Joel Kinnaman, "The Killing"

Nomination Status: Maybe Emmy voters won't have turned on "The Killing"?

In His Favor: Kinnaman's performance as possibly compromised Seattle detective Stephen Holder was already a series highlight in the first season of "The Killing" and having the character's addictive and self-destructive tendencies resurface at the start of Season Two has only been good for the Swedish star. As problematic as the show sometimes is, Kinnaman and Mireille Enos have proven to be a pairing that stands outside of the series' overall quality. Plus, it won't hurt that "Robocop" casting has given Kinnaman a huge profile boost.

Working Against Him: Emmy voting last season took place before many, many viewers turned on the AMC drama and Kinnaman still couldn't get a nomination. We don't know if voters will also have left "the Killing" behind.