"One Wedding and a Funeral" Award - Drama Episode

The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award for Best Episode in a Drama Series
2010: "Broken" (House, 601-602)
2011: "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513)
2012: "Pilot" (Luck, 101)
2013: "Pilot" (Nashville, 101)
2014: "The Crocodile's Dilemma" (Fargo, 101)
2015: "The Heap" (Fargo, 108)
2016: "International Assassin" (The Leftovers, 208)
2017: "Chicanery" (Better Call Saul, 305)

2018 Results

10. "Storm-y Weather" (Orange is the New Black, 513) 1 point
3rd by Tippy

9. "That'll Be the Day" (This is Us, 213) 4 points
1st by Jack

8. "Super Bowl Sunday" (This is Us, 214) 5 points
1st by Tyson

7. "Cactus" (Kingdom, 309) 5 points
3rd by Loose, T-time

6. "Gotta Light?" (Twin Peaks, 308) 6 points
1st by Jaydon

5. "God Bless Her Rotting Soul" (Shameless, 803) 6 points
1st by Bonz, Tippy

4. "I See Money" (The Deuce, 104) 7 points
2nd by Brady, Tippy

3. "Bertie's Birthday" (Love, 305) 8 points
1st by T-time

2. "Alligator Man" (Atlanta, 201) 16 points
1st by Brady, Cecil, Rizzo

1. "Teddy Perkins" (Atlanta, 206) 19 points
1st by Loose, Larry, Lenny

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Loose, Larry, Lenny
2nd: Jaydon, Cecil, Rizzo
3rd: Brady, Bonz
No Votes: Jack, T-time, Tyson, Marsh, Tippy

"One Wedding and a Funeral" Award - Drama Episode

The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award for Best Episode in a Drama Series
2010: "Broken" (House, 601-602)
2011: "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513)
2012: "Pilot" (Luck, 101)
2013: "Pilot" (Nashville, 101)
2014: "The Crocodile's Dilemma" (Fargo, 101)
2015: "The Heap" (Fargo, 108)
2016: "International Assassin" (The Leftovers, 208)

2017 Results

10. "Piece of Shit" (Orange is the New Black, 406) 2 points
5th by Jaydon, Tippy

9. "Eps2.5_hans4ake.sme" (Mr. Robot, 207) 9 points
2nd by Lenny, Rizzo

8. "Pilot" (This Is Us, 101) 10 points
1st by Tyson

7. "Woke Up Lonely" (Kingdom, 213) 10 points
2nd by Loose

6. "The Thief" (Master of None, 201) 12 points
1st by Bonz, Lenny

5. "The Most Powerful Man in the World" (The Leftovers, 307) 14 points
1st by Brady

4. "Value" (Atlanta, 106) 15 points
1st by Jaydon, Rizzo

3. "Lantern" (Better Call Saul, 310) 18 points
2nd by Larry, Jaydon, Brady, Cecil

2. "The Book of Kevin" (The Leftovers, 301) 22 points
1st by Larry, Tippy

1. "Chicanery" (Better Call Saul, 305) 30 points
1st by Loose, Jack, T-time, Cecil

This is the first win for Better Call Saul in the best episode category.

Winners' Breakdown
1st: Loose, Jack, T-time, Cecil
2nd: Tippy
3rd: Lenny
4th: Larry, Jaydon, Brady
No Votes: Tyson, Marsh, Bonz, Rizzo

"One Wedding and a Funeral" Award - Drama Episode

The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award for Best Drama Episode
2010: "Broken" (House, 601-602)
2011: "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513)
2012: "Pilot" (Luck, 101)
2013: "Pilot" (Nashville, 101)
2014: "The Crocodile's Dilemma" (Fargo, 101)
2015: "The Heap" (Fargo, 108)

2016 Results

10. "The Panic in Central Park" (Girls, 506) 5 points
1st by Bonz

9. "208" (The Affair, 208) 6 points
2nd by Jack

8. "Living Down" (Kingdom, 209) 7 points
2nd by Brady

7. "Trust No Bitch" (Orange is the New Black, 313) 9 points
1st by Jaydon

6. "The Race Card" (People vs. O.J. Simpson, 105) 12 points
1st by Cecil

5. "From the Ashes of Tragedy" (People vs. O.J. Simpson, 101) 13 points
2nd by T-time, Bonz, Tippy

