For an Emmy season that looked more than a little underwhelming<\/a> just a few weeks ago, those intrigues offer a wrinkle or two, something for us to chew on as we search for a candle that doubles as a receptacle for hot caramel sauce<\/a>, as seen in the just-released final season of \u201cThe Bear\u201d \u2014 a season that, because of its June release, won\u2019t be eligible until 2027.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, here\u2019s what we can look for this year. <\/p>\n Comedy series Matthew Rhys and Stephen Root in \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n (Apple)<\/p>\n \u201cAbbott Elementary\u201d Possible surprise: \u201cRooster\u201d Google \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d and your first result will be: \u201cDid you mean: the next Martha\u2019s Vineyard and definitely not cursed.\u201d It\u2019s an inspired bit of marketing for a series that found the sweet spot between comedy and horror, making us shriek with laughter and revulsion, sometimes simultaneously. <\/p>\n The Apple TV series premiered on April 29, arriving so late that only seven of its 10 episodes are eligible for Emmy consideration. Apple had considered bumping it to October, so it could establish a beachhead with guild and Globes voters before competing at the 2027 Emmys, but decided to enter the fray this year to compete with shows that, while still favorites, are a bit past their prime. <\/p>\n The inaugural season of \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d evolved as a classic slow burn, establishing the world of its cursed New England island with care and then burrowing into its characters and lore with the kind of detail that prompts full-blown obsession. The 811-song playlist<\/a> that Patricia made for her Sunset Cocktails party<\/a>? Who doesn\u2019t have a spare 60 hours to listen? Mining the multitude of horror movie references that the show ingenuously employs? Of course! Something\u2019s wrong with you if you didn\u2019t rewatch \u201cJaws\u201d after the episode where, out at sea, Stephen Root\u2019s cantankerous Wyck has his own Captain Quint<\/a> USS Indianapolis monologue<\/a>. <\/p>\n The question now: Did \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d have enough time to hook Emmy voters? Or am I just so taken with this show, a series I myself came to late, that my enthusiasm is clouding my judgment? Short answer: \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d may not get every nomination it deserves. (The late arrival makes its extraordinary season finale ineligible.) But I don\u2019t think you can argue with perfection.<\/p>\n Comedy actress Ayo Edebiri, left, with Liza Colon-Zayas in Season 4 of \u201cThe Bear.\u201d<\/p>\n (FX)<\/p>\n Quinta Brunson, \u201cAbbott Elementary\u201d Possible surprise: Kristen Bell, \u201cNobody Wants This\u201d Remember when the biggest Emmy question about \u201cThe Bear\u201d revolved around whether it belonged in the comedy categories? Now, after a couple of seasons that tried viewers\u2019 patience when it came to narrative momentum, it\u2019s fair to wonder whether the series \u2014 and its cast \u2014 will continue to be nominated. In the absence of anything better and because the show, even when spinning its wheels, continues to offer much to enjoy, I think \u201cThe Bear\u201d is safe for now. And its final season, which dropped after voting ended, reaffirms just how good the series and its stars can be when it\u2019s cooking.<\/p>\n Comedy actor Martin Short, right, with \u201cOnly Murders in the Building\u201d co-stars Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. <\/p>\n (Patrick Harbron \/ Disney)<\/p>\n Steve Carell, \u201cRooster\u201d Possible surprise: Adam Brody, \u201cNobody Wants This\u201d It\u2019s worth remembering that \u201cThe Studio\u201d won comedy series last year, and its co-creator, Seth Rogen, prevailed here. In its absence, this category is open for business, with Rhys, so good at shifting between his show\u2019s droll humor and genuine terror, an obvious choice. Short figures to get a small boost from the Netflix documentary \u201cMarty, Life Is Short,\u201d which offers a moving look at the losses he has endured over the years and his inspiring endurance. Short has never won an acting Emmy and you know he\u2019d give a great speech.<\/p>\n Comedy supporting actress Kate O\u2019Flynn in \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay.\u201d<\/p>\n (Robert Clark \/ Apple TV)<\/p>\n Hannah Einbinder, \u201cHacks\u201d Possible surprise: K Callan, \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d Last note (I promise) on \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay.\u201d Because its season finale aired after the May 31 eligibility deadline, K Callan\u2019s showcase episode opposite Rhys isn\u2019t eligible, though anyone who watched the series might be inclined to vote for the 90-year-old actor anyway. Dorothy\u2019s walk down memory lane, filled with tantalizing stories (\u201cHe got bit by an animal and became that animal,\u201d she says of an old boyfriend), Tennessee Williams stitch-quotes, existential wisdom and bombshell revelations, was pitch-perfect, one of the standout moments of the television year. (Another, of course, was Patricia\u2019s Sunset Cocktails party, with a tour de force turn from O\u2019Flynn.)