Emmys Snubs & Surprises: ‘Jury Duty,’ ‘The Last of Us’ Guests, Elizabeth Olsen & More
Emmys
The Emmys almost always spark debates with the nominations, and 2023 is no different as fan-favorite shows earn nods for the annual awards ceremony celebrating the best TV has to offer.
Along with these nomination reveals comes the discussion of the most shocking snubs and exciting surprises this year’s slate has to offer, and there’s plenty to comb through. While some obvious nominations were unveiled for shows like Succession and Abbott Elementary, other leading titles such as The Last of Us and Ted Lasso made a splash for two different reasons. And there were other series that broke through for some unexpected glory, including Prime Video‘s Daisy Jones & The Six and Amazon Freevee‘s Jury Duty.
Below, we’re breaking down all of the biggest shockers including those exciting surprises and disappointing snubs, and let us know what your reaction was to this year’s nominations in the comments section.
SURPRISE: Jury Duty
We have no objections to the surprising and exciting nominations for Freevee’s hilarious hidden-camera courtroom comedy Jury Duty. The show earned nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for James Marsden, who portrayed a version of himself. The show focused on Ronald Gladden, an unsuspecting civilian who thought he was called into jury duty and was filming a documentary but was instead the only person not in on the fake setup. All in good fun, the series makes sure to hail the kind Ronald as the show’s hero, making this little nomination victory even sweeter.
SNUB: The English
Prime Video’s sprawling western was among some of TV’s finest limited fare this past year, with stellar performances from its leading stars Emily Blunt and Chaske Spencer. While an overall show nomination isn’t surprising, their exclusion from the acting categories in a Limited Series or Movie is disappointing.
SNUB: Barry's Sarah Goldberg
When it comes to Barry‘s final season, every star delivered. One particular member of the cast who is going unrecognized for Season 4 is lead actress Sarah Goldberg. She was glaringly absent from the nominations, which include nods for her costars Bill Hader, Henry Winkler, and Anthony Carrigan. The realization is especially sad because it was Goldberg’s last chance to win for playing Sally Reed on the dark HBO comedy.
SURPRISE: The Last of Us Guest Domination
Yes, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey were sure bets when it came to The Last of Us nominations, as were Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett for their moving portrayal of Frank and Bill’s love story in the show’s much-loved third episode, but the additional performance nods for Lamar Johnson (above), Keivonn Montreal Woodard, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, and Anna Torv are sweet surprises. Especially with a genre-specific show like The Last of Us, seeing its talented cast of guest stars get recognized is thrilling and filled with promise for future shows.
SNUB: Carol Burnett for Better Call Saul
Comedy icon Carol Burnett made quite a splash in her dramatic role in Better Call Saul‘s final season, so it’s sad to see she hasn’t been included among the nominees at this year’s ceremony. Cushioning the blow are nominations for the show for Outstanding Drama Series along with nods for Bob Odenkirk as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Rhea Seehorn in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series category.
SNUB: Harrison Ford
Indiana Jones actor Harrison Ford delivered star turns in two very different shows this past year with Paramount+‘s 1923 and Apple TV+‘s Shrinking, and he wasn’t nominated for either. The lack of attention for his roles is certainly upsetting for his fans and TV viewers alike, as he remains a strong entertainer on both. Thankfully he’ll be back for second seasons of both shows, so his chances for future nominations remain a possibility.
SURPRISE: Ted Lasso
We can’t help but note, among the comedy categories, the volume of nods for Ted Lasso‘s beloved ensemble. Sure, we are fans of the workplace comedy, but considering Season 3 wasn’t its strongest, it’s a little shocking to see so many of its stars clogging up categories that could have recognized stars who have yet to earn nominations. We will shout out Phil Dunster though, as the actor earned his first nomination for playing Jamie Tartt.
SNUB: Elizabeth Olsen in Love & Death
Elizabeth Olsen‘s onscreen counterpart, Jesse Plemons, earned a nomination for his role in HBO‘s limited series, but she was left out of the Outstanding Lead Actress category. While the show may not have garnered the biggest buzz, Olsen’s performance was nothing less than stellar, making this exclusion sting just a bit.
SNUB: Reservation Dogs
After delivering its best season yet this past year, FX‘s moving dramatic comedy Reservation Dogs was sorely overlooked again in the comedy categories. Arguably as good as the network’s other Hulu-exclusive streaming series, The Bear, we hope this show isn’t forgotten when next year’s ceremony rolls around for the show’s final season.
SNUB: Ghosts
CBS‘s quirky comedy Ghosts may not be as critically popular as fellow network darling Abbott Elementary, but the series has a certain edge that deserves recognition, which makes it disappointing to see its lack of presence among this year’s nominees. Already renewed for Season 3, the show’s future with the awards show remains promising, just not this year.
SURPRISE: Daisy Jones & The Six Love
Prime Video’s adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel, Daisy Jones & The Six, took viewers back to the world of ’70s rock ‘n’ roll and captured Emmy voters’ attention it seems with exciting nominations for Riley Keough and Camila Morrone as well as the show itself in the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.
SNUB: The Great
Hulu’s original drama has broken through major categories in the past with nominations celebrating its lead stars Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, but there was no love shown for the recently-released third season apart from its beautiful costume design. The lack of love for the favorite is slightly startling.
SNUB: Interview with the Vampire
Despite delivering strong performances as Louis and Lestat, Jacob Anderson and Sam Reid were sadly not acknowledged among this year’s Emmy nominees. While the exclusion may not burn as badly as the sun does for their vampire counterparts, there’s still time to turn things around with the show’s upcoming second season.
SURPRISE: Not Enough House of the Dragon Love
The HBO series earned a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, but no stars from the Game of Thrones spinoff earned nods despite strong performances from Emma D’Arcy (above), Olivia Cooke, Matt Smith, and Paddy Considine, among others. Perhaps it has to do with Succession‘s strong showing in the drama categories, considering it’s the show’s final season. Only time will tell as the potential for future nominations remains.
SNUB: The Boys
Prime Video’s superhero series remains largely unrecognized by the Television Academy despite delivering plenty of commendable performances. How Antony Starr hasn’t been nominated for his role as the terrifying Homelander remains a mystery to us. Thankfully the show will return for a fourth season, leaving us cautiously optimistic about The Boys‘ Emmy future.
SNUB: What We Do in the Shadows
Even though FX’s vampire comedy earned a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2022, it sadly didn’t make the cut this time around, which is disappointing considering the show delivered one of its funniest seasons to date. While the show didn’t earn a nod in major series and acting categories, there was love shown in the Outstanding Costume Design category.
SURPRISE: A Lack of Love for The Crown
Netflix‘s historical drama about the royal family has always been a strong contender at the Emmys, with near-guaranteed nods for the stars playing Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, but that wasn’t the case this year. Only Elizabeth Debicki, who portrayed Princess Diana, was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. The show got its usual spot among the Outstanding Drama Series nominees, but it couldn’t edge out competition from Succession and The White Lotus in other categories.
SNUB: Yellowstone
Taylor Sheridan‘s modern Western about the Dutton family didn’t get any nomination love, despite Kevin Costner winning a Golden Globe Award earlier this year for his role as patriarch John Dutton. While Costner may not be the prime prospect for the show’s Emmy hopes, it’s still baffling that Kelly Reilly remains unrecognized for her role as the bold Beth.
SNUB: A League of Their Own
While the Prime Video series may not have broken into the major show categories, it’s surprising to see none of the show’s talented cast members, among which are Abbi Jacobson, D’Arcy Carden, and Chanté Adams, nominated. Even more surprising is the lack of a guest nomination for Rosie O’Donnell.
