All right, all right, all right. The Emmy nominees were announced on Thursday, and Matthew McConaughey joined the short list of actors who have received both an Oscar and an Emmy nod in the same year. It was a good morning for “Orange Is the New Black” and “True Detective,” and a bloody good morning for “Game of Thrones,” which earned a leading nineteen nominations. Meanwhile, the Clone Club is not happy, and there was conspicuous Twitter umbrage on behalf of Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler, “The Americans,” and “The Good Wife.” There will certainly be more to argue about on August 25th, when Seth Meyers hosts the ceremony. Until then, read our past coverage of some of the Emmy nominees:
“The Big Bang Theory”
In 2010, Tom Bissell profiled the show’s co-creator, Chuck Lorre, and, in May of this year, Evan Osnos wrote about the show’s popularity in China.
Illustration by Andy Friedman.
“Louie”
In her review of the fourth season, Emily Nussbaum addressed the backlash against the show and explained how the new season “dared us to talk back.”
Andrew Marantz wrote about C.K.’s recently released 1997 experimental film, “Tomorrow Night,” Avi Steinberg compared C.K. to Gogol, and, in a piece about education, Rebecca Mead discussed C.K.’s outspoken frustration with the Common Core standards.
Illustration by Dan Adel.
“Orange Is the New Black”
When Emily Nussbaum reviewed the first season last year, she praised the show for “leaning into and then subverting our expectations of a ‘Caged Heat’ melodrama.” She found the second season even better—“at once more nuanced and more damning.” At Culture Desk, Ruth Margalit wrote about a campaign to improve the conditions at the real jail upon which the show’s fictional one is based.
Illustration by Peter Strain.
“Veep”
In her review of the second season last May, Emily Nussbaum discussed the show’s maturation, calling it “a master class in how tweaks can transform a series.”
Illustration by Autumn Whitehurst.
“Breaking Bad”
Emily Nussbaum wrote about the final season’s premiere, checked in again after Walter and Skyler’s fascinating mid-season phone call, and, when it was all over, reviewed the “closure-happy finale.” Tad Friend wrote a Profile of Bryan Cranston, and Nate Lavey showed Cranston’s evolution as an actor. For Shouts & Murmurs, Bill Barol gave us selections from his “Breaking Bad” fan fiction, and, at Culture Desk, Rachel Syme wrote about Albuquerque’s “Breaking Bad” tourism industry.
Illustration by Maximilian Bode.
“Downton Abbey”
In her review of the fourth season, in January, Sasha Weiss praised the show’s pleasing “sameness.” Hendrik Hertzberg wrote about linguistic anachronisms on the show, and, in a Shouts & Murmurs piece, John Hodgman watched the premiere with his cats.
“Game of Thrones”
Rachel Syme’s review of the fourth season for Culture Desk named two kinds of female characters on the show, those who are “deprived of power” and those, like Arya Stark, “who are actualized to make their own destinies.” In Talk of the Town, Sarah Larson attended a screening of the premiere at Lincoln Center featuring a live performance of the show’s theme song.
“House of Cards”
Ian Crouch reviewed the second season premiere for Culture Desk, calling it a show about various kinds of contempt—including “an eager disdain for the audience itself.” Evan Osnos wrote about the show’s “contemporary and plausible” representation of China.
“Mad Men”
Emily Nussbaum’s review of the sixth season last year focussed on the show’s “Don Draper problem,” charting how Don had gone from “mystery” to mere symbol. During the latest season, Nussbaum wrote in praise of “slow ‘Mad Men’ ”—the way the show “relishes lingering and withholding, pausing and fetishizing, forcing the audience to gaze at endlessly interpretable images.” Liza Donnelly live-sketched the premiere for Culture Desk, and, for Shouts, Jay Martel provided a sneak peak of the final season
Illustration by The Kitten. Photograph courtesy of Michael Yarish/AMC.
“True Detective”
Emily Nussbaum was firmly against the show, calling the first season out for its “macho nonsense,” and she remained unmoved by the finale. Rachel Syme wrote about the inflated expectations that come with series finales during the age of prestige TV, and Ian Crouch wrote about the show’s tendency to inspire parodies and memes.
Illustration by Victor Melamed.
