Can ‘Abbott Elementary’s’ unsung hero Lisa Ann Walter finally break through at 2024 Emmys?
The 2024 Emmys race for Best Comedy Supporting Actress has been highly competitive over the last few years. New variables always create more fun and this year is certainly shaping up to be an exciting field. With reigning champ Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear”) moving to lead, “Shrinking” not yet airing a new season, and the conclusions of “Ted Lasso” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” we’re guaranteed at least five of the seven slots will be filled by actresses who were not in the category last year. Does that mean “Abbott Elementary’s” unsung hero Lisa Ann Walter can finally break through?
It’s going to be difficult to sneak in with the likes of Meryl Streep (“Only Murders in the Building”) and Allison Janney (“Palm Royale”) in the mix (they have 10 Emmy wins between them!), but it’s wise to shine a spotlight on the incredibly hilarious Walter, who deserves to be lauded for her work on season 3 of ABC’s sitcom.
Walter’s role on the show has gotten even more deliciously endearing this season. Her character Melissa Schemmenti made a bold choice to end her relationship with Gary (Bruno Amato) and prioritize her choice not to remarry. The power and reverence of this moment was captured perfectly by Emma Kexin Wang (The Stanford Daily) when she wrote, “The show’s uncompromising representation of the integrity of Melissa’s opinion on marriage pushes back against the many instances in media where women are ‘convinced’ into relationships by grand gestures, creating a counter-narrative of women maintaining their independence.” Effective due to Walter’s pitch-perfect sincerity, she delivers Melissa’s decision while simultaneously exuding how much it’s hurting her to make it. Serving as not only a wonderful moment of inner agency and self-empowerment, it also freed up the character for the season’s most talked about new development – Melissa and Jacob (Chris Perfetti) moving in together.
The show’s third season promotional materials leaned heavily into highlighting a new ‘ship on the show. While that often has a romantic connotation, in this case, audiences were treated to something even sweeter in the form of the Melissa/Jacob friendship. This new dynamic has served to enrich both characters and give audiences more of a peek into their home lives and non-professional personalities. While it first seems like the two will butt heads and start a rivalry, their bond is sparked by a shared love for “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” and burns bright from there.
Logan Kelly (Collider) argued that this new pairing “exemplifies the moral of the show” because “‘community’ has always been at [its] heart.” Indeed, both characters are at a time of need with Jacob’s longtime romance having ended this season as well. At a time when they’re down, leaning on each other is what the teachers at Abbott do, so forging this new arc was an ingenious way to showcase that and freshen up the dynamics on the show.
It’s wonderful that these characters are still developing in season three while the show’s familial feel is still very much its anchor. The earnestness of the performances from the cast is what sells it and Walter, in particular, is exemplary at conveying the nuance it takes to ground the emotion while still serving the funny. She is currently eighth in Gold Derby’s odds to nab a well-deserved nomination.
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