THE DAILY HEY NOW!

Sunday night’s season finale cliffhanger left many fans wondering about the future of Political Animals. [Picture courtesy of USA Network]. The show started out as a one shot miniseries, but many view the finale as more of a cliffhanger than a definitive ending. If these dreams come true, fans will get to see how Elaine forges her run for the White House in the middle of an interim presidency crisis. Here are 5 more things that I believe should be in Season 2:

1) 2012 Presidential Election References:

                The upcoming events and media shenanigans from Obama vs. Romney are going to be ripe for jokes and plots ripped from the headlines. The writers don’t have to wait too long for material; controversies in the Obama and Romney camps are happening as I type. 

2)  Political Perspective Flip:

                In Political Animals’ version of modern American history, it seems like all Democrats, all the time. The only major Republican character this season was known more for his personal life than his political life. Who is the Republican version of the Hammonds in the show’s universe? If creating an entire alter ego family is too much, then at least add a few new Republican characters so the audience can see the other side.

3) Journalism Meta:

                There’s a lot more underneath the surface to Susan and Georgia’s arguments than many realize. Newspapers are losing readers every day to the internet. Bloggers like Georgia are beginning to overshadow established reporters in newspapers and magazines. The line between legitimate reporting and gossip are too often blurred. Questions related to media ethics definitely deserve more attention in the next season.

4) More Character Development

                Although PA is an ensemble show, some characters didn’t have enough time to shine. Annie has existed only as Douglas’s fiancé/wife. The writers avoided the pitfall of writing token diversity characters. However, next season should feature more Annie reacting to the madness her husband and in-laws are involved in. Margaret Barrish played the prefect snarky senior citizen. She’s more than just a walking internet meme. The parallel between her struggles with alcohol and TJ’s drug addiction are begging to be explored in further detail. Also, it is still not clear if Margaret went beyond emotional support of Elaine’s previous presidential run. Even the characters we have seen the most of this season (Elaine, Bud, T.J. and, Douglas) could do with some extra insight.

5) Emmy Bait

                Political Animals mixes Sorkin-esque gritty Washington drama and the traditional soap opera. Some scenes however tip the balance too far into melodramatic territory. If the balance is improved upon or steadily maintained, positive critical attention will result. Some critics and awards voters are already biased against summer scripted programming, and the writers shouldn’t give these people any more weight for their line of reasoning. It is way too early to tell if Political Animals will qualify for future awards, but I already see nomination potential. Sigourney Weaver’s compelling portrayal of Elaine Barrish Hammond could easily be a contender in the miniseries/drama category.  (Note her inclusion in my dream Emmy ballot post.) Nominations in writing, directing, and supporting actor/actress categories are also possible.

Political Animals has a lot of room for development. I hope the excitement over the series causes production on a second season to start soon. 

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I watch way too many miniseries. This year’s competition is going to be very rough for me because I like too many of the potential candidates. Here’s how I would like the category to play out, but I doubt this will end up happening.:

Best Miniseries

Sherlock

Downton Abbey

Political Animals

Luther

All of these shows have compelling writing, directing, and acting. However, I believe this year is Sherlock’s year due to the increased attention industry critics and audiences alike have given the show. Downton Abbey has gained quite a bit of momentum too, but it is at a disadvantage because it won last year. Sherlock this season has tightened up it’s writing, directing, and acting. Although Political Animals is still relatively new, it has a factor going for it that the British shows don’t. 2012 is an presidential election year, and fictional politics becomes more popular as a result. The show is clearly USA Network’s attempt to break away from it’s traditional quirky character procedurals, and it’s already working. If the show can continue to balance successfully the soap opera elements with the more deep dramatic elements,  it can do very well.

Best Actor In A Miniseries

Idris Elba- Luther

Hugh Bonneville- Downton Abbey

Benedict Cumberbatch- Sherlock

Cumberbatch’s ingenious portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is quite tough to compete with. Bonneville’s stoic Lord Grantham has a very good chance of winning as well. Elba is a bit more of a longshot.

Best Actress In A Miniseries

Michelle Dockery- Downton Abbey

Sigourney Weaver- Political Animals

Weaver’s portrayal of Elaine Barrish-Hammond challenges the traditional tropes of political dramas. She doesn’t “stand by her man” but chooses to pursue her own career ambitions. She is the center of attention on the show, and the audience can’t look away. Dockery’s portrayal of Mary Crawley has improved considerably this season, but she faces tough competition from her other co-stars. 

Best Supporting Actor In A Miniseries

Martin Freeman- Sherlock

It’s extremely hard to pick supporting actors out of shows with many secondary and ensemble cast members. However, Freeman’s portrayal of John Watson had the unique ability to make us laugh and cry at the same time. 

Best Supporting Actress In A Minseries

Lara Pulver- Sherlock

Maggie Smith- Downton Abbey

Ruth Wilson- Luther

Although all of these shows have extremely strong female secondary characters, Maggie Smith is on a level that very few people can top. Wilson’s character featured less prominently in this series of Luther, which puts her at a disadvantage. Pulver’s portrayal of Irene Adler was awesome but some might be quick to dismiss her character as nothing but a glorified sex object. This view of course prevents seeing the complexity of her character. I would need to see all of the minseries to figure out which supporting actress stands out the most on Political Animals. 

I hope you liked my choices. I’ll be back soon with my own dream Emmy ballots for comedy and drama.

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• Emmys
• Sherlock BBC
• Sherlock
• Luther
• Political Animals
• Downton Abbey
• Benedict Cumberbatch
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• TV