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The 10 Best Episodes of ‘The Good Wife’
In honor of the finale of the brilliant fifth season of The Good Wife, here is a list of what I consider to be their 10 Best Episodes.
May 14, 2014
Hannibal Review: “Digestivo” (3×07)
In Italian cuisine the digestivo is had last, and its purpose is right there in the name: essentially a nightcap. It’s a small drink used to aid digestion of the meal. “Digestivo” is more a binge than a nightcap, but it does such a beautiful job of synthesizing not just the preceding season, but the entire series, that one would like nothing more than to become intoxicated by it again and again. It is a grand finale, reaching even further operatic heights than “Masumono,” ratcheting up not just the violence and gore, but the psychologically terrifying ways in which that violence is carried out. That the episode after all that should then end on a comparatively quiet flourish is fitting. The meal is done; now, we digest.

For all intents and purposes, “Digestivo” is the final episode of Hannibal proper. The best proof of this is in the title of the next episode, “The Great Red Dragon,” which abandons the culinary titling scheme the series has used thus far. Moreover, the final episodes of the show are effectively a Red Dragon miniseries, and while they will certainly call back to and develop on what we’ve seen so far, expect these episodes to function more as a sequel than as a part of what, with “Digestivo,” has become a pretty tremendous whole.

“Digestivo” operates on two levels. There’s the surface level: the operatic, Grand, Guignol-esque, terrific violence that punctuates the conclusions of the characters’ journeys to date (except, strangely, for Jack, who mainly sits this one out, perhaps having already had his big moment two episodes ago). Then there is the interpersonal level: the emotional stuff that underlies all the bloodspray. Both levels work independently of the other (spectacularly so), but they also intertwine so effectively that neither feels egregious or out of place.

This is a feat because there is plenty here that could be considered, on a lesser show, to be egregious. For instance, Mason Verger stole Margot’s uterus, implanted into it a baby born of his sperm and her eggs, and further implanted the uterus into a surrogate mother he keeps at his farm. That surrogate? Is a pig. And Alana and Margot, upon discovering this, cut the stillborn baby from the very pregnant pig’s womb, in excruciating detail. (And NBC couldn’t market this show!) This is the most horrifying thing that happens in the episode, but not without some tough competition.

After all, “Digestivo” also features their revenge-by-eel upon Mason. And a Face/Off style surgery in which Mason plans to cut off Will’s face and wear it as his own, while he eats Hannibal Lecter. (That Will voices his realization of this in what is basically a joke line is an indication of how twisted these people’s lives have become by this point.)

As I say, this is basically a series finale, and so it’s hard not to view the episode as a laundry list of loose end tying. In a lot of ways, it is just so. But the tying is done so satisfactorily. The knots are just tight enough to provide resolution but are loose enough to give the audience a thirst for more. Fortunately, a taste more is exactly what we get. But with “Digestivo,” I am more at peace than I have yet been with Hannibal’s impending end. In point of fact the show might as well already be over.

After all, what more need be said than what is so artfully depicted in that final scene between Hannibal and Will? Will saves him from Cordell and Mason, and he takes him to his home. Will wakes up, and teacup shatters again, never to come back together. He has what is more or less a literal break-up scene with Hannibal, and Hannibal takes the goodbye just as hard. This is the worst defeat Will can inflict upon Hannibal: to let him go. To not chase him, not find him, not think about him or care about him at all. Not to worry about forgiveness or blame. To let the teacup stay where it is in fragments on the floor.

This is the only way that whatever this thing is between them can end, and it removes, even if for a moment, all of Hannibal’s desire to keep playing the game. Mads Mikkelsen is at his best in this scene, playing a muted, vulnerable Hannibal for perhaps the first time in the series. No longer is there any need, any desire even, to eat Will. The fascination with Will, the love for him, morphs in an instant into a desire to strike back at the one who hurt him. “We are a zero-sum game,” Hannibal puts it so simply. And so he turns himself in to Jack, so that Will may always know where he is and exactly how to find him. Chiyoh has him in her sniper rifle’s sights, but she doesn’t take her shot. For her, Hannibal belongs in a cage, and a cage is where he will stay.

This could be the end. It would be a tremendous end. Even with the Red Dragon arc to come, I have a hard time treating this as anything but a finale to the series. That it is a nearly perfect one is all the better.

Stray Observations:
- Joe Anderson is more than fine as Mason, but he really is missing some of the spark that ignited Michael Pitt’s performance, even as some of his lines are truly delightful: “No. I drink martinis made with tears.”
- Will bites off Cordell’s cheek at Mason’s unbelievably creepy dinner party, and Hannibal looks so very proud of him.
- There’s lots of talk about literal dick eating this week, in terms of subtext becoming text.
- Alana’s arc is still one of the few weak points of the season for me. She releases Hannibal from Verger’s trap with the following explanation: “I was trying to save Will from you, but right now, you’re the only one that can save him.” This, along with her conversation with Will, is the best explanation we can get for her various actions, but they never felt tethered to a theme the way that Hannibal’s, Will’s, or even Bedelia’s similarly nebulous decision-making processes were.
- Is it wrong that Cordell’s recipe for Hannibal’s tongue sounds delicious?
July 23, 2015
How Will ‘Game of Thrones’ Fare at the Emmys?

It’s no secret that Game of Thrones is the biggest and most popular series on television right now. You can’t go to any water cooler in any given office in the United States without hearing something about what happened the previous night on the show. However, will that buzz translate to Emmys?

Season Four of Game of Thrones has been arguably their best season to date. Although much of the buzz can be attributed to the various shocking events that have taken place, it’s also been at the top of its craft in terms of writing, directing, and production. It’s also helpful that actors like Emmy-winner Peter Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Charles Dance, Sophie Turner, Maisie Williams, and Alfie Allen have been at the top of their game (pun intended). Despite losing out to Mad Men in season 1, Homeland in season 2, and Breaking Bad in season 3, the show has been consistently nominated in all categories thus far. They have even accumulated 10 Emmys in total. This season, being their biggest and buzziest is bound to be their most successful at the awards as well.

