Ranking the Emmy Nominees for Outstanding Drama Series
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Yesterday, I ranked all of the nominees within the Comedy Series category at this year’s Primetime Emmy awards (the ceremony is Sunday, September 12th). Now, it is time to rank their dramatic counterparts. We have a few brand new series that made it here, all with promise to varying degrees (even the show I ranked dead last; please don’t be too angry with me). There are also some shows that have come to a close, so I can take into account how nicely they resolved. Only three shows here are still ongoing and aren’t brand new from this year, so we certainly have a mixed bag of works to get through. Which series blew me away? Which shows kept my interest the most, or left me breathless? Which projects here are the finest you’ll find on television nowadays? Here are the Emmy nominees for Outstanding Drama Series ranked from worst to best.
Note: Entries may contain spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.
Additional Note: Only the nominated seasons are going to be considered, so please keep that in mind while reading.
8. Squid Game
Season 1
Okay, so the dust hasn't settled. Look. Squid Game has phenomenal acting and a really strong artistic merit (particularly the sensational sets and costume designs that just pop off the screen), and I was quite invested for the most part during this series (the episodes that focus on the games and the participants’ backstories are major highlights). Having said that, the season concludes extremely poorly, from the awful English speaking performers (absolutely inexcusable to the point of being painful), to the half baked resolution of this season's storyline (twists, final, predictable battle, and open-ended nonsense included). Does Squid Game have elements that are worth celebrating? Absolutely. Is it best drama material? No. It isn't even the best show to come out of Korea this awards season (Pachinko was criminally snubbed by the Emmys). It isn't the worst show ever and it isn't even bad necessarily, but Squid Game feels out of place here. Hopefully it improves where it needs to in season 2, and continues to thrive where it is at its strongest.
7. Euphoria
Season 2
So Euphoria is back and as extreme as ever. It's still an enticing watch, but the show definitely feels like it flies off the rails at times, particularly with how hard it tries to shock its viewers. I understand that the premise of the show is to feel like it is always at maximum level, but that can be exhausting and kind of uninteresting after a while. Still, Zendaya as Rue Bennett shines like she always has (she carries the show through its weaker, flimsier moments), and I still want to see where the series goes in general: maybe all of this angst and intensity is leading somewhere substantial. The aesthetics are still stellar (from the gorgeous cinematography to the anxious editing style), so even the overly-edgy moments still feel poignant (to a degree).
6, Ozark
Season 4 (Both Parts)
So it seems that Ozark ended on a bit of a high level, at least. The Byrde family have built an empire and we await how heavily it will fall. With the gritty camera quality and the invasiveness of how each scene is shot (levelled off with the sublimely anguished performances of the oft-celebrated leads), this Netflix special gets by with its own signature ways in these departments. It otherwise seems like it is derived from stronger dramas (the final moments even feel like they came straight from The Sopranos, in a sense), but at least it feels like it is a part of the conversation (on a very wide level, mind you) this final year. Will it score many high Emmy wins? I kind of hope not, given what it’s up against (the top three this year is particularly strong), but you never know.
5. Stranger Things
Season 4 (Both Parts)
Stranger Things is back in Emmy contention for what is its strongest season since it all began. Having said that, it does feel bloated at times, given the length of the episodes and how frequently the series stuffs a plethora of events into each segment. Nonetheless, this is the scariest the show has ever been, it is maturing quite significantly (Vecna is actually quite a great and gripping villain), and the aesthetic and nostalgic focuses are on point. Not the greatest show here, but definitely the best Stranger Things has been in years. With the series conclusion around the corner, let’s hope that the show continues this trajectory towards surpassing its gimmick entirely and maintaining itself as a strong-enough drama to endure authentic longevity (it’s almost there, but not quite).
4. Yellowjackets
Season 1
While Yellowjackets is just getting started and has a few of those first season blips (trying to figure out how to deliver its exposition as best as possible), I'm still extremely interested in this morbid tale about a small town high school soccer team (referenced in the series’ title) that gets left for dead in the Canadian wilderness after a brutal airplane crash. The modern day storyline is full of trauma and mystery, leaving us to ponder how we got to this point (with fantastically twisted performances, exposing that much has happened over the course of these years). The early 90s flashbacks to a time of chaotic survival are deeply unsettling (the opening shot of total impalement alone is beautiful yet nauseating). Both timelines combined make for truly harrowing television. This is only where Yellowjackets begins: where will this show go next? I feel like it will only get better if this is how the series finds its footing.
3. Severance
Season 1
So Yellowjackets started off strongly, but Severance's first season is magnificent. How the Apple TV+ exclusive debuted this brilliantly is beyond me, but this is easily the show I've been itching to return to after that cliffhanger took my breath away and left me feeling out in the cold (what happened after the switch?). This science fiction cautionary tale has been equal parts addictive and thought provoking, as we place ourselves within a world where you can divide your brain into different mindsets (one for work and one for your personal life). This could have easily felt like a Charlie Kaufman ripoff, but instead this psychological thriller is fresh, hypnotic, chilling, and highly complex. Severance is already one of the most exhilarating shows on television, and it is instantly welcome in this category amongst its peers.
2. Succession
Season 3
It feels like it has been an eternity since Succession season 3 landed last year, but it is still a frontrunner for this category. Rightfully so: it took the tried formula of having the Roy family devour itself alive and went into new territories whilst (intentionally) collapsing in on itself with zero comfort in sight. Toss in the failings of Kendall's grand plan (a devastating downward spiral even worse than what transpired after his termination in season 1) with the sadistic turns in that brilliant finale (Logan couldn’t give less of a shit, and is the most ruthless person on television right now), and you have a show that remains the top dog to watch that's still on the air. My heart is still stuck in my chest after that Tom blindside, and I am sick with anticipation for what comes next.
1. Better Call Saul
Season 6 (Both Parts)
While Succession is my favourite show of these nominees, I must tip my hat to how perfectly Better Call Saul has bowed out. The way Jimmy McGill's personal demons come back around to destroy him is catastrophically poetic. I always felt like this show was the merging of two different sub-series (a Breaking Bad prequel, and McGill’s origins as a crooked lawyer), but this season blended both parts into one destructive comeuppance (a warning never to tempt fate, and that your own schemes will always hit you back the hardest). It is such a great season, that it has elevated all of Better Call Saul as a series: from a great contemporary show into one of the greats of the twenty first century. Judging by the slim amount of nominations, I don’t think this show will win much, but it absolutely should; it’ll never have this opportunity again.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.