Tube Notes with Ryan Benharris

I wrote about some of the best episodes of television in 2025.

Feel free to share, comment and let me know what you think I missed.

South Park – “Sermon On the Mount”

Full disclosure…I thought this episode, overall, was kinda meh. Fuller discloser. I think South Park is, in general, kinda meh.

That being said the cultural significance it represented can’t be ignored. Slapping the Trump Administration across the face and essentially asking to be sued by it takes planet sized balls. You realize in times of discourse that there are leaders and there are followers. The South Park creators have never shied away from taking the lead against censorship. There was never any chance they were ever going to fall in line, but taking a gamble like this to remind the world that they’re willing to be the quarterback of the resistence was pretty damn impressive…even if the actual content was pretty damn stupid. 

The Last of Us – “Through the Valley”

I watched “Through the Valley” on an airplane…and I screamed “NO!” out loud…with my mouth and face on an airplane. The episode was that shocking. 

It remains to be seen which way is a better viewing experience with regards to The Last Of Us. You’ve got what seems like an even split of the audience comprised of mega-fans of the game and those of us who know nothing. I wasn’t prepare for this, and I’m sure that the gamers weren’t either back in the day. The shock of this episode doesn’t feel like it will ever wear off.

Say what you will about the second season of The Last of Us, but as far as impossibly terrific episodes of television go, this was easily one of them.

Pluribus – “The Gap”

You gotta love a good Vince Gilligan episode that pisses a significantly high percentage of his audience off because its pacing doesn’t conform to the societal ideologies of traditional storytelling.

Watching it a day late, I was pretty confident when I received a handful of text messgaes from friends who hated the episode that I was going to love it. Excluding the series premiere it was probably my favorite episode of the series so far. A slow-moving character inquiry with out-of-this-world cinematography that reminded me of everything I love about Gilligan’s filmmaking.

Why people don’t just stop getting mad at him for how he paces his series when you’ve got examples of how strong they come around in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul is kind of insane to me. It’s not just trust in the process; it’s identifying that the process is part of the perfection. 

The Rehearsal – “My Controls”

In reality, The Rehearsal had two of the best TV episodes of the year. I struggled between picking this or “Pilot’s Code.” Ultimately the finale, “My Control” has a reveal even more unbelievable than the weirdness of “Pilot’s Code” (which Fielder actually tells you is “a little weird”…and coming from him says a lot). My Control refused to live inside the confines of conventional television. Fielder went above and beyond the expectations of a content creator and did something markedly different and wonderful. 

Adolescence – “Episode 3”

This was my favorite episode of my favorite show of the year. The compelling mental tennis match between its young star, Owen Cooper, and quite frankly one of the best performances ever turned in by anyone from Erin Doherty was gripping, disturbing and impossible to look away from.

Textbook perfection in acting and directing. 

The Pitt – “6:00P.M.”

There was always the unsettling feeling about where The Pitt was meandering toward when it foreshadowed society’s darkest day right from its outset. When it finally gets there in its twelth episode it does in epic fashion; but with a much appreciated humility for the viewer. You get the true sense that this was exactly what The Pitt wanted to be when it was just an idea in Noah Wyle and R. Scott Gemmill’s brains. The entire series lived on the cusp of a nervous breakdown, but 6:00PM was its finest moment where it proved that it could control chaos in a symphony like fashion. 

Task – “Vagrants”

Task’s cat-and-mouse game episode was by far its best. In some ways the series peaked in this episode and had to come crashing down to earth in its denoument. The scene where the two leads, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphry are locked in a car together for what feels like an eternity bottled the series tension to an explosive point.

The Lowdown – “This Land?”

In what sort of felt like a classic Sterlin Harjo one-off side story that exists more to vindicate the message of the overall tone of his project than it did to move the mystery-plot along, Peter Dinklage gives a Peter Dinklage-y brilliant guest performane alongside an equally as brilliant Ethan Hawke. 

Severance – “Woe’s Hollow”

Woe’s Hollow felt like the defining episode of the second season of Severance. Ben Stiller flexes his directing muscles and takes the story out of the office and into the frozen tundra. It’s clearly a lynchpin for the series’ ever expanding story where characters’ fates were met and others were just realizing their purpose. It was also a visually stunning episode that stands out for that reason alone….and when the majority of them are visually stunning, that’s a particularly impressive accomplishment. 

Paradise – “The Day”

Paradise shocks you from the get-go, and then makes you frustratingly wait around for any sort of an explanation. “The Day” finally puts all of “how we get here?” puzzle pieces together; and still does it in a shocking manner. 

1. Adolescence (Netflix)

It’s going to be pretty tough to find anyone that watched it who won’t agree that Adolescence was the best series on television in 2025.

Stephen Graham’s British miniseries that he wrote, directed, and starred in swept all categories it was nominated in at the September Emmys and can easily be classified as one of the best miniseries of all-time.

Draped in ominous themes of 21st century parenting and online interpersonal communication, Adolescence acts as a warning to all of us that the more we let technology dictate our lives, the less control we have over anything.

The performances of everyone involved were second-to-none, and the third episode of the (4 episodes) series is one of the best in years.

Truly shocking, and impossible to turn away from, Adolescence was, far-and-away, my favorite series of 2025.

2. Pluribus (Apple)

Vince Gilligan returning to television to drop appointment viewing episodes of weekly perfection…Shut up and take my money!

Is it a little early to call it the best new show on television? No. It is not. Do I need to watch the whole season to see Vince Gilligan stick the landing to know he’s going to stick the landing? I do not.

Rhea Seehorn is about as strong a lead actress any show has seen in a decade.

The story is original. The characters rule. Its lead is a Queen. Its showrunner is a God.

It’s my favorite new show of 2025 and I’m sure that surprises literally not one single one of you. The only thing you might be surprised by is that I didn’t rank it number one.

I’ve been clamoring for it to get here for three god damn years since Better Call Saul swan-songed into the history books. Now it’s here and I can’t get enough. Inject it directly into my damn veins.

3. The Pitt (HBO)

The 2025 Emmy winner for Outstanding Drama Series arrived in epic fashion this past February. Borrowing from great medical dramas of the past, The Pitt carved its own high-anxiety originality by being told in real-time over the course of one twelve-hour shift.

Noah Wyle tracked down his elusive Emmy, and solidified his ability to lead a series with the same charm as George Clooney in the 90’s.

I was a big fan of ER when I was a kid, and The Pitt is, by far, the best copycat version of it. I can’t wait for season two.

4. The Rehearsal (HBO)

I aggressively hated the first season of The Rehearsal and refused to watch the second season until the critical acclaim started pouring in. Fielder’s brilliant, unpredictable masterpiece will go down as one of the most impressive (non)-stunts ever pulled.

Any time a show is so successful in proving its political point that it becomes an actual news story, that’s pretty impressive.

After worshipping The Curse, I’ve come fully around on anything Nathan Fielder gets his hands on and I’m all in on whatever project he tackles next.

5. The Lowdown (FX)

Sterling Harjo’s follow-up to his masterpiece, Reservation Dogs (easily one of the my favorite series of the decade) was in a lot of ways a branching out for his seemingly endless talents.

With an Elmore Leonard vibe and an homage to classic cult classic comedies like The Big Lebowski, The Lowdown was a cool, hilarious miniseries that relied heavily upon its brilliant lead, Ethan Hawke.