So, to best understand their standings at the Emmys I am going to go through each category and talk about their chances at nominations and wins.

Creative Awards
This one is going to be a quick one. The show has done well in the creative awards every year. Last year they won two awards (Prosthetic Make-up and Visual Effects) and won six for season two. This year, which was their most extravagant by far, is looking to pick up the key nominations in Picture Editing, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Prosthetic and Non-Prosthetic Make-up, Sound Editing and Mixing, and Art Direction. The question for these categories becomes whether or not it can sneak into Music Composition, especially with the soaring season finale “The Children.”

Guest Actor/Actress
Pedro Pascal charmed fans with his performance as Oberyn Martell, the passionate, great warrior, that makes his way to King’s Landing this season. He arguably became one of the most popular characters this season and offered Pedro Pascal the opportunity to give one of the most memorable performances this season. I think he’s solidly in Guest Actor in a Drama Series, although I think a win is out of the question (he submitted the episode “Mockingbird”) he should still add to the show’s nominations total. As will Diana Rigg for her role as Lady Olenna Tyrell. Although she doesn’t have the fireworks other characters have, she is a veteran actress who was previously nominated for this role.

Directing
The series submitted three episodes for consideration: “The Watchers on the Wall”, “The Laws of Gods and Men”, and “The Children.” Although they haven’t been nominated in this category since their first season, I think that this is probably the best time for them to sneak back into the race. Of the three episodes, “The Watchers on the Wall” is the biggest director showcase and their most likely candidate. However, I have it just slipping in.

Writing
The show had the great strategy last year of just submitting one episode for writing and they did the same this year with the season finale “The Children.” That strategy coupled with the fact they the finale is the best they’ve had so far, I think they have a good chance at another nomination this year.

Actors
With no clear lead, all the actors on the show submit in the supporting races. Their one clear lock is Peter Dinklage, who won an Emmy for the first season of the show. He is also a strong threat to win if he submits “The Laws of Gods and Men.” All he has to do is take down Aaron Paul. The next best contender is Emilia Clarke (Daenerys). She received a nomination last year and despite her lack of a strong episode to submit, she seems relatively safe. However, the wild card is Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister). She has had her best season on the show so far and if voters are paying attention, they will give her a well deserved Emmy nomination. Right now, I have her just missing out. Another wild card, wilder than Cersei, is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. Many Emmy pundits predicted him to be nominated last year, but he was snubbed. Voters could try to make up for that snub with a nomination this year a la Emilia Clarke. I don’t even have him in my predictions, but if he’s nominated I will just bow down.

Drama Series
The show is a virtual lock for the top prize. However, it’s going to be an uphill climb for a win. It’s just the nature of the series. A fantasy, medieval series from the beginning was never going to fare well with the awards. Is there a small sliver of a chance that they do pull off an upset? Yes, but there are too many alternatives this year for them to be too big of a threat.

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June 16, 2014
Hannibal Review: “Dolce” (3×06)
Well. That certainly took an unexpected turn.

As the season (and series) begins to wind down, I imagined “Dolce” to be a sure shot; obviously Hannibal was on the ropes, and Will and Jack would close in on him once and for all, setting the stage for the adaptation proper of Red Dragon that will close out the show. There would be some kinks along the way—what role would Chiyoh ultimately play, for instance? Would Alana and the Vergers aid or hamper the effort?—but ultimately, the resolution was clear cut and in sight. I am both sorry and delighted to realize that I have underestimated this little show that could. Dolce is, of course, the dessert, a sweet course to be eaten before the final drinks and coffee.

HANNIBAL — “Dolce” Episode 306 — Pictured: Tao Okamoto as Chiyoh — (Photo by: Ian Watson/NBC)

“Dolce” is plenty sweet, a reward both to viewers of the series and long-time fans of the source material. Cleverly feinting toward resolution, “Dolce,” instead, pulls a sharp left, repurposing even more of the Hannibal novel and film in the lead up to one of the most batshit, insane final sequences the show has attempted (and yes, I am including the oft-invoked, blood-soaked finale of “Mizumono” in this estimation).

So before we get to Red Dragon, we’ve got Will, Hannibal, and Jack seated at a dinner table, much as Hannibal fantasized earlier. And Hannibal is cutting Will’s head open with a circular saw. We don’t get to see what happens next—one hopes that “Digestivo,” airing this week (about which more below) will fill in some blanks—before Will, Hannibal, and not Jack, are hanging by their feet in Mason Verger’s meat locker.

Thomas Harris’s Hannibal is perhaps the most luridly purple of the Hannibal Lecter works. The novel and film are both somewhat over-the-top; the event ill-suited to the stories being told. That’s not so here. “Dolce” is delightfully, unabashedly weird. Bedelia du Maurier, with whom I am officially obsessed, spends the first half of the episode stitching up Hannibal, while subsequently taunting him—his inevitable capture, his inability to turn her into a meal. And the second half she is doped up on heroin; the better to sell herself as helpless captive to Jack and Will. Early in season two, Bedelia played mind games with Will, too, and Will echoes that chilling whisper back to her here: “I. Don’t. Believe. You.” Gillian Anderson is the MVP of the episode, and it’s exciting to know that Bedelia will be sticking around into the Red Dragon arc.

HANNIBAL — “Dolce” Episode 306 — Pictured: Caroline Dhavernas as Alana Bloom — (Photo by: Ian Watson/NBC)

The best thing about “Dolce” is how it gets so close to the end of the story, waiting until the last second to divert. Will and Hannibal meet. Their faces practically identical in their scars and dried blood. Throughout this season, subtext has become text, and here, the apotheosis. “You and I have begun to blur,“ Will says. “Isn’t that how you found me?” Hannibal replies. Hannibal goes with Will willingly (no pun intended); it’s oddly poetic. This really all has been a game for Hannibal, and Will a worthy adversary. Incarceration is merely the next round; a slightly different set of rules.

But then Chiyoh shoots Will in order to set Hannibal free. It’s one of the hilarious ironies of this last arc. All parties involved want Hannibal defeated, but they each want it done on their own terms. So they end up in competition with each other, while the true enemy slips away, even if just for one more day. The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.

