I wrote about some of the best episodes of television in 2025.

Feel free to share, comment and let me know what you think I missed.

South Park – “Sermon On the Mount”

Full disclosure…I thought this episode, overall, was kinda meh. Fuller discloser. I think South Park is, in general, kinda meh.

That being said the cultural significance it represented can’t be ignored. Slapping the Trump Administration across the face and essentially asking to be sued by it takes planet sized balls. You realize in times of discourse that there are leaders and there are followers. The South Park creators have never shied away from taking the lead against censorship. There was never any chance they were ever going to fall in line, but taking a gamble like this to remind the world that they’re willing to be the quarterback of the resistence was pretty damn impressive…even if the actual content was pretty damn stupid. 

The Last of Us – “Through the Valley”

I watched “Through the Valley” on an airplane…and I screamed “NO!” out loud…with my mouth and face on an airplane. The episode was that shocking. 

It remains to be seen which way is a better viewing experience with regards to The Last Of Us. You’ve got what seems like an even split of the audience comprised of mega-fans of the game and those of us who know nothing. I wasn’t prepare for this, and I’m sure that the gamers weren’t either back in the day. The shock of this episode doesn’t feel like it will ever wear off.

Say what you will about the second season of The Last of Us, but as far as impossibly terrific episodes of television go, this was easily one of them.

Pluribus – “The Gap”

You gotta love a good Vince Gilligan episode that pisses a significantly high percentage of his audience off because its pacing doesn’t conform to the societal ideologies of traditional storytelling.

Watching it a day late, I was pretty confident when I received a handful of text messgaes from friends who hated the episode that I was going to love it. Excluding the series premiere it was probably my favorite episode of the series so far. A slow-moving character inquiry with out-of-this-world cinematography that reminded me of everything I love about Gilligan’s filmmaking.

Why people don’t just stop getting mad at him for how he paces his series when you’ve got examples of how strong they come around in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul is kind of insane to me. It’s not just trust in the process; it’s identifying that the process is part of the perfection. 

The Rehearsal – “My Controls”

In reality, The Rehearsal had two of the best TV episodes of the year. I struggled between picking this or “Pilot’s Code.” Ultimately the finale, “My Controls” has a reveal even more unbelievable than the weirdness of “Pilot’s Code” (which Fielder actually tells you is “a little weird”…and coming from him says a lot). My Controls refused to live inside the confines of conventional television. Fielder went above and beyond the expectations of a content creator and did something markedly different and wonderful. 

Adolescence – “Episode 3”

This was my favorite episode of my favorite show of the year. The compelling mental tennis match between its young star, Owen Cooper, and quite frankly one of the best performances ever turned in by anyone from Erin Doherty was gripping, disturbing and impossible to look away from.

Textbook perfection in acting and directing. 

The Pitt – “6:00P.M.”

There was always the unsettling feeling about where The Pitt was meandering toward when it foreshadowed society’s darkest day right from its outset. When it finally gets there in its twelth episode it does in epic fashion; but with a much appreciated humility for the viewer. You get the true sense that this was exactly what The Pitt wanted to be when it was just an idea in Noah Wyle and R. Scott Gemmill’s brains. The entire series lived on the cusp of a nervous breakdown, but 6:00PM was its finest moment where it proved that it could control chaos in a symphony like fashion. 

Task – “Vagrants”

Task’s cat-and-mouse game episode was by far its best. In some ways the series peaked in this episode and had to come crashing down to earth in its denoument. The scene where the two leads, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphry are locked in a car together for what feels like an eternity bottled the series tension to an explosive point.

The Lowdown – “This Land?”

In what sort of felt like a classic Sterlin Harjo one-off side story that exists more to vindicate the message of the overall tone of his project than it did to move the mystery-plot along, Peter Dinklage gives a Peter Dinklage-y brilliant guest performane alongside an equally as brilliant Ethan Hawke. 

Severance – “Woe’s Hollow”

Woe’s Hollow felt like the defining episode of the second season of Severance. Ben Stiller flexes his directing muscles and takes the story out of the office and into the frozen tundra. It’s clearly a lynchpin for the series’ ever expanding story where characters’ fates were met and others were just realizing their purpose. It was also a visually stunning episode that stands out for that reason alone….and when the majority of them are visually stunning, that’s a particularly impressive accomplishment. 

Paradise – “The Day”

Paradise shocks you from the get-go, and then makes you frustratingly wait around for any sort of an explanation. “The Day” finally puts all of “how we get here?” puzzle pieces together; and still does it in a shocking manner. 

1. Adolescence (Netflix)

It’s going to be pretty tough to find anyone that watched it who won’t agree that Adolescence was the best series on television in 2025.

Stephen Graham’s British miniseries that he wrote, directed, and starred in swept all categories it was nominated in at the September Emmys and can easily be classified as one of the best miniseries of all-time.

Draped in ominous themes of 21st century parenting and online interpersonal communication, Adolescence acts as a warning to all of us that the more we let technology dictate our lives, the less control we have over anything.

The performances of everyone involved were second-to-none, and the third episode of the (4 episodes) series is one of the best in years.

Truly shocking, and impossible to turn away from, Adolescence was, far-and-away, my favorite series of 2025.

2. Pluribus (Apple)

Vince Gilligan returning to television to drop appointment viewing episodes of weekly perfection…Shut up and take my money!

Is it a little early to call it the best new show on television? No. It is not. Do I need to watch the whole season to see Vince Gilligan stick the landing to know he’s going to stick the landing? I do not.

Rhea Seehorn is about as strong a lead actress any show has seen in a decade.

The story is original. The characters rule. Its lead is a Queen. Its showrunner is a God.

It’s my favorite new show of 2025 and I’m sure that surprises literally not one single one of you. The only thing you might be surprised by is that I didn’t rank it number one.

I’ve been clamoring for it to get here for three god damn years since Better Call Saul swan-songed into the history books. Now it’s here and I can’t get enough. Inject it directly into my damn veins.

3. The Pitt (HBO)

The 2025 Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series arrived in epic fashion this past February. Borrowing from great medical dramas of the past, The Pitt carved its own high-anxiety originality by being told in real-time over the course of one twelve-hour shift.

Noah Wyle tracked down his elusive Emmy, and solidified his ability to lead a series with the same charm as George Clooney in the 90’s.

I was a big fan of ER when I was a kid, and The Pitt is, by far, the best copycat version of it. I can’t wait for season two.

4. The Rehearsal (HBO)

I aggressively hated the first season of The Rehearsal and refused to watch the second season until the critical acclaim started pouring in. Fielder’s brilliant, unpredictable masterpiece will go down as one of the most impressive (non)-stunts ever pulled.

Any time a show is so successful in proving its political point that it becomes an actual news story, that’s pretty impressive.

After worshipping The Curse, I’ve come fully around on anything Nathan Fielder gets his hands on and I’m all in on whatever project he tackles next.

5. The Lowdown (FX)

Sterling Harjo’s follow-up to his masterpiece, Reservation Dogs (easily one of the my favorite series of the decade) was in a lot of ways a branching out for his seemingly endless talents.

With an Elmore Leonard vibe and an homage to classic cult classic comedies like The Big Lebowski, The Lowdown was a cool, hilarious miniseries that relied heavily upon its brilliant lead, Ethan Hawke.

The plot was the exact right amount twisty and simplistic while tapping into heart of Oklahoma where Harjo harvests his inspiration from.

6. Billy Joel: And So It Goes (HBO)

The show I was most shocked to find myself loving this year came in the form of a documentary about a guy I’ve spent my entire life actively trying to dislike. HBO’s 5+ hour two-part documentary was one of the most gripping and captivating things I watched all year. It was powerful, informative and deeply moving.

Ironically I came to it to sort of hate watch, and came out of it with an inherent sense of regret for never having seen Billy Joel perform live. It wasn’t only one of the best things I watched in 2025, it was one of the better docuseries I’ve ever seen.

7. Dying For Sex (Hulu)

Elizabeth Merriweather’s adaptation of the Podcast of the same name that documented the final year of Molly Kochan’s life as she abandoned the functional detainment of a terminal cancer diagnosis and instead used her time to seek basic human euphoria was ironically one of the funniest (and unsurprisingly) most moving series of the year. The heart of the show was the emotional chemistry between leads Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate.

8. Severance (Apple)

It took three long, contentious years for crew of Severance to return back from a first season that set an incredibly high bar. For the most part its second season toned the pace way down and spotlighted origin stories for the character and desperately tried to expand its universe. That proved good enough to essentially meet expectations.

The impeccable cast consistently turned in flawless performances, and they were rewarded handedly for it at Emmy time.

9. The Chair Company

If not for being released in the same calendar year as The Rehearsal, The Chair Company could easily lay claim to being the weirdest series of 2025. Tim Robinson’s signature brand of cringe-humor mixed with an amazing level of darkness and almost avant-garde oddity has a fascinating ability to be both uproariously hilarious and at the same time wickedly depressing.

As always with Robinson’s content, he tends to be a ringleader to an impressively talented supporting cast. The Chair Company is no exception. Robinson’s shtick, an acquired taste, has never been for everybody. But he’s certainly crafted his own niche style of comedy that feels like it’s becoming more mainstream friendly. The Chair Company, in some warped way, might be his most grown-up product to date.

10. The Studio (Apple)

I was pretty critical of The Studio for being what I described as self-indulgent Hollywood industry porn for critics. But the reality is that Seth Rogen’s satire of the ass-backward world of filmmaking had some of the funniest scenes on television…when it wasn’t shoehorning in massive cameos for sport.

HONORABLE MENTION

Long Story Short (Netflix)

Raphael Matthew Bob-Waksberg’s first post BoJack Horseman project was a ten episode animated series about the Schwoopers; a Jewish family with Paul Reiner as the voice of the patriarch and Lisa Edelstein as the matriarch.

Told non-linearly, the episodes jump all over the place and all around the spectrum of time; mainly focusing on the Schwooper kids.

Growing up in the same era as a Jewish kid in the suburbs, I very much related to the quirkiness of it…some of it hit a little too close to home, if we’re being entirely honest.

Andor (Disney +)

Andor remained Disney’s best product since taking over the Star Wars universe.

Dark, subtle and stingingly relevant, it was the perfect series to mimic the world’s volatile political climate. It used its two short seasons to get in, make its mark and get out; all while establishing it as the bar-setting standard in future Star Wars projects.

Murderbot (Apple)

Alexander Skarsgard’s futuristic sci-fi comedy about a broken down private security robot tasked with protecting a noble team of humans relied heavily on his sarcastic inner monologue to deliver both the plot and a lot of the show’s punchlines. But it was the insane visual effects and the wacky story that made its subtle charm grow on you over time

Task (HBO)

Brad Inglesby’s strong follow-up to 2021’s critically acclaimed miniseries Mare of Easttown brought viewers back to rural blue collar Pennsylvania for more action packed crime drama sprinkled with just the right amount of procedural police mystery.

While I don’t think Task will ever have the lasting nor staying effect of Mare of Easttown, and it certainly didn’t have the strength of its predecessor’s writing, it still shined brightly on its own with top notch performances of its two leads.

HBO recently announced that it has been reviewed for a second season. It’s too early to tell if it will be a continuation of its (slightly messy and way less slightly implausible) story or if it will be an entirely new case for Mark Ruffalo’s FBI task force to take on.

Regardless of the plot holes you could drive the Eagles’ team bus through, lt was probably the best popcorn chomping binger of the year.

Stick (Apple)

Ted Lasso but with golf came in the form of Jason Keller’s formulaic sports dramedy about an out of luck washed up golfer who looks for redemption in coaching a golf phenom. Owen Wilson has always been a tough pill for me to swallow, and this series wasn’t any different, but I am a massive fan of Marc Maron.

The supporting cast of young talent including Peter Dager as the gifted golfer and Lilli Kay as his girlfriend really rose above whatever it is that I find off putting about Wilson.

If you’re a fan of these types of sports stories you shouldn’t skip this one. It’s….better than par! (Sorry)

Peacemaker (HBO)

If not for its long, ridiculous, mostly terrible season finale that missed the landing in epic fashion, Peacemaker would probably be higher on my list. The series continues to be a shining example of how James Gunn’s dedication to scaling back comic book series to focus on quality rather than quantity (see for example what the Marvel folks are doing) is obviously the right way to do it.

The strength of John Cena’s acting chops never cease to amaze me. His range expands with every role he takes.

The Bear (Hulu)

The fourth season of one of Hulu’s most critically acclaimed series remained one of my favorite on television despite seeming to fall out of favor with more viewers every time it’s released.

Jeremey Allen White and Ayo Edebiri turn in their usual top notch performances and although it feels like it needs a push to a finish line, it still has some of the strongest written dialogue of any series on TV.

North of North (Netflix)

Anna Lambe, coming off a tremendous turn on True Detective: North Country stars as an Artctic woman set out to reimagine her life in a small town that showcases community and compassion in a place that looks and feels foreign. Lambe is clearly a star in the making.

Death By Lightning (Netflix)

Netflix’s adaptation of a book about the unlikely rise to the presidency of James Garfield and his unfortunate demise at the hands of a deranged Charles Guiteau had some of the best performances of the year. Matthew Macfayden is quickly rising into legend territory as he flexes his incredible versatility. Michael Shannon’s portrayal of President Garfield is equally as amazing as are top notch performances by the an all-star cast of Nick Offerman, Shea Whigham, Betty Gilles and Bradley Whitford.

