Emmy Experts Typing: Can ‘Mrs. Davis’ and ‘The Diplomat’ crash the drama races?

Welcome to Emmy Experts Typing, a weekly column in which Gold Derby editors and Experts Joyce Eng and Christopher Rosen discuss the Emmy race — via Slack, of course. This week, with the release of “Mrs. Davis” and “The Diplomat,” we tackle drama.

Christopher Rosen: Hello, Joyce! If it’s a day of the week that ends with the letter Y, you can be sure I have a new favorite Emmy contender. This week, that’s the Peacock series “Mrs. Davis,” an ostensible drama for awards purposes but a show that blends together so many different tones and genres that it almost defies classification. When I was telling a real-life friend about “Mrs. Davis” last night, I compared it to “The Stand,” “Fight Club,” “The Truman Show,” “The Big Lebowski,” Amazon’s “Good Omens” and then also none of those but maybe “Southland Tales” too? Regardless, having mainlined the entire season this week (the first four episodes are now streaming on Peacock; screener lyfe!), I already have “Mrs. Davis” in that last slot in my Best Drama Series predictions and star Betty Gilpin tha god represented among the Best Drama Actress nominees. That’s silly, maybe, but also not without some potential merit: We’ve spoken about how it’s not very easy to fill out the drama series category beyond the obvious six plus one: “Succession,” “The White Lotus,” “The Last of Us,” “Yellowjackets,” “Better Call Saul,” “The Crown,” and then, for me, “House of the Dragon.” That means “Mrs. Davis” is competing with “Andor” and “The Mandalorian,” “Yellowstone” and “1923,” “The Boys” and other dramas — and while Peacock has not yet broken through with the TV academy, maybe this is the year. It definitely leveled up thanks to “Poker Face,” “Mrs. Davis,” the upcoming “Bupkis” (another me fave), and its array of unscripted programming and first-run movies that went viral (“M3gan” and “Cocaine Bear”). A note: This is not an ad for Peacock. But even if “Mrs. Davis” doesn’t get into the drama series category — it is a long shot, I know — I do think there is room for Gilpin in Best Drama Actress. That category remains wildly in flux — we don’t even know who is even going to end up competing there at this point — so without Sarah Snook and Rhea Seehorn, and because I’m not sure “Yellowjackets” can support any other nominees besides Melanie Lynskey, I went to Gilpin. She’s a former Emmy nominee for a sadly undervalued show in “GLOW” and “Mrs. Davis” gives her a full plate of material with which to work. Having her as the lead on this show feels almost like a cheat code: She can do anything — physical comedy, wry cynicism, explosive rage, believable faith and devotion, touching romance, and even just regular old silliness. I know she too is a long shot but stranger things have happened? Once again, I ask for your emotional labor to talk me off this ledge of recency bias and type some sense into this drama(atic) conversation.

joyceeng: First of all, I just need everyone to know that you, once again, went through Chris’ Three Stages of Watching a New Show with “Mrs. Davis.” However, in this case, you are unlikely to be the only one. The “Mrs. Davis” pilot is the most inscrutable hour with table-setting galore. But once the show gets going, it goes and it’s a whole lotta fun with brash swings and classic Damon Lindelof (who co-created it with Tara Hernandez) silliness. It’s like the wildest episodes of “The Leftovers” but for a whole season. It’s messy and chaotic, but its strong emotional tether ensures you never get lost. Plus, the fifth episode made me wanna watch “Air” again. I think it would really have to take off for it to land in series — it might be a little too weird for some — but I would never underestimate Gilpin. There is obviously a fierce Betty Gilpin Hive within the acting branch as she was not only the sole “GLOW” actor to be nominated every season but she survived the show’s annual diminishing support (10 noms to five to three; her power). And the category is soft enough for her to infiltrate it on a restricted ballot. In that same vein (not a humorous one), this week also saw the return of another three-time Emmy nominee: Keri Russell on “The Diplomat.” The Netflix political thriller comes from Debora Cahn, a graduate of “The West Wing” (she penned one of the best post-Sorkin eps, “The Supremes,” aka the one with Glenn Close), “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Homeland,” and “The Diplomat” is an amalgamation of the best aspects of all three. I mentioned the other day that it feels like an ABC Sundays-at-10 drama from 12 years ago, and that’s no shade at all. It’s immensely watchable and propulsive, and Russell is excellent, whether it’s flexing Kate Wyler’s skills and competence or barely containing her irritation at being forced to do performative dress-up or hilariously tackling Rufus Sewell into a bush. Since it’s on Netflix, we know “The Diplomat” will be watched — it’s No. 1 in the top 10 this Friday morning — and while I’m not gonna slot it into drama series (yet), I’ve been thinking about adding Russell since I finished the show last week for basically the same reasons Gilpin could happen. And you know I would love to see his-and-hers noms for my beloved Philip and Elizabeth Jennings once again. Could we have two late crashers to this race?

