Awards

Game of Thrones and Peter Dinklage win at the 2018 Emmys!

Posted on by Sue the Fury

Emmys

It’s the biggest awards night of the year in television, and Game of Thrones is represented in a big way at this year’s Emmys! The most nominated show with 22 nominations (with 7 wins already at the Creative Arts ceremony on September 8th), GoT will be competing tonight in several major categories, including:

  • Outstanding Drama – Game of Thrones wins!
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor (Nominees: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Peter Dinklage) – Update: Peter Dinklage has won the Emmy!
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress (Lena Headey)- Update: Thandie Newton of Westworld takes the prize.
  • Outstanding Directing, 2 nominees-

Jeremy Podwesa –‘The Dragon and the Wolf’ – 707

Alan Taylor – ‘Beyond the Wall’ – 706

Update: Stephen Daldry has won for directing The Crown.

  • Outstanding Writing – David Benioff & D. B. Weiss – ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’ – Update: The writing team from FX’s The Americans wins this one.

A few shots from the red (okay, gold) carpet:

Emilia Clarke Emmys

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Gwen Emmys

NCW Emmys

Jacob and Nathalie

Kit Emmys

PeterDInklage

Liam Cunningham and Isaac Hempstead Wright are in the house!

Emilia Clarke presenting with Millie Bobby Brown:

Kit Harington presented with Constance Wu:

Peter Dinklage wins!

We’ll keep you updated on the wins, speeches and highlights in the hours to come!

Update: The ceremony has come to a close, with Game of Thrones winning two awards tonight, one for Peter Dinklage and one for the whole damn show- Outstanding Drama! That brings the 2018 Emmy total for Game of Thrones to NINE once we add in all the technical awards. What a fantastic haul for season 7. Congrats to the cast and crew of this amazing show, and we can’t wait to see what the final season has in store!

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

177 Comments

  3. Emilia’s dress is absolutely gorgeous. Gwen….um…well, satin/silk is difficult. Nicolaj looks like my parents’ sofa from the 70s. But I love them all. 😊

    P.S. Where’s my damn Hound? Rory always cleans up nice. 😍

  4. Emilia presented an award with Millie Bobby Brown, which was amusing because they were the exact same height.

  6. Mladen:
    So, Lena is not there tonight… I guess that means one thing – she is not winning.

    I don’t think she was there last year either. Handmaid’s is going to win.

  8. Mladen:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    She wasn’t and Maggie Smith won. I also haven’t seen David and Dan.

    Probably busy working on getting Season 8 ready for primetime. They probably knew they weren’t going to win this year.

  18. mau:
    THT lost in actress category to Westworld. It’s still possible for GoT to win big award,

    I wish but Handmaid’s will 100% win Best Actress and I’m thinking Writing/Directing and Best Drama.

  27. THT losing in Supporting Actress means nothing as the vote split worked here. It is interesting that both GoT and THT lost directing and writing.

    And that writing award for The Americans is SO WELL DESERVED!!! It will be interesting to see how this ends.

  29. Mladen:
    THT losing in Supporting Actress means nothing as the vote split worked here. It is interesting that both GoT and THT lost directing and writing.

    And that writing award for The Americans is SO WELL DESERVED!!! It will be interesting to see how this ends.

    Moss is a lock for Drama actress.

  33. OK, everyone who followed Emmys are so surprised now. The Americans and The Crown won 2 awards each, Westworld and GoT 1. It really got interesting.

  35. mau:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    lol

    Yeah I had this all wrong lol. Surprised Atlanta and THT haven’t won anything. Watch they both win the overall series awards.

    With The Americans and The Crown splitting Writing/Directing and the Actor/Actress awards I wonder who wins Drama?

  38. When Crown wins this year, haters will lose argument that GoT won for S5 and S6 only because of popularity, because GoT is now even more popular than it was in 2016. Far more popular than The Crown or The Americans.

    And Stranger Things is the most popular show after GoT, and they’ve lost everything. They were the most popular show last year and THT won.

    So no, Emmys are not popularity contest.

  39. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

  44. We are the champions, my friends
    And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end
    We are the champions
    We are the champions
    No time for losers
    ‘Cause we are the champions of the world

  50. mau:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    Yeah. And they said the show would’t exist without GRRM.

    Nice. No Maisie or Sophie? Sophie just tweeted congratulating the team.

    3 YEARS IN A ROW BABY!

    The Emmy’s Remember 😀

  51. Jack Bauer 24: Nice. No Maisie or Sophie? Sophie just tweeted congratulating the team.

    3 YEARS IN A ROW BABY!

    The Emmy’s Remember

    I think she is doing reshoots for X-men movie in Canada right now so couldnt make it. Not sure what Maisie is up to.
    In general though a lot less actors there this year.

  54. One of life’s ironies that book purists consider the later seasons to be horrible and yet the later seasons have one three Emmys in a row and Season 8 will likely make it four

  56. Wow, congratulations to GoT! I rather expected The Americans to take it, but I’m happy that GoT won. Still upset that Lena keeps getting passed over, but Thandie Newton does a great job on Westworld (and is the only character I really care about on that show other than Bernard).

    Now.. “Start the damn season 8 before I shit me-self.”

  58. It is uninspiring choice this year… Personal favorites were The Americans or The Crown. Game of Thrones won but the overall impression is that it lost all passion. Dinklage won in a category where no one saw a clear winner, so name-checking played a huge factor. Lead actor and actress were not even nominated, other shows won all the other awards, save for technical categories. The show couldn’t get an award for Lena or Dame Diana. Next year, they will have to deliver the goods, because they can’t count on overdue narrative and people have moved on, so the show really has to be THAT great in order not to be ignored.

    Congrats to team and Dinklage, nonetheless… And of course, looking forward to Season 8.

  60. Is this the first time a Drama series won the main award and didn’t have a lead actor or actress nominated AND didn’t win the Writing or Directing award?

  61. Congratulations to the cast and crew on a “hat trick”, well deserved for all their dedication, talent, long hours and hard work.

