For me, the greatest Emmy injustice regarding Better Call Saul was the lack of recognition for Rhea Seehorn. No question, everyone who worked on that show deserved an award for their incredible work. I just felt like Seehorn's performance was so good, and so unique, that it deserved to be singled out.
Absolutely loved this season of Fargo. I agree that season 2 is still my favorite, but this was excellent throughout. Thanks for your article about the finale--that really helped illuminate the theme of debt throughout, something I think I was aware of in the background but didn't really pick up on all of the ways it was present for each character. That last scene was just a wonder. It was absolutely hilarious--the shot of Munch's intense glare interrupted by an orange soda bottle thrust into frame, followed by him growling, "A man is grateful" just killed me. And yet it was so moving at the same time. A powerful argument about forgiveness healing division--that resonated with me and felt like an important statement for the times we live in.
Also, I really want to pitch a spinoff series now. With Ole Munch freed from his debt, he now wanders the U.S. aimlessly. Each episode is him trying odd jobs. Selling Kias for Wayne, waiter at an upscale steakhouse, color announcer for the U of Minnesota hockey team...the possibilities are endless.
"A man has ordered a ribeye. The meat is...OVERCOOKED. A debt must be paid. The man will receive...a free dessert."
Alan, just a quick comment to say the newsletter is consistently great and helps me learn about great TV I wouldn't spot otherwise. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Re: your comment about ad breaks - the bloating of runtimes (looking at you, Stranger Things) has long made me think that people have forgotten the value of restrictions and challenges in making art. It feels like streaming made it easy to indulge the “why not include everything” attitude, and it’s led to bloat and unnecessary slack. Breaking Bad and BCS used ad breaks well, kept themselves lean (didn’t BB only go over its time slot twice, I think?), and no one would argue they compromised. I feel like art often comes from restrictions and challenges, or at least can be enhanced by it, and “we can do whatever” doesn’t always serve the product well.
Commercial breaks definitely force episodes to have a very defined structure, but I'd argue that those great writers you mention also include act breaks in their shows, just far fewer, and they're not delineated as such (i.e. going to black in the edit). Act breaks are simply story climaxes that come after a certain amount of rising action and propel your story in a new direction. Movies have act breaks. So do plays. Even shows without ads have climactic points within episodes that do this. They're fundamental to long-form story structure. So I think it's a bit misleading to say that great writers don't need them while others do; everybody needs act breaks and everybody should know that.
A problem in all this is that outlets force a certain number of commercial breaks on shows, which necessitates a certain number of acts, even if that's not the best thing for the story being told. A lack of structure in streaming shows is a legit issue, but I don't know if anyone would say that the way broadcast does it makes for great storytelling. (Broadcast drama has lately been teaser + five acts, oof.) One of the promises of streaming was maybe storytellers could tell stories in a different way, but of course now that's disappearing with the addition of commercial breaks. In a perfect world, your story would dictate the number of commercial breaks, not the other way around, but I doubt that'll be the case.
I guess I'd just be wary of saying that commercial breaks are some kind of grand solution since I think we'll just end up with broadcast-style schlock when the streamers stuff shows full of ads. And haven't we seen that show already?
Personally, I think just as big a problem in those not-great streaming shows is that streaming has encouraged the abandonment of the episode as a cohesive unit. When each hour of a show is just a continuation of seemingly endless stories, with no ultimate climax to each episode, no individual story being told, it all just feels like a slog.
Proposal to diversify the emmy results:Turn it into a sort of living-hall-of-fame.
Once you win, you’re done. All the acting awards are swept by Succession? Fantastic achievement! Each winning actor is in the pantheon, but no longer eligible to win in subsequent years. Game of Thrones wins best drama? It’s now been recognized as a significant part of TV history, next year we recognize one of the (at least) dozen other tremendous dramas on television.
It would have all sorts of logistical issues (would voters be comfortable giving a permanent award to a show with plenty of track left, a la seasons 4-6 of Game of Thrones,) and it would never happen (i’m sure the emmy’s wanted GoT fans tuning in year after year.) it just seems TV’s main award could use guardrails to prevent the types of overwhelming sweeps you outlined.