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Christopher Rosen: I don’t think it’s impossible: Without Snook and Seehorn here, and with Zendaya and Laura Linney among those past nominees who aren’t here again, Best Drama Actress is wide open spaces. Russell could definitely get in – we know people watch Netflix and the reviews seem to suggest “The Diplomat” is a stronger show than “Inventing Anna” or “Emily in Paris,” two recent shockingly mainstream Netflix nominees. By that logic, do you think “The Night Agent” could get in too? That series was such a hit Netflix already renewed it for a second season, and it does feel like a show that could have been on broadcast TV during the heyday of “24.” To be fair, I think both “The Diplomat” and “The Night Agent” probably have a better shot at cracking the Best Drama Series lineup, but I’ll ride or die for “Mrs. Davis” for a few more weeks — and also light a candle for Jake McDorman as Bradley Cooper in the Best Drama Supporting Actor field (as you reminded me, McDorman did basically play Cooper in the TV version of “Limitless,” a show I don’t remember at all!). We’ve made it this far without really talking about “Succession” so let’s do that, per our contractual obligations. My take on this banger of a season so far is: Snook should go lead; Kieran Culkin has, thus far, pushed himself ahead of Lip Balm Tom Wam; Brian Cox should stay in lead, but Jeremy Strong should win; and I’d like to find room in Best Drama Supporting Actor for David Rasche or Peter Friedman or both in addition to Culkin, Matthew Macfadyen and Alan Ruck. I know you’re in the Team Willa camp, and let’s put get Justine Lupe a nomination too?

joyceeng: Your “Limitless” (TV series) erasure is very rude to one of the notorious bubble shows of the 2015-16 season. But to answer your question, no, I’m not banking on “The Night Agent.” I mean, sure, it can get in, but it would’ve had a better shot in the 2021 field. And while quality isn’t all that matters, or even the most important, when it comes to awards, “The Diplomat” is way better than “The Night Agent,” “Inventing Anna” and “Emily in Paris” (no offense). While you’re stanning McDorman, I’ll stump for Sewell, who makes a meal out of his ostensible “husband role” and has intoxicating chemistry with Russell. Lupe deserves — ConWilla is the best “Succession” couple, and no, I will not be taking questions — but I’m not going to hopedict her at the moment, especially since Snook has not upgraded to lead yet. But if/once she does, supporting noms for J. Smith-Cameron and Lupe look totally feasible if voters go HAM for the final season, even on a restricted ballot. You know I would love to see Culkin win and I actually feel like he really, really can for the first time. Cox staying in lead would be peak Logan behavior and I would be here for it. I don’t think he would win (but how iconic would be it be if he did with two episodes and a cold open?), especially with Kendall’s KLR mode activated. You just said the other day that you plopped Nicholas Braun back in, but how long before you drop him for McDorman?

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Christopher Rosen: I’m definitely soft on Braun at the moment, but I’m not ready to go McDorman yet. His role and performance is pretty wonderful, though — a misdirect on expectations. Plus, he gets to share most of his scenes with either Gilpin or Chris Diamantopoulos, who is giving just insane behavior on “Mrs. Davis” that I just adored. We’ve been going on about this for a bit and haven’t even gotten to “Yellowjackets.” I’ll let you wrap this up while I go hit the Reddit boards to read about “Mrs. Davis”: How are you feeling about Season 2 and its many, many contenders?

joyceeng: I kinda feel bad for “Yellowjackets” because its, uh, buzz has been swallowed up by “Succession” every Sunday night and I’m not sure the hybrid release strategy (the fifth ep is streaming right now!) helps either with the divided conversation depending on when you watch the episode. But the cast, especially the younger cast, remains tremendous. Melanie Lynskey slayed in “Digestif” and Sophie Nélisse is coming for that lead nom between this week’s episode and the next one. I don’t know how many lead actress spots the show can pull (says the person who still has three of them in there), but I would not be surprised if Nélisse ends up being the season’s Queen Bee.

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