<\/p>\n Comedy supporting actor Harrison Ford, left, with Michael J. Fox in \u201cShrinking.\u201d<\/p>\n (Kevin Estrada \/ Apple)<\/p>\n Paul W. Downs, \u201cHacks\u201d Possible surprise: Bowen Yang, \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d Can we roll over last year\u2019s \u201cIt\u2019s time to give Harrison Ford an Emmy\u201d campaign? Because it\u2019s still time.<\/p>\n Drama series Noah Wyle in \u201cThe Pitt.\u201d<\/p>\n (Warrick Page \/ HBO Max)<\/p>\n \u201cThe Diplomat\u201d Possible surprise: \u201cThe Testaments\u201d It\u2019s hard to believe that \u201cThe Pitt\u201d earned a mere 13 nominations for its first season, winning for series, casting and for actors Noah Wyle, Katherine LaNasa and Shawn Hatosy. Encore victories seem assured for all but Hatosy, who will bump from guest actor to supporting, where he\u2019ll compete against castmate Patrick Ball, among others. \u201cPluribus\u201d figures to score plenty of recognition too \u2014 it might even best \u201cThe Pitt\u201d for most nominations. But its prognosis for victory would seem guarded at best.<\/p>\n Drama actress Zendaya as Rue Bennett in \u201cEuphoria.\u201d<\/p>\n (Eddy Chen \/ HBO)<\/p>\n Kathy Bates, \u201cMatlock\u201d Possible surprise: Chase Infiniti, \u201cThe Testaments\u201d Zendaya won for the first two seasons of \u201cEuphoria,\u201d becoming the youngest person to win in 2020 and, two years later, the youngest actress to take two Emmys. So hate on her show all you want (seriously, go ahead, it was a mess), but voters will (rightfully) give her a pass. Winning another Emmy is off the table, though, making this a race between the gifted Seehorn, a perennial Emmy underachiever, and Russell, nominated five times as actor and still looking for her first trophy. How fun would it be if the Emmys turn into a reunion for \u201cThe Americans\u201d with both Russell and Rhys winning?<\/p>\n Drama actor Mark Ruffalo in \u201cTask.\u201d<\/p>\n (Peter Kramer \/ HBO)<\/p>\n Sterling K. Brown, \u201cParadise\u201d Possible surprise: Jon Hamm, \u201cYour Friends and Neighbors\u201d Brown, Oldman and Wyle were nominated last year, with Wyle winning. Ruffalo as the grief-stricken, alcoholic FBI agent in \u201cTask\u201d is an easy add. That leaves one spot, and it\u2019ll probably go to a veteran actor \u2014 Goggins, Hamm, maybe Billy Bob Thornton for \u201cLandman\u201d \u2014 though Peter Claffey would be a better choice as the beloved gentle giant in \u201cA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.\u201d<\/p>\n Drama supporting actress Katherine LaNasa, left, and Sepideh Moafi in \u201cThe Pitt.\u201d<\/p>\n (Warrick Page \/ HBO Max)<\/p>\n Isa Briones, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d Possible surprise: Fiona Dourif, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d Last year, \u201cThe White Lotus\u201d accounted for four of the category\u2019s nominees. In its absence, the women from \u201cThe Pitt\u201d figure to equal that number and perhaps even surpass it, though it\u2019s hard to see voters bypassing past favorites Janney and Nicholson or overlooking Wydra\u2019s subtle work as the emotionless emissary of the alien hive mind in \u201cPluribus.\u201d Then again, understated performances often go unrewarded. Just ask Wydra\u2019s co-star Seehorn.<\/p>\n Drama supporting actor Patrick Ball stars in Season 2 of \u201cThe Pitt.\u201d<\/p>\n (HBO Max)<\/p>\n Patrick Ball, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d Possible surprise: James Marsden, \u201cParadise\u201d Will we ever know what this category would look like if \u201cSeverance,\u201d \u201cThe White Lotus\u201d and \u201cThe Pitt\u201d aired seasons during the same eligibility window? I\u2019m not holding my breath. But with \u201cSeverance\u201d and \u201cThe White Lotus\u201d vacating six of the seven supporting actor slots from last year, there\u2019s plenty of room for old favorites (Lowden, Crudup) and new (Vesga for his nonverbal brilliance in \u201cPluribus\u201d) as well a trio of standouts from \u201cThe Pitt.\u201d<\/p>\n Limited series The cast of \u201cBeef\u201d Season 2.<\/p>\n (Netflix)<\/p>\n \u201cThe Beast in Me\u201d Possible surprise: \u201cAll Her Fault\u201d It wasn\u2019t exactly a banner year for limited series<\/a> with only \u201cLove Story\u201d sparking cultural discourse \u2014 mostly for all the wrong reasons. Richard Gadd\u2019s \u201cHalf Man\u201d was provocative with its brutally violent look at male rage and unresolved trauma. But you can\u2019t permeate the culture if viewers refuse to watch the second episode. That leaves \u201cBeef,\u201d Lee Sung Jin\u2019s anthology series about enmity, envy and the multiple ways that blood orange juice can be made, as the presumptive front-runner. \u201cDTF St. Louis,\u201d the strange, affecting look at suburban loneliness, belongs at the head of the pack.<\/p>\n Limited series \/ TV movie actress Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette in \u201cLove Story.\u201d<\/p>\n (FX)<\/p>\n Claire Danes, \u201cThe Beast in Me\u201d Possible surprise: Kerry Washington, \u201cImperfect Women\u201d![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430661_157_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bear\u201d