4. "eps1.8_m1rr0r1ng.qt" (Mr. Robot, 109) 16 points
1st by 1st by Marsh, Rizzo

3. "Nailed" (Better Call Sual, 209) 19 points
1st by Brady, Lenny

2. "I Live Here Now" (The Leftovers, 210) 19 points
1st by Jack, Larry

1. "International Assassin" (The Leftovers, 208) 22 points
1st by Loose, T-time, Tyson, Tippy

The Leftovers earns its first win in the category after Fargo won the award the last two years, but moved over to action for the 2016 Poolies.  It marks the second overall win for The Leftovers at the Poolies following a win for best opening theme this year.

Winner's Breakdown
1st: Loose, T-time, Tyson, Tippy
2nd: Larry
4th: Jack
No Vote: Jaydon, Marsh, Bonz, Brady, Lenny, Cecil, Rizzo

"One Wedding and a Funeral" Award - Drama Episode

Named For: "One Wedding and a Funeral" (Beverly Hills 90210, 610)
Awarded To: The best drama episode of the season
2010: "Broken" (House, 601-602)
2011: "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513)
2012: "Pilot" (Luck, 101)
2013: "Pilot" (Nashville, 101)

Here are this year's honorees...

10th - "Manhigh" (Masters of Sex, 112) 3 points
1st by Cecil, Bonz

9th - "How Do You Like Me Now" (Hart of Dixie, 305) 3 points
4th by T-time

8th - "500 Years of Solitude" (The Vampire Diaries, 511) 4 points
1st by Ty

7th - "Tall Men With Feelings" (Orange is the New Black, 111) 5 points
3rd by T-time, Jaydon

6th - "Pilot" (Resurrection, 101) 5 points
3rd by Jack; 4th by me

5th - "In Care Of" (Mad Men, 613)  6 points
1st by Mags

4th - "Home" (The Vampire Diaries, 522) 8 points
1st by Jack; 5th by me

3rd - "Waterloo" (Mad Men, 707) 11 points
1st by Jaydon, Braids; 3rd by me

2nd - "River in Review" (The Originals, 108) 13 points
1st by T-time; 2nd by me

and the Poolie goes to...

1st - "The Crocodile's Dilemma" (Fargo, 101) 14 points
2nd by T-time, Jaydon; 1st by me

This marks the third year in a row that the "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award has gone to a pilot, following Nashville and Luck the past two seasons.

"One Wedding and a Funeral" Award - Drama Episode

Named For: "One Wedding and a Funeral" (Beverly Hills 90210, 610)
Awarded To: The best drama episode of the season
2010 Winner: "Broken" (House, 601-602)
2011 Winner: "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513)
2012 Winner: "Pilot" (Luck, 101)

And here are this year's honorees...

10th. "Don't Say Goodbye" (The LA Complex, 213) 1 point
5th by me

9th. "Promise Land" (Treme, 307) 3 points
2nd by Jaydon, Cecil

8th. "Because You're My Sister" (Parenthood, 415) 4 points
3rd by Tyson

7th. "The Phantom" (Mad Men, 513) 7 points
1st by Braids

6th. "My Brother's Keeper" (The Vampire Diaries, 407) 9 points
1st by T-time

5th. "Graduation" (The Vampire Diaries, 423) 9 points
1st by Jack; 4th by me

4th. "The Truth" (Bates Motel, 106) 9 points
3rd by Lenny; 1st by me

3rd. "The Better Half" (Mad Men, 609) 15 points
1st by Jaydon; 2nd by me

2nd. "5/1" (The Newsroom, 107) 17 points
1st by Mags, Tyson, Cecil, Bonz, Lenny

and the Poolie goes to...