As Hannibal cares for Will, not unlike how Bedelia cared for Hannibal at the episode’s opening, their strange, pseudo-romantic dynamic comes to the forefront. (“Just make out already,” you may or may not have shouted at your screen during this scene.) Of course, Hannibal does to those he loves the same thing he does to those he does not: he eats them. There is a difference in context, in preparation, but these nuances are known only to psychopaths. How do our intrepid heroes, if we can still call them such at this point, get out of this mess? If it’s anything resembling its source material, we’re in for one hell of a “Digestivo.”

Stray Observations
- “How is Chiyoh?” “Oh, she pushed me off a train.” There’s still a buddy-cop sitcom brewing somewhere in here, if we’re looking for ways to save the show from certain doom.
- Evil Alana is oddly similar to Chilton in mannerism and, also, in oddly significant cane-leaning. Intentional? Almost certainly. It also lends further to the episode’s general aura of the bizarre.
- Margot Verger’s new hair is awful.
- Holy suggestive sensuality, Batman. Margot and Alana get it on in a sea of kaleidoscopic vagina imagery. Most importantly, this makes Alana Eskimo buddies with Will—twice over, depending how much you want to read into all that Will/Hannibal subtext.
- As a matter of fact, there are many hazy, murky, fluid images in this episode, and many are drug induced, as though drugs are the only way to make any kind of visual sense of the horrors these people have perpetrated upon each other.
- Hannibal Renewal Watch: Amazon passed, the contracts are up, and, insult to injury, the show will finish its run on Saturdays. It is, sadly, time to retire the Hannibal Renewal Watch. We hardly knew ye.
July 16, 2015
2016 Emmy Predictions: Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Refreshingly, Lead Actress in a Drama Series is the more competitive of the lead categories on the drama side. However, there doesn’t seem to be much movement from last year’s group. Reigning champ Viola Davis (“How to Get Away with Murder”) is sure to return along with last year’s near winner Taraji P. Henson (“Empire”).

After them, Robin Wright (“House of Cards”) will return and could actually win it all this year if she selects the right episode (she’s had a problem with that thus far). “Chapter 49” shows Claire at her most vulnerable and gives her some incredible scenes and a great closing speech that could put her over the edge.

As the “Homeland” Renaissance continues, Claire Danes is assured to return especially after the strong year they had at the Emmys last year.

After these four, the category gets a little more confusing. Tatiana Maslany (“Orphan Black”) finally reaped a nomination last year after two years of being snubbed. I could see her being a one-and-done nominee, but I can also see a scenario where she becomes a perennial nominee in the category. I think she still has some residual support left that’ll help her sneak in, but there is a chance she is snubbed.

The last spot is a little trickier. The smart money would be on two-time winner in this category Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”) returning, especially since this is the show’s last year. However, she has been on shaky ground in this category. She was nominated three years in a row (winning once), then snubbed, then returned and won, and then was snubbed again. Will she really return for an average season of the show? I don’t think she will.
Most people would predict Michelle Dockery (“Downton Abbey”) to return for the show’s final season, but I think that Keri Russell (“The Americans”) will finally get an overdue nomination in the category after three years of snubs. The show was finally nominated in its first major category last year (in writing), which could open the floodgates for more above the line categories (a la “Friday Night Lights”).

Dockery, Kerry Washington (“Scandal”), and Eva Green (“Penny Dreadful”) (mostly wishful thinking) have chances to return as well.

Check out our 2016 Emmy Predictions!

Rankings
1. Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
2. Taraji P Henson, “Empire”
3. Robin Wright, “House of Cards”
4. Claire Danes, “Homeland”
5. Tatiana Maslany, “Orphan Black”
6. Keri Russell, “The Americans”
  ——-
7. Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”
8. Eva Green, “Penny Dreadful”
9. Michelle Dockery, “Downton Abbey”
10. Kerry Washington, “Scandal”
April 4, 2016
2016 Emmy Predictions: Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series is looking to have a major overhaul with an influx of contenders

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series is really the category that I feel is going to be the hardest to predict. There are easily 11 legitimate competitors for the six spots. It’s a wide open category with three of last year’s nominees not eligible this year. I really can’t see a way that there aren’t 7 or 8 nominees in this category with the new rules.

However, there are a few sure-fire candidates. Last year’s winner and four-time consecutive winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”) is sure to return, especially with the shows win in Comedy Series last year. Also assured to return is Amy Schumer (“Inside Amy Schumer”) who probably came thisclose to winning last year. It’s not surprising though considering the Academy tends to be a year or so behind the buzz. That’s why it took Tatiana Malany two years to break through in the Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. So, Schumer’s buzz could come to a head this year and get her the win.

I’m also pretty confident that Ellie Kemper (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”) will have a much easier time getting in this year after being snubbed last year despite the show nabbing four acting nominations.

The last three spots I can see being any arrangement of seven different contenders. However, with “Ghostbusters” and “The Boss” mixed with the fact that it’s the show’s last season, I think Melissa McCarthy (“Mike & Molly”) will probably get a goodbye hug. She seems to be the nominee that they throw in whenever there’s an open spot.

After her, I think that there is going to be some new faces in the category. Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), who won the Globe and Critics Choice earlier this year (not that it matters), has some momentum behind her.

Conventional wisdom (or a sane person) would say that Lily Tomlin (“Grace & Frankie”) would get the nomination. However, I really think that “Black-ish” is going to surprise with a surge of nominations this year. That’s why I think Tracee Ellis Ross is going to make it in over Tomlin, Constance Wu (“Fresh Off the Boat”), and Anna Faris (“Mom”). Though, they could all easily make it in.

Check out all our 2016 Emmy Predictions!

My Predictions:

Rachel Bloom, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”***
Melissa McCarthy, “Mike and Molly”
Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-Ish”
Amy Schumer, “Inside Amy Schumer”

***Predicted Winner

April 19, 2016
2016 Emmy Predictions: Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Lead Actor in a Drama Series is the most unpredictable category at the Emmys this year

Lead Actor in a Drama Series is a wide open category. Two of last year’s nominees, Jon Hamm (Mad Men) and Jeff Daniels (The Newsroom), are ineligible this year and only two seem like locks.

