Emmys Snubs & Surprises: ‘The Curse’ and Kate Winslet Out, ‘Reservation Dogs’ and ‘Slow Horses’ In

SNUB: ‘The Curse’

While last year’s Oscar favorites Robert Downey Jr. and Lily Gladstone earned recognition for shows that were otherwise ignored (“The Sympathizer” and “Under the Bridge” only got one nomination each), not even Emma Stone could charm Emmy voters enough to keep “The Curse” from getting shut out. Frankly, it shouldn’t have been up to her — the finale is a feat of production design, the scripts are unparalled in their specificity and imagination, and the entire cast was award-worthy, especially its three leads. But it’s still shocking to see Emmy voters so turned off by a challenging series that they don’t even pay respect to an all-time performance. —BT

SNUB: Kate Winslet, “The Regime”

“The Regime” wasn’t particularly well-received when it debuted on HBO this spring, so its single nomination isn’t that much of a surprise. What is surprising, though, is that said nomination isn’t for Kate Winslet. (It’s for Contemporary Costumes, which, to be fair, were exquisite.) Prior to “The Regime,” Winslet was two for two at the Emmys, earning nominations — and wins — for her prior HBO endeavors, “Mare of Easttown” and “Mildred Pierce.” Alas, the streak ends here. —BT

SURPRISE: ‘Reservation Dogs’

I can’t remember the last time an Emmy nomination made me shriek out loud, but it happened with this one. We critics love to bemoan the Television Academy’s viewing habits (namely: they don’t watch enough TV), but at the end of the day we aren’t the ones voting for Emmys and can only push for the best. “Reservation Dogs” has been consistently (and always incorrectly) snubbed by the Emmys, but the third and final season got some much needed recognition.

…starting with D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai’s nod for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. The show wouldn’t be what it is without the brilliant quartet of Woon-A-Tai, Devery Jacobs, Lane Factor, and Paulina Alexis. Woon-A-Tai and Jacobs are the most experienced among them, but watching the four stars at a 2023 upfronts presentation, I was struck by how normal they are, how ostensibly untouched by Hollywood glitz (versus, say, the “Euphoria” kids). Woon-A-Tai faces challenging dramatic beats in Season 3, starting with solo adventures of meeting his father, arguing with the specter of William Knifeman (DallashGoldtooth), and being rescued by Deer Lady (Kaniehtiio Horn).

Sterlin Harjo’s mesmeric vision for the season — a seamless cross section of spirituality and sensitivity, forcing the Res Dogs to come to terms with losing not only their late fifth member, but each other in time — would have no chance without Woon-A-Tai’s performance, and we’re delighted to see Emmy voters agree and then some, to the tune of four total nominations including Best Comedy Series. —Proma Khosla

SNUB: ‘Expats’

Not even Nicole Kidman could boost Lulu Wang’s exquisite limited series onto the Emmy shortlists. Despite rave reviews and a stalwart campaign, “Expats” got zero nominations — an appalling exclusion given the immaculate production, casting, and story. It may have been too nuanced, too challenging, and too early for the TV Academy (it was released in January), but there’s no good reason to exclude it — especially for directing. Not that that’s ever stopped Emmy voters before. —BT

SURPRISE: Matt Berry, ‘What We Do in the Shdaows’

The IndieWire TV team’s love for “WWDITS” runs deep, as evidenced during the nomination announcement when we all briefly paused what we were doing to yell about this in Slack. I’d go as far as to say Ben Travers manifested Berry’s first nomination by framing his review of Season 5 as Matt Berry’s MVP run — and for good reason. Berry’s Laszlo goes on an absolute tear, from taking charge of the Pride Parade to moonlighting as a vampire scientist to delivering a never-ending stream of lethal one-liners. (The clip accompanying his nomination was the perfect read of “Kim Catrall.”) It’s a wonderful way to acknowledge the show’s commitment to excellence through five seasons — and dare we say, to prepare for even more love next year… —Proma Khosla

SNUB: ‘I’m A Virgo’

