Hiya TVOvermind faithful! I'm Cory Barker. I'm new to the staff and will slowly be working my way into the fold here.
Since its debut, Friday Night Lights has been critically acclaimed, but lacked any mainstream support from viewers and ultimately NBC as well. That lack of awareness has translated to the Primetime Emmy Awards, where the production has only been nominated five times in four years, three of which were for casting. No one on the much-praised-by-critics cast has been nominated.
But this year, there's a chance one performer breaks that trend: Zach Gilford.
Yes, Gilford garnering an Emmy is a longshot, but there are more things in favor than perhaps there has ever been for a FNL performer. The episode he'll be submitting -- "The Son" -- was hyped by critics both during its first DirecTV airing in the fall and the re-airing a few weeks ago on NBC. Time's James Poniewozik noted that "'The Son'" was one of the most fantastic episodes of TV to air in 2009." Alan Sepinwall said that the episode "was one of the best in the run of this wonderful series." And of course, all that hype centered on Gilford's emotionally powerhouse performance.
Moreover, "The Son" is totally Gilford's episode. He is in more than 75 percent of scenes throughout the episode, making him seem like the true star and catalyst for the story. That might seem like a small thing, but never underestimate -- or perhaps overestimate -- how the Emmy voters think.
Gilford smartly entered himself into the guest actor category instead of supporting where the competition is seemingly more difficult. While there are certainly more actors in the guest category, the prestige isn't there. There's no way that Gilford would even be on the top 25 of the supporting actor ballot. But in the guest category, with an episode that everyone with an opinion loved and talked up fervently, there's a chance.
There's one final element to consider here, something that will probably result in absolutely no effect on the actual nominations -- the Facebook campaign. Popeater started the campaign earlier this month right after "The Son" aired and since its inception, multiple mainstream media outlets have highlighted it with stories (see Popeater's coverage of the campaign's progress). Now, Variety has Gilford on their "one to watch" list of possible Emmy nominees. We know what Facebook did for Betty White and although this is a completely different circumstance, a Gilford nomination could lend some value to the social network's power over culture.
So the buzz is certainly building for Gilford. Lots of people, including the right kinds of people, are behind him. But sadly, this is the Emmys we're talking about. These are awards given by a group of voters that have recently awarded the likes of Jon Cryer and Jeremy Piven over dozens of more deserving candidates. In the end, don't expect Gilford to be a nominee in the Outstanding Guest Actor category, but if anyone from Friday Night Lights is ever going to be nominated, he is the one and now is the time.
As much as I would love, love, love to see Gilford get that nomination, it'll be bittersweet. Friday Night Lights is so brilliant. It will go down as one of the best-acted series of all time. The show, Connie Britton, Kyle Chandler and Gilford all deserve their due.
Oh man, I would LOVE that! Matty has brought me to tears so many times, and The Son episode almost killed me :(