Are the Emmys dumb? Yes. Am I dumb for caring about the Emmys? Also yes. But this rare instance of self-awareness won’t stop me from both confused and infuriated that for the second season in a row, the cast of HBO’s holy-comedy The Righteous Gemstones, one of the best shows on television, wasn’t nominated for a single Emmy.
To paraphrase Baby Billy, go inside and watch The Righteous Gemstones, nerds.
The Righteous Gemstones has, in fact, never been nominated for an Emmy! in any category! even for its movie-level cinematography on a TV budget. But I’m channeling my rage on the acting snubs. Nothing for John Goodman, who has somehow only won a single Emmy — Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, which is funnier than anything that happened Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip — despite his many seasons as peak TV dad Dan Conner on Roseanne. Nothing for Danny McBride, who plays stunted man-children better than basically anyone. Nothing for Adam DeVine, or Tony Cavalero (#JusticeForKeefe), or Cassidy Freeman, or Tim Baltz, or Walton Goggins (who was also ignored every year for his work on Justified).
But the most galling snub — for any category, honestly — is Edi Patterson.
Let’s look at the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nominees: Alex Borstein for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Hannah Einbinder for Hacks, Janelle James for Abbott Elementary, Kate McKinnon for SNL, Sarah Niles for Ted Lasso, Sheryl Lee Ralph for Abbott Elementary, Juno Temple for Ted Lasso, Hannah Waddingham for Ted Lasso. Did Ted Lasso really need three nominees? Did Kate McKinnon have to get nominated again? Is anyone still invested in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel? The Emmys could, and should, have made room for the best comedic performance of the year:
The Emmys need to quit misbehavin’ and nominate The Righteous Gemstones cast.
