Podcast Episode 58: Winding Down: The Premieres of "Fargo" "Nurse Jackie" & "Mad Men"

You're busy. We get it. Not everyone can spend hours all day monitoring and watching everything in television and entertainment news. That is why Mike and Dave are here to do it all for you. At the end of every week we will wind down all the important things you may have missed in a week full of entertainment.

In this week's episode we discuss updates on The Giver film (2:32), Stephen Colbert becoming the new host of the Late Show (4:32), the 2014 MTV Movie Awards (13:00), and finally the possible TV show based on The Truman Show (18:57). We also wind down the series premiere of Fargo "The Crocodile's Dilemma" (24:03), the season six premiere of Nurse Jackie "Sink or Swim" (36:40) and the season seven premiere of Mad Men "Time Zones" (44:14).



You can also listen to past episodes of the podcast on iTunes or on our YouTube channel.

Emmy Voter: Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

ML- In all the acting categories at the Emmys, nominees submit one episode (or "tape") they feel showcases their best work of the season. Ive been watching all the submitted "tapes" and reviewing them critically to help determine which actor/actress is most deserving come Emmy night.

Next up is Comedy Lead Actress

Zooey Deschanel as Jess Day in New Girl
Submission: "Bad in Bed"
A.K.A. The One Where... Jess tries to be "erotic" with Paul after discovering porn because she feels she needs to be better at sex, having only been with Spencer before. 

Lena Dunham as Hannah Horvath in Girls
Submission: "She Did"
A.K.A. The One Where... Finale, where Hannah goes to Jessa's surprise wedding and asks her gay ex to move in with her, after already giving Adam the green light. Adam gets upset and calls her out on all her bull, but gets swiped by a car. He won't let Hannah in the ambulance, so she takes the train to Coney Island and eats on the beach.

Edie Falco as Jackie Peyton in Nurse Jackie
Submission: "Disneyland Sucks"
A.K.A. The One Where... Jackie checks into rehab, nearly quits, asks O'Hara to bring her daughter to visit and saves the life of her elderly roommate when she suffers a stroke.

Tina Fey as Liz Lemon in 30 Rock
Submission: "The Tuxedo Begins"
A.K.A. The One Where... Liz, fed up with people not following the rules, turns into a Joker-like character wielding a smelly gym bag who must be stopped by Jack's new Batman-like mayoral candidate.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Selina Meyer in Veep
Submission: "Tears"
A.K.A. The One Where... Season finale where Selina is asked not to back the Ohio governor due to her low polling numbers, but after crying on camera he wants her back again. He flips and flops until the last minute, and eventually word gets out that her tears were manipulated, sending the office into a tailspin.

Melissa McCarthy as Molly Flynn in Mike & Molly
Submission: "The Dress"
A.K.A. The One Where... Molly is determined to lose her last 6 pounds in the week before the wedding to fit into her dream dress. The crash diet makes her wild and an unfortunate encounter at the gym lands her in jail. 

Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope in Parks and Recreation
Submission: "Win, Lose or Draw"
A.K.A. The One Where... Season finale, where the election finally arrives and Leslie wins, delivering a powerful speech to the town and the viewers.

Notes: All 7 of these women were exceptionally funny, but there can only be one winner. I'd say the least funny was McCarthy, but I said that last year, too, and she went on to win. Falco gave an impressive performance, but it was more dramatic than comedic, so her placement in this comedy doesn't really fit. Fey was wild and outrageous, but the concept of the episode was better than her actual material in it. Louis-Dreyfus, one of the front-runners to win, didn't have a lot of standout moments, but the ones she did have were hilarious. Dunham had more humor in the episode than I first remembered, really shedding light onto the flaws of Hannah. 

Verdict: That leaves two funny ladies. I think Deschanel was uproarious in this episode, but still falls short of the emotional/comedic punch that overdue Poehler wallops in an election-themed episode. Did we already get a preview of her victory speech?

HOW MY BALLOT WOULD LOOK:

Winner: Amy Poehler
Runner-Up: Zooey Deschanel
3: Lena Dunham
4: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
5: Tina Fey
6: Edie Falco
7: Melissa McCarthy

Emmy Voter 2012: Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

ML- In all the acting categories at the Emmys, nominees submit one episode (or "tape") they feel showcases their best work that season. I've been watching all the submitted "tapes" and reviewing them critically to help determine which actor/actress is most deserving come Emmy night.

