2019 EMMYS: My Predictions In The Major Categories

Here is my predictions post for the 2019 Primetime Emmy awards for excellence in television. Last year, I predicted incorrectly that The Americans would win Best Drama Series over Game of Thrones and that Veep would win Best Comedy series (again). I was wrong about both, but I did get Claire Foy's Lead Actress in a Drama win for The Crown correct. As usual I am following the lead of  Issa Rae and will be "rooting for everybody Black!" Below the SHOULD WIN is who I would vote for her, while the WILL WIN is who I think the Academy will pick.

Outstanding Drama Series

• Better Call Saul
• Bodyguard
• Game of Thrones
• Killing Eve
• Ozark
• Pose
• Succession
• This Is Us

I think Game of Thrones is the clearly best thing on television and even though there were complaints that the 8th and final season was only 6 episodes, they were all amazing. The shows in bold are ones that I was every episode of and the ones not in italics I have seen multiple episodes of, but maybe not the season under consideration. I think the only show which has a chance of dethroning Game of Thrones would be This is Us (which I would be fine with winning). Bodyguard is great, but it is really a Limited Series (from the BBC); it's only 7 episodes long and it was unclear to me that the show was going to do another season. Killing Eve Season 1 was great, but Season 2 should be happy that it got nominated, I have heard great things about Ozark and Succession but I just don't need to watch another show of (predominately) Rich White People Behaving Badly. Pose winning would be absolutely revolutionary.

WILL WIN: Game of Thrones.
SHOULD WIN: Game of Thrones.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

• 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)

Sterling Brown won this category in his first year on the NBC powerhouse This Is Us but this season the story has revolved more around Milo Ventmiglia's character, even though he's dead! I would really like him to win, but I suspect that people will want to take advantage of this being the last year Harington is available for the award and give it to him. It would be incredible if Billy Porter won but I just don't see that happening, although I wish it would.

WILL WIN: Kit Harington, Game of Thrones.
SHOULD WIN: Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us or Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

• 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)

This is an absolutely brutal category. Interestingly, the only repeat nominee from last year is Sandra Oh, who would make history as the first Asian-American actress to win the prize. She does do amazing work on Killing Eve, but so does her co-star Jodie Comer (who is also 20 years younger). Kudos to Mandy Moore getting recognized. I would love for her to win. It's the last chance for Emilia Clarke and Robin Wright for two seminal, powerhouse roles. Viola Davis has won before and was not nominated last year, so she could sneak in.

WILL WIN: Sandra Oh, Killing Eve or Mandy Moore, This Is Us
SHOULD WIN: Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones

Outstanding Comedy Series

• Barry
• Fleabag
• The Good Place
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Russian Doll
• Schitt’s Creek
• Veep

I was shocked last year when The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel won all the major comedy prizes. I have watched a few episodes since and I am still shocked about the result. The husband and I binge watched the entire first two seasons of Fleabag on Amazon Prime and enjoyed it tremendously but to me the clear winner here is The Good Place. Veep is in its last year but it wasn't clear to me that it was critically acclaimed this year. Then again the show has won the Best Comedy the last three years it was eligible so it is very dangerous in its final season. Can it beat the Maisel and Fleabag buzz? Probably.

WILL WIN: Veep.
SHOULD WIN: The Good Place.

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

• 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)

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won the Lead Actress in a Comedy Series 7 times and with a win tonight sh will have the record. Hollywood loves being historic and she is incredibly popular in Hollywood. I don't see how she loses to anyone else in the list, although I would vote for Fleabag's Waller-Bridge. All hail the new hyphenate!

WILL WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
SHOULD WIN: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

• 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)

 Bill Hader won this category last year, when it was arguably stronger, beating out his rivals Danson and Anderson. Barry still gets  alot of 

WILL WIN: Bill Hader, Barry

SHOULD WIN: Ted Danson, The Good Place

GAME OF THRONES (S8E01): "Winterfell"

After a nearly two year hiatus, HBO's Game of Thrones returned with the first episode of the eighth season on Sunday April 14th. This is the final season and will consist of only six episodes. As expected after such a long gap between episodes, ratings were extremely high. The episode (S8E01) is titled "Winterfell" and like a lot of first episodes in previous seasons, it includes a lot of place-setting and character check-ins. However, this first episode of the last season was notable for its mirroring of the first episode of the first season in various aspects.