Boots Riley’s brilliant comedy series was always going to be a long shot at the Emmys, where it went home empty-handed in 2024. Between its summer 2023 release date and unique tone — a dark comic coming-of-age fantasy with pointed messages about capitalism and cops is perhaps too much for a typical awards voter to wrap their head around — but Jharrel Jerome already won a statue, Riley made the most of his long run-up to Emmy season, and the series nabbed key precursor nominations from the Gotham Awards, Indie Spirits, and Critics Choice Association. You can’t say it lacked the goods, but I guess this giant fable was too tall of an order. —BT

SURPRISE: ‘Slow Horses’

After two seasons being completely shut out by Emmy voters, “Slow Horses” finally came sprinting into the field. Will Smith’s cheeky MI6 drama earned nine nominations, including Best Drama Series, Best Actor (Gary Oldman), and Best Supporting Actor (Jack Lowden). With writing, directing, and casting nods, as well, the series emerges as more of a power player than a sleepy upstart, despite how much the latter description would befit its story about second-rate spies. —BT

SNUBS: ‘Elsbeth,’ ‘Ghosts,’ and the Best of Broadcast (Again)

With the exception of “SNL” (17 nominations), “Abbott Elementary” (which scored nine), and a smattering of reality TV, it was another rough year for broadcast networks at the Emmys. “Elsbeth” couldn’t break into a weak drama race, “Ghosts” remains on the outside looking in at the comedy categories, and even the “Frasier” reboot (which streams on Paramount+ but feels perfectly suited for CBS) failed to entice Academy members who were once completely enraptured by Dr. Crane. To make matters worse: “Frasier” did get three nominations for cinematography, production design, and picture editing, as if all you have to do to get the TV Academy’s attention is leave your network behind. —BT

SURPRISE: Maya Rudolph, ‘Loot’

Sure, it seems crazy to bet against five-time winner Maya Rudolph when it comes to the Primetime Emmys, but be honest: Did you all watch the first season of “Loot”? It can be incredibly hard to get back on the TV Academy radar if the debut season of a show does not connect with voters the first time around, and “Loot” was not helped by premiering in the liminal space between the Emmys cutoff and Emmy nominations in 2022.

But kudos to Apple TV+ for sticking with the first series that has allowed Rudolph to breathe and not just be a character that comes in on 10 every scene. To be nominated alongside her “Bridesmaids” co-star Kristen Wiig, who also received her first Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series nomination (for “Palm Royale”), is a cherry on top. —Marcus Jones

SNUB: ‘John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A.’

We will always have six beautiful nights. John Mulaney’s experimental live late-night show for Netflix missed out on an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Talk Series, but thanks to its well-received debut we expect Mulaney and late night won’t be apart for long. While it was certainly worthy (and snagged its only nomination for Picture Editing), it’s hard to be too upset about a show that only aired for six installments competing against programs that air year-long. Next time around, give Saymo the delivery robot a full season! —Erin Strecker

SURPRISE: Idris Elba, ‘Hijack’

Sure, it’s at least a bit surprising that Idris Elba was able to beat out the likes of Cosmo Jarvis and Nathan Fielder to secure a spot in the Best Actor race (drama). But what makes it even more surprising is that “Hijack,” Apple’s silly summer thriller from last year, only got one nomination. And it was this one. Lest we forget, Elba is not a sure thing at the Emmys. He’s barely a favorite among voters, considering four of his previous five nominations were all for “Luther.” (The fifth was as a Guest Star on “The Big C.”) Consider this payback for all those snubs for “The Wire.” —BT

SNUB: ‘The Sympathizer’

“The Sympathizer,” a dense yet thrilling espionage saga about (among many incisive points) the ways Asian Americans have been villified, persecuted, and overlooked throughout American history… was only nominated for one Emmy. And that one nomination went to Robert Downey Jr., the white guy among an extraordinary cast populated by actors across the Asian diaspora. We can debate the merits of Downey’s performance another time, but excluding a breakthrough turn by Hoa Xuande, an Emmy favorite like Sandra Oh, and the stellar direction of co-showrunner Park Chan-wook is enough to drive a person insane. —BT

SNUB: ‘Girls5eva’

Fans of Meredith Scardino’s clever and catchy comedy series were hoping its move from Peacock to Netflix would boost viewership, along with awards attention. So far, it’s gone zero for two, with less-than-ideal Season 3 viewership stats contributing to a lack of Emmy buzz that ended this morning, when “Girls5eva” was shut out of the Comedy Series race. Season 3 did manage to score nods for Writing (marking Scardino’s second nomination after being recognized for Season 1) and Original Music & Lyrics (for “New York / The Medium Time”).  But anyone still crossing their fingers for a renewal based on acclaim alone should probably start praying — or drowning their sorrows. —BT