The two actors that are locks for nominations are also the ones that are most competitive for the win. Kevin Spacey (House of Cards) seems to have just missed the win every year he was nominated. But with rivals Bryan Cranston and Jon Hamm out of the way, he has a clear path to finally nabbing the prize. Plus, his portrayal is so acclaimed that it’s just a matter of time before he wins.

However, the one person he has to get through is Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul). Not only has he receive acclaim for his performance, the series is also riding on a strong wave of support. But they have to watch out for one other actor.

Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) is safe to reap a nomination. His series going to come into the Emmys hot and he is coming off nominations at SAG, the Globes, and a win at Critics’ Choice. More than that though, I think he could actually upset the two frontrunners for a win.

After them the category is blow wide open. Though Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan) and Kyle Chandler (Bloodline) are both eligible, their shows haven’t made a hit with audiences or the Emmys. While I think that is going to affect Schreiber, Chandler should still be able to get in on name alone.

That leaves two open spots. Assuming it goes the Friday Night Lights route, I think Matthew Rhys (The Americans) gets in pretty easily. He has been receiving strong and consistent reviews and is an industry favorite. Plus, with his show finally breaking through last year in writing, I think it’s finally time for him to grab a nomination.

The last spot is going to be pretty tricky. A lot of people are predicting Emmy favorites Paul Giamatti and Damien Lewis from Billions. But is anyone really watching that show? While I understand they could get in on name alone, there just doesn’t feel like there’s any support behind them or the show.

A show that I can see being embraced by the Emmys is Hulu’s The Path and its two leads: Aaron Paul and Hugh Dancy. I think Paul is more likely to be nominated, but it all depends on how the Emmys react to the network. If they don’t go with one of them it’s either going to be Bobby Cannavale (Vinyl) or Wagner Moura (Narcos) or Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey). Yes, the race is that open. I’m sticking with Paul for the last spot but this is the most unpredictable category of the year.

Check out my 2016 Emmy Predictions!

My Predictions:

Kyle Chandler (Bloodline)
Rami Malek (Mr. Robot)
Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul)
Aaron Paul (The Path)
Matthew Rhys (The American)
Kevin Spacey (House of Cards)***

***Predicted winner

July 7, 2016
2016 Emmy Predictions: Comedy Series

Newcomers will define the Emmy race for Comedy Series

Comedy Series feels a lot more open than it actually is. While two of last year’s nominees, Louie and Parks and Recreation, are ineligible this year, the other five are returning. However, I think there is room for a lot of movement in the category especially with this new golden age of comedy we seem to be in.

Last year’s winner Veep is locked to return. Despite a slow start to the season, it eventually picked back up to its peak quality. However, a win might be a bit harder to come by. When a show wins later in its run, it’s rare to see it go on a winning streak like shows that win in their first season. For example, Sex and the City and the city won for season three but didn’t win again. Will & Grace won for season two and never won again. Everybody Loves Raymond won for their seventh season, lost the next season, then won for their final season. The Office won for season two, but never won again. Seinfeld won for season four and never won again.

Compare that to Fraiser, 30 Rock, and Modern Family, which all won for their first seasons and went on to go on a winning streak. The first and last of which hold the record for the most wins in this category.

Now, I may be looking too far into this, but I really think there is a pattern here. The reason series win so late in their runs is because they deserve a win for that specific season. Sometimes there’s also the sense that the Emmys already gave them their due after they had to wait.

If Veep doesn’t take it, then I think it’s going to be one of two series that does. The first is Black-ish as I mentioned in my predictions for Drama Series, it’s risky to predict a series that hasn’t been nominated before this high on your predictions, but I think Black-ish is in a unique position. First, it’s a series that features an all minority cast. In this year where diversity has been at the top of discussion that matters. Second, it has had two extremely strong and timely episodes that will be rallied behind in the both the writing and directing categories. Third, with Big Bang Theory snubbed last year multi-cam shows no longer have a representative in the category, blackish could fill that spot. Lastly, Anthony Anderson received a nomination last year. That means that the show is in discussion.

I think in writing this I’ve convinced myself that they could actually win. Well, let’s move on.

The second series that I think could beat Veep is Transparent. After a huge nominations haul last year and two major wins for lead actor and writing, they are in the perfect spot to launch into a series win. However, nominations will be very telling here. If they maintain or gain nominations, then I think they are going to be a threat. If they drop anywhere they should have easily gotten in, then they’re vulnerable.

The next four contenders all have strengths and vulnerabilities. Five-time (bleh) winner Modern Family seems to have one more year in them. After being dropped down to only three major nominations, the show has lost a lot of steam. I really think that there could be a huge shock and they are snubbed. Some pundits are even predicting that already. However, I think they will have one last year left before finally bowing out of the race.

After them a few streaming shows will be competing with an HBO show for the last few spots. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt had a huge nominations year last year, but after its premiere this year it feels like all the buzz fell away. Same goes for Master of None. However, I think both should be safely in because of the names behind them and, for the latter specifically, the strong critical acclaim.

That leaves one last spot. Silicon Valley has proven to be a consistent contender. Despite their success, they haven’t been able to break into the acting races, which is often a prerequisite to winning a series award. They are the most vulnerable in my opinion including Unbreakable.

But I think Hulu’s Casual is in a great place to sneak in. It has a strong name behind it in Jason Reitman and has received strong reviews. Its biggest drawback is that it’s on an untested network. While that was the argument we used for Amazon last year, the series didn’t have the same cultural impact that Transparent had.

If I had to pick, my head would go with Silicon Valley for the last spot. But my gut is telling me that Casual is going to. For the sake of a gutsy pick I’m going with the latter.

Check out my 2016 Emmy Predictions!

My Predictions:

Black-ish***
Casual
Master of None
Modern Family
Transparent
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Veep

***Predicted winner

July 6, 2016
2016 Emmy Predictions: Drama Series

Five of last year’s Emmys’ Drama Series nominees should make it back in. Which one will be left off?