Here, for completeness are the first episodes of the seven previous seasons of the show

• Season 1: "Winter is Coming" (Characters are introduced; Jaime Lannister pushes Bran Stark out a tower window)
• Season 2: "The North Remembers" (Stannis Barratheon is introduced as another claimant to the Iron Throne while Robb Stark vows revenge for his father's murder by Joffrey)
• Season 3: "Valar Dohaeris" (The title means "all men must serve" and comes after the Season 2 finale of Valar Morghulis which means "all men must die.")
• Season 4: "Two Swords" (Tywin Lannister melts down a Valyrian steel sword to make two swords, 1 for Jaime and 1 for Joffrey)
• Season 5: "The Wars to Come" (Jon Snow, Lord Commander of the Night'sWatch, kills Mance Ryder of the Wildings)
• Season 6: "The Red Woman" (Melissandre is revealed to be more than just a priestess of R'hllor)
• Season 7: "Dragonstone" (Daenerys finally makes it to Westeros, arriving at Dragonstone the ancestral home of House Targaryen kings)

Summary
The episode finds a way to check-in on almost every important surviving character in the series, with almost everyone either located at Winterfell or King's Landing.  In the North we see an insanely long line of soldiers walking past a crowd of skeptical northerners (and a bemused Arya) that includes Grey Worm and  Missandei, Jon and Dany and many, many Unsullied warriors. This, of course, mirrors one of the very first scenes in Episode 1, Season 1 when a young Bran and Arya Stark witnessed the procession of King Robert Barratheon and the Kingsguard on the way into Winterfell to try and convince their father to serve as Hand of the King. We see Gendry and The Hound in the procession as well.

When we get to the interior of Winterfell we see Bran, Sansa, Davos, Varys, Tyrion among other familiars. The first meeting between Sansa and Dany is tense, although the Lady of Winterfell does her duty by saying "Winterfell is yours, your Grace" but she doesn't look like she means it or enjoys it. Another tense meeting between siblings that occurs is between Yara and Theon, who after Euron goes to King's Landing to (successfully) woo Queen Cersei Lannister leaves his ship unprotected and vulnerable to a sneak attack by Theon to rescue his sister, who promptly heads him in the nose and knocks him to the ground when she sees him. (Presumably for running away and leaving her with their psychopathic uncle after he attacked their ship last time we saw them.) There's no physical violence when Sansa and Jon (or when Sansa and Tyrion) meet in the episode, but Sansa has developed the skill of using her words as dangerous weapons and does so to memorable effect in both meetings.

Later, we see the reunion we have been waiting for a long time, Arya and Jon (in the Weirwood, no less) and he realizes that she still has the sword he gave her so many years ago (Needle). "Have you used it much?" he asks, revealing how little he knows about the deadly assassin his sibling has become since he last saw her. We also see a reunion between Arya and Gendry (who is busy working the forges of Winterfell to create deadly weapons out of dragonglass that Dany brought with her from Dragonstone).

Probably the most important scene of the episode was between Sam and Jon (occurring in the crypts of Winterfell). After Sam has discovered that Dany (and her dragons) were responsible for the death of his hated father (and his dickish brother) he asks Jon if he knew that Dany had killed them and would he have done the same thing. (Interestingly, Jon doesn't really answer either question clearly, although his body language seems to indciate that he might have known about the incident). It's in this context that Sam reveals to Jon that the truth that fans have been waiting decades for. Jon Snow isnot a bastard, he is the true heir to the Iron Throne, since he is the son of Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen (who were married at the time). Jon's real name is Aegon Targaryen VI and as the eldest son of the eldest son of King Aegon Targaryen (the Mad King) he has a better claim to the throne than Daenerys as the youngest (female) child of the King. This also means that Dany is also Jon's aunt, which should make their next intimate conversation very interesting!

In the final scene of the episode we see a stranger disembark from a horse in Winterfell and take off his head covering to reveal Jaime Lannister, and then pan out to see Bran Stark sitting in his wheelchair looking straight at him was a great surprise. And then when we see Jaime realize who it is he is looking at (the kid he cruelly threw out of a tower window after discovering he had seem he and his sister together) is a great way to end episode 1. Only 5 episodes left!

Highlights
The highlights of this episode were:

• The best line of the episode is probably Dany's slightly annoyed response to Sansa's question "What do dragons eat?" which was "Anything they want." 
• The second best line is probably Dany's "We're here to discuss your surrender, not ours."
• Most valuable player of the episode is Drogon, the largest of Dany's dragons. The look he gives Jon when Dany is trying to encourage him to "keep [her] warm" is a definite highlight of the episode. I also liked the Dany and Jon ride dragons interlude, although I can also see how some fans of the show might have gotten impatient.
• Reunions between Arya and Jon, Arya and Gendry, Jon and Sam, Tyrion and Sansa and Theon and Yara. 

Lowlights
The only lowlight of the episode was that we didn't actually see any white walkers or the zombie dragon Viserion.

Grade: 8/10.

2018 EMMYS: My Predictions in Major Categories

Here is my predictions post for the 2018 Primetime Emmy awards for excellence in television. Last year, I predicted that This is Us would win Best Drama Series and Veep would win Best Comedy series. I was wrong about Drama (The Handmaid's Tale won instead) and correct about Comedy (Veep won for the third year in a row). This year, as Issa Rae says, "I'm rooting for everybody Black!"