Wholeheartedly agree about Better Call Saul - I was so disappointed that Rhea Seehorn never got an Emmy, especially. And Juno Temple had better be nominated next year. After only seeing her in Ted Lasso, this was an amazing opposite end of the spectrum to show her incredible range. Her acting dazzled me.
Well, since you've brought it up: Kieran Culkin didn't deserve to win over Bob Odenkirk, Julia Garner didn't deserve it over Rhea Seehorn, and Better Call Saul was clearly WAY BETTER than Game of Thrones S8 or even Succession S2, which really didn't truly start becoming the obvious choice until S3. But its quite obvious the majority of voters don't even try to watch the majority of nominated shows or performances in any given category, so dumb results and repetition are absolutely guaranteed every year.
True Detective S4 starts off with some incredibly gruesome moments but it (appears to have) also really bought into all the weird potentially supernatural elements that TD S1 only used as atmosphere and misdirection. Or at least I'd hope it has, because if all of the "She's awake" elements are just misdirection yet again, then I will be really annoyed.
Alan, I know you were pretty cool on Jury Duty back when it first aired. If you've written about it since then I missed it, but I'm wondering if your thinking/feelings toward it evolved at all since then, given how much of a popular breakout hit it ended up being? I found it pretty consistently hilarious throughout and thought spending the whole finale on behind-the-scenes reveals, reminiscing, and reflecting to be quite satisfying and even moving.
As for Saul - I'm always the unpopular opinion that Squid Games was just okay, and Succession is overrated, but to be fair, as far as succession goes, it's probably because, I realized, I can't deal with shows where you hate absolutely EVERYONE. I do need an empathetic connection point, and I just didn't have it.
Alan - any thoughts or intentions to write about The Brothers Sun? I found it very enjoyable.
It’s lazy to describe the final season of GOT as ‘absolutely terrible’ - dissatisfaction with how the tale conclude should not lead to broad brush dismissal. It was clearly rushed, yes - but great in parts.
Any season that contained ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ cannot, by definition, be described as ‘absolutely’ terrible.
Oh thank heavens you liked the end of Fargo too! I saw someone somewhere complain about it and I just don’t get it unloved it. Want an entire spin off cooking show called A Man Can Cook Food, with Dot. It was life affirming, it was revelatory. I always had a soft spot for Wayne and dear god did his innate goodness and kindness come through. I did not like the way Lorraine and Roy’s scene played out, but it makes complete sense that she is vengeful and that the o my way she sees the injustice of prison debt is as a tool for her own personal justice. She is not a better person. He is not chastened. They are who they are. I also hated Whit’s end and yet we saw it coming, though I refused to believe it until the flash forward. Sigh.
I'm on record below already extolling the Fargo finale, and I keep realizing new points I want to praise. I appreciated that, much like the scenes of domestic violence and abuse were obscured unless Dot had an active antagonistic arc, the "war" was not really shot in any way that glorified "good guys with guns vs bad guys with guns" -- It was chaos, it was edited together in bits rather than some GOT-esque battle behemoth, and it was over quickly. I appreciated that.
This is an amazing analysis of BCS's run at the Emmys. I so appreciate your deep and incredibly broad knowledge of TV - and the fact that you bridge the divide between the cable and streaming eras.
I find it really regrettable that BCS didn't enjoy the sort of trick that got The Bear so many Emmys this year - the confusion regarding which season was being voted on.
The last 20 minutes of the Fargo finale were transcendent but there’s a messiness to the resolution at the Tillman ranch. I’m okay with not seeing a firefight but it is odd for the show to tease a big showdown and then to edit around it. Especially when in the past the series has depicted standout action scenes. Sioux Falls massacre and Munch’s fight with Farr and Dot. Very mixed on the confrontation between Farr and Roy as well.
For me, the greatest Emmy injustice regarding Better Call Saul was the lack of recognition for Rhea Seehorn. No question, everyone who worked on that show deserved an award for their incredible work. I just felt like Seehorn's performance was so good, and so unique, that it deserved to be singled out.