SURPRISE: Selena Gomez, ‘Only Murders in the Building’

All due respect to Selena Gomez as the winsome and unlikely third musketeer to Charles (Steve Martin) and Oliver (Martin Short) in “Only Murders in the Building,” but this nomination reeks of not wanting someone to feel left out when you invite all their friends to a party. Gomez did not particularly outshine herself in the show’s third season, nor did she deliver a more memorable performance than say, Renee Elise Goldsberry in “Girls5Eva.” Many have argued her recognition has been long overdue (or, at least, two seasons overdue), but her breakthrough this year is likely because Hannah Waddingham and Rachel Brosnahan are no longer eligible, leaving Emmy voters to cast their ballots for a predictable replacement who was on deck. —Proma Khosla

SNUB: ‘The Righteous Gemstones’

What god do we have to pray to before the Gemstones get a little love from the Primetime Emmys? “The Righteous Gemstones” managed three Emmy nominations on Wednesday — two for stunts and one for costumes — but was shut out of the Comedy Series, writing, directing, and acting categories again. By now, Danny McBride & Co. have probably resolved themselves to being overlooked by the TV Academy (prior to today, the HBO original had only one nomination, for stunt work), but voters should still feel awful about neglecting one of the few comedies in competition that’s legitimately funny, perfectly cast, and consistently impressive from a craft perspective. Sinners, repent — while there’s still time. —BT

SNUB: Disney Franchises

With the drama categories in a down year, some experts thought Disney+ could make a triumphant return to Emmy glory with its two biggest franchises: Marvel and Star Wars. After all, “WandaVision” racked up nominations back in 2021 and “Andor” snagged a respectable sum itself last year (heck, even “Obi-Wan” nabbed a surprise nod for Best Limited Series in 2022). But the TV Academy didn’t bite, with “Loki” landing just three nominations (for sound mixing, visual effects, and costumes) and “Ahsoka” being held to five (including prosthetic makeup and hairstyling). Maybe in another timeline, far, far away, Tom Hiddleston woke up to good news — just not in this one. —BT

SURPRISE: Tracy Letts, ‘Winning Time’

Given its cancellation and lack of recogination for Season 1, few expected “Winning Time” to score for Season 2, but HBO’s basketball drama/nostalgia-overload for Lakers fan pulled in five nominations, including a Guest Actor nod for Tracy Letts and a Directing nomination for Salli Richardson-Whitfield. Credit their irrepressible talent, the down year for dramas, or playing to the hometown crowd — heck, credit all three. No matter how they got here, they’re Emmy nominees now! —BT

SNUB: ‘Under the Bridge’

Hulu’s Lily Gladstone and Riley Keough-led drama garnered decent buzz for being a pretty big downer, and its true crime origins couldn’t have hurt its appeal with voters. But “Under the Bridge” struggled to compete in an extremely contentious category, leaving it with just one nomination — thankfully, for Ms. Gladstone. —BT

SURPRISE: ‘Unfrosted,’ Best TV Movie

The Outstanding TV Movie can be such a delight. While none of the projects really take the world by fire, voters end up nominating such an eclectic mix of film follow-ups to popular shows, highly anticipated literary adaptations, ripped-from-the-headlines features starring big awards winners, etc. I suppose one could argue all of those descriptors could be applied to “Unfrosted,” but that’s also the problem. The overstuffed Netflix film helmed by Jerry Seinfeld was the opposite of a critical darling, did not break any streaming records, and entered the Emmys race late in the game, so it is a bit of a shock that it landed a nomination when, if one pays closer attention to the race, there were other more inspired choices that could’ve been made. —Marcus Jones

SNUB: ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’

“Squid Game” managed to win six Emmys at the height of “Succession” fever, so its reality-competition spinoff sure seemed like it would be playing to a friendly crowd. But the reality categories are a bit trickier (and fewer in number) than drama. Favorites remain fixtures year after year, and despite landing three nominations (for directing, casting, and production design) “The Challenge” simply couldn’t harness enough enthusiasm to oust the likes of “The Amazing Race” or “The Traitors” in Best Reality-Competition Program. Unlike its titular competition, the show can always try again next year. —BT

