Emmy Review: Limited Series
Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 2:38PM by Juan Carlos
"And the Emmy goes to Watchmen."
Truth be told, it is hard to see a scenario where any other nominee overtakes HBO's series, which is the most nominated this year. The second-most nominated limited series Hollywood (with 11 nominations) was not even nominated in this, the top category. All of the other shows have a crucial nomination missing. Watchmen’s nomination haul demonstrates overwhelming support. Interesting to note that all of the nominees in this category are female-driven stories. Here is one last take on the contenders for limited series…..
Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
5 nominations including Directing
Adapted from the novel by Celeste Ng, this series is about the unpredictable relationship between an upright landlady Elena (Reese Witherspoon) and her inscrutable new tenant Mia (Kerry Washington). As tensions continue to rise between them, issues regarding sex and race are unearthed, exposing the truth beneath their pleasant exteriors. Highly melodramatic, the show embraces its soapy inclinations packaged as high-brow social commentary on privilege. It packs a lot of potential in its multiple themes and tries to find the intersectionality in these, but it mostly comes across as a hodgepodge of ideas that never takes off. Most of the episodes are executed with polish, with scenes between Elena and Mia providing unpredictable relationship dynamics. However, the flashback episode “The Uncanny” is an unnecessary detour that provides minimal purpose for the overall narrative. The last episode “Find a Way” itself is contrived, with a climactic moment that's symbolic yet bombastic at the same time. The cast range from okay to very good, with the exception of Reese Witherspoon, unpacking her ingrained hypocrisy and need for perfection with careful detail. The resulting show is well-intentioned, but spotty and haphazard.
Mrs. America (FX)
10 nominations including Writing
Retelling the fight to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment during the 1970s and the fervent resistance by the anti-feminist movement led by the notorious Phyllis Schlafly, this limited series follows the lives of several women involved in that tumultuous fight. On a visual level, the recreation of that chaotic era is praise-worthy, with the conservatism of the 1960s constantly battling with the rebellious liberty of the 1970s through its impeccably crafted costumes, production design, and hairstyling. The intensity of the moment is perfectly captured by its stellar cast, with varying acting styles, energies, and character works used to maximum effect. At the center of the narrative is Cate Blanchett’s Schlafly, a multi-layered recreation of this abhorrent woman. Through the shifting perspectives in episodes like “Shirley” and “Houston” are emotional roller-coasters showing the multi-faceted female experience at the time. The show ends strongly with “Reagan”, a reminder that the inability to pass the ERA is a resounding defeat to all women, even to the anti-feminist Schlafly. It is a captivating time capsule of a moment in American history that is still relevant today.
Unbelievable (Netflix)
4 nominations including Writing
A harrowing account of two investigations involving rape cases, the show depicts how the criminal justice system has failed women who experienced sexual assault. The first storyline sees Marie (Kaitlyn Dever) be heavily scrutinized after being raped in her own apartment. “Episode 1” is one of the most harrowing episodes of television this season, showing us how the system and our society disadvantages the victims. It is infuriating and powerful to behold. As the next episodes detail, two female detectives (Toni Collette and Merritt Wever) do exactly the opposite of the initial investigators: their care, professionalism, and compassion helps them to do their jobs most effectively. With tight writing, tense directing, masterfully calibrated performances, and sharp editing, the eight episodes encapsulate the complexity of these two cases in a way that is thorough and engaging. As we reach its final episode, we are afforded with much-needed catharsis that makes the whole journey feel complete.
Unorthodox (Netflix)
8 nominations including Directing and Writing
The surprise inclusion of this category, this gripping story of a woman named Esty escaping her Hasidic community to find freedom in Germany catapults itself to the dark horse position in this race. The show understands the necessity to capture the cultural specificity of this story in order for the audience to fully grasp its dramatic intensity. With a concise four-episode run, the series flies by with the engrossing storytelling. Its direction achieves the fine line between restraint and vigor, giving each episode palpable energy and emotional resonance. Meanwhile, the writing never cuts corners in making sure that every character involved in this story has their humanity and truth. As Esty’s bashful husband, Amit Rahav finds the aching heart underneath the masculinity ascribed by his community. Meanwhile, Shira Haas is a force of nature at the center of this whirlwind narrative. With a performance so complete and so raw, she sheds any possibility of artifice and just shows us her eventful journey, internal and external. This is a beautifully crafted show to its core.
