Michelle Forbes, "The Killing"

Nomination Status: AMC's latest has split viewers and critics. If Emmy voters are fans, Forbes will be hard to deny.

In Her Favor: Michelle Forbes has struggled to get Emmy attention on "Battlestar Galactica" and "True Blood," but now she's on a network that Emmy voters love, playing a grieving mother who has been an emotional wreck for 13 straight episodes. Forbes' character hasn't been easy to "like," per se, but the actress hasn't hit a false note, which is an impressive achievement given the level of her misery.

Working Against Her: Forbes' character hasn't just been hard to warm to. Some viewers seem to actively hate the character. I'm inclined to blame the writing rather than the performance, but you never know how Emmy voters might feel. And as much as Emmy voters loved "Mad Men" immediately, their love for "Breaking Bad" took a couple seasons to grow, so it's possible "The Killing" could be left out in the rain.