As an awards show, the Golden Globes normally provides shocks and expected results in equal measure, and the 2014 awards were no surprise. The film categories are often more contentious, but this year the surprises and shocks came for the most part from the television awards. A couple of weeks later, now that the dust has settled, here at The Edge we look at these shocks, and ask whether the confusion at these award winners was warranted, or merely a flash of indignancy at the expected winners loosing out to unexpected parties.
In the drama categories, for the most part, the award winners were hardly surprise, considering the social media dominance of Breaking Bad over the course of its final season, and the captivating performance of Brian Cranston as science teacher turned meth maker Hiesenberg. Therefore, the best actor in the drama series and best drama series going to Cranston and Breaking Bad, respectively, was hardly unsurprising, and welcome awards, considering the series end. The best actress in a drama series, going to Robin Wright, for House of Cards, was a little surprising, considering the hype around Kerry Washington’s performance in Scandal leading up to the event, although Wright’s win is very well deserved.
However, the comedy awards were where the real dramas of the night came. Newcomer Andy Sandberg was surrounded by well established actors, including Jason Bateman for Arrested Development, Don Cheadle for House of Lies, and Jim Parsons in Big Bang Theory, and yet he was the one who won the best actor award in the comedy category. This is a choice which still puzzles me, as I find his performance a little one dimensional, and in no way comparable to Cheadle’s nuance in House of Lies.
Similarly, the fact that Brooklyn Nine Nine won the best TV comedy, while less of a shock considering its success thus far, the very new show beating out established successes, like Girls, which won the award in 2013, was still a surprising turn of the night. I must admit, the show’s success in the awards surprised me a little, as I felt that there were other shows of a higher calibre which deserved the award more, both amongst the nominated list, and shows which were not nominated at all.
Finally, the last surprise in the comedy awards was a welcome one – finally a win for Amy Poehler for her performance in Parks and Recreation. A long awaited award, and the show’s host was a charming winner. In some ways it is a shame that Lena Dunham didn’t win the award again, for her achievements with Girls, but Poheler certainly deserved the accolade.