It was an incredibly daring debut project for showrunner Mike Makowsky given the meticulate attention to details of the costumes, set designs and cinematography.

It’s a short and fast binge that was insanely entertaining.

Paradise (Hulu)

Without spoiling the plot of Paradise (which takes a massive twist you won’t see coming at the end of the first episode), Dan Fogelman’s strong action-drama about a Secret Service Agent (Brown) charged with discovering who planned an attack on the President (Marsden) is heavy on the cheese, but a fun binge nonetheless.

Highlighted by excellent performances from SK Brown and James Marsden, despite being really hokey it’s got a gripping plot that keeps you guessing until the very end.

English Teacher (FX)

The second and ultimately final season of FX’s English Teacher came in and went out like a lamb with barely any buzz nor viewers. Behind the scenes allegations of its creator’s hostile work environment certainly didn’t help.

Regardless, even in its brief time on television it was (along with ABC’s brilliant Abbott Elementary) one of the funniest and best depictions of public school in America.

Happy Holidays…and what not

This Thursday (12/4) I will be releasing my annual list of the best television series of the year.

The list will look slightly different this year. You will get the same amount of content you always get, but instead of ranking the entire list I’ve chosen to only rank the top ten and the remainder of it will be “honorable mentions.”

My 2025 list is twenty-one shows long and the breakdown is as follows; HBO (6), Netflix (4), Apple (5), FX / Hulu (5), Disney + (1).

As always, the list will appear here on my website, RyanBenharris.com. It will also be available everywhere that you can find my obnoxious musings. 

See you all Thursday morning!

“I’ve seen this movie. We’ve all seen this movie and we know that it does not end well”

The months-long tick-tocking clock counting down to the debut of Vince Gilligan’s first trek outside the Breaking Bad Universe in two decades is a perfect metaphor for my life in television purgatory since Better Call Saul closed shop more than three years ago.

After being one of the most hyped series in television history, the greatest showrunner on the planet returns with Pluribus, a sci-fi genre bending mystery starring one of the best but somehow most unappreciated actresses in Hollywood, Rhea Seehorn.

Pluribus follows a post-apocalyptic alien takeover of planet earth by a creed of friendly and seemingly harmless extraterrestrials.

In the lead-up to its release, Gilligan spoke at length about no longer wanting to pen anti-heroes, but instead good old fashioned good guys you can cheer for guilt free

Enter Rhea Seehorn’s Carol. A successful romance novel writer in a loving relationship with surefire character flaws, but a reasonable every-woman with what appears to be a pretty understandable conscience.

Carol’s interactions with the alien force are uncomfortable and feel more like the inner monologue wanderings of a nervous, lonely soul. She interacts with it with empathy and kindness. The one she even seems to like doesn’t have a name. She just calls it “pirate lady,” but as patience wane so does her tolerance.

There’s something about the picturesque quaintness of Gilligan’s Albuquerque neighborhoods that just feel like home. You’re half expecting to see Skyler White emerge from a pool or a Venizia’s pizza slide off a roof. The landscape acts less of a canvass and more of an ostentatious memory of euphoria’s past; a pretty cool illusion given the story is told from the perspective of a last-woman-on-earth survival guide 

Gilligan is nothing if he isn’t the master of every sensory. The series second episode doesn’t see a single word of dialogue until the 13:19 mark but it beautifully tells the tale of literally everything happening on planet earth.

It remains to be seen exactly what it is that Carol is fighting against but my wife almost immediately pointed out it likely could be an allegory for a society completely addicted to plug in devices. Communication in Pluribus feels no longer interpersonal. It’s generic and reeks of a behind the cell phone glow with an overtone of ChatGPT eloquence. 

Both episodes of Pluribus are A+ quality. Rhea Seehorn is as incredible as expected, and it’s obvious that television’s next great thing has arrived in epic fashion

It’s going to surprise no one, but it gets my full, unabashed stamp of approval. I’ll almost certainly watch both episodes again this weekend.

Run, don’t walk.

Pluribus is finally here. What an unconditionally perfect happy day 

Who Will Win? Who Should Win? Who Could Win on Television’s Biggest Night

Outstanding Drama Series

Nominees

• Andor (Disney +)
• The Diplomat (Netflix)
• The Last of Us (HBO)
• Paradise (Hulu)
• The Pitt (HBO Max)
• Severance (Apple TV)
• Slow Horses (Apple TV)
• The White Lotus (HBO)

What Will Win?

The Pitt (HBO Max)

The entire night should be a slugfest between Severance and The Pitt. Despite the former tallying up more nominations, I think it will be HBO Max’s incredible medical drama, The Pitt that comes home with the night’s coveted prize.

What Should Win?

The Pitt (HBO Max)

The Pitt is the best series of the lot. It’s a very strong year for nominees. Slow Horses was tremendous. You can make an argument that Andor was the best series on television this year. Paradise was good enough to be here but not good enough to win. And, The White Lotus is a perennial favorite. But none of them were as good as The Pitt.

What Could Win?

Severance (Apple TV)

Severance or The Pitt are the only two series that could possibly win this award. It’s practically a toss-up and if it isn’t The Pitt then it will, 100% for certain, be Severance.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Nominees

• Abbot Elementary (ABC)
• The Bear (Hulu)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Shrinking (Apple TV)
• The Studio (Apple TV)
• What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

What Will Win?

Hacks (HBO Max)

The Studio has been the betting favorite to win this award essentially since it was released. I’m boldly saying it won’t. Emmy voters love to keep it consistent, and last year’s winner seems like a safer bet. I firmly believe Hacks SHOULDN’T win this award. But I much less firmly believe that it will.

What Should Win?

Shrinking (Apple TV)

Shrinking has become my favorite scripted series on television. The second season was a perfect 10/10. I bawled my eyes out like a baby and fell in love with every single character. Give it all the Emmys. All of them.

What Could Win?

The Studio (Apple TV)

Gotta at least shout-out the favorite. I could be way off base, but I think the biggest surprise of Emmy night is going to be how poorly The Studio will fare. Could be a freezing cold take tomorrow, but whatever. I don’t think it’s winning this award, but it certainly could.

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

Nominees

• Adolescence (Netflix)
• Black Mirror (Netflix)
• Dying for Sex (Hulu)
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)
• The Penguin (HBO)

What Will Win?

Adolescence (Netflix)

As of September 14, 2025, Adolescence is the number one series on my year-end list. I don’t think anything will knock it off of there, but there’s still a quarter of the year remaining. It’s probably going to be number one on more critics’ lists than any other series. It’s an absolutely brutal, vitally important masterpiece that will easily go down as one of the best miniseries ever made. It’s become one of the most watched series in Netflix’s history. The buzz-bump it will take after tonight’s ceremony will get many more people to watch it. And that’s a very, very good thing. 

What Should Win?

Adolescence (Netflix)

Not a big surprise here, but Adolescence should win this award. Weirdly, The Penguin was the number one series on my list of 2024, and I had a lot of conversations with people about how I couldn’t wait for the Emmys to see it win a ton of awards. Instead it’s going to work to scrap together anything against Adolescence which, ultimately is a better and way more important series. Do I want The Penguin to win? Of course. Do I wan’t it to beat Adolescence? No. And it shouldn’t. 

What Could Win?

The Penguin (HBO)

It would be a massive upset, but the only series that could possibly beat Adolescence is The Penguin. I also adored Dying For Sex. In any other year it’s running away with everything. Unfortunately in 2025 it just ran into a juggernaut (The Penguin) which ran into a bigger juggernaut (Adolescence). 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This)
• Seth Rogen (The Studio)
• Jason Segel (Shrinking)
• Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)
• Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

Who Will Win?

Jeremey Allen White (The Bear)

My biggest upset of the night prediction is that the winner of the last two years will win this award again. History certainly predicts that the Emmys don’t like to move on from previous winners in this category until way after they should have (See for example how many times Jim Parsons won in the 2000s). JAW isn’t the favorite to win, anymore. That would be Seth Rogen. I think he shocks the world and goes 3-for-3…and honestly, it’s not like it wouldn’t be a deserving win.

Who Should Win?

Jason Segel (Shrinking)

In my mind Segel made a massive leap from mediocre show lead in Season 1 to a massive star in Season 2. He turned in one of the best performances of the year.

Who Could Win?

Seth Rogen (The Studio)

Again, shouting out the favorite. Seth Rogen has been the most likely winner of this award ever since the series debuted. That means he certainly could win. I also think Martin Short has a fighting chance, here. Before The Studio came out I think he was the favorite to win this in an obviously very weak year. I’ve made the point before that no one should be winning awards for the mostly awful season 4 of Only Murders in the Building. But I don’t think it’s entirely out of the question, here.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Sterling K. Brown (Paradise)
• Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)
• Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us)
• Adam Scott (Severance)
• Noah Wylie (The Pitt)

Who Will Win?

Noah Wyle (The Pitt)

I’m predicting a giant night for The Pitt and, quite simply, that doesn’t happen if Noah Wyle gets beat in this category. I’m pretty confident that he won’t. He’s coming out of the Emmys as the belle of the ball, and this one, for sure, will be his big moment. 

Who Should Win?

Noah Wyle (The Pitt)

No denying Wyle was tremendous on The Pitt. I loved the series. I loved the characters. His dedication to the craft is so obvious in every single scene. Given that he’s never won an Emmy for acting before, it’s undeniably deserved. 

Who Could Win?

Adam Scott (Severance)

This is, again, a two-horse race. If Wyle doesn’t win it will be Adam Scott. Scott was terrific, again, on Severance in its strong second season. He very much could pull off an upset here. The only nominee with surprise potential is Gary Oldman for Slow Horses. I predicted a win for him last year and it didn’t come through. S.K. Brown is great on Paradise, but it’s in a different universe than Wyle, Scott or Oldman. Pedro Pascal is amazing on The Last of Us, but he shouldn’t be nominated here, and he won’t win. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Uzo Aduba (The Residence)
• Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This)
• Quinta Brunson (Abbot Elementary)
• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)
• Jean Smart (Hacks)

Who Will Win?

Jean Smart (Hacks)

Jean Smart will, unquestionably go a perfect 4-for-4 in nominations/wins for her now legendary run as Deborah Vance on HBO’s Hacks. Anyone who beats her will do so in a massive upset.  

Who Should Win?

Jean Smart (Hacks)

Not taking anything away from how incredible Jean Smart is on Hacks, this is a pretty weak nominating year. I liked the fourth season of Hacks a lot. I didn’t love it. Especially in comparison to the third season which was its best. I’d be absolutely ecstatic with Ayo Edebiri winning her second Emmy for The Bear, so long as we get plenty of screen time from her dad, Dele. She was obviously good enough in it to win. Brunson is always good enough to win, so I’d also be fine with her, as well. 

Who Could Win?

Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This)

Kristen Bell is a sneaky maybe here. She’s really good in Netflix’s excellent Nobody Wants This. If you’re looking for a longshot that could pay big dividends, this might be the one to grab. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Kathy Bates (Matlock)
• Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters)
• Britt Lower (Severance)
• Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us)
• Keri Russell (The Diplomat)

Who Will Win?

Kathy Bates (Matlock)

Full disclosure, I haven’t seen a second of Matlock. I can’t really comment on it. I do know Kathy Bates is the favorite, here and she’s already won a Critics Choice Award for the performance and was nominated for the Golden Globe. Like the Lead Actress in a Comedy category, it’s again, a weak year for nominees. That makes Bates a pretty safe bet. 

Who Should Win?

Britt Lower (Severance)

I love Britt Lower on Severance and I very much want her to win this award. In a field of incredible performances on a show that leans very heavily on its actors, hers might be the best of all of them. 

Who Could Win?

Keri Russell (The Diplomat)

This is Kerri Russell’s second time nominated for Netflix’s The Diplomat, and in 2023, I predicted she would win. I think she’s a distant third behind Bates and Lower, but I wouldn’t be shocked if she pulled off an upset. Sharon Horgan is tremendous on Bad Sisters, and Bella Ramsey did all they could to carry an up-and-down season of The Last of Us. They’re certainly worthy of a win, but I don’t think it’s likely. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Ike Barinholtz (The Studio)
• Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons)
• Harrison Ford (Shrinking)
• Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)
• Michael Urie (Shrinking)
• Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live)

Who Will Win?

Ike Barinholtz (The Studio)

Ike Barinholtz’s breakout performance as Sal Saperstein is the kind of role that jumps off the page for award shows like this. He’s the favorite to win, and I believe he will. What’s the over/under on how many “I’d like to thank Sal Saperstein” shout outs we get at this thing? A million? If you haven’t watched The Studio and you don’t get the reference, you should remedy that

Who Should Win?

Harrison Ford (Shrinking)

Welp…they nominated Harrison Ford this year after inexplicably snubbing him last year…so that’s a start. It’s actually hard for me to pick between Ford and Michael Urie (who I’ll get to in a second) because I loved Shrinking so much. But 9 out of 10 times I’m probably going Ford. He’s so goddamn good on this. He should’ve won last year. He should win this year. 

Who Could Win?

