Weighing Cumberbatch's Emmy Chances

After doing a brilliant job portraying the updated Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock, this guy deserves all of the accolades he can carry. So it's no surprise why Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for a Emmy for second time. But does Cumberbatch actually stand a chance of winning the Oustanding Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie category this year? That's a tough decision on the part of Emmy voters, but from where I sit, the ATAS should probably start preparing for hate mail from Sherlock fans. It's a fairly long shot to see Cumberbatch win the gold statue on Monday night's telecast.

But how on earth I can be so certain? The answer is simple: Fargo. The incredible FX miniseries starring Sherlock 's own Martin Freeman swept up a healthy chunk of nominations and it's almost impossible to think they won't clean up come time for the telecast. Many critics have already made their predictions over who will take the win in Cumberbatch's category on Monday night and the overwhelming response seems to point to Billy Bob Thornton winning for his portrayal of the hitman and all-around troublemaker Lorne Malvo. Freeman's Lester Nygaard is a very close second, of course.

Even though Cumberbatch is carrying the support of a rather rabid fan base, that doesn't change facts. I'm a huge Sherlock fan, and even I can admit that his Emmy chances are slim.

If you would have asked me who could beat Cumberbatch after watching the episode Sherlock submitted for consideration ("His Last Vow"), I would have said "Absolutely no one." But upon seeing the series premiere of Fargo, I knew my answer was about to change. Despite my undying love for the Sherlock Holmes 2.0 series, Fargo is a brilliant show featuring top-to-bottom incredible performances. It's undeniable.

And while most of the time the Emmys aren't great about nominating the right people and the right shows — Tatiana Maslany's name comes to mind over and over again — their recognition for Fargo and its main actors Thornton and Freeman (and let's not forget the kickass Allison Tolman), are spot on. I hate to say it, but Cumberbatch is probably going to have to wait another year or two to finally get his Emmy statue.

Images: Robert Viglasky/Hartswood Films for MASTERPIECE; /Tumblr couldbemuchworse