\u201cThe Comeback\u201d
\u201cHacks\u201d
\u201cMargo\u2019s Got Money Troubles\u201d
\u201cOnly Murders in the Building\u201d
\u201cShrinking\u201d
\u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: \u201cThe Bear\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Ayo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430661_377_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Ayo Edebiri, \u201cThe Bear\u201d
Elle Fanning, \u201cMargo\u2019s Got Money Troubles\u201d
Lisa Kudrow, \u201cThe Comeback\u201d
Jean Smart, \u201cHacks\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Edebiri<\/p>\n![\"Only](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430662_944_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Matthew Rhys, \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d
Jason Segel, \u201cShrinking\u201d
Martin Short, \u201cOnly Murders in the Building\u201d
Jeremy Allen White, \u201cThe Bear\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: White<\/p>\n![\"Kate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430662_163_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Janelle James, \u201cAbbott Elementary\u201d
Kate O\u2019Flynn, \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d
Ashley Padilla, \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d
Michelle Pfeiffer, \u201cMargo\u2019s Got Money Troubles\u201d
Sheryl Lee Ralph, \u201cAbbott Elementary\u201d
Jessica Williams, \u201cShrinking\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Padilla<\/p>\n![\"Harrison](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430662_399_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Harrison Ford, \u201cShrinking\u201d
Ebon Moss-Bacharach, \u201cThe Bear\u201d
Nick Offerman, \u201cMargo\u2019s Got Money Troubles\u201d
Stephen Root, \u201cWidow\u2019s Bay\u201d
Michael Urie, \u201cShrinking\u201d
Tyler James Williams, \u201cAbbott Elementary\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Williams<\/p>\n![\"Noah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430663_14_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cA Knight of the Seven Kingdoms\u201d
\u201cParadise\u201d
\u201cThe Pitt\u201d
\u201cPluribus\u201d
\u201cSlow Horses\u201d
\u201cStranger Things\u201d
\u201cTask\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: \u201cStranger Things\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Zendaya](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430663_106_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Carrie Coon, \u201cThe Gilded Age\u201d
Keri Russell, \u201cThe Diplomat\u201d
Rhea Seehorn, \u201cPluribus\u201d
Zendaya, \u201cEuphoria\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Bates<\/p>\n![\"Mark](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1779975855_518_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Walton Goggins, \u201cFallout\u201d
Gary Oldman, \u201cSlow Horses\u201d
Mark Ruffalo, \u201cTask\u201d
Noah Wyle, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Goggins<\/p>\n![\"Katherine](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430666_138_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Taylor Dearden, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d
Allison Janney, \u201cThe Diplomat\u201d
Katherine LaNasa, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d
Sepideh Moafi, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d
Julianne Nicholson, \u201cParadise\u201d
Karolina Wydra, \u201cPluribus\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Briones<\/p>\n![\"Patrick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430667_293_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Billy Crudup, \u201cThe Morning Show\u201d
Shawn Hatosy, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d
Gerran Howell, \u201cThe Pitt\u201d
Jack Lowden, \u201cSlow Horses\u201d
Tom Pelphrey, \u201cTask\u201d
Carlos-Manuel Vesga, \u201cPluribus\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Vesga<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430667_352_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
\u201cBeef\u201d
\u201cDTF St. Louis\u201d
\u201cHalf Man\u201d
\u201cLove Story\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: \u201cHalf Man\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430668_101_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Sally Field, \u201cRemarkably Bright Creatures\u201d
Carey Mulligan, \u201cBeef\u201d
Sarah Pidgeon, \u201cLove Story\u201d
Sarah Snook, \u201cAll Her Fault\u201d<\/p>\n
Possible snub: Field<\/p>\n
![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430669_249_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Linda](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430670_9_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Jason](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783430670_371_.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n