Spring Poolies Watch- Action

With only two months left in the Poolies season, it's time to take another look at how things are shaking out before the final ballots are released on June 1st. Here's your chance to agree or disagree with the chairman in order to give whatever show or character tickled your fancy this year a shot at glory. Next up are the action awards, let's take a look around the pool...

The Sopranos Award For Best Action Series

Definites
Justified, Chuck, Dexter, Terriers, Sons of Anarchy, The Walking Dead, and Boardwalk Empire. As we get closer to the end of the judging period, less spots will be available. These guys all are going to have a spot, so that puts three more up for grabs.

In For Now
Hawaii Five-0, The Mentalist, and Spartacus. What the first two shows lack in serialization, they make up for in good characters and in the case of Hawaii Five-0…fantastic scenery. Spartacus was only six episodes long this time around, but it improved greatly in quality from its first run. With some new show beginning in April, none of these guys are safe.

Outside Looking In
True Blood, Human Target, The Event, Sherlock, Nikita, Persons Unknown, The Chicago Code, V, and No Ordinary Family. Oh how the mighty has fallen. Just last year, True Blood finished in sixth place and received a fifth place vote from yours truly. Now the only reason I still have it on the list is in case other voters find that it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was this past summer.

The Frank Pembleton Award For Best Lead Character in an Action Series

Definites
Raylan Givens (Justified), Jackson Teller (Sons of Anarchy), Morgan Grimes (Chuck), Chuck Bartowski (Chuck), and Britt Pollack (Terriers). We are not as top heavy in this category, as I worried to even label Chuck and Britt as definitely in. Although Sons was off its game this past season, that is no slight to Jackson, who I have grown even more fond of after watching a whole bunch of Undeclared as of late.

In For Now
Patrick Jane (The Mentalist), Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock), Hank Dolworth (Terriers), Steve McGarrett (Hawaii Five-0), and Dexter Morgan (Dexter). For all of the rave reviews Scott Caan received early in Hawaii Five-0’s run, it really has been Alex O’Loughlin’s Steve McGarrett that has made that show so watchable in its first season. Sherlock didn’t have much screen time, but what it did was showcase the creativity of Sherlock, which puts him in mix here.

Outside Looking In
Nucky Thompson (Boardwalk Empire), Danny Williams (Hawaii Five-0), Eric Northman (True Blood), Christopher Chance (Human Target), Rick Grimes (Walking Dead), and Jimmy Darmody (Boardwalk Empire). The Boardwalk cast was too large, and Buscemi too dull at times to warrant any of them a nomination at this point. Similarly, six episodes and not much characterization makes it a slim chance of Rick Grimes getting a nod.

The Desmond Hume Award For Best Supporting Character in an Action Series

Definites
Boyd Crowder (Justified), John Casey (Chuck), Opie Winston (Sons of Anarchy), Dickie Bennett (Justified), Gannicus (Spartacus). Those first three do not even need to be talked about. Dickie Bennett, on the other hand, has been a joyful addition to the Justified crew. Although his voice sometimes reminds me of Daniel Faraday, he act so extremely different that it’s been fantastic so far. And one of the main problems with the first season of Spartacus, other than bad acting and writing of course, was that there weren’t any likable characters. Gannicus changed that this year.

In For Now
Auggie Anderson (Covert Affairs), Kimbal Cho (The Mentalist), Joey Quinn (Dexter), Jimmy O’Phelan (Sons of Anarchy), and Devon Woodcomb (Chuck). Slim pickings down at the end of this category. If anyone shows much promise to start the season in some of the new shows, look for them to easily slide ride in.

Outside Looking In
Guerero (Human Target), Billy Blackham (Persons Unknown), Art Mullen (Justified), Al Capone (Boardwalk Empire), Jeff Barnes (Chuck), Crixus (Spartacus), and Alexei Volkoff (Chuck). A couple of these guys, most notably Jeff Barnes and Art Mullen, suffer from the fact that I’d rather not nominate three characters from a single show. Then there is the case of Al Capone, who I may have loved mostly because he was AL CAPONE. I did enjoy him, but again he was the product of lack of screen time.

The Samantha Marquez Award For Best Female Character in an Action Series

Definites
Sarah Walker (Chuck), Deb Morgan (Dexter), Katie Nichols (Terriers), Teresa Lisbon (The Mentalist), and Ames (Human Target). Is there really a chance that Sarah doesn’t win this award for the third straight year? Not much competition by the looks of it.

In For Now
Ava Crowder (Justified), Annie Walker (Covert Affairs), Tara Knowles (Sons of Anarchy), Jessica Hamby (True Blood), and Lumen Pierce (Dexter). Only half way through this season of Justified, I’m hesitant to put any of the ladies in the mix. Ava has been absent for most of the season, while Winona has been more prominent, but kind of the worst. The rest of these girls are nothing to write home about.

Outside Looking In
Mags Bennett (Justified), Ellie Bartowski (Chuck), Alex (Nikita), Winona Hawkins (Justified), and Kona Kalkua (Hawaii Five-0). I’m still torn on what to think of Margo Martindale’s Mags Bennett. I either really like her, or I think she’s a great character but I don’t like her. The latter being the way I feel about Gemma Teller of Sons of Anarchy.

The Teri Bauer Award For the Character You Love to Hate in an Action Series

Definites
Tara Thornton (True Blood), Erika Taylor (Persons Unknown), Tyler Evans (V), Nelson Van Alden (Boardwalk Empire), Ilsa Pucci (Human Target), and Moira (Persons Unknown). What’s funny is that I’ve only watched like two out of the ten episodes of V that have aired, but I know I am going to hate Tyler as much as ever, so he is definitely in. Erika and Moira from Persons Unknown made up one of my most hated combos of all time, so they are safe. And there were so many awful characters on True Blood this season, but Tara took the cake.

In For Now
Franklin Mott (True Blood), Angel Batista (Dexter), Liam O’Neill (Sons of Anarchy), and Miles Fiedler (Rubicon). Before he was the weird bad guy on The Cape, and after he was Audrey Raines’s husband on 24, he was a crazy terrible vampire on True Blood. The worst. I really don’t think Rubicon deserves any nominations, but they had so many detestable characters, that one of them should receive a nod.

Outside Looking In
Jesus Velasquez (True Blood), Maria Laguerta (Dexter), Lucy Danziger (Boardwalk Empire), Lucretia (Spartacus), Kale Ingram (Rubicon), and Oenomaus (Spartacus). Wow do I hate Lucy Lawless as Lucretia on Spartacus. How is she still on the outside? That may or may not change by the time June rolls around. The rest of these guys should be safe from a nom as we head down the final stretch.

The “Through the Looking Glass” Award For Best Action Episode of the Year

In For Now
Breaking Bad 313 – “Full Measure”
The Walking Dead 101 – “Days Gone By”
Justified 113 – “Bulletville”
Sherlock 101 – “A Study in Pink”
Terriers 113 – “Hail Mary”

Outside Looking In
Boardwalk Empire 112 – “A Return to Normalcy”
Chuck 413 – “Chuck Versus the Push Mix”
Sons of Anarchy 313 – “NS”
Dexter 508 – “Take It!”
Persons Unknown 112 – “And Then There Was One”
Spartacus 006 – “The Bitter End”

So many great Justified eps have occurred this season, that I’m having trouble picking one over last year’s finale at this point. As for the Walking Dead, I also have the finale “TS-19” in the mix. Plenty of more finales to go at this point.