2017 Emmy Nominations: The Biggest Snubs & Surprises

Talk about justice for Barb! The actress who played the freckled, bespectacled teenager who goes missing in the first season of Stranger Things and seemingly gets entirely forgotten about and overlooked was probably surprised to get an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Considering she wasn't on the show very long, this feels like more of an attempt by the Emmys to be hip and cool, but we don't want to take away the fact that Shannon Purser made a minor character memorable with such a small amount of screentime, so good for her! (Ethan Anderton)

Mary Elizabeth Winstead's performance as Nikki Swango in season 3 of Fargo was one of the best aspects of that season, so seeing her name left off the Emmy nomination list seems like an unfortunate oversight. Beyond the fact that she nailed a difficult accent, Winstead brought a level of inscrutability to her character for the first few episodes that added a layer of intrigue every time she was on screen: did she truly love her schlubby boyfriend Ray (Ewan McGregor) or was she conning him? Once we discovered her feelings for him were legit, the back half of the season found her on an entirely different course and put her through the ringer, turning her from a low-level criminal into a blistering force of revenge. It's a shame Winstead didn't get recognition, but Nikki Swango will stay with me for a long time. (Ben Pearson)

Netflix's television adaptation of 13 Reasons Why was way better than it ever should have been. That's probably due to some of the talent that helped craft the series, including Oscar-winners Tom McCarthy and Jessica Yu, as well as Film Independent Spirit Award-winner Gregg Araki. The YA novel story was elevated to a level that should have been recognized with a nomination, but instead Netflix will have to be happy with the three nominations they got in the best drama series category and two in best comedy series. (Peter Sciretta)

The world is finally starting to come around on Carrie Coon. As Nora Durst, she was the heart of The Leftovers, the shattered wife and mother who repaired the cracks in her life and became only stronger. In a show where every character, and the world, was falling apart, she was a rock. It's a role that required courage, determination, and a rawness that was often physically painful to witness. And Coon, a master in the making, did receive an Emmy nomination this year. But not for The Leftovers. She picked up a nod for her work in the third season of Fargo. And honestly, this can't help but feel slightly political. After all, Emmy voters watch and like Fargo and they've consistently ignored The Leftovers. This nod feels like a consolation prize, a way for voters to shower praise on one of the strongest performers currently working on the small screen...but only for a series that routinely gains their support. It's a tough hit for The Leftovers, but hey, that's the Emmys. (Jacob Hall)

For me, one of the biggest snubs of this year's Emmys has to be Michael McKean for his role in Better Call Saul. McKean's performance as Jimmy McGill's older brother Chuck McGill was masterful, mixing the brilliance and strong ideals of a prestigious lawyer with the sensitivity of a possibly mental ill man. He played a great antagonist for Bob Odenkirk's character, always providing an alternate point of view and purpose that could have made him the protagonist in a different version of the story. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like McKean's character will have a big role in subsequent seasons of the show, so this is likely the last chance the Emmys had to reward his efforts with a nomination. (Peter Sciretta)

HBO already had quite the comedy presence thanks to Veep and Silicon Valley, and apparently that was enough for Emmy voters as the freshman comedy series Insecure was ignored. That's a shame, because Insecure is a sorely underseen new series with a fresh new voice in Issa Rae. Perhaps the show just needs some more time to blossom before the Television Academy takes noticed, but you don't have to wait. The first season is available on HBO and the second season is coming soon. (Ethan Anderton)

Saturday Night Live usually gets plenty of below-the-line nominations, as well as writing and directing nods in their variety sketch show category. But this year, the staple late night sketch series also made a big splash in more than a few acting categories. Not only did Alec Baldwin get nominated for his portrayal of Donald Trump on the show as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, but Vanessa Bayer, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon took three of the six nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Plus, Tom Hanks, Dave Chappelle, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig all got nominated for their hosting stints. SNL rounded up a total of 22 nominations, tying Westworld for the most this year, and after this stellar 42nd season, they really deserved all that love. (Ethan Anderton)

After garnering 14 nominations throughout the show's previous five years of eligibility, Girls was left out in the wind without any major nominations this year, despite this being the show's final season. The show rounded up a handful of nominations for guest stars and one below-the-line nod, but it's a bit of a bummer that the series didn't get one last crack at any of any of the major Emmy categories. (Ethan Anderton)

Winona Ryder's performance as as mother Joyce Byers in Stranger Things was consistently one of the most talked about aspects of the hit Netflix series, yet her manic performance was divisive enough to split fans of the show. It seems like while her performance was strong and notable, that divisiveness may have also split the Emmy voters. But maybe the two time Oscar-nominee will get her chance next year with the second season of Stranger Things, which will hopefully give Ryder a more meaty but less hysterical set-up. (Peter Sciretta)

Let's be honest: American Gods probably never stood a chance at the Emmys. While critics adore the work of series co-creator Bryan Fuller and his shows tend to develop small, passionate fanbases, his work is too obtuse, too off-kilter, too unique to inspire a unified rallying cry around those with the power to vote trophies into the hands of talented filmmakers, actors, and writers. With no nominations in any major categories, American Gods continued Fuller's streak of making artful, challenging television that only gains recognition in the margins. This fantasy series, grim and hopeful and hilarious and always willing to march to the beat of its own drummer, is too cool for the Emmys. (Jacob Hall)

Carrie Fisher died before anyone got to see what would be her final TV performance: a role in the third season of the series Catastrophe. The fact that she's been nominated