Even though most of the shows vying for outstanding drama series at this year’s Emmy Awards exist in a different reality from our own, none feels like true escapist television. Apple TV+’s “Severance” is mind-bending, but it’s ultimately about work-life balance. Though HBO’s “The Last of Us” is populated with fungus-infected zombies, it’s a deep dive into the fraught relationship between love and violence. Disney+’s “Andor” may take place in a galaxy far, far away, but it’s really about the dangers of authoritarianism. And then there’s HBO Max’s “The Pitt,” which is set in our world but deals with gun violence, addiction, and gruesome injuries.
So if Emmy voters want to reward a series that doesn’t make them think about the grim state of the world, they’ll have to turn to comedy. While those races are likely to see familiar faces going head-to-head, the potential drama nominees are a more eclectic crowd.
If you had asked us in January which drama would dominate, we would have said “Severance.” Dan Erickson’s psychedelic mystery-box thriller, which Ben Stiller directs on and executive produces, returned after a three-year gap to ecstatic reviews. The second season digs deeper into the saga of Lumon Industries, a sinister company that “severs” some of its employees’ personal and work lives. It’s likely that many Emmy voters got caught up in the rhapsodic theorizing that took over the internet over the course of the season’s 10-episode run.
“Severance” is an obvious contender for best drama. Expertly crafted with mind-boggling storytelling and precise production design, it’s the kind of big swing that voters love. Adam Scott also makes a great case for the lead actor statuette thanks to a bravura performance that finds him playing two sides of the same person.
“Severance” Courtesy Apple TV+
But is that enough to beat Noah Wyle’s turn as everyone’s new favorite sad-guy heartthrob, Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, on “The Pitt”? It’s hard to say. Whereas “Severance” is a show that could only exist in the streaming age, R. Scott Gemmill’s medical drama feels like a throwback to the peak era of network TV, a style the Emmys have steered away from in recent years.
Despite its classic subject matter, the series is innovative in its structure. Each episode covers an hour in the shift of the doctors and nurses at a Pittsburgh trauma hospital. As the day goes on, events become increasingly catastrophic, building to an incredibly tense series of episodes that deal with the aftermath of a mass shooting.
It’s a showcase for Wyle as the senior attending physician who’s dealing with his guilt over losing his mentor during the pandemic. “The Pitt” also has a stacked ensemble, among them breakouts Taylor Dearden and Isa Briones, who could both make a strong showing in the supporting actress category.
“The Pitt” is undeniably bleak, but it’s also comforting. Despite the gnarly depictions of the maladies that come through the ER, it has a soothing procedural element. The formula recalls the Apple TV+ spy thriller “Slow Horses,” which sees Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb taking on a new case each season as he farts his way through intrigue and depression. These shows are easily consumable because they follow traditional structures to clever results. Will Smith’s sturdy series which scored its first Emmy nominations and one win for its third season, has been quietly gaining cred with the Television Academy. But though “Slow Horses” is well-loved, it might not be splashy enough to take home the best drama statuette. (The same could be said for two other British spy shows: Joe Barton’s “Black Doves” and Ronan Bennett’s “The Day of the Jackal.”)
Then there’s HBO’s Sunday-night lineup: Mike White’s “The White Lotus” and Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s “The Last of Us.” Though many considered this a weak year for the former, there will likely be appearances from its cast members in the acting categories. After all, who can resist Parker Posey’s North Carolina accent as delusional vacationer Victoria Ratliff? Walton Goggins could also be in the mix for his tormented Rick Hatchett, a role that’s taken him from beloved character actor to lusted-after leading man.
“The Last of Us” Credit: CRED Liane Hentscher/HBO
Speaking of performers the internet loves, “The Last of Us” star Pedro Pascal may be in for an uphill battle. He earned an Emmy nomination and won a SAG Award for his turn on the first season of the video game adaptation, but that likely won’t give him a leg up in this year’s race. After all (spoiler alert!), his character, Joel Miller, is brutally murdered on the second episode. Still, his heartbreaking performance on a late-season flashback episode—which helpfully aired just a few weeks before Emmy voting began on June 12—could make him a supporting contender.
The postapocalyptic series has a better chance of netting a best actress prize for Bella Ramsey, who plays Joel’s quasi-daughter, Ellie Williams. The character turns even more ferocious this season as she goes on the warpath to avenge his death. “The Last of Us” will definitely make it into the running for best drama; but it may not go all the way, considering the second season has received a cooler reception than the first.
“Andor” is another genre show that’s drawn a lot of attention. The increasing political relevance of Tony Gilroy’s “Star Wars” spinoff, which stars Diego Luna, could make it a strong contender. That’s also true for Hulu’s “Paradise,” a genre-bending Sterling K. Brown vehicle from Dan Fogelman, and Bruce Miller’s “The Handmaid’s Tale,” which ended its six-season run in a time when its dystopian vision feels more relevant than ever.
But those shows are twisty affairs with complicated plot structures, which is why we predict “The Pitt” will have the edge. It deals with real-world problems in a propulsive way that hearkens back to an earlier, simpler era of television. Emmy voters might just be feeling nostalgic enough to take the series over the finish line.
This story originally appeared in the June 12 issue of Backstage Magazine.