2014 Emmy predictions and picks

The Emmys are coming up again. Lots of big contenders, both new and old. Should be interesting to see what makes the cut.
a "2% rule" has been adopted in the comedy and drama series categories, wherein, a seventh nominee could be added to the respective categories if its total first-round votes are within 2% of the sixth place series. As a result, I'm including a 7th choice with my picks.

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

1. Aaron Paul- Breaking Bad
Aaron Paul has already won two Emmys for his work on Breaking Bad, but in the final season he took the series in an interesting direction that will almost definitely get him a nomination and probably emmy win #3.

2. Peter Dinklage- Game of Thrones
Peter Dinklage has 3 Emmy nominations for the 3 previous seasons in Game of Thrones and there's no reason to assume that this season will be different with numerous powerful and memorable scenes to remember.

3. Dean Norris- Breaking Bad
Dean Norris has never been nominated for his role on Breaking Bad, but his performance in the final season took his character to new depths previously unseen and the Emmys have given Breaking Bad two Emmy nominations in this category before.

4. Jon Voight- Ray Donovan

With a Golden Globe win already, Jon Voight seems like a probable nominee. The Emmys tend to find at least one slot to appreciate a new show and I think Voight's performance in Ray Donovan will fill the slot in this category. It's still a shame Ann Biderman's previous show, Southland, never garnered any Emmy nominations for its amazing performances, particularly that of Michael Cudlitz.

5. Josh Charles- The Good Wife
Charles has one previous nomination for The Good Wife, but most people here seem to agree that this season was especially notable for his character.

6. Mandy Patinkin- Homeland
Most people seem to agree that season 3 of Homeland was weaker than its predecessors, but the show already has so much Emmy love that I think they'll squeeze nominations in anyways.

7. Jeffrey Wright- Boardwalk Empire
Last year, new cast member Bobby Cannavale won an Emmy on Boardwalk Empire. Could it be Jeffrey Wright this year? Dr. Narcisse is certainly a fascinating character, with complex motivations and a personality far different from basically any character on tv.

8. John Slattery- Mad Men
Slattery received 4 nominations for the first 4 seasons of Mad Men, then was snubbed for seasons 5 and 6. Season 7 seems to be leaning towards being snubbed, but his performance in the episode "The Monolith" could potentially score him a fifth nomination.

9. Noah Emmerich- The Americans
I had predicted Noah Emmerich to get an Emmy nomination last year and was disappointed when I was wrong because its a deserving performance. That said, in spite of the rave reviews The Americans is still receiving, his hype seems to be less than it was last year.

10. Jim Carter- Downton Abbey
He received nominations for the last 2 seasons, but new and emerging contenders might push him out this year.

11. Peter Sarsgaard- The Killing
While the last season of The Killing received mixed reviews, many people agreed that Sarsgaard's performance was a standout.

12. Kit Harrington- Game of Thrones
Kit Harrington has continued to grow as an actor on Game of Thrones, gaining more recognition and showing more strong dramatic scenes. Probably too soon though.

13. Mads Mikkelsen- Hannibal
I'll say it before and I'll say it again. Mads Mikkelsen is the best actor to ever play Hannibal Lecter. If Hopkins can win an Oscar, Mikkelsen should at least get an Emmy nomination.

14. Jack Huston- Boardwalk Empire
Similar to Harrington, Huston has grown a lot on Boardwalk Empire, but he might be too overshadowed by his co-stars.

15. Michael Kelly- House of Cards
Season 2 of House of Cards took Michael Kelly's Doug Stamper in an interesting direction, allowing Kelly to deliver a stunning subtle and dark performance.

16. Charles Dance- Game of Thrones

Dance is one of many in the talented ensemble on Game of Thrones. If he was a guest actor, a nomination would probably be guaranteed.

17. Walton Goggins- Justified

Walton Goggins should have at least 2 Emmy nominations for Justified by now, plus a couple for The Shield as well. Instead he has one. That said, season 5 was not the strongest season so his chances are even less likely than usual.

18. Tony Goldwyn- Scandal
Scandal remains immensely popular and Goldwyn's performance is praised, but the amount of impact he really has on the show will depend on the viewer.

19. Rory McCann- Game of Thrones
One of the most underrated performances on Game of Thrones, but McCann is almost guaranteed to be overlooked. Just the sad truth.

20. Gerald McRaney- House of Cards

McRaney followed up a great performance on Southland with a great performance on House of Cards, but with such a large ensemble, it's hard to know if he'll be noticed.

21. Michael K. Williams- Boardwalk Empire

After 3 seasons of being a supporting player, appearing in just a little over half the episodes, Williams was able to step it up as Chalky White this season, arguably becoming the protagonist of the season and he certainly delivered.

22. Mahershala Ali- House of Cards

Not a performance that gets enough talk. Ali's performance as Remy manages to balance both sliminess and sweetness with ease.

23. Nikolaj Coster Waldau- Game of Thrones
A performance that should have been nominated last year. Coster-Waldau didn't really give anything good enough this year but I still feel obligated to include him.

24. Vincent Kartheiser- Mad Men
Still no nominations on Mad Men after all these years, so I don't expect anything different this year, but he deserves a shoutout.

25. Scott Wilson- The Walking Dead
Being a genre show, its unlikely for Walking Dead to get acting nods, but Scott Wilson gives a powerful performance as the show's moral center.

26. Steven Yeun- The Walking Dead
Yeun is definitely underrated, with several notable scenes and arguably the closest to an "everyman" on the show, but it's still a genre show.

27. Ben Feldman- Mad Men
Ginsberg's character was taken into a...strange direction this season. I won't spoil it but I'll just say that Feldman (who was nominated for Mad Men in 2012) makes the direction his character takes believable and real.