Michael Urie (Shrinking)

Michael Urie was the upset-winner in this category at the Critics Choice Awards, so that at least puts him in the conversation. When it happened, a lot of people trampled over each other to make the “He’s not even the best supporting actor on his own show” criticism… which is, at least, fair. He was really, really really good on the second season of Shrinking (in fairness everyone was). I’d be happy with him winning here, and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that he could. Colman Domingo is also an interesting choice. He’s fresh off an Oscar nomination, and the Emmys love picks like that. My “anybody the SNL nominee” take is in its record 50th consecutive season. Bowen Yang COULD feasibly come away with a win here, but it’s mostly unlikely given the strength of the other nominees. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Zach Cherry (Severance)
• Walton Goggins (The White Lotus)
• Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus)
• James Marsden (Paradise)
• Sam Rockwell (The White Lotus)
• Tramell Tillman (Severance)
• John Turturro (Severance)

Who Will Win?

Tramell Tillman (Severance)

I don’t think anyone is expecting anything other than a Tramell Tillman win here. And that’s pretty surely what we’re going to get. His scary and goofy portrayal of the creepy severed floor manager, Seth Milchick has been a fan favorite since day one. He took it to the next level in the second season to the point where he clearly stood out

Who Should Win?

Tramell Tillman (Severance)

This is a packed category full of worthy winners, but I’m going with Tillman here…and it’s not particularly close. I love Zach Cherry’s lovable Dylan G., and he would probably be my second favorite choice. But Tillman deserves the win he will probably get. 

Who Could Win?

Walton Goggins (The White Lotus)

If anyone is going to steal this from the favorite it’s definitely Walton Goggins. Goggins has turned into the primetime Emmys version of Susan Lucci. He’s been nominated three times, snubbed for nominations a million and never won. This feels like the closest he’s ever been. He stood out in the third season of The White Lotus, and if there’s any place the series is most likely to score a win, it’s in this category. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear)
• Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
• Kathryn Hahn (The Studio)
• Janelle James (Abbot Elementary)
• Catherine O’Hara (The Studio)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbot Elementary)
• Jessica Williams (Shrinking)

Who Will Win?

Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear)

This is such a weird situation. Liza Colon-Zayas won last year for her good (not necessarily award winning worthy) performance on the second season of The Bear. The third season was entirely released before the 2024 Emmys, during voting season, and it’s not exactly a stretch to suggest that she won because of Napkins…despite Napkins not being eligible. She SHOULD win an Emmy for Napkin. But I’d argue she “kinda but technically not,” already won it. Regardless, I don’t think it makes much sense if she doesn’t win an Emmy for Napkins, so I’m picking her to win it. Although I wouldn’t be shocked if she doesn’t. And she kinda shouldn’t…but she should. That all makes sense, right?

Who Should Win?

Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)

Can we get Hannah Einbinder a goddamn Emmy? Is that too much to ask? She’s incredible. She’s deserved it three times before this, she deserves it now, and she’s probably the number one person I’m rooting for in this whole thing. Let’s not even talk about the fact that she came out of complete obscurity to land this role with no formal acting training on the professional level and absolutely kills it…for four straight years. Give her an Emmy. If you don’t give her an Emmy, then give it to Jessica Williams. Because, honestly, I might love her more. 

Who Could Win?

Catherine O’Hara (The Studio)

This really is a stacked category, and I don’t think there’s anyone in it that couldn’t lay claim to a win. If I had to pick one that’s not mentioned above, It’s O’Hara. She’s an award show darling. She’s a multi-time winner. She’s in a buzzy show that critics loved, and she’s great in it. She very much could win this. The same goes for Sheryl Lee Ralph who’s won before and Janelle James who hasn’t. Jessica Williams is an absolute FORCE on Shrinking and you hope voters picked up on that. Kathryn Hahn is probably the longshot here…and that’s saying a lot because she’s 1.) Kathryn’s Hahn and 2.) Emmy worth on The Studio. So, in short, anyone can win this category…and everyone is deserving of a win. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Patricia Arquette (Severance)
• Carrie Coon (The White Lotus)
• Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
• Julianne Nicholson (Paradise)
• Parker Posey (The White Lotus)
• Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus)
• Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus)

Who Will Win?

Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)

Katherine LaNasa became the favorite to win this pretty early on when The Pitt started going on a heater with viewers. She’s probably the deepest and most relatable character on the series, and her arc truly resonated with viewers. The performance was flawless.

Who Should Win?

Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)

I was high on LaNasa pretty early on, and I want her to win this award. I’ve got a lot of sour grapes on The White Lotus blocking years of Rhea Seehorn wins, so I think it will be refreshing to see something else win it this time around. Patricia Arquette is certainly worth of the award as well. 

Who Could Win?

Parker Posey (The White Lotus)

I think Parker Posey is the most likely upset winner over LaNasa with everyone else from The White Lotus distantly behind her. Julianne Nicholson, who’s a two-time winner (once for Mare of Easttown and the second time, earlier this week as a guest actress for Hacks…which was one of my favorite performances of the year, btw), is sort of a cliche supervillain in Paradise, and I don’t think she stands much of a shot either. 

Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) “Napkins”
• Lucia Aniello (Hacks) “A Slippery Slope”
• James Burrows (Mid-Century Modern) “Here’s to You Mrs. Schneiderman”
• Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”
• Seth Rogen (The Studio) “The Oner”

Who Will Win?

Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) “Napkins”

Ayo Edebiri might not win for acting this year, but I’d be pretty surprised if she doesn’t win for directing. Napkins is an all-time TV episode. 

Who Should Win?

Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”

Who Could Win?

Pilot’s Code was a weird, avant garde masterpiece that deserves recognition. Not sure the Emmys want to put Fielder on a stage to accept an award, though. No clue what will happen. 

Seth Rogen (The Studio) “The Oner”

Again, could see a slow night for The Studio, but we could also see it win everything. If it starts hitting early on the technical awards that will be a good sign that it’s going to roll

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

Nominees

• Janus Metz (Andor) “Who Are You?”
• Amanda Marasalis (The Pitt) “6:00P.M.”
• John Wells (The Pitt) “7:00A.M.”
• Jessica Lee Gagne (Severance) “Chikhai Bardo”
• Ben Still (Severance) “Cold Harbor”
• Adam Randall (Slow Horses) “Hello Goodbye”
• Mike White (The White Lotus) “Amor Fati”

Who Will Win?

Amanda Marsalis (The Pitt) “6:00P.M.”

I compile two lists every year; one a list of the best series and the other a list of my favorite TV episodes. The Pitt is currently on both of them, and 6:00PM is my favorite episode of the series, so it’s on the latter. I can’t really get into a lot of reasons why because it would trigger spoilers, but I’ll say this; it’s undoubtedly worthy of a directing Emmy.

Who Should Win?

Ben Stiller (Severance) “Cold Harbor”

Everything I wrote above goes for Cold Harbor, too…which was arguably a better directed episode, and would be my personal pick to win

Who Could Win?

Ben Stiller (Severance) “Cold Harbor)

This is another one of the many “It’s either The Pitt or Severance” situations this year. I’m saying I think The Pitt will win, but if it doesn’t, Severance will. 

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Quinta Brunson (Abbot Elementary) “Back To School”
• Lucia Aniello / Paul W. Downs / Jen Statsky (Hacks) “A Slippery Slope”
• Nathan Fielder et al. (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”
• Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere) “AGG”
• Seth Rogen et al. (The Studio) “The Promotion”
• Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms (What We Do in the Shadows) “The Finale”

Who Will Win?

Quinta Brunson (Abbot Elementary) “Back To School”

Brunson has one writing Emmy under her belt, and I think she gets a second this year. It might be the only win for Abbott Elementary for the entire night, and definitely the best chance it has 

Who Should Win?

Nathan Fielder, et al (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”

Pilots Code was so weird that it could only come from the mind of an absolute lunatic like Nathan Fielder. Again, not sure they want him up there pontificating, but I sure hope they do.

Who Could Win?

Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms (What We Do in the Shadows) “The Finale”

Hey! It’s What We Do in the Shadows! We haven’t talked about that yet! It’s not nominated for as many awards this year as it has been in the past, but given this is the last time it could possibly be recognized, I think it has a better chance at a writing award than it has had in years past. 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Nominees

• Dan Gilroy (Andor) “Welcome to the Rebellion”
• Joe Sachs (The Pitt) “2:00P.M.”
• R. Scott Gemmill (The Pitt) “7:00A.M.”
• Dan Erickson (Severance) “Cold Harbor”
• Will Smith (Slow Horses) “Hello Goodbye”
• Mike White (The White Lotus) “Full-Moon Party”

Who Will Win?

Dan Erickson (Severance) “Cold Harbor”

Cold Harbor could win both the writing and directing awards or it could lose them both to The Pitt….but if I had to pick one that I think it is going to win, it’s writing. The episode had masterful dialogue.

Who Should Win?

Dan Erickson (Severance) “Cold Harbor”

This time I think Severance should actually beat The Pitt…and I don’t think that for many other categories. 

Who Could Win?

R. Scott Gemmill (The Pitt) “7:00A.M.”

One more time for the folks in the back…if it’s not Severance, it’s gonna be The Pitt. 7:00A.M. Is actually the series pilot. It’s not the best written episode of the season, let alone the best written episode of a drama series in the past year. I think it has a better chance at winning because it was written by showrunner, R. Scott Gemmill, and 2:00P.M. wasn’t. The Emmys think about nonsense like that when none of the rest of us do.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Colin Farrell (The Penguin)
• Stephen Graham (Adolescence)
• Jake Gyllenhaal (Presumed Innocent)
• Brian Tyree Henry (Dope Thief)
• Cooper Koch (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menedez Story)

Who Will Win?

Colin Farrell (The Penguin)

Farrell’s camp has been lobbying pretty hard for an Emmy, and I think it’ll end up paying off. This wasn’t the first time he took the massive transformation to play the Batman villain. But he did it on such a larger scale that it was truly something MARVELous (see what I did there!?) Colin Farrell acceptance speeches are always a delight. So when he wins it will rule 

Who Should Win?

Stephen Graham (Adolescence)

Stephen Graham’s performance was heartbreaking and perfect. He should beat Farrell, but I don’t think he will. 

Who Could Win?

Brian Tyree Henry (Dope Thief)

Tyree Henry is so far behind Farrell and Graham that it might not even be worth discussing…but he is third in this list. Bet on him if you want to light your money on fire

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer)
• Meghann Fahd (Sirens)
• Rashida Jones (Black Mirror)
• Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
• Michelle Williams (Dying For Sex)

Who Will Win?

Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)

Cristin Milioti has won every other award on the circuit for this role and the Emmy will be the piece de resistance. 

Who Should Win

Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)

Who Could Win

Milioti was the perfect complement to Farrell’s awfulness on The Penguin. She absolutely deserves to win.

Michelle Williams (Dying For Sex)

Again, any other year and it’s Dying for Sex in every category in a landslide. Michelle Willams was Academy Award worthy in the series, and she absolutely deserves to win. Have I said “I loved Dying for Sex yet!?” Milioti is going to be tough if not impossible to beat. If anyone possibly does it, it will be Williams

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story)
• Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent)
• Owen Cooper (Adolescence)
• Rob Delaney (Dying For Sex)
• Peter Sarsgaard (Presumed Innocent)
• Ashley Walters (Adolescence)

Who Will Win?

Owen Cooper (Adolescence)

Owen Cooper is the next great movie star. By the end of the night, Ye shall know his name. His performance in Adolescence was terrifying and gut wrenching. He’s a one-in-a-million actor. Watching him hoist an Emmy tonight is going to be a pretty moving experience 

Who Should Win?

Owen Cooper (Adolescence)

I mean, c’mon. Are we actually doing this? Cooper’s performance is probably the single best performance on television in the last year. There’s no argument you can make that justifies him not being who should win this award.

Who Could Win?

Ashley Walters (Adolescence)

Ashley Walters was so goddamn tremendous in the second episode of Adolescence. No one is beating Cooper. But Walters should also get an Emmy because it’s kinda unfair that anyone should beat him. I also very much would adore the idea of Rob Delaney winning another Emmy. He’s one of my favorite celebrities on planet earth. I simply adore him. He won’t win this, but I loved him in Dying for Sex…in everything really.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Erin Doherty (Adolescence)
• Ruth Negga (Presumed Innocent)
• Deidre O’Connell (The Penguin)
• Chloe Sevigny (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story)
• Jenny Slate (Dying For Sex)
• Christine Tremarco (Adolescence)

Who Will Win?

Erin Doherty (Adolescence)

Adolescence “Episode 3” is the best episode of television in the last calendar year. Nearly all of it is a single-shot conversation between Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty (the only episode of the series she appears in). It’s one of the single best performances in a series ever. Ain’t no one taking that statue out of her hands tonight 

Who Should Win?

Erin Doherty (Adolescence)

Every word from her mouth. Every breath she took. Every shift of her body. Every reaction to Cooper’s words, breathing and body shifts. Ain’t no one more worthy of an Emmy than Erin Doherty. 

Who Could Win?

Deidre O’Connell (The Penguin)

HEY MA! MA! Deirdre O’Connell’s moving performance in a life of imprisonment by her evil son on The Penguin was a series highlight. She won’t be Erin Doherty for an Emmy, but she’s at least in the conversation of who potentially could in a massive upset. 

What a day! We’ve got Season 2 of James Gunn’s brilliant Peacemaker (a series I ranked in the Top Ten of 2022) dropping tonight at 9PM and seemingly attached to it will be a trailer for the second season of HBO Max’s incredible medical drama The Pitt…that has leaked its way online.

The Pitt is arguably the most well reviewed drama series of 2025 and will compete HEAVILY for Emmys next month. In my opinion it should and will win Outstanding Drama Series.

