The 2025 Emmy Awards nominations will be announced on July 15, and there are a number of fantastic TV shows and performers that deserve recognition. This has been an outstanding year for television. The comedy series have been more over-the-top and clever with their humor, with fantastic new seasons of What We Do in the Shadowsand Only Murders in the Building, as well as the debut of excellent new series, like A Man on the Insideand Overcompensating.
This has also been a phenomenal season for drama 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 Us Season 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 to the 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 as Ellie’s quest to get revenge for Joel’s murder. The second season of The Last of Us focuses 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.
9
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ (2017–2025)
Created by Bruce Miller
The sixth and final season of The 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 bombed before 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 of The Handmaid’s Tale is 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 in the upcoming spin-off series based on Margaret Atwood‘s follow-up to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments.
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, as it 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 of Slow Horses is 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 as the show’s signature blend of suspense and dark comedy.
7
‘Yellowjackets’ (2021–)
Created by Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson
In YellowjacketsSeason 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, because it 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 of the 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.
6
‘The White Lotus’ (2021–)
Created by Mike White
Season 3 of The 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 of The White Lotus blends comedy and suspense for a wildly entertaining installment, all as it builds up to that tragic and unforgettable conclusion that ultimately felt both shocking and inevitable.
5
‘Andor’ (2022–2025)
Created by Tony Gilroy
The second and final season of Andor brings the show to an emotional and intense conclusion, both giving Cassian (Diego Luna) a satisfying character arc as he takes on a crucial role in the Rebellion,and setting up the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Season 2 of Andor packs quite a punch, with multiple shocking reveals, most notably the twist about the Death Star.
While it was always clear that Andor‘s ending would have to take Cassian to where he was at the start of Rogue 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 and been raising her and Cassian’s baby after leaving in the season’s ninth episode.
4
‘Paradise’ (2025–)
Created by Dan Fogelman
Season 1 of Paradisefollows 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 speech soon after getting caught. The season urges viewers to 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 of Interview 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 to a revelation that makes him question everything about the last 77 years.
Interview with the Vampire Season 2 both honors the original Anne Ricenovel while also making a number of brilliant changes that 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.
2
‘The Pitt’ (2025–)
Created by R. Scott Gemmill
Season 1 of The Pitt focuses 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 Pitt both embraces its status as a medical drama, and brings something new to the genre through 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.
1
‘Severance’ (2022–)
Created by Dan Erickson
Season 2 of Severance focuses on the 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 of Severance is an incredible follow-up to the show’s first installment, with higher stakes, more experimental episodes, and a devastating yet perfect conclusion. Severance is 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.