28. Jimmy Smits- Sons of Anarchy
Becoming the show's moral center on a show full of amorality is tough, but Smits definitely pulls it off.

29. Matthew Lillard- The Bridge
Lillard's character was went through some interesting directions on The Bridge, very heavy on character development which ultimately deserves a shoutout.

30. Samuel Roukin- Turn
All I'll say is wow, what a great villain. Turn barely escaped cancellation though so we should just be happy with the renewal.

My Picks
Josh Charles- The Good Wife
Peter Dinklage- Game of Thrones
Dean Norris- Breaking Bad (Winner)
Aaron Paul- Breaking Bad
Mads Mikkelsen- Hannibal
Jon Voight- Ray Donovan (7th place)
Jeffrey Wright- Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

1. Anna Gunn- Breaking Bad

She already won last year, but with the universal praise of Breaking Bad's final season, she could win two in a row.

2. Maggie Smith- Downton Abbey

An obligatory nominee at this point.

3. Christine Baranski-The Good Wife

With the hype around this season of The Good Wife, it could have one nomination in every acting category available, Baranski being the most hyped here.

4. Christina Hendricks- Mad Men
Hendricks is obligatory at this point as well, but it's well deserved because...well Joan Holloway is amazing.

5. Emilia Clarke- Game of Thrones
With a previous nomination under her belt (but ultimately stolen from another GOT actor in my opinion), she seems to be on her way to recognition once more.

6. Michelle Monaghan- True Detective
The obligatory slot for the new show nominee will likely go to Monaghan in True Detective, even though it's arguably a miniseries, the show is representing itself as a drama series, making Monaghan's performance a contender.

7. Archie Panjabi- The Good Wife
She'll probably be overshadowed by her co-star but there's always a chance with The Good Wife.

8. Joanne Froggatt- Downton Abbey
Also will probably be overshadowed by her co-star, but there's always a chance for two nominees from the same show.

9. Hayden Panitierre- Nashville
Following a Golden Globe nomination, it seems possible, but Nashville seems to have less hype this season.

10. Monica Potter- Parenthood
Many say she was snubbed last season, so I guess time will tell if she'll get a second chance.

11. Betsy Brandt- Breaking Bad
Not really the show's standout, but with Breaking Bad's hype in general, anything is possible.

12. Annet Mahendru- The Americans
She really stepped it up this season as Nadia, which is why its so unfortunate that the show's hype has lessened.

13. Lena Heady- Game of Thrones
Love her or hate her, Heady's performance is fantastic.

14. Molly Parker- House of Cards
Bringing this new character into a well established cast was risky, but Parker pulled it off well, successfully integrating herself into the rest of the cast.

15. Maisie Williams- Game of Thrones
Williams is by far one of the best child actors in the history of television. Enough said.

16. Bellamy Young- Scandal
Obligatory Scandal actor.

17. Sandra Oh- Grey's Anatomy

The show has been off of Emmy radars for awhile, but the amount of hype involving Oh's character could bring it back.

18. Jessica Pare- Mad Men

Nobody's favorite character on Mad Men, but I think it'd be wrong to deny numerous strong scenes from Pare this season.

19. Rachel Brosnahan- House of Cards
One of those actors nobody is talking about, Brosnahan gives a really emotional and dark performance on House of Cards, taking a character who shouldn't have been necessary to the story and making her fit in perfectly.

20. Gretchen Mol- Boardwalk Empire

She seriously should have gotten it for season 2, but Mol's work on Boardwalk Empire continues to be a reason to keep watching.

21. Melissa McBride- The Walking Dead

Watching the development of Carol on Walking Dead is by far one of the show's best elements and McBride deserves a shoutout, but it's still a genre show.

22. Danai Gurira- The Walking Dead
Basically my praise is identical to McBride. Great character development.

23. Maggie Siff-Sons of Anarchy

Season 6 was not the best season of Sons of Anarchy, but it definitely took things in an interesting direction for Tara and we truly emphasized with her even when we didn't always agree thanks to Maggie Siff's performance.

24. Jennifer Carpenter- Dexter
A really horrible season of television that is still MILDLY elevated by Jennifer Carpenter's strong performance.

My Picks
Christine Baranski- The Good Wife
Anna Gunn- Breaking Bad (Winner)
Christina Hendricks- Mad Men
Annet Mahendru- The Americans
Michelle Monaghan- True Detective (7th choice)
Maggie Siff- Sons of Anarchy
Maisie Williams- Game of Thrones

Outstanding Lead Actress

1. Robin Wright- House of Cards

.Bringing a controversial storyline into the mix, Wright's performance in season 2 of House of Cards truly blew me away in the best ways possible and she deserves to win.

2. Julianna Marguilies- The Good Wife
A fan favorite of the Emmys. Snubbed last year, but with the hype of season 5, she'll almost certainly get a nomination this year.

3. Elisabeth Moss- Mad Men
Another favorite of the Emmys. She's been nominated five times in a row and there's no reason to assume this year will be different.

4. Kerry Washington- Scandal
She's fresh off a previous nomination with one of the highest rated shows on tv. Very, very likely.

5. Claire Danes- Homeland
Homeland season 3 sucked and I'm not the only one who thinks that. She won't win this year, that's for sure, but I don't think it sucked enough for the Emmys to write her off completely, then again it sucked enough for the golden globes to do just that.

6. Tatiana Maslany- Orphan Black
An acclaimed performance that has gradually built up in hype, Maslany getting nominated isn't a guarantee but would show that the Emmys care about more than just the mainstream.

7. Keri Russell- The Americans
Unexpectedly snubbed last year, she still has a chance this year, but her hype has SLIGHTLY died down.