I also think Noah Wyle (who goes in as the odds-on favorite) will win his first ever Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The series isn’t for the faint of heart, has its flaws and I don’t believe should be binged because there’s so much going on and it really plays into the emotional roller coaster experience. But it’s fantastic and should be watched by anyone who even remotely likes medical drama series.

It’s also been heavily praised by medical professionals for its scientific accuracy and how well it represents the emergency room industry.

The Season 2 trailer certainly looks like we’ll be back in the familiar world of the insane Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s Emergency Room. The trailer hints at some potential resolutions for massive Season 1 cliffhangers including what’s going on Dr. Langdon after Patrick Ball, the actor who plays him, was victim of the worst snubbing of the 2025 Emmy nomination process.

Season 2 of The Pitt will be exclusively streaming on HBO Max in January.

The critically acclaimed first season is available to stream right now.

“The average ER doctor gets pulled from task A to task B every three to five minutes

Remind me again why we we picked this specialty 

Because we all have ADHD and anything else would be boring as hell”

A teaser poster for the new Vince Gilligan show is finally here, so let’s all lose our collective shit together and give it the insane deep dive it deserves.

On July 22, 2025 at exactly 3:00pm, it arrived. After years of rumors and speculation Apple TV dropped a teaser poster confirming the most anticipated new television series in at least two years. And, Gilli-Geeks, it’s friggen glorious.

Happiness is Contagious. pic.twitter.com/izGKiHgPIt

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) July 22, 2025

At the time this post published (9PM EST) it had already been seen 1.8M times on X alone.

Nothing Vince Gilligan created has ever been done without the meticulous attention to detail of a serial killer. That’s absolutely the case with this social media post.

What looks like the simplest post of all time clearly has about a dozen of Gilligan’s trademark Easter eggs that are hiding right there in plain sight.

The teaser poster itself has six words. Six measly words. “From the creator of Breaking Bad.” It’s yellow in nature, it has a strange yellow goo inside of a Petri dish with someone using a cotton swab to make a smiley face and the post itself was accompanied on all of Apple’s social media with three more words, “Happiness is Contagious.”

Now…we’ll get into a conspiracy of whether it’s “Contagious” or “contagious” later in this page. Because there IS a difference depending on where you find the post. But for now, let’s get into what the post might tell us about what the show is going to be.

First, the obvious questions…

What is it? What’s it called? When’s it coming? And Who’s in it?

As for “What is it,” Gilligan has been very cautious about giving away anything other than it’s going to contain elements of science fiction (from his old school days of The X-Files) with top notch drama you’ve come to expect with his last two masterpieces.

Earlier this year, Gilligan was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the Writers Guild Award ceremony. He used his speech to express a bit of remorse for creating legendary anti-heroes like Walter White and Saul Goodman and begged writers to create more “good guys,” in the traditional sense. Although he didn’t mention him by name, the plea was certainly directed at the notion that Hollywood characters breaking bad or being the sleazeball you better call probably had a hand in the reverence of people like Donald Trump.

What does that say for his new show? I suspect its lead will be less a drastically flawed anti-hero and more a more traditional champion who you can feel good about rooting for. It would make sense if Gilligan took his own advice.

As for the title, no one knows what this show is actually going to be called. For years it’s had the working title of “Wycaro 339.” That’s what it’s been referred to online despite no one from Apple, Sony or Camp Vince suggesting nor confirming that actually is the actual title of the series (because it almost certainly isn’t).

Vegas odds would certainly put “Happiness is Contagious” as odds-on favorite for the actual title, but that remains to be seen.

I’m starting to talk myself into the idea that it’s going to be called “Happiness is Contagious,” but I also wouldn’t be remotely shocked if it isn’t. If it also isn’t Wycaro 339 (which is the only thing we’ve got to work with), then there’s really not much else we can guess…other than that it’s right in front of us.

The jury is still firmly out on what the title of the series will be…and also when it will air. Fingers crossed for late 2025.

I think the most likely release time is early 2026. That seems to coincide with yesterday’s Ted Lasso reemergence and I think it’s doubtful that it will be here by year’s end. But a boy can hope, guys!

You can also likely expect it to be a weekly episodic drop as Apple rarely drops entire seasons of anything in their entirety. And honestly, who in the absolute hell wants to watch a Vince Gilligan show 8-10 episodes in a row?! Gottta let that shit digest.

To coincide with today’s social media blast, Apple TV’s YouTube channel launched a live countdown to something that’s coming at exactly 3PM (EST) on Friday July 25th.

Nearly everyone online is speculating it’s a trailer.

Fair warning. You’re gonna need to come get me from the hospital on Friday night.

We know the series will star the incomparable Rhea Seehorn. Any other casting information has been incredibly limited. It was reportedly mainly shot in Albuquerque. So it will probably have the same look as other Gilligan series.

What Does “Happiness is Contagious” Mean?

Is this some kind of an outbreak show? We know that it’s got a sci-fi element. Is that a supernatural element? An environmental theme perhaps? And why is “Happiness” the contagion? Perhaps that’s a reference to Seehorn’s character’s unfulfilled life.

Vince Gilligan has a deep rooted history of finding meaningful historical and social contexts for his stories. I found one that seems to fit quite neatly into this one, and I’d like to offer it to you.

Jessica Cerretani, now of Boston Children’s Hospital wrote a Harvard Journal of Medicine article in 2011 entitled “The Contagion of Happiness,” that begins, “Everyone, it seems – from Buddhist monks to psychologist to Charles Schulz to the Beatles has offered opinions on what it means to be happy. And whether you believe that bliss is found with a warm puppy, a Prozac prescription or the pages of self-help books, you likely crave more of it.”

The article discusses the medical, scientific and sociological explanations for happiness and why humans seek it interminably.

It’s absolutely plausible that Gilligan would create a show about the pursuit of happiness…and equally as plausible that he’d draw inspiration from an easily accessible Harvard study on how to pursue it.

Speaking of Charles Schulz, “Happiness” is also the closing number of the Broadway production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” …whose colors famously happen to be…

What’s With All the Yellow and the Harvey Ball Smiley Face?

We have no idea why Gilligan would reference Harvey Ball, a famous artist from Worcester, MA in this poster…but he did it for sure. Harvey Ball created the yellow smiley face. The symbol obviously represents happiness and euphoria. Ball’s smiley face has also become synonymous with the phrase “have a nice day.”

The colors (both in the forefront and the background of the poster) and the drawn smiley face markedly resemble Ball’s most famous work.

Is it “Contagious” or “contagious”

The X (formally twitter) post says, “Happiness is Contagious,” while the current Instagram version says, “Happiness is contagious.” I might be crazy, but I think the Instagram post is possibly edited. I thought it was capitalized when I first saw it, and now it is not. I could be wrong. Unsurprisingly I looked at every Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul account you can imagine today. So they’re starting to blend in my pea brain.

Regardless, if Contagious is capitalized that suggests it’s could be a proper noun. It’s not capitalized in other official show(s) social media accounts (more on that below)

Further, is Happiness a place or a person? It’s also capitalized in all social media posts. Theoretically it doesn’t have to be as punctuation doesn’t really matter with these things. Happiness could be someone’s name, nickname or even the thing that they’re running away from.

Most likely it’s capitalized because this is a show about the quest for enlightenment and how to spread it and that will run as a heavy subtle underlying theme throughout. If it’s set in a town called Happiness that would be cheesy but also make a lot of sense.

What’s with the Petri dish and cotton swab (and whose finger is that?)

We have to assume that’s Rhea Seehorn’s hand, right?It’s pretty likely that this show will have some sort of medical research element to it. Not much of a surprise given the importance of those things in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

But we’ve been told this is a complete break from that universe….but should we believe that?

Why was the post shared on the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul social media pages?

Almost certainly the answer to that question is that they wanted as much exposure to this as possible and so many people follow those pages. But perhaps that’s not what’s going on here….shenanigans are afoot? SHENANIGANS!

The Breaking Bad X account has been dormant since September of 2024. The Better Call Saul account last tweeted in February of this year. They both sprung to life to promote this series.

Although there’s no actual reason to believe it has anything to do with the Breaking Bad universe, it still hasn’t been formally ruled out by anyone. When Gilligan made El Camino he did so explicitly under an incredible level of secrecy and emphatically denied that he was doing it until it was officially reported otherwise.

He also flew Bryan Cranston out from New York City overnight with military level security to shoot his scenes.

Look…we’re talking one percent…a fraction of one percent chance here. But there’s still a chance.

My most educated guess is that Gilligan’s new series starring Rhea Seehorn will heavily rely on the theme of the pursuit of happiness and will include a cast of characters looking for it in a manner where you fall in love with all of them. But it’s not really hard to fall in love with any character that Gilligan has created. So it should be an easy task.

It seems pretty likely that there will also be a constant theme of the series that highlights why people want to be happy. A theme that’s literally been studied by Harvard researchers.

…and truly, leave it to the great Vince Gilligan to save the planet by shining a massive light on the importance of Happiness (with a capital H) in a world shroud in such inalienable misery, right now. Am I here for it? You’re god damn right, I am.

Did I miss anything? Register for an account and comment below.

Or better yet, share it on your social media accounts. Feel free to capitalize whatever you want.

I love you all. Have a nice day.

I think you’re all made of sterner stuff.

Emmy Nominations drop today at 1135am (ET). There’s a 100% chance it will be chock full of recycled nominations from years past.

I’ll certainly be back after the nominations are announced to give my reactions. But for now, here are ten ways the Emmys could do it right in my eye.

1. Taylor Dearden – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (The Pitt)

2. Tramell Tillman – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Severance)

3. Jacob Anderson – Oustanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Interview With the Vampire)

4. Nathan Fielder – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (The Rehearsal)

5. Britt Lower – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Severance)

6. Selena Gomez – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Only Murders in the Building)

7. Patrick Ball – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (The Pitt)

8. The Entire Cast of Shrinking for Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series (Harrison Ford / Jessica Williams / Luke Tennie / Michael Urie / Lukita Maxwell / Christa Miller / Ted McGinley and Brett Goldstein)

9. Jonathan Pryce – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Slow Horses)

10. English Teacher – Outstanding Comedy Series

When Emmy nominations drop on July 15th, it will only be a matter of seconds before the angry tweets start a’rollin’ in…

“The Bear’ isn’t a comedy series! How is it dominating the Comedy categories, AGAIN!?”

Or, this…

Comedian Matt Damon, from comedy!

— rob delaney (@robdelaney) January 11, 2016

For a long time I have been a massive proponent of systematic change with respect to award shows categorizing television genres; specifically in comedy. It’s pretty obvious that in the “golden age of television,” you’ve got more than just comedy and drama. You’ve got a much larger percentage of series being both of those things…or neither. But for some reason the Emmys and the Golden Globes either don’t agree…or they’re just lazy.

In all likelihood, FX’s standout series, “The Bear” will be heavily represented in the next month’s Emmy nominations for comedy, but there’s clearly beginning to be organized pushback.

Just this weekend AV Club reported Comedy Writers are getting Kind of Sick of The Bear Winning all those comedy Emmys. 

As well they should be. If you’re involved with writing, directing or acting in a comedy series that aligns to comedy in the much more traditional sense and you’re losing recognition to a series that very much isn’t comedy, it’s got to be frustrating as hell. If you’re trying to make people laugh, it seems kind of ridiculous that you’d be losing comedy recognition to shows that actively are not.

To be honest, I don’t think The Bear will continue to win or be nominated for a lot more comedy Emmys than it has in the past. The third season was presumably its worst, and the public seems to have lost interest (which is a shame because I personally enjoyed the third season a lot).

Seth Rogen’s “The Studio,” seems poised to possibly take over the crown as television critics’ darling comedy series and perennial winners “Hacks,”and “Abbott Elementary,” are still holding strong. I’d be very surprised if The Bear repeats in more than a handful of its past few wins, if it even does at all. 

The Bear isn’t a traditional comedy series in any sense. Neither is Nathan Fielder’s absolutely brilliant second season of HBO’s The Rehearsal which also might garner a bunch of Emmy nominations including one for Outstanding Comedy Series as well as an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series nomination for Fielder who ironically would probably cop to not even acting in it at all.

At least with The Bear, the harrowing anxiety and top-notch drama is regularly sprinkled with laugh out loud moments. 

The Rehearsal is something entirely different. I aggressively hated its first season and was initially mad at it for not being anything remotely as funny as Fielder’s first HBO project, “How To With John Wilson.” I punched out of the first season of The Rehearsal after only two episodes and only returned to it years later when its second season received such massive critical acclaim that my curiosity pushed me back in.

After finishing the first season, I found nothing about it funny, barely believed any of it was real, and didn’t hate it any less.

However, you can now 100% count me in as one of the critics who adored The Rehearsal’s second season and it will not only chart high on my year-end list in December but I’m now actively rooting for it to receive a handful of Emmy nominations (something that didn’t happen for Fielder’s 2023 Showtime series, “The Curse” which I also loved, but sort of watched with glee as less than 10% of people I recommended it to got past its first few episodes before giving up on it). But on the giant laundry list of things I loved about The Rehearsal, I’m not even sure that being funny even appears.

In fact, the first time I found myself cackling at The Rehearsal wasn’t until twenty-five minutes into the fourth episode of its second season.

My laugh came from the absurdness of an “extra” (if you can even call him that) watching his real life girlfriend acting a make-out scene and rooting her on like Timothée Chalamet celebrating an overtime win at a Knick game. Sort of a throw-away laugh that might not have even landed on all viewers.

