Your Modern Family-, Dexter-defending empress Julie Miller has plenty of ideas about this morning's Golden Globe Nominations. Your 30 Rock- and Mad Men-loving fogy Louis Virtel has different ones. When paired in the same AIM chat window under their high school screennames, the two start to agree before diverging forever when it comes to the team spirit of Glee. Shudder.
Please consult S.T. VanAirsdale's comprehensive entry for all the nominees.
Acting
Julie: I guess Best Actor in Drama is one of the closest categories. Who do you think will take that?
Louis: You'll notice Bryan Cranston's not nominated there, and he was the Emmy winner! And man, not even a nomination for Gabriel Byrne on In Treatment. His character is full of wisdom and feelings. What gives, HFP?
Julie: Right, last year In Treatment was nominated for Best Television Series, Best Actor (Byrne), Best Supporting Actress (Melissa George, Dianne Wiest) and Best Supporting Actor (Blair Underwood)
Julie: Did something happen this past season that I'm missing?
Louis: Weirdly, no. The opposite, in fact -- Byrne was heavily favored to win the Emmy this year. Thanks to those omissions, this is an interesting category. I'm going to throw it to Michael C. Hall.
Julie: Right, this was the strongest season of Dexter by far, and I think that last weekend's bloody bathtub season finale is going to stick with a lot of voters.
Louis: Precisely. The group of Dramatic Actresses this year is a brooding bunch! I feel really good about January Jones's chances, particularly since her PR team put her on a blitz recently. And yet, where is Emmy-nominee Elisabeth Moss?
Julie: Jones's SNL hosting abilities ruined her chances for me. Anna Paquin won last year.
Louis: Now, see, if SNL hosting gigs factor in, January's D.O.A., and then Joseph Gordon-Levitt also wins the "GOOD EFFORT" award.
Julie: Do you think the foreign press is ready to award Kyra Sedgwick?
Louis: I love obligation awards. I don't feel like The Closer is getting better or worse. I don't see any reason for her to win this year other than out of sheer empathy.
Julie: I feel like Julianna Margulies could take take Best Actress in a Drama. Glenn Close and Paquin have already won.
Louis: Margulies is handsome and leans in over the table. I like that in a Dramatic Actress.
Julie: Me too. Now, onto these "comedies": I hate that Courteney Cox and Edie Falco are nominated in the category.
Louis: I like Edie and Tina Fey's chances here. Oh, and Toni Collette. She won the Emmy. But is she multiple personalities of LOSER for the Golden Globes?
Julie: Lea Michele is also a no. I would like to hear her sing "Don't Rain on My Parade" at the ceremony.
Louis: Remember when Barbra Streisand sang that and it was cool?
Julie: We'll fight about this momentarily.
Series Awards
Julie: Moving on...Best TV Series? The strangest thing about these nominees, for me, is why Nurse Jackie is considered a comedy.
Louis: I feel the same way about Glee. I believe it is a strange, song-filled expressionist dirge.
Julie: Also, In Treatment was screwed this year.
Louis: Anyway: House is out. So is Big Love. I think it's still Mad Men. I just don't think Dexter can take both Best Actor and Best TV Series.
Julie: True Blood is also out. I'm still stuck on Dexter's bloody bathtub, but the smart money is on Mad Men, which won last year.
Louis: Now, the Comedy contest is more interesting. 30 Rock should take it, but -- no, wait, it will take it. Modern Family is far too young. And Glee isn't ready either, since it is lame. And enough with effing Entourage.
Julie: I think Modern Family could take it, maybe I am being naive. I feel like 30 Rock has peaked. Mind you, it's still better than most things on TV, but Modern Family is fresh and surpassed everyone's expectations for an ABC comedy. And why isn't Ed O'Neill nominated instead of Thomas Jane!?
Louis: With a single nomination, Modern Family would be a pretty thrilling victory.
The Ascent of Glee
Julie: I think Glee could have totally taken this category if they hadn't kept the fake pregnancy plotline so long. So many nominations!
Louis: I guess I'm in denial. I find the show so uneven, artificial, and cliched. I can handle Jane Lynch's nomination, but Matthew Morrison? Tell me one interesting thing about that character.
Julie Agreed, he's a total wet blanket. Every character is a wet blanket except for Jane Lynch. I'd be fine with Jane Lynch lighting the high school on fire with everyone inside. But I did like the episode where Matthew Morrison formed the boy band. That episode really hit home for me on some level. Let's go back to that great idea you just had. If Jane Lynch chloroform-choked the rest of the cast, threw them in a hay loft, mentioned something about team building, and blew them up, it would be a pretty good storyline. Ugh, the boy band! It was so precious for me. Precious: Based on the Bullshit by Disney Called High School Musical. That was my tipping point. I loved it, hated that I loved it, then started hating myself and the series afterward. But come on: When Rachel and Finn practiced alone onstage, they have real heat. They should totally be nominated for a "Best Chemistry" award by MTV or something
Louis: I will leave this IM box. I thought we were having a conversation about craft. You must have has the hormonal control of a mouthbreathing preteen to think they're foxy. And there is nothing wrong with that. Or something. No, there is. There just is.
Julie: Rachel and Finn's chemistry is undeniable!
Louis: Gross. Don't Stop Believing in therapy.
Julie: Whatever.