Emmy Nominees: Best Drama Series

My predictions: 6/7, picking “The Americans” over “Better Call Saul”

It turns out that my prediction of five new shows to join this race came true after all, not that most others really thought any differently. I’m proud that I kept House of Cards in my predictions despite many thinking it would be snubbed. The show’s nomination count dropped this year due to a lack of nominated guest stars (it had five last year), but it still did decently. My worry that Better Call Saul would be left off was negated by the show achieving nine nominations compared to seven the past two years, though it’s a real shame that those writing and directing bids didn’t come with a nomination for Michael McKean, this season’s standout. It’s sad that “Mr. Robot” got left off but not surprising since being included last year was a pretty crazy feat in the first place. “The Americans” being omitted is a surprise since, usually, long-neglected shows get honored until the end once they’re finally recognized. I’m glad that “Homeland” was finally dismissed from this category. Now that they’ve been nominated for so much, I realize that I need to watch both The Crown and Stranger Things as soon as possible, and I’ll begin them both shortly. I can understand why people like This Is Us so much, and while I feel that it doesn’t deserve nearly the praise it gets, at least it wasn’t nominated in writing or directing at all. I’m beyond thrilled that The Handmaid’s Tale did as well as it did since that was one of my favorites this season. And it’s clear that Westworld, tying SNL for a whopping twenty-two nominations, was popular with voters, which I fully support given that, prior to “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Legion,” that was the most mind-bending, gripping show I was watching. This is a solid list that I hope to find even more solid after watching the two shows I haven’t yet experienced.

Who should win? Right now, I’d vote for “The Handmaid’s Tale” or “Westworld”
Who will win? With so many popular new shows, it’s impossible to know, but I think Westworld dominating means it may have the advantage.