The Rehearsal’s humor is used sparingly, and quite honestly, that’s a good thing as it doesn’t need to be funny to do its job. But should it be celebrated as one of the best comedy series on television if it’s really not funny?

HBO recently announced that it would be submitting The Rehearsal in the comedy categories at the Emmys when people started to question if it should be submitted as a documentary…or even a drama. HBO’s decision is almost certainly because Fielder identifies himself as a comedian despite the show not really being funny much…if even at all.

…Or is it? Who am I to say? I mean, who decides these things?

“Why Are You Laughing?” is a self-described history of comedy podcast hosted by “Blind” Mike Geary of BlindMike.net His weekly podcast highlights historic moments in stand-up comedy history, memorable stand-up albums and also compiles an annual end-of-the-year ranking of the best stand-up specials of the past twelve months.

Its title reflects the subjective standard of what defines mainstream humor. Geary’s comedy tastes are obviously uniquely his own, but he often attempts to streamline the medium to both acknowledge its standouts and bring awareness to old and new comedians to new audiences who might be unaware of certain performers. As a big stand-up fan myself (I always make it a point to include one special on my year-end “Best of TV” list) “Why Are You Laughing?” has been one of my favorite podcasts since it debuted in 2021.

In a recent episode Geary talked about why he didn’t include Bo Burnham on his list of the top 19 living stand-up comedians.

“I’m a huge Bo Burnham fan,” Geary explains. “I feel like he’s tremendously innovative and influential, but I kinda feel what he does is different from standup.” 

It’s a little weird that even in a podcast that exists to highlight stand-up comedians, the podcast host won’t include Bo Burnham as a stand-up comedian when Bo Burnham would obviously describe himself as one…yet in the mind of the TV awards business either you’re comedy or you aren’t, and that’s that.

I, myself, am also a huge Bo Burnham fan. I not only cite his 2021 comedy special, “Inside” as arguably my favorite comedy special of all time, I ranked it as the top series of 2021, and its soundtrack remains one of my favorite musical albums of the last two decades. 

It’s at least understandable why you could include Burnham in a list of the top 19 living stand-up comedians. It’s also understandable why you wouldn’t.

But it can be hard to decide when comedy stops and when “it’s not comedy” begins. If the opposite of making you laugh is making you cry, then some of the best comedies on television are failing miserably at it in the best ways possible.

Apple TV’s “Shrinking” (which I regularly describe as “my favorite show on television right now”), is obviously a comedy series, but it also lays on the emotional rollercoaster brutally thick.

Mostly due to Shrinking’s brilliant performances I found myself crying at more than half of the episodes of the second season of it. We’re not talking, “tearing up a little,” crying. We’re talking “all-out bawling on an elliptical in my basement on more than one occasion, crying”….and I quickly learned that I wasn’t alone.

Finished season 2 of Shrinking. I did good and didn’t cry the entire show…

But that season two finale BROKE ME.
Damn those writers!!! pic.twitter.com/t1XvSHXoEg

— Cindy Noir✨ (@thecindynoir) February 25, 2025

As I started talking about the series to other friends and family who also worshipped it on the same level they all described similar reactions; calling the viewing experience of it akin to therapy.

Shrinking isn’t just funny. It’s touching, beautiful and unmatchably relatable. A far cry from the sitcoms of the 80’s and 90’s; or the absurdity-comedy shows of the 2000’s like Parks & Recreation or The Office.

It’s way past the time to stop classifying comedy series as essentially anything that aren’t traditional drama series.

The award organizations should move toward a system like the Oscars where series aren’t categorically clumped into neat genres and instead reward the series for overall quality and innovation. 

But for now we might as well just sit back and bask in the likely epic battle ahead of us between Nathan Fielder and Jeremy Allen White for the title of the funniest actor on television.

What shows will the Golden Globes be buzzin’ about…and should you bother to watch them?

The Golden Globe Awards returns to CBS tonight for the second year after a hiatus where its former arbiter The Hollywood Foriegn Press completely fell apart. Last year’s ceremony was more reserved and much more aware of the inclusion deficiencies in years past. This year won’t be any different.

Nikki Glaser is set to host after a massively successful year. She came away the darling and winner of Netflix’s (tremendous) Roast of Tom Brady and has essentially been the mouthpiece for all of stand-up comedy in 2024.

An important thing to note about the Golden Globe Awards….well two important things, really. First is that it tends to take its film nominations way more seriously than it takes the ones it hands out for TV. Because of that it (and secondly) it tends to get pretty weird with who comes away with the TV awards at the end of the night.

No example is more clear of that this year than the bizarre nomination for Squid game in the Best Television Series – Drama category. Squid Game wasn’t available to viewers for more than a month after the nominations were announced and Netflix’s review embargoo lasted until the day it was released (December 26th). So that seemed to be completely out of the blue. Unsurprisingly the reviews were pretty-mid and now they just look stupid.

Below is my scorecard for tonight’s show. Feel free to share, comment and play along.

Look for me to live-tweet the event on X (From the One Happy Island of Aruba no less)

Best Television Series – Drama

Nominees

• The Diplomat (Netflix)
• Mr. And Mrs. Smith (Amazon)
• Shogun (FX)
• Slow Horses (Apple)
• Squid Game (Netflix)
• The Day of the Jackal (Peacock)

What Will Win

Shogun (FX)

What Should Win

Shogun (FX)

What Could Win (But Probably Shouldn’t)

The Diplomat (Netflix)

Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Nominees

• Abbott Elementary (ABC)
• The Bear (Hulu)
• Hacks (HBO)
• Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• The Gentlemen (Netflix)

What Will Win

The Gentleman (Netflix)

What Should Win

Hacks (HBO)

What Could Win (But Probably Shouldn’t)

Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Best Television Limited Series, Anthology Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

Nominees

• Baby Reindeer (Netflix)
• Disclaimer (Apple)
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Mendez Story (Netflix)
• Ripley (Netflix)
• The Penguin (HBO)
• True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

What Will Win

Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

What Should Win

The Penguin (HBO)

What Could Win (…and probably won’t and shouldn’t)

Disclaimer (Apple)

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Nominees

• Anna Sawai (Shogun)
• Emma D’Arcy (House of the Dragon)
• Kathy Bates (Matlock)
• Kiera Knightley (Black Doves)
• Kerri Russel (The Diplomat)
• Mya Erskine (Mr. And Mrs. Smith)

Who Will Win

Anna Sawai (Shogun)

Who Should win

Anna Sawai (Shogun)

Who Could Win (But probably shouldn’t)

Kathy Bates (Matlock)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama

Nominees

• Billy Bob Thornton (Landman)
• Donald Glover (Mr. And Mrs. Smith)
• Eddie Redmayne (The Day of the Jackal)
• Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)
• Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun)
• Jake Gyllenhaal (Presumed Innocent)

Who Will Win

Eddie Redmayne (The Day of the Jackal)

Who Should Win

Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun)

Who Could Win (But Probably Shouldn’t)

The entire field other than Sanada

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Nominees

• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)
• Jean Smart (Hacks)
• Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along)
• Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This)
• Quinta Brunson (Abbott Elementary)
• Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building)

Who Will Win

Kathryn Hahn (Agatha All Along)

Who Should Win

Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)

Who Could Win (AND Probably SHOULD)

Selena Gomez (Only Murders in the Building) or Jean Smart (Hacks)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy

Nominees

• Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This)
• Jason Segel (Shrinking)
• Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)
• Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)
• Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)
• Ted Dawson (A Man on the Inside)

Who Will Win

Ted Dawson (A Man on the Inside)

Who Should Win

Jason Segel (Shrinking)

Who Could Win (But Probably Shouldn’t)

Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This) or Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Nominees

• Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer)
• Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
• Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country)
• Kate Winslet (The Regime)
• Naomi Watts (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans)
• Sofia Vergara (Griselda)

Who Will win

Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country)

Who Should Win

Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)

Who Could Win (But Probably Shouldn’t)

Kate Blanchett (Disclaimer)

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television

Nominees

• Andrew Scott (Ripley)
• Colin Farrell (The Penguin)
• Cooper Koch (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story)
• Ewan McGregor (A Gentleman in Moscow)
• Kevin Kline (Disclaimer)
• Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer)

Who Will Win

Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer)

Who Should Win

Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer)

Who Might Win

Colin Farrell (the Penguin)

Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

Nominees

• Allison Janney (The Diplomat)Dat
• Dakota Fanning (Ripley)
• Hannah’s Einbinder (Hacks)
• Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer)
• Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country)
• Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear)

Who Will Win

Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear)

Who Should Win

Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer)

Who Could Win (and ABSOLUTELY SHOULD)

Hannah Einbinder (Hacks) and Kali Reis (True Detective: Night Country) – Editor’s Note: What an absolutely stupid category. Gunning, Fanning and Reis should be in different categories than Colon-Zayas and Einbinder (who should be in separate categories themselves) and they should all somehow be able to win a comparable award. This is a stacked category filled with capable nominees. The fact that it snubbed no less than three female actors from Shrinking and three from Shogun is equally baffling. This is the perfect example of why they need to either expand the supporting actor categories or eliminate them all together. This isn’t the right way to do this.

Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role on Television

Nominees

• Diego Luna (La Maquina)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)
• Harrison Ford (Shrinking)
• Jack Lowden (Slow Horses)
• Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story)
• Tadanobu Asano (Shogun)

Who Will Win

Harrison Ford (Shrinking)

Who Should Win

Harrison Ford (Shrinking)

Who Could Win (And I’d be fine with, I guess)

Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)

Best Performance in Stand-Up Comedy on Television

Nominees

• Adam Sandler: Love You (Netflix)
• Ali Wong: Single Lady (Netflix)
• Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… (Netflix)
• Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die (HBO)
• Army Youssef: More Feelings (HBO)
• Seth Meyers: Dad Man Walking (HBO)

Who Will Win

Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die (Netflix)

Who Should Win

Adam Sandler: Love You (Netflix)

1. The Penguin (HBO)

When HBO ambitiously took on a effort to create a (non-Joker) Batman villain origin story that was gritty, real, and compelling it took a massive swing for the fences and crushed the ball so far over the fence that no one may ever find it.

Showrunner Lauren LeFranc (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) developed a world that was part Sopranos-style crime lord, part comic book pomp-and-circumstance and all character driven spectacle.

Flawless performances from lead Colin Farrell and Cristin Milioti with equally flawless supporting performances from Deirdre O’Connell and Rhenzy Feliz were the foundation for the series that will ultimately be the gold standard of TV comic book adaptations in the 21st century.

2. Hacks (HBO/MAX)

The Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy winning third season of HBO/MAX’s spectacular buddy comedy about buddies who hate each other was perfect from start to finish.

Rebounding extensively from a marginal second season the series returned with stellar performances from its two leads and its supporting cast; especially co-showrunner Paul W. Downs. Hacks is rapidly becoming one of HBOs best comedy series of all-time.

3. Shogun (FX)

From its intricate cinematography to its meticulously crafted battle scenes to the lavish costumes to even the lure if its magical opening sequence, getting completely engulfed in the epic magnitude of FX’s retelling of of James Clavell’s novel about the feudal power struggles in 17th century Japan felt like pure magic.

The series depicts the sharp contrast between classes, genders, races and religion was rewarded with the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2024. Shogun’s large scale rise to the top shelf of television will likely keep it there for a decade and may be the heir to the Game of Thrones so many other shows have tried to be.

4. English Teacher (FX)

FX’s high school sitcom written by, directed by, and starring Brian Jordan Alvarez explores modern day struggles of young teachers within the confines of high school walls.

English Teacher is less about the insanity inside the classroom and more about the insanity the world forces on the faculty, administration and students of the school.

The cast is phenomenal. Jordan-Alvarez himself is a bona fide superstar and flourishes in the lead. Stephanie Koenig and Sean Patton head up a supporting cast that brings fresh faces and intense laughs to a sitcom genre as old as TV itself.

English Teacher isn’t only binge-worthy, it’s one of the few series of 2024 that’s easy to watch over and over and over again.

5. We Are Lady Parts (Peacock)

We Are Lady Parts, the British sitcom about an all-female and Muslim punk band returned to Peacock for a second season in 2024. The series truly works at making a punk rock statement in an uptight world.

Improving on an already fantastic first season, the second season shifted more toward a statement about gender and religious obstacles in the music industry.

A must watch for music lovers, the series also boasts an impeccable original soundtrack as strong as the plot.

6. Shrinking (Apple TV+)

Shrinking seemed to have the perfect genetic makeup to return with a sophomore slump. Quite to the contrary its second season managed to maneuver through its own limited world to create truly moving moments with brand new characters without needing to really stretch to find content.

Massive leaps forward from supporting cast members Lukita Maxwell, Luke Tennie, Ted McGinley, Christa Miller, and Michael Urie complemented an already tremendous season one cast that included Jason Siegel and Harrison Ford…and now in Season 2, Jessica Williams might have turned in one of the best performances in all of 2024 television.

Instead of sophomore slumping Shrinking clearly proved that it can be one of the most rewarding series on television worthy of multiple seasons.

7. Interview With The Vampire (AMC)

The second season of AMC’s Interview With the Vampire is one of those situations where every critic on the planet is gushing over its perfection while its already tiny audience dwindles by the episode.

In a perfect world so many more people would be watching this series. It’s difficult to watch, but it’s rewarding at the same time.

Incredible performances by stars Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid highlight showrunner Rolin Jones’ masterful work in bringing Anne Rice’s vision to life in a manner that valiantly represents her novel.

If it’s one of those series that you’ve been telling yourself you’re going to get to eventually, you really should be doing it now because you’re really missing out.

8. Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

Disguised as a series about one man’s disastrous experience with a random stalker it’s actually an incredibly deep commentary on the complexity of grief and the internal struggle of repression, guilt and trauma.

Stunning performances from the two lead actors with a stellar cast made Baby Reindeer an absolutely fascinating exploration of the human psyche. It was the follow-up series to Clerkenwell Films’ tremendous “The End of the Fucking World,” which I loved in 2020.

9. The Bear (Hulu)

The disjointed feeling of The Bear’s third season didn’t bother me as much as it seemed to bother a lot of viewers who adored its first two go-arounds. The Bear lives and breathes in chaotic disaster and it forces the viewer to live there too. Unfortunately a lot of viewers are admitting that the heat has become too much and seem all to ready to get out of the kitchen.

The ten short episodes of Season three felt like the first half of a two part story that were filmed back to back (because it is). The reality is that nearly every series that’s taken that approach has backloaded the second half with much more gratification than the front half which tends to serve as a set up to something a lot bigger.

The tenth episode had an opportunity to deliver big and it mostly swung and missed. Regardless of that, for me, The Bear has earned my right to expect that it will pull itself out of a slump and cohesively put itself back together.

The pieces are all there to do it and I have little doubt it will pull it off. I liked the third season a lot. Some people actively hated it (which is weird to me). There’s just way too much going on with it to love for me to understand how so many people could be so turned of by it.

10. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (Investigation Discovery)

Every so often a series comes out of nowhere that I can’t stop thinking about for months after I’ve watched it. This was that series for me in 2024.

Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set delivered on its promise to bring disruption to the hush-hush world of child entertainment while even more powerfully questioning the viewer’s culpability in allowing it to promulgate.

The series is about awareness as much as it is about advocating for change. It’s about shaming the bad guys and spotlighting the brave ones. Personally being in the target age bracket for the golden age of Nickelodeon and Disney kids cable programming, it brutally shines a light on the world that appeared so charming when I was a kid. A horrifically brilliant and moving short documentary series that definitely understood its assignment.

11. Fallout (Amazon Prime)

Amazon’s tremendous adaptation of one of the most successful video game franchises in history created a brilliant world that proved to be expansive and captivating.

With a plot that moves along at rapid pace Walton Goggins and Ella Purnell are as on top of their game as they have ever been. Between this and The Last of Us, it’s pretty obvious that video game adaptations, when done right, can be some of the most compelling stories ripe for television.

12. Bad Monkey (Apple TV+)

Show-runner Bill Lawrence was on an absolute heater this year. Releasing Bad Monkey and Shrinking back-to-back without even one week of delay in between is pretty difficult to top.

I’ve always been a crazy sucker for Vince Vaughn’s dry sense of humor. When he’s on there’s little else that makes me laugh as hard. If that’s your bag, this thing will be an absolute delight for you. He’s a treasure.

The series, adapted from Carl Hiaasen’s novel of the same title, Bad Monkey tells the story of a Florida Keys police detective who’s been relegated to working as a restaurant inspector as he follows clues to solve a murder on his own. It’s one of the most fun binges of the year with tremendous performances by Rob Delaney and Meredith Hagner who lean all the way in to the bizarre element of “Florida-Man” wackiness.

13. Mr. And Mrs. Smith (Amazon Prime)

Adapted from the 1990’s film of the same title, Donald Glover’s brilliant mind combined with Maya Erskine’s wit and charm, Mr. And Mrs. Smith was showered in praise and award nominations.

Each episode navigated through insane action-packed subplots with incredible guest appearances from A-list actors. Staying true to its source material, the film heavily focuses on the relationship between its leads as they struggle with their assigned tasks at hand.

14. Slow Horses (Apple TV+)

Apple’s top-notch spy series didn’t miss a beat into its fourth season after a third season that was so good it essentially touched the sun. With a premier episode that might have been its best overall, the series moved out of London and into France for some beautifully filmed scenes.

With its never ending twists and turns, and Gary Oldman’s delightfully gross iconic performance, it’s clearly got the staying power to be one of the great espionage shows of our generation.

15. The Vince Staples Show (Netflix)

Rapper / Actor Vince Staples’ sketch comedy series on Netflix was a very short, weird, and sometimes dark perspective on his rise to stardom. Pulling from elements of his music career and his family, Staples creates a unique comedy series that has a lot to say about his own bizarre view of the world.

16. Nobody Wants This (Netflix)

Highlighted by a superb lead cast of A-lister film royalty Kristen Bell and Adam Brody and a supporting cast of television royalty Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons, creator Erin Foster’s semi-autobiographical tale of an agnostic human studies podcaster who falls in love with a Jewish Rabbi found a massive audience on Netflix.

A quick and easy binge is more than enough to tip your hat at the fun, feel good, quirkiness of a well written comedy that hits all the right accords.

17. Ripley (Netflix)

Adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s classic “Ripley” series of books about Tom Ripley, Andrew Scott stars in the title role may have been born to play. Terrifyingly convincing as the sociopathic conman, Scott steals essentially every single scene he’s in.

More in depth than the Talented Mr. Ripley film of 1999, “Ripley” uses the other books to go deeper into the series and much deeper into the character.

Shot almost entirely in Italy in and black and white the series lends a breathtaking view of one of the most beautiful places in the world as Scott turns in one of the best performances of the year.

18. True Detective: Night Country (HBO)

The fourth season of creator Nic Pizzolatto’s anthology series was the first since Season 1 to feel like it was trying to actually exist with purpose rather than pandering to the audience of its first season. Ironically it did it entirely without Pizzolatto’s involvement.

Jodie Foster is one of the greatest living actors in the world. For her entire career she’s been incredibly selective in her roles, and she obviously took this one because it would be impossible for her not to excel in it. Spoiler: She does.

“Night Country” showrunner Issa Lopez paints a bleak and miserable picture of a dark and secluded town in Alaska reeling from an unsolved murder mystery.

Foster and co-star Kali Reis provide unfettered chemistry as they work diligently to put the pieces of the crime together.

A satisfying conclusion gave the series the nice neat bow it needed to separate itself from the past two versions of True Detective that seemed to have gone awry.

It worked exceptionally well on its own and appropriately well as a nod to the magic of the first season that the series seems to be desperately trying to recreate time after time, and may never escape the comparison purgatory it’s created for itself.

19. 3 Body Problem (Netflix)

Netflix’s adaptation of the Chinese novel series Remembrance of Earth’s Past combined classic elements of old-school science fiction with modern day technology.

What sometimes felt a little like Stranger Things for ubersmart people, 3 Body Problem does an excellent job keeping the subject matter complicated without making the viewer feel stupid….which helps when you’re a stupid guy like me trying to understand complicated subject matter.

In a first season that feels a lot like a set up to a much bigger and more expansive universe, 3 Body Problem benefited from a top-notch performances and pacing just fast enough that told its story out without making you feel like you were wandering through complexity.

20. Ted (Peacock)

So…yeah…Ted was good. That was a weird thing I was telling people at the beginning of the year. I mean, look; if your standards with something are lower than the bottom of the barrel going in, the opportunity to be pleasantly surprised is always going to rear its head.

Adapted from Seth MacFarlane’s two idiotic teddy bear / stoner dude buddy comedies in the early 2000’s, Ted acts a prequel to the films. A lot of times it feels like it exists only as a landing spot for throw-away Family Guy jokes punched up with some f-bombs, but it honestly does a lot more right than it does wrong.

The series has a genuine nostalgic feeling of 90’s sitcoms as that’s where it sets itself. It’s mostly as funny as it is stupid.

(Bonus) 21. Dan Soder: On the Road (YouTube)

Being a massive fan of the genre I always make sure to include a stand-up comedy special on my list every single year.

Veteran Dan Soder’s YouTube special was easily my favorite standup show of 2024. Soder’s stories about living in New York in an apartment with his fiancé are brutally honest and wickedly hilarious. If you’re unfamiliar with Soder, be sure to check it out. He’s a delight.

I offer you, my friends, an appetizer to my reveal of my list of the best TV Series of 2024 (coming this Thursday). Here are some of my favorite episodes of television this year

Note that these are in no way a ranked list of what I thought were the best episodes of TV. Just the ones I enjoyed for one reason or another

I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday.

The Curse – “Green Queen” (S1, E10, Airdate: 1/14/24)

I’ve spent the entirety of 2024 wanting to write about the Nathan Fielder, Emma Stone series that quite honestly became one of my favorite miniseries of all time. I ranked it somewhere in the middle of my list of 2023 because I hadn’t seen it all, and combined with a friend who yearly gives me shit about doing exactly that, and the fact that this series was clearly screaming out to not be judged on its first half, I found myself at the end of it feeling guilty that I hadn’t given it its proper accolade when I wrote it off. I honestly may have seriously considered it the best show of 2024.

It’s been nearly twelve months since the finale of The Curse and I honestly haven’t stopped thinking about it since. Smothered in critical acclaim for its absolute insanity it buys real estate in your head that it’s never giving back.

The curse is an absolute textbook example in avant-garde filmmaking. The series lived for 9 hours in frustratingly slow burn that not only dared the viewer to punch out…but sort of encouraged it. It then culminated in theatrics of special effects and illusions that were out of this world.

Bluey – “The Sign” (S3, E49, Airdate: 4/14/24)

The first ever full-length episode of the massively acclaimed children’s series that has grown a cult following of epic proportions was a giant flex on its ability to captivate children and cripple the hearts of adults with the ease of Rusty’s Cricket swing. Jam-packed with and an ending that would bring even the most rock-hearted cold soul to weeping shambles, Bluey’s “The Sign” wasn’t just the strongest children’s programming episode of television of the year. It was easily one of strongest twenty-eight minutes on TV all year.

My family has watched it a hundred times since it’s airing and it never disappoints. 

30 for 30 – “I’m Just Here for the Riot” (E149, Airdate: 6/4/24)

One thing you often don’t see on this site is a reflection of how big a fan I am of ESPN’s long running. 30 for 30 series.

I’m Just Here for the Riot is co-directors Kathleen Jayme and Asia Youngman’s documentary on the riot that followed the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Vancouver after the Canucks lost to the Boston Bruins in a heartbreaking Game 7.

The film acts as an inside look at the consequences for young adults prosecuted for their part in a riot after social media essentially upends their entire lives. It’s a stinging commentary on the long lasting effects of social media stupidity and how what was identified as the first riot in the social media world hauntingly predicted what was to come for decades following it. 

Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV – “The Darkest Secret” (S1, E3, Airdate: 3/18/24)

Mild spoiler alert if you haven’t watched Investigation Discovery’s docuseries about the toxic world of 90’s/2000s Nickelodeon children’s programming ahead…

Following multiple episodes tip-toeing around a mysterious victim in the center of sexual assault allegations within the confines of Nickelodeon productions, Drake Bell comes forward and tells his harrowing experience with Brian Peck, a producer on The Amanda Show who stalked, groomed and ultimately preyed upon him for an extended period of time. Drake discussed the aftermath of Peck’s subsequent arrest, trial and conviction and how Hollywood stars came to the defense of Peck; leaving Drake traumatized and in shambles for much of his life. The episode is brutally honest, and Drake’s incredible heroics is unforgettable. 

The Bear – “Napkins” (S3, E6, Airdate: 6/26/24)

Directed by the incomparable Ayo Edebiri, Napkins was a one-off episode detailing the backstory of Liza Colon-Zayas’ character, Tina. Easily the strongest episode in a marginally weaker third season, “Napkins” came away a fan favorite and a highlight of the entire series. Brilliant performances by both Colon-Zayas and Jon Bernthal (in a return to a guest role that won him an Emmy last year, and will likely win him another one this year) showcase the true underrated talent from the extraordinary cast. 

The Penguin – “A Great or Little Thing” (S1, E8, Airdate: 11/10/24)

In the season (possibly series) finale of HBO’s brilliant rendition of the origin of Gotham’s most ruthless devil, everyone settles for their own place in hell while the series’ plot is wrapped up and the character gets his boarding pass into the next chapter of Matt Reeves’ Batman trilogy.

Flawless performances from Colin Farrell, Cristin Millioti, Rhezney Feliz, Deirdre O’Connell and Ryder Allen escalate to the show to an ultimate boiling point that sends the viewer into the shock and horror of what the show was always supposed to be.

It was hard to pick one episode of this series that I thought was its best, but ultimately with a finale that delivered so solidly it’s equally as hard to shy away from it. 

The Simpsons – “Bart’s Birthday” (S36, E1, Airdate: 9/29/24)

The 36th season of the longest running show in the history of the world was a “what could be” of a series finale. For a show that is on veritably nobody’s radar, it was an introspective masterpiece and by far the best thing the series has done in about two decades.

Hacks – “Par for the Course” (S3, E6, Airdate: 5/16/24)

In what is sure to become one of the most iconic episodes of the series, Hacks hit the epitome of its stride leaning on its two brilliant stars and incredible supporting cast.

Hannah Einbinder was particularly at her absolute best with an iconic cameo performance by Christina Hendricks.

Fallout – “The Beggining” (S1, E8 Airdate: 4/10/24)

 In a season finale that essentially flipped the entire series on its head while tying literally every loose knot of its rookie season together, Fallout saved its strongest and most ambitious episode for its last. Heroes become villains. Villains become heroes and albeit a bit predictable, antiheroes rule the day and steal your heart. Most of all it, it bets on itself that it’s got the staying power to become one of the more expansive universes on television.