8. Vera Farmiga- Bates Motel
In my opinion, she should have won last year. This year...maybe not, but she'd be lucky to have a nomination.

9. Lizzy Caplan- Masters of Sex
It's common for somebody on a new show to be nominated, so Caplan could be the one to take that slot because she's the only real contender from a first season show.

10. Connie Britton- Nashville
She surprised me by getting a nomination last year, making her fourth Emmy nomination in a row (for 3 different shows), but I think the streak is coming to an end.

11. Michelle Dockery- Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey has simply died down in its hype this season, so in spite of her nominations in the last 2 years, I don't think third time will be the charge.

12. Mireille Enos- The Killing
An acclaimed performance on a no longer acclaimed show that deserves a shoutout anyways.

13. Katey Sagal- Sons of Anarchy
Even if this season wasn't the best, Katey Sagal just deserves a nomination. she's phenomenal on the show and its a crime she still has been ignored. She even won a Golden Globe.

14. Diane Kruger- The Bridge
This is a new show as well, but The Bridge lacks the hype Masters of Sex has. Kruger is strong but not strong enough.

15. Mariska Hargitay- Law & Order: SVU
In its fifteenth season, SVU took some surprising risks, but Hargitay's Emmy streak has come to an end.

16. Gabrielle Union- Being Mary Jane
A small show with a notable lead performance that could get a nomination someday with enough hype built up.

My Picks
Vera Farmiga- Bates Motel (7th Choice)
Juliana Margulies- The Good Wife
Tatiana Maslaney- Orphan Black
Elisabeth Moss- Mad Men
Keri Russell- The Americans
Katey Sagal- Sons of Anarchy
Robin Wright- House of Cards (Winner)

Outstanding Lead Actor

1. Bryan Cranston- Breaking Bad
He's already won 3 times and been nominated for every season so it's no surprise that this will be similar. With the praise of the final season, it could even be a win, but he does have strong competition.

2. Matthew McConaughey- True Detective
It's an anthology show, so typically this would be in the miniseries category, but its being promoted as a drama series so whatever. McConaughey, fresh off of his Oscar nomination (and later win), blew me away as Rust Cohle, now America's favorite nihilist.

3. Jon Hamm- Mad Men
He'll probably end up like Martin Sheen. Hamm has 6 nominations and 0 wins, so this year will probably be 7 nominations and 0 wins.

4. Kevin Spacey- House of Cards
Spacey continues to engage audiences effectively on House of Cards. A second nomination will probably be headed his way.

5. James Spader- The Blacklist
In my opinion, Spader doesn't deserve it. It's a show with good ideas that never takes advantage of his potential, instead wasting time on annoying subplots that go nowhere. Even so, Spader is by far the best part of the show, completely overshadowing his dull co-stars

6. Woody Harrelson- True Detective
Harrelson did a great job at playing a fairly unlikable cop and family man, while squeezing in hints of sympathy throughout. He and McConaughey ultimately complete each other, so it would seem unfair to not nominate both.

7. Jeff Daniels- The Newsroom
He won an Emmy last year that he DID NOT DESERVE. He didn't even deserve to be nominated. Good performance? Sure. Best performance. NO!

8. Michael Sheen- Masters of Sex
A new actor to the race who got honored with a Golden Globe nomination, but with so many established contenders and new people to the mix, it's hard to say if he'll squeeze himself in. It's possible.

9. Matthew Rhys- The Americans

He was surprisingly snubbed last year, but could still get a chance this year for his work that I actually think was better this season, particularly the episode "Marital Eagle" (2x09). I think he would be a worthy nominee, but the show's hype has sadly died down.

10. Steve Buscemi- Boardwalk Empire
A heavy contender in the early seasons of Boardwalk Empire. The show is still strong, but Nucky isn't quite the focus he once was, so a nomination seems less likely.

11. Hugh Dancy- Hannibal
A really amazing performance that's only improved in season 2. Dancy perfectly balances torment, anxiety, sympathy, and even creepiness in creating the perfect Will Graham.

12. Timothy Olyphant- Justified
Olyphant's performance as Justified has been regularly overlooked except when he was nominated for season 2. That said, this season would be understandable. It's still really entertaining, but it's not the strongest season.

13. Damian Lewis- Homeland
Damian Lewis has always been my favorite part of Homeland, so I was one of many fans disappointed by his reduced role in season 3. That said, he made his scenes count, but I'm not convinced it was good enough for a 3rd nom, in spite of him winning 2 years ago.

14. Liev Schrieber-Ray Donovan
A new show shoutout. Schrieber got a Golden Globe nomination, but so much Emmy hype is focused on his co-star Jon Voight.

15. Andrew Lincoln- The Walking Dead
A popular performance that remains watched by millions, but Lincoln is still in a genre show.

16. Charlie Hunnam- Sons of Anarchy
Hunnam has given a lot of terrific work on Sons of Anarchy, season 6 included, but he's been snubbed five times. No signs it'll change now, especially in a weaker season.

17. Freddie Highmore- Bates Motel
Highmore has given phenomenal work in Bates Motel, but there's just not enough hype.

18. Joel Kinnaman- The Killing
An acclaimed performance on a no longer acclaimed show that deserves a shoutout anyways.

19. Demian Bichir- The Bridge
New show shoutout again. Bichir is phenomenal on The Bridge, focusing heavily on mixing subtly with raw emotion, but its too new and too unknown.

20. Michael C. Hall- Dexter
Season 8 of Dexter was an insult to the entire series, but Michael C. Hall still slightly elevates the material.

.

21. Jamie Bell- Turn
A new show featuring strong work from Jamie Bell, but it's too new and just barely escaped cancellation, so I'm not expecting any nominations.

