Nominate them, you cowards! 15 shows and performances that deserve an Emmy

There are a few things we can expect from every awards season: beautiful celebrities, moderately interesting acceptance speeches, and head-scratching snubs. For every series that gets a nomination, there’s another that deserved it just as much (if not more). And with Emmy nominations approaching, we’re getting ahead of the game and naming a few shows and performances that deserve to be on the ballot.

It sounds like a gimmick: Actress, 39, stars as boy, 14, on TBS comedy. But creator and star Nasim Pedrad rendered that jarring juxtaposition all but irrelevant: Her Ferydoon “Chad” Amani is so vividly, painfully, hilariously realized that all of our attention is on him, not the woman beneath the wig. Pedrad embodies the clumsy emotional lability of a kid straddling childhood and adolescence, even as Chad’s excruciatingly awkward efforts to “fit in” make some scenes almost too cringe-worthy to watch. Almost. —Kristen Baldwin

One last chance to recognize the era’s greatest broadcast comedy. NBC’s Superstore leveled up in its final season, tracking Cloud 9’s essential workers through COVID-19 right into the untimely death of brick-and-mortar retail. I challenge you to find any other sitcom with such a deep bench of hilarious supporting characters. The finale brought back America Ferrera for a wonderful farewell — a sharp and moving ending for a show that, like its characters, always deserved more respect. —Darren Franich

Antony Starr breathes new life into the Evil Superman trope with his truly unsettling portrayal of the murderous Homelander. There’s a menacing air to everything Starr does on the Amazon Prime Video drama, even when Homelander isn’t being outright villainous. Furthermore, Starr is so locked into the character’s rotten core that he grounds the drama’s most ridiculous moments, like Homelander pathetically masturbating over the New York skyline. —Chancellor Agard

The Apple TV+ comedy and its star Jason Sudeikis are sure to get some attention at the Emmys, but recognition is also due for the fearless Juno Temple. Temple steals every scene she’s in as model-turned-publicist Keeley Jones, whose kindness is matched only by her take-no-crap attitude. In the middle of an incredible ensemble, Temple delivers a hilarious, heartfelt performance that should be impossible to ignore (key word being should). —Samantha Highfill

As I Hate Suzie’s co-creator and star, Billie Piper took a punchline — B-list celeb suffers hacked-nudes scandal — and conjured up HBO Max’s brilliant exploration of modern womanhood. Suzie Pickles is a punishing role, requiring a stream of simultaneous and contradictory moods: panic and composure, repressed resentment and outward acquiescence, lingering shame and burgeoning defiance. Piper does it all, bringing fierce humanity to the woman behind the clickbait. —Kristen Baldwin

The TV Academy has too much taste to snub Michaela Coel’s soul-baring HBO comedy, but I hope the trophy rainstorm heading toward I May Destroy You’s creator doesn’t pass by her fantastic costar. As struggling performer Terry, bestie of Coel’s assault victim Arabella, Weruche Opia gives devotion so many layers: jealousy, guilt, an ever-so-careerist tendency to capitalize on Arabella’s newfound fame, and genuine concern. It’s a remarkable performance full of complicated love, and a raw portrait of friendship that leaves you completely destroyed. —Darren Franich

We talk plenty about TV becoming more “cinematic,” but director Luca Guadagnino’s ravishing HBO series earns the term not for high production values or an A-list cast, but for the rigor — and beauty — of its filmmaking. The complex drama explores themes of gender and sexuality via the budding bond between Fraser (Jack Dylan Grazer) and Caitlin (Jordan Kristine Seamón), teens figuring out, well, who they are. You’ve never seen anything like it. —David Canfield

Only the cheeky and charming Nicola Coughlan could pull off the double duty of Bridgerton breakout, put-upon, lovesick Penelope and her (spoiler alert!) alter ego, Lady Whistledown. Coughlan brought heaps of relatability to her portrayal of a young Regency miss who just wants to be loved, all while suffering under the thumb of her marriage-obsessed mama and vapid sisters. But she gave the character just enough edge to sell the finale’s epic reveal that she is the one behind Whistledown’s poison pen. Like one of the lemon yellow dresses that Penelope is forced to endure, Coughlan’s take is equal parts sweet and tart. Dear reader, what more could you ask for than such a confectionary performance? —Maureen Lee Lenker