Outstanding Drama Series
The Americans
The Crown
Game of Thrones
The Handmaid’s Tale
Stranger Things
This Is Us
Westworld

I think Game of Thrones is the best thing on television (it is easily the most popular show in the world) but I think the fact that this was the final season for The Americans will convince Emmy winners to finally reward it, although that has not been a convincing argument for past heavy hitters like Mad Men and Breaking Bad.
WILL WIN: The Americans
SHOULD WIN: Game of Thrones

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Ed Harris, Westworld
Matthew Rhys, The Americans
Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us
Jeffrey Wright, Westworld

Sterling Brown won this category last year and his work on the NBC powerhouse This Is Us has only grown more poignant, not less. But its his co-star (with whom he can never have any scenes with because they are in different time periods on the show) that is the heart of the show.
WILL WIN: Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
SHOULD WIN: Milo Ventimiglia, This Is Us

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Claire Foy, The Crown
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Keri Russell, The Americans
Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld
Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black

Last year Elizabeth Moss won this award and the year before that it was Tatiana Maslany. It's hard to root against Evan Rachel Wood's work as Dolores on Westworld but I thinkn Claire Foy is the main reason why The Crown works so well. I don't really understand all the love for Killing Eve. I think the show is deeply flawed but grudgingly agree that Sandra Oh is incredible on it. I've never seen a single episode of The Americans but I know LOTS of people love it, and this is Keri Russell's last shot.

WILL WIN: Sandra Oh, Killing Eve or Keri Russell, The Americans
SHOULD WIN: Claire Foy, The Crown

Outstanding Comedy Series
Atlanta
Barry
Black-ish
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Glow
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Silicon Valley

It's pretty amazing there's only one network show in the bunch (Black-ish) while Modern Family is absent after winning continuously for 4 years in a row. The absence of Veep means other shows have a chance to shine and the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel from Amazon Prime has the biggest buzz. But if Atlanta doesn't win we should riot! (Kidding, sorta.)

WILL WIN: Atlanta.
SHOULD WIN: Atlanta.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
William H. Macy, Shameless
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm

Ted Danson is a revelation on The Good Place but Glover won this award last year and there's no good reason why he wouldn't win it again. Hader has a lot of buzz for HBO's Barry but does anyone watch that show?
WILL WIN: Donald Glover, Atlanta
SHOULD WIN: Ted Danson, The Good Place

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Pamelon Adlon, Better Things
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Allison Janney, Mom
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

Pretty sure Allison Janneyw on this award last year (didn't she win all the awards last year?) but it would be amazing if either Tracee Ellis Ross or Issa Rae could win this award becoming just the second Black woman to  do so almost 40 years after Isabel Sandford for Good Times.
WILL WIN: Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
SHOULD WIN: Issa Rae, Insecure or Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish

2017 EMMYS: My Predictions in Major Categories

The Primetime Emmy awards will be given out tonight in Los Angeles. The show will be aired live on CBS at 5pm PDT/8pm EDT. This is the post where I discuss my predictions in the most prestigious categories. The one that I would vote for is in blue and the one I think will win is in red.

Outstanding drama series

• “The Crown” (Netflix)
• “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
• “Westworld” (HBO)
• “Stranger Things” (Netflix)
• “This Is Us” (NBC)
• “Better Call Saul” (AMC)
• “House of Cards” (Netflix)

This is the first season of Westworld, The Crown, This Is Us, Stranger Things and The Handmaid's Tale.  I have watched all of these shows but I am a season behind  Better Call Saul and House of Cards. To me, the show that had the most impact on my emotionally was The Handmaid's Tale, despite the fact that it is almost impossible to get through an episode of This Is Us without weeping. The most creative of the shows on this list is Stranger Things while The Crown is the guiltiest pleasure. The show I am most looking forward to seeing the next season of is Westworld. What I'm trying to say is that basically every show on this list has a good reason to win.

SHOULD WIN: The Handmaid's Tale.
WILL WIN: This Is Us.

Outstanding lead actor in a drama series

• Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us” (NBC)
• Matthew Rhys, “The Americans” (FX)
• Kevin Spacey, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
• Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan” (Showtime)
• Anthony Hopkins, “Westworld” (HBO)
• Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us” (NBC)
• Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul” (AMC)

Milo Ventimiglia has garnered most of the attention of the actors on This Is Us but Sterling Brown is the character that I most identify with (he plays a nerdy Black guy adopted by white parents whose primary story arc on the show involves his connection with his birth father.

SHOULD WIN: Sterling K. Brown.
WILL WIN: Sterling K. Brown.