1st. "Pilot" (Nashville, 101) 18 points
1st by Matt; 3rd by me

The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award- Drama Episode

Named For: "One Wedding and a Funeral" (Beverly Hills 90210, 610)
Awarded To: The best drama episode of the season
2010 Winner: "Broken" (House, 601-602)
2011 Winner: "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513)

10. "Nora" (Parenthood, 305) 1 point
4th by Jack

9. "A League of Their Owen" (Men of a Certain Age, 209) 1 point
5th by Me

8. "Do Whatcha Wanna" (Treme, 211) 5 points
2nd by Jaydon

7. "Far Away Places" (Mad Men, 506) 7 points
1st by Jaydon

6. "Danny Boy" (One Tree Hill, 911) 7 points
1st by Jack, 3rd by Me

5. "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will" (One Tree Hill, 910) 7 points
3rd by Jack, 1st by Me

4. "The Reckoning" (The Vampire Diaries, 305) 8 points
1st by Matt, 4th by Me

3. "Two Prize Colts Go Head to Head" (Luck, 109) 10 points
2nd by Cecil, Larry, and Bonz

2. "Twenty Vicodin" (House, 801) 13 points
1st by Cecil, Rizzo, Larry, and Mags

and the Poolie goes to...

1. "Pilot" (Luck, 101) 17 points
1st by Tyson, T-time, and Bonz, 2nd by Me

In its lone season Luck tallied two nominations and one win for the best episode in a drama series.  Here to talk about the magnificence of Luck's first episode is Poolie voter T-time.

_________________________

Now that’s a pilot. The first episode of Luck did everything you could ask of an episode of television. It established characters. It set long-running plotlines into motion. And it told a story that paid off immediately, with plenty of drama that managed to whet the appetite while delivering a satisfying dish in itself.

The pilot was directed by Michael Mann and unsurprisingly, it looked to be film quality. The shots are exquisite. For an hour that was spent mostly in one location, the variety and brilliance of the camera work is astounding. The hills and palms that surround the Santa Anita Racetrack are ever-present. They are not just beautiful, they also ensure you never forget the southern California setting and of course, that’s the point.  The setting of Luck is a track. It could be any track in the country, but to the characters that it brings together, it is the track.

Then there are the horses. Oh God, the horses. The footage of the striving horses in the pilot is among the best athletic competitions ever captured on film. The camera angles and choreography during the races is fantastic, they would be dramatically compelling even without a back story to give us a horse or jockey to root for.

But of course, they do this quickly. While we may be intrigued by the plot that Dustin Hoffman’s Ace is setting up, it is the story of the degenerate gamblers that drives the plot of the first episode.  We were introduced early to the gentlemen who would later form Foray Stables and by the end of the hour we were already invested in the results of their pick-six play. When the bet paid off so did the drama.

The Luck Pilot introduced us to a variety of characters in a short amount of time but thanks to their mutual relation to the Santa Anita racetrack, it was not hard to imagine how the paths of jockeys, trainers, agents and gamblers would soon cross.

David Milch might have been denied a second season for Luck, and the first may have left a lot unsaid, but with the pilot we knew all we needed about the potential of the series.

by Tim Forcella

The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award- Drama Episode

Named For: "One Wedding and a Funeral" (Beverly Hills 90210, 610)
Awarded To: The best episode in a drama series
2010 Winner: "Broken" (House MD, 601-602)

Place. Nominee (Series) Points (My Vote)

5. "Band of Brothers" (Jonas, 213) 4 points (3rd)

4. "The Suitcase" (Mad Men, 407) 4 points (2nd)

3. "All On a Mardis Gras Day" (Treme, 108) 5 points

2. "War" (Lights Out, 113) 6 points

and the Poolie goes to...

1. "Always" (Friday Night Lights, 513) 18 points (1st)

This is Friday Night Light's second Poolie episode nomination, and first ever win for the "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award.  The series has also won two straight Dynasty Awards and is nominated for a third straight year in 2011.

If  you spent the last five years watching Friday Night Lights, or even the last five months catching up on Friday Night Lights, you were pleased with the way the series ended.  Maybe not THAT the series ended, but the way that it did.  Things wrapped up very nicely, with a bit of a bum note in the way they left the Riggins/Tyra story, but everything else was darn near perfect.  Between Coach giving in to Tami and moving away and East Dillon winning the championship, things were pretty sweet in "Always."

Spring Poolies Watch- Drama

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. First up are the drama awards, let's take a look around the pool...

The Dynasty Award for Best Drama Series

Definites
Mad Men, Friday Night Lights, Treme, Lights Out, Parenthood, and Jonas. These shows won't need to be discussed before the final ballots come out in June. The only reason to bring up Treme is because it only aired a couple episodes of last season during this year's voting period. If the early part of season two is similar to what we saw in season one, I'm confident it makes the cut. Parenthood is really coming on as one of my favorites as of late, and although I continue to get made fun of for my love of all things Jonas, this series was great for so many reasons.

