LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES
Dopesick (Hulu)
The Dropout (Hulu)
Inventing Anna (Netflix)
Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
The White Lotus (HBO)
Will and should win: The White Lotus
Could win: The Dropout
Should have been nominated: Under the Banner of Heaven (Hulu)
The skinny: Spring 2022 brought us a glut of miniseries based on real criminals, but it’s still surprising voters decided on Inventing Anna and Pam & Tommy instead of the superior Under the Banner of Heaven and The Staircase. But it doesn’t matter, because the only purely fictional show here will dominate the evening. Mike White’s The White Lotus took everyone by surprise last summer: a caustic, deeply funny and often uncomfortable show about the rich guests and poor staff of a luxury hotel in Hawaii. It will have been more than a year since the last episode aired by the time Mike White accepts the first of many awards at the ceremony, but its power won’t have diminished.
ACTOR IN A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Colin Firth, The Staircase
Andrew Garfield, Under the Banner of Heaven
Oscar Isaac, Scenes from a Marriage
Michael Keaton, Dopesick
Himesh Patel, Station Eleven
Sebastian Stan, Pam & Tommy
Will win: Colin Firth
Could win: Michael Keaton
Should win: Andrew Garfield
Should have been nominated: Jon Bernthal, We Own This City
The skinny: Firth already has an Oscar, but his turn in The Staircase is his greatest performance. This is a stacked category, and I won’t be bothered if any of these gents win. I still think Garfield – who plays a Mormon detective whose faith is rocked by a grisly case – is the clear champion, but judging by how little the show was recognized, he feels like a longshot.
ACTRESS IN A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Toni Collette, The Staircase
Julia Garner, Inventing Anna
Lily James, Pam & Tommy
Sarah Paulson, Impeachment: American Crime Story
Margaret Qualley, Maid
Amanda Seyfried, The Dropout
Will win: Amanda Seyfried
Could win: Julia Garner
Should win: Margaret Qualley
Should have been nominated: Jessica Chastain, Scenes from a Marriage
The skinny: Here’s where I admit I haven’t seen The Dropout, despite its acclaim. I’m still skeptical of any story that’s already been told succinctly in two hours – in this case Alex Gibney’s doc The Inventor – spread out over 8-10 hours. This feels like Seyfried’s award to lose, even going against heavyweights like Garner and Paulson. I still prefer Qualley, giving the performance of her career so far as a single mother running into the buzzsaw of bureaucracy after leaving her abusive husband.
SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus
Jake Lacy, The White Lotus
Will Poulter, Dopesick
Seth Rogen, Pam & Tommy
Peter Sarsgaard, Dopesick
Michael Stuhlbarg, Dopesick
Steve Zahn, The White Lotus
Will and should win: Murray Bartlett
Could win: Michael Stuhlbarg
Should have been nominated: Gil Birmingham, Under the Banner of Heaven
The skinny: Even if The White Lotus wasn’t set up for a major run, Bartlett would be a slam dunk. As the put-upon concierge of the hotel, he’s always one disaster away from a relapse, barely keeping his contempt for the guests in check. It’s masterful comedic work.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR TV MOVIE
Connie Britton, The White Lotus
Jennifer Coolidge, The White Lotus
Alexandra Daddario, The White Lotus
Kaitlyn Dever, Dopesick
Natasha Rothwell, The White Lotus
Sydney Sweeney, The White Lotus
Will and should win: Jennifer Coolidge
Could win: Kaitlyn Dever
Should have been nominated: Parker Posey, The Staircase
The skinny: Coolidge also seems like a lock, though the ladies of the show could possibly cancel each other out, leaving Dever to sneak in. But I wouldn’t bet on it.
WRITING FOR A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Dopesick (“The People vs. Purdue Pharma”)
The Dropout (“I’m in a Hurry”)
Impeachment: American Crime Story (“Man Handled”)
Maid (“Snaps”)
Station Eleven (“Unbroken Circle”)
The White Lotus
Will and should win: The White Lotus
Could win: The Dropout
Should have been nominated: Under the Banner of Heaven
The skinny: There’s no big personal achievement in this category (like last year’s winner I May Destroy You), so I will be shocked if The White Lotus loses.
DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED/ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
Dopesick (“The People vs. Purdue Pharma”)
The Dropout (“Green Juice”)
The Dropout (“Iron Sisters”)
Maid (“Sky Blue”)
Station Eleven (“Wheel of Fire”)
The White Lotus
Will and should win: The White Lotus
Could win: Station Eleven
Should have been nominated: The Staircase
The skinny: Station Eleven, with its massive cast and scope, feels like the only competition The White Lotus will face.