Gillian Anderson

The Sopranos

Last year, Edie Falco's turn as Carmela Soprano, a New Jersey housewife concerned about her failing marriage, her uncommunicative children, and the cracks in her historically unshakable religious faith, earned this actor a SAG Award. That the drama was about the mob seemed inconsequential compared with the real and relatable challenges that Carmela faced on-screen every week. As clichéd as it sounds, Falco, as Carmela, demonstrated the ability to combine fragility with ferocity. Her tough exterior barely disguised the fears she has for her family lurking just beneath the surface. At least, that was last season.

This season, the show's writers took Carmela to a new place. In an episode titled "Full Leather Jacket" in particular, a new aspect of this housewife's personality emerged. In her intimidation of a neighbor to secure a recommendation for her daughter's college application, Carmela proved in some ways more frightening than her mob-boss husband. Her threats masked by a bright smile, Falco's character was remorseless in her lobbying. And unlike her hubby, Carmela slept easily once she got what she wanted.

This episode, combined with other coldly clear-eyed moments this season, made audiences question Carmela's innocence. She emerged perhaps not as the Lady Macbeth of the Jersey syndicate but as at least as culpable as the rest of the series' criminals. It was a bold step for the series, and one that Falco made with frightening precision.