In For Now
Californication, Greek, Entourage, and 90210. This is where the discussion begins. Cali has had a bit of a down season in comparing it to last year, while Entourage definitely had an uptick in quality. Greek, in its final season, was good but unimpressive. And while I'm always a sucker for 90210, does its great female character hi-jinx make up for its complete lack of quality acting or writing?

Outside Looking In
Shameless, House, Glee, One Tree Hill, Men of a Certain Age, Gossip Girl, and Hellcats. I have heard from Jaydon that he is not enjoying House, which makes it easier to keep it out, but I'm not sure how others still feel about the old favorite. Shameless and Glee are the only other two that are worth mentioning, in that one I find interesting at times, and the other is a pop phenomenon. If Men of Age had more than six episodes it definitely would have been in the conversation.

The Dr. Doug Ross Award for Best Lead Character in a Drama Series

Definites
Don Draper (Mad Men), Greg House (House), Cappie Jones (Greek), Ari Gold (Entourage), Joe Lucas (Jonas), and Eric Taylor (Friday Night Lights). As we get closer to the actual ballot, the amount of definites has to increase. Although House the show has deteriorated into a series I let pile up on my hard drive, House the character is still fun to watch. The rest need no explanation.

In For Now
Hank Moody (Californication), Davis McAlary (Treme), Adam Braverman (Parenthood), and Patrick Leary (Lights Out). The two I am most concerned about are Davis and Patrick here. Davis, of course, because I haven't seen him in forever. He might come back later this month as a complete idiot, as many others found him during the first season. And Patrick, did he do enough to secure himself a spot on the ballot?

Outside Looking In
Antoine Batiste (Treme), Joe Tranelli (Men of a Certain Age), Julian Baker (One Tree Hill), Vincent Chase (Entourage), and Johnny Leary (Lights Out). Now that I'm looking at this list of those on the outside, I'm not sure there is much to worry about for the current nominees. Again, Ray Romano's Joe suffers from only six episodes of material. Also, who knows who might come out of the woodwork as a lead character in the start of Treme's second season?

The Noah Hunter Award for Best Supporting Character in a Drama Series

Definites
Roger Sterling (Mad Men), Scott Lavin (Entourage), Ornette Howard (Friday Night Lights), Chase Adams (One Tree Hill), and Buddy Garrity (Friday Night Lights). I had a tough time figuring out how all the FNL guys would shake out, but at the end of the day, Riggins, Saracen and the rest of the old crew didn't have enough screen time to warrant a nomination, so Buddy is the beneficiary.

In For Now
Dale Kettlewell (Greek), Noah Puckerman (Glee), Robert Chase (House), Alex (Parenthood), and Albert Lambreaux (Treme). The Big Chief will depend on what happens throughout April and May, as will Alex, depending on if Vince Howard's doppelganger comes back at all to Parenthood. Since I'm behind on House, Dr. Chase could be back to his old terrible self for all I know, but he was killing it to start so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Outside Looking In
James Wilson (House), Ed Romeo (Lights Out), Beaver Beudreaux (Greek), Billy Riggins (Friday Night Lights), Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl), Max Braverman (Parenthood), and Chuck Scolnik (One Tree Hill). After the first Ed Romeo episode of Lights Out, I was prepared to make him a definite. That was until they shipped him out after his second ep. Now the only thing keeping him alive is a surprise return in the finale. Anybody else from this group catching somebody's fancy?

The Veronica Mars Award for Best Female Character in a Drama Series

Definites
Macy Misa (Jonas), Sue Sylvester (Glee), Naomi Clark (90210), Peggy Olsen (Mad Men), Alex Dupre (One Tree Hill), and Stella Malone (Jonas). Now these aren't my six favorites in the category per say, in fact as of now, I'll be voting for two others ahead of this group, but these are the ones that have secured spots. There is a difference.

In For Now
Annie (Treme), Rebecca Logan (Greek), Santana Lopez (Glee), and Adrianna Tate Duncan (90210). Although Adrianna is going to receive my vote if she continues the way she has, 90210 can be so eratic with its characters, that I don't think she is definitely on the ballot. Treme continues to keep things up the air for Annie, and Santana hinges on how much screen time she gets.