My Picks
Bryan Cranston- Breaking Bad (winner)
Hugh Darcy- Hannibal
Jon Hamm- Mad Men
Woody Harrelson- True Detective (7th Choice)
Matthew McConaughey- True Detective
Matthew Rhys- The Americans
Kevin Spacey- House of Cards

Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series

1. Robert Morse- Mad Men
Without spoiling anything, Robert Morse gives some of his best work on this season of Mad Men. He's been nominated for Mad Men four times before. In spite of its acclaim, Mad Men has never won an acting Emmy and its about time in my opinion.

2. Beau Bridges- Masters of Sex
Beau Bridges is a favorite with the Emmys. He's been nominated 14 times, winning 3 times. His work on Masters of Sex is as impressive as ever and it would be a shame for him to be snubbed.

3. Dan Bucatinsky- Scandal
Fresh off a win last year, it seems likely that Bucatinsky will get a second nomination.

4. Nathan Lane- The Good Wife
The Good Wife is notably for its strong guest actors and tends to gather at least one nomination. Lane seems to be the likely candidate for this year.

5. Pedro Pascal- Game of Thrones
Pascal gave some mind blowing work in this season of Game of Thrones. Bringing in a new character into an already established ensemble at this point in a series is definitely a risky move, but Pascal does an amazing job at integrating his character into the series.

6. Paul Giamatti- Downton Abbey
An established hollywood actor giving acclaimed work on a show beloved by the Emmys? I can see it happening.

7. Lee Tergesen- The Americans
Tergesen has constantly been popping up on tv shows since appearing on Oz and his role on The Americans is definitely one of his best in years. I'm not convinced he'll get the nomination, but he certainly deserves it.

8. Ray Romano- Parenthood
Parenthood hasn't had tons of hype and recognition, but Romano's dramatic work has gotten its fair amount of attention that a nomination could happen with enough luck.

9. Costa Ronin- The Americans
Another really impressive actor on The Americans with a performance that's not getting as much recognition as it deserves.

10. Walton Goggins- Sons of Anarchy
Goggins appeared as a transgendered prostitute on last season of Sons of Anarchy, but it was primarily played for laughs. This time, his character was greatly humanized, creating one of the most progressive portrayals of a transgendered character in recent memory and Goggins sells it perfectly.

11. James Woods- Ray Donovan
Great work as usual from James Woods, successfully creating a believable and morally grey crook.

12. Eddie Izzard- Hannibal
Izzard has received strong reviews for his creepy work on Hannibal, but the show itself still might not be hyped enough.

13. Michael Bowen- Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is sure to get a lot of Emmy nominations. Bowen is very strong here, though his character lacks the dimensions of many others so its hard to say if his evilness will be good enough.

14. Hamish Linklater- The Newsroom
His character kinda comes out of nowhere, but Linklater does a great job at showing his character's reasoning behind morally grey choices.

15. Pablo Schreiber- Law & Order: SVU
Schreiber plays SVU's longest lasting villain and his sheer scariness makes me forget about all of his other work, such as The Wire and Orange is the New Black. Definitely breathed new life into a series that was getting redundant.

16. Reg E. Cathey- House of Cards
Cathey played a simple role on House of Cards initially, but season 2 successfully took a risk and developed his character, showing his moral convictions and the tough position he's in.

17. Jeremy Davies- Justified
Davies has been nominated twice for Justified, winning once. Perhaps his role this season wasn't mindblowing, but it's always worth a shoutout.

18. Louis Gossett Jr.- Boardwalk Empire
A one episode performance from a hollywood legend, Gossett may not be the name he once was, but his performance made me want to see his other work again.

19. Michael Rapaport- Justified
His hick accent was criticized, but I enjoyed Rapaport's performance on Justified. He brought a strong physical presence and had good chemistry with his family.

20. Michael Pitt- Hannibal
One word: CREEPY!

21. Eric Lange- The Bridge
An engaging performance to put it simply

My Picks
Beau Bridges- Masters of Sex
Dan Bucatinsky- Scandal (7th Choice)
Walton Goggins- Sons of Anarchy
Robert Morse- Mad Men (Winner)
Pedro Pascal- Game of Thrones
Michael Pitt- Hannibal
Lee Tergesen- The Americans

Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series

1. Alison Janney- Masters of Sex
Already a favorite with the Emmys for her work on The West Wing, Janney gives her best performance in years on Masters of Sex.

2. Diana Rigg- Game of Thrones
Fresh off a nomination last year, Rigg continues to deliver in season 4.

3. Carrie Preston- The Good Wife
Fresh off of a win last year on a show as award popular as The Good Wife? You can count on it.

4. Lisa Kudrow- Scandal
Kudrow's already a fan favorite with the Emmys, so getting notice for her dramatic work on Scandal seems like a safe bet.

5. Jane Fonda- The Newsroom
She's fresh off a nomination last year, although The Newsroom isn't exactly the most acclaimed show on television.

6. Diane Wiest- The Blacklist
The Blacklist had a nice little role for Diane Wiest that was only one episode due to its procedural format, but with the hype The Blacklist has, it could happen.

7. Katharine Isabelle- Hannibal
I'd love to see this one. Isabelle does a great job at balancing anger and vulnerability.

8. Gillian Anderson- Hannibal
It comes off as a bit unnatural at times, but I think that's why it works because of the introverted personality of the character. Anderson is already noted by the Emmys for her work on The X-files but with a show as overlooked as Hannibal, it's hard to say.

9. CCH Pounder- Sons of Anarchy
CCH Pounder received one nomination for her outstanding work on The Shield. Her character on Sons of Anarchy perhaps has a few too many similarities, but she played a great antagonist to the titular biker club.

