At last: Betsy Brandt will be Emmy bound for ‘Better Call Saul’ guest spot as Marie Schrader

Eight long years after the legendary “Breaking Bad” saga came to a heavenly close, Betsy Brandt graced us with an unexpected appearance as her character Marie Schrader on the series finale of “Better Call Saul.” This AMC prequel is reaching a similar status of its own.

Brandt’s critically lauded, grief-stricken widow absent of her famously favored color purple, made every single second of her screen time count in “Saul Gone.” She delivered a show-stopping, teary-eyed monologue that ranked amongst the highlights of “Saul’s” swan song episode. The ocean of subtext made the moment eternally affecting and fitting. More than fans could have ever hoped for.

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Despite “Breaking Bad” garnering a whopping 58 Emmy nominations (16 of them resulted in wins), Brandt somehow never received recognition for her work as Marie. And considering how multiple male actors were able to make the supporting lineup over the years (Aaron Paul, Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito), it seems unjust for Marie to never
have been included alongside her sister at the Emmys.

For context, Anna Gunn, played Skylar White, Brandt’s sister and Walter White’s (Bryan Cranston) wife. She benefited from both the brilliantly devious writing of Vince Gilligan and Cranston’s impossibly empathetic performance (Cranston won four Emmys for the role). Gunn won two Emmys and was nominated three times in the supporting actress category.

No matter though, because Brandt (currently ranked 8th in our combined odds) has a chance to finally be recognised this year in the Drama Guest Actress category. It would be a more than deserved parting gift for the actress’ criminally underrated brilliance in the role. She featured in all 63 episodes of IMDb’s highest-rated narrative tv series, in which she dealt admirably with Hank’s mineral obsession.

Further, Brandt will benefit from the overpopulation of contenders in the category from HBO juggernauts “The Last of Us” and “Succession.”

The iconic nature of her role and the acclaim for the final season of “Saul” will surely help her shine singularly amongst the packed field. An apple in a crate of oranges. With a recent Critics Choice Awards nomination for her supporting role on AMC’s “Soulmates” and two SAG ensemble awards for AMC’s “Breaking Bad” under her belt, she is well overdue for an Emmy nomination.

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