  62. I’m so freaking happy. I’m thrilled for the show, I’m thrilled for Peter Dinklage, and I’m thrilled for every contributor to this wonderful show who shares in this well-deserved honor. As Dan said, this show is only as good as the people who make it, and fortunately for us, the people who make this show are the very best in the world at what they do. David and Dan, the cast, the crew, the producers, the directors, the writers, the location scouts, the stuntspeople … they all deserve this acclaim, and our gratitude for the work that they’ve put in over the past decade, which continues to be recognized by their peers as the best in the industry.

    I’m a massive fan of The Americans … it’s my second-favorite show of the past several years, after GOT. If it had won tonight for its final year, I would have embraced it wholeheartedly and been happy (as it stands, I’m ecstatic that Matthew Rhys, Joel Fields, and Joe Weisberg were recognized). But I can’t deny where my heart truly resided tonight. When Game of Thrones is on, no other show even comes close for me.

    And to head off any presumptive quibbling … yes, if I had had a personal ballot, I probably would’ve voted for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau over Peter Dinklage. But I’m sure as hell not going to object to Dinklage winning. He’s great. He continues to be great. And his shout-out tonight to Nikolaj as his “brother from another mother” was extremely touching. He’s now tied Aaron Paul for the most Emmys ever in this category, and I can think of no one more deserving.

    Furthermore, as much as I adore Lena Headey and desperately want to see her win an Emmy for her incredible portrayal of Cersei Lannister … if she was going to lose to anyone tonight, I’m glad it was Thandie Newton, who is superlative both on Westworld, and in general. Hopefully Lena will win next year, and the show itself can pick up one more for the road!

  63. Mladen,

    They won because as someone in the industry put it (paraphrasing here): The shoot each episode like they were shooting a movie. They won because there’s no other show that can match the scale in which they work. Sure, there are smaller dramas that might be more compelling. The Americans won the writing category because they were probably a better written show. But the major award doesn’t solely rely on the writing or the directing or the acting or the editing, it encompasses all of it and crafting Game of Thrones is simply way more complex than doing a smaller show. Game of Thrones won the big award simply because they are the best crafted show. Their Emmy is well deserved.

  67. My mom might not be here by the time Thrones S8 airs. Cancer diagnosis today. She’s 72. Praying hard for her. So didn’t get to watch the Emmy’s but am surprised that Peter can win twice and Lena can’t pick up one. They are both equally as good imo. Glad we won best drama again, that’s awesome.

  69. I was amazed to search my feelings and find how disappointed I was for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. He must be one of the most talented guys getting around at the moment, and a deadset ring-in for the next 007. can you just imagine him with that voice that he does, saying ‘Bond, James Bond’! he would be electric.

  71. I think Handamaid Tale will win more at the GG like it did last year. I was suprised at The Americans and The Crown winning so much but considering TA was the final season and The Crown is changing it’s cast it makes sense. I knew once I found out Lena wasn’t there that she hadn’t won. I also think Thandie should of being up for lead not supporting considering her character has become more of a main protagonist while Dolores became more of a antagonist and they were in it the same amount.

  72. House Monty,

    Lol, that is true. I really liked season 5, I liked season 6 more, I actively disliked 7 and am surprised to see it win. I wouldn’t have even nominated it beyond the technical categories. I really really didn’t like it.

    It’s beyond the book, so that doesn’t really bother me anymore, I just thought the writing and character work was poor by GOT standards, I’d have cut the whole Winterfell plot for a start. I still can’t believe ‘Beyond the Wall’ exists, easily my least favourite GOT episode.

    It’s a shame, because I’m not that excited about season 8, I’ll watch it to find out the final outcome, but I don’t have much enthusiasm anymore. On the plus side, I am in the perfect position to be pleasantly surprised. I hope that I enjoy season 8 more, 7 is the only season I haven’t liked, so my disappointment was considerable. Sorry for the negative post lol.

  73. No offense, but that best drama Emmy was really undeserved. It just goes to show how good HBO’s marketing/ PR people are at these things.

  74. mau,

    It’s not like that… GoT is not some obscure TV show that people rallied for. It was always in conversation for winner, if not considered a front-runner. Passion is what happened with Thandie Newton or Matthew Rhys, performances which were not as popular as other contenders but had something enough artistic to inspire voting. Do you know what a big upset Claire Foy did last night? You could say “Yes, THT lost Supporting Actress due to vote-split” but Foy truly has shaken everyone with the win (as much as she is perfect in her role). That is what GoT lacked this year. They won and Dinklage won. They didn’t inspire people to vote for less certain categories such as Guest Actress and Supporting Actress. Can you understand what a big night it would be had The Americans or The Crown won?

    Simply, Game of Thrones winning Best Drama Emmy in this year is as inspiring as nominating Meryl Streep.

    Danny,

    Game of Thrones is a behemoth of production. No one can deny that. But, it lost passion. No one is voting for it because they want to see it winning, it became name-checking thing so far. The passion existed years ago. I mean, awarding writing for “you need bad pu**y” is probably the one moment in which you understand its popularity.

    And if people feels tiredness now, Season 8 may not bode well. Unless it pulls an amazing season. We can love GoT and be honest: Season 7 was not exactly the best thing to watch on TV this year. It was a solid performance with moments of both brilliance and idiocy.

    LOTR swept Oscars because it was overdue. GoT is entering the Season 8 from far different position. And if The Crown brings A-game with the new cast (Lena Headey will clash with Helena Bonham Carter playing Princess Margaret in “The Crown”), and if GoT Season 8 is OK-ish, then we can expect a lot of turbulence next year.

    But, let we all just hope it will be perfect 😀

  75. Mladen,

    Disagree with everything you wrote. It seems many felt passionately about GoT. They voted for it after all. Perhaps you’re equating passion with underdog status? Obviously GoT is the biggest show on television. It has won more Emmys than any other drama series in history. It’s no longer the underdog. And yet it keeps winning.

    And we’ll be able to evaluate just how tired people are of the show when we see the ratings for the Season 8 premiere. I feel quite confident it will be the highest rated episode of the series and possibly the most watched show ever aired on HBO.

  76. I just checked in. I can’t believe the Demon Monkey did it again! I’m changing religions. My new deity is the God of T*ts and Wine. There must be magical powers there because in all candor, I didn’t think the Dink had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning.

    Disappointed about Lena Headey though.

