The 2025Emmy Awardsnominations will be announced on July 15, and there are a number of fantasticTV showsand performers that deserve recognition. This has been an outstanding year fortelevision. The comedy series have been more over-the-top and clever with their humor, with fantastic new seasons ofWhat We Do in the ShadowsandOnly Murders in the Building, as well as the debut of excellent new series, likeA Man on the InsideandOvercompensating.
This has also been a phenomenal season fordrama series, both new and returning.The returning drama series delivered bolder new seasons with shocking twists and suspenseful cliffhangers. The new drama series introduced well-written characters and high stakes, kicking off with strong first installments. These are the TV shows that deserve to be nominated for best drama series at the 2025 Emmys.
10’The Last of Us' (2023–)
Created by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin
The Last of UsSeason 2 picks up five years after the Season 1 finale, but Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are still dealing with the fallout of Joel killing the Fireflies at the hospital in order to save Ellie’s life. This, of course, leads tothe brutal murder of Joel in the second episode of the season. After his death, Ellie becomes the season’s protagonist.
The rest of the installment focuses on both Ellie’s relationship with Dina (Isabela Merced) and their preparation to become parents together, as well asEllie’s quest to get revengefor Joel’s murder. The second season ofThe Last of Usfocuses heavily on its characters and their arcs,smoothly shifting focus from Joel to Ellie as she deals with her grief and anger in the face of his death.
The Last Of Us
After a global pandemic destroys civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year-old girl who may be humanity’s last hope.
9’The Handmaid’s Tale' (2017–2025)
Created by Bruce Miller
The sixth and final season ofThe Handmaid’s Talebuilds up to its suspenseful and emotional conclusion, in which the Handmaids are arrested and sentenced to execution in the penultimate episode of the series.This leads to a massive rebellion, in which the Commanders' plane is bombedbefore they can get to D.C. The series ends on a sad yet hopeful note, as Boston is now free, but the fight is not over.
The final season ofThe Handmaid’s Taleis a satisfying conclusion to the series that gives the characters a proper ending, and gives June (Elisabeth Moss) the perfect end to her character arc. It also still leaves a number of storylines open so that they can be explored inthe upcoming spin-off seriesbased onMargaret Atwood’s follow-up toThe Handmaid’s Tale,The Testaments.
The Handmaid’s Tale
8’Slow Horses' (2022–)
Created by Will Smith
Slow HorsesSeason 4 follows the Slough House team in the wake of the bombing of the Westacres shopping center. The season gives a deeper look into River’s (Jack Lowden) family history, asit builds up to the shocking reveal that Frank Harkness (Hugo Weaving) is River’s biological father. The season ends with a surprisingly touching moment between Lamb (Gary Oldman) and River, as the two have a drink together.
The fourth season ofSlow Horsesis an excellent additional installment in the spy drama that also leaves things open for the upcoming fifth season,which will be released this coming fall. Season 4 has a number of well-written plot twists and important moments of character development, as well asthe show’s signature blend of suspense and dark comedy.
Slow Horses
7’Yellowjackets' (2021–)
Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson
InYellowjacketsSeason 3, the present-day Yellowjackets deal with the mysterious death of Lottie (Simone Kessell), as well as the appearance of a tape that holds some damning evidence against the Yellowjackets from back in the wilderness. The past timeline this season is particularly haunting and memorable, becauseit sees the deaths of a number of beloved characters, as the Yellowjackets reach new and more horrifying heights.
The Season 3 finale is the perfect conclusion to the season, and it provides answers to a number ofthe series' biggest questions. The season ends with the tragic death of Mari (Alexa Barajas), and the subsequent escape of Nat (Sophie Thatcher), who has managed to make contact with civilization.It’s the perfect answer to how the Yellowjackets were saved, but it also leaves a significant period of time unaccounted for, in which it’s already been confirmed that at least one more person died.
Yellowjackets
A wildly talented high school girls' soccer team become the unlucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Canadian wilderness.
6’The White Lotus' (2021–)
Created by Mike White
Season 3 ofThe White Lotustakes the anthology series to a White Lotus resort in Thailand. This White Lotus puts a focus on healing and spirituality, with specific details like a rule against cell phones, and regular meetings with wellness coaches. The season centers on both the staff of the White Lotus, as well as three main groups of guests:a family on the verge of financial ruin, a group of longtime friends with hidden resentment towards each other, and a couple who are plagued by a major secret.