Outside Looking In
Savannah Munroe (Hellcats), Ashleigh Howard (Greek), Brooke Davis (One Tree Hill), Becky Sproles (Friday Night Lights), Fiona Gallagher (Shameless), Brittany Pierce (Glee), and Blaire Waldorf (Gossip Girl). There really just are so many avenues to go here. As you notice, the two time defending champion Julie Taylor (Friday Night Lights) has yet to be mentioned. That is because she was the worst this season, and I'm afraid that if I give her a courtesy nomination, some idiot voters will give her the award for a second straight undeserved time.

The Marissa Cooper Award for the Character You Love to Hate in a Drama Series

Definites
Kurt Hummell (Glee), Tanya Skagle (Hung), Tami Taylor (Friday Night Lights), Turtle (Entourage), Erin Silver (90210), and Artie Abrams (Glee). Wow do I hate all of these people. It's rare to see an Entourage guy up here whose name is not Eric Murphy, but Turtle definitely outdid him this season. The thing about Glee and 90210 is that there are so many people I hate, that it's tough to decide between them all.

In For Now
Serena van der Woodson (Gossip Girl), Haddie Braverman (Parenthood), Quinn James (One Tree Hill), and Calvin Owens (Greek). While I may hate these four as much as the other six, for some reason I feel as if they may not deserve it as much as the others. Well that is except for Quinn, who absolutely deserves to be nominated for being terrible.

Outside Looking In
Julie Taylor (Friday Night Lights), Clay Evans (One Tree Hill), Dixon Wilson (90210), Will Schuester (Glee), Marcy Runkle (Californication), Ian Gallagher (Shameless), Camille Braverman (Parenthood), and Lisa Cuddy (House). This list could go on and on, and I won't even take into consideration those that I detest like Meredith Grey (Grey's Anatomy) and Kitty Walker (Brothers and Sisters) because their shows don't deserve nominations.

The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award for Best Drama Episode of the Year

In For Now
Mad Men 407 - "The Suitcase"
Friday Night Lights 513 - "Always"
Treme 108 - "All on a Mardis Gras Day"
Jonas 213 - "Band of Brothers"
One Tree Hill 813 - "The Other Half of Me"

Outside Looking In
Parenthood 217 - "Do Not Sleep With Your Autistic Nephew's Therapist"
Greek 410 - "Legacy"
Entourage 710 - "Lose Yourself"

Surprisingly, I have found more stand out episodes in this than in action so far. I have a tough time keeping both the Parenthood and Greek ep off of the ballot.

Holiday Poolies Watch- Drama

I'm a little late on my first of the month timeline for these now bi-monthly Poolies Watch posts, but as the saying goes "better late than clever." That's not it? Well either way, the 2011 Poolies Ballots are six months away, which means the season is six months over. Here we'll take a look at how the awards are stacking up so far, with who's in, who's out, and who's awful. First up are the drama awards. As always, if you think a show or character deserves more credit, or any at all, feel free to leave a comment. You don't want to end up like Mags last year, trying to illegally write in Tom Haverford for the Arthur Spooner Award. Also spit any performances you've liked at me on Twitter via @quietpool.

The Dynasty Award

The outlook on the award for best drama series hasn’t changed much since the October Watch. Friday Night Lights, the two-time winner, has begun its final season and inserted itself amongst the definites in the category. In doing so, Life Unexpected loses its spot amongst the probables. I enjoy The Defenders, but look for Hellcats as the only one on the outside to maybe grab a spot if it outshines Gossip Girl, Parenthood, or 90210 in the spring. Then again, the returns of Men of a Certain Age and Greek are on the horizon, so nobody is safe.

Definites
Friday Night Lights
Mad Men
Treme

In For Now
Jonas
Entourage
House
Glee
Parenthood
90210
Gossip Girl

Outside Looking In
Hellcats
The Defenders
Life Unexpected
One Tree Hill
Grey’s Anatomy
Brothers and Sisters
Pretty Little Liars

The Dr. Doug Ross Award

Vince and Coach Taylor

As always, working out who will end up as lead and who will be supporting, is the toughest part of this whole thing. As we take a look at the best lead characters in a drama, we have to add some Friday Night Lights dudes to the mix, namely Coach Taylor and Vince Howard. With Tim Riggins taking most of the season off, I see last year’s winner, Greg House, as the early favorite. Vinny Chase remains in the running after what I thought was a fantastic drugged and drunken season, but I fear he will lose out on a spot after being off the air for almost a year by the time ballots come out.