Although most viewers seeking a whodunnit ultimately found The Undoing's conclusion disappointing, Dumezweni’s role as defense attorney Haley Fitzgerald seems to best exemplify what the writers were going for in a story about a woman in denial of her husband’s menace. The British actress is giving a multilayered performance that on one level conveys a humorous perplexity at the stories Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant’s characters are trying to sell to her, and on another level slickly asserts how much those don't matter in her line of work. While others scramble for the truth, Haley’s steadfast towards a court win. —Marcus Jones

Looking at recent drama category winners like Succession and Game of Thrones, the TV Academy loves them some ensemble pieces packed with different factions and political intrigue, that make room for a sprinkle of dark humor. Telling the story of the brutal Tong Wars happening in late 19th century San Francisco, intersecting with western expansion and rising anti-Asian sentiment among other immigrants, Warrior hits on a lot of those aforementioned sweet spots. Above all that though, the show kicks major ass with its unrivaled martial arts action scenes, and that should be considered an awards-worthy quality more often. —Marcus Jones

This Southern-fried Starz drama about a Mississippi strip club proves two things: Pole dancers are athletes, and Brandee Evans is a star. As Mercedes Woodbine, a top-earning dancer planning a new life away from the Pynk’s stage, Evans balances bad-ass bravado with the deep, desperate humanity of a woman who will do whatever she can to take control of her destiny. And those moves! The actress-choreographer does most of her own stunts, and even mastered something called the “double surfboard.” Did we mention this was Evans’ first leading role? Emmy voters should keep their eye on this Mercedes — she’s going places. —Kristen Baldwin

Five words, two numbers: Season 2, Episode 6, “Split the Lark.” Need more? Fine. Hailee Steinfeld delivered a brilliantly emotional performance as Emily Dickinson in that remarkable installment and the entire second season. Whether Emily was struggling to tame the raging sea of emotions inside of her threatening to burst forth, dancing it out, or calmly being struck by inspiration, Steinfeld’s portrayal of the young poet was visceral yet fun, and you couldn’t help but get swept away by it. —Chancellor Agard

Do you want to hear something insane? T.R. Knight has been nominated for an Emmy exactly once. In 2007. It’s not right! The man’s done plenty of excellent work after leaving Grey’s Anatomy in 2009 (see: The Good Wife, 11.22.63, The Comey Rule), and after the performance he gave opposite Kaley Cuoco in the HBO Max hit The Flight Attendant? Attention simply must be paid. Emmy voters, let me make this easy for you. Fire up episode 4, and fast-forward to minute 29. Watch as Davey (Knight) confronts his sister Cassie (Cuoco) over her drinking, her secrets, her refusal to recognize their traumatic childhood for what it really was. The scene only lasts a few minutes, but Knight’s performance is so beautifully piercing, it brings years of Davey’s disappointment, anger, hurt, and heartbreak to vivid, painful life. So hey, Academy, while you’re marking Cuoco’s name on the ballot for her stellar turn as Cassie, remember Knight also helped make The Flight Attendant soar. —Kristen Baldwin

The CW series owns the Man of Steel’s dad-ness by making him an actual dad, which gives Tyler Hoechlin’s hero a unique emotional grounding. The actor brings a low-key charm to his bluesuited adventures, saving the world like it’s a fun hobby. The real heavy lifting comes at home, where Clark struggles with his wife to raise twin teenagers. Hoechlin deserves credit for making niceness so appealing, and for making “being a good parent” look like an impossible-yet-necessary task even for a Superdad. (We know, the Emmys never nominated Arrowverse actors…but there’s a first time for everything!) —Darren Franich

With so many moments of big action in the fifth season of the sci-fi epic, it was Tipper’s emotional depth that kept the show grounded—even, in one harrowing sequence, as she was hurtling through space. Dealing with her terrorist ex, reuniting with the son she abandoned, and trying to save the Rocinante as her oxygen ran out, Tipper helped make this the best season of The Expanse yet. —Tim Leong