Shrinking – “In a Lonely Place” (S2, E6, Airdate: 11/13/24)

Shrinking hits the most tragic part of its existence head on with its most innocent victim in a way that stayed true to the series’ “kindness over chaos” mantra.

In an absolutely beautiful scene where young star Lukita Maxwell sat down with the drunk driver who killed her mother (played by gift-from-the-gods Brett Goldstein of Ted Lasso fame who also wrote the episode and acts as executive producer / creator of the series) to talk out the horrific realities of sudden loss.

As a kid who lost his mom at an early age I’m often very cynical of how fictional media portrays that exact scenario. This was an absolute masterclass in how to do it.

1. The Last of Us (HBO)

I remember being fascinated in 2019 when HBO’s Chernobyl climbed to the top of IMDB’s all-time series list and remained at number one (ahead of perennial leaders Band of Brothers, Planet Earth, and Breaking Bad) for several months. For obvious reasons, Chernobyl deserved the accolades it got and when creator Craig Mazin turned to his next project it seemed almost impossible that he could match the reception.

Impossibility wasn’t actuality when he released The Last of Us in January of 2023

Based on an incredibly successful video game of the same name The Last of Us follows two unlikely partners in a cross country mission to potentially end a destructive illness decades after a horrific outbreak leaving the world in dystopia.

There’s “zombies,” sure. There’s a horror element to The Last of Us, sure. But the show isn’t about those things…at all. It’s about the value of human connection and what the world is and what the world isn’t.

Fans of the game would say, “It has one of the greatest stories of all time,” and I would think to myself (not being a gamer at all), “How the hell does a video game have a compelling story? Let alone a great one?” They couldn’t have been more dead-on.

I honestly think that knowing nothing of the source material was beneficial to me as getting to experience The Last of Us for the first time on screen was a true gift. There was no doubt that fans of the game were left satisfied by the adaptation beyond their wildest dreams.

The ending of the first season of The Last of Us exactly matched the game (so I’m told). It’s the best ending to a series’ first season I’ve ever seen in my life. Much like the greatest series ending of all-time, The Sopranos, you will never stop thinking about it and internally debating it in your head. It’s about as perfect a first season as you could possibly conjure, and it was my favorite thing on television in 2023.

2. The Bear (Hulu)

The second season of The Bear took more risks than its stellar first season. It expanded on its deeply enriched characters behind immaculate acting. Leads Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri give sophomore season performances for the ages. The series has quickly become one of the most watched on television for obvious reasons. It’s going to maintain its place on the top shelf of the golden age of television for as long as it runs.

3. Succession (HBO)

After its first season I wrote that Succession will become HBO’s most popular series once Game of Thrones bows out. Not only did that happen, but it clearly leap-frogged Game of Thrones in the pantheon of great TV as fans frantically tried to rank it amongst the greatest series of all-time. The final season of Succession did all the things it was supposed to and it did them right. It tied up loose ends with nearly all of its main characters while desperately trying to cling to the bare bones of a plot without getting stuck in its own way. Succession will forever be remembered for its exceptional performances and its unique, twisted characters. Most importantly, its final season stuck the landing with a satisfying ending that stayed true to its chaotic nature.

4. Reservation Dogs (Hulu)

When Reservation Dogs ripped off the band-aid to formally announce that its third (and arguably best) season would be its last there was a collective gasp amongst its amassed crowd of loyal fans. One of the most inspirational and moving series in recent history ended the way all shows should…on top and leaving viewers clambering for more.

5. How To with John Wilson (HBO)

John Wilson’s bizarre voyeuristic documentary about humanity in New York City came to the end of its three season run this year. It’s the most in-your-face commentary on the weirdness of behavior patterns of people you will ever find. It’s also tremendously sweet, endearing and arguably the funniest thing on television.

6. Poker Face (Peacock)

Peacock’s anthology series starring Natasha Lyonne as an amateur sleuth on the run who always seems to find her way into a murder she had nothing to do with takes a few episodes to truly set its pace. Once you’re deeply into it there’s really nothing like it on TV. Reminiscent of old school mysteries of the week, each episode creates a personality and charm of its own.

7. Beef (Netflix)

Netflix’s miniseries Beef received countless accolades for its tremendous performances and its unique story. A plot that develops meticulously over its short episodes finds heroes worth rooting for and the most genuinely awful villain imaginable.

8. A Murder at the End of the World (Hulu)

Hulu’s murder mystery about a hacker stranded in the cold mountains of Iceland is a combination of new age thriller with old school David Fincher mindbend. Another series with incredible performances and a new twist on an age old genre. Its commentary on climate change, gender stereotypes, drug abuse love and loss heavily resonates behind its solid whodunnit plot. It hasn’t finished its season yet, so I’m eager to see if it’ll stick the landing. However, five episodes in, it’s easily as good anything else I’ve seen all year.

9. Shrinking (Apple)

As Bill Lawrence was bidding farewell to Ted Lasso this year he brought Shrinking to Apple TV with a whole new slew of likable flawed characters lost and searching for purpose. Highlighted by top notch supporting performances from Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams and newcomer Lukita Maxwell, Shrinking was the brain child of not just Lawrence, but his Lasso Cohort, Brett “Roy Fucking Kent” Goldstein who acts as an executive producer and writer.

10. Dave (FX)

No series bounced back from a terrible sophomore slump harder than Lil’ Dicky’s tremendous third season of FX’s Dave. Going back to the style that made the first season so good, Dave leaned heavily on its core stars to try to adapt to a celebrity world they probably don’t belong in. An amazing crop of guest stars including Rachel McAdams and Brad Pitt brought some legitimacy to the quality of the series. If you punched out after a lousy season two, do yourself a favor and punch back in.

11. Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)

I will bring my hot take that this entire thing (including the lead) was fake with me to my grave…that being said, it’s impossible to deny how fun, sweet and endearing this series was. Flaws aside, with a premise that could truly be appreciated by anyone and an ending that paid dividends by the millions, it was impossible not to fall in love with Jury Duty.

12. Barry (HBO)

Despite feeling like a bit of a rushed sprint to the finish, HBO’s Barry stayed true to its form in its final season raising the level of anti-hero to new heights. Brilliant performances by its lead, Bill Hader as well as Sarah Goldberg, Henry Winkler and a host of others made for fitting finale to one of the best series of the last ten years.

13. Telemarketers (HBO)

MAX’s documentary mini series about a pair of unlikely former telemarketers looking to bring down the scam industry from the inside was an eye-opening (albeit not very surprising) delight. In particular it reminds you about how out of touch (and out of reach) politicians can be and then spins that on its head. The weird familiarity with its subject matter makes the viewer feel like they’re in on the job, and it exposes the grossness of an industry everyone already knew was completely disgusting.

14. Perry Mason (HBO)

Unfortunately the tremendous second season of HBO’s Perry Mason origin story just wasn’t compelling enough to find an audience to keep it on television. Despite that it came back stronger and more confident than its excellent first season. With outstanding performances from lead Matthew Rhys, and an under appreciated remarkable supporting case in Chris Chalk and Juliet Rylance, it’s truly a shame that it won’t be back for a third round of legal drama…but if you back-burnered it hoping to get to it at some point, you absolutely shouldn’t forget about it.

15. Swarm (Amazon)

Amazon’s based-on-a-true-story (kinda) telling about a young woman obsessed with a Beyoncé-like mega star who spans time and space doubling as a serial killer gets a majority of its inspiration from the mind of Donald Glover. An incredible performance from lead Dominique Fishback was tough to top by anyone in 2023…and her character’s transition from the first to the last episode is truly remarkable. The final episode is something that sticks with you for a long time and will definitely leave you with a sleepless night.

16. A Small Light (NatGeo)

NatGeo (I actually watched it on Disney +) had one of the most talked about original series in 2023 with A Small light…the story of Miep Gies who helped hide the Frank family during the Holocaust. An obviously difficult series to watch at times, the series was a celebration of heroism in a time when the costs were unthinkably high.

17. I’m a Virgo (Amazon)

One of the weirdest shows on TV in 2023 was Amazon’s series about a 13 foot tall man hidden by his parents from the rest of the world and what happens when he takes it upon himself to break out. The world Boots Riley creates is equally a weird as it is compelling.

18. Marc Maron: From Bleak to Dark (HBO)

Marc Maron’s post-pandemic HBO special was the most personally revealing stand-up comedy show in a very long time. His stories of personal grief, loss and self-reflection made for one of the more moving performances of the year. I actually saw this performance live about a year before it aired on television and it definitely was better the second time around.

19. The Curse (Showtime)

Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie created what was one of the buzziest series of the year with The Curse. The show follows Emma Stone and Fielder as a married couple with seemingly good intentions to stimulate a downtrodden part of a small New Mexico town with their access to money and a HGTV-like television series. I haven’t had the opportunity to watch the entire series, so I’m not entirely sure what The Curse even is…but it’s as compelling as it can be, no less. Fielder slowly, but surely, has become one of the most beloved content creators for millennials and gen-xers because of his originality and commitment to thinking and being outside of the box. Safdie, coming off the polarizing Uncut Gems, transitions from writer/director to creator/star in a role that, for me, is the most intriguing part of the entire series. The jury is out for me as far as how good The Curse is or will be…but I guess that’s a discussion for 2024.

20. Party Down (STARZ)

Party Down got the reboot treatment fans of the series have been clambering about for more than a decade, and it is easily in the conversation as the best reboot for any series to date. The series matched its original humor. It naturally eases into the inevitable life progression of its characters without having to make it silly or ridiculous. It never tries to follow the cookie-cutter reboot or sequel formula of rehashing old material simply for nostalgia.

21. Never Have I Ever (Netflix)

The final season of Netflix’s most underrated series went out the same way it came in…funny, deeply emotional, and eager to satisfy its most loyal fans. One last time I’ll lobby for the award show circuit recognition of its lead actor, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan who should, without a doubt, be one of the biggest starts on the planet. As I bawled my eyes out at the final scene I realized how much I’m truly going miss one of the better “sitcoms” of the 21st century.

22. Single Drunk Female (Freeform)

Freeform’s excellent comedy about a recovering alcoholic navigating family, love, and loss was cancelled after its terrific second season. It’s a series I hope receives some sort of a redemption somewhere (I’m looking at you, Netflix), and absolutely worth you seeking out to find. Sofia Black-D’Elia’s lead performance is Emmy-worthy, and if this is truly the end of the exceptional series, I have no doubt she’ll go on to do something else equally as good.

23. I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (Netflix)

Tim Robinson’s insane world of sketch comedy returned for its third round of absurd nonsense…complete with random screaming, masked pigs and “shirt brothers.” Fans of the series noted a bit of a downtick, but it still remains the best sketch comedy on TV.

24. Cunk on Earth (Netflix)

Diane Morgan’s portrayal of Philomena Cunk, a dim-witted well-intentioned investigative journalist setting out to to tell the story of the invention of the world is one of the funnier diamonds in the rough of Netflix’s sea of content. Morgan’s cynical sarcasm is the backbone of the show’s undeniable charm.

A Selection of My Favorite Television Episodes of 2023

As the year starts winding down and I start fine-tuning my list of the best series of the year, I thought it would be prudent to list off some of the better episodes of television of the year. This is, by no means, an all-inclusive list. There were countless episodes of TV that made me laugh, cry, and wish I was was watching something else. Some of these series didn’t even make my year-end list.

Feel free to jump into the discussion and I look forward to seeing you next month with my annual recommendation of what you should go back and binge.

These episode discussions are riddled with spoilers. Quite frankly you shouldn’t read any of the ones where you haven’t watched the series. This is your only warning.

Succession – “Connor’s Wedding” (Season 4, Episode 3)

There’s a scene in “Connor’s Wedding” where Jeremy Strong’s character Kendall Roy lectures his brother Roman (Kieran Culkin) and his sister Siobhan (Sarah Snook) about their reaction to their father’s death. “what we do today, will always be what we did the day our father died,” he explains.

What was deeply hidden in that lecture was essentially the series self-reflecting on how it handled the exit of its most polarizing character, Logan Roy (Brian Cox).

Creator Jesse Armstrong had to know that “Connor’s Wedding” would be the series’ defining moment it would always be judged upon. And much like the series’ iconic main title theme music, it imbeds itself into your brain never to be forgotten.

How the big twist in Connor’s Wedding came to fruition was expert bait and switch. By the time Succession got to Season 4, Episode 3 we had already seen two weddings in the series. We expected them to look a certain way. We expected the characters to behave a certain way. We were distracted. The tip-off that something is going awry was completely missed by all of it. As Shiv sends a call from her estranged husband Tom (Matthew Macfayden) we all silently mumbled a course, “ugh fuck that guy,” to ourselves…but the second call directly after it…

That’s when Armstrong taps you on the shoulder to let you know that Connor’s Wedding isn’t going to look like Shiv’s wedding…or Caroline Collingwood’s wedding from Season 3.

Logan’s death seems to come out of no where. One minute it’s the siblings scheming their move against their father and the very next second they’re thrusted into the reality that it’s all coming to an end. That was Succession’s entire final season in a nutshell.

As it was for the entire series, the strength of “Connor’s Wedding,” was largely due to its impeccable cast. Bouncing back and forth from trying to empathize with Roman’s inability to come to terms with his father’s death while weirdly aligning with the idea Kendall had to be the adult in the room was something that has repeatedly stuck with me.