Drama Series is a category that probably won’t have a lot of movement from last year’s line-up. Of course, Mad Men is out of the way which opens up a spot, but barring a huge shock, at least five other nominees from last year should return.

Starting from the top, last year’s winner Game of Thrones is guaranteed to come back following a critically-acclaimed season. A win is also a strong possibility already. There isn’t a single contender that will have a rallying effect similar to the way that Game of Thrones had one last year when Breaking Bad left the race. However, the closest contender is looking to be Better Call Saul.

While Saul doesn’t have the heat that the original series had, it certainly has the critical support behind it. I can see the series going one of two ways. The first option is that it explodes with nominations picking up acting nods (likely in supporting actress, supporting actor, and guest actor) and breaking into the directing race. The other direction is that it receives generally the same nominations as last year and possibly dropping out of writing. If it goes the first route then they are in contention for the win. If it goes that latter, then there chances diminish.

After Saul, the most likely contender is Mr. Robot. I know it’s risky to predict a new show this high on the list. Sometimes it pans out like Homeland and sometimes it doesn’t like [insert show here]. However, the show has kept in the conversation all year with their wins at Critics’ Choice and the Globes. On top of that, the second season has been airing during voting, which renewed the conversation around the show. They’re looking to nab several nominations because of their smart submissions (they only submitted one episode for writing and directing) and cast (Malek and Slater have good chances in their categories). I’m not going to predict them for the win, but after Homeland’s surprise win for their first season there is a new sense that a hot new show is a threat.

Lastly, I think Homeland is pretty soundly in the running. I don’t think they’ll win, but there has been enough critical heft behind the show for it to reap another nomination.

After the top four, the next three become a bit murky. I can see all three easily getting back in, but I can also see any of the three dropping out. The least likely to go in my opinion is Downton Abbey. Despite slowly losing nominations, they’ve consistently been nominated for Drama Series and I doubt they will be dropped in their final season.

If you asked my a few months ago whether House of Cards was going to be nominated, I’d go as far as telling you that I think it could actually win. However, the buzz has completely gone away. Their one saving grace is that despite being dropped from both the writing and directing categories, they still hauled in a healthy number of nominations and two wins last year. Both of which were surprises.

The one show from last year’s line-up that I’m not as confident in saying will come back is Orange is the New Black. After a strong showing two years ago on the comedy side, last year they were cut down to three nominations. Though they did win in supporting actress, Uzo Aduba is such a popular actor that no one should have been surprised by her win. Looking at the possible trajectories, I can’t really see many that includes it in the line-up.

So let’s say Orange misses. Who replaces them?

Some pundits are betting on perennially ignored The Americans to finally make it in after getting a writing nomination last year. However, I think it may a be a bit too early in their rise to get a Drama Series nomination. Assuming they follow the Friday Night Lights trajectory, they should get acting nominations this year before finally getting a series nominations. That’s option one.

Option two is a more left field choice. WGN’s Underground has been critically lauded and is going to get a strong campaign behind it.

Lastly, Empire could make it in this year after being generally ignored last year save for a nomination for Taraji P. Henson. However, the Emmys are often a year behind so that buzz from the show last year may finally push it over the edge.

So, who do I think it will be? I think The Americans will do it. It’s between them and Orange. However, the Emmys rarely go to plan, which is why I think the latter missing is more likely than getting a nearly identical line-up to last year.

Check out my 2016 Emmy Predictions!

My Predictions:

The Americans
Better Call Saul
Downton Abbey
Game of Thrones**
Homeland
House of Cards
Mr. Robot

**Predicted winner

July 5, 2016
2016 Emmy Predictions: Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is going to be easy to predict the nominees, but the winner is going to be harder to guess

I think Supporting Actress in a Drama Series is going to be one of the easier categories to predict. Only one spot is opening up with Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) out and I think the other five are pretty strong to come back.

At the top of that list is Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black). Though I don’t think her show is really going to make an impact on the Emmys this year, Aduba is one element that I think will always hold on. She’s incredibly popular and is a strong representative for the show’s ensemble.

After her, Christine Baranski (The Good Wife) will definitely be back for her final turn in The Good Wife (though she’s coming back for her own show as Diane Lockhart). Further than that though, I think she can finally win. She has a really meaty role this season and it feels so odd to think she leaves the series without a single win.

From this point on we have to mainly piece together last year’s nominees with the potential new openings. I think of the two Game of Throne actresses, Lena Headey (Game of Thrones) is more likely to come back than Emilia Clarke (Games of Thrones). However, I think both are pretty solid to be nominated following the huge buzzed about season they’re coming out of. However, I think Headey had the stronger material this year and last year. This will make her very competitive for the win.

I think the last couple spots are going to be a toss-up between two previous nominees and two newcomers. Dame Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey) was shockingly passed over for her co-star Joanne Froggatt. Though the final season received relatively good reviews, I don’t think that both are getting in. The smart money would be to go with Smith, but there was a reason Froggatt was nominated over Smith. While Smith is legendary, her role is one-note while Froggatt has some difficult dramatic material to tackle. I think she’s in.

So that leaves one last spot to be battles out between Smith and two newcomers. The first, Rhea Seahorn (Better Call Saul) has the power of her show behind her and the potential to be taken along in a nominations sweep. And while she has done great work that she’s being lauded for, Constance Zimmer (unREAL) is really the supporting player in this category that was the true breakout on her show.

Like with the last two spots in the comedy series category, it’s a fight between my head and my gut. My head says go with Seahorn, my gut with Zimmer. Also like comedy series, I’m going with my gut on this one. Plus, with the new ballot shake up, she’s going to be at the top of half the ballots.

Check out my 2016 Emmy Predictions!

My Predictions:

Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black)
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife)***
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)
Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey)
Lena Headey (Game of Thrones)
Constance Zimmer (unREAL)

***Predicted winner

July 9, 2016
Album Review: “Blurryface” – Twenty One Pilots

Get “Blurryface” on vinyl or MP3 download on Amazon!