    Well, there’s always next year – and hopefully, ASNAWP will be the front runner and winner. (Maisie couid have and should have won for Seasons 2 or 4).

  77. Pigeon,

    I’m just tuning in here and catching up. Are you telling me that with all of the hype about The Handmaid’s Tale, it got completely shut out??? I have not watched it, and don’t think I want to (“depressing” is the description I keep hearing). Still, all of the pre-Emmy buzz was that THT was going to romp.

    Hmmm. Maybe people are depressed enough these days to get further depressed by a depressing TV show.

  79. Mladen,

    “And if The Crown brings A-game with the new cast (Lena Headey will clash with Helena Bonham Carter playing Princess Margaret in “The Crown”)….”
    ———
    Wait, what? Lena Headey and Helena Bonham Carter? Together? F*ck me dead! I’ll be in heaven! I’ve loved Lena Headey since forever, and I’ve loved Helena Bonham Carter ever since she stole the show in “Fight Club.”

  80. Mladen,

    You can think whatever you want about the show, but to utter that the show has lost its “passion” is a slap in the face to everyone who works endlessly to ensure GOT is a quality production every season. You may not particularly care for a few story arcs and current writing direction, but the actual production and scale of the show itself is more daring and epic than ever before. As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen a group of individuals work as tirelessly as the GOT cast and crew do.

    Besides, how do you even gauge if a series still has “passion”? That’s hard to quantify in my opinion.

  81. Mladen,

    You are ignoring that S7 ended 13 months ago. It is too old to dominate like S5 and S8. Next year, if they air S8 in time, they will win directing and writing again. And Peter will win again. And they will win Outstanding Drama again.

  82. Good show!! I wanted to see Nikolaj get his turn, but of course I can’t not be glad for the Dinkles again, and it’s better than picking a different show. 😉 Thrilled that it got Best Drama again; I was kind of afraid they’d hold off ’til next year. Too bad about the directing & writing ones, but ya can’t win ’em all…and honestly, I think with Lena they just didn’t want to give GoT all three of its biggest categories. Must’ve been tough to choose between the two guys. Maybe they should have just picked Lena and saved themselves that trouble. xD But I was surprised not to see her at all–especially since she did that Omaze campaign. Maybe the winner couldn’t make it, so she just didn’t bother? I know she’s not big on these fancy events, but one of the others present would have had to accept the award for her if she’d (finally) won. And of course there are other actors in the cast who should definitely be honored individually for it, but then you’d just need to have the GoT Awards…its own separate ceremony. ;p

  83. Ten Bears:
    Jennipeg,

    Don’t you worry about S8. It’s gonna be a showcase for Arya/Maisie Williams.

    #LastWomanStanding
    #Arya’sBloodySneakers
    #ASNAWP

    I certainly hope so! Oh and I hope Davos and Brienne survive, I just love them. If they go, I’ll be bawling.

  84. Sunfyre,

    They were passionate enough to give it the main award, but they were not passionate enough about any particular aspect of the show. Passion is when you see Academy rallying behind Rhys, or in case of GoT in those first season when it had “tits and dragons” reputation. Now, it just feels a bit “OK, we checked that box”. It is undoubtedly great show. It just failed to inspire awards that are a bit more difficult to get. And we see that on the example of Lena Headey.

    Ten Bears,

    Vanessa Kirby was critics darling this year. The role of Margaret is so juicy and when Helena starts her magic with a good script, I am afraid Lena Headey may get final snub for Season 8.

    Edward,

    It’s not about people who work on the show, but about those who vote. Simply, the votes for GoT seems anemic. No writing, no directing, leads not nominated, female supporting also without win… Simply, this was a victory, but without so many things getting recognition people, as fans, believe they deserve.

    ******

    All of that said, I am truly interested in Season 8. If they do a great work, and we can expect them to do that, they can have landslide that hasn’t happened since Breaking Bad. If not, I am afraid some great performances namely Lena Headey, will go without proper recognition. Lena now has 2 contenders that can easily be winners – Yvonne Strahovski who was nominated for much worse episode for Season 2 (the finale episode is eligible for 2019) and now, Helena Bonham Carter. It’ll be interesting to see how that will resolve.

  88. Jennipeg,

    I think Maisie Williams is one of the “child” (child no longer) actors from GoT who has the potential to go far after the GoT has finished. She might be a good “character” actress.

    Ygritte

    I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. Let’s hope she has some respite – I lost my Mum when she was 72 though that was many years ago and hers was a different illness. I’m in my late 60s myself now. Nobody is ever quite like your Mum (Mom) though. I’ve had this feeling that Lena Heady’s (sp??) card was marked in Emmy land. Anyway I’m glad GoT wasn’t entirely overlooked. Will Peter Dinklage be running out of space on which to put his statues on his mantel shelf? A bit off-topic but there used to be a radio show (might still be but if so I don’t listen to it) in the UK called Desert Island Discs where a different well-known person would be invited as a guest each week to pick 8 discs (when I used to listen the internet wasn’t a thing) to take with them if they were cast away on a desert island. Once the guest was actress Glenda Jackson who won a couple of Oscars back in the day (likely before your time). Anyway, she said her Mum had the Oscars on a shelf in her (the Mum’s) home in West Derby, Liverpool. The mum was house proud and had dusted the Oscars so often that the gilt was wearing off and showing the base metal (or whatever the foundation material was) underneath. (I have the sort of memory where I am likely to recall trivia but if I have a dental appointment I have to write the date of the appointment in big, bold letters on a planner or something so I don’t forget).

  89. Looking at the cast of GoT strutting their stuff on the carpet I thought Missandei and Grey Worm looked smart (okay his jacket had flipped back a bit but I can forgive him that). I liked what Emilia was wearing (it looked as if she had a mesh lining under the sheer part of the top of the dress so she wasn’t revealing what she should be concealing). Kit looked presentable too. Not saying anything bad about any of the other folk on the carpet but that’s just what appealed to my taste (and it’s quite okay if someone else’s taste differs).

  91. Mladen,

    I have faith that if Lena knocks it out the park in season 8, she’ll definitely be going home with an Emmy. Especially since the last season of GoT is sure to be the holy grail of bait for the 2019 award season.