Watchmen (HBO)
26 nominations including Directing (3x) and Writing
And we reach the mammoth in the race. The limites series focuses on Angela Abar (Regina King), a Tulsa Police detective who investigates the murder of her superior and the reemergence of a white supremacist group. As her work goes deeper, she discovers the heavily racial background that connects to the recent events that happened to her and in her town. Exploring racial tensions through the lens of vigilantism within the superhero genre, the show finds its ultimate strength in utilizing the trappings of its genre, pushing them, and then recontextualizing them. There is no shortage of standout moments. The pilot episode provides us with the astounding recreation of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, showing us the horrors of racism in America in terrifying full display. Meanwhile, “This Extraordinary Being” is an unflinching visual spectacle that sees the birth of vigilantism. This is a show that asks viewers to be patient and attentive to be able to fully grasp its story, making it quite a cerebral experience. While I admire the show more than I love it, I am simply floored by its overall vision and how it was able to pull off such ambition with complete command of audio-visual storytelling.
Personal Ranking:
-
Unbelievable
-
Unorthodox
-
Mrs. America
-
Watchmen
-
Little Fires Everywhere
Predicted Winner: Watchmen
Potential Spoiler: Unorthodox
DRAMA
Actress | Actor | Supp Actress | Supp Actor | Guest Actress | Guest Actor
COMEDY
Actress | Actor | Supp. Actress | Supp Actor | Guest Actress | Guest Actor
LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE
Limited Series | Movie | Actress | Actor | Supp Actor | Supp Actress
MISC
Costumes, Fantasy | Costumes, Period | Animated Program
Reader Comments (26)
Superb write-up. I think I liked Little Fires Everywhere much more than you did, and I also think Watchmen had some truly astounding moments.
I agree that Unorthodox is the potential spoiler but, like with comedy actress, I don't see anything going against Watchmen that will cost it the win.
After watching Normal People because Paul Mescal got nominated, I'm very sad it's not here, though I do think this is an extremely strong lineup.
And Normal People should have been here in place of Little Fires
Unbelievable is also my number 1 pick
Unorthodox would be my pick. Best TV of 2020 that didn’t star an animated horse person.
Unbelievable was the best TV of the year. It won't win, but it should.
Your ranking is my ranking too with Unorthodox and Mrs. America switching positions back and forth.
I’m rooting for Unbelievable to win which is sadly not going to happen!
I cannot decide between "Unbreakable" or "Mrs.America" as they are both really outstanding. However, we all know "Watchmen" is taking this.
Watchmen towers over everything else here for me and I hope it wins.
Mrs. America was great as well. I enjoyed watching Little Fires Everywhere even as I knew it was ultimately not the artistic achievement it wanted to be. It's soapiness constantly feels at odds with its intentions, but I admit to eating it up. I actually think the kids on the show give the best performances.
I am interested to see where this jubilant enthusiasm for Watchmen will lead. Can the group of voters who obviously adore this science fiction carry the HBO limited series across the finish line?
Looking at past Emmy history for limited series reminds us that other programs that generated great passion, strong ratings, and double digit nominations came up short in the final count.
In 1976, ABC devoted seven nights to the limited series Rich Man, Poor Man that followed the stories of the hunky Jordache brothers (Peter Strauss and Nick Nolte). The celebrated program received 23 Emmy nominations but lost the top prize to the fourth season of the British soap opera Upstairs, Downstairs.
in 1983, ABC produced another successful miniseries. The Thorn Birds explored the amorous adventures of an Australian priest (Richard Chamberlain). Second in popularity only to Roots, the four episode limited series reaped 16 Emmy nominations but lost the top prize to a syndicated theatrical adaptation of Charles Dickens's Nicholas Nickelby.
In 1989, 26 million viewers watched the CBS four episode miniseries, Lonesome Dove, followed the story of two former Texas Rangers (Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones) who live near the Rio Grande. This show pulled in a whopping 18 Emmy nominations but ultimately lost the top prize for War and Remembrance, a sequel to an earlier limited series, The Winds of War.
I think it is Watchmen and agree that the surprise love for Unorthodox might be telling and prove it to be a dark horse.
Pretty solid lineup even if I'd personally easily replace LFE for Normal People.
Mrs America all the way
Loved Watchmen, no idea how someone who hasn't read the comic book would respond it. Kind of surprised it was as widely liked as it was.
Unorthodox was quite good, but I felt a little shortchanged by the end. I feel like it could have used an extra episode or two.
I think I liked Mrs. America more while watching it than I do in retrospect. It was kind of missing a certain something and felt a little more budgetarily challenged for how sprawling it was.
I sort of liked Little Fires Everywhere but also thought it was kind of dumber than it thought it was. It's kind of a soap opera at heart and both of its protagonist struck me as insufferable busybodies who really needed to learn to mind their own business.
Unbelievable was probably the least flawed and most consistent of the non-Watchmen nominees and were it not for that juggernaut it would definately be my choice.
"Mrs. America" for everything! It is an astonishing, superbly crafted docudrama. I'm telling you.
