Emmy Category Review: Outstanding Drama Series

By Abe Friedtanzer

Last year, Succession was pretty far out front, and it feels like this year’s juggernaut, The Crown, has just as easy a path to victory. But this category does include a varied slate, welcoming back two past nominees, two freshman series, one sophomore show, and a handful of extremely high nominations totals. It’s worth looking a bit more closely at each of the top-tier nominees, many of which we’ve covered extensively in our category-by-category analysis. 

I’ll try to avoid major plot details in my analysis – but if you’d like more spoiler-filled descriptions, click on the episode titles...

 

THE BOYS (Amazon Prime Video, 5 nominations) Episodes: “The Big Ride,” “Over the Hill with the Swords of a Thousand Men,” “We Gotta Go Now,” “The Bloody Doors Off,” “Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker,” “What I Know” 

This is one of two shows in this category that I didn't watch from the beginning, but I caught up on season two to get a better sense of why everyone loves it so much. It turns out there's plenty of quality to be found, but also a whole lot of gore that was quite off-putting. That wasn't a disqualifier for Game of Thrones, but this show, which boosted its profile from one bid for season one to five this year, will likely have to wait for future seasons with acting nominees and all that if it's going to win big.

 

BRIDGERTON (Netflix, 12 nominations) Episodes: “Diamond of the First Water,” “Shock and Delight,” “Art of the Swoon,” “An Affair of Honor,” “The Duke and I,” “Swish” 

I didn’t jump on the bandwagon of this ultra-popular Netflix soap when it first premiered, but I just caught up recently and actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The Shondaland production scored a decent haul for its freshman season, and interestingly, chose to submit the first six of its eight episodes, which to me indicates an emphasis on characters rather than story since it opts not to include the biggest reveals at the tail end. I can see people voting for it but I don’t think everyone takes it seriously enough to award it with the top drama prize.

THE CROWN (Netflix, 24 nominations) Episodes: “Balmoral Test,” “Fairytale,” “Favourites,” “Terra Nullius,” “The Hereditary Principle,” “War”

This show scored 13 nominations for each of its first three seasons, and now it has the biggest total it’s ever gotten, nearly doubling that (and tied for most overall this year). Season four was immensely well-received, with the addition of Princess Diana and a focus on the next generation of royals. Interestingly, neither the queen nor her husband’s episode submissions are included in the six episodes selected, but I think this show is far enough out front that it has nothing going against it. Though it’s picked up prizes from other awards bodies and guilds, it has yet to win the Emmy for Best Drama Series - now is the time.

 

THE HANDMAID'S TALE (Hulu, 21 nominations) Episodes: “The Crossing,” “Vows,” “Home,” “Testimony,” “Progress,” “The Wilderness”

Here’s another show that did much better than ever before, rebounding from its lowest-ever ten bids for season three to one more than its previous record of twenty for season two. Its four nominations for supporting actress are indicative of the fervor for this show, which opted to submit all installments from its back half with one exception, omitting the first two episodes, which I found very strong. This show has serious upset potential given how beloved it still appears to be by voters, but it did already win (season 1), so not enough voters may feel they need to reward it again.

 

LOVECRAFT COUNTRY (HBO, 18 nominations) Episodes: “Sundown,” “Holy Ghost,” “Meet Me in Daegu,” “I Am.,”Jig-a-Bobo,” “Rewind 1921” 

This show is a rarity, a true genre series that got cancelled before Emmy voting happened and still managed to score double-digit bids, including in all four major acting categories. Scoring here and in all the non-technical races should probably be considered the victory, but it’s always possible that the voters who endorsed the fantasy and violence of Game of Thrones won’t be turned off by this truly individual specimen, one that features great performances, including from the late Michael K. Williams. Consider it a longshot.

THE MANDALORIAN (Disney+, 24 nominations) Episodes: “Chapter 9: The Marshal,” “Chapter 11: The Heiress,” “Chapter 13: The Jedi,” “Chapter 14: The Tragedy,” “Chapter 15: The Believer,” “Chapter 16: The Rescue” 

This show jumped from fifteen nominations for season one to become the most-nominated program this year, tying with The Crown. Uncertainty about its future could mean that this is the last chance it will get to compete, though that seems unlikely given the massive potential for new characters, stars, and spinoffs. It’s definitely in a better position this year because it did dominate all the categories, and even scored one major acting bid for promoted star Giancarlo Esposito. Could it pull off an upset? Yes. I don’t think it will happen, but it wouldn’t be a total shock.