Outstanding lead actress in a drama series

• Claire Foy, “The Crown” (Netflix)
• Keri Russell, “The Americans” (FX)
• Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale” (Hulu)
• Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder” (ABC)
• Robin Wright, “House of Cards” (Netflix)
• Evan Rachel Wood, “Westworld” (HBO)

Last year, Tatiana Masliany won for her amazing portrayal of multiple clones on Orphan Black. This year Claire Foy has been getting plaudits for playing Queen Elizabeth. Oscar winner Viola Davis won this category 2 years ago.  Robin Wright has been nominated for every season of House of Cards and has never won.

SHOULD WIN: Elisabeth Moss.
WILL WIN: Viola Davis.

Outstanding comedy series

• “Black-ish” (ABC)
• “Atlanta” (FX)
• “Veep” (HBO)
• “Master of None” (Netflix)
• “Silicon Valley” (HBO)
• “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
• “Modern Family” (ABC)

The nominees in this category are Atlanta and Master of None, two comedies helmed by two comedians of color, Donald Glover and Aziz Ansari. I have never seen an episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt but I know that Tina Fey is an executive producer and people rave about it. I have seen Veep, Silicon Valley, Black-ish and Modern Family but have not seen all of the latest season of each of these shows. Veep ended the dominance of Modern Family last year and  is expected to do so again. I have been watching episodes of Black-ish on flights and have gained grudging respect for the show.

SHOULD WIN: Black-ish.

WILL WIN: Veep.

Outstanding lead actor in a comedy series  

• Donald Glover, “Atlanta” (FX)
• Anthony Anderson, “Blackish” (ABC)
• Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent” (Amazon)
• Aziz Ansari, “Master of None” (Netflix)
• William H. Macy, “Shameless” (Showtime)
• Zach Galifianakis, “Baskets” (FX)

SHOULD WIN: Donald Glover.

WILL WIN: Jeffrey Tambor.

Outstanding lead actress in a comedy series

• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep” (HBO)
• Tracee Ellis Ross, “Black-ish” (ABC)
• Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie” (Netflix)
• Jane Fonda, “Grace and Frankie” (Netflix)
• Ellie Kemper, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
• Allison Janney, “Mom” (CBS)
• Pamela Adlon, “Better Things” (FX)

SHOULD WIN: Tracee Ellis Ross.

WILL WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Outstanding limited series

• “The Night Of” (HBO)
• “Big Little Lies” (HBO)
• “Fargo” (FX)
• “Feud: Bette and Joan” (FX)
• “Genius” (National Geographic)

I quite enjoyed watching The Night Of  last fall and Riz Ahmed and John Turturro were riveting. But Big Little Lies was quite compelling and fascinating to watch Oscar-calibre performances from Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern and Shailene Woodley. Fargo's 3rd season was well below the extremely high level set by the first two seasons.

SHOULD WIN: The Night Of.

WILL WIN: Big Little Lies.

GAME OF THRONES: (S6E08) "No One"

Episode 8 of Season 6 (S6E04) of HBO's Game Of Thrones is titled "No One." This is clearly a reference to Arya and her attempts to join the guild of Faceless Men assassins in Braavos and become "no one" and give up her identity as a member of one of the key families in Westeros. But it is also a reference to identity and class, because in A Song of Ice and Fire, one's status in society is directly related to one's name, and so someone who is "No One" has no status, and if someone loses status (like Cersei has by losing her title of Queen, Queen Mother and Regent) then those people are being treated as "no one." And one of the key plot points is who gets to decide who has status and who does not, i.e. deciding who will become "no one."

Summary
One of the main themes of this episode was about honor and how people's sense of honor complicates their understanding of what "the right thing to do is." The Blackfish can't see past his sense of honor to survive the siege of Riverrun and escape with Brienne and would rather have an "honorable death" instead of helping his niece's daughter, Sansa regain her household home.

Catelyn Stark's brother, Lord Edmure Tully decides that it is better to surrender his ancestral home of Riverrun to the Lannister-Frey army and trust Jaime Lannister's honorable word that his wife and heir will not be harmed.

In King's Landing, the political intrigues continue with Cersei's son, King Tommen Barratheon outlawing trial by combat, which is the one thing that she was counting on saving her life in any trial that will be called by the High Septon to account for her crimes against the Faith. She has the reanimated Ser Gregor Clegane (The Mountain) to fight as her champion who can defeat any man in one-on-one combat, so the Septon outmaneuvers her to have the practice of trial by combat abolished by the King.

Meanwhile, Sandor Clegane is reunited with the Brotherhood without Banners, and he gets to see the murderous ruffians who slaughtered his friends in the previous episode "The Broken Man" (S6E07).
But he find out about "the real fight" against the white walkers from the North.