The plot was the exact right amount twisty and simplistic while tapping into heart of Oklahoma where Harjo harvests his inspiration from.

6. Billy Joel: And So It Goes (HBO)

The show I was most shocked to find myself loving this year came in the form of a documentary about a guy I’ve spent my entire life actively trying to dislike. HBO’s 5+ hour two-part documentary was one of the most gripping and captivating things I watched all year. It was powerful, informative and deeply moving.

Ironically I came to it to sort of hate watch, and came out of it with an inherent sense of regret for never having seen Billy Joel perform live. It wasn’t only one of the best things I watched in 2025, it was one of the better docuseries I’ve ever seen.

7. Dying For Sex (Hulu)

Elizabeth Merriweather’s adaptation of the Podcast of the same name that documented the final year of Molly Kochan’s life as she abandoned the functional detainment of a terminal cancer diagnosis and instead used her time to seek basic human euphoria was ironically one of the funniest (and unsurprisingly) most moving series of the year. The heart of the show was the emotional chemistry between leads Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate.

8. Severance (Apple)

It took three long, contentious years for crew of Severance to return back from a first season that set an incredibly high bar. For the most part its second season toned the pace way down and spotlighted origin stories for the character and desperately tried to expand its universe. That proved good enough to essentially meet expectations.

The impeccable cast consistently turned in flawless performances, and they were rewarded handedly for it at Emmy time.

9. The Chair Company

If not for being released in the same calendar year as The Rehearsal, The Chair Company could easily lay claim to being the weirdest series of 2025. Tim Robinson’s signature brand of cringe-humor mixed with an amazing level of darkness and almost avant-garde oddity has a fascinating ability to be both uproariously hilarious and at the same time wickedly depressing.

As always with Robinson’s content, he tends to be a ringleader to an impressively talented supporting cast. The Chair Company is no exception. Robinson’s shtick, an acquired taste, has never been for everybody. But he’s certainly crafted his own niche style of comedy that feels like it’s becoming more mainstream friendly. The Chair Company, in some warped way, might be his most grown-up product to date.

10. The Studio (Apple)

I was pretty critical of The Studio for being what I described as self-indulgent Hollywood industry porn for critics. But the reality is that Seth Rogen’s satire of the ass-backward world of filmmaking had some of the funniest scenes on television…when it wasn’t shoehorning in massive cameos for sport.

HONORABLE MENTION

Long Story Short (Netflix)

Raphael Matthew Bob-Waksberg’s first post BoJack Horseman project was a ten episode animated series about the Schwoopers; a Jewish family with Paul Reiner as the voice of the patriarch and Lisa Edelstein as the matriarch.

Told non-linearly, the episodes jump all over the place and all around the spectrum of time; mainly focusing on the Schwooper kids.

Growing up in the same era as a Jewish kid in the suburbs, I very much related to the quirkiness of it…some of it hit a little too close to home, if we’re being entirely honest.

Andor (Disney +)

Andor remained Disney’s best product since taking over the Star Wars universe.

Dark, subtle and stingingly relevant, it was the perfect series to mimic the world’s volatile political climate. It used its two short seasons to get in, make its mark and get out; all while establishing it as the bar-setting standard in future Star Wars projects.

Murderbot (Apple)

Alexander Skarsgard’s futuristic sci-fi comedy about a broken down private security robot tasked with protecting a noble team of humans relied heavily on his sarcastic inner monologue to deliver both the plot and a lot of the show’s punchlines. But it was the insane visual effects and the wacky story that made its subtle charm grow on you over time

Task (HBO)

Brad Inglesby’s strong follow-up to 2021’s critically acclaimed miniseries Mare of Easttown brought viewers back to rural blue collar Pennsylvania for more action packed crime drama sprinkled with just the right amount of procedural police mystery.

While I don’t think Task will ever have the lasting nor staying effect of Mare of Easttown, and it certainly didn’t have the strength of its predecessor’s writing, it still shined brightly on its own with top notch performances of its two leads.

HBO recently announced that it has been reviewed for a second season. It’s too early to tell if it will be a continuation of its (slightly messy and way less slightly implausible) story or if it will be an entirely new case for Mark Ruffalo’s FBI task force to take on.

Regardless of the plot holes you could drive the Eagles’ team bus through, lt was probably the best popcorn chomping binger of the year.

Stick (Apple)

Ted Lasso but with golf came in the form of Jason Keller’s formulaic sports dramedy about an out of luck washed up golfer who looks for redemption in coaching a golf phenom. Owen Wilson has always been a tough pill for me to swallow, and this series wasn’t any different, but I am a massive fan of Marc Maron.

The supporting cast of young talent including Peter Dager as the gifted golfer and Lilli Kay as his girlfriend really rose above whatever it is that I find off putting about Wilson.

If you’re a fan of these types of sports stories you shouldn’t skip this one. It’s….better than par! (Sorry)

Peacemaker (HBO)

If not for its long, ridiculous, mostly terrible season finale that missed the landing in epic fashion, Peacemaker would probably be higher on my list. The series continues to be a shining example of how James Gunn’s dedication to scaling back comic book series to focus on quality rather than quantity (see for example what the Marvel folks are doing) is obviously the right way to do it.

The strength of John Cena’s acting chops never cease to amaze me. His range expands with every role he takes.

The Bear (Hulu)

The fourth season of one of Hulu’s most critically acclaimed series remained one of my favorite on television despite seeming to fall out of favor with more viewers every time it’s released.

Jeremey Allen White and Ayo Edebiri turn in their usual top notch performances and although it feels like it needs a push to a finish line, it still has some of the strongest written dialogue of any series on TV.

North of North (Netflix)

Anna Lambe, coming off a tremendous turn on True Detective: North Country stars as an Artctic woman set out to reimagine her life in a small town that showcases community and compassion in a place that looks and feels foreign. Lambe is clearly a star in the making.

Death By Lightning (Netflix)

Netflix’s adaptation of a book about the unlikely rise to the presidency of James Garfield and his unfortunate demise at the hands of a deranged Charles Guiteau had some of the best performances of the year. Matthew Macfayden is quickly rising into legend territory as he flexes his incredible versatility. Michael Shannon’s portrayal of President Garfield is equally as amazing as are top notch performances by the an all-star cast of Nick Offerman, Shea Whigham, Betty Gilles and Bradley Whitford.

It was an incredibly daring debut project for showrunner Mike Makowsky given the meticulate attention to details of the costumes, set designs and cinematography.

It’s a short and fast binge that was insanely entertaining.

Paradise (Hulu)

Without spoiling the plot of Paradise (which takes a massive twist you won’t see coming at the end of the first episode), Dan Fogelman’s strong action-drama about a Secret Service Agent (Brown) charged with discovering who planned an attack on the President (Marsden) is heavy on the cheese, but a fun binge nonetheless.

Highlighted by excellent performances from SK Brown and James Marsden, despite being really hokey it’s got a gripping plot that keeps you guessing until the very end.

English Teacher (FX)

The second and ultimately final season of FX’s English Teacher came in and went out like a lamb with barely any buzz nor viewers. Behind the scenes allegations of its creator’s hostile work environment certainly didn’t help.

Regardless, even in its brief time on television it was (along with ABC’s brilliant Abbott Elementary) one of the funniest and best depictions of public school in America.

Happy Holidays…and what not

This Thursday (12/4) I will be releasing my annual list of the best television series of the year.

