BENJAMONSTER AWARDS: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Today's award is Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series!

The nominees are:

HIAM ABBASS as Maysa Hassan in Ramy (Hulu)

ALEX BORSTEIN as Susie Myerson in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

D'ARCY CARDEN as Janet in The Good Place (NBC)

MARIN HINKLE as Rose Weissman in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

POORNA JAGANNATHAN as Nalini in Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

KALIKO KAUAHI as Sandra in Superstore (NBC)

JANE LYNCH as Sophie Lennon in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)

DA'VINE JOY RANDOLPH as Cherise in High Fidelity (Hulu)

And the Winner Is...
ALEX BORSTEIN
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon)
This was a tough category but the winner is the person who probably would have won the last two years too if I had done the awards then. Alex Borstein continued to be hilarious on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Sure, she wasn't walking around the Catskills with a plunger this season but she was just as funny as she tried to manage both Midge's burgenoning career and the difficult Sophie Lennon. She has impeccable delivery and comedic timing and her character has become even more nuanced and layered across the three seasons so far. Her speech to Sophie after the botched opening night of "Miss Julie" was a highlight moment in another great season for Borstein.

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
Borstein has two Mrs. Maisel co-stars in this category. Marin Hinkle had less of a prominent arc than she did in season two but she still adds a lot of strength to any scene she is in. Meanwhile, Jane Lynch was upped to a series regular. There have been a lot of times I haven't been a fan of Lynch but I think her portrayal of Sophie Lennon is one of the best of her career. A couple members of this category saw increased attention this season and showed that it was well deserved. Hiam Abbass in Ramy explored new depths and was great in the episode mostly devoted to her character. Kaliko Kauahi became a more integral character on Superstore and has really found nice nuances with the role. There were also two nominees from new shows. Poorna Jagannathan was very strong as the stern but damaged mother of the main character in Never Have I Ever while Da'Vine Joy Randolph was a scene stealer and a hoot in High Fidelity. Finally, the great D'Arcy Carden closed out an underrated run as Janet on The Good Place with more great moments and more Janets.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series!