Emmys Outlook: House of the Dragon, Poker Face, and Ali Wong

Jan. 10—Some awards for the 75th Primetime Emmys have already been announced, but Monday, January 15, is the official awards ceremony when all of the biggest titles are revealed live.

Among winners already announced were hopefuls I covered on Emmys Outlook. Nick Offerman took Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his absolutely moving guest performance in The Last of Show and RuPaul was named Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program once again — and always and possibly forever. Ha Ha! I called it!

Let's dig into three more television favorites to watch and watch out for before the small screen's biggest awards show.

Game of Thrones spin-off, House of the Dragon revives the fanbase with a fresh story and dysfunctional family from the history of Westeros. Poker Face allows Natasha Lyonne to shine as the tantalizing lead in this investigative comedy's first season. Then finally, Ali Wong's is nominated for three Emmys nominations between two shows for the 2023/2024 awards.

This will be my last Emmys Outlook for the 2023/2023 ceremony, so be sure to read up on all the biggest names in television before Monday. Don't worry, I'll spare you the spoilers so you can make your own award predictions!

Photo Credit — HBO

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

Although HBO's House of the Dragon didn't perform as spectacularly as its counterpart, Game of Thrones, the standalone prequel picked up eight nominations at the 2023/2024 Emmys.

After the most hotly debated series finale since How I Met Your Mother and The Sopranos, Game of Thrones seeks to regain control of their fans with spin-off fantasy drama series, House of the Dragon. In the history of Westeros, the new show takes place 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones when dragons still ruled the land.

Outshined by Succession, The Last of Us, and The White Lotus, House of the Dragon didn't receive any acting nods for the exciting series debut, but performed well in other categories. They're up for Outstanding Drama Series, as well as several awards for makeup, costume, and cinematography.

The dragons alone are a visual feat of glory. I loved Game of Thrones but the one thing that always disappointed me is that there wasn't nearly as much dragon screen-time as I craved. House of the Dragon decided they weren't going to chince out on the CGI and gave fans all the crazy, scaly creatures our nerdy lil' hearts desired — each with their own distinct personalities and imaginative looks.

For the first couple episodes, I'll admit it's a little dense. The time jumps are a little jarring until you get a feel for the cast. Also to George R. R. Martin, I understand it's a family-name thing but, as a fellow writer, I don't know why you'd give all the characters almost exactly the same name!

Aside from a few complaints, the first season is a wild dragon ride that fills the big shoes left behind by Game of Thrones. I spent the last three episodes biting my nails, shouting outloud to no one, and lifting both palms to my face in disbelief.

I'd say one of the biggest Emmys snubs this year is that Emma D'Arcy wasn't nominated for their starring role as Princess Rhaenyra and Matt Smith wasn't nominated for his supporting role as Daemon Targaryen. They both truly embodied their roles and brought a new vision of House Targaryen to the screen that's par for the GOT course. Paddy Considine was also phenomenal as King Viserys Targaryen and I would have liked to see him make the cut.

Perhaps House of the Dragon was out-acted by the other heavy-hitters in the drama categories but, since this was Succession's last chance to dominate, it's possible we'll see more actors and actresses nominated from the series as the show hits its stride.

Season 2 of House of the Dragon is set for summer 2024.

POKER FACE

I just started this comedy/crime show on Peacock and I'm wondering why I waited this long to queue it up.

Although the series itself is not nominated for awards, Poker Face is an enjoyable watch with mystery-solving, humor, and heart rolled all into one killer first season.

Also, I love a series that gives me a fresh story every episode, so that when my best friend comes into the middle of the season — I don't have to start the whole thing from the beginning so that she knows what the heck's going on.

Natasha Lyonne is a stand-out contender in the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series category. She plays Charlie, just a quirky down-on-her-luck woman with a knack for always knowing when someone is lying.

While on the run from bad guys tied to the Pilot episode, Charlie solves mind-bending murders and meets a host of interesting characters — often played by big name guest actors. This isn't another cop show either, Charlie circumvents the law to bring her own personal brand of justice to those who deserve it.

Lyonne is at her best in this role. This character was MADE for her to go nuts with and she certainly lives up to the challenge. Charlie is rough around the edges, but she's down-to-earth and stays fixated on doing what's right even while some seriously scary dudes stay in hot pursuit. She's funny, she's authentic, and you can't wait for her to appear on-screen every episode to somehow tie into yet another murder.

Poker Face already scored an Emmy when the legendary Judith Light was announced as winner for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role in the "Time of the Monkey" episode. We'll see if Nastasha Lyonne takes home the award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series next. Honestly, I'm pulling for her!

ALI WONG

Over the past few years, Ali Wong has become Netflix's comedy queen. She's been on her come-up in Hollywood and is one of few rising comedians who didn't come out of SNL. She made her own way, being herself.

It's no wonder why we can't get enough of Ali Wong. She's relatable, she's real, and brings a fresh perspective to the comedy scene. Each one of her stand-up comedy specials on Netflix became mega-hits with titles like "Don Wong, "Baby Cobra," and "Hard Knock Wife." In 2019, she also starred in Netflix rom-com "Always Be My Maybe" with Randall Park.

Then, BEEF came out and jetsetted her to the top. Ali Wong just nabbed a win at the Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Limited Series for the 2023 limited series, a road-rage black comedy that's a favorite for the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

We already talked quite a bit about the multi-nominated Netflix series BEEF in another Emmys Outlook, but I felt Ali Wong herself deserved her own headline. She's nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Limited Series and she's also named for her position as Executive Producer under the show's nomination for Outstanding Limited Series.

In addition to her BEEF nods, Ali Wong was nominated for her Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance for lead role as Bertie in hit adult cartoon sitcom, Tuca & Bertie. The show also stars Tiffany Haddish as her wacky toucan BFF, Tuca, as well as her BEEF co-star, Steven Yeun, as Bertie's lovable bird boyfriend, Speckle.

The show started on Netflix and was so well-loved that when it was announced that the girl buddy cartoon wouldn't return — Adult Swim picked it up for season two and three. The cartoon was cancelled again by Adult Swim in 2022, but it's available to stream on MAX. Maybe they'll pick it up next.

Although Maya Rudolf, unsurprisingly, already took home the award once again as Big Mouth's Hormone Monstress, it's wonderful to see the female-centric cartoon getting the praise it deserves. The Voice-Over category is also one of the only awards not separated by gender, so it's wonderful seeing these leading ladies make the list.

In 2022, Ali Wong was nominated for her first Emmy for the writing of her comedy special, Ali Wong: Don Wong. In 2023, she added three more nominations between BEEF and Tuca & Bertie. I can't wait to see what this multi-talented actress/comedian will give us in 2024!