The list will look slightly different this year. You will get the same amount of content you always get, but instead of ranking the entire list I’ve chosen to only rank the top ten and the remainder of it will be “honorable mentions.”

My 2025 list is twenty-one shows long and the breakdown is as follows; HBO (6), Netflix (4), Apple (5), FX / Hulu (5), Disney + (1).

As always, the list will appear here on my website, RyanBenharris.com. It will also be available everywhere that you can find my obnoxious musings. 

See you all Thursday morning!

“I’ve seen this movie. We’ve all seen this movie and we know that it does not end well”

The months-long tick-tocking clock counting down to the debut of Vince Gilligan’s first trek outside the Breaking Bad Universe in two decades is a perfect metaphor for my life in television purgatory since Better Call Saul closed shop more than three years ago.

After being one of the most hyped series in television history, the greatest showrunner on the planet returns with Pluribus, a sci-fi genre bending mystery starring one of the best but somehow most unappreciated actresses in Hollywood, Rhea Seehorn.

Pluribus follows a post-apocalyptic alien takeover of planet earth by a creed of friendly and seemingly harmless extraterrestrials.

In the lead-up to its release, Gilligan spoke at length about no longer wanting to pen anti-heroes, but instead good old fashioned good guys you can cheer for guilt free

Enter Rhea Seehorn’s Carol. A successful romance novel writer in a loving relationship with surefire character flaws, but a reasonable every-woman with what appears to be a pretty understandable conscience.

Carol’s interactions with the alien force are uncomfortable and feel more like the inner monologue wanderings of a nervous, lonely soul. She interacts with it with empathy and kindness. The one she even seems to like doesn’t have a name. She just calls it “pirate lady,” but as patience wane so does her tolerance.

There’s something about the picturesque quaintness of Gilligan’s Albuquerque neighborhoods that just feel like home. You’re half expecting to see Skyler White emerge from a pool or a Venizia’s pizza slide off a roof. The landscape acts less of a canvass and more of an ostentatious memory of euphoria’s past; a pretty cool illusion given the story is told from the perspective of a last-woman-on-earth survival guide 

Gilligan is nothing if he isn’t the master of every sensory. The series second episode doesn’t see a single word of dialogue until the 13:19 mark but it beautifully tells the tale of literally everything happening on planet earth.

It remains to be seen exactly what it is that Carol is fighting against but my wife almost immediately pointed out it likely could be an allegory for a society completely addicted to plug in devices. Communication in Pluribus feels no longer interpersonal. It’s generic and reeks of a behind the cell phone glow with an overtone of ChatGPT eloquence. 

Both episodes of Pluribus are A+ quality. Rhea Seehorn is as incredible as expected, and it’s obvious that television’s next great thing has arrived in epic fashion

It’s going to surprise no one, but it gets my full, unabashed stamp of approval. I’ll almost certainly watch both episodes again this weekend.

Run, don’t walk.

Pluribus is finally here. What an unconditionally perfect happy day 

Who Will Win? Who Should Win? Who Could Win on Television’s Biggest Night

Outstanding Drama Series

Nominees

• Andor (Disney +)
• The Diplomat (Netflix)
• The Last of Us (HBO)
• Paradise (Hulu)
• The Pitt (HBO Max)
• Severance (Apple TV)
• Slow Horses (Apple TV)
• The White Lotus (HBO)

What Will Win?

The Pitt (HBO Max)

The entire night should be a slugfest between Severance and The Pitt. Despite the former tallying up more nominations, I think it will be HBO Max’s incredible medical drama, The Pitt that comes home with the night’s coveted prize.

What Should Win?

The Pitt (HBO Max)

The Pitt is the best series of the lot. It’s a very strong year for nominees. Slow Horses was tremendous. You can make an argument that Andor was the best series on television this year. Paradise was good enough to be here but not good enough to win. And, The White Lotus is a perennial favorite. But none of them were as good as The Pitt.

What Could Win?

Severance (Apple TV)

Severance or The Pitt are the only two series that could possibly win this award. It’s practically a toss-up and if it isn’t The Pitt then it will, 100% for certain, be Severance.

Outstanding Comedy Series

Nominees

• Abbot Elementary (ABC)
• The Bear (Hulu)
• Hacks (HBO Max)
• Nobody Wants This (Netflix)
• Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
• Shrinking (Apple TV)
• The Studio (Apple TV)
• What We Do in the Shadows (FX)

What Will Win?

Hacks (HBO Max)

The Studio has been the betting favorite to win this award essentially since it was released. I’m boldly saying it won’t. Emmy voters love to keep it consistent, and last year’s winner seems like a safer bet. I firmly believe Hacks SHOULDN’T win this award. But I much less firmly believe that it will.

What Should Win?

Shrinking (Apple TV)

Shrinking has become my favorite scripted series on television. The second season was a perfect 10/10. I bawled my eyes out like a baby and fell in love with every single character. Give it all the Emmys. All of them.

What Could Win?

The Studio (Apple TV)

Gotta at least shout-out the favorite. I could be way off base, but I think the biggest surprise of Emmy night is going to be how poorly The Studio will fare. Could be a freezing cold take tomorrow, but whatever. I don’t think it’s winning this award, but it certainly could.

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

Nominees

• Adolescence (Netflix)
• Black Mirror (Netflix)
• Dying for Sex (Hulu)
• Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (Netflix)
• The Penguin (HBO)

What Will Win?

Adolescence (Netflix)

As of September 14, 2025, Adolescence is the number one series on my year-end list. I don’t think anything will knock it off of there, but there’s still a quarter of the year remaining. It’s probably going to be number one on more critics’ lists than any other series. It’s an absolutely brutal, vitally important masterpiece that will easily go down as one of the best miniseries ever made. It’s become one of the most watched series in Netflix’s history. The buzz-bump it will take after tonight’s ceremony will get many more people to watch it. And that’s a very, very good thing. 

What Should Win?

Adolescence (Netflix)

Not a big surprise here, but Adolescence should win this award. Weirdly, The Penguin was the number one series on my list of 2024, and I had a lot of conversations with people about how I couldn’t wait for the Emmys to see it win a ton of awards. Instead it’s going to work to scrap together anything against Adolescence which, ultimately is a better and way more important series. Do I want The Penguin to win? Of course. Do I wan’t it to beat Adolescence? No. And it shouldn’t. 

What Could Win?

The Penguin (HBO)

It would be a massive upset, but the only series that could possibly beat Adolescence is The Penguin. I also adored Dying For Sex. In any other year it’s running away with everything. Unfortunately in 2025 it just ran into a juggernaut (The Penguin) which ran into a bigger juggernaut (Adolescence). 

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This)
• Seth Rogen (The Studio)
• Jason Segel (Shrinking)
• Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)
• Jeremy Allen White (The Bear)

Who Will Win?

Jeremey Allen White (The Bear)

My biggest upset of the night prediction is that the winner of the last two years will win this award again. History certainly predicts that the Emmys don’t like to move on from previous winners in this category until way after they should have (See for example how many times Jim Parsons won in the 2000s). JAW isn’t the favorite to win, anymore. That would be Seth Rogen. I think he shocks the world and goes 3-for-3…and honestly, it’s not like it wouldn’t be a deserving win.

Who Should Win?

Jason Segel (Shrinking)

In my mind Segel made a massive leap from mediocre show lead in Season 1 to a massive star in Season 2. He turned in one of the best performances of the year.

Who Could Win?