The season also sees the return of Belinda (Natasha Rothwell) and Greg (Jon Gries), giving a surprising and interesting conclusion to that series-long storyline.The entire third season ofThe White Lotusblends comedy and suspense for a wildly entertaining installment, all as it builds up tothat tragic and unforgettable conclusionthat ultimately felt both shocking and inevitable.
The White Lotus
The White Lotus is a television series that explores the interactions of guests and staff at an upscale tropical resort. Premiering in 2021, the narrative unfolds over a week, revealing underlying complexities and tensions among the resort’s seemingly ideal travelers and employees.
5’Andor' (2022–2025)
Created by Tony Gilroy
The second and final season ofAndorbrings the show to an emotional and intense conclusion, both giving Cassian (Diego Luna) a satisfying character arcas he takes on a crucial role in the Rebellion,and setting up the events ofRogue One: A Star Wars Story. Season 2 ofAndorpacks quite a punch, with multiple shocking reveals, most notably the twist about the Death Star.
While it was always clear thatAndor’s ending would have to take Cassian to where he was at the start ofRogue One,the actual conclusion is done incredibly well, and leaves viewers deep in thought long after the very last scene. It also comes with a shocking final twist, in which it’s revealed that Bix (Adria Arjona) has since given birth to andbeen raising her and Cassian’s babyafter leaving in the season’s ninth episode.
Prequel series to Star Wars' ‘Rogue One’. In an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue, Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a Rebel hero.
4’Paradise' (2025–)
Created by Dan Fogelman
Season 1 ofParadisefollows lead Secret Service Agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown), as he investigates the murder of the President of the United States, Cal Bradford (James Marsden).This investigation is made all the more difficult by the fact that this murder occurs three years after the apocalypse, in a sealed underground bunker made up of only 25,000 people.
Paradise’s first season combines a political thriller with a post-apocalyptic drama, to tell a truly impactful and unforgettable story. The season finale gives a satisfying and shocking reveal to the murder mystery, but even more important is the killer’s haunting speechsoon after getting caught. The season urges viewersto consider complex moral and ethical questions,particularly through its penultimate episode, “The Day.”
3’Interview with the Vampire' (2022–)
Created by Rolin Jones
The second season ofInterview with the Vampiretakes Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) from New Orleans to Paris after their attempted killing of Lestat (Sam Reid). There, they meet Armand (Assad Zaman) and his coven, Théâtre des Vampires. In the present day, Daniel (Eric Bogosian) continues to ask Louis all the right questions, which leads toa revelation that makes him question everything about the last 77 years.
Interview with the VampireSeason 2 both honors the originalAnne Ricenovel while alsomaking a number of brilliant changesthat result in an absolutely incredible season of television.The tragedy of Claudia’s death has been looming over the series since its beginning, and “I Could Not Prevent It” is somehow even more devastating and disturbing in its executionthan could have been predicted.
Interview with the Vampire
Based on Anne Rice’s iconic novel, follow Louis de Pointe’s epic story of love, blood and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy.
2’The Pitt' (2025–)
Created by R. Scott Gemmill
Season 1 ofThe Pittfocuses on Dr. Robby (Noah Wyle) during a 15-hour shift in the Emergency Room of Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. The entire season takes place over the course of a single day, with each episode covering one hour of the shift.This is a particularly tough day for Robby, because it is the fourth anniversary of his mentor’s death, and the first time he’s worked this day since.
The Pittboth embraces its status as a medical drama, and brings something new to the genrethrough its unique structure. The entire season feels very grounded in this one shift, as each loss and difficult patient slowly starts to take its toll on the doctors and nurses.The last few episodes are particularly intense and heart-wrenching, as the staff of the PTMC ER have to tend to the survivors of a mass shooting.
The Pitt is a medical drama developed by veterans of the television series ER. The series will follow healthcare workers set in Pittsburgh, showing he challenges faced in the modern-day United States by nurses, doctors, and other medical professionals.
1’Severance' (2022–)
Created by Dan Erickson
Season 2 ofSeverancefocuses onthe aftermath of the OTC, and its effect on both the innies' and outies' lives going forward. The season has a number of phenomenal twists, including the reveal that Helena (Britt Lower) started impersonating Helly (also Lower) after the OTC, that Gemma (Dichen Lachman) has been severed into multiple different innies for a disturbing Lumon project, and that Cobel (Patricia Arquette) is actually the one who invented the severance procedure.
The second season ofSeveranceis an incredible follow-up to the show’s first installment,with higher stakes, more experimental episodes, and a devastating yet perfect conclusion.Severanceis unlike anything else on television, and its second season proves that the show knows exactly what it’s doing, as it chooses when and how to carefully share pieces of information with viewers.
Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs.