Definites
Greg House- House
Don Draper- Mad Men
Ari Gold- Entourage
Eric Taylor- Friday Night Lights

In For Now
Joe Lucas- Jonas
Davis McAlary- Treme
Antoine Batiste- Treme
Adam Braverman- Parenthood
Vince Howard- Friday Night Lights
Vincent Chase- Entourage

Outside Looking In
Nate Archibald- Gossip Girl
Nick Morelli- The Defenders
Liam Court- 90210
Dan Humphrey- Gossip Girl
Julian Baker- One Tree Hill
Johnny Chase- Entourage
Nick Lucas- Jonas

The Noah Hunter Award

Dr. Chase

After realizing that two-time winner Ari Gold was really more of a lead character, and moving him up accordingly, the award for best supporting character in a drama looks to be up for grabs. If Tim Riggins, Matt Saracen or someone else from Friday Night Lights comes back for a great three or four episodes down the final stretch of the season, I might like them to be a contender, but right now I have no idea what will happen come voting time. I personally think it is Roger Sterling’s category to lose, but Mad Men might not have enough pull amongst the Poolies voters. In a surprising turn, I’ve really enjoyed Dr. Chase on this season of House thus far. If I had to pick one dude from the doctor drama in this category, it would be Chase over Wilson.

Definites
Roger Sterling- Mad Men
Scott Lavin- Entourage

In For Now
Albert Lambreaux- Treme
Buddy Garrity- Friday Night Lights
Noah Puckerman- Glee
Chase Adams- One Tree Hill
Robert Chase- House
Chuck Bass- Gossip Girl
Ornette Howard- Friday Night Lights
James Wilson- House

Outside Looking In
Dan Patch- Hellcats
Crosby Braverman- Parenthood
Lane Pryce- Mad Men
Mark Sloan- Grey’s Anatomy
Oscar- 90210
Paul Jamison- The Big C
Miles Cannon- 90210

The Veronica Mars Award

Naomi Clark

Julie Taylor deservedly won this award two years ago, then last year she somehow stole it from everyone else in the category. The way she has started out in the final season of Friday Night Lights, I don’t even see her getting nominated for the best female character in a drama award. Even though there aren’t nearly enough Jonas viewers that are also Poolie voters, Macy Misa should hands down win this award. Everything in this category looks the same as the Fall Watch, other than the addition of Becky Sproles, which knocked out Sally Draper. The young Mad Men star didn’t see much action down the stretch and shouldn’t be in line for a nomination this summer. Look for the girls of Glee, 90210, and Gossip Girl to jockey for position as you never know which ones will step up in the spring.

Definites
Macy Misa- Jonas
Naomi Clark- 90210
Annie- Treme
Sue Sylvester- Glee

In For Now
Peggy Olsen- Mad Men
Santana Lopez- Glee
Savannah Munroe- Hellcats
Stella Malone- Jonas
Becky Sproles- Friday Night Lights
Alex Dupre- One Tree Hill

Outside Looking In
Juliet Sharp- Gossip Girl
Ivy Sullivan- 90210
Sally Draper- Mad Men
Vanessa Abrams- Gossip Girl
Quinn Fabray- Glee
Adrianna Tate Duncan- 90210
Rachel Berry- Glee
Julie Taylor- Friday Night Lights

The Marissa Cooper Award

Serena van der Woodson

The award for the character you love to hate in a drama is always a tough group to crack. I could come up with 30 qualified contenders if I wanted to, but after the start to this season of Glee, how is Kurt Hummel not the one to beat? Sure Tanya Skagle of Hung might be more detestable, but nobody even watches that show so she’s probably out of luck. Serena is definitely back to her Marissa Coooper-like ways on this season of Gossip, which should place her among the top candidates this season. There are so many people to choose from on Glee that it ends up being a crap shoot and they will knock each other out of the running on a consistent basis.

