Even before the summer of labor strikes brought Hollywood to a standstill, the TV awards season heavyweights already seemed set in stone.
The cast of “Succession” seems unbeatable for their rapturously received final season, while “The Bear” and “The Last of Us” stand among a new class of shows that every awards body is clamoring to anoint. In other words, end-of-year awards ballots are poised to look like products of the before times.
But as Hollywood returns to work and attention once again coalesces around new and returning shows, a few late-season acting contenders could break up the stronghold of early-season favorites at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
“The Crown”
While by no means a new series, “The Crown’s” two-part final season has something to prove. Season 5 arrived with a thud last year, shouldering Season 6 with the burden of restoring faith in the beloved series, bringing it to a satisfying conclusion and reliving the final days of the monarchy’s most popular family member, Princess Diana. Critics have been tough on creator Peter Morgan’s handling of the death of the People’s Princess. But Elizabeth Debicki is undeniable as Diana, delivering the kind of masterful turn that could prove irresistible to voters looking to honor the show one more time. Don’t forget, she was the only one to receive a SAG nomination for Season 5. Plus, with a time jump into the future, the love of William and Kate’s storyline could get some major attention.
Courtesy of Netflix
“The Curse”
Showtime’s saving grace for the most uncomfortable watch of the year (maybe the decade?) will be Emma Stone. As one half of a culturally delusional couple looking to “save” a New Mexico town with their home renovation show, the Oscar-winner is fantastically deceptive as the worst kind of white savior — the kind who actually believes they are doing good. Opposite cringe master himself, Nathan Fielder, Stone is doing some of her best work yet and her fellow actors are likely to take notice. It also doesn’t hurt that she’s already on the campaign trail in search of her second Oscar for Searchlight’s “Poor Things.”
“Frasier”
While Kelsey Grammer’s revival of his Frasier Crane character on Paramount+ hasn’t been as lauded as the show’s original run, it’s hard to count out the man who was previously nominated at the first eight SAG Awards ceremonies for playing the same role. Funny enough, Grammer never won the award — even losing out to co-star David Hyde Pierce at the second SAG Awards in 1995. Nevertheless, Frasier Crane persisted and then moved to Boston.
“Fellow Travelers”
Sex sells, and Showtime’s “Fellow Travelers” knows it better than any show this fall. The limited series about two men who fall in love in McCarthy-era Washington, D.C., has been exhaustively praised for its realistic depiction of gay sex. But at the center of those steamy scenes are two performances from Matt Bomer and Jonathan Bailey, who are natural-born contenders. Bomer has been steadily working for years, so don’t discount how many fellow actors are ready to reward this leading role. And Bailey has never been hotter than he is right now, coming off “Bridgerton” and going into the “Wicked” film adaptation.
Courtesy of SHOWTIME
“The Fall of the House of Usher”
SAG voters love a wild card, and this year’s pick could be a bloody good one. A viral sensation when it debuted in October, Mike Flanagan and Netflix’s Edgar Allan Poe mashup is the epitome of an ensemble series — even if it’s killing them off one by one. But in the absence of a limited series ensemble category (seriously, where is that?), SAG voters could pluck out Bruce Greenwood or Carla Gugino for richly deserved individual nominations. In turn, their recognition could honor a populist show that fans rallied for even when its own cast couldn’t.
“Lessons in Chemistry”
Forget “The Marvels” discourse and pay attention to Brie Larson in Apple TV+’s adaptation of Bonnie Garmus’ best-selling book, “Lessons in Chemistry.” As the socially challenged but intellectually brilliant chemist Elizabeth Zott, Larson turns in her best performance since winning an Oscar for “Room.” It’s a marvel, so much so that it deserves that cheesy pun. If that wasn’t enough of a draw, her effortlessly affecting co-star Lewis Pullman also takes his limited screen time and runs with it, delivering the kind of incredible monologue that acting reels are made for.
“The Morning Show”
In its third season, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon’s behind-the-scenes drama series finally understood the assignment and leaned hard into the absurd antics its patient audience has been clamoring for. Trips to space, Jan. 6 storylines and Jon Hamm’s Elon Musk knockoff let chaos reign and, in turn, genuinely raised awareness for the show’s continued existence. That could do wonders for the stacked ensemble’s chances at a nomination, especially Aniston, who won the SAG for the first season.
“Our Flag Means Death”
Few shows have built an instant following quite like Max’s unexpected love story between polar-opposite pirates Blackbeard and Stede Bonnet. Genre comedies like this aren’t always awards show bait. But with actors filling out the ballots, there’s something charming about “Our Flag Means Death’s” heartfelt humor that has won it a lot of affection in just two seasons. Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi could take a stab at individual nods, but it’s the ensemble cast that really has a chance at plundering gold.