Here's What We Need to See With the Emmy Nominations: From 'The Pitt' to 'Outlander' to 'Widow's Bay'

Will the Emmy nominations surprise us or be the same old story? Vote for your top Emmy picks.

Kate O’Flynn, Sam Heughan, Caitríona Balfe, Rhea Seehorn. Matthew Rhys, Tom Pelphrey, Jean Smart, Karolina Wydra, and Patina Miller

The past year of television has brought us some great new shows, continuations to television staples and endings to long-running series. The 78th Emmy nominations for 2025-2026 are about to drop tomorrow. This year marks a final bow for Outlander, Hacks, The Bear, The Boys and more. Aramide Tinubu (Television Critic, Variety) and Kate Erbland (Editorial Director, IndieWire) join Son of a Binge’s Emmy podcast to reveal their top picks for who they want to see earning a nomination.

We break down the shows that have been largely ignored by the Television Academy, what shows you won’t sadly won’t see getting recognition, why The Bear has never belonged in comedy and why it might not see much Emmy recognition this round. Widow’s Bay is a new entree on the table, and is pushing The Bear off the menu, with Matthew Rhys leading the horror comedy. Pluribus brings us to new apocalyptic heights but with a dose of much needed humor. But it’s drama. I know it’s confusing. Dramas can be funny. (Bear).

Cast Your Votes - Emmy Nominations 2026

The official Emmy nominations will be announced on July 8. Here’s your chance to weigh in on your picks.

Rhea Seehorn might have this locked with her apocolyptic antics in Pluribus. But since its the first season, hoping the Television Academy recognizes those they haven’t been watching for years. Patina Miller ends her run on Raising Kanan and Tinubu says her work has been stand out, yet largely ignored. Similarly, will Caitríona Balfe finally get the Emmy acknowledgement and accolades for her work over the last 10 years? Outlander leads Caitríona Balfe and Sam Heughan have been consistently overlooked by the Television Academy for their work over the last decade. In the earlier seasons, their performances should have earned them Emmy nominations. Stand out episodes for Balfe in season 2 was “Faith,” which if you were re-watch today, it’s mind-boggling she didn’t receive one back then. Heughan’s work in the season 1 finale “To Ransom a Man’s Soul,” was especially heartbreaking, covering a topic not often seen on television. Season 8 of Outlander allowed Heughan to cover more ground emotionally. And Balfe’s performance in the series finale will take your breath away. (It literally took Heughan’s breath away. His character was dead for most of the last 20 minutes of the episode). It’s rare to have a show run for a decade and keep viewers hooked. Sit down, Grey’s Anatomy, no one is talking to you!

Glenn Whipp of the LA Times said, “Now that Outlander is over, it’s time to pour one out for Balfe. Over the course of eight seasons, she hopscotched through time, enduring and overcoming numerous assaults and kidnappings, dealing with grief and trauma and enjoying lots of emotionally grounded sex. Balfe has earned a final reward.”

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Chase Infiniti is living up to her Handmaid’s Tale mothership, with her performance in The Testaments, but like Pluribus, the dystopian drama is just getting started, so there will be plenty of time for their awards.

The Pitt will most likely dominate, with Wyle bringing it home. Season 2 of the hit medical show is the very definition of television excellence. And if you watch it in one weekend, you will feel like you went to med school.

In supporting, we have the usual contenders from “The Pitt,” like LaNasa, but “Pluribus” brought Karolina Wydra onto the screen, and her performance is like the lyrics in Daniel Seavey’s hit new song, her “love’s a gun.” It will pierce you right through the heart. You won’t even see her coming. And if she’s not on screen for one episode, like that time Rhea Seehorn’s lead character made them all go away for 60 painful minutes, you’ll miss her presence. Tinubu says Sepideh Moafie wowed her in this season of The Pitt. Let’s be honest, is there anyone on The Pitt that is not exceptional?

Jean Smart is most likely going to take this home for her final spin as the Hacks icon. But Lisa Kudrow’s um, comeback is also worth some recognition.

Kate O’Flynn’s performance in the episode of Widow’s Bay where she reads a self-help book that tells her she needs to have a party to be more popular is a perfect hour of television. Erbland explains why she believes O’Flynn is the sleeper hit of the Emmy season.

Tinubu says Love Story worked because of Sarah Pidgeon. Claire Danes is phenomenal in The Beast in Me, and of course she launched a thousand meme videos. And we watch every single one.

Is Matthew Rhys going to win two Emmys? Time will tell.

Tinubu and Erbland want everyone to watch DTF St. Louis, and they shout out Linda Cardellini’s performance in particular.

Check back here for the Emmy nominations post-mortem chat with Awards Heaven’s Robert Licuria and Variety’s Jazz Tangcay.