Absolutely loved this season of Fargo. I agree that season 2 is still my favorite, but this was excellent throughout. Thanks for your article about the finale--that really helped illuminate the theme of debt throughout, something I think I was aware of in the background but didn't really pick up on all of the ways it was present for each character. That last scene was just a wonder. It was absolutely hilarious--the shot of Munch's intense glare interrupted by an orange soda bottle thrust into frame, followed by him growling, "A man is grateful" just killed me. And yet it was so moving at the same time. A powerful argument about forgiveness healing division--that resonated with me and felt like an important statement for the times we live in.
Also, I really want to pitch a spinoff series now. With Ole Munch freed from his debt, he now wanders the U.S. aimlessly. Each episode is him trying odd jobs. Selling Kias for Wayne, waiter at an upscale steakhouse, color announcer for the U of Minnesota hockey team...the possibilities are endless.
"A man has ordered a ribeye. The meat is...OVERCOOKED. A debt must be paid. The man will receive...a free dessert."
Alan, just a quick comment to say the newsletter is consistently great and helps me learn about great TV I wouldn't spot otherwise. Thanks and keep up the great work.
Re: your comment about ad breaks - the bloating of runtimes (looking at you, Stranger Things) has long made me think that people have forgotten the value of restrictions and challenges in making art. It feels like streaming made it easy to indulge the “why not include everything” attitude, and it’s led to bloat and unnecessary slack. Breaking Bad and BCS used ad breaks well, kept themselves lean (didn’t BB only go over its time slot twice, I think?), and no one would argue they compromised. I feel like art often comes from restrictions and challenges, or at least can be enhanced by it, and “we can do whatever” doesn’t always serve the product well.
Commercial breaks definitely force episodes to have a very defined structure, but I'd argue that those great writers you mention also include act breaks in their shows, just far fewer, and they're not delineated as such (i.e. going to black in the edit). Act breaks are simply story climaxes that come after a certain amount of rising action and propel your story in a new direction. Movies have act breaks. So do plays. Even shows without ads have climactic points within episodes that do this. They're fundamental to long-form story structure. So I think it's a bit misleading to say that great writers don't need them while others do; everybody needs act breaks and everybody should know that.
A problem in all this is that outlets force a certain number of commercial breaks on shows, which necessitates a certain number of acts, even if that's not the best thing for the story being told. A lack of structure in streaming shows is a legit issue, but I don't know if anyone would say that the way broadcast does it makes for great storytelling. (Broadcast drama has lately been teaser + five acts, oof.) One of the promises of streaming was maybe storytellers could tell stories in a different way, but of course now that's disappearing with the addition of commercial breaks. In a perfect world, your story would dictate the number of commercial breaks, not the other way around, but I doubt that'll be the case.
I guess I'd just be wary of saying that commercial breaks are some kind of grand solution since I think we'll just end up with broadcast-style schlock when the streamers stuff shows full of ads. And haven't we seen that show already?
Personally, I think just as big a problem in those not-great streaming shows is that streaming has encouraged the abandonment of the episode as a cohesive unit. When each hour of a show is just a continuation of seemingly endless stories, with no ultimate climax to each episode, no individual story being told, it all just feels like a slog.
Proposal to diversify the emmy results:Turn it into a sort of living-hall-of-fame.
Once you win, you’re done. All the acting awards are swept by Succession? Fantastic achievement! Each winning actor is in the pantheon, but no longer eligible to win in subsequent years. Game of Thrones wins best drama? It’s now been recognized as a significant part of TV history, next year we recognize one of the (at least) dozen other tremendous dramas on television.
It would have all sorts of logistical issues (would voters be comfortable giving a permanent award to a show with plenty of track left, a la seasons 4-6 of Game of Thrones,) and it would never happen (i’m sure the emmy’s wanted GoT fans tuning in year after year.) it just seems TV’s main award could use guardrails to prevent the types of overwhelming sweeps you outlined.
