I just switched my Golden Globe winner prediction for Best Drama Series to “The Boys.” This Amazon Prime superhero series is currently sixth place in Gold Derby’s overall odds, behind “The Crown,” “Lovecraft Country,” “Ozark,” “The Mandalorian” and “Perry Mason,” but I think you’re all vastly underestimating its chances. I know, I know — “The Boys” was skunked last year for its first season, which now makes it harder to rebound with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a quirky organization of less than 100 journalists that infamously tends to award only the newest shows and stars. So why do I predict it will prevail now?
Simply put, “The Boys” skyrocketed into the cultural zeitgeist this year after being only a small cult hit for its first season. This was the year the rest of the world truly discovered the gritty series about a ragtag group of vigilantes who are trying to bring down a cabal of superheroes who exploit their powers. Amazon’s FYC awards campaign reflects the heightened buzz, with on-screen and behind-the-scenes talents doing more interviews than ever before. (Watch Gold Derby’s Q&As with stars Karl Urban, Erin Moriarty and Aya Cash, showrunner Eric Kripke and cinematographer Dan Stoloff.)
SEE Will action blockbuster ‘The Boys’ crash the Golden Globes?
It’s entirely possible Golden Globe voters, like many new fans, hadn’t even seen this under-the-radar series when they voted on last year’s nominations. They’re not alone; “The Boys” Season 1 was similarly snubbed at the Critics’ Choice and SAG Awards, and the Emmys only gave it a single nom for Best Sound Editing. But that should all change for Season 2, which notably received much stronger accolades from viewers and TV critics. It jumped from 84% to 97% at Rotten Tomatoes, and from a 74 score to an 80 score at Metacritic.
Don’t forget, last year the Globes picked “Succession” as their favorite drama series of 2019, with “Big Little Lies,” “The Crown,” “Killing Eve” and “The Morning Show” as the other four nominees. Only two of those shows are eligible to compete again (“The Crown” and “Killing Eve”), which opens up at least three slots for the HFPA to fill. Will voters go back to series they’ve nominated before, or instead branch out and welcome new blood, i.e. “The Boys”?
“Succession” prevailed for Season 2 after being snubbed for Season 1, which proves sometimes Golden Globes voters are just one year late to the party. This same scenario has actually played many times throughout the history of these awards, including most recently for series like “Fleabag,” “Mozart in the Jungle,” “Extras” and the British “Office.” In each of these cases, the Golden Globes not only nominated them after ignoring their debut seasons, but they also gave them top prizes for Best Drama Series or Best Comedy Series.
The second season of “The Boys” ended with two of our protagonists in precarious positions: Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid) is unknowingly working for a supervillain and Billy Butcher (Urban) is spiraling after the death of a loved one. Meanwhile, patriotic “hero” Homelander (Antony Starr) comes apart after a series of demoralizing losses. All three actors compete for Best TV Drama Actor at the Golden Globes, with Starr having the best odds, per Gold Derby predictions. However, don’t count out Urban (his resume includes “Star Trek” and “Lord of the Rings”) and Quaid (he’s the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan) just yet, as the HFPA loves movie stars and children of celebrities.
As of this writing, I am the only Editor, Expert or Top 24 User predicting “The Boys” will win Best Drama Series at Gold Derby. If this gutsy call pans out, “The Boys” would be the latest in a long line of genre TV shows to win the top Golden Globe. Others include “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Lost,” “Twin Peaks” and “The X-Files” (thrice). Over on the film side, all these sci-fi/fantasy movies prevailed: “The Martian,” “Avatar,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” and “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”
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