10. Margo Martindale- The Americans
She was nominated last year but her role this season lacked any truly memorable scenes. Strong work? Yes, but that alone might not be enough.

11. Charlotte Rampling- Dexter
One of the only things on season 8 of Dexter that didn't suck, even if her character comes out of nowhere.

12. Mary Steenburgen- Justified
Another character who jumps in rather unexpectedly, but Steenburgen successfully integrates herself into the show and makes viewers want to see more.

My Picks
Katharine Isabelle- Hannibal
Alison Janney- Masters of Sex
Lisa Kudrow- Scandal
CCH Pounder- Sons of Anarchy (7th Choice)
Carrie Preston- The Good Wife
Diana Rigg- Game of Thrones
Mary Steenburgen- Justified



Outstanding Drama Series
1. Breaking Bad
2. True Detective
3. House of Cards
4. Game of Thrones
5. The Good Wife
6. Mad Men
7. Downton Abbey
8. Homeland
9. Masters of Sex
10. The Americans
11. Boardwalk Empire
12. Scandal
13. Ray Donovan
14. Hannibal
15. Dexter
16. The Blacklist
17. Orphan Black
18. Justified
19. Sons of Anarchy
20. The Walking Dead
21. The Newsroom
22. Bates Motel
23. The Bridge

My Picks
Breaking Bad (Winner)
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife (7th Choice)
Hannibal
House of Cards
Mad Men
True Detective

Halt And Catch Fire 1x03: What is the "gay" scene is really about?

I've been thoroughly enjoying AMC's newest show Halt and Catch Fire starring Lee Pace (Pushing Daisies) and Scott McNairy (Argo). The show tells a fictionalized version of the personal computer revolution in the 1980s and has been doing horrible in the ratings. The 3rd episode got only 0.77 million viewers.

Lee Pace plays the ambitious Joe MacMillan. Joe formerly worked at IBM but has now been hired at Cardiff Electric, a system software company. His past is mysterious and he's not above lying and manipulating people to get what he wants. After the first episode, I read a post by someone asking if Joe is a visionary or a sociopath. Most people seemed to agree that he was both.

It will take too long to explain everything, so I'll just cut to the chase. In the 3rd episode, Cardiff Electric sets up a meeting with an heiress named Lulu Lutherford in hopes of getting her to invest in their project. After Lulu offers to buy 80% of the project for only $10 million, Joe verbally voices his anger with her, but the deal goes through anyways. Later, Joe seduces Lulu's husband, Travis into kissing him (whether or not they had sex isn't made clear). When he reveals this to Lulu, she immediately pulls out of the deal. Joe wanted her out of the picture and now he gets what he wants.

The scene has pissed many people off. People feel the show is yet another example of that evil, barbaric thing called homosexuality being forced down people's throats. It's part of the evil gay agenda or whatever, trying to...make homosexuality acceptable. First off, there's no graphic gay sex scene. They kiss and the show moves to the next scene. Secondly, Joe is smart but he's also an unlikable sociopathic douche. I really doubt the show was trying to use his character to say "Hey look, here's an example of how cool gay people are." Lastly, the scene isn't about homosexuality. There's no indication that Joe is gay on the show and that scene changes nothing.

The scene was no more intimate than a scene in the first episode when Joe has sex with a woman named Cameron. So if you're going to argue that the scene with Travis means Joe likes guys, then the scene with Cameron must mean Joe likes girls as well. So by that logic, he's bisexual, not homosexual.

But I don't think he's bisexual either. I don't think there was any sexual attraction going on in either scene. Joe had sex with Cameron to get her to ditch school and work for him. He kissed Travis to get Lulu to call off the deal. The point of the scene wasn't to say anything about homosexuality. It was to show how Joe will do literally anything to get what he wants, including make out with a guy he barely knows. Joe doesn't use sex for any kind of intimate pleasure. He uses sex to manipulate people and get what he wants. To me, I'm guessing Joe is asexual. At the very least, there's no true evidence to suggest he's gay or straight, since I've never felt like he's actually felt sexually attracted to anyone on the show. Like I said, he uses sex as a weapon to manipulate people. Of course, that's not to suggest that asexuals are sociopaths, but I think Joe is both.

I find the controversy humorous because of how irrelevant gender actually is in that scene. Lulu could have been a male investor named Louis who annoyed Joe. Joe would have tried to screw things up by kissing his wife and thus the same result would have happened. Similarly, Joe could have been a female character who was annoyed by Lulu and screws things up by kissing Lulu's husband, Travis. The dynamics of the scene aren't altered by change in gender.

In a lot of ways, Joe is like a male version of the classic femme fatale character. He seduces people to get his way. Lots of female characters do this and nobody cares, so it really says a lot when people freak out because they see an inversion of this common trope.

Let's talk about that scene on Game Of Thrones (Breaker of Chains, 4x03)

Last week's Game of Thrones was shocking to say the least. There's a scene that everyone is talking about, but in case you haven't already heard about it, I'll just say be wary of spoilers.

Jaime and Cersei

Twin siblings Jaime and Cersei Lannister were having an incestuous affair at the beginning of the series. The initially sinister and unlikable Jaime Lannister went through a major redemption arc in season 3, becoming a far more well-rounded character, doing things such as saving a woman from a gang-rape. Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau received a lot of Emmy buzz for his performance but was not nominated (in my opinion, he definitely should have been).

