding the mediocre.
Awards shows all have their own cliched pitfalls, and the Emmys are no exception. Because of the repetitive nature of the genre--TV shows can run for years-- we see the same names being nominated (and winning) over and over again. This year, I was particularly disappointed by the nominees for comedies. But let me go back to the beginning.