Seth Rogen (The Studio)

Again, shouting out the favorite. Seth Rogen has been the most likely winner of this award ever since the series debuted. That means he certainly could win. I also think Martin Short has a fighting chance, here. Before The Studio came out I think he was the favorite to win this in an obviously very weak year. I’ve made the point before that no one should be winning awards for the mostly awful season 4 of Only Murders in the Building. But I don’t think it’s entirely out of the question, here.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Sterling K. Brown (Paradise)
• Gary Oldman (Slow Horses)
• Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us)
• Adam Scott (Severance)
• Noah Wylie (The Pitt)

Who Will Win?

Noah Wyle (The Pitt)

I’m predicting a giant night for The Pitt and, quite simply, that doesn’t happen if Noah Wyle gets beat in this category. I’m pretty confident that he won’t. He’s coming out of the Emmys as the belle of the ball, and this one, for sure, will be his big moment. 

Who Should Win?

Noah Wyle (The Pitt)

No denying Wyle was tremendous on The Pitt. I loved the series. I loved the characters. His dedication to the craft is so obvious in every single scene. Given that he’s never won an Emmy for acting before, it’s undeniably deserved. 

Who Could Win?

Adam Scott (Severance)

This is, again, a two-horse race. If Wyle doesn’t win it will be Adam Scott. Scott was terrific, again, on Severance in its strong second season. He very much could pull off an upset here. The only nominee with surprise potential is Gary Oldman for Slow Horses. I predicted a win for him last year and it didn’t come through. S.K. Brown is great on Paradise, but it’s in a different universe than Wyle, Scott or Oldman. Pedro Pascal is amazing on The Last of Us, but he shouldn’t be nominated here, and he won’t win. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Uzo Aduba (The Residence)
• Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This)
• Quinta Brunson (Abbot Elementary)
• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear)
• Jean Smart (Hacks)

Who Will Win?

Jean Smart (Hacks)

Jean Smart will, unquestionably go a perfect 4-for-4 in nominations/wins for her now legendary run as Deborah Vance on HBO’s Hacks. Anyone who beats her will do so in a massive upset.  

Who Should Win?

Jean Smart (Hacks)

Not taking anything away from how incredible Jean Smart is on Hacks, this is a pretty weak nominating year. I liked the fourth season of Hacks a lot. I didn’t love it. Especially in comparison to the third season which was its best. I’d be absolutely ecstatic with Ayo Edebiri winning her second Emmy for The Bear, so long as we get plenty of screen time from her dad, Dele. She was obviously good enough in it to win. Brunson is always good enough to win, so I’d also be fine with her, as well. 

Who Could Win?

Kristen Bell (Nobody Wants This)

Kristen Bell is a sneaky maybe here. She’s really good in Netflix’s excellent Nobody Wants This. If you’re looking for a longshot that could pay big dividends, this might be the one to grab. 

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Kathy Bates (Matlock)
• Sharon Horgan (Bad Sisters)
• Britt Lower (Severance)
• Bella Ramsey (The Last of Us)
• Keri Russell (The Diplomat)

Who Will Win?

Kathy Bates (Matlock)

Full disclosure, I haven’t seen a second of Matlock. I can’t really comment on it. I do know Kathy Bates is the favorite, here and she’s already won a Critics Choice Award for the performance and was nominated for the Golden Globe. Like the Lead Actress in a Comedy category, it’s again, a weak year for nominees. That makes Bates a pretty safe bet. 

Who Should Win?

Britt Lower (Severance)

I love Britt Lower on Severance and I very much want her to win this award. In a field of incredible performances on a show that leans very heavily on its actors, hers might be the best of all of them. 

Who Could Win?

Keri Russell (The Diplomat)

This is Kerri Russell’s second time nominated for Netflix’s The Diplomat, and in 2023, I predicted she would win. I think she’s a distant third behind Bates and Lower, but I wouldn’t be shocked if she pulled off an upset. Sharon Horgan is tremendous on Bad Sisters, and Bella Ramsey did all they could to carry an up-and-down season of The Last of Us. They’re certainly worthy of a win, but I don’t think it’s likely. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Ike Barinholtz (The Studio)
• Colman Domingo (The Four Seasons)
• Harrison Ford (Shrinking)
• Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere)
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear)
• Michael Urie (Shrinking)
• Bowen Yang (Saturday Night Live)

Who Will Win?

Ike Barinholtz (The Studio)

Ike Barinholtz’s breakout performance as Sal Saperstein is the kind of role that jumps off the page for award shows like this. He’s the favorite to win, and I believe he will. What’s the over/under on how many “I’d like to thank Sal Saperstein” shout outs we get at this thing? A million? If you haven’t watched The Studio and you don’t get the reference, you should remedy that

Who Should Win?

Harrison Ford (Shrinking)

Welp…they nominated Harrison Ford this year after inexplicably snubbing him last year…so that’s a start. It’s actually hard for me to pick between Ford and Michael Urie (who I’ll get to in a second) because I loved Shrinking so much. But 9 out of 10 times I’m probably going Ford. He’s so goddamn good on this. He should’ve won last year. He should win this year. 

Who Could Win?

Michael Urie (Shrinking)

Michael Urie was the upset-winner in this category at the Critics Choice Awards, so that at least puts him in the conversation. When it happened, a lot of people trampled over each other to make the “He’s not even the best supporting actor on his own show” criticism… which is, at least, fair. He was really, really really good on the second season of Shrinking (in fairness everyone was). I’d be happy with him winning here, and there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that he could. Colman Domingo is also an interesting choice. He’s fresh off an Oscar nomination, and the Emmys love picks like that. My “anybody the SNL nominee” take is in its record 50th consecutive season. Bowen Yang COULD feasibly come away with a win here, but it’s mostly unlikely given the strength of the other nominees. 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Zach Cherry (Severance)
• Walton Goggins (The White Lotus)
• Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus)
• James Marsden (Paradise)
• Sam Rockwell (The White Lotus)
• Tramell Tillman (Severance)
• John Turturro (Severance)

Who Will Win?

Tramell Tillman (Severance)

I don’t think anyone is expecting anything other than a Tramell Tillman win here. And that’s pretty surely what we’re going to get. His scary and goofy portrayal of the creepy severed floor manager, Seth Milchick has been a fan favorite since day one. He took it to the next level in the second season to the point where he clearly stood out

Who Should Win?

Tramell Tillman (Severance)

This is a packed category full of worthy winners, but I’m going with Tillman here…and it’s not particularly close. I love Zach Cherry’s lovable Dylan G., and he would probably be my second favorite choice. But Tillman deserves the win he will probably get. 

Who Could Win?

Walton Goggins (The White Lotus)

If anyone is going to steal this from the favorite it’s definitely Walton Goggins. Goggins has turned into the primetime Emmys version of Susan Lucci. He’s been nominated three times, snubbed for nominations a million and never won. This feels like the closest he’s ever been. He stood out in the third season of The White Lotus, and if there’s any place the series is most likely to score a win, it’s in this category. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear)
• Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
• Kathryn Hahn (The Studio)
• Janelle James (Abbot Elementary)
• Catherine O’Hara (The Studio)
• Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbot Elementary)
• Jessica Williams (Shrinking)

Who Will Win?

Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear)

This is such a weird situation. Liza Colon-Zayas won last year for her good (not necessarily award winning worthy) performance on the second season of The Bear. The third season was entirely released before the 2024 Emmys, during voting season, and it’s not exactly a stretch to suggest that she won because of Napkins…despite Napkins not being eligible. She SHOULD win an Emmy for Napkin. But I’d argue she “kinda but technically not,” already won it. Regardless, I don’t think it makes much sense if she doesn’t win an Emmy for Napkins, so I’m picking her to win it. Although I wouldn’t be shocked if she doesn’t. And she kinda shouldn’t…but she should. That all makes sense, right?

Who Should Win?

Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)

Can we get Hannah Einbinder a goddamn Emmy? Is that too much to ask? She’s incredible. She’s deserved it three times before this, she deserves it now, and she’s probably the number one person I’m rooting for in this whole thing. Let’s not even talk about the fact that she came out of complete obscurity to land this role with no formal acting training on the professional level and absolutely kills it…for four straight years. Give her an Emmy. If you don’t give her an Emmy, then give it to Jessica Williams. Because, honestly, I might love her more. 

Who Could Win?

Catherine O’Hara (The Studio)

This really is a stacked category, and I don’t think there’s anyone in it that couldn’t lay claim to a win. If I had to pick one that’s not mentioned above, It’s O’Hara. She’s an award show darling. She’s a multi-time winner. She’s in a buzzy show that critics loved, and she’s great in it. She very much could win this. The same goes for Sheryl Lee Ralph who’s won before and Janelle James who hasn’t. Jessica Williams is an absolute FORCE on Shrinking and you hope voters picked up on that. Kathryn Hahn is probably the longshot here…and that’s saying a lot because she’s 1.) Kathryn’s Hahn and 2.) Emmy worth on The Studio. So, in short, anyone can win this category…and everyone is deserving of a win. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Nominees

• Patricia Arquette (Severance)
• Carrie Coon (The White Lotus)
• Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
• Julianne Nicholson (Paradise)
• Parker Posey (The White Lotus)
• Natasha Rothwell (The White Lotus)
• Aimee Lou Wood (The White Lotus)

Who Will Win?

Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)

Katherine LaNasa became the favorite to win this pretty early on when The Pitt started going on a heater with viewers. She’s probably the deepest and most relatable character on the series, and her arc truly resonated with viewers. The performance was flawless.

Who Should Win?

Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)

I was high on LaNasa pretty early on, and I want her to win this award. I’ve got a lot of sour grapes on The White Lotus blocking years of Rhea Seehorn wins, so I think it will be refreshing to see something else win it this time around. Patricia Arquette is certainly worth of the award as well. 

Who Could Win?

Parker Posey (The White Lotus)

I think Parker Posey is the most likely upset winner over LaNasa with everyone else from The White Lotus distantly behind her. Julianne Nicholson, who’s a two-time winner (once for Mare of Easttown and the second time, earlier this week as a guest actress for Hacks…which was one of my favorite performances of the year, btw), is sort of a cliche supervillain in Paradise, and I don’t think she stands much of a shot either. 

Outstanding Directing For a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) “Napkins”
• Lucia Aniello (Hacks) “A Slippery Slope”
• James Burrows (Mid-Century Modern) “Here’s to You Mrs. Schneiderman”
• Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”
• Seth Rogen (The Studio) “The Oner”

Who Will Win?

Ayo Edebiri (The Bear) “Napkins”

Ayo Edebiri might not win for acting this year, but I’d be pretty surprised if she doesn’t win for directing. Napkins is an all-time TV episode. 

Who Should Win?

Nathan Fielder (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”

Who Could Win?

Pilot’s Code was a weird, avant garde masterpiece that deserves recognition. Not sure the Emmys want to put Fielder on a stage to accept an award, though. No clue what will happen. 

Seth Rogen (The Studio) “The Oner”

Again, could see a slow night for The Studio, but we could also see it win everything. If it starts hitting early on the technical awards that will be a good sign that it’s going to roll

Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series

Nominees

• Janus Metz (Andor) “Who Are You?”
• Amanda Marasalis (The Pitt) “6:00P.M.”
• John Wells (The Pitt) “7:00A.M.”
• Jessica Lee Gagne (Severance) “Chikhai Bardo”
• Ben Still (Severance) “Cold Harbor”
• Adam Randall (Slow Horses) “Hello Goodbye”
• Mike White (The White Lotus) “Amor Fati”

Who Will Win?

Amanda Marsalis (The Pitt) “6:00P.M.”

I compile two lists every year; one a list of the best series and the other a list of my favorite TV episodes. The Pitt is currently on both of them, and 6:00PM is my favorite episode of the series, so it’s on the latter. I can’t really get into a lot of reasons why because it would trigger spoilers, but I’ll say this; it’s undoubtedly worthy of a directing Emmy.

Who Should Win?

Ben Stiller (Severance) “Cold Harbor”

Everything I wrote above goes for Cold Harbor, too…which was arguably a better directed episode, and would be my personal pick to win

Who Could Win?

Ben Stiller (Severance) “Cold Harbor)

This is another one of the many “It’s either The Pitt or Severance” situations this year. I’m saying I think The Pitt will win, but if it doesn’t, Severance will. 

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series

Nominees

• Quinta Brunson (Abbot Elementary) “Back To School”
• Lucia Aniello / Paul W. Downs / Jen Statsky (Hacks) “A Slippery Slope”
• Nathan Fielder et al. (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”
• Hannah Bos, Paul Thureen, Bridget Everett (Somebody Somewhere) “AGG”
• Seth Rogen et al. (The Studio) “The Promotion”
• Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms (What We Do in the Shadows) “The Finale”

Who Will Win?

Quinta Brunson (Abbot Elementary) “Back To School”

Brunson has one writing Emmy under her belt, and I think she gets a second this year. It might be the only win for Abbott Elementary for the entire night, and definitely the best chance it has 

Who Should Win?

Nathan Fielder, et al (The Rehearsal) “Pilot’s Code”

Pilots Code was so weird that it could only come from the mind of an absolute lunatic like Nathan Fielder. Again, not sure they want him up there pontificating, but I sure hope they do.

Who Could Win?

Sam Johnson, Sarah Naftalis, Paul Simms (What We Do in the Shadows) “The Finale”

Hey! It’s What We Do in the Shadows! We haven’t talked about that yet! It’s not nominated for as many awards this year as it has been in the past, but given this is the last time it could possibly be recognized, I think it has a better chance at a writing award than it has had in years past. 

Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series

Nominees

• Dan Gilroy (Andor) “Welcome to the Rebellion”
• Joe Sachs (The Pitt) “2:00P.M.”
• R. Scott Gemmill (The Pitt) “7:00A.M.”
• Dan Erickson (Severance) “Cold Harbor”
• Will Smith (Slow Horses) “Hello Goodbye”
• Mike White (The White Lotus) “Full-Moon Party”

Who Will Win?

Dan Erickson (Severance) “Cold Harbor”

Cold Harbor could win both the writing and directing awards or it could lose them both to The Pitt….but if I had to pick one that I think it is going to win, it’s writing. The episode had masterful dialogue.

Who Should Win?

Dan Erickson (Severance) “Cold Harbor”

This time I think Severance should actually beat The Pitt…and I don’t think that for many other categories. 

Who Could Win?

R. Scott Gemmill (The Pitt) “7:00A.M.”

One more time for the folks in the back…if it’s not Severance, it’s gonna be The Pitt. 7:00A.M. Is actually the series pilot. It’s not the best written episode of the season, let alone the best written episode of a drama series in the past year. I think it has a better chance at winning because it was written by showrunner, R. Scott Gemmill, and 2:00P.M. wasn’t. The Emmys think about nonsense like that when none of the rest of us do.

