This morning ushered in all the nominations for the 2019 Golden Globe Awards, and while there were plenty of well-deserved recognition to be found, some highly deserved recognition was completely missing. Blame it on an over-abundance of top-quality TV, or blame it on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Either way, the latest batch of Golden Globe nominees was full of pointed snubs to critical hits new and old.
Let's kick off this bit of lamentation by decrying the Golden Globes for not welcoming Jimmy McGill this time around.
Better Call Saul - Everything
TV drama doesn't get more expertly calculated than AMC's Better Call Saul, whose co-creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould have continued to up the ante with each season that draws closer to its flagship predecessor Breaking Bad. Yet, no love from the Golden Globes for Season 4, which arguably featured some of the greatest performances yet from stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn. (Seriously, the overall dismissal of Seehorn's work as Kim Wexler should be illegal.)
Not to mention Jonathan Banks. Or the writers. Or everything and everyone else. It's starting to look like Better Call Saul will only get major Golden Globes recognition if it completely turns into Breaking Bad.
Atlanta - Best Comedy Series
Realistically, it would have been almost impossible for Atlanta Season 2 to match the successes of its freshman year. But the pop culture embrace of episodes like "Alligator Man" and "Teddy Perkins" made it seem like a lock for Atlanta to repeat last year's breakout success at the Golden Globes, where it won Best Comedy last year. (Katt Williams won this year's Outstanding Guest Star Emmy for his "Alligator Man" performance, too.)
But no, Atlanta didn't even get nominated in that category this go-around, with creator and star Donald Glover earning the only Season 2 nomination. Yet, Netflix's yawn-worthy The Kominsky Method is up for Best Comedy, even on top of the recognition for stars Michael Douglas and Alan Arkin? Really?
The Haunting of Hill House - Everything
Few horror TV shows have ever come close to matching the style and substance of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House, which can boast filmmaker Mike Flanagan as creator and series director. It's bone-chillingly frightening, the characters are embroiled in a genuinely emotional journey, and the writing is smarter than a year's worth of horror movies combined. Apparently not smart enough for the Golden Globes, though.
The Haunting of Hill House should have gotten recognized in a Best Series category, regardless of whether it counts as a full Drama or Limited Series. As well, the majority of the ensemble cast was impeccable enough to draw one or more nominations in both male and female categories. Instead, top-notch horror once again gets ignored for more lackluster programming.
*Eliza Scanlen - Supporting Actress *
No one can protest the Golden Globes for ignoring the mastery of HBO's Sharp Objects, which got nominated for Best Limited Series. Both Amy Adams and Patricia Clarkson were recognized as potential Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, but left forgotten was one of Sharp Objects' most powerful weapons: Eliza Scanlen.
As the impression-making and impressionable Amma Crellin, Elisa Scanlen was the enigmatic and impossible-to-ignore glue holding the entire story together. She plays an innocent sycophant at home, but a substance-abusing nomad in public, making it impossible to nail down her motivations, which definitely adds to the air of mystery and unease. She deserved at least a Supporting nod, though I stand by her being every bit as important and exquisite as lead Amy Adams.
This Is Us - Everything
It's strange to think that This Is Us only started airing two years ago, considering how massively popular it has been, and how many accolades it has earned in that time. One wonders if the lead-up to Jack's death reveal was a more important hook than This Is Us' creative team realized, as the NBC hit was completely ignored by the Golden Globes this year.
Season 3 has seen a decline in its viewership and ratings, as well as its hold on pop culture conversations. But even if This Is Us' story isn't crushing hard enough to earn a Best Drama nomination as it has in past years, it's not like stars Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, Chrissy Metz and the rest have gotten any less impressive. They deserved something!
The 2019 Golden Globe Awards will be televised on NBC on Sunday, January 6, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune in to see who wins and loses, and also be sure to check out our fall TV premiere schedule and our midseason schedule to see everything hitting primetime soon.
