Drama series
“Better Call Saul”
“Bodyguard”
“Game of Thrones”
“Killing Eve”
“Ozark”
“Pose”
“Succession”
“This Is Us”
Will win:“Game of Thrones”
Could win:Seriously. “Game of
Thrones” has this locked.
Should win:“Game of Thrones”
Wait ... what? “Game of
Thrones” shouldwin? The same
show that scattered logic to the
wind and wronged its female
characters in a hurried final sea-
son, which delivered an anticli-
mactic head-scratcher of an end-
ing (Bran???) that didn’t satisfy
anyone? Yes. For six weeks, for
good and bad, “Game of Thrones”
was all we could talk about. And
since the year’s two best dramas
happened to be limited series
(“When They See Us” and “Cher-
nobyl”), there really isn’t a compel-
ling counterargument here. So
let’s forget about that disposable
coffee cup, raise a glass of red wine
and toast the glory days of this
(often) remarkable show.
Comedy series
“Barry”
“Fleabag”
“The Good Place”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“Russian Doll”
“Schitt’s Creek”
“Veep”
Will win:“The Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel”
Could win:“Veep”
Should win:“Fleabag”
“Maisel” won six Emmys over
the weekend, including both com-
edy guest acting categories (Jane
Lynch and Luke Kirby). It took the
series Emmy for its first season
(over “Atlanta,” but I’m done
fighting that battle) and earned
the most nominations of any com-
edy (20) for its second. It’s the
safest choice to prevail, though
picking it in a category containing
the perfect encore of “Fleabag”
and the daring “Barry” feels like an
act of treason. Also looming is
“Veep,” which won the series
Emmy for its last three eligible
seasons. Voters might want to
send it out in style.
Lead actress (drama)
Emilia Clarke, “Game of Thrones”
Jodie Comer, “Killing Eve”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away
With Murder”
Laura Linney, “Ozark”
Mandy Moore, “This Is Us”
Sandra Oh, “Killing Eve”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
Will win:Oh
Could win:Clarke
Should win:Comer
Oh would be the first actress of
Asian descent to win this Emmy,
providing the telecast with a nice
historic moment. But her frequent
scene partner Comer might be
more deserving, as she shuttled
effortlessly between personas and
accents — one moment kooky, the
next a killer. It’s also possible that
the night turns into a “Thrones”
landslide, giving Clarke a reward
for selling Daenerys’ ridiculous
character turns with aplomb.
Lead actor (drama)
Jason Bateman, “Ozark”
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
Kit Harington, “Game of Thrones”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Billy Porter, “Pose”
Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”
Will win:Porter
Could win:Bateman
Should win:Porter
Matthew Rhys won this Emmy
last year for the final season of
“The Americans.” Now that he’s off
making movies with Tom Hanks, it
could be time for Odenkirk, nomi-
nated for all four seasons of “Bet-
ter Call Saul,” or Bateman, feted
twice each for “Ozark” and “Ar-
rested Development.” But I’m
going with Porter, the buzziest of
the group, a Tony and Grammy
Award winner (“Kinky Boots”)
who would be an Oscar away from
his EGOT with this win.
Supporting actress
(drama)
Gwendoline Christie, “Game
of Thrones”
Julia Garner, “Ozark”
Lena Headey, “Game of Thrones”
Fiona Shaw, “Killing Eve”
Sophie Turner, “Game of Thrones”
Maisie Williams, “Game
of Thrones”
Will win:Williams
Could win:Garner
Should win:Garner
Four “Game of Thrones” nomi-
nees in this category could splinter
the vote, opening the door for the
firecracker Garner. More likely, it
means voters reallylike “Game of
Thrones” and are going to narrow
it down to one of these women.
Williams’ Arya is a fan favorite who
delivered the season’s most
thrilling moment. Headey is a fan
favorite who was given too little to
do and an unsatisfying ending. (“I
will say I wanted a better death,”
Headey lamented. And who could
blame her?) Headey should have
won by now, but it sounds like she
wouldn’t even vote for herself.
Let’s go with Williams.Supporting actor
(drama)
Alfie Allen, “Game of Thrones”
Jonathan Banks, “Better
Call Saul”
Peter Dinklage, “Game
of Thrones”
Giancarlo Esposito, “Better
Call Saul”
Michael Kelly, “House of Cards”
Chris Sullivan, “This Is Us”
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, “Game
of Thrones”Will win:Dinklage
Could win:Sorry. Dinklage owns
this.
Should win:Dinklage
With this victory, Dinklage will
become the first actor to win four
supporting drama Emmys, mak-ing him the real winner of “Game
of Thrones.”Lead actress (comedy)
Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me”
Rachel Brosnahan, “The
Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Natasha Lyonne, “Russian Doll”
Catherine O’Hara, “Schitt’s
Creek”
Phoebe Waller-Bridge, “Fleabag”Will win:Louis-Dreyfus
Could win:Waller-Bridge
Should win:Waller-Bridge
Louis-Dreyfus owns 11 Emmys
(three as a producer) and has won
this category for all six seasons of
“Veep.” After a yearlong hiatus
spent treating her breast cancer,
she’s back for “Veep’s” final sea-
son. Waller-Bridge, with her ex-
quisite comic timing and ace abil-
ity to convey grief and brokenness,
would win in almost any other
scenario. And she will probably
win an Emmy this year for writing.