In season 4, Jaime and Cersei are reunited but have not resumed their relationship, in spite of Jaime's wishes. When tragedy strikes, Cersei asks Jaime to kill someone for her. Jaime does not agree to this, but he comforts her and they share a passionate kiss, but then Cersei pulls away from him. After 15 or so seconds of silence, Jaime says "You're a hateful woman. Why have the Gods made me love such a hateful woman?" He grabs Cersei and starts kissing her again. She tries to push him off. "Jaime, not here, please" she begs (let's just say the location is INCREDIBLY inappropriate for a sexual encounter). Jaime rips off her dress as she says "stop it" repeatedly. Jaime responds with a harsh "No!" Cersei keeps saying "Stop it!" At around 15:41 in the episode, she appears to be pulling him closer as he kisses her. Then around 15:47, she puts her arms around his back. But then, Jaime pushes her on the ground and she tries to push him away once more. "Stop, it's not right," Cersei says. It is then implied that Jaime penetrates her. "It's not right. It's not right." Cersei continues to plead. "I don't care." says Jaime. Cersei begins crying, "Don't Jaime, don't." "I don't care." Jaime repeats once more. The scene ends.

The scene doesn't really work as far as storytelling goes because in spite of Jaime being a morally grey human being, he also underwent a lengthy redemption arc in season 3, as mentioned earlier. And even prior to season 3, Jaime still had something of a moral code. Everything he did was in the name of protecting his family. He wouldn't try to murder a child for sadistic glee, but he would try to murder a child to protect his family. Jaime raping Cersei does absolutely nothing to benefit the Lannister family and the whole thing feels completely out of character in my opinion. Apparently their encounter was consensual in the book that the tv series was adapted from (I heard that Cersei is literally shouting "YES" in the novel). The reason for changing it is unclear, though author George R.R. Martin defended the decision to change the scene and claims that their dynamic is different in the books.

The more troubling thing is the large amount of people, both men and women, who seem to insist that what occurred was consensual sex. It's honestly quite disturbing how these people are so insistent that what occurred wasn't a rape, because it obviously was. Perhaps, like me, they just hate the thought of Jaime Lannister being a rapist, because it would make his lengthy redemption arc moot. Or maybe they're just really uneducated on sexual assault and what actually qualifies as consent.

What occurred wasn't even close to the most disturbing scene on Game of Thrones. There was already a disturbing rape in the first episode (once again, it was consensual in the books). A man got his skin torn off and his penis cut off, a pregnant woman got stabbed in the stomach repeatedly, a youth forces a prostitute to beat another prostitute, a woman eats a horse's heart, a lot of people are beheaded, burnt bodies of children are hung on display, oh and a bunch of babies are slaughtered. Now, it should be noted that most of the above scenes did ultimately serve a higher narrative purpose. In my mind, most are not examples of violence for the sake of violence and the show actually does a great job at showing the relentless brutality of the world the show takes place in. But in spite of this, Jaime raping Cersei is receiving more controversy than anything else. Why is this? I'm going to guess it's because there are clearly a fair amount of people who don't believe it was a rape. I don't know the percentage of people who agree that it's a rape vs. the percentage who think it's not, but clearly enough people don't believe it's a rape for the controversy to happen. Though it is possible that even if everyone agreed it was a rape, there would still be controversy due to the alteration from the source material.

The response from the crew is a bit confusing. The director of the episode, Alex Graves, has used 2 contradictory statements. At one point, when describing the scene, he said "and then Jaime comes in and he rapes her". At another point, he said "Well, it becomes consensual by the end, because anything for [Jaime and Cersei] ultimately results in a turn-on, especially a power struggle." I'm praying that this quote was taken out of context or something like that, because at the end of the scene, not only was she still trying to push him away, she was crying. How is that consent? I'm hoping Graves will clarify which one of these comments reflects his actual opinion. If that wasn't enough, David Benioff, one of the show's creators and showrunners, who also co-wrote the episode, said that it's a rape, saying "Cersei's resisting this. She's saying no, and he's forcing himself on her." Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who as mentioned above, plays Jaime also has an answer to the question. While he does explain that Jaime and Cersei do love each other in a really messed up way, he points out that "she goes into it then she pulls away, she goes in then she pulls away, but of course he is forcing himself." So Nikolaj Coster-Waldau seems to agree that it was a rape in spite of her pulling him in briefly. In a separate interview, he said "For some people, it’s going to look just like rape, but the intention is not just that." From what I can gather from that statement, he does agree that it's a rape scene, but feels there's a lot of emotional baggage to it rather than just a shock-value scene. Lena Heady, who plays Cersei, has not yet commented on the scene, but it's been reported that she had "mixed feelings" about it. I'd love to hear her thoughts.

So that leaves it a bit confusing. 3 people have responded. 2 have called it rape. 1 called it rape in one interview and consensual "by the end" in another. George R.R. Martin also appears to agree that it was a rape scene. Although he didn't explicitly use the word, he acknowledged that it was different from their encounter in the books and defended the decision by the writers to change the scene. If he thought it was consent, he wouldn't be talking about how it was changed from the book (many people claiming it was not a rape scene have said it's no different from how it was in the book).

What's even more troubling is the amount of fans who seem so convinced that what occurred wasn't a rape. As I said above, it could be because nobody wants Jaime Lannister to be a rapist after he redeemed himself so much (which, like I said before, included saving a woman from a gang rape). It could be because Cersei is such an unpleasant woman that nobody wants to sympathize with her. It could be because they're just uneducated on sexual assault and consent. So let's talk about some of the really stupid things I've read people say.

One guy said Cersei was saying "No with her mouth, but yes with her body...she wasn't fighting him off." 
This is an incredibly disturbing comment. First off, she was fighting him off and if you didn't see that, you're blind. Secondly, even if she wasn't fighting him off, that does not equal consent. In season 3, Jaime initially doesn't think he can save the woman from being gang raped so he simply warns her to not fight them, because that'll only make the rape more violent and painful. The rape ends up not happening thanks to Jaime coming up with a clever lie about who the woman is, but even if she was raped and she followed Jaime's advice of not fighting back, it would still be rape.

