The Emmys are on NBC tonight! I’m mad at them for snubbing Station Eleven — and lots of other shows but that’s the one that most sticks in my craw — so here’s a list of a bunch of shows that are not nominated for Emmys1.
House of the Dragon (HBO)
I have some thoughts.
The world of the original Game of Thrones series was huge. From the very first season, we were following three entirely separate families: the Lannisters, the Starks, and the Targaryans. Each family had 2-7 “main” characters and they were all over the world! Up north to the wall, south to Dorne, wherever in the desert Daenerys was hanging out. We met people from all walks of life in each of these places, not just the “noble” families we were following but workers, pages, craftsmen, teachers, players, priests, maesters, etc. The characters were allowed to have plotlines that seemed not to connect to the “main” story at all. Was there even a main story? The fate of the Starks, the impending winter, Dany’s dragons. Those plots allowed for lots of mess-arounds and detours and different types of stories to be told. So far in the new series we have one family. One location (with brief visits to the sea). One goal. All of the stories are about who’s going to be heir. There’s no room to breathe. Everyone starts to feel the same, look the same, talk the same. Rhaenyra and Daemon and Viserys, the queen that never was, Otto Hightower, the Sea Snake. They all just want that pointy throne and the power around it. Daemon is the most interesting character because at least he’s somewhat unpredictable, but even his unpredictability becomes rote after a while. Where’s our Tyrion, our Brienne of Tarth, our Petyr Baelish? Where’s the texture of this world? Why, when Rhaenyra goes out in the night dressed like a boy (I love a fantasy trope, as always), does the world feel so narrow and cramped, the same tiny streets, the same few gloomy rooms? I’m not at the point of giving up on it (it might get better!) but I’m frustrated.
Bad Sisters (Apple)
This is a very fun show and me telling you about it now means that you can catch up before it finishes airing its full season. Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe) developed the series about 5 sisters who may or may not have teamed up to murder an absolutely atrocious brother-in-law. I could see any of them murdering him, or to be honest any of the people he randomly interacts with literally everywhere he goes. His awfulness is extreme, but also specific: he’s a creep and a manipulator and controlling but he’s just shy of violent himself, and never does anything technically illegal. So yes, I definitely want the girls to have murdered him, but it’s the cumulative effect of everything he says, not because he’s actually such a demonstrably bad person he deserves to die. Every sister is perfect, so it’s impossible to pick a favorite, and I want to live in every single one of their stunning Irish houses. Plus there are the adorable insurance half-brothers investigating the possible murder who I love almost equally, even though I want the sisters to get away with it, if they actually did it, which is still an open question. You should watch it and then send me your theories!
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon)
You know what? It’s really good. I think it shines in comparison to House of the Dragon (it is playful, colorful, lived-in, exciting, lots of different types of personalities some of which are essentially good) and it holds its own in comparison to the original Lord of the Rings trilogy2. The credit sequence is a beautiful marvel – more on the inspiration for it here – and once you get past the first episode there’s a story that’s worth following, and not just as a “who forged the rings” guessing game. I look forward to watching it every week.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+)
This show can have its cringey moments, but I’m slowly becoming a She-Hulk defender, because I think everyone who complains about it is wrong. I laugh regularly, Tatiana Maslany is doing a great job, and the guest stars are top-notch. I just hope they use Josh Segarra and Renee Elise Goldsberry more before it ends.
The Patient (Fx/Hulu)
Very watchable, great performances from Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson3, but this is an absolutely egregious example of a movie that has been chopped up into small pieces so it can be called a series. I’m happy to watch it but I don’t like being hoodwinked!
Reservation Dogs (FX/Hulu)
Such a great season two — keeping it up from a stellar season one. I particularly liked Amber Midthunder’s guest spot appearance and the land acknowledgment that keeps going further and further back: “And before that even, the dinosaur nation.”
What We Do In the Shadows (FX/Hulu)
An entire new season of this show aired before I had a chance to put it in the newsletter. It was great!
Sandman (Netflix)
I prefer Neil Gaiman’s work for children (The Graveyard Book and Coraline are modern classics) and never got into these comics, so this one was never going to be a slam dunk for me. The one episode I watched had a cool look and seemed extremely faithful to what I remember from the comics, though.
This Fool (Hulu)
A charming comedy that I wished had slightly more edge to it.
Industry (HBO)
Several years behind the curve with this one, but it’s very good! It’s Euphoria + Succession set in a London investment bank. I’m only a couple episodes in and my only complaint is that there 2 (possibly 3?) white blond-ish British guys who are impossible to tell apart. But that’s a problem that usually resolves itself over time.
That’s it for now. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks or months. Reminder: The Good Fight is back, so reactivate your Paramount+!
Because they’re not currently eligible.
The Hobbit need not be mentioned.
General Hux fangirl for life.