  93. Don’t need awards to tell me GOT is best drama although Line of Duty comes exceptionally close. Amazed PD won as I thought it was a weak season for him, NCW had a wonderful season and not surprised Claire Foy won, she’s more queeny than the queen and she’s not doing the next series. Anyway congrats to one and all.👏

  95. Mladen,

    The Crown probably will never win Best Drama because it is a talk-y British production about the British royal family. The more mainstream shows like The Handmaid’s Tale or Game of Thrones is going to always beat out something like the Crown which is more niche. I also think that the show may run into problems by switching casts.

    Ëonwë,

    I cannot understand this either other than Alan Taylor is a famous director.

  96. I’m happy for Peter but truly think Nicolaj had the meatier role this season. And while I love GoT (and other than my soap, this is the only TV board I’ve ever visited), I was rooting for The Americans as Best Drama. I can’t justify a Best Drama win when 1/7 of the entire season was as problematic as Beyond the Wall.

  97. Love that GOT got the big award! And love that Dinklage was picked, tho I don’t think he has the best script to work with last year. Im really excited about Claire Foy, her performance has been brillant, esp as the times change and she gets older. Can’t wait ti see Helena Carter Bohnam in the role, thats going to be awesome!

  99. YAY!!! Congratulations on all awards!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

    ygritte,

    I’m so sorry. That is devastating. I hope she gets many more years. I’m so sorry again. I can’t even imagine. My heart goes out to you.

  102. Mladen,

    We are talking about ART here. Voting on art should not be about passion. It should be about merit and technique. Has it occurred to you that The Americans won best writing because they had the better writing of all other nominees? Has it occurred to you that Matthew Rhys won because the people who voted believed he gave the better performance of all the other nominees? When you bring passion into the equation you minimize the merit of whoever won and that is not fair. I love Lena but Thandie was better and had more meaty material in her season of West World. In fact, there’s an argument to be made for both the supporting ladies of the Handmaid’s Tale over Lena’s season 7 Cersei. It shouldn’t have to do with passion. So, Game of Thrones did not win writing or directing, the simple reason for that is that they were not better than the other nominees in those categories. Simple. However, the show as a whole is better than the other ones. It may not have been your cup of tea but that doesn’t make it not the best tv show currently on air.

  104. Danny,

    Art is subjective. There is no objective measure of art, which is why I tend to dismiss these award shows as popularity contests.

  105. the unburdened,

    I agree with you about NCW. I have utmost respect for Peter Dnklage and I was a fan of his work long before he became Tyrion. But last season really belonged to Nicolaj Coster-Waldau. He owned it. He shined. So I felt bad last night, not because Peter won, but because NCW didn’t.

  106. Alan Taylor being nominated for a directing Emmy is probably because he’s famous and has a history with the Emmy awards and is known name to them. I’m not surprised he lost though…

    First time in a while D&D haven’t won for writing. I agree with them not winning it for season 7 in all honesty, but I am surprised that the Emmy voters agreed too.

    I hope Lena can win an Emmy in the final season. I doubt it though sadly. But I do hope so. She deserves recognition for the job she did in this show.

  107. Dame of Mercia,

    Maisie Williams in her guest starring episodes of Dr. Who was confirmation that she can do anything. She played

    a young, beloved Viking girl given the gift/curse of immortality, and her arc traced her evolving character at different points throughout the next millions of years. Maisie as aristocrat. Maisie as bereaved mother. Maisie as highway robber-adventurer. Maisie as mayor of a hidden town of refugees. Maisie as wise philosopher, at the end of time, watching the stars die; and finally, Maisie as space-time traveler with companion (girlfriend?) Clara.

    .

    I hope she’s not pigeonholed as a “character actor”, or offered only “cute quirky girlfriend” roles in the future.

  108. Sean C.,

    Maisie is also probably in rehearsals for her London stage debut at the Hampstead Theatre on Oct. 18 in a play, “You and I”, or something like that.

  109. Jack Bauer 24,

    The “problem” I see with GoT winning acting awards is that there are so many characters that it’s hard for one to have enough screen time to stand out, compared to actors on other shows.

    I’m still trying to figure out which Tyrion scenes impressed the voters. He wasn’t his usual witty, one-step-ahead-of-everyone self in S7.

    Wanna know who I thought had a surprising amount of screen time and a bunch of wonderful scenes, though not nearly enough to be nominated? A: Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion. For me, he stood out in S7. His repartee with Sandor; his philosophical discussions with Jon Snow. And… that voice!!!

    Beric and Jorah could sit in a boat reciting poems for an hour and I’d be mesmerized.

    Oh, almost forgot: How cool was that on the Frozen Lake when they needed fire and Beric did his flaming sword trick?

  111. Ten Bears: I’m still trying to figure out which Tyrion scenes impressed the voters. He wasn’t his usual witty, one-step-ahead-of-everyone self in S7.

    I’m not entirely sure either, but maybe that’s exactly why he won. Witty acting doesn’t necessarily impress the voters, at least not enough to stand out, but I think scenes that require emotional range do, and Tyrion had a lot of emotionally charged scenes in season 7. I think he had a lot more screen time in season 7 than Jaime did too, but I can’t be sure about that.

  113. got_tv_fan,

    I am not sure I agree. Technique is always there and it can be measured. Sure, art is more than technique but it always involves technique. Take Picasso and Dali. Both have the two major elements that define a master of arts: technique and creative genius. You may prefer one over the other but any dismissal of both as masters of fine arts is crazy. It doesn’t matter if Joe from the street doesn’t rate cubism or if Jane my next door neighbor doesn’t understand half of Dali’s compositions. Their talent is not defined by subjectivity. Opinions on art are subjective. Art itself is not subjective.

    I get that what you are saying is that subjectivity comes when judging one artist over another but quality in art is something that can be measured regardless of whether one “likes” the piece or not. I didn’t really love “Citizen Kane” but I’m not going to argue that it is not, as most film connoisseurs seemed to agree, the best film ever made. I can see why the feel the way they do. Now subjectivity in performance (acting to be precise) might be a different matter and I understand that “popularity” might play a big part in an actor winning an award but I don’t feel the same way about writing, directing or the actual production of a show – all those three areas can be measured in technique and creative genius.

