Emmy nominations - Directing

The other category besides writing that is closest to a "best episode" category is direction.  The shows overlap much with the writing category with the episodes abutting their writing nominee counterparts in two cases.

Felina
One episode, Breaking Bad's "Felina" overlaps, and is the only one to do so.  Does that make it the default choice for best episode?


I won't rehash "Felina" again.  Instead, here are the other directing nominees that were featured on I Don't Own a Television.

Best Direction
"Farewell Daddy Blues"
Boardwalk Empire
When this aired, I called it possibly Boardwalk Empire's finest episode.  The Season Four finale executed a lot of what made "The Children" so good for Game of Thrones, probably because these two shows have a lot in common.


"The Watchers on the Wall"
Game of Thrones
A big, singularly focused, episode with lots of action, effects and battle sequences.  I think there is a lot more to the episode than bashing people in the head with swords and axes, which is what elevates it to a higher level.


"Who Goes There"
True Detective
This no doubt largely got the nomination for the six minute unbroken chaos shot as Rust's undercover business goes pear shaped.  There's a reason this made the Internet explode Monday morning.

Fargo
I did not post about Fargo because it was airing at the same time as Mad Men and Game of Thrones, and three shows would simply have been too much.  That said, Fargo, while it submitted in the miniseries categories, could just as easily have held its own as a regular series.  The three best seasons this year were Breaking Bad, Fargo and True Detective and there's no wrong answer as to which came out on top.

Fargo featured two in the directing category "The Crocodile's Dilemma” and "Buridan's Ass" as well as having "Crocodile's Dilemna" in writing, giving it the "Felina" overlap.  While the competition is much easier in the miniseries category (getting harder each year though) the nominations are noteworthy, much deserved and could easily have happened in the series category. 

"Crocodile's Dilemma" is the premiere and it wouldn't be right to discuss it further.  "Buridan's Ass" left me thinking immediately that this is up there with "Farewell Daddy Blues" and "Secret Fate of All Things" and "Ozymandias" as the best episode of the year.  I will forever have the snowstorm with the drums soundtrack implanted in my brain. 

Others
Also featured for writing and directing: "Chapter 14" - House of Cards (Season Two premiere)
Get real.  House of Cards is fun adn I love it, but it's pulp and it's clearly not in the top tier.

Also featured for directing:"Episode 1 - Season Four" - Downton Abbey

All that said, the Emmy voting process is rather unfair and insane