I’ll admit it – being a LOST fan, I was ecstatic to see the show get nominated for Best Drama – but I didn’t expect it to win for one minute. Like most fans, I put up the false front of hopefulness that my coveted little vial of televised heroin would somehow be validated – again – as the ‘best’ there is, but at the end of the day the nod went to Mad Men, and deservedly so – even though Damages would have been even more deservedly so. The fact is, LOST doesn’t have to prove itself anymore. That the show has managed to exist this long with the eclectic blend of story telling that seems to bridge every genre and literary motif known to man is a feat that they haven’t produced an award for yet. But still, having telegraphed the pride for LOST’s scant but mighty Emmy noms this year, I find myself having to defend my gloating.
But I’m not going to. No matter who you pulled for, there is always someone who won in another category that you never thought stood a chance, or that you’d never even heard of period. You get up the next day to the usual buzz of who wore the worst clothes, or what ‘bits’ seemed to fall flat on their faces, and whether the host – or in this case, hosts – turned out to be a study in ineptness. (Apparently they did, if you read all that junk.) The only wins that ever seem to matter are the upsets, and when a favorite does win or lose there is always the procession of conspiracy theorists, apologists, and cranks who will point out the many known flaws in the voting system, or the fact that some independently produced show on an off-network channel got robbed.
Okay, so now having successfully marginalized my own fervent predictions that LOST stood a chance of winning – let’s ask “Why Not?” The truth is, LOST is not a show that plays well against competition, because its real competition is itself. The episode that was submitted, “The Constant”, is a perfect example. “The Constant” was a sequel to the episode “Flashes Before Your Eyes,” thematically. “Flashes” achieved what a lot of folks thought couldn’t be done in the fantasy genre, it did something new with the theme of time travel. “The Constant” was an extension of the themes setup in flashes and carried out throughout the series since. It was LOST improving on LOST.
Tonight, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded the Emmy award for Outstanding Drama Series to “Mad Men”–nominated in 16 categories–rather than to “Lost.” Michael Emerson (Ben) also lost to Zeljko Ivanek, who plays Ray Fiske in “Damages.”
Here are some photos of the cast on the red carpet:
At this Sunday’s Emmys, Michael is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor based on his heartbreaking and fascinating portrayal of Ben’s transition from smug, self-righteous supervillain to devastated, guilt-stricken father in the episode “The Shape of Things to Come.”
As he gears up for the big day, Emerson was kind enough to phone in—from, who knows, Tunisia?—to discuss his nomination (as well as the show’s), along with a little insight into what’s to come in season five of Lost…
MICHAEL EMERSON ON THE EMMY AWARDS
Your Emmy category is stocked with fantastic veteran character actors. Have you worked with any of your other nominees in the past? Do you know any of them? Sure, I know Zeljko Ivanek (Damages) from New York. I’m proud to see how many New Yorkers are in the category—guys with theater in their backgrounds.
The show is up for Best Drama for the first time since season one. What’s the feeling about that on the set? Is everyone coming out? I think a lot of the cast are coming. I think there will be quite a few of us gathered together in one place. I don’t know if we’ll all be able to sit together, but many of us will be there.
Just beat up the other casts and take whatever seats you want. What’s the point of having a 12-person ensemble if you can’t gang up on other shows? [Laughs.]
And how are you feeling about the nomination and the ceremony in general? It’s a tricky business, isn’t it?I try not to think about it more than I have to, to tell you the truth. I still maintain that the real honor is the nomination, and it’s great to be named—as you say—in a category that is so formidably deep with skillful character players.
The Creative Arts Emmy Awards were held last night. (The Creative Arts Emmys and the Primetime Emmys comprise the Emmy Awards; Creative Arts is for more technical categories, whereas Primetime is for more buzz-worthy categories.) ‘Lost’ received eight Emmy nominations this year–six of which were for the Creative Arts. ‘Lost’ did not win for “Outstanding Cinematography for a One Hour Series” (”The Constant”), “Outstanding Original Dramatic Score Music Composition for a Series” (”The Constant”), “Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series” (”There’s No Place Like Home, Parts 2 & 3″), “Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series” (”The Shape of Things to Come”) and “Outstanding Special Class: Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Programs” (’Lost: Missing Pieces’), but it did win for “Outstanding Sound Mixing for a One-Hour Comedy or Drama Series” (”Meet Kevin Johnson”) with production mixer Robert Anderson and re-recording mixers Frank Morrone and Scott Weber receiving the trophies.
Next Sunday, September 21, we will find out how “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series” nominee Michael Emerson fares and if Darlton, et al, can regain the top prize in the “Outstanding Drama Series” race.
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Countdown to Season 5
LOST Quotes
Jack: You need to put the guns down. Miles: What? Jack: Put the guns down. Miles: Now why would I do that? Jack: Because our friends are out in the jungle right holding a gun at your head and his head, so I’m gonna forget about the misunderstanding, just put the guns down! Miles: Come on, how stupid do you think I- [Several shots ring out, and Juliet and Sayid come out the bushes with guns aimed at Miles and Daniel. Kate grabs Daniel's gun and aims it at him, but Miles continues to hold his] Jack: I don’t know, Miles. How stupid are you?
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