    But hey everyone has opinions based on their own perspectives that may not be popular. I still don’t know, to this day, how Avatar won the Oscar for best movie over the Hurt Locker.

  115. Danny,

    Correcting my own post. Hurt Locker did win but what I didn’t get is why people were up in arms about it. They acted like the Academy robbed poor James Cameron blind but truth is the Hurt Locker was better in almost every aspect of film making, even creativity. Avatar had been done before and better, it was called Dances with Wolves.

  116. Danny,

    Yes, South Park was kind enough to point out that Avatar was basically “Dances with Smurfs”. I love that episode.

    I never saw Hurt Locker, but I assume the uproar was politically motivated. Hollywood is liberal and there was a lot of division at that time in regards to the Iraq War.

  119. Danny,

    You mean techniques that a subjective bunch of people made up and decided consisted of what was good art? Interesting that you mentioned Dali and Picasso. Cubism and Surrealism broke all the rules of what was considered art at this time. Before it, Impressionism broke a lot of rules. The Impressionists were actually barred from showing at the Paris Salon. The French art establishment at the time thought their paintings were unworthy because they violated the established techniques of painting. Tastes change and things get reevaluated over time. It is subjective and based on people’s personal preferences and tastes. There is no objective measure of what is or isn’t good writing. Some people prefer talk heavy dramas like the Crown while others prefer action heavy dramas like Game of Thrones. Both preferences are fine as long as the audience is entertained.

  120. For the cast members that weren’t in attendance, Sophie, Lena, Hivju and Carice have posted congratulations on Instagram. Maisie and Gemma have posted on social media since the Emmy’s but neither have said anything Thrones related which is kinda odd. Nothing from Alfie either who posts often enough on Instagram. Quiet year at the Emmy’s for the cast overall.

    Maisie and John Bradley West did like a couple of the instagram posts from cast mates though. Lena also hinted at being there next year.

  121. Jack Bauer 24,

    I can’t imagine what they do or don’t post on social media is of any concern. I’m sure they’re quite happy or “chuffed” as my English friends like to say.

    What is of the utmost concern however, is they haven’t announced the red carpet premiere date yet. Is it time to freak out yet?

  125. Ten Bears:
    Boojam,

    District 9 should’ve beaten The Hurt Locker

    Yes.

    As much as I love Jeremy Renner, Sharlto Copley (with minimal previous acting experience), Blomkamp and the dear ‘prawns’ had me hooked. Loved loved loved it.

  126. Damn, I must’ve been on a movie hiatus that year. I don’t recall seeing any of the best picture nominees other than “Dances with Smurfs” and “Up”.

    “Up” was great. “Dances with Smurfs” however, it was ok. A bit heavy-handed for my tastes, but I generally liked it. Didn’t think it was worthy of best picture status though.

  127. Ten Bears,

    TB, I didn’t mean to sound as if I was referring to Maisie in a detrimental way so sorry if it came off thus. She is in fact an attractive lady but I don’t think of her as fitting the “glamour puss” roles but who knows, I might be surprised. Someone has said she has some theatre work lined up. I’m not in show business but I think a few of the young cast of GoT might benefit from doing some live work in the theatre. I know that Kit Harington was in the play War Horse before he became involved with GoT.

  130. Dame of Mercia,

    Oh no! I didn’t think you meant that, and I’m sorry if I gave that impression. I should’ve worded what I wrote differently. All I meant was that Maisie is a chameleon and could do all kinds of roles. In fact, I’m getting the impression that she’s getting good advice: get some stage experience and roles in indie movies. Lena Headey is a good mentor: she doesn’t get caught up in the Holywood “shmoozing” lifestyle, and stays fairly well-grounded.

    I can see where Maisie will be offered lots of the same “stock” roles, but will be smart enough to turn them down.

  131. Adrianacandle: Calgarian here – I’ll keep an eye out 😉

    I’m hoping for some nice surprises. Like in S6, there was all this hype about the “Battle of the Bastards”: Lots of horsies! Burning bodies on crosses! Mountains of corpses! Thousands of soldiers and six armies!
    And yet, when the episode aired it was the Battle of Mereen (Dany & dragons vs Masters’ armada) that I no inkling was going to happen, that blew me away. That was a great 15-20 minute segment, and they kept it all under wraps.

  134. Ten Bears,

    I totally agree and am hoping for the same – the Battle of Meereen was breathtaking. And I’m hoping we get something, anything, with even just one of the last two direwolves. Seeing both Nymeria and Ghost would be A++++++++.

    Oh, Ghost…

  137. Pigeon,

    Eeee! And it’s so flat across the land here that I could probably see you! XD We should form a club ;D which will come in handy for a post-S8 support group…! ;;

    We meet at the lone tree on the AB/SK border 😉

  141. Danny,

    When receiving Academy Award for Blue Jasmine, Cate Blanchett said “as random and as subjective as this award is…” And that is the whole deal of these awards. They are subjective. They feel random and they constantly entice debate whether they were right in their estimation or completely missed. Because, at the end of the day, art is subjective and there is no quantifiable way of measuring it.

    Yes, I do believe Matthew Rhys was the best Actor in his group (I watched all the TV shows nominated in Drama categories). Yes, I do believe START episode (The Americans 6×10) was a masterpiece that truly deserved an award. But, as anyone who follows award more regularly will tell you, one thing is being best and the other is being awarded.

    That is why we have narratives during award season, or why some things entice passionate response by various award-giving bodies. That is why passion matters. Because it will bring out to the light something that may be overlooked. Matthew Rhys was equally brilliant in Season 5, but the swan song narrative of Season 6 coupled with undeniably perfect garage scene. resulted in an award. Just like the swan song narrative worked for Claire Foy.

    I sensed lack of passion for Game of Thrones. I may be wrong, but I do follow these awards for quite some time and I would not be surprised to learn that it wasn’t such a landslide as it was probably for Season 6. Season 7 had its issues and if those issues become real problems, especially regarding plot holes and pace, then GoT may be in real trouble. Otherwise, if the story is coherent and nicely concluded, no one will be able to stop that tour-de-force.