If there was anything I thought the episode missed the mark on it was the almost cartoonish commitment the characters had to being in the moment. I thought the only thing that was lacking was at least one of them saying, “I mean..fuck that guy. I’m glad he’s dead.” Because, let’s face it, they all had the absolute right to say that. And in retrospect I don’t believe that none of them would have felt it…let alone said it.

Reservation Dogs – “Elora’s Dad” (Season 3, Episode 9)

Reservation Dogs was leaps-and-bounds ahead of the curve when it came to altruistic character study. It essentially used its final season to round-out the grounded stories of all of its characters in a manner that was realistic and ultimately satisfying.

None was more true than introducing the audience to Elora’s father, Rick Miller, portrayed by one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, Ethan Hawke.

In a masterful guest appearance, Hawke gave life to an entire backstory of where Elora came from and what life was like before she was born. He complemented the strife of the other characters’ loss of Elora’s mother while developing hope that what we know of Elora and Rick was simply the beginning of what will be a happy family with a happy ending.

Though the other characters took a backseat to Elora in “Elora’s Dad,” it’s impossible not to identify it as a pivotal mark in where she ends up with the other characters.

The Bear – “Fishes” (Season 2, Episode 6)

The matured second season of The Bear hit its height of maturity in a flashback episode surrounding the last Berzatto family Christmas before the untimely death of its patriarchal larger-than-life figure, Michael…the brother of series lead Carmy.

An incredible deep dive into the backstory of the complex characters of a series predicated on stress and emotion, “Fishes,” was less an origin story of people as it was an origin story of the anxiety that drives their lives.

The Last of Us – “Long, Long Time” (Season 1, Episode 3)

If we’re ranking things here (and we’re not), it’s hard not to identify “Long, Long Time” as the best episode of television of the entire year.

Essentially a one-off story about two men who fall in love in a world that has abandoned the emotion, I remember finishing it thinking, “That was one of the best episodes of television ever made.”

The episode lived and breathed as an example of the series entire underlying theme that the you don’t need to save the whole world to save your own world.

Performances from Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman were simply an exercise in perfection.

Jury Duty – “The Verdict” (Season 1, Episode 8)

One of the buzziest series of the year was Amazon Freevee’s mockudrama / reality series / prankathon “Jury Duty.” Every single person in a fictional trial from its parties, to the attorneys, to the judge to the case itself was fake…except for one juror…a guy named Ronald. I had my skepticism as to whether the series was what it claimed it to be, but none the less, it would be difficult to find a show that stuck the landing harder than the reveal episode of a show where you spent the previous four hours trying to figure out how they were going to keep this poor shcmuck from figuring everything out.

The Verdict, the series finale, was a look behind the curtain…and it was utterly delightful. It’s an episode of television that was impossible to walk away feeling wonderful about the world and the people in it. Good, old fashioned, smiley TV

Ted Lasso – “So Long, Farewell” (Season 3, Episode 12)

Speaking of old fashioned, smiley TV, Ted Lasso! Boy it drop an absolute turd of a final season. Regardless, the series finale was tremendous. With all of the bow-outs this year, Ted Lasso’s series finale (if it actually is that. Over/under on a spin off series has to be set at like, 2 years, right?) was my favorite of the entire year.

The hour-long send off for one of the most relevant good-natured shows in a post-pandemic world was everything you wanted it to be. You laughed, you cried, you wanted more Ted. Despite its plot well drying up and overstaying its welcome by about a full year, it left in a most memorable fashion.

I’m a Virgo – “You a Big Muthafucka” (Season 1, Episode 1)

Boots Riley’s insane comedy about the absurd world of a thirteen foot tall teenager living in hiding by his parents was one of the weirdest and most intriguing series of the year. The pilot episode focused on Jharrel Jerome’s lead character Cootie’s unexpected introduction to the real world despite his inability to navigate it.

The episode itself works perfectly as a pilot because it’s perfectly captivating based on its weirdness and how endearing it is.

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check back in early December for my full list of the Best Television Series of 2023

The Emmys have announced they will be moved to January 2024 with hopes that the WGA and SGA strikes will not impact

Looks like my annual list will be dropped before we know who wins Emmys for the last year.

I honestly think this isn’t entirely unwelcome. The Emmys have, for years, said that they’d like to align with the other awards shows to have a. January to December eligibility.

Eligibility has historically gone from June to May because for decades television “seasons” ran from September to May to align with various sweeps weeks for ratings. Obviously streaming has changed all of that.

Regardless, stick around here for a breakdown of the Emmys when (if) they do, eventually happen.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming*

* – Watching shows that aren’t postponed to January

#IStandWithWGA

#IStandWithSGA

Angus Cloud in his extremely short life gave us but a glimmer of the massive shining star he could’ve been

Angus Cloud, the twenty five year old breakout star of HBO’s massive hit show Euphoria died today. And that just absolutely fucking sucks….everything about it. It’s tragic. It’s terrible and it’s heartbreaking

We are incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of Angus Cloud. He was immensely talented and a beloved part of the HBO and Euphoria family. We extend our deepest condolences to his friends and family during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/PLqkz5Rshc

— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) July 31, 2023

As Euphoria’s fame rapidly expanded so did the stardom of its relatively unknown cast. Aside from Zendaya who’s rocketed above the highest peaks of Hollywood’s elite, Angus Cloud lived in the class of Sydney Sweeney, Hunter Schafer, Jacob Elordi, and Storm Reid who all appeared from the world of obscurity and quickly rose to god-like status with the show’s young fans.

In a series built on tragedy, death, grief, strife and alienation, it’s horrifyingly depressing that the loss of Angus Cloud in real life debilitatingly imitates the perfection in art he so brilliantly embodied.

Masked by the surreal over-the-top drama of high school nonsense was always the all-too-real depressing nature of the subverted context Euphoria is never shy about smashing you over the head with.

Death, drugs, suicide, finding and losing your personal identity, and the complete inability to prevent your own demons from thrusting you into a spiral of disaster run along the thematic roller coaster of the Euphoria as commonplace as dad-gags do on Impractical Jokers.

I’ve always felt that the show is one of the more misinterpreted and even misunderstood series on television. It’s almost too smart for its audience. Even the show’s most loyal viewers, more often than not, mistakenly experience it at face value rather than (how I’ve always assumed it’s supposed to be viewed) through the lens of its incredibly unreliable, drug addicted, narrator.

I’ve always said that the majority of what Rue tells us is straight-up bullshit. We’re not supposed to believe her. She’s a liar….a drug addict who is spinning yarns to convince us she’s alright.

Except for what she says about Fezco…

Fezco is her protector. He’s a genuine good soul who, despite his ambition to stay alive with the skills he has looks out for Rue when he easily could just let her die. He’s her moral rock. He’s her lifeline. He’s probably the only reason she isn’t dead

The irony of Fezco being Rue’s protection from herself while also being her drug dealer was always one of the most impressive nuisances of the series, for me. A character who could’ve been the most hated became the one that was easily the most beloved.

And that’s a testament to the flawless poignant performance of a young, brilliant Angus Cloud. Few could’ve pulled off such a complicated part…let alone with essentially no credits to his name prior to landing the role. Angus Cloud as Fezco was probably one fraction of what his talent could have been.

That makes today’s news of his tragic passing all-the-more difficult to take. The real life person who brought to life one of the most likable but flawed characters dying way too young with so much potential ahead of him is horrifyingly fucking devastating. You can’t help but weep for those who knew and loved him.

Emmy nominations have come and gone, and now we officially know who will be squaring off in September for “TV’s Biggest Night.”

The nominations overall were underwhelming and unsurprising. The White Lotus and Succession absolutely dominated the drama category while Ted Lasso, Abbott Elementary, Barry and The Bear essentially made up the entirety of the Comedy categories.

Some takeaways…

Snubs

Obviously the biggest, and most inexplicable, snub of the day was leaving out Harrison Ford’s excellent performance in (the otherwise heavily nominated) “Shrinking.”

“Harrison Ford” was immediately trending on Twitter as fans of the series rushed to express their discontent.

Wait so, let me get this straight.

They did nominations for best in TV over the past year and HARRISON FORD IN SHRINKING doesn't get a look? pic.twitter.com/0q6CzeKTX3

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) July 12, 2023

If you told me that the Apple TV series was going to get only get one nomination, I would’ve guessed it would be Ford without any hesitation. Regardless, it scored a handful of nominations including one for Outstanding Comedy Series and stars Jason Segel and Jessica Williams, but Ford was left out.

The other inexplicable disaster came in the nominations for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Entirely missing were critic favorites like NatGeo’s A Small Light, Amazon’s Swarm and BBC’s “This is Going to Hurt”…but what was nominated? Disney +’s utterly unmemorable Obi-Wan Kenobi. Terrific.

https://twitter.com/thefienprint/status/1679211323178254336?s=61&t=1SxmIPBkHo3Xi1Z3ju7ASQ

I commented in my own blog that the Limited / Anthology Series were absolutely experiencing a reverse renaissance this year, but completely missing the boat on decent series to nominate one that is entirely unworthy was just silly.

Speaking of silly nonsense…

The nominees for Outstanding Comedy Series make sense only to the point where the obvious choices were awarded…after that it’s nonsense.

Emmy Nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series:

~ #AbbottElementary
~ #Barry
~ #TheBear
~ #JuryDuty
~ #TheMarvelousMrsMaisel
~ #OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding
~ #TedLasso
~ #Wednesday#Emmys #Emmys2023 #EmmyNoms #TelevisionAcademy pic.twitter.com/UewMEMLPl4

— Trendfilmsetter🎬 (@trendfilmsetter) July 12, 2023

Picking Wednesday and Jury Duty (a series I also rightly suggested could potentially be low hanging fruit for the Emmys) over much more deserving series like Reservation Dogs (a series I and a lot of other critics thought had a decent shot) is pathetic.

Almost entirely absent from the nominations this year is perennial nominee “What We Do in the Shadows.” A far better series than Wednesday or Jury Duty, which showcased an absolute breakout year for Harvey Guillen fell out of favor when, in retrospect and compared to what was nominated instead of it, it probably shouldn’t have.

Wednesday was the clear head scratcher amongst critics. Although there was plenty of buzz around it being nominated, it never really got away from a modern upgrade of Tim Burton 80’s and 90’s lore. What it did do, much like Stranger Things and Cobra Kai (another entirely absent series despite dropping two seasons during the eligibility period) is attract young adult viewers by the dozens. But was it even the right “young adult” series to reward…especially with Reservation Dogs, RIGHT THERE.

One Twitter user even commented that if The Emmys were going to look to include Young Adult series, they clearly picked the wrong one…with Reservation Dogs or even the critically revered Netflix series Never Have I Ever being the better choice.

Wednesday over Never Have I Ever and Reservation Dogs (if we are nominating YA comedy)? No Shrinking? No HARRISON FORD for Shrinking? Mayim for Best Host? No Tony Shalhoub for Maisel? No Harrison Ford is really confusing with Segel and Williams nominated…

— Tessa Senders (@tessa1888) July 12, 2023

Snubs aside, what did the Emmys do right?

Well, first of all, I absolutely loved the nomination of
Keivonn Montreal Woodard for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He’s the youngest nominee ever and was an absolute shining light in a sea of brightness on an incredible season of television.

The love for The Bear wasn’t surprising…especially given its popularity currently, but I’ve repeatedly said that I’m rooting the most for its star Ayo Edebiri to win an Emmy as her dad is a friend of mine.

Blew into our kitchens and we were never the same. Congratulations to Ayo Edebiri on her Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Emmy nomination. #TheBearFX #Emmys pic.twitter.com/zkMTarVL59

— The Bear (@TheBearFX) July 12, 2023

The Bear fared well overall, and I actually think Jeremey Allen White has leapfrogged Jason Sudiekis to be the favorite to win Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

I’ll also, strongly, be rooting for Better Call Saul to win its first Emmy ever in its last year of eligibility…but if I could pick only one…

Give the Queen an Emmy https://t.co/FZlfWLn5SP

— Ryan Benharris (@RyanBenharris) July 12, 2023

Disney + heavily lobbied for its Rouge One spinoff “Andor,” and it was rewarded heavily with multiple acting awards and a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series. In doing so it ousted two-time nominee The Mandalorian…which didn’t entirely help itself by shelling out a mostly terrible third season in 2023

One weird takeaway (that I somehow missed earlier) was that the million-time consecutive winner Last Week Tonight was somehow shoved in the Variety Sketch category to compete against SNL (an also million-time straight winner). In what should be a non-contest, the John Oliver series should win easily

Just one last reminder to Emmy voters that we’re no longer in the Talk Show category, we’re now considered a Scripted Variety Series instead, which may seem odd, until you remember who our showrunners are. pic.twitter.com/4tHKI3ZeA6

— Last Week Tonight (@LastWeekTonight) June 23, 2023

Missing from the sketch/variety series race, but smashed into the Outstanding Short Form Comedy Series is my favorite Netflix Series, ever, “I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson.”

That’s it for my immediate reactions. I think Succession and Ted Lasso will win the big awards of the night. Until this morning I thought the latter would be won by Abbott Elementary. I now actually would drop that to third behind The Bear.

The only series I can feasibly see contending for Outstanding Drama Series with Succession is The White Lotus. Very clearly voters worshipped both series…way more so than Better Call Saul, The Crown, or The Last of Us (which I was pleased to see so represented).

I’ll, obviously, be breaking down who will win and who should win over the next two months. Please smash the Subscribe button, follow along and tell your friends.