But she won’t take this one.Lead actor (comedy)
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Don Cheadle, “Black Monday”
Ted Danson, “The Good Place”Michael Douglas, “The Kominsky
Method”
Bill Hader, “Barry”
Eugene Levy, “Schitt’s Creek”Will win:Hader
Could win:Danson
Should win:Hader
Veterans Danson and Levy have
received boosts from people find-
ing their shows on Netflix, and
either would make for a nice feel-
good story if they won. Hader will
likely repeat, though. “Barry”
pulled in 17 nominations — second
to “Mrs. Maisel” for comedy series
— and Hader’s understated, emo-
tionally rich acting is essential to
the show’s success.Supporting actress
(comedy)
Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel”
Anna Chlumsky, “Veep”
Sian Clifford, “Fleabag”
Olivia Colman, “Fleabag”
Betty Gilpin, “GLOW”
Sarah Goldberg, “Barry”
Marin Hinkle, “The Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel”
Kate McKinnon, “Saturday Night
Live”Will win:Borstein
Could win:Colman
Should win:GilpinWith a bumper crop of eight
nominees, this could go any num-
ber of ways ... so the percentage
play is again going with “Maisel”
and last year’s winner, Borstein.
Oscar winner Colman could easily
win too — who doesn’t want an-
other acceptance speech from
her? — though she’ll almost cer-
tainly be back at the Emmys next
year, taking Claire Foy’s place for
“The Crown.”Supporting actor
(comedy)
Alan Arkin, “The Kominsky
Method”
Anthony Carrigan, “Barry”
Tony Hale, “Veep”
Stephen Root, “Barry”
Tony Shalhoub, “The Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel”
Henry Winkler, “Barry”Will win:Shalhoub
Could win:Arkin
Should win:Root
Emmy voters love Shalhoub,
giving him three Emmys for
playing the compulsive detective
on “Monk” and nominating him
seven other times. He was denied
last year, as it was most definitely
time to finally reward Winkler.
With three members of the
“Barry” ensemble in the mix, the
path is clear for Shalhoub to add
another trophy to his mantle.Limited series
“Chernobyl”
“Escape at Dannemora”
“Fosse/Verdon”
“Sharp Objects”
“When They See Us”Will win:“When They See Us”
Could win:“Chernobyl”
Should win:“When They See Us”
It’s a choice between the year’s
two best dramas, and it’s going to
be close. “Chernobyl” earned 19
nominations; “When They See Us”
scored 16. “Chernobyl” has the
early momentum, winning seven
prizes Sunday at the Creative
Arts Emmys to a lone victory
(casting) for “When They See Us.”
My gut tells me Ava DuVernay’s
series will pull out a win for its
relevance and importance, but all
that early “Chernobyl” love gives
me pause.TV movie
“Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”
“Brexit”
“Deadwood: The Movie”
“King Lear”
“My Dinner With Herve”Will win:“Deadwood: The Movie”
Could win:“Black Mirror: Band-
ersnatch”
Should win:“Deadwood: The
Movie”
Nearly all those Creative Arts
Emmys “Chernobyl” won came at
the expense of “Deadwood,” leav-
ing this category as its last chance
for a victory. David Milch’s west-
ern probably will prevail, as voters
take a break from “Black Mirror,”
which has won this Emmy the last
two years.Lead actress
(limited series/movie)
Amy Adams, “Sharp Objects”
Patricia Arquette, “Escape at
Dannemora”
Aunjanue Ellis, “When They See
Us”
Joey King, “The Act”
Niecy Nash, “When They See Us”
Michelle Williams, “Fosse/Verdon”Will win:Williams
Could win:Arquette
Should win:Williams
Williams gave a star turn in
“Fosse/Verdon,” exhilarating in
the showbiz scenes and vulnera-
ble in the depiction of dancer
Gwen Verdon as a defiant sur-
vivor. Arquette has a lot of fans,
but interest in “Dannemora”
probably peaked about the time
she won the Golden Globe in
January.Lead actor
(limited series/movie)
Mahershala Ali, “True Detective”
Benicio Del Toro, “Escape at
Dannemora”
Hugh Grant, “A Very English
Scandal”
Jared Harris, “Chernobyl”
Jharrel Jerome, “When They
See Us”
Sam Rockwell, “Fosse/Verdon”Will win:Jerome
Could win:Harris
Should win:Jerome
Another tight contest between
“Chernobyl” and “When They See
Us,” with Jerome gaining the edge
for the series’ last (and best)
episode, which recounts the har-
rowing years Central Park Five
defendant Korey Wise spent in
prison for a crime he didn’t com-
mit. Anyone who watched it is
likely voting for him.COUNTDOWN TO THE EMMYS
The way things likely will play out
[Emmys,from E1]
Nicole RivelliAmazon Prime VideoFOR COMEDY series, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” top, will take the trophy. But “Fleabag,” star-
ring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, above, should win. And the final season of “Veep” could sneak in there.Amazon Prime VideoAtsushi NishijimaNetflix“WHEN THEYSee Us,” top, and “Chernobyl,” above, are the year’s best dramas. Ava DuVernay’s
“See Us” looks like the winner in the limited series category, but “Chernobyl” could play spoiler.Liam DanielHBOLATIMES.COM/CALENDAR E3