The biggest snubs and surprises from the 2023 Emmy nominations

What a fun, sexy time to be talking about the 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards! With the Writers Guild of America on strike and the Screen Actors' Guild on the verge of hitting the picket line, too, Hollywood is not in a very festive mood. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate the actors and shows who just landed a coveted Emmy nomination — though we'll also need to kick and scream a bit about the very deserving performers and series that were snubbed.

There is plenty to be happy about, including those eight nominations for Abbott Elementary, Oliver Platt's guest nomination for The Bear, and those four nods for Jury Duty. (Yep, it's time to figure out what Amazon Freevee is, folks.) And of course, there are a surplus of snubs to get your dander up: No Lisa Ann Walter or Chris Perfetti from Abbott? No Sarah Goldberg for Barry? Yet again, no Reservation Dogs? We could go on for days. But who has time for that? Instead, here is a rundown of the happiest surprises and the biggest snubs.

Delightful Surprises

Everett Collection Ronald Gladden and James Marsden on 'Jury Duty'

Jury Duty (Amazon Freevee)
This odd little reality-comedy hybrid came out of nowhere in April, and over the last three months grew into a bonafide word-of-mouth hit. (Raise your hand if someone you know has randomly asked, "Have you heard of this show, Jury Duty?") Though it's not the first quality show put out by Amazon's free streaming service (see: High School, and more recently, Primo), it's definitely the one that put it on the map. With four Emmy nominations — including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy for James Marsden — can a season 2 announcement be far behind?

Prime Video Dominique Fishback in 'Swarm'

Dominique Fishback, Swarm (Amazon Prime Video)
Emmy voters aren't always super open-minded when it comes to genre television — especially when the show is as deliberately and thrillingly weird as Swarm. Though the horror-drama from Donald Glover and Janine Nabors wasn't for everybody, star Dominque Fishback earned unanimous raves as Dre, a troubled and determined superfan who goes on a cross-country killing spree to avenge the honor of music superstar Ni'jah.

Evans Vestal Ward/Peacock; Peacock Natasha Lyonne and Judith Light in 'Poker Face'

The tough broads of Poker Face (Peacock)
Rian Johnson's well-reviewed homage to series like Columbo was in the conversation for Outstanding Comedy Series, but the competition was just too fierce for it to make the cut. Still, huzzah for star Natasha Lyonne, a gravel-voiced delight as the eccentric and nomadic Charlie Cale, who earned a Lead Actress nomination. And perhaps the fifth time will be the charm for frequent nominee Judith Light, who earned a Guest Actress in a Comedy nod for her hilarious turn as an ex-felon Charlie befriends in the Mossy Oaks retirement home.

Head-Scratching Surprises

Lucasfilm Ltd. Ewan McGregor in 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Disney+)
Are we sure this is the limited series voters were looking for? Not only did Obi-Wan Kenobi debut during last year's eligibility window, Disney did not make final episodes available to voters prior to last year's voting period. Yet somehow, the voting body decided that the series, which at best got lukewarm reviews, was somehow better than, say, critically praised 2023 entries like Mrs. Davis or The Patient? So uncivilized.

Matt Kennedy/Disney Kathy Najimi, Bette Midler, and Sarah Jessica Parker in 'Hocus Pocus 2'

Hocus Pocus 2 (Disney+)
The sequel to the 1993 fan favorite did not cast a spell on critics or fans, but nostalgia is a hell of a drug, I suppose.

Infuriating Snubs

Natalie Seery/Apple TV+ Sarah Greene, Eve Hewson, Sharon Horgan, and Anne-Marie Duff on 'Bad Sisters'

Bad Sisters (Apple TV+)
Let me understand: Sharon Horgan's darkly comedic dramedy about four siblings who plot to kill their fifth sister's sinister husband was excellent enough to score four nominations — including Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Horgan — but it's not good enough to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series itself? It seems that submitting as a drama, rather than the dark, dark, dark, DARK comedy that it is, hurt the Garvey clan after all. Perhaps Apple TV+ will switch up their Bad awards strategy for season 2. For now, let's focus on the positive: Horgan, an Emmy-nominated writer, just landed her first Emmy nomination for acting, and that dastardly JP (Claes Bang, also snubbed) is still dead.

