5 reasons why ‘The Staircase’ can bring home Emmy gold for HBO Max

Of the many contenders vying for a spot in this year’s Best Limited Series Emmy lineup, HBO Max’s “The Staircase,” a true crime series based on the 2004 docuseries of the same name, seems to be emerging as a favorite. As chief critic for Vanity Fair, Richard Lawson, puts it, “There is a great whirring mind behind the series; it almost seems to gain its own sentience as it goes.” With its final episode having aired on June 9, the limited series has generated the kind of buzz that has helped previous contenders, such as last year’s “Mare of Easttown,” rise to the top of the pack, and put up a real fight on Emmy night. Here are my top five reasons why “The Staircase” can bring home Emmy gold for HBO Max.

1. It is based on real events.

“The Staircase” chronicles the death of Kathleen Peterson and her husband Michael Peterson’s potential involvement. The show mainly focuses on three storylines: the months leading up to her death, the events after the night of her death and finally, a look into Michael Peterson’s life in 2017, leading up to his Alford Plea.

As is with most series that are based on real events, there will always be comparisons drawn over who looks like and embodies their real life counterpart, and with this particular case, most of the characters are still alive, and have copious amounts of footage for viewers (and voters) to compare, contrast and observe the effort made by entire cast and creative team. Of Gold Derby’s Top 6 contenders for Best Limited Series, five of them are based on real events (“Dopesick,” “Maid,” “The Dropout,” “Under the Banner of Heaven” and “The Staircase”) while only one (“The White Lotus”) is fictional.

2. It’s a true crime series.

True crime has been extremely popular in recent years, not only with awards bodies, but also audiences and consumers alike. This year alone, such shows have populated networks and streaming services, all attempting to cash in on the current trend. “The Staircase” offers a unique look into the true crime genre, as it chronicles not only the murder itself, but the 2004 docuseries, which has its most recent addition presented in 2018.

True crime has been very popular at the Emmys, with Ryan Murphy’s installments of “American Crime Story” receiving 31 nominations and 12 wins, including Best Limited Series and Best Lead Actor wins for both seasons, two awards which “The Staircase” could easily take home as well. Fictionalized crime has also been popular, with last year’s “Mare of Easttown” taking home several prizes, including three acting trophies. Other Emmy success stories come from “Big Little Lies,” “The Night Of,” “Fargo” and “American Crime,” each bringing home hardware in their respective years. This prevailing fascination with crime stories, both fiction and nonfiction, places “The Staircase” in an excellent position for victory.

3. The case’s outcome is debated to this day.

One of the most absorbing aspects of Kathleen Peterson’s death is the fact that while Michael Peterson was tried and convicted, he denies any involvement, citing, “In my case, I voluntarily took the Alford plea to end it.” Peterson’s defense supplied alternative theories to suggest Michael’s innocence, three of which are re-enacted for the series.

The presented outcomes, particularly the infamous “owl theory,” are depicted quite graphically, leaving little to the imagination, with Doreen St. Félix of The New Yorker stating, “They make viewers come to terms with their own latent thirst for violence.” These various possibilities have provoked debates on what really happened, generating a fair amount of buzz around the series. One could argue that the increasing chatter and discourse over the assumed guilt of Michael Peterson could attract viewers and voters to the series, ultimately increasing its visibility in a year where a limited series could easily be looked over.

4. It is streaming on HBO Max.

If there’s one network/streaming service combo that we know Emmy voters will pay attention to, it’s HBO and HBO Max. Even if “The Staircase” isn’t first on someone’s watchlist, chances are they’ll be tuning in for “Barry,” “Hacks,” or even catching up on previously aired series such as “Euphoria” and “Succession.” HBO Max prominently features series that have new episodes each week, and each time you open the app, you see “The Staircase.” There’s something to be said about the traditional release method, with new episodes premiering each week. The first three episodes were released together, with weekly drops for singular episodes over the following five weeks. This has kept the show’s buzz alive, which may not have happened had it dropped all at once.