Definites
Kurt Hummel- Glee
Tanya Skagle- Hung

In For Now
Turtle- Entourage
Will Schuester- Glee
Tami Taylor- Friday Night Lights
Serena van der Woodson- Gossip Girl
Erin Silver- 90210
Clay Evans- One Tree Hill
Artie Abrams- Glee
Dixon Wilson- 90210

Outside Looking In
Quinn James- One Tree Hill
Emma Pillsbury- Glee
Charlie Selby- 90210
Mercedes Jones- Glee
Meredith Grey- Grey’s Anatomy
Jess Merriweather- Friday Night Lights
Eric Foreman- House

The “One Wedding and a Funeral” Award
I don’t see the Mad Men or Jonas eps losing their respective spots here. Treme’s first season gem may lose its spot to a superior ep from the upcoming second season. The most recent episode of Friday Night Lights was good, but I expect much better as the final season heads down the stretch.

In For Now
Mad Men- “The Suitcase” – 407
Treme- “All on a Mardis Gras Day” – 108
Jonas- “Band of Brothers” – 213
Entourage- “Lose Yourself” – 710
Friday Night Lights- “Kingdom” – 505

Fall Poolies Watch- Drama

I have grown accustomed to reviewing television here at the Quiet Pool Perspective as of late, but my first love in regards to tv has always been ranking, voting and listing. So as we get closer to the Third Annual Quiet Pool Television Awards, we will continue to take a look at how things are shaping up. With some of our favorites gone, and plenty of new competition, the 2010 Poolies should once again be quite the event. As always, I'm looking for input from both Poolie voters and non-voters in order to make the nomination process of a more democratic nature. Sound off in the comments, email me at d4cella@gmail.com or hit me on twitter @quietpool.

We are beginning with the drama categories, and why not start with the Dynasty Award for Best Drama Series.

The Definites

Mad Men
Treme

In For Now
Entourage
Parenthood
House, MD
Jonas
Glee
Gossip Girl
90210
Life Unexpected

Outside Looking In
One Tree Hill
The Defenders
Hellcats
Grey's Anatomy
Brothers and Sisters
Pretty Little Liars

Now onto the character awards, first of which is the Dr. Doug Ross Award for Best Lead Character in a Drama.

The Definites

Hugh Laurie as Greg House

Don Draper- Mad Men
Greg House- House, MD
Ari Gold- Entourage

In For Now
Davis McAlary- Treme
Antoine Batiste- Treme
Adam Braverman- Parenthood
Vincent Chase- Entourage
Kevin Lucas- Jonas
Nate Archibald- Gossip Girl
Nick Morelli- The Defenders

Outside Looking In
Nate Bazile- Life Unexpected
Dan Humphrey- Gossip Girl
Derek Shephard- Grey's Anatomy
Nathan Scott- One Tree Hill
Johnny Chase- Entourage
Nick Lucas- Jonas

Next up is the Noah Hunter Award for Best Supporting Character in a Drama Series.

The Definites

John Slattery as Roger Sterling

Roger Sterling- Mad Men

In For Now
Scott Lavin- Entourage
Albert Lambreaux- Treme
Crosby Braverman- Parenthood
Chase Adams- One Tree Hill
Lane Pryce- Mad Men
James Wilson- House, MD
Chuck Bass- Gossip Girl
Noah Puckerman- Glee
Liam Court- 90210

Outside Looking In
Mark Sloan- Grey's Anatomy
Zeke Braverman- Parenthood
Dan Patch- Hellcats
Pete Campbell- Mad Men
Paul Jamison- The Big C

On to the ladies. The Veronica Mars Award for Best Female Character in a Drama Series.

The Definites

Nicole Anderson as Macy Misa

Sue Sylvester- Glee
Macy Misa- Jonas
Naomi Clark- 90210
Annie- Treme

In For Now
Alex Dupre- One Tree Hill
Peggy Olsen- Mad Men
Stella Malone- Jonas
Sally Draper- Mad Men
Savannah Munroe- Hellcats
Santana Lopez- Glee

Outside Looking In
Vanessa Abrams- Gossip Girl
Adrianna Tate Duncan- 90210
Quinn Fabray- Glee
Ivy Sullivan- 90210
Rachel Berry- Glee
Lisa Cuddy- House, MD
Blaire Waldorf- Gossip Girl
Sasha Grey- Entourage

And we do have so much hate in our hearts. The Marissa Cooper Award for the Character You Love to Hate in a Drama.

