Liz is a Two Scoops columnist and does weekly recaps. She loves all soaps, but her heart belongs to ABC. Her earliest memories are of watching General Hospital with her mother back in the days of Luke and Laura. This is Liz's eighth go-round as an Emmy prognosticator -- and she's back this year to see if she can up her total of correct picks.
Previous Predictions
2016: 2 for 8
2015: 2 for 8 2014: 3 for 8 2013: 3 for 8 2012: 2 for 8 |
2011: 3 for 8
2010: 0 for 8 2009: 3 for 8 2008: 3 for 8 2007: 2 for 8 |
I went strictly by ratings and what I hear my soap opera-loving friends say. It seems like everyone knows what's going on with Y&R, and it's the one show that people who watch more than soap operas have on their list.
The Young and the Restless is the clear winner when I polled my friends, so I picked it to win the Emmy this year.
Who will win: The Young and the Restless
Okay, so I do not watch DAYS, but I do know enough to appreciate that Stefano DiMera was an icon. The passing of Joseph Mascolo in December 2016 made watching Billy Flynn's performance that much more bittersweet. After I watched all the performances in this category, it was Billy's performance that stood out. It just resonated with me because I know what it's like to lose someone and feel as if there were things left unsaid.
The conversation between Chad and Stefano was perfection because there was a gamut of emotions simmering between the two, but it was all tempered by grief. I thought Billy was flawless in the scenes, so I think he will walk away with the Emmy in this category.
Who will win: Billy Flynn (Chad DiMera, Days of our Lives)
This was a really tough one because there were three really powerful performances that stayed with me well after I viewed the Emmy reels. Gina Tognoni (Phyllis Summers, The Young and the Restless) was quite gripping as a woman dealing with the trauma of being sexually violated. If it had been any other year, I probably would have picked Gina to win, but there were two other actresses whose performances dominated this category.
It was a true toss-up between Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis, GH) and Laura Wright (Carly Corinthos, GH), but for me, Nancy's performance had the edge. Laura Wright's performances were brilliant as Carly suffered the devastating loss of her son and the horrifying realization that her husband might have been responsible for it. However, Nancy Lee Grahn was on fire. Her rage over her husband's betrayal and her despair over losing her marriage, her career, her pride, her honor, and even her sanity, were all palpable.
Who will win: Nancy Lee Grahn (Alexis Davis, General Hospital)
This was an easy pick for me because I really liked the submissions for James Reynolds. I'm not familiar with him as an actor, but after watching the scenes unfold during the hostage situation and the aftermath of the assassination attempt, I'm an instant fan.
I liked all the other performances in this category, but I loved the scenes with James Reynolds.
Who will win: James Reynolds (Abe Carver, Days of our Lives)
My heart belongs to GH, but that's not why I picked Finola Hughes (Anna Devane, GH) to take the statue home on Emmy night.
As I watched the reels in this category, the scenes to beat were Kate Mansi's (Abigail Deveraux, DAYS) because they packed quite an emotional punch. However, then I re-watched the scenes with Finola when Anna faced the man who killed the love of her life just hours before Anna and Duke were to leave town and start over somewhere far away from the Jeromes and the violent lifestyle that had cost them so much over the years.
I remember thinking when I watched the scenes with Finola that she deserved an Emmy because she was just that good. It takes a lot for me to cry along with a character, but I bawled like a baby when Anna confronted Carlos and talked about what he'd taken from her and her loved ones.
Who will win: Finola Hughes (Anna Devane, General Hospital)
I was never a Morgan Corinthos fan, but Bryan Craig is another matter. He was absolute perfection as a young man whose life spiraled out of control because -- like his father -- he had bipolar disorder. Bryan's performances were consistently strong as he portrayed someone, in the grips of a mental illness, who had reached a pivotal turning point in his life.
I have had issues with GH's writing team over the past couple of years, but this storyline was beautifully tragic with Emmy-worthy performances from everyone involved in it.
Who will win: Bryan Craig (Morgan Corinthos, General Hospital)
This category had me at Nichelle Nichols. I've loved Nichelle ever since I watched Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, so she had a leg up on all the other nominees in this category. She still has a mesmerizing beauty that transcends time and a screen presence that sucks you in no matter what role she plays.
I liked all the other performances in this category, but Nichelle's was my favorite.
Who will win: Nichelle Nichols (Lucinda Winters, The Young and the Restless)