Huge fan, thanks for all the work you do!
Wholeheartedly agree about Better Call Saul - I was so disappointed that Rhea Seehorn never got an Emmy, especially. And Juno Temple had better be nominated next year. After only seeing her in Ted Lasso, this was an amazing opposite end of the spectrum to show her incredible range. Her acting dazzled me.
Feels very weird, now, to consider Kieran Culkin on that fabulous second season of Fargo
Well, since you've brought it up: Kieran Culkin didn't deserve to win over Bob Odenkirk, Julia Garner didn't deserve it over Rhea Seehorn, and Better Call Saul was clearly WAY BETTER than Game of Thrones S8 or even Succession S2, which really didn't truly start becoming the obvious choice until S3. But its quite obvious the majority of voters don't even try to watch the majority of nominated shows or performances in any given category, so dumb results and repetition are absolutely guaranteed every year.
True Detective S4 starts off with some incredibly gruesome moments but it (appears to have) also really bought into all the weird potentially supernatural elements that TD S1 only used as atmosphere and misdirection. Or at least I'd hope it has, because if all of the "She's awake" elements are just misdirection yet again, then I will be really annoyed.
I too thought the last scene of fargo was so so fantastic.
Alan, I know you were pretty cool on Jury Duty back when it first aired. If you've written about it since then I missed it, but I'm wondering if your thinking/feelings toward it evolved at all since then, given how much of a popular breakout hit it ended up being? I found it pretty consistently hilarious throughout and thought spending the whole finale on behind-the-scenes reveals, reminiscing, and reflecting to be quite satisfying and even moving.
Wonderful ending to Fargo!
As for Saul - I'm always the unpopular opinion that Squid Games was just okay, and Succession is overrated, but to be fair, as far as succession goes, it's probably because, I realized, I can't deal with shows where you hate absolutely EVERYONE. I do need an empathetic connection point, and I just didn't have it.
Alan - any thoughts or intentions to write about The Brothers Sun? I found it very enjoyable.
Oh come on now Alan.
It’s lazy to describe the final season of GOT as ‘absolutely terrible’ - dissatisfaction with how the tale conclude should not lead to broad brush dismissal. It was clearly rushed, yes - but great in parts.
Any season that contained ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ cannot, by definition, be described as ‘absolutely’ terrible.
Massive Fargo spoilers ahead.
Oh thank heavens you liked the end of Fargo too! I saw someone somewhere complain about it and I just don’t get it unloved it. Want an entire spin off cooking show called A Man Can Cook Food, with Dot. It was life affirming, it was revelatory. I always had a soft spot for Wayne and dear god did his innate goodness and kindness come through. I did not like the way Lorraine and Roy’s scene played out, but it makes complete sense that she is vengeful and that the o my way she sees the injustice of prison debt is as a tool for her own personal justice. She is not a better person. He is not chastened. They are who they are. I also hated Whit’s end and yet we saw it coming, though I refused to believe it until the flash forward. Sigh.
I'm on record below already extolling the Fargo finale, and I keep realizing new points I want to praise. I appreciated that, much like the scenes of domestic violence and abuse were obscured unless Dot had an active antagonistic arc, the "war" was not really shot in any way that glorified "good guys with guns vs bad guys with guns" -- It was chaos, it was edited together in bits rather than some GOT-esque battle behemoth, and it was over quickly. I appreciated that.
This is an amazing analysis of BCS's run at the Emmys. I so appreciate your deep and incredibly broad knowledge of TV - and the fact that you bridge the divide between the cable and streaming eras.
I find it really regrettable that BCS didn't enjoy the sort of trick that got The Bear so many Emmys this year - the confusion regarding which season was being voted on.
The last 20 minutes of the Fargo finale were transcendent but there’s a messiness to the resolution at the Tillman ranch. I’m okay with not seeing a firefight but it is odd for the show to tease a big showdown and then to edit around it. Especially when in the past the series has depicted standout action scenes. Sioux Falls massacre and Munch’s fight with Farr and Dot. Very mixed on the confrontation between Farr and Roy as well.