If you know me, or don’t know me since I’m so vocal about it, you know that twenty one pilots is one of my favorite bands of all time. From their self-released self-titled to “Regional at Best” to “Vessel,” there is really not much they’ve done wrong. However, there is already something clearly wrong with their newest album in 3 years. What I love most about them is their genre defying sound. There’s influences of hip hop, reggae, dance, rap, and rock that feed into the indie pop sound that they carved out with “Vessel.”

There in lies the problem with Blurryface. It isn’t influenced by these genres. Tyler Joseph instead wrote songs for each of the genres and forgot to root it in that indie pop sound that made “Vessel” so fun. Some people have complained about the meaning of their songs and that it’s going away from the mental illness and angst charged lyrics of their previous albums, but my argument in that is that Joseph always wrote about his struggles in his life. This time around it’s about his struggle with his new found fame and success as well as his desire to please the people in his life. The titular “Blurryface” represents his insecurities.

Similarly to “Ode to Sleep” on “Vessel,” “heavydirtysoul” acts as an introduction to the album by simply being the most raw song of the album. It prepares listeners for the quick grabs for the heart and audio assault on their ears. That’s why I found it interesting that they followed it up with the subdued, but standout “Stressed Out,” which brings us the clear theme of the album. It’s about Tyler’s struggle with the fame of the band and the pressure to produce good, but also profitable music.

They follow it up with one of the few songs that follow the formula that brought them so much success in the past. “Ride” is reminiscent of the ukulele driven “Screen” from “Vessel” that felt like the anthem for the band. “Ride” does the same thing, however this time as a love letter to the clique. It combines rap and reggae with their pop sound in what becomes the best song of the first half of the album.

[Tweet “My name’s Blurryface and I care what you think. Check out our review of @twentyonepilots Blurryface”]

The album’s lead single “Fairly Local” (which I reviewed here) quickly dissipates the calming energy of “Ride” as the dark anomaly of the album. I’m pretty sure this is going to be the track that I’m going to skip during listen-throughs. Not because it’s a bad song, but because it simply doesn’t fit in with the album. As much as I talk about the inconsistency of the album, there is still some general arrangement between the first and second half of the album. “Fairly Local” is out of place in that arrangement and feels like a song written as a single, which is ironic considering the song “Lane Boy” has the line, “in the industry it seems to me that singles on the radio are currency / My creativity’s only free when I’m playing shows.” It feels like he’s criticizing the exact thing they just did, which could be brilliant, well-placed irony or a sad inevitable move by their label.

The album’s halves are divided at the second ukulele driven song “The Judge,” which serves as an incredible and emotional transition into a lacking second half. It’s not necessarily a bad run of songs, but the strength of the first half of the album is not matched by the relatively safe second half. It’s also hard to justify a 14 song album when trimming 3 of the weaker songs would easily bolster the album. Those 3 songs would pretty much be the run of songs following the catchy “Doubt” and “Polarize.”

“We Don’t Believe What’s On TV” and “Message Man” sound like Twenty One Pilots knock offs, while “Hometown” is an easily forgettable indie pop entry. However, the album redeems itself with the extremely fun “Not Today,” which easily holds its own with album standouts like “Tear in My Heart,” “The Judge,” “Ride,” and emotional album closer “Goner.”

While the album disappointed in some aspects, the highs help make up for the disappointing lows in the second half. What I love about Twenty One Pilots is that they’re a band that never really does anything right, at least by the music industry standards. They never give in to the pop standards or what the mainstream public is looking for. They put out hard to swallow lyrics matched with erratic music. They wear masks, drum on top of audiences, and are grateful for their fans and understand the reason for their success. They are simply a couple of great guys in an industry that hasn’t been great for a while. Did “Blurryface” live up to the heights of “Vessel”? No. But they stayed true to themselves and that’s all we needed, as much as we needed them. |-/

Get “Blurryface” on vinyl or MP3 download on Amazon!

May 29, 2015
Top 5 Most Anticipated Films Based on Books

This week on What’s Next Wednesday we’re taking a look at 5 films coming out this year that are based on books. I’ve excluded the obvious choices of The Fault in Our Stars and If I Stay since they appear on our Top 10 Most Anticipated Summer Movies of 2014.

5. Wild (Directed by Jean-Marc Valiée | Starring Reese Witherspoon | Release Date: TBD)
Based on “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail” by Cheryl Strayed

I’m thinking of this book as a female version of Into the Wild, which could honestly be something amazing. The book is a memoir about Strayed’s travels on the Pacific Crest trail where she faces physical challenges and makes existential realization following hardships in her life. First of all, I can see this being a vehicle for Reese Witherspoon to potentially pick up her second Oscar nomination. More importantly, I can see this being a heartbreaking and emotional character study about the human spirit. Yeah, I’ll have that. With Nick Hornsby writing the script and Jean-Mark Valiée at the helm, I can see this film being something great.

4. The Maze Runner (Directed by Wes Ball | Starring Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, and Thomas Sangster | Release Date: September 19, 2014)
Based on “The Maze Runner” by James Dashner

Yes, young adult dystopian novels being turned into movies is getting a little old (I’m looking at you The Hunger Games and Divergent), but The Maze Runner has something really going for it. While it maintains the mysterious teenagers in some dire situation motif and involves the main character changing the ways that have been set for years, it has a wholly unique premise involving a mysterious maze that these teens are trapped in, hence the title. I haven’t read the book, but with reviews calling it thrilling and heart-pounding, I can’t wait to see what this movie can do.

3. Unbroken (Directed by Angelina Jolie | Starring Garrett Hedlund, Jai Courtney, and Domhnall Gleeson | Release Date: December 25, 2014)
Based on “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand

Historical World War II drama? Check. Survival in the open sea? Check. Survival in an internment camp? Check. Angelina Jolie? Check. In A Land of Blood and Honey, Jolie’s directorial debut, she was able to prove that she is more than a pretty face. Her control of atmosphere and mood was surprising and refreshing, so when I heard she was directing another film that would require just that type of touch I got excited. Unbroken tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, an olympic athlete who fights in World War II who spent 47 days in the ocean following a plane crash. To make matters worse he is captured by the Japanese and held prisoner for 2 and half years. It also probably doesn’t hurt that the Coen brothers are penning the film. Yeah, I hope it’s as good as it sounds too.