A comment from a woman said 
"no it wasn't rape. Cersei says no not here it's not right but afterwards gives in to her desire for Jaime. Logic would tell you she could have easily fought off a man with a stump and a weak left arm."
I know this is a bit similar to the previous quote but I'll try to elaborate my point. I explained to her how stupid her logic was but she hasn't responded. The whole logic about fighting off the attacker is dumb and one I've heard before. It seems to be used a lot to act like a rape isn't a rape. It's like how a lot of people claim that men can't be raped by women because they should be able to fight them off (this claim was repeated to death in regards to the pointless rape scene in the film Super). Anyways, I'm not certain that Cersei could have successfully fought Jaime off, she certainly seemed to be trying, but even if she physically could have, the fact that she didn't doesn't automatically make their encounter consensual. It's like if somebody got strangled to death. It's possible the murder victim could have survived if they put in more effort to fight off their attacker, but that doesn't mean what happened wasn't murder.

Another woman gave me this ridiculous comment:
"Alex, rewatch the scene. I did. She's kissing him and pulling him into her body. She most certainly is wanting it. She didn't use the words she used in the book but it absolutely is the same the scenario"
I've rewatched the scene over a dozen times, searching for the consensual part people keep talking about. As mentioned before, I noticed two very BRIEF moments where she appears to be pulling him in. At around 15:41 in the episode, she appears to be pulling him closer as he kisses her. Then around 15:47, she puts her arms around his back. But that doesn't change the fact that at the end of the scene, he pushes her onto the ground and she's trying to push him away from her again, still saying "Stop it. It's not right." Then she starts crying. How is that not rape? Seriously, what does this woman think rape is? Two half second scenes of her apparently pulling him in doesn't suddenly make the whole situation ambiguous. There's no ambiguity here, no implication. She didn't want sex. He forced her. It. Is. Rape.

A guy gave this comment, 
"she never really says "no" - she say's stop it, while grabbing him closer and kissing on him --- at the end while he's thumping her, she exclaims "not here". it really is a yes/no ambiguous situation."
I already explained how her grabbing him closer and kissing him is being exaggerated greatly. It is not an ambiguous situation. He is correct though. Cersei never once utters "no" during the scene. But he must live in an alternate universe because I don't know what the hell he's talking about. People who are given roofies and then raped while passed out also don't say "no", but that doesn't mean they weren't raped. And Cersei says "Stop" a total of SEVEN times in that scene. This guy even acknowledges that she says "stop" but still calls it ambiguous. I don't see how saying "stop" is radically different from saying "no." Both words would indicate that she didn't want to have sex with him. She said "Stop" seven times but he didn't listen. It is true that no means no. I think most people have learned that. But the idea that not saying no equals yes is completely ignorant bullshit.

Ok, now this woman said two really stupid comments in one. We'll tackle them one at a time.
"I didn't even consider that rape, Sorry. I mean these two had consensual sex how many times?!? I found the place inappropriate and the obvious fact they're brother and sister. But I think we are past that at this point."

Seriously? Has this crazy lady never heard of marital rape? No, they weren't married but the point I'm making is just because they've had consensual sex in the past doesn't mean rape is impossible. A lot of rape victims are raped by people they know, this can include boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives, or siblings with an on again-off again incestuous relationship. Two individuals can have consensual, loving sex together numerous times, but if on a single occasion, one of the individuals doesn't want to have sex and the other individual forces them, it's rape. The past is completely irrelevant.

Ok, here's the second part of the same woman's comment.
"You also hear her saying "no Jaime, not here" (location wise) as if to indicate it would've been okay anywhere else."

Goddamn it. Can you fix stupid? She's not wrong. Cersei does say "not here" which indicated that perhaps she would have consented in a different situation/location, but that doesn't mean she consented in the scene that we saw. It doesn't matter why she said "stop". The point is that she said "stop" and he didn't. It's possible that the refusal was more about location than a lack of desire BUT IT IS STILL A REFUSAL! If someone says that they don't want to have sex with you, the reason is irrelevant. It could be because they're tired, because they're not attracted to you, because they don't want to have sex in that location, because they're busy with something else. It doesn't matter. They point is they don't want to have sex with you and if you force them, that's rape. This is so basic. I don't see why people don't understand.



Seeing these comments honestly frighten me. Both men and women are saying this crap and I wonder if any of them are sex offenders. What I do know is that I don't want any of these men or women having sex because I fear that they're so uneducated on consent that they'll end up raping some poor soul without even knowing it. Ok, maybe I'm going too hard. Perhaps they mean well, but they're still incredibly uneducated and it's important to educate them. I personally do not agree with the claim by some that rape and sexual assault in America is something that is accepted as being morally ok and not a big deal. I mean, Law and Order: SVU is one of the most watched shows on television and at its core, the message of the show is rape is the most horrible thing ever. People hate rapists. You ask the majority of people if rape is bad and they'll say "yes". You find a news article about a convicted rapist and all of the comments say this person should burn in hell. That said, these comments show that people are still not educated enough on this very serious issue and if we learn to educate people on what consent is and isn't, maybe we can progress further as a society.

Like I said before, I don't know the majority opinion on this issue. There have been no polls obviously. One of my favorite tv critics, Alan Sepinwall, agrees that it was a rape scene. He also said that "the reaction I've seen on Twitter, in emails and on other blogs suggests nobody is agreeing with Graves' interpretation of the scene (referring to Graves' comment about how it was consensual by the end) and are viewing it as rape, plain and simple." That's a relief to hear but it doesn't change the alarming amount of comments I've seen on facebook and IMDb not calling it a rape, so Sepinwall is wrong when he says "nobody". There are enough people calling it consensual to concern me and perhaps their intentions are not bad but it really shows how we need to have an upfront discussion about sexual assault.