  143. Ser Brocolli McBrocolliface,

    Nope, it wasn´t good. From the very beginning. Episode 5 ended with our heroes crossing the walls amidst a snowstorm that didn´t let us see far. A very oppresive setting. Then we have our heroes in episode 6 taking a stroll across the SUNNIEST day north of the wall while cracking bad jokes about dicks and fucking. Then there is the whole mess of how much time is happening between scenes. And the actions bits are at least normal, there´s nothing great in those moments when Jon and company figth the dead. Worse, our bunch of heroes hold off a horde of undead long enough when Sapochnik in Hardhome showed us the same horde overwhelming and entire settlement. There´s no great directing in that episode.

  145. Mladen,

    You can keep repeating your strong belief that Emmy voters lacked “passion” for GoT this year over and over but the only quantifiable evidence we have runs directly counter to your gut feeling… at the end of the day GoT won. It won simply because it received more votes than the other nominated shows. Short of mind-reading or polling Emmy voters we’ll never actually know how “passionate” each individual felt when voting for best drama this year.

  147. Enharmony1625:
    Adrianacandle,

    I’m at least going to be taking a day or two off work after the season 8 finale to cope. 🙂 The grief will continue long after that tough..

    If you grieve too long, the limited edition Queen Arya tee shirts might be sold out before you’re through. 👸🏻

  151. House Monty: I thought the survey that this site did showed Season 6 much lower amongst book first readers.

    Correct. Season 6 was much lower among book-firsts. It was No.1 for show-only viewers.

  153. Regarding Peter Dinklage and his “lack of material,” I’m going to very much have to disagree. I know it’s been a while since the last season aired, but I remember quite a few awesome scenes of acting from Mr. Dinklage–and it was stuff that I do think was more award-worthy than NCW. It’s not that I don’t think he deserved the nomination; I most certainly do, I just think that Dinklage delivered a stronger performance overall. Off the top of my head, I can think of these moments/scenes…

    – Tyrion’s reaction when Jaime went after Dany in “The Spoils of War.” It was a short scene, but his reaction packed a wallop.
    – Tyrion’s counsel on taking out Casterly Rock; his pride in knowing the sewage system and coming up with the plan and then his reaction when it was a failure and he was outsmarted.
    – His scenes with Jon when he first came to Dragonstone.
    – His scene in the bowels of the Red Keep facing Jaime for the first time after fleeing King’s Landing after killing their father.
    – His scene facing Cersei when he very well could have been facing his death, but took the chance that she actually, really didn’t want to kill him.
    – A few particular scenes with Varys discussing the Game of Thrones.
    – Arguing with Dany about burning the Tarly men. When to be a Dragon and when not.

    Tyrion (and Peter Dinklage) had a LOT of good material last season and, per usual, he nailed it.

  154. got_tv_fan:
    Mladen,

    You mean stunt casting?Sorry, but I would prefer another season with Claire, Matt, and Vanessa.

    Olivia Colman is amazing. Honestly she will be excellent.

    I don’t care for HBC at ALL, but I must say she did very well in The King’s Speech, so when she isn’t sticking to her “I’m a loony crazy-haired-villain” schtick, she’s ok.

  155. Adrianacandle:
    Pigeon,

    Eeee! And it’s so flat across the land here that I could probably see you! XD We should form a club ;D which will come in handy for a post-S8 support group…! ;;

    We meet at the lone tree on the AB/SK border 😉

    As long as we can avoid Lloydminster! (kidding…😛) I’ll be at my sister’s in Calgary for Thanksgiving, that drive is definitely very….linear. 😂

  156. Pigeon,

    HBC is a true British treasure… Yes, she can be a bit eclectic in Tim Burton kind of way, but this role is not about that. HBC did wonders in 1990s with bit more traditional roles and if she gets great script with the role so juicy as Margaret’s, it will be very hard to compete with her.

    got_tv_fan,

    Foy, Smith and Kirby always knew that the deal is only for two seasons. Even the audience knew it was a deal. The actors coming to replace them are not bad choice, all three of them proved to be exceptional artists. The Crown won a casting Emmy this year, so I am sure that Nina Gold knew whom to choose (although I would have preferred Paul Bettany in the role of Prince Phillip).

  157. Pigeon,

    I remember when HBC was starting out. The first thing I can remember her in (though I didn’t watch it all the way through) was as the heroine in a made-for-TV show based on a Barbara Cartland novel (doubt you’ll have heard of BC but she wrote the sort of novelette where the sweet dewy-eyed maiden gets the man of the world who has had loads of mistresses to marry him) as the sweet young thing. I never saw her in “A Room With a View” which was the film that established her internationally I think. HBC has become a bit type-cast as the batty character I think. I can remember HBC’s grandmother Lady Violet Bonham-Carter being on The Brains Trust a programme where egghead types used to talk. Not that I was a particularly advanced child for my years; my parents used to watch it (there may have been a radio version). She is from quite a well-known family in the UK though this is the link to the Wikipedia entry on Lady Violet Bonham-Carter.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Bonham_Carter

  158. Helena Bonham Carter is a wonderful actress. If people have only seen her in the Tim Burton type of roles they’re missing out. She came to prominence in Lady Jane and was fabulous in that. And as has been noted, Olivia Colman is brilliant. She is finally (and deservedly) coming into her own.

    Stunt-casting, this is not.

    Back to GOT — sadly, I think that Lena’s time to win was (and should have been) season 05. I still don’t know what crack the Academy was smoking to not give it to her that year. I honestly never thought she was going to win this year; I just didn’t think she had the material. *sigh*

  159. JenniferH,

    HBC was good in The King’s Speech, but I just consider it “stunt casting” for them to get mainly A-list actors in this sort of situation. It is almost like the thought was “hey we are getting rid of the main actors and starting with a whole new cast so we are going to go with mainly big names to keep audiences watching.”

  160. I don’t know if the humour will cross the Atlantic but another couple of British treasures (Debra Stephenson and John Cumshaw) as HBC and TB. https://youtu.be/071LMhYM8nE

    They probably get the mannerisms more than the actual facial looks.
    JenniferH,

    I hadn’t heard of her being in Lady Jane . I didn’t see that film. That predates by a short time A Hazard of Hearts which is the Babs Cartland adaptation I remember her being in. No disrespect to HBC, attractive ladies have to eat, but Babs Cartland’s stories were not to my taste.