The Definites

Jane Adams as Tanya Skagle

Tanya Skagle- Hung
Kurt Hummell- Glee

In For Now
Turtle- Entourage
Dixon Wilson- 90210
Quinn James- One Tree Hill
Will Schuester- Glee
Erin Silver- 90210
Serena van der Woodson- Gossip Girl
Clay Evans- One Tree Hill
Artie Abrams- Glee

Outside Looking In
Mercedes Jones- Glee
Sonny- Treme
Vanessa Page- Jonas
Eric Foreman- House, MD
Meredith Grey- Grey's Anatomy
Aunt Lisa- Jonas
Henry Francis- Mad Men

Which episodes have stood out? The "One Wedding and a Funeral" Award for Best Episode in a Drama Series.

Treme- "All on a Mardis Gras Day" - 108
Mad Men- "The Suitcase" - 407
Entourage- "Lose Yourself" - 710
Lone Star- "Pilot" - 101
Jonas- "A Wasabi Story" - 207

What and who do you like fellow Poolies?

The 'One Wedding and a Funeral' Award- Best Drama Episode

Named For: 'One Wedding and a Funeral' Episode 610 of Beverly Hills, 90210
Awarded To: The best episode in a drama series from June 1, 2009 - May 31, 2010
Last Year's Winner: no award

Place. Character (Show) Points (My Vote)

5. 'Do You Know What It Means' (Treme) 4 points

4. 'Mia Culpa' (Californication) 5 points (2nd)

3. 'The Son' (Friday Night Lights) 10 points (3rd)

Runner-Up
2. 'Shut the Door. Have a Seat' (Mad Men) 12 points (1st)

and the Poolie goes to...
1. 'Broken' (House, MD) 15 points

Here with his thoughts on 'Broken' is Poolie voter, Jaydon...

The season finale of the fifth season of House was a doozy. House experienced a drug induced break from reality and constructed a fantasy where he and Cuddy finally consummated their relationship. Reality was much bleaker, the good doctor had reached the lowest of lows, and was committed to Mayfield Psychiatric Hospital for treatment.

This could have been a game changer, but House is the kind of show that discourages drifts from its formulaic procedural core. Instead, the "House goes crazy" storyline was resolved fairly quickly and thrust into the background for most of season six. Where it was dealt with most effectively was in the season six premiere, Broken - a double episode that played like a movie.

Broken, which owed a tremendous debt to One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, saw House in a novel and intriguing context. Instead of a villainous Nurse Ratched antagonist, House squared off against Dr Nolan, a decent doctor that was looking out for his best interests. House didn’t take kindly to Dr Nolan’s authority and tried to undermine him at every step. He recruited his motor-mouthed roommate Alvie and love interest Lydia, as co-conspirators. Things changed after House was responsible for the injury of Stevie, a patient who was emboldened by a wind tunnel carnival ride to leap into flight but instead leapt into concrete.

Feeling guilty, House decided to give treatment a chance. He bonded with his peers, had a fling with the married Lydia and was there for Dr Nolan during his dying father’s final days. House seemed to not only have made progress with his recovery but also seemed to have made strides as a person. Nolan granted House leave and medical board recommendation following his heartbreak over Lydia’s choice to stay with her husband. In his heartbreak, he had shown Nolan that he was able to connect with people. House left the hospital on the bus with a rare smile of peace and contentment on his face.

The episode had its good and bad beats. On the good side, the Lydia/House relationship was believable and bolstered by good chemistry. Lydia’s choice came off as authentically difficult and House’s reaction of pain rang equally true. It was also a worthy respite from the Huddy relationship, which seems less and less realistic or interesting as time goes on. The characters of Dr Nolan and Alvie were also strong, providing pathos and humor, respectively. On the weaker end was the deus ex machina of the music box. A patient was catapulted out of her catatonia by a random artifact. It was overly sentimental and stupid. It was also a little abrupt for House to be cleared for duty so soon after his breakdown. Nonetheless, this was a standout entry in an over the hill (132 episodes and no end in sight) procedural that has seen better days.

by Jonathan Stuart