SURPRISE: ‘3 Body Problem’

If you need to be convinced that the Emmy drama category is in a drought, look no further than this nomination. Other than the legacy of co-creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (this time with Alexander Woo), Netflix’s sci-fi drama based on Cixin Liu’s book series is emphatically not where the Television Academy should be setting the bar. In his review of the eight-episode first season (congrats on that renewal, I guess), Ben Travers called the adaptation “a sprawling drag, at turns disorienting in its use of inconsistent CGI to convey the story’s momentousness and aggravating in its approach to character development and existential quandaries.” Marcus Jones predicted the series would get a nomination precisely because of the showrunners’ and the show’s Netflix popularity, which is unfortunate for other widely viewed Netflix titles which are dismissed by Emmy voters elsewhere. (Nominate “Bridgerton” instead, you cowards!) And while we don’t expect this show to take home the award, its inclusion sets an embarrassing precedent. —Proma Khosla

SNUB: ‘And Just Like That…’

While “The Gilded Age” was able to make gains in the drama categories, HBO’s other guilty pleasure program couldn’t make any headway as a comedy. “And Just Like That” was buzzier, bolder, and bigger in its second outing, but that couldn’t make up for the return of Che Diaz — or Aidan — which means the “Sex and the City” sequel is now sans a single Emmy nomination in two seasons. [insert Carrie Bradshaw wincing clip here] —BT

SURPRISE: Scavengers Reign

While officially tallied under Max’s Emmy nominations, Netflix deserves a bit of credit for pushing this one over the finish line. “Scavengers Reign” premiered on Max, where it earned a bit of fanfare, but has been much more buzzed about after hitting Netflix at the end of May. That being said, all that really matters is that it got nominated. Following a group of stranded travelers on an alien planet as they fight to survive, the inventive animated series features dazzling creature design and immersive world-building — plus a creepy vibe that will get under your skin faster than a few of those sneaky little creatures. A nomination for Best Animated Program could help it score a Season 2. —BT

SNUB: ‘Archer’

The final season of Adam Reed’s FX favorite wasn’t enough to return the 2016 winner for Outstanding Animated Program back to the fold. But hey, at least it took home the series trophy during its prime — not all classic animated programs can say as much. —BT

SNUB: Devery Jacobs, ‘Reservation Dogs’

As lovely as it is to see “Reservation Dogs” and lead actor D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai recognized by Emmy voters, it made a nomination for Jacobs seem even more likely, yet it wasn’t in the cards. Not only does she carry hefty storylines in Season 3 along with Woon-A-Tai, but she stepped into the director’s chair with Episode 7, “Wahoo!” Directing is, of course, a separate category and shouldn’t affect an acting nomination, but that plus Jacobs’ foray into the writers’ room in Season 2 demonstrate her all-encompassing involvement in “Reservation Dogs,” the kind of commitment that usually starts and ends with a showrunner. Hopefully the experience means she’s got many years of Emmy eligibility ahead of her, with actual nominations and wins down the road. —PK

SNUB: Abby Elliott, ‘The Bear’

The entire cast of “The Bear” shines in Season 2 — remember: that’s the one Emmy voters should be considering for September’s awards — but Elliott steps up significantly in the series’ second installment as Nat joins the renovation effort. You can have nonstop arguments between Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) or as many Faks as you want (there are nine!), but all the chaos of “The Bear” requires a calming presence, a voice of reason through the madness — and that’s Nat. Elliott is one of the only main actors still present in the flashback episode “Fishes,” where she provides the same chemical balance and gains new depth from mother Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis). The good news: Season 3’s “Ice Chips” is already making a strong case for next year. —PK

SNUB: ‘The Gentlemen,’ Comedy

Netflix made the early decision to push Guy Ritchie’s latest gangster story as a comedy series, and despite other programs convincing Emmy voters that they’re funny enough to be considered joke-first (when they’re really not), voters weren’t biting on this one. Ritchie snagged a directing nod, and the show earned two other Emmy nominations (for stunts and production design), but Theo James was shut out and it came up short for Comedy Series. —BT