2. Gone Girl (Directed by David Fincher | Starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike | Release Date: October 3, 2014)
Based on “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn

Amy Dunne mysteriously disappears on her and her husband Nick’s fifth wedding anniversary. Simple enough, but Flynn’s book takes us through twists and turns as evidence builds against Nick. The book is particularly successful due to its use of an unreliable narrator which would usually be difficult for a film, but with David Fincher at the helm I can see no wrong being done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OSgeD7k6I0

1. This is Where I Leave You (Directed by Shawn Levy | Starring Jason Bateman, Jane Fonda, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Corey Stoll, Connie Britton, and Rose Byrne | Release Date: September 12, 2014)
Based on “This is Where I Leave You” by Jonathan Tropper

Tropper’s dark comedy is one of my favorite books of all time. Just take the humor of Arrested Development and merge with a disjointed and dysfunctional family sitting shiva in the wake of their father’s death. The result? Hilarity, drama, and whole lot of screaming. The fact that the film is being written by the book’s author, directed by comedy genius Shawn Levy, and starring a host of A-list stars gives this movie the makings of something absolutely great. The book will make you laugh, cry, scream, reevaluate your family dynamics and if the film can do the same, then it is set.

What book to film adaptations are you excited for?

May 7, 2014
BADBADNOTGOOD Album Review: “III”

out of 10

For those of you who like Jazz, I commend you. It’s one of the genres that’s a passing fancy nowadays, dominated only by big, dead names like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk and others. I grew up listening to jazz, it was my first genre I ever really explored and it still remains my absolute favorite type of music. It gets you in the mood, it helps you study, it can be fun, contemplative, and sometimes raunchy if need be. So, no doubt when I heard about BADBADNOTGOOD, a jazz trio from Toronto, I was psyched to see what they offered, not only in terms of listenability, but with what new concepts they brought to change the game. With “BBNG” and “BBNG2”, freeform hip-hop, post-punk, and even Legend of Zelda covers were found within seconds of putting the record on. But as these guys evolved they put their efforts into making some pretty decent original singles, and with that evolution comes “III”.

When “III” starts off, you know that there’s something more mature about the trio to begin with. Their production value has gone from GarageBand to full studio. Their skills in no way have decreased and instead, their experimentation with more instruments, synthesizers, and techniques do well to show progress and still keep some of the old stuff fresh in our heads. “Triangle” sounds like a traditional Monk track in the very beginning and it sort of unravels in snare hits and piano flutters that get darker with every note. “Can’t Stay the Night” does the same, with its dark atmosphere that’s brought up even more by the plucked synth bass that seems to circle around your headphones. “Confessions” is where stuff really picks up, and with Leland Whitty (saxophonist and frequent collaborator), it has this hauntingly beautiful sax motif that just goes through higher minor scales and then the choruses just burst with such sensuality that you wish this was in a love scene. Plus, to really bring in the intimacy, on the parts where it’s just Leland you can hear him just as he’s breathing into the sax which just puts me on edge, AH! So good.

If the first three tracks didn’t get you going and into their original stuff (because believe me, I didn’t like it at first listen until it got to track four), “Kaleidoscope” is going to do it for you. Combining subtle bass, shining electric piano, what sounds like a bassoon coming out of the corner of the room, and horns that these guys hit on the head the VERY. FIRST. TIME. Sounding like something out of an old 90’s courtroom drama, and then everything picks up when the bass starts belting out this 3 minute solo that keeps impressing you no matter how many times you repeat it. “Hedron” is the lead single off of this album and it brings you back to the old-school feel of BBNG with it just being about the piano, bass, and drums that bring you into this hip-hop groove and doesn’t let up when all three start going complete MAD. It may sound smooth at first, but don’t let this track fool you, this is what BBNG should sound like. These are the sounds that made me fall in love with them in the first place.

Despite all of these things though, there might be a couple moments where this doesn’t grip me in the way I wanted them to. Like I said, it takes a couple of tracks to get into with “Kaleidoscope” being the main catalyst to the album. It’s like Breaking Bad, you’ve gotta wait a couple episodes to get into it. “Eyes Closed” seems like it wasn’t even written by BBNG, it sounds like a companion piece of Interpol and Grizzly Bear, and I wasn’t feeling it too much. “Since You Asked Kindly” isn’t a mess, per say, but I would’ve let them do another “Definitely, Still” where it was smoother and more jazz-oriented than this persistent electronic odyssey. And “CS60” is just… weird, combining like 3 different genres into something that kind of ends up a jumbled mess. The string arrangements are nice, and in the first moment where it seems like an experimental 70’s contemporary jazz act like Spyro Gyra are all-around decent, but then it hits like a brick with the trap/hip-hop influence and it doesn’t do a closing song justice. This song doesn’t have the flow that some of the other straight jazz tracks do and it’s just unappealing.

Final Verdict: For their first real collection of original material, BBNG do pull off a decent amount of tricks and enjoyable tracks, but this is no hat trick. I love the first two albums more than this one, but not by much. This shows that the trio is coming into its own and pursuing something wonderful that I don’t want to miss. The World of Jazz is either going to have a legendary band or an underrated gem. Either is fine with me.

May 27, 2014
Will ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ be Wes Anderson’s First Best Picture Nomination?

It’s sad to think that one of the greatest filmmakers of our time has a lowly three Oscar nominations to his name. Wes Anderson has delivered such memorable films as Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Moonrise Kingdom, the latter of which was his most recent chance to win that piece of hardware that Hollywood is so hung up on.

Moonrise Kingdom had an interesting path to its eventual snub at the Academy Awards. The film premiered in competition at Cannes Film Festival that year in May before being released the next week. Upon its release the film earned critical acclaim with many calling it Wes Anderson’s best film and through the summer it seemed like an early contender for Best Picture.

The usual timeframe for Oscar films is October to December. To use the 2013 Oscars as an example, every film nominated for Best Picture was released in this time period except for Beasts of the Southern Wild, which was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and released nationally in June, and the eventual winner for Best Foreign Film Amour, which premiered at Cannes and did not receive a wide release in the US.

