With only a week until the Emmy Awards are handed out, critics slowly start to predict who’s going to take home this year’s trophies. According to this article, we now know which episode of “United States of Tara” was submitted for voter’s considerations - “Tornado” – in which all of Tara’s alters come to life. More predictions below.
Why She Got Nominated: Collette won here last year. If the TV Academy votes separately for each of her personalities, that’s a lot of votes. Why She Has To Win: All of them are on display in the episode submitted for consideration that finds her riding out a tornado in a basement. That’s catnip for Academy judges. Moreover, the fact she won last year for a Showtime series helps dispel the assumption that you need to be on HBO to win. This Hollywood insider is seen as the frontrunner to make it two in a row since she’s hugely respected by her peers. Why She Can’t Possibly Win: The best argument against giving it to Collette again is the strength of the work by her Showtime stablemate Edie Falco on Nurse Jackie – showing how far cable has come in these kudofests that the co-favorites both work for a non-HBO pay channel. Moreover, the purposefully showy nature of the role could be a turn-off this 2nd year out.
The Los Angeles Times, Gold Derby
I think that this category is really a showdown between the two Showtime powerhouses — Edie Falco and Toni Collette, both of whom bring a bit more gravitas and “acting” to their roles in comparison with the other four women. Collette won last year, and many might think that her win was a one-time deal, but going by her chosen episode, “Torando,” I think she has a great chance of repeating. Admittedly, her performance is not an overtly “funny” one (and the same thing can be said for Falco), but when she transforms into the new alter ego “Shoshanna,” I was absolutely dazzled by her characterization, accent and the dry humor that that particular character adds to the show. Trust me. Don’t count her out just because the show itself is not the funniest thing on TV.
Collette seems a natural for a second win, but she has two strikes against her: Only one other cable actress has ever won the category (Sarah Jessica Parker, “Sex and the City,” in 2004) and there hasn’t been a repeat winner since 2001 when Patricia Heaton won for “Everybody Loves Raymond.”
