Emmy Predictions: Best Guest Actress in a Drama Series

Will Win - Joan Cusack "Shameless"
Should Win - Cusack, Julia Stiles "Dexter" or, Loretta Devine "Grey's Anatomy"
Could Win - Stiles or Devine

Commentary - I have been toiling over this one for a couple weeks, and even with this prediction I am still pretty shaky, and may change my mind before my final predictions list. So here goes nothing. The two Mad Men ladies, should be thrilled to get in, but I'm not sure either has enough star power or episode submission power to get in. Randee Heller's episode simply doesn't have enough of her. Cara Buono's episode is actually pretty good, making her a dark horse, but I still don't think it will be enough. Mary McDonnell got a surprise nod for The Closer, but most of her episode is merely her reacting to Kyra Sedgwick, not necessarily doing a lot on her own. In contrast to her is Alfre Woodard, who simply doesn't do much of anything. I love Woodard, but did we really need seven slots to include her, when she has done such better work before. So then it comes down to three. Most people are probably writing off Loretta Devine, but she is a veteran actress whose storyline on Grey's was particularly good this season. While her episode doesn't have much of her, she has an incredibly emotional scene regrading her Alzheimer's that could prove to be winning. However, I think she is still in third place, with the horse race coming down to Julia Stiles vs. Joan Cusack. Most people are going with Stiles, as Dexter is more popular show than Shameless, and her role was central this season. But Dexter has slipped this season, and Joan Cusack's episode is just as good, so in terms of tapes, I don't know who will win. This means it may come down to outside factors. Stiles is young and may not have earned the acting community's respect yet, compared to Cusack, and for that fact Devine, who are veterans with a lot of support. So while I think this could go either way, I am going for Cusack at the moment to win her first Emmy Award.