Back in Braavos, we finally get a showdown between the Waif and the Arya which turns into a thrilling Hollywood chase reminiscent of Jason Bourne. With corresponding Hollywood ending.

Highlights
The highlights of this episode were:

• The best line of the episode went to Jaime Lannister, "The things we do for love" (which is  also what he had previously said way back in Season 1, Episode 1 when he kicked Brandon Stark off the ledge at Winterfell)
• There were several other contenders for best line in this week's episode, starting with Cersei Lannister's "I choose violence," to Tyrion Lannister's "Most famous dwarf in the world" (line said to Varys), Bronn's "Do you think they're f***ing?" to Podrick Payne (talking about Brienne and Jaime) and Arya's "A girl is Arya Stark of Winterfell and I'm going home!" 
• The most exciting moment of the episode was when Arya blew out the candle in her hovel as she faced the Waif, and you immediately realized that despite the fact that she was bruised, bleeding and battered, she had turned the tables and would probably be the one girl walking out of their encounter alive, which is not what we would have expected to happen just a few second before. 
• The second most exciting moment in the episode was the timely return of Daenerys to Mereen, just as the slavemasters of Essos have decided to burn the city down in spite of the pact they made with Tyrion to end hostilities over Daenery's abolition of slavery.

Lowlights
The parts of the episode I could have done without:

• Did we really need to se The Hound hack down four other people, replete with split heads and dripping human entrails?
• 
  

Grade: 9/10.

THE EXPANSE (S1E07): "Windmills"

The seventh episode of Season 1 of The Expanse is called "Windmills." It first aired on January 19, 2016. I saw it on my DVR a few days later.  Here (finally!) is my reviews of this episodes.

S1E07: Windmills.

The title of the episode is clearly another reference to Don Quixote ("tilting at windmills") and one of the primary sequences in the episode involves finding out more about James Holden's homelife (directly from one of his eight(!) parents, including his birth mother, played by Frances Fisher). Avarasala goes to the farming collective in Montana where Holden was raised to see if she can suss out whether Holden is the intentional source of the political instabilities which appear to be inexorably pushing Mars and Earth towards a war in space. She decides that he is not, but when she informs her boss Errinwright of this, he tells her that he has already approved a black ops team to assassinate Holden as soon as he reaches Eros. 

Back on the Rocinante the crew discovers a stowaway (who happens to be the spy who is giving Errinwright his information about the whereabouts and future destination of Holden and company) and there are several tense moments as Holden and the crew have to decide whether they are the kind of people who toss people out into the vacuum "just to be safe." Happily, they are not, and the spy repays their trust by helping them figure out how to get out a jam when they are able to (barely) avoid being boarded by a Martian Congressional Republic Navy (MCRN) ship and expose Rocinante's status as a former MCRN vessel.

Meanwhile on Ceres, Miller makes his move, deciding to cash in his chips (literally) as he takes what may be years of ill-gotten gains and bribes as a morally flexible law enforcement official to buy a ticket to Eros. A buddy tells his that even though there's no sign of Julie Mao's ship, a shuttle from the ship that ran into her ship, the Anubis is currently at Eros, so Miller takes the plunge.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The sequence on the Rocinante when the MCRN is approaching and they have to figure out the key words ("Donkey balls!") was amusing and thrilling simultaneously
• There are actual windmills out on Holden's homestead in Montana and they are quite visually compelling

LOWLIGHTS

• The farewell scene with Miller and his ex(partner? girlfriend?) didn't work as well as it should have. They never seemed to have much chemistry, so even though she saved his life this season it's not that surprising he rebuffs her request to go with him to Eros.

GRADE: 8/10.

WOO HOO! The Expanse Renewed For 13-Episode Season 2 To Air in 2017

Excellent news! Syfy announced today that they have renewed The Expanse with a 13-episode order for Season 2, that will begin airing in 2017. The Expanse is based on the best-selling series of science fiction space opera books written by James S.A. Corey. The first four episodes of the 10-episode first season have aired so far, and are available for free online. The next new episode ("Back to the Butcher") will air on Tuesday January 5 at 10pm PST.

The Expanse First FOUR Episodes Available Free At SyFy.Com!

I am crazy busy this week with grades being submitted and a quick trip to the East Coast but I must pause for a minute to let you know that The Expanse, the SyFy television show adapted from my favorite space opera series written by James S.A. Corey premiered on Monday and Tuesday. But there's even better news! The first FOUR episodes (of the 10-episode first season based on the events in the first book Leviathan Wakes) are available for free at SyFy.com! Go watch them and let me know what you think via Twitter @maprofessah.

New Poster For SyFy's The Expanse!

The Expanse is expected to be my favorite television show of the 2015-16 season when it debuts on SyFy on back-to-back nights December 14-15 (just three days before Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens debuts!)

