The Emmy ballots were posted today, June 4th and it was a pleasant surprise to see several submissions from NBC’s incredible Kings. I knew the episodes that aired last Summer were eligible, but didn’t think they would submit themselves for consideration, but they did.
In addition to the submissions for Costume (The New King, Parts 1 and 2), Sound Editing and Sound Mixing (The New King, Part 1), and Hairstyling (The Sabbath Queen), there were three submissions in the big categories, one of them for Writing.
Creator and Executive Producer Michael Green has submitted episode 8, “The Sabbath Queen” for consideration and it is certainly an excellent choice.
Though it is sad that Kings will probably not get the Emmy recognition it deserves, that doesn’t mean we can’t exalt the virtues of one of the best hours of drama that has graced our televisions.
“The Sabbath Queen” was a big episode for the series as it featured one revelation after another. Everyone is gathered to celebrate King Silas’ birthday when a scorned brother in law decides to teach the Benjamins a lesson and switches off the power across the city and surrounding region.
The darkness allows for the younger Benjamins to “be who they want” and enjoy a night out of the literal and figurative spotlight with the people they love and are in love with the most. For the princess, it was a chance for her and David to act on their growing love while for the prince, it was a chance to reaffirm his love and get what could be his one and only opportunity to be with the man, yes, man he loves.
The darkness also reveals long kept secrets about Silas’ deal with death and exactly what Queen Rose is capable of. She isn’t just the obedient wife to the ruler of the country.
The episode starts fast and doesn’t let up until the end. Flashbacks are seamlessly intertwined with current events all completing a picture that gives us an understanding to the characters not seen in the previous episodes.
“The Sabbath Queen” is a pivotal episode and a turning point for the story and with the help of the cast and the excellent direction, Michael Green’s writing came to life in what is a gripping and emotional episode.
So if you’re out there Emmy voters, Kings may have ended almost a year ago, but this episode easily finds itself among the best and most well-written of the year.
Watch the full episode on Hulu:
[vodpod id=Video.3776461&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Or at NBC.com:
[vodpod id=Video.3776463&w=425&h=350&fv=]
Also download the entire series on and order the complete series DVD at