  161. got_tv_fan,

    Colman is a great actress but she is not exactly A-lister. Tobias Menzies played entire line of characters on TV shows, but still, not someone who can be considered A-lister. The only one, due to rich movie career, that can be seen as A-list actress is HBC.

    The Crown doesn’t need the big names. Foy, Smith and Kirby didn’t go because they moved on, that was always the deal. This was planned since the beginning. And while Foy can play Queen Elizabeth in her thirties, playing Queen Elizabeth in late forties, fifties would be borderline cartoonish (unless they have whatever magic Marvel has that used on RDJ and Samuel L. Jackson). So, this is a natural progression to everyone involved with the show.

    JenniferH,

    Lena was always against such powerhouse performances that you can’t not feel bad for her. Once she started getting nominations, she was in the same category with the living legend Dame Maggie Smith, whose character in Downton Abbey made everyone watch the series. Next year, she will probably (if The Crown is released in first 6 months of 2019) with Helena Bonham Carter who BTW, looks incredible as Margaret

    https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/thecrown_302_00054_rv2-1-cropped.jpg?w=1000&h=563&crop=1

    Was this the last chance? No, but it was probably her best chance. She played Cersei with such finesse that it would be a shame that she ends the show without a win. But, that is also one of the consequences of TV’s golden age.

  162. I do feel awful for Lena. She so should have won for season 05. I love her and have been a fan since her Sarah Conner Chronicles days. (Loved that show so much.) I just don’t think that season 07 was a showcase for her, and I don’t know that 08 will either. We’ll see though. I have a feeling that 08 is going to be a bonanza for our best GOT actors.

    I adore HBC though. She’s a fantastic actress and I know she’ll be fabulous on The Crown, as will the amazing Colman. And frankly, part of why I’m so bummed about Sandra Oh not winning is because I’m expecting Olivia Colman to easily walk away with the prize. In fact, she may have a supporting Oscar under her belt for The Favourite by then which will up her prominence!

  163. Mladen,

    Back in the 1960s there were some good programmes, Malden; the style of production has changed of course but BBC used to do have a weekly “Wednesday Play” for original drama and there was another series “Play for Today”. The BBC were always quite good at dramatisations of the classics such as the novels of Dickens and the Bronte sisters. I think with a number of channels and TV companies nowadays there is probably a lot of “golden” drama and original fare. Things may be different where you live and I’m guessing you are in a much younger age bracket than I am but when I was a child (I’m owning up to being an oldie) there was not so much TV available. TV and radio went off overnight. Children’s TV was for about an hour. I think there are a lot of good drama shows now but some of the other shows are awful. Daytime TV in the UK seems to be largely an endless stream of programmes about auctions, buying a house in the country, cookery, things about antiques. It really isn’t my “type of thing”. And don’t get me started about Big Brother – sorry BB fans.

  164. Supporting Actor wasn’t a very competitive category, so I can’t say I’m surprised.

    Supporting Actress however… WOW. That one was packed.

    Congrats to the winners!

  165. Dame of Mercia:
    Pigeon,

    I remember when HBC was starting out.The first thing I can remember her in (though I didn’t watch it all the way through) was as the heroine in a made-for-TV show based on a Barbara Cartland novel (doubt you’ll have heard of BC but she wrote the sort of novelette where the sweet dewy-eyed maiden gets the man of the world who has had loads of mistresses to marry him) as the sweet young thing.I never saw her in “A Room With a View” which was the film that established her internationally I think.HBC has become a bit type-cast as the batty character I think.I can remember HBC’s grandmother Lady Violet Bonham-Carter being on The Brains Trust a programme where egghead types used to talk.Not that I was a particularly advanced child for my years; my parents used to watch it (there may have been a radio version).She is from quite a well-known family in the UK though this is the link to the Wikipedia entry on Lady Violet Bonham-Carter.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violet_Bonham_Carter

    Thank you for the link! I’d never heard of her grandmother, and she sounds like quite the woman! I first saw HBC in Room With A View, and I believe Wings of the Dove (?) Couldn’t stand her in Fight Club. Like I said, I really liked her in The King’s Speech, I have just had up to my ears with her Tim Burton (and Harry Potter) same character all the time. Same with Johnny Depp and Tim Burton movies (which are mostly the same ones with HBC) – yes, we get it, you’re so very eccentric and blah blah blah shut up. I did like Sweeney Todd. I’m sure she’ll be very good as Margaret.

  166. Pigeon: As long as we can avoid Lloydminster! (kidding…😛) I’ll be at my sister’s in Calgary for Thanksgiving, that drive is definitely very….linear. 😂

    That’s so soon – we’ll be so geographically close! 🌎

    LOL! Linear is a very good word. When driving through Alberta and Saskatchewan, I can see… everything…. all the way to the end of the world…

  167. Hello

    I was hoping that Nik would win the Emmy as this season he finally had some good material for Jaime. Over the years, he has done an excellent job with an unevenly written storyline and arc for his character. Jaime is by far my favorite character and it is a joy to see Nik’s interpretation.

    Despite this, I was happy to see Peter take his third Emmy! Wow, three! Peter is one of my favorite actors on GOT – although Jaime is by far (by miles and miles and miles!) my favorite character. I thought that Peter did not have a stellar season. But an earlier post made a useful list of “Peter moments” in Season 7 – maybe he did enough after all.

    The SAG awards are always a good guide to how the acting Emmys will go. However, I really doubted that the actors’ branch would vote a third Emmy for Peter. When Diana Rigg did not get one, I thought the Peter, Lena and Nik would have a better chance of winning. The actors branch would certainly give GOT something in the acting, right? So I was hoping for Nik.

    Next season, I expect Nik, Lena and Peter to deliver quality performances (ok, the writing is less clever than it used to be) to take this series to a high point as it ends. I look forward to it! Regardless of what one thinks of the Lannisters as a family – Tywin, Joffrey, Jaime, Cersei and Tyrion – they have provided wonderful entertainment value. Even Tommen did his swan dive with appropriate aplomb!