Loved reading your responses, y'all. I just want to say that:
a) I would definitely replace Little Fires Everywhere with Normal People.
b) Normal People is actually my # 1 limited series of this season.
Except for Little Fires what an extraordinary lineup! Watchmen or Unbelievable would be my two faves. (Hope my comment goes through. Investors posted positive innocuous comments recently that have been censored /silenced. Nathaniel needs a rest from moderating because he’s slipping. Or just get the extra page clicks from the drama mamas fighting while us normies ignore them with ease)
outside of the pretty terrible Fires, this list consists of really great filmmaking. i think mrs. america is grossly undervalued and was one of the few pieces of Art of the tv season. unbelievable was beautifully done. unorthodox was crazy absorbing and fascinating and overrode its melodramatic plot weaknesses. but nothing else had the narrative daring or storytelling sweep of watchmen...it's so bold and exciting and surprising. i'd be thrilled to see mrs america win, but it won't and watchmen is a great winner that will stand the test of time.
Zee --you write
You have a strange sense of internet traffic if you think the comment problems we've been having are HELPING traffic. They do the opposite. We lose wonderful readers that way because nobody who understands and loves the joy of discussing movies with other movie lovers is here for boring repetitive infighting (which you can literally get in a gazillion places online). they're here for the love of movies and oscars and showbiz.
anyway, as I stated in the Oscar Inclusion comments. from here on out i will not be approving any comments that insult the team -- which includes me -- or other commenters or that are spam like in nature (i.e. the same comment on every post which has nothing to do with the post in question) or that are obviously someone pretending to be someone they're not.
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Thank you for listening. Now let us never have to speak of it again.
1. Unbelievable
2. Watchmen
3. Unorthodox
4. Mrs. America
5. Little Fires Everywhere
Little Fires is the stinker of the batch. In its place should have been Normal People.
Not sure about all the hype surrounding WATCHMEN, the show itself is at times great and terrible.it is extremely ambitious so not always hitting the mark is to be expected.
Mrs. America is great but weirdly enough is all about the supporting actresses they made me watch it they're all brilliant, as much as I adore Cate Blanchett this is not "her" show, most of the time she's the character I cared less for.
LFE is soapy and easy to watch; it's taken the spot of the "should be the winner" , Normal People.
Unbelievable or Unorthodox deserve the win; for me it looks like an easy call.
I really liked Little Fires Everywhere, but I also watched it as melodrama. I did not like Mrs America as much because I didn't find Phyllis to be a particularly interesting person. I nearly gave the show an extra half a star because they didn't have Phyllis in age old makeup writing her Trump book and saying “I’d have gotten the job if I were a man”.
I really need to watch "Unorthodox", but I still don't have much interest in "Watchmen" unfortunately.
@MJS, I didn't read the comic, or watch the movie, and I found Watchmen very easy to follow and rather cohesive. Of course, reading reviews/articles online that linked the comic to the show helped, but I think things were well explained without.
I think this is the best category of the year, or at least better than the other series categories. Each of these shows is offering something different, thoughtful, and is a real achievement. However, in addition to its nomination haul and timeliness, Watchmen really towers over this group.
I think Unorthdox would make a nice spoiler, and Mrs. America is right at the heels of Watchmen. However, Watchmen is good AND it's really hard to beat the HBO machine in the Movie/Mini category unless there is an undeniable alternative (e.g., Downton, etc.).
I agree Watchmen is going to win. I enjoyed all 5 of these and I'm still so happy for Unorthodox getting it, it was such a true gem.
I'm a woman who came of age in the 70's and Gloria Steinem was one of my idols.
"Mrs.America" may not be perfect but it was great to see those times, those women, and those issues given a chance to be brought to life. I liked this series so much I bought a copy.
Even so, I think "Unbelievable" was even better. It was a hard watch, but it's a superb series.
I would bet that "The Watchmen" will win the Emmy.
It looks like I'm going to have to find some time to watch "Unorthodox".
Great article, and Nathaniel I am very sorry you and your talented staff have to deal with any unkind and ungrateful comments. Please take any action you deem necessary.
Nathaniel, the word investors was an autocorrect of ‘imposters’ that I missed. Looking back context clues made that obvious, but I can forgive you what with choosing to be sole moderator of the comments here. You sound very unhappy and mentally ill at ease, and I can assure you that i say that with all sincerity and not to be twisted by your current funk and cynical lens you’ve been placing on most things lately. We love and appreciate the site and my comment about traffic is based on other sites growing numbers, but sacrificing community and an open vibe to achieve that. So although I was factually correct, I apologise that you took it as an opinion against you. Also, the happy healthy Nathaniel that we all know and love does not currently shut down productive, positive and constructive commenting. Don’t be worse than the trolls you say you despise.
Thank you Nathaniel and all is forgiven. I was very hurt but understood your reaction.