5. Jennifer Carpenter - Dexter
When we left off with Carpenters Debra Morgan in season six, she had just found her brother, the titular Dexter, stabbing a wanted killer in the heart. Of course, we all know who Dexter is, but Deb did not. This was a pivotal moment for the series, so it was very important that the follow-up seventh season gave Dexter fans justice. It did. And a lot of that was due to Jennifer Carpenters stellar performance. Most notably, Deb and Dexter out on the lawn when she finds out that not only did Dexter kill one man, but he is in fact a serial killer. Carpenter has a knack for mustering up raw emotion, tears, and what I assume is a lot of snot, and I believe every ounce of it. Its a shame that Carpenter wasnt nominated, but the way this season is unraveling it looks like she may have a better chance for next years Emmy.