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The 2021 Emmy honour provedWatchmen ’s groundbreaking achiever last year was something of an anomaly , rather than a trigger for change . When HBO announced aWatchmenTV continuation from Damon Lindelof , fans of the original Alan Moore comic ( andZack Snyder ’s 2009 picture show adaptation ) were skeptical , but those misgiving got efface faster than an Ozymandias clone butler . Watchmenwas lauded for its offbeat whole tone and fascinating continuation of the root material , but also for delivering a thought - plague racial comment that even catch the care of Barack Obama . Shining a luminance on the 1921 Tulsa massacre and forward-looking white mastery , Watchmenproved a startlingly prophetical watch in late 2019 .
Superhero fare has always struggled at top awards ceremony . Though the genre has evolved far beyond hoi polloi in capes punching each other , those handing out gongs still seem to see mirthful book adaptations as people in capes punching each other . It was tonic , then , when the 2020 Emmy prize acknowledgedWatchmenwith nominating address in 11 of the major category . Manhattan and the crowd pass on to tally wins for Outstanding Limited Series , Outstanding Lead Actress ( Regina King ) , Outstanding Supporting Actor ( Yahya Abdul - Mateen II ) and Outstanding Writing .
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2020 ’s Emmys felt like the start of a newfangled geological era for one of many award ceremonial occasion shouldering a repute for being stuffy and out of touch . Watchmen ’s haul represent a winnings for bold , innovative , unparalleled storytelling , and also for representation . late years have seen various awards institution call up out for their lack of diversity , butWatchmen ’s success indicated clip were a - exchange .
2021 ’s Emmy honor reverted to typewrite . Among the night ’s big success wereThe Crown , Mare of Easttown , The Crown , The Handmaid ’s TaleandThe Crown , and while all of the above are certainly worthy of their respective accolades , a glimpse at the full winner ' list reveals a very familiar formula . good , conservative , conventional winners many would consider prime honor fresh fish , the like of which we ’ve visit approach the podium clock time and sentence again . Watchmen ’s out - of - the - box profits in 2020 looked like a broadening of theEmmys ' narrow-minded palette ; rather , it was just a brief foray into our weird and fantastic world of people in cape punching each other .
You might also see # EmmysSoWhite slew on Twitter over the coming days , and that ’s hardly surprising throw the want of win for histrion of semblance . The 2021 nominating address break earth with a record numeral of nominations for non - white talent , but at the business final stage , it was all - white on the Nox in the acting categories . Wins for Michaela Coel ( I May destruct You)andHamiltonexceptions to the common prestigiousness drama .
It ’s easy to be critical , so what should ’ve won instead?Bridgerton’sRegé - Jean Pagemight’ve anticipated joy in the Lead Actor category , likewise theHamiltonboys for Lead Actor In A Limited Series , and Michaela Coel stand a good luck against Kate Winslet competing for Lead Actress In A Limited Series . WandaVision , The BoysandThe Mandalorianwere up for various bell , and though no oneseriouslyexcepted them to take the air forth with armfuls of atomic number 79 , it seems the Emmys were once again social distancing from the laughable book and sci - fi genre .
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Not to besmirch the night ’s eventual winners , but none among those crowned shake up the status quo quite likeWatchmenin 2020 . It also take some effort to nominate so many actors of colour and have the vast majority lose , and fans will call into question whether the Emmys are more concerned in the superficialappearanceof advancement than actuallymakingprogress . Both in terms of recognize a broader kitchen stove of fashion and championing diverseness , it ’s 2 steps forward , 1 step back . Those who watched theWatchmenwon’t necessarily be catch the Emmy again .
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