Peacock Betty Gilpin in 'Mrs. Davis'

Betty Gilpin, Mrs. Davis (Peacock)
Yes, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie is always a tough category due to a surplus of deserving candidates. But it's simply a sin for Emmy voters to leave Mrs. Davis star Betty Gilpin — a woman they nominated three times for GLOW (may it rest in peace) — off the ballot. As Sister Simone, a nun seeking to find the Holy Grail in order to destroy the world's most powerful AI program, Gilpin grounded a bonkers and elaborately plotted caper with unfailing comedic precision, genuine humanity, and astounding pathos.

Tina Thorpe/HBO Robin Thede on 'A Black Lady Sketch Show'

Robin Thede, A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
The scream I just scrumpt! Of course, it's good news that HBO's A Black Lady Sketch Show just got its third nomination for Outstanding Variety Sketch Series (now called Outstanding Scripted Variety Series), but where is the love for its creator/star/raison d'être Robin Thede? You show me another Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series contender who can disappear into characters as varied as a U.S. Senator, Jesus' gossipy disciple Priscilla, a waitress whose love language is "words of defamation," or the ridiculous revolutionary Dr. Hadassah Olayinka Ali-Youngman, pre-PhD. To quote Capp't host Martella Marlow (also played by Thede), "You have 15 minutes to come up with your excuses."

Beth Dubber/Apple TV+ Harrison Ford in 'Shrinking'

Harrison Ford, Shrinking (Apple TV+)
It was a long shot to think that this heartwarming grief-com from Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel would nab a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series in its first season, and the nods for Segel (Lead Actor) and Jessica Williams (Supporting Actress) were happy surprises. But boy, was I bummed to see that Harrison Ford's name wasn't on the list for Outstanding Supporting Actor. The 80-year-old megastar is, to quote my full review, "an absolute freaking delight" as Paul, the adorably grumpy therapist mentor to Segel's Jimmy.

Colin Bentley/SHOWTIME Christina Ricci on 'Yellowjackets'

Christina Ricci, Yellowjackets (Showtime)
Season 2 of Showtime's freaky survival/cannibal hit was a lot darker, but Christina Ricci still provided reliable comic relief as the hyper-organized (and slightly unhinged) citizen detective Misty Quigley. Her screwball-comedy chemistry with Elijah Wood (as fellow citizen sleuth Walter Tattersall) added a sweet new dimension to the action, and heck, she even baked Shauna (Lead Actress nominee Melanie Lynskey) a helpful, "I want my lawyer" cookie cake. So where's her second nomination?

Ollie Upton/HBO Paddy Considine's King Viserys Targaryen, as seen in 'House of the Dragon' episode 1.

Paddy Considine, House of the Dragon (HBO)
Clearly, House of the Dragon is not as much of an Emmys favorite as its predecessor Game of Thrones was, but the new Westeros fantasy series still got a nod for Best Drama Series, so why not honor the actors who made it so good? In addition to nailing the difficult task of being one of the only actors to play their character across all time periods of season 1, Paddy Considine was also the greatest argument for House of the Dragon's value as an adaptation. In George R.R. Martin's novel Fire & Blood, King Viserys I Targaryen barely registers as anything other than a stop-gap between more interesting eras of royal family history. But Considine infused his character with pathos and humanity, bringing to life a well-meaning king torn between loyalties to his daughter Rhaenyra (Milly Alcock and Emma D'Arcy) and his second wife Alicent (Emily Carey and Olivia Cooke). In a show full of dragons, swords, and secret affairs, Considine managed to deliver one of the most dramatic TV moments of last year by ... walking across a room. Now that's power. —Christian Holub

Suzanne Tenner/FX Domhnall Gleeson in 'The Patient'

Domhnall Gleeson, The Patient (FX on Hulu)
It's a shame that this slow-burn psychological thriller from Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg (The Americans) didn't get any nominations, but it's absolutely absurd that voters ignored Domnhall Gleeson. As Sam Fortner — a serial killer who is so intent on changing his murderous ways that he takes his therapist (Steve Carell) hostage — Gleeson delivers a chilling performance, harnessing a stillness that was legitimately terrifying.

The 75th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are currently scheduled to air on Monday, Sept. 18, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Fox.

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

• Emmy nominations 2023: See the full list of nominees

• Sharon Horgan recalls the genuine terror she felt blowing up a house for Bad Sisters

• Shows with the most Emmy wins in TV history