The series is based on the books of the same name written by James S.A. Corey. As the premiere date approaches buzz for the show increases, and a new poster for the show is available excusively on io9.com.

Get excited!

2015 EMMYS: My Predictions & Preferences For The Top 10 Categories

The 2015 Primtime Emmy awards (for achievement in television) are tonight starting at 5pm PDT (8pm EDT). Here are my picks for tonight's winners in the biggest categories.

Drama series 

"Game of Thrones"
"Mad Men"
"Downton Abbey"
"Orange Is the New Black"
"Homeland"
"House of Cards"
"Better Call Saul"

This is the biggest category of the night. My favorite show is Game of Thrones on HBO and the show garnered the most nominations of any television show this year. It has already won eight emmys this year (in the technical categories, called the creative arts). It has another 7 Emmy nominations in 6 categories.

SHOULD WIN: "Game of Thrones"
WILL WIN: "Game of Thrones"

Comedy series 

"Louie"
"Modern Family"
"Transparent"
"Silicon Valley"
"Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
"Veep"
"Parks and Recreation"

Modern Family has won this category for the last five years, tying Frasier. Some people believe that its sixth season was a dip in quality (something I would dispute) and just think it is time for another show to be honored. However, Veep has been steadily gaining traction while Transparent has been getting the most buzz of any new show powered by its focus on trans issues and transformative performance by Jeffrey Tambor.

SHOULD WIN: "Modern Family"
WILL WIN: "Veep"

Actress in a drama 

Taraji P. Henson, "Empire"
Viola Davis, "How to Get Away With Murder"
Robin Wright, "House of Cards"
Elisabeth Moss, "Mad Men"
Claire Danes, "Homeland"
Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black"

 This is the toughest category of the night. There are at least another six women who could have (and maybe should have) been nominated. Last year's winner, Juliana Margulies for The Good Wife didn't even get nominated and one could argue that she did better work this season than last season. The big story is that there are two women of color being nominated here, with a surprise snub of Scandal's Kerry Washington. In my opinion an even bigger story is finally the recognition of Tatiana Maslany for her bravura performance as eight(!) different clones on Orphan Black which I have started watching and think is amazing. I have never seen Mad Men and even though I still watch Homeland even its biggest fans would have to admit that Danes' nomination is a nostalgic one.  I haven't seen Empire but I understand that it is a huge hit (basically a prime-time soap opera in the vein of Dallas or Dynasty but with a largely African-American cast and the inclusion of music and musical celebrities.) It should be noted (with disgust!) that in the history of the Emmys there have only been 10 African-American winners. Ever. Voters will be hard-pressed to not cast a historic vote in this category.

SHOULD WIN: Tatiana Maslany, "Orphan Black" or Robin Wright, "House of Cards"
WILL WIN: Viola Davis, "How to Get Away With Murder" or Taraji P. Henson, "Empire"

Actor in a drama 

Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul"
Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"
Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards"
Jeff Daniels, "The Newsroom"
Kyle Chandler, "Bloodline"
Liev Schreiber, "Ray Donovan"

Many people are hoping and hoping that Jon Hamm will finally win an Emmy for his portrayal of Don Draper on Mad Men which since it has concluded would be his last opportunity to do so. However, he is up against two previous winners (Kevin Spacey and Jeff Daniels). Bryan Cranston dominated this category for the entire run of Breaking Bad but since his last win last year it should be Hamm's race to lose. I only watch House of Cards and Better Call Saul and in my opinion either of the two leads there are deserving of a win.

SHOULD WIN: Kevin Spacey, "House of Cards" or Bob Odenkirk, "Better Call Saul"
WILL WIN: Jon Hamm, "Mad Men"

Actress in a comedy 

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
Amy Poehler, "Parks and Recreation"
Lily Tomlin, "Grace and Frankie"
Edie Falco, "Nurse Jackie"
Amy Schumer, "Inside Amy Schumer"
Lisa Kudrow, "Comeback"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won three years in a row for the first three seasons of Veep and now that she is the President the show has gotten even better. Both of the Amy's would probably be more popular winners but I doubt either one of them has the broad level of audience support to stop Louis-Dreyfus winning her 6th Emmy award.

SHOULD WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
WILL WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"

Actor in a comedyAnthony Anderson, "black-ish"
Matt Leblanc, "Episodes"
Don Cheadle, "House of Lies"
Louis C.K., "Louie"
William H. Macy, "Shameless"
Will Forte, "Last Man on Earth"
Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"

If Jeffrey Tambor doesn't win this category there will be rioting in downtown Los Angeles like they showed on Fear The Walking Dead last week!