So, to determine whether The Grand Budapest Hotel can be nominated purely from the current factors (essentially everything except the other contenders) we can look at these three aforementioned films. Why were Beasts of the Southern Wild and Amour able to obtain nominations and not Moonrise Kingdom?

In my opinion, you have to look at the films themselves. In 2013, there were nine nominees. Under the Academy rules there can be anywhere from 5 to 10 nominees, however for a film to be nominated it has to have at least 5% of the vote. Assuming Django Unchained, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty, and eventual winner Argo were safe, I would say Moonrise Kingdom, The Master, Amour, and Beasts of the Southern Wild were the next contenders. It is no coincidence that all of these films premiered outside the usual Oscar timeframe.

The Master was too divisive. Despite its passionate supporters, there were others who simply didn’t get the movie. I think with its lack of nominations outside those for its actors that it was probably the least likely to get in.

Amour was always a dark horse for me. It was one of my favorite movies of the year and probably the most heartbreaking. However, for most people unaware of the Oscar race it was a shock to see it among the nominees, but it did make sense. First of all, it won the Palme d’Or, which isn’t a guarantee by any means, but it gave it the buzz to get the ball rolling. Second of all, Emmanuelle Riva was receiving raves for her performance and naturally that brings attention to the film. Third, it had the international support. It was the clear frontrunner for Foreign Language Film that year and catered to a very European audience, which I think carried it along. So, let’s say it was 8th that year.

Now, we’re left with Beasts and Moonrise Kingdom. Both films were the two earliest releases among the contenders and both had more or less limited distribution, but the reason I think Beasts of the Southern Wild ended up nabbing that last spot was because of its “cool factor.” Everyone was talking about it, even President Obama and Megan Fox. It was an indie lite movie. Although I thought Moonrise was more accessible, I don’t think enough people understood his world yet.

So, after this rant about the 2013 race, what does this mean for the 2015 Oscars and more specifically The Grand Budapest Hotel. I think as of now it nabs the nomination. It’s going to have two very important factors that I mentioned above: (1)the European flavor and (2)the cool factor. I think that it has become that indie lite choice. It had enough deeper meaning to please film geeks, but enough thrills to sustain a regular cinematic audience.

Does this guarantee it a spot? No. Not by a long shot. We still have the rest of the contenders to consider. However, I think that there are going to be very few films to rival Grand Budapest if it comes down to those last few slots.

May 28, 2014
‘Penny Dreadful’ Review: “Seance” (1×02)

SPOILERS! If you haven’t watched this episode of Penny Dreadful, I highly suggest you stop reading now!

MVP: Eva Green

Penny Dreadful’s second episode titled “Seance” scaled back the scares and focused more on character development and the overall darkness of the series, but there’s no denying that this was one phenomenal hour of television. Everything we thought we knew about the series is ripped from us in literally a matter of seconds as the series continues to be unflinching in its portrayal of the gothic fiction meant to horrify and shock us.

Let me start off by saying that if we didn’t know what was going on before, then we are really in the dark now. The series knows that they have hooked us to what essentially is a basic knowledge of the world, which puts them in a position of power. They can do whatever they want with us and we would buy into it, that’s what made the final shock of the episode so heartbreaking and exciting at the same time.

Just when I was ready to call Victor and his monster Proteus the best couple of the television season, we are deprived of what seemed like one of the more pleasant storylines introduced to us in the Pilot. Much of the episode focused on Victor’s efforts to teach his new monster, who chose the name Proteus, and help him piece together his history before his demise. It was wonderful to watch this relationship between monster and creator develop. Every time we cut to them it was a welcome release from the tensions of the rest of the episode.

Just at the end, when we have thoroughly been duped into loving Frankenstein’s Proteus, especially when he declares he hopes to have as many as ten friends, he is torn into two pieces by a true monster. This monster refers to himself as Frankenstein’s first creation and is closer to the nightmarish creature that we were thinking about when the identity of the doctor was revealed. Now, the question becomes what now? Is the monster responsible for the ripper killings that were referred to in the last episode and the cold open? Will Frankenstein protect his creation?

This storyline was also a welcome indicator for the rest of the series. As confused as we may be right now about the intentions of each character and the direction of each storyline, it revealed to us that this is a show that is unflinching. The writers aren’t afraid to kill off a, however brief, beloved character or show a graphic sex scene with a prostitute with tuberculosis.

One of series’ more intriguing characters, which is saying a lot, is introduced in this episode. The classic story of Dorian Gray is mixed into the darkness that is Penny Dreadful and let me tell you, this is not your Angela Lansbury version. Reeve Carney plays a modernized version of the classic English literature character with apparently the same shaky moral grounds as the Oscar Wilde version, but Carney is able to infuse the character with such charm and sexual energy that he makes you just want to jump in the sack with him.

His storyline begins with a rather racy sex scene with a prostitute suffering from tuberculosis. Despite her spitting up blood, coughing, and wheezing, it seemed Mr. Gray enjoyed himself. He even became more aggressive when she coughed blood onto his face. All the while he had pictures being taken, which would point to him being some recluse, but the next time we see him he is dancing with Vanessa at a party.

The seance mentioned in the title occurs at said party thrown by Lyle. Despite the psychic’s clearly fake possession it seemed that Vanessa was possessed by something much darker. Something that targeted Sir Malcom’s history. The scene was probably one of the best scenes of television in the past year. It was terrifying, powerful, and… well, dreadful. From the entity we learned that Sir Malcolm left his dying son Peter to go on an expedition.

Whatever was possessing Vanessa knew its stuff, but when something more insidious entered her, that’s when things got really interesting. The entity accused Sir Malcolm of lusting over his own daughter saying he she saw him having sex with someone. It was a bit confusing, but the horror of the scene wasn’t lost. It ended with a classic demonic back bend as Vanessa left the party leaving the guests horrified.

Usually the first four episodes of a series are rough. It seems that the writers and directors don’t know what kind of show they’re making, but if this episode is any indication, it is clear that the Penny Dreadful crew is pointed in the right direction. Dread, horror, gore, repeat. That’s the pattern we’re looking at and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

May 30, 2014