Only one Westworld episode can serve as Thandie Newton’s Emmy submission. Which episode was chosen?
Westworld snagged multiple Emmy nominations this year and nominees have been submitting their episodes for a potential win. Gold Derby has reported that Thandie Newton will be submitting the episode “Akane No Mai” for her Emmy nomination as Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. As the fifth episode of Westworld‘s second season, “Akane No Mai” was the show’s deep-dive into Shogun World.
In this episode Maeve developed a newfound trust and respect for Lee Sizemore, came face-to-face with the Shogun World equivalent of herself Akane, and discovered the ability to mentally communicate with and command other hosts, something which she dubbed “her new voice.” All of these developments had significant consequences not only for Maeve’s journey to find her daughter and to live freely, but also for the show as a whole.
When looking at Newton’s four most Emmy-worthy scenes from the past season of Westworld, only one of the scenes came from “Akane No Mai.” Ultimately it’s still the best choice for Newton’s Emmy submission as the episode focused on Maeve so heavily and provided the most opportunity to showcase Newton’s talents from start to finish.
The scenes where Maeve reunites with her daughter and Maeve’s sacrifice in the season finale may be her most memorable and impressively acted scenes. However, Newton’s overall body of work is stronger in “Akane No Mai” because she shines throughout the entire episode instead of just a scene or two.
“Akane No Mai” makes Newton an even stronger candidate to win the Emmy. She faces some challenging competition, though, including Lena Headey for the role of Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones and Millie Bobby Brown for the role of Eleven on Stranger Things. Hopefully “Akane No Mai” will be the ticket to Newton edging them out as she emerges victorious.
Do you think “Akane No Mai” is the best episode choice for Thandie Newton’s Emmy submission? Let us know in the comments below!