SHOULD WIN: Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"

WILL WIN: Jeffrey Tambor, "Transparent"


Julia Louis-Dreyfus has won three years in a row for the first three seasons of Veep and now that she is the President the show has gotten even better. Both of the Amy's would probably be more popular winners but I doubt either one of them has the broad level of audience support to stop Louis-Dreyfus winning her 6th Emmy award.

SHOULD WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"
WILL WIN: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, "Veep"

SUPPORTING ACTOR, DRAMA 

Jonathan Banks, "Better Call Saul"
Ben Mendelsohn, "Bloodline"
Jim Carter, "Downton Abbey"
Peter Dinklage, "Game of Thrones"
Michael Kelly, "House of Cards"
Alan Cumming, "The Good Wife"

I would love to see Peter Dinklage win another Emmy for his key role as Tyrion Lannister on Game of Thrones but really of the shows that I have seen I would have to vote for Jonathan Banks who is also beloved for his role on Breaking Bad and who will be a popular choice.

SHOULD WIN: Jonathan Banks, "Better Call Saul"
WILL WIN: Jonathan Banks, "Better Call Saul"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS, DRAMA 

Joanne Froggatt, "Downton Abbey"
Lena Headey, "Game of Thrones"
Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones"
Christina Hendricks, "Mad Men"
Uzo Aduba, "Orange Is the New Black"
Christine Baranski, "The Good Wife"

What is it about the drama actress categories that makes them so tough? Christine Baranski is doing amazing work on The Good Wife  that should be recognized by more than just a nomination. Uzo Uduba is the only member of the huge cast of Orange is the New Black who has (somewhat inexplicably) been singled out for recognition. This is her second Emmy nomination and she won an Emmy for her role as Crazy Eyes in the Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series last year. However, I think both Lena Headey and Emilia Clarke has been doing incredible work on Game of Thrones for five seasons and they are both overdue for awards recognition. Of course the same could be said for any of the great actresses on The Walking Dead (Danai Gurari as Michonne or Melissa McBride as Carol) have been robbed!

SHOULD WIN: Emilia Clarke, "Game of Thrones"
WILL WIN: Lena Headey, "Game of Thrones"

SUPPORTING ACTOR, COMEDY 

Andre Braugher, "Brooklyn Nine-Nine"
Adam Driver, "Girls"
Keegan-Michael Key, "Key & Peele"
Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
Tituss Burgess, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Tony Hale, "Veep" 

Usually there are multiple members of the supporting cast of Modern Family here, although I think most people would agree that Ty Burrell is the glue that ties the show together. I have not seen Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt but I am a huge fan of Tina Fey's work (I understand that she is the creator and writer of that Netflix-based show) and would be happy to see Burgess (playing an openly gay character) win. Tony Hale was a surprise winner two years ago for Veep (one of the key aspects of that show is the chemistry between Louis-Dreyfus and Hale) but Burrell has already won two Emmys for his role on Modern Family. It's sorta bizarre that only one half of the Key & Peele comedy duo was nominated, but anytime a non-white person gets nominated it has to be considered something of a victory for diversity in this day and age.

SHOULD WIN: Ty Burrell, "Modern Family"
WILL WIN: Tituss Burgess, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY 

Niecy Nash, "Getting On"
Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"
Allison Janney, "Mom"
Kate McKinnon, "Saturday Night Live"
Mayim Bialik, "The Big Bang Theory"
Gaby Hoffman, "Transparent"
Jane Krakowski, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
Anna Chlumsky, "Veep 

Again one of the toughest categories involves women, even though it contains a super-sized eight nominees. Mayim Bialik has been doing breakout work on television's highest-rated comedy series The Big Bang Theory but the fact that Jim Parsons was not even nominated this year is a huge surprise (and puzzling result) that does not bode well for her chances in this category.  Julie Bowen is the comic foil to Ty Burrell as the main "mom" on Modern Family and has won twice before (2011 and 2012). Many people think that Allison Janney's work on Mom is exemplary but I have never seen the show so I can't really argue with that. Janney has a slew of Emmys (four for The West Wing but she also won last year for Mom and for her guest appearance in Masters of Sex).

SHOULD WIN: Mayim Bialik, "The Big Bang Theory"
WILL WIN: Julie Bowen, "Modern Family"

CELEBRITY FRIDAY: Cast Picture and New Trailer from SyFy's The Expanse

As ComicCon is happening this week SyFy is using this occasion to ramp up promotion for the new television show called The Expanse based on the series of books by author James S.A. Corey debuting on the cable network this December. At the top of this post is a picture of the cast representing the crew of the Rocinante: (from left to right) Dominique Tipper as Naomi Nagata, Wes Chatham as Amos Burton, Steven Strait as James Holden,  and Cas Anvar as Alex Kamal.

In addition to this cast photo, the show also revealed a kick-ass new trailer hosted exclusively at Entertainment Weekly.

UPDATE: The Expanse Is Premiering On SyFy In December 2015!