Written by Alex Bauman

True Detective- Form and Void (1x08, season finale) review

Spoiler free review:
True Detective has been a rather unusual series from the get-go. More than just a detective series, it's been a show about the relationship between the characters of Cohle and Rust. The ending really shines through that point in my opinion and because of that, some people won't be happy with how it ends.

In the end, I liked the way things played out. It was intense without being too unrealistic (obviously not everything was 100% plausible, but that's to be expected), it was intense, and it featured the excellent performances from the 2 leads that we've come to be greatly acquainted with. It's hard to say more without spoiling it, but it's hard to picture Matthew McConaughey not winning outstanding lead actor in a miniseries at the Emmys this September. If Harrelson runs as a supporting actor, I think he'll win as well. Although they are essentially equals on the show.

The common complaint is that not everything is wrapped up. The storyline still has some loose ends for better or for worse. Whether this is good or bad will ultimately come down to personal taste, but I'm glad the show didn't wrap up everything perfectly. A little ambiguity never hurt in my opinion. A quote in the episode perfectly sums up why I think having some loose ends is OK.

The final scene is also unusual and one that I can't go into detail with. I certainly wasn't anticipating a scene like that and once again, it'll come down to the viewer on whether or not you "buy" into the final scene. But I enjoyed it. I thought it was effective and it's still playing in my head over and over again.

In the end, the True Detective finale may not be the best episode of the season, but it was still suspenseful and intriguing. I'm more than curious to see what season 2 will have for us and I think the first season of True Detective will go down as one of the best seasons on television. I was happy to have taken this journey with Rust and Marty.

Final rating 9/10


SPOILER REVIEW:

ONCE AGAIN, WARNING! This review contains spoilers!


Spoiler free review:

SPOILER REVIEW:
ONCE AGAIN, WARNING! This review contains spoilers!

True Detective has been a rather unusual series from the get-go. More than just a detective series, it's been a show about the relationship between the characters of Cohle and Rust. The ending really shines through that point in my opinion and because of that, some people won't be happy with how it ends.

In the end, I liked the way things played out. The final confrontation with Errol was intense without being too unrealistic (obviously not everything was 100% plausible, but that's to be expected) and it featured the excellent performances from the 2 leads that we've come to be greatly acquainted with. I'm glad that there wasn't any ridiculous shootout with Erroll. Just a quick chase and a quick fight. Simple but still exciting and suspenseful. As for the acting, well it's hard to picture Matthew McConaughey not winning outstanding lead actor in a miniseries at the Emmys this September. If Harrelson runs as a supporting actor, I think he'll win as well. Although they are essentially equals on the show. I despised the character of Marty. I saw him as a hypocrite, bad father, bad husband, and a bad partner (i.e. his impulsive murder of Ledoux), yet at the end, I was fearing for his life. In spite of everything, I didn't want him to die. Really says a lot about Harrelson's performance.

The common complaint is that not everything is wrapped up. There are many cultists that have yet to be caught. Part of me almost wishes to see season 2 tackle this storyline, even though I know it's an anthology series and we won't be seeing Rust or Marty again. Whether this is good or bad will ultimately come down to personal taste, but I'm glad the show didn't wrap up everything perfectly. A little ambiguity never hurt in my opinion. I thought the conversation in the hospital between McConaughey and Harrelson summed up why the ending worked.

Rust: We didn't get them all. 
Marty: Yeah and we ain't gonna get them all. That ain't what kind of world it is, but we got ours.

Although the ending is more optimistic than I expected, if the show had ended with all the cultists getting arrested, that would have been a far too cliche happy ending. As Rust pointed out earlier in the season, the Tuttles are powerful people with a lot of connections. Powerful people with a lot of connections don't just get caught. "That ain't what kind of world it is."

Many also decried the lack of a twist, although creator Nic Pizzolato made it clear that there would be no twist. THat was fine with me. Not everything needs a twist. In fact, sometimes a twist can ruin a story rather than help it (*cough*, The Game, *cough). People thought Rust was the killer. People thought Marty was the killer. People thought Maggie was the killer or Gilbough or Papania. People thought Marty's father in law was involved or Marty's older daughter. All amusing theories, but I'm glad the show didn't go through with any of them. I liked that the finale was straight forward.

The final scene is also unusual and one that will divide viewers. Rust's newfound optimism definitely feels out of left field and strangely hopeful for such a bleak series. I certainly wasn't anticipating a scene like that and once again, it'll come down to the viewer on whether or not you "buy" into it, but I enjoyed it. I thought it was effective and it's still playing in my head over and over again. McConaughey's performance really sold it. Rust's dark nihilism was one of my favorite things about him and I'd be lying if I said I couldn't relate (I identify as an existential nihilist, it's even facebook official). That was the closest thing to a twist in the episode. I thought it worked because it wasn't too optimistic to the point of destroying the atmosphere. What would have really been a deal breaker would be if Rust and Cohle managed to arrest all the Tuttle cultists and Rust found some kind of meaning in his life. I don't get why people are claiming he found god or Jesus though. I'll have to rewatch it, but I don't remember the words "God", "Jesus", or "Christianity" being mentioned in the speech. All that I got was that Rust realized that there was more to life than just crappy crappiness.


In the end, the True Detective finale may not be the best episode of the season, but it was still suspenseful and intriguing. I'm more than curious to see what season 2 will have for us and I think the first season of True Detective will go down as one of the best seasons on television. I was happy to have taken this journey with Rust and Marty.

Final Rating 9/10