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Colin Farrell (The Penguin)
• Stephen Graham (Adolescence)
• Jake Gyllenhaal (Presumed Innocent)
• Brian Tyree Henry (Dope Thief)
• Cooper Koch (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menedez Story)

Who Will Win?

Colin Farrell (The Penguin)

Farrell’s camp has been lobbying pretty hard for an Emmy, and I think it’ll end up paying off. This wasn’t the first time he took the massive transformation to play the Batman villain. But he did it on such a larger scale that it was truly something MARVELous (see what I did there!?) Colin Farrell acceptance speeches are always a delight. So when he wins it will rule 

Who Should Win?

Stephen Graham (Adolescence)

Stephen Graham’s performance was heartbreaking and perfect. He should beat Farrell, but I don’t think he will. 

Who Could Win?

Brian Tyree Henry (Dope Thief)

Tyree Henry is so far behind Farrell and Graham that it might not even be worth discussing…but he is third in this list. Bet on him if you want to light your money on fire

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer)
• Meghann Fahd (Sirens)
• Rashida Jones (Black Mirror)
• Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
• Michelle Williams (Dying For Sex)

Who Will Win?

Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)

Cristin Milioti has won every other award on the circuit for this role and the Emmy will be the piece de resistance. 

Who Should Win

Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)

Who Could Win

Milioti was the perfect complement to Farrell’s awfulness on The Penguin. She absolutely deserves to win.

Michelle Williams (Dying For Sex)

Again, any other year and it’s Dying for Sex in every category in a landslide. Michelle Willams was Academy Award worthy in the series, and she absolutely deserves to win. Have I said “I loved Dying for Sex yet!?” Milioti is going to be tough if not impossible to beat. If anyone possibly does it, it will be Williams

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Javier Bardem (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story)
• Bill Camp (Presumed Innocent)
• Owen Cooper (Adolescence)
• Rob Delaney (Dying For Sex)
• Peter Sarsgaard (Presumed Innocent)
• Ashley Walters (Adolescence)

Who Will Win?

Owen Cooper (Adolescence)

Owen Cooper is the next great movie star. By the end of the night, Ye shall know his name. His performance in Adolescence was terrifying and gut wrenching. He’s a one-in-a-million actor. Watching him hoist an Emmy tonight is going to be a pretty moving experience 

Who Should Win?

Owen Cooper (Adolescence)

I mean, c’mon. Are we actually doing this? Cooper’s performance is probably the single best performance on television in the last year. There’s no argument you can make that justifies him not being who should win this award.

Who Could Win?

Ashley Walters (Adolescence)

Ashley Walters was so goddamn tremendous in the second episode of Adolescence. No one is beating Cooper. But Walters should also get an Emmy because it’s kinda unfair that anyone should beat him. I also very much would adore the idea of Rob Delaney winning another Emmy. He’s one of my favorite celebrities on planet earth. I simply adore him. He won’t win this, but I loved him in Dying for Sex…in everything really.

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie

Nominees

• Erin Doherty (Adolescence)
• Ruth Negga (Presumed Innocent)
• Deidre O’Connell (The Penguin)
• Chloe Sevigny (Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story)
• Jenny Slate (Dying For Sex)
• Christine Tremarco (Adolescence)

Who Will Win?

Erin Doherty (Adolescence)

Adolescence “Episode 3” is the best episode of television in the last calendar year. Nearly all of it is a single-shot conversation between Owen Cooper and Erin Doherty (the only episode of the series she appears in). It’s one of the single best performances in a series ever. Ain’t no one taking that statue out of her hands tonight 

Who Should Win?

Erin Doherty (Adolescence)

Every word from her mouth. Every breath she took. Every shift of her body. Every reaction to Cooper’s words, breathing and body shifts. Ain’t no one more worthy of an Emmy than Erin Doherty. 

Who Could Win?

Deidre O’Connell (The Penguin)

HEY MA! MA! Deirdre O’Connell’s moving performance in a life of imprisonment by her evil son on The Penguin was a series highlight. She won’t be Erin Doherty for an Emmy, but she’s at least in the conversation of who potentially could in a massive upset. 

What a day! We’ve got Season 2 of James Gunn’s brilliant Peacemaker (a series I ranked in the Top Ten of 2022) dropping tonight at 9PM and seemingly attached to it will be a trailer for the second season of HBO Max’s incredible medical drama The Pitt…that has leaked its way online.

The Pitt is arguably the most well reviewed drama series of 2025 and will compete HEAVILY for Emmys next month. In my opinion it should and will win Outstanding Drama Series.

I also think Noah Wyle (who goes in as the odds-on favorite) will win his first ever Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series.

The series isn’t for the faint of heart, has its flaws and I don’t believe should be binged because there’s so much going on and it really plays into the emotional roller coaster experience. But it’s fantastic and should be watched by anyone who even remotely likes medical drama series.

It’s also been heavily praised by medical professionals for its scientific accuracy and how well it represents the emergency room industry.

The Season 2 trailer certainly looks like we’ll be back in the familiar world of the insane Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center’s Emergency Room. The trailer hints at some potential resolutions for massive Season 1 cliffhangers including what’s going on Dr. Langdon after Patrick Ball, the actor who plays him, was victim of the worst snubbing of the 2025 Emmy nomination process.

Season 2 of The Pitt will be exclusively streaming on HBO Max in January.

The critically acclaimed first season is available to stream right now.

“The average ER doctor gets pulled from task A to task B every three to five minutes

Remind me again why we we picked this specialty 

Because we all have ADHD and anything else would be boring as hell”

A teaser poster for the new Vince Gilligan show is finally here, so let’s all lose our collective shit together and give it the insane deep dive it deserves.

On July 22, 2025 at exactly 3:00pm, it arrived. After years of rumors and speculation Apple TV dropped a teaser poster confirming the most anticipated new television series in at least two years. And, Gilli-Geeks, it’s friggen glorious.

Happiness is Contagious. pic.twitter.com/izGKiHgPIt

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) July 22, 2025

At the time this post published (9PM EST) it had already been seen 1.8M times on X alone.

Nothing Vince Gilligan created has ever been done without the meticulous attention to detail of a serial killer. That’s absolutely the case with this social media post.

What looks like the simplest post of all time clearly has about a dozen of Gilligan’s trademark Easter eggs that are hiding right there in plain sight.

The teaser poster itself has six words. Six measly words. “From the creator of Breaking Bad.” It’s yellow in nature, it has a strange yellow goo inside of a Petri dish with someone using a cotton swab to make a smiley face and the post itself was accompanied on all of Apple’s social media with three more words, “Happiness is Contagious.”

Now…we’ll get into a conspiracy of whether it’s “Contagious” or “contagious” later in this page. Because there IS a difference depending on where you find the post. But for now, let’s get into what the post might tell us about what the show is going to be.

First, the obvious questions…

What is it? What’s it called? When’s it coming? And Who’s in it?

As for “What is it,” Gilligan has been very cautious about giving away anything other than it’s going to contain elements of science fiction (from his old school days of The X-Files) with top notch drama you’ve come to expect with his last two masterpieces.