    Nik looked fabulous in his mustard jacket. Golds and oranges are in this season but it was still very, very fashion forward to rock it as a jacket. I was surprised…and loved it. Peter seemed to have had a dispute with his tie, seemed oddly set. Jon and Missandei (so beautiful!) were very nicely turned out as well.

    Good to see Canadians on the board, I will be spending Thanksgiving in Montreal and then taking a tour of the autumn leaves around and up to Quebec city.

    M

  168. Kinda dug Nik’s caramel-colored jacket. I appreciate something besides black and navy on a guy.
    Unfortunate for Lena if they decided to give it to Peter again, but didn’t want to give us our actor, actress, AND Best Drama at once (especially on an overall weaker second-to-last season.) Definitely no thoughtless ‘popularity contest’ there, however; this show’s greatness and consistent quality have earned its popularity among viewers and Emmy voters.
    It was sweet of the folks who weren’t at the ceremony and gave congrats. ^^
    I’ve become a big fan of some of the wonderful Thrones actors, and certainly hope to see more great work from them in the future…hopefully awesome roles, but not limited to independent films that nobody watches. ^.^
    I too can add Dormer & Glenn to the list of men I wouldn’t mind having as narrators to my life. 😉
    And I’ve seen Helena Bonham Carter in over two dozen films…whatever it is, she’s always enjoyable (including when it’s only her voice.)

  169. Oh dear, I thought I had proofread on HBC properly yesterday but when I referred one of her earlier films being an adaptation of a Babs Cartland book I said (paraphrasing) that BC’s formula was where the doe-eyed virgin got the experienced man of the world, been round the block several times bloke to marry him. The person the man of experience marries in such works is always female so I should have said “her”.

    Shelle,

    In the thread I opened on the forums under a Song of Ice and Fire – The Wind of Winter regarding possible replacement voice actors the late Roy Dotrice if there were ever* to be another audio reading of ASOIAF or if it were to be read on the radio (well that would be audio of course) or acted on the radio, Chilli referenced Messrs. Dormer and Glenn as possibilities. I didn’t get a lot of response to that thread to be honest.

    * I’m aware of a different (i.e. non-Roy Dotrice) version on YouTube but it’s not to my personal taste.

  170. In the thread I opened on the forums under a Song of Ice and Fire – The Wind of Winter regarding possible replacement voice actors the late Roy Dotrice if there were ever* to be another audio reading of ASOIAF or if it were to be read on the radio (well that would be audio of course) or acted on the radio, Chilli referenced Messrs. Dormer and Glenn as possibilities.I didn’t get a lot of response to that thread to be honest.

    Ooh, I can’t imagine why–what a brilliant idea. ;D *thumbs-up*
    I did listen to the audiobooks on YT read by Dotrice. Very thankful for them.

  171. Shelle,

    “I’ve become a big fan of some of the wonderful Thrones actors, and certainly hope to see more great work from them in the future…hopefully awesome roles, but not limited to independent films that nobody watches…”
    ——–
    Equally enjoyable for me is to spot GoT actors in a movie I’d enjoyed in the past without realizing they were in it – whether because of different makeup, costumes, age, etc.

    • Several months ago I had the TV on in the background and not really watching; I think it was some Lara Croft Tomb Raider thing with Angelina Jolie doing gymnastics or something. I don’t remember exactly. Anyway, a few minutes later the scene shifts and she’s in some opulent office suite with marbled floors being introduced to some distinguished lawyer or antique collector. An impossibly handsome, impeccably dressed gentleman walks out to greet her. They sit down and start talking, and his voice is just as seductive as his appearance, with smoothness and perfect enunciation. I thought to myself “Oh Lord, that man is beautiful.”

    A few seconds later, after listening to his velvety voice some more, it hit me: I think I said out loud: “Holy sh*t! That’s Jorah F*cking Mormont!!!”

    • One of my guilty pleasure movies is “A Little Princess.” A rich single father goes off to war and leaves his daughter “Sara” in an exclusive boarding school, but

    after he’s declared MIA and presumed dead, the nasty headmistress forces the girl into servitude and banishes her to the attic. It turns out her father wasn’t killed but was severely injured and had amnesia. Back in London after months in a military hospital, a kind old gentleman takes him in while he recuperates and tries to regain his memory. But when his daughter happens to see him and calls out “Papa!” he doesn’t recognize her and gently pushes her away. She continues crying out, “Papa! Papa” as cops come to haul her away. At the very last minute, his memory returns and he screams out: “SARA!!!” and runs over to her. I start bawling every time.

    Anyway, it was only fairly recently that I realized the father in this 1995 movie was played by none other than Ser Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight.

    – to be cont.-

  172. That’s true too! In addition to seeking out their other roles (especially certain particular people), I can now spot them in things I just happen to catch (saw Anton Lesser in something on TV a little while ago and went, “Is that…Qyburn?” Checked and sure enough, it was. Not that I now recall the title. But I should definitely find this Angelina Jolie movie, in that case! And I own A Little Princess–amongst hundreds of VHS tapes in the cellar. My grandma used to buy me every single child-appropriate video released. ;; That one was never a favorite of mine, though; I don’t really remember sitting through it all at once. I do remember associating it with The Secret Garden, and preferring the latter. But I reckon I ought to rewatch it now, knowing Ser Davos is in it…I intentionally watched Black Butterflies (decidedly not kid-friendly, lol) for him and my new super-fave Carice. 8’D

  173. Also, I didn’t know too many of them prior to the show…Sean Bean from LotR, a few minor ones such as Max von Sydow and Jim Broadbent…I had seen fellow New Jersey native Dinklage in Elf without realizing it…but yeah, not too many. What a trove of European talent had been hidden away from me!

  174. Shelle,

    Don’t miss Roy Dotrice in “The Cutting Edge” (1992) if you haven’t seen it. He plays a Russian figure skating coach, with a pitch perfect accent.

  175. Shelle,

    I just checked. The Angelina Jolie movie I was describing with an impossibly handsome Iain Glen was “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” (2001). Noah Taylor (GoT’s Locke) was in it too.

    I can’t say whether I recommend it or not. Like I said. I only saw a 5-10 snippet.

  176. Thanks for that recommendation, and the other title; unfortunately the only figure skating movie I think I’ve seen is Blades of Glory, even though it’s among my favorite sports to watch.

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