We’re back from our spring break and ready to tear into the 2026 Emmys race once more. With HBO MAX’s Hacks receiving series-best reviews in its final season, we wonder if anyone can beat Jean Smart’s clean sweep. Will she win Comedy Actress for all five seasons of the series? Or will Lisa Kudrow finally win Comedy Actress for HBO’s The Comeback? Is there really anyone else who can break into what appears to be a 2-way race?

On the flip side, the 2026 Emmys Lead Comedy Actor race looks bleak. Bleak as any recent race we can remember and completely devoid of a frontrunner. Only Murder in the Building‘s Martin Short seems widely predicted to take home an Emmy, finally, but is that out of love for its latest, muted season or is he the last man standing? If not Short, then who? Jason Segel (Shrinking)? Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This)? The two Steves (Martin, Only Murders; Carell, Rooster)? Or are there dark horse contenders who will leap into contention?

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

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The post 2026 Emmys: Lead Comedy Actor, Actress Are No Laughing Matter [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.

Are you ready to dive into some Emmy contenders?

Yes, it is only April 1st, but we already have some bonafide Emmy passion with even more on the horizon. Megan and Joey begin this Emmy season with discussing the conclusion to Connor Hines’ Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette. Did the nine-episode season go on too long? Is Sara Pidgeon really out that far in front? With three women now battling for Supporting Actress (Naomi Watts, Constance Zimmer, and Grace Gummer), will one of them be left out?

From there, Megan and Joey run down each series category to counter what may or may not make the cut. Can sophomore efforts like Jury Duty or Nobody Wants This break back in or will Comedy Series make way for something new like Rooster or The Chair Company or can The Comeback earn its first nomination? Will The Pitt grow in nominations as it defends its title? Which Limited Series can extend Netflix’s 3-year winning streak?

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

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Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follows below!

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The post Emmys 2026: Will the Academy ‘Love’ JFK Jr. & Carolyn or Will Their Eyes Wander? appeared first on The Contending.

With Oscars 2026 put to bed, we’re turning our sights elsewhere this week. A few podcasts ago, Megan shockingly revealed that she’d never seen the 1992 erotic thriller Basic Instinct. Directed by Paul Verhoven from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas, Basic Instinct stars Sharon Stone (her star-making performance) as a potentially murderous writer (“She’s evil! She’s brilliant!”). Michael Douglas plays the troubled cop (“Shooter”) trying to catch her or screw her. Or both! Controversy assailed the film upon its release, following it to this day. Yet, you cannot deny the influence Basic Instinct had on 1990s cinema. Several films tried (and failed) to capture its heat. Joey and Clarence have seen the film multiple times. Megan, however, sees it for the first time through modern eyes. Does the film hold up? Does it live up to its reputation? We slash Basic Instinct off Megan’s “never seen” list.

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

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Click here to listen to our audio podcast. Our video podcast follows below.

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The post ‘Basic Instinct:’ Slashing One Off Megan’s “Never Seen” List [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.

We waited 24 hours to let the 2026 Oscar ceremony sink in. We wanted to let a little perspective in before passing full judgment on last night’s 98th Annual Academy Awards. And we think that’s a good idea that should be echoed across the internet. So, Joey, Megan, and Clarence gather at the Water Cooler to share their thoughts in our Oscar Quickie podcast. What did we think of Conan O’Brien and the winners? What were our favorite moments of the evening? And what are we looking forward to at the 2027 Oscars?

We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.

We’re deeply appreciative for your shares, likes, and positive ratings on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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The post Oscar Quickie: Closing the Door On Oscars 2026 [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.

We are about to put the 2026 Oscars season to bed.

Join the full team at The Contending as we give our predictions (as they stand at the time of recording) across all 24 Oscar categories. Some (Animated Feature, Song, Best Actress, to name a few) seem like foregone conclusions. Others (Best Supporting Actress, Cinematography) feel more debatable. And are people fooling themselves for thinking Sinners has a shot at Best Picture? Or is it really all sewed up with One Battle After Another? We offer interesting stats, theories, and gut takes as we wade through our final (and nearly 2-hour) podcast before Sunday’s 2026 Oscars ceremony.

Plus, stick around until the end for a deep thought from our own David Phillips!

Check back on Friday for our final, locked Oscar predictions on the site!

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It was a big weekend of film awards. If you follow the Oscar race, then you’re either cemented that One Battle After Another‘s Best Picture coronation is inevitable or you’re convinced that a Sinners upset waits in the wings. There’s literally no in between. On this week’s podcast, we talk about the 2026 Actor Awards: the winners, the speeches, and whatever else crosses our minds. Then, we springboard into the latest 2026 Oscar analysis conversation. The Best Actress Oscar may be all sewed up (congrats Jessie Buckley), but Best Actor feels unexpectedly wide open. How do we think the race shakes out following Michael B. Jordan’s surprise Actor Awards win? Find out on this week’s podcast!

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We’re not sure what’s more shocking: this weekend’s BAFTA Awards or French film critics’ great love of James L. Brooks’ Ella McCay. But, we are here to break it all down for you. First up, we thought we had a handle on the Supporting Oscar races, but BAFTA voters just tossed a huge curve ball into the game. They rebuffed convention and handed their supporting prizes to Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) and Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) when most Oscar watchers thought their nominations would be their win. Will BAFTA change Oscar’s trajectory?

Then, we finally take a look at Ella McCay, the much-maligned new film from James L. Brooks. We thought we’d put this one behind us, but French critics seem primed to rescue it with some using the “M word.”

Jalal joins us to talk about both topics as we head into next weekend’s The Actor Awards (formerly SAG).

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The post ‘Ella McCay’ and the Case of the Unpredictable Supporting Oscars [VIDEO] appeared first on The Contending.

Every time I gaze at Kate Hawley’s costume design for Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, I feel like I discover something new. Maybe The Creature’s hunt for humanity and compassion can be translated into our own curiosity for the exquisite Oscar-nominated work. One of the reasons why Hawley’s designs have dominated this season is because every piece is driven by character but also steeped in drama. Hawley’s work is robust, meaningful, and hypnotic.

One might assume that a man of science like Victor Frankenstein doesn’t care about what he wears, but that is not the case in this new iteration. Oscar Isaac brings such a sexy swagger to the role but he allows his intelligence and passion for science do the talking. Hawley, though, translates that into how the doctor wears his clothes. His red gloves (I need…) are something that he has carried with him from his childhood, but notice how the camera captures the shape of his hats or how he wears his robes or jackets open. In the anatomical lecture scene, I love the knotted red tied around his neck and the dangling silver chain that hangs from his vest.

Mia Goth’s Elizabeth has her curiosity almost sewn into all of her designs. The way that she looks at Jacob Elordi’s Creature is different than how she looks at Victor, and Hawley gives each elaborate, gorgeous piece different layers–as if you could dissect or peel back different materials to inspect them. This is a perfect example of how a designer doesn’t design just to make the costumes big or boistrous. Everything carries meaning even if the character isn’t yet aware of it. Elizabeth’s wedding gown is an event unto itself.

Hawley and I gush over how Felix Kammerer wears clothes–his golden mustard waitcoat is to die and his pearly groom tuxedo should not go unnoticed–and that character’s closet obviously varies from how we literally see The Creature building the clothes on his back.

There is so much to celebrate in Hawley’s work in this film. It’s passionate, sexy, bold, and vibrant.

Click here to listen to our audio podcast interview with Oscar-nominated costume designer Kate Hawley as she speaks all the drama and the passion for the designs of Frankenstein.

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