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Kathy Bates edges out Britt Lower here, with Bella Ramsey in shouting distance — then there’s separation between the top three and the rest of the pack.
“It’s all coming up Kathy Bates,” says Trey Mangum. “This would be a super cool moment for a broadcast series in a major drama acting category.” As Kristen Baldwin points out, it has been a decade since a broadcast show’s lead actress won: Viola Davis in “How to Get Away With Murder.” “‘There’s a funny thing that happens when women age,’ Kathy Bates’ protagonist says early on in the ‘Matlock’ reboot,” relates Glenn Whipp. “‘We become damn near invisible.’ Unless, of course, you’re Kathy Bates, in which case you become the odds-on favorite to win a third Emmy.”
While shouting out Bates, Matt Roush adds, “Don’t count out Britt Lower [in] a role with an even higher degree of emotional difficulty.”
Tracy Brown says, “Among my favorites is Bella Ramsey, who did some heavy lifting on ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 as a moody teen-turned-grief-stricken warrior driven by revenge.”
1. Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
2. Britt Lower, “Severance”
3. Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
4. Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
5. Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
6. Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
7. Lashana Lynch, “The Day of the Jackal”
8. (tie) Sharon Horgan, “Bad Sisters”
8. (tie) Keira Knightley, “Black Doves”
More predictions: Drama actor / Drama series
Los Angeles Times
Lorraine Ali
1. Britt Lower, “Severance”
2. Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
3. (tie) Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
3. (tie) Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
5. (tie) Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
5. (tie) Sharon Horgan, “Bad Sisters”
“Britt Lower will be nominated for ‘Severance,’ Bella Ramsey for ‘The Last of Us’ and Kathy Bates for ‘Matlock.’ I can feel it in my bones (and I read Glenn Whipp). My wish? Melanie Lynskey included for playing the hatchet-wielding suburban mom Shauna in Season 3 of ‘Yellowjackets.’”
Entertainment Weekly
Kristen Baldwin
1. Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
2. Britt Lower, “Severance”
3. Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
4. Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
5. Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
6. Keira Knightley, “Black Doves”
“Fun fact: It’s been a full decade since an actress on a broadcast TV show won in this category (Viola Davis, for ABC’s ‘How to Get Away With Murder’). Kathy Bates could (and should) break that dry spell with her delightful turn as the folksy-fierce Matty Matlock in CBS’ legal drama. Meanwhile, Keira Knightley deserves a nod for the suspenseful spy thriller ‘Black Doves’ (even if it is more of a comedy than a drama).”
Los Angeles Times
Tracy Brown
1. Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
2. Britt Lower, “Severance”
3. Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
4. Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
5. Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
6. Lashana Lynch, “The Day of the Jackal”
“‘Matlock’s’ Kathy Bates’ and Britt Lower of ‘Severance’ should break through alongside several returning nominees. Among my favorites is Bella Ramsey, who did some heavy lifting on ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 as a moody teen-turned-grief-stricken warrior driven by revenge.”
Shadow and Act
Trey Mangum
1. Britt Lower, “Severance”
2. Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
3. Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
4. Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
5. Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
6. Lashana Lynch, “The Day of the Jackal”
“It’s all coming up Kathy Bates. It seems not only will she be nominated this year but this would be a super cool moment for a broadcast series. While ‘Abbott Elementary’ has kept broadcast alive for comedy, Bates is single-handedly doing it for drama.”
TV Guide
Matt Roush
1. Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
2. Britt Lower, “Severance”
3. Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
4. Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
5. Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
6. Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
“Even if the voters pass on ‘Matlock’ as a series, they’ll have a harder time ignoring Kathy Bates as the crafty lawyer playing a long game. Don’t count out Britt Lower (‘Severance’) as the equally two-faced Helly R./Helena Eagan, a role with an even higher degree of emotional difficulty.”
Los Angeles Times
Glenn Whipp
1. Kathy Bates, “Matlock”
2. Britt Lower, “Severance”
3. Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
4. Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
5. Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
6. Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
“‘There’s a funny thing that happens when women age,’ Kathy Bates’ protagonist says early on in the ‘Matlock’ reboot. ‘We become damn near invisible.’ Unless, of course, you’re Kathy Bates, in which case you become the odds-on favorite to win a third Emmy.”
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