I found other rabid fans of James S.A. Corey's books at Reddit and from there discovered that there's a second version of the trailer for the upcoming SyFy television adaptation and someone has grabbed  a bunch of screen captures from it.

Check it out! There are signs that SyFy has already approved Season 2 of the series even before the show has premiered. If true, this would be great news, although I'm a bit worried about the December premiere for the show. The big question for me will be whether The Expanse will premiere from the other big Science fiction show coming you this year, Jonathan Nolan's Westworld starring Sir Anthony Hopkins among others. Either SyFy is just trying to stick to their promised (and probably contractual 2015 premiere date and trying to take as long as possible to get it right, or they are not completely sure abut the show and have picked a time when most people are not paying attention to launch My Next Favorite Television Show.

The Expanse cast has Shohreh Agdashloo, Steven Strait, Thomas Jane and Chad Coleman in key roles.

1 Week Until Season 5 of Game Of Thrones!

Season 5 of Game of Thrones starts next week, at 9pm EDT on HBO. The titles of the first seven (of ten) episodes have been revealed:

1. The Wars To Come
2. The House of Black and White
3. High Sparrow
4. The Sons of The Harpy
5. Kill The Boy
6. Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
7. The Gift

As we have been doing in Season 3 and Season 4, we will blog our reactions to every episode of Season 5 before the next one airs. This is an exciting season for Game of Thrones fans like yours truly because the story will almost certainly advance past what has currently been revealed in the source material of the books written by George R.R. Martin. Season 5 will cover material that appears in A Feast for Crows (widely regarded as the worst book of A Song Of Ice and Fire) and A Dance With Dragons (the most recently published book which generally received mixed reviews from fans for expanding instead of resolving story lines). The issue is that these two books cover the same period of time in the story but only some characters appear in each book. Obviously, the television series has to move the story forward with all the character simultaneously.

The Walking Dead Season 5 Finale Tonight!

The fifth season of AMC's The Walking Dead comes to an end today at 9pm with a 90-minute finale. The television series about the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse  based on Robert Kirkman's long-running graphic novel series is cable television's highest rated show. I'm still verklempt that they killed off Noah (the young Black guy) who they had barely introduced earlier this season! Combined with the departure of Tyrese and Bob and the mental breakdown of Sasha the zombie apocalypse appears to be rough on Black people. Well at least we still have Michonne. If Michonne goes, I stop watching the show immediately. There are rumors that there will be some castmembers being killed off in the Season 5 finale;  this would not be surprising because the cast of characters has become almost unwieldy in its size.

There are some "show-enders" for me, starting with Michonne. I would probably still watch the show without Carol or Rick. I'm not sure I would watch the show without Darryl or Glenn in it. I hope I don't have to find out!

Here's a sneak peek of tonight's episode:


What do you think will happen?

Doh! HBO Cancels Gay Drama Looking After 2 Seasons

I just watched the finale of Season 2 of Looking with the Other Half last night and both of us were quite impressed. It was probably the best episode of the show in its 18-episode history.

Sadly, today comes word that HBO has cancelled the show and decided that there will be no more episodes of Looking, although there will be a final movie:

Looking was never a strong ratings performer. Last year, HBO executives proceeded with a second season renewal encouraged by the attention the show was getting in the cultural conversation and by its week-to-week ratings growth. Unfortunately, the second season couldn’t build on that, falling from the Season 1 highs and drawing 300,000 viewers for its last episode.

Hat/tip to Joe Jervis

WATCH: Trailer 2 of Game of Thrones Season 5 is Out!

When HBO announced HBO Now (it's new cable-free streaming service billed at $14.99 per month), it also premiered the second trailer for Season 5 of Game of Thrones, which will be available everywhere starting April 12, 2015. HBO will apparently air the show live worldwide keyed to the 9pm EDT time. However, this will not be the case in the United Kingdom, whose residents will also not get access to HBO Now for some reason. It's unclear whether we in California will be able to see the show at 6pm PDT or have to wait until 9pm PDT (that has currently been the practice).


Hat/tip to Winter Is Coming

Better Call Saul (Breaking Bad spin-off) Debuts Tonight!

Since the Super Bowl is over, television is returning to original programming and tonight is the debut of Better Call Saul, the spin-off from Breaking Bad starring Bob Odenkirk's character, the morally challenged lawyer Saul Goodman. The first (ever) episode airs tonight and then the second one airs tomorrow.

I never saw the original Breaking Bad on television, instead The Other Half and I streamed the entire 5 seasons on Netflix. But I am excited to see if Better Call Saul can match Breaking Bad in its brilliance.

Also returning with new episodes tonight is The Walking Dead, which is television's most-watched drama, and will serve as the lead-in to Better Call Saul. Both air on AMC.