 

POSE (FX, 9 nominations) Episodes: “On the Run,” “The Trunk,” “Take Me to Church,” “Something Borrowed, Something Blue,” “Something Old, Something New,” “Series Finale”

This sweet, wonderful show was here for season one, absent for season two, and is now back for its third and final season. It was only seven episodes, so all but the second installment are featured as its submissions. Some didn’t think season three (or two, for that matter) was as strong as its first, but I think it’s been terrific all along. Star Mj Rodriguez is the first transgender performer to score an acting bid in a major Emmy category, and this show is all about the kind of inclusion that most series and films don’t do these days. I’m not sure that’s enough support to propel it to a win, but I’d be pretty thrilled.

 

THIS IS US (NBC, 6 nominations) Episodes: “Forty: Part One,” “Forty: Part Two,” “Birth Mother,” “In the Room,” “Brotherly Love,” “The Adirondacks”

This show is back in the race after missing out last year, earning its fourth nomination in this category for its fifth season. I was quite impressed with how it handled current topics like systemic racism and the pandemic, and it seems to have been embraced about as enthusiastically as it has tended to, fluctuating between five and ten nominations for each of its seasons. A win seems extremely unlikely, but it’s possible that it could manage to triumph for its upcoming final season. Its episodes do represent a very solid sampling. 

Predictions:

1.     The Crown

2.     Pose

3.     The Mandalorian

4.     The Handmaid’s Tale

5.     Bridgerton

6.     Lovecraft Country

7.     This Is Us

8.     The Boys

Personal Ranking: 

1. This Is Us

2. Pose

3. The Handmaid’s Tale

4. The Crown

5. Bridgerton

6. The Mandalorian

7. Lovecraft Country

8. The Boys

AND THAT'S THE END OF OUR PREDICTIONS. THE EMMY'S ARE TOMORROW NIGHT (SUNDAY) AT 8:00 PM EST ON CBS & PARAMOUNT+

CATEGORIES REVIEWED

• Limited Series
• Limited - Actress
• Limited - Actor
• Limited - Supporting Actress
• Limited - Supporting Actor
• Limited - Directing
• Limited - Writing
  
  
• Comedy Series
• Comedy - Lead Actor
• Comedy - Supporting Actor
• Comedy - Guest Actress
• Comedy - Guest Actor
• Comedy - Directing
• Comedy - Writing
  
  
• Drama Series
• Drama - Lead Actress
• Drama - Supporting Actress
• Drama - Supporting Actor
• Drama - Guest Actress
• Drama - Guest Actor
• Drama - Directing
• Drama - Writing
  
  
• Outstanding TV Movie
• Outstanding Editing
• Outstanding Unstructured Reality 
• Outstanding Main Title Design
• Outstanding Costumes, Contemporary
• Outstanding Costumes, Period 

Comments

[Frank Zappa]

Truly surprised that Lovecraft Country didn't submit the mind-blowing Episode 5, "Strange Case." (Then again, Wunmi Mosaku, Abbey Lee, Jordan Patrick Smith and Jamie Neumann were all snubbed, so...)

Anyway, my personal ranking:
(tie) The Boys | The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
(tie) Bridgerton | Lovecraft Country
Pose

(a fan of them all except The Mandalorian, which I've never watched)

Prediction:
The Crown

[Finbar McBride]

For fun, here an Emmy voter’s views as published in The Hollywood Reporter

I don’t get why The Boys is nominated, except that it arrived at a time when everything was Marvel and DC, our senses were overwhelmed by superheroes, and anybody who came along and had an expensive show that was “the anti-superhero show” was going to get a lot of buzz.

I could only do about a half-hour of Bridgerton, which is just not my thing, but I will say that Shonda Rhimes is the only one of the people who signed a big deal with Netflix who has actually delivered — Kenya Barris is already gone and Ryan Murphy’s stuff has been godawful — so kudos to her.

I never watched this season of Pose because Ryan’s shows are so incredibly self-indulgent.

Lovecraft Country would never have been nominated if it didn’t have J.J. Abrams’ name on it.

The Handmaid’s Tale is great, but its best days are behind it.

This Is Us continues to be really well done, and I think it’s terrific that one of the broadcast networks got a nomination, but it’s sort of a one-joke show.

The Crown is not really my kind of show, but Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson’s performances are so extraordinary that I almost voted for it.

However, The Mandalorian is in a class by itself. That’s an example of money well spent and really good storytelling. This season was better than the first. The end of the second season is a genuine “wow” moment.

[Fadhil]

The Crown is my pick. What else?