Next up today is Comedy Supporting Actress

Mayim Bialik as Amy Fowler in The Big Bang Theory
Submission: "The Shiny Trinket Maneuver"
A.K.A. The One Where... Sheldon isn't excited about Amy's publication in a scientific journal, so she gets angry, forcing Sheldon to take Penny's advice and buy her some jewelry: a tiara, which Amy flips out over.
Notes: Bialik only appears in two scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end, and the one at the beginning isn't funny. Her excitement when she sees the tiara is funny, but hardly enough to pass as a well-rounded acting performance.
Verdict: Apparently Bialik has many better episodes and is a fan favorite, as well as a veteran actress. I would hate to see her win this year, but Big Bang has defied my predictions before.
Grade: 4.5/10

Julie Bowen as Claire Dunphy in Modern Family
Submission: "Go Bullfrogs!"
A.K.A. The One Where... Claire has a free night and, rather than watch Gone With the Wind with the other moms, goes out on the town with Mitch and Cam's friend, who isn't gay like she assumes, making for an awkward, inappropriate night.
Notes: Bowen lets loose in this one, for once not being the uptight one, and its a relief. Her scenes with Gilles Marini are farcical and fun and the payoff with the other moms at the end is a fine comedic moment.
Verdict: Bowen won last year and should take this again. While I'd rather see someone else win, I can't deny she was the best.
Grade: 8/10

Kathryn Joosten as Karen McKluskey in Desperate Housewives
Submission: "Finishing the Hat"
A.K.A. The One Where... Karen asks Bree to find her a specific record (and record player) before she dies. Later, Karen succumbs to her cancer while listening to the record.
Notes: Joosten passed away just a few months after this aired of the same cancer as her character. Joosten, who was beloved in Hollywood, may receive the Emmy posthumously. Unfortunately, like Bialik, she has only a couple scenes in the episode before her death, and they're more sad than funny.
Verdict: Joosten is given little material of merit, but outside forces could give her another Emmy for the role, which she won Guest Actress for twice in the past.
Grade: 3.5/10

Sofia Vergara as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in Modern Family
Submission: "Tableau Vivant"
A.K.A. The One Where... Gloria is jealous of Jay's friendship with a waitress at the restaurant where he has a sandwich named after him. She also refuses to eat the sandwich, upsetting him.
Notes: Gloria is likable and funny here, a solid tape for Vergara who, like Ed O'Neill, had little to do this season. Her jokes land better than usual and her jealousy makes her more relatable.
Verdict: Good episode, but probably not going to sway enough voters to give her the win.
Grade: 7/10

Merritt Wever as Zoey Barkow in Nurse Jackie
Submission: "One-Armed Jacks"
A.K.A. The One Where... Zoey looks for a roommate but has her posters torn down by Cruz. Later, Jackie lets her stay with her while Kevin has the kids, and Zoey does a happy pancakes dance.
Notes: Wever in Nurse Jackie seasons 1 and 2 was one of my favorite comedic actresses ever. Season 4 marked a return to form for the show, but I feel this nomination comes too late for Wever. Her pancake dance is incredibly charming, but it probably won't be enough to send her dancing up to the podium Sunday.
Verdict: Wever deserved this nomination a few years ago, and good for her for getting it now. Will she win for her body of work rather than this episode? That's the only way I see it happening.
Grade: 6.5/10

Kristen Wiig as Various Characters in Saturday Night Live
Submission: "Mick Jagger"
A.K.A. The One Where... Kristin has her emotional farewell to SNL, and acts in sketches like Secret Word, the Lawrence Welk Show and The Californians.
Notes: Wiig is a love-her-or-hate-her force on the show, but personally, I love her. Even Secret Word and Californians make me laugh. Plus, the farewell at the end where every cast member and Lorne Michaels all dance their goodbyes and sing with Arcade Fire was really moving.
Verdict: McCarthy won last year thanks to her Bridesmaids affiliation. Will Wiig ride that success wave to her last chance at an Emmy? It's highly possible.
Grade: 7.5/10

How My Ballot Would Look:

Winner: Julie Bowen
Runner-Up: Kristen Wiig
3. Sofia Vergara
4. Merritt Wever
5. Mayim Bialik
6. Kathryn Joosten