HBO also has a sterling track record when it comes to the Emmys, with 13 wins in the Best Limited Series category alone. Emmy voters have so many series and networks to tune into, but we know they trust and are more than willing to award HBO/HBO Max, even with the previous year, when “Hacks” took home Emmys for Best Comedy Actress, Best Comedy Directing and Best Comedy Writing, as well as wins for “Mare of Easttown,” “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” “Lovecraft Country,” “I May Destroy You,” “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,” “A Black Lady Sketch Show,” “The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?” and “The Flight Attendant.”

5. It’s led by an all star cast.

Featuring not only one, but two Academy Award winners, the cast is stacked from top to bottom with first-rate actors. Led by Colin Firth portraying Michael Peterson, the entire assembly of players was given the chance to dig into the material and turn in masterful performances, with scenes featuring word for word transcripts straight from the courtroom or news specials, as well as dialogue crafted by Antonio Campos, Maggie Cohn, Emily Kaczmarek and Craig Shilowich who offer their insight into the conversations that may have taken place behind closed doors.

Firth serves his leadership role well, tackling the multifaceted Michael with precision and vigor. Daniel Fienberg, chief television critic for The Hollywood Reporter, praised the performance, stating, “Firth nails Michael’s inscrutable insincerity. Even if you’re certain he’s lying about nearly everything, you can spend a long time wondering why he’s lying and if being a compulsive liar means he’s a killer.” He received a previous nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for 2001’s “Suspicion,” ultimately losing to Brian Cox. Firth won the Best Actor Oscar for “The King’s Speech” (2010), making him a prime candidate for Emmy recognition based on his resume alone. Previous work aside, the opportunities given to him in this series are vast, allowing him to showcase his entire arsenal of talent. Untested against the current Best Movie/Limited Actor front-runner Michael Keaton, who swept the winter awards for his turn in “Dopesick,” Firth could pull ahead based on the strength of his performance, as well as the more recent release date.

Toni Collette gets a rare opportunity portraying Kathleen Peterson, to bring life to someone the media focused on as a catalyst to bring the trial footage into America’s homes. An Emmy winner for 2009’s “United States of Tara,” Collette brings a level of craft to the role that only she can, breathing sparkling personality, sensuality and a profound sense of mortality into Kathleen. Also an Academy Award nominee (1999’s “The Sixth Sense”), she brings her prestigious body of work along with her. Most recently tapped for an Emmy in 2020 for her work in “Unbelievable,” Collette could easily make the cut in Best Movie/Limited Actress. The decision to campaign her in lead instead of supporting allows more room for other actresses from “The Staircase” to shine, hopefully resulting in more nominations.

Of the supporting actress contenders, Oscar winner Juliette Binoche for “The English Patient” (1996) asserts herself as the most probable choice, with a large presence in the back half of the series. Binoche portrays Sophie Brunet, the editor for the original “The Staircase” docuseries. She is given challenging material that she delivers expertly and, as is the case with Firth and Collette, is a film actor that carries a certain level of prestige that Emmy voters cannot resist. It’s worth noting that the performances given by Rosemarie DeWitt (playing Candace Zamparini, Kathleen’s sister), particularly in the finale, and Parker Posey (delightfully portraying prosecutor Freda Black) are poised to be surprise nominees, with each having a long and respected career, and delivering exceptional performances despite the size of their roles.

Michael Stuhlbarg has also emerged as a possible selection for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance of defense attorney David Rudolf. Stuhlbarg received a nomination in this category in 2018 for his work in “The Looming Tower,” and since he is already on the television academy’s radar, a second bid could definitely be in the cards. An obstacle he will have to overcome is unfortunately canceling himself out. In addition to his supporting performance in “The Staircase,” he also has another chance in the same category for his work in “Dopesick.” Voters will have to decide which turn to vote for, and hopefully there will be a consensus for one or the other. He is currently in 6th place in our combined odds for “Dopesick” and in 15th for “The Staircase.”

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