Earlier this year, Gilligan was awarded the lifetime achievement award at the Writers Guild Award ceremony. He used his speech to express a bit of remorse for creating legendary anti-heroes like Walter White and Saul Goodman and begged writers to create more “good guys,” in the traditional sense. Although he didn’t mention him by name, the plea was certainly directed at the notion that Hollywood characters breaking bad or being the sleazeball you better call probably had a hand in the reverence of people like Donald Trump.

What does that say for his new show? I suspect its lead will be less a drastically flawed anti-hero and more a more traditional champion who you can feel good about rooting for. It would make sense if Gilligan took his own advice.

As for the title, no one knows what this show is actually going to be called. For years it’s had the working title of “Wycaro 339.” That’s what it’s been referred to online despite no one from Apple, Sony or Camp Vince suggesting nor confirming that actually is the actual title of the series (because it almost certainly isn’t).

Vegas odds would certainly put “Happiness is Contagious” as odds-on favorite for the actual title, but that remains to be seen.

I’m starting to talk myself into the idea that it’s going to be called “Happiness is Contagious,” but I also wouldn’t be remotely shocked if it isn’t. If it also isn’t Wycaro 339 (which is the only thing we’ve got to work with), then there’s really not much else we can guess…other than that it’s right in front of us.

The jury is still firmly out on what the title of the series will be…and also when it will air. Fingers crossed for late 2025.

I think the most likely release time is early 2026. That seems to coincide with yesterday’s Ted Lasso reemergence and I think it’s doubtful that it will be here by year’s end. But a boy can hope, guys!

You can also likely expect it to be a weekly episodic drop as Apple rarely drops entire seasons of anything in their entirety. And honestly, who in the absolute hell wants to watch a Vince Gilligan show 8-10 episodes in a row?! Gottta let that shit digest.

To coincide with today’s social media blast, Apple TV’s YouTube channel launched a live countdown to something that’s coming at exactly 3PM (EST) on Friday July 25th.

Nearly everyone online is speculating it’s a trailer.

Fair warning. You’re gonna need to come get me from the hospital on Friday night.

We know the series will star the incomparable Rhea Seehorn. Any other casting information has been incredibly limited. It was reportedly mainly shot in Albuquerque. So it will probably have the same look as other Gilligan series.

What Does “Happiness is Contagious” Mean?

Is this some kind of an outbreak show? We know that it’s got a sci-fi element. Is that a supernatural element? An environmental theme perhaps? And why is “Happiness” the contagion? Perhaps that’s a reference to Seehorn’s character’s unfulfilled life.

Vince Gilligan has a deep rooted history of finding meaningful historical and social contexts for his stories. I found one that seems to fit quite neatly into this one, and I’d like to offer it to you.

Jessica Cerretani, now of Boston Children’s Hospital wrote a Harvard Journal of Medicine article in 2011 entitled “The Contagion of Happiness,” that begins, “Everyone, it seems – from Buddhist monks to psychologist to Charles Schulz to the Beatles has offered opinions on what it means to be happy. And whether you believe that bliss is found with a warm puppy, a Prozac prescription or the pages of self-help books, you likely crave more of it.”

The article discusses the medical, scientific and sociological explanations for happiness and why humans seek it interminably.

It’s absolutely plausible that Gilligan would create a show about the pursuit of happiness…and equally as plausible that he’d draw inspiration from an easily accessible Harvard study on how to pursue it.

Speaking of Charles Schulz, “Happiness” is also the closing number of the Broadway production of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” …whose colors famously happen to be…

What’s With All the Yellow and the Harvey Ball Smiley Face?

We have no idea why Gilligan would reference Harvey Ball, a famous artist from Worcester, MA in this poster…but he did it for sure. Harvey Ball created the yellow smiley face. The symbol obviously represents happiness and euphoria. Ball’s smiley face has also become synonymous with the phrase “have a nice day.”

The colors (both in the forefront and the background of the poster) and the drawn smiley face markedly resemble Ball’s most famous work.

Is it “Contagious” or “contagious”

The X (formally twitter) post says, “Happiness is Contagious,” while the current Instagram version says, “Happiness is contagious.” I might be crazy, but I think the Instagram post is possibly edited. I thought it was capitalized when I first saw it, and now it is not. I could be wrong. Unsurprisingly I looked at every Breaking Bad / Better Call Saul account you can imagine today. So they’re starting to blend in my pea brain.

Regardless, if Contagious is capitalized that suggests it’s could be a proper noun. It’s not capitalized in other official show(s) social media accounts (more on that below)

Further, is Happiness a place or a person? It’s also capitalized in all social media posts. Theoretically it doesn’t have to be as punctuation doesn’t really matter with these things. Happiness could be someone’s name, nickname or even the thing that they’re running away from.

Most likely it’s capitalized because this is a show about the quest for enlightenment and how to spread it and that will run as a heavy subtle underlying theme throughout. If it’s set in a town called Happiness that would be cheesy but also make a lot of sense.

What’s with the Petri dish and cotton swab (and whose finger is that?)

We have to assume that’s Rhea Seehorn’s hand, right?It’s pretty likely that this show will have some sort of medical research element to it. Not much of a surprise given the importance of those things in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.

But we’ve been told this is a complete break from that universe….but should we believe that?

Why was the post shared on the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul social media pages?

Almost certainly the answer to that question is that they wanted as much exposure to this as possible and so many people follow those pages. But perhaps that’s not what’s going on here….shenanigans are afoot? SHENANIGANS!

The Breaking Bad X account has been dormant since September of 2024. The Better Call Saul account last tweeted in February of this year. They both sprung to life to promote this series.

Although there’s no actual reason to believe it has anything to do with the Breaking Bad universe, it still hasn’t been formally ruled out by anyone. When Gilligan made El Camino he did so explicitly under an incredible level of secrecy and emphatically denied that he was doing it until it was officially reported otherwise.

He also flew Bryan Cranston out from New York City overnight with military level security to shoot his scenes.

Look…we’re talking one percent…a fraction of one percent chance here. But there’s still a chance.

My most educated guess is that Gilligan’s new series starring Rhea Seehorn will heavily rely on the theme of the pursuit of happiness and will include a cast of characters looking for it in a manner where you fall in love with all of them. But it’s not really hard to fall in love with any character that Gilligan has created. So it should be an easy task.

It seems pretty likely that there will also be a constant theme of the series that highlights why people want to be happy. A theme that’s literally been studied by Harvard researchers.

…and truly, leave it to the great Vince Gilligan to save the planet by shining a massive light on the importance of Happiness (with a capital H) in a world shroud in such inalienable misery, right now. Am I here for it? You’re god damn right, I am.

Did I miss anything? Register for an account and comment below.

Or better yet, share it on your social media accounts. Feel free to capitalize whatever you want.

I love you all. Have a nice day.

I think you’re all made of sterner stuff.

Emmy Nominations drop today at 1135am (ET). There’s a 100% chance it will be chock full of recycled nominations from years past.

I’ll certainly be back after the nominations are announced to give my reactions. But for now, here are ten ways the Emmys could do it right in my eye.

1. Taylor Dearden – Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (The Pitt)

2. Tramell Tillman – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Severance)

3. Jacob Anderson – Oustanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (Interview With the Vampire)

4. Nathan Fielder – Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series (The Rehearsal)

5. Britt Lower – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (Severance)

6. Selena Gomez – Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Only Murders in the Building)

7. Patrick Ball – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (The Pitt)

8. The Entire Cast of Shrinking for Supporting Actor/Actress in a Comedy Series (Harrison Ford / Jessica Williams / Luke Tennie / Michael Urie / Lukita Maxwell / Christa Miller / Ted McGinley and Brett Goldstein)

9. Jonathan Pryce – Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series (Slow Horses)

10. English Teacher – Outstanding Comedy Series

When Emmy nominations drop on July 15th, it will only be a matter of seconds before the angry tweets start a’rollin’ in…

“The Bear’ isn’t a comedy series! How is it dominating the Comedy categories, AGAIN!?”

Or, this…

Comedian Matt Damon, from comedy!

— rob delaney (@robdelaney) January 11, 2016

For a long time I have been a massive proponent of systematic change with respect to award shows categorizing television genres; specifically in comedy. It’s pretty obvious that in the “golden age of television,” you’ve got more than just comedy and drama. You’ve got a much larger percentage of series being both of those things…or neither. But for some reason the Emmys and the Golden Globes either don’t agree…or they’re just lazy.

In all likelihood, FX’s standout series, “The Bear” will be heavily represented in the next month’s Emmy nominations for comedy, but there’s clearly beginning to be organized pushback.

Just this weekend AV Club reported Comedy Writers are getting Kind of Sick of The Bear Winning all those comedy Emmys. 

As well they should be. If you’re involved with writing, directing or acting in a comedy series that aligns to comedy in the much more traditional sense and you’re losing recognition to a series that very much isn’t comedy, it’s got to be frustrating as hell. If you’re trying to make people laugh, it seems kind of ridiculous that you’d be losing comedy recognition to shows that actively are not.

To be honest, I don’t think The Bear will continue to win or be nominated for a lot more comedy Emmys than it has in the past. The third season was presumably its worst, and the public seems to have lost interest (which is a shame because I personally enjoyed the third season a lot).

Seth Rogen’s “The Studio,” seems poised to possibly take over the crown as television critics’ darling comedy series and perennial winners “Hacks,”and “Abbott Elementary,” are still holding strong. I’d be very surprised if The Bear repeats in more than a handful of its past few wins, if it even does at all. 

The Bear isn’t a traditional comedy series in any sense. Neither is Nathan Fielder’s absolutely brilliant second season of HBO’s The Rehearsal which also might garner a bunch of Emmy nominations including one for Outstanding Comedy Series as well as an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series nomination for Fielder who ironically would probably cop to not even acting in it at all.

At least with The Bear, the harrowing anxiety and top-notch drama is regularly sprinkled with laugh out loud moments. 

The Rehearsal is something entirely different. I aggressively hated its first season and was initially mad at it for not being anything remotely as funny as Fielder’s first HBO project, “How To With John Wilson.” I punched out of the first season of The Rehearsal after only two episodes and only returned to it years later when its second season received such massive critical acclaim that my curiosity pushed me back in.

After finishing the first season, I found nothing about it funny, barely believed any of it was real, and didn’t hate it any less.

However, you can now 100% count me in as one of the critics who adored The Rehearsal’s second season and it will not only chart high on my year-end list in December but I’m now actively rooting for it to receive a handful of Emmy nominations (something that didn’t happen for Fielder’s 2023 Showtime series, “The Curse” which I also loved, but sort of watched with glee as less than 10% of people I recommended it to got past its first few episodes before giving up on it). But on the giant laundry list of things I loved about The Rehearsal, I’m not even sure that being funny even appears.

In fact, the first time I found myself cackling at The Rehearsal wasn’t until twenty-five minutes into the fourth episode of its second season.

My laugh came from the absurdness of an “extra” (if you can even call him that) watching his real life girlfriend acting a make-out scene and rooting her on like Timothée Chalamet celebrating an overtime win at a Knick game. Sort of a throw-away laugh that might not have even landed on all viewers.

The Rehearsal’s humor is used sparingly, and quite honestly, that’s a good thing as it doesn’t need to be funny to do its job. But should it be celebrated as one of the best comedy series on television if it’s really not funny?

HBO recently announced that it would be submitting The Rehearsal in the comedy categories at the Emmys when people started to question if it should be submitted as a documentary…or even a drama. HBO’s decision is almost certainly because Fielder identifies himself as a comedian despite the show not really being funny much…if even at all.

…Or is it? Who am I to say? I mean, who decides these things?

“Why Are You Laughing?” is a self-described history of comedy podcast hosted by “Blind” Mike Geary of BlindMike.net His weekly podcast highlights historic moments in stand-up comedy history, memorable stand-up albums and also compiles an annual end-of-the-year ranking of the best stand-up specials of the past twelve months.

Its title reflects the subjective standard of what defines mainstream humor. Geary’s comedy tastes are obviously uniquely his own, but he often attempts to streamline the medium to both acknowledge its standouts and bring awareness to old and new comedians to new audiences who might be unaware of certain performers. As a big stand-up fan myself (I always make it a point to include one special on my year-end “Best of TV” list) “Why Are You Laughing?” has been one of my favorite podcasts since it debuted in 2021.

In a recent episode Geary talked about why he didn’t include Bo Burnham on his list of the top 19 living stand-up comedians.

“I’m a huge Bo Burnham fan,” Geary explains. “I feel like he’s tremendously innovative and influential, but I kinda feel what he does is different from standup.” 

It’s a little weird that even in a podcast that exists to highlight stand-up comedians, the podcast host won’t include Bo Burnham as a stand-up comedian when Bo Burnham would obviously describe himself as one…yet in the mind of the TV awards business either you’re comedy or you aren’t, and that’s that.

I, myself, am also a huge Bo Burnham fan. I not only cite his 2021 comedy special, “Inside” as arguably my favorite comedy special of all time, I ranked it as the top series of 2021, and its soundtrack remains one of my favorite musical albums of the last two decades. 

It’s at least understandable why you could include Burnham in a list of the top 19 living stand-up comedians. It’s also understandable why you wouldn’t.

But it can be hard to decide when comedy stops and when “it’s not comedy” begins. If the opposite of making you laugh is making you cry, then some of the best comedies on television are failing miserably at it in the best ways possible.

Apple TV’s “Shrinking” (which I regularly describe as “my favorite show on television right now”), is obviously a comedy series, but it also lays on the emotional rollercoaster brutally thick.

Mostly due to Shrinking’s brilliant performances I found myself crying at more than half of the episodes of the second season of it. We’re not talking, “tearing up a little,” crying. We’re talking “all-out bawling on an elliptical in my basement on more than one occasion, crying”….and I quickly learned that I wasn’t alone.

Finished season 2 of Shrinking. I did good and didn’t cry the entire show…

But that season two finale BROKE ME.
Damn those writers!!! pic.twitter.com/t1XvSHXoEg

— Cindy Noir✨ (@thecindynoir) February 25, 2025

As I started talking about the series to other friends and family who also worshipped it on the same level they all described similar reactions; calling the viewing experience of it akin to therapy.

Shrinking isn’t just funny. It’s touching, beautiful and unmatchably relatable. A far cry from the sitcoms of the 80’s and 90’s; or the absurdity-comedy shows of the 2000’s like Parks & Recreation or The Office.

It’s way past the time to stop classifying comedy series as essentially anything that aren’t traditional drama series.

The award organizations should move toward a system like the Oscars where series aren’t categorically clumped into neat genres and instead reward the series for overall quality and innovation. 

But for now we might as well just sit back and bask in the likely epic battle ahead of us between Nathan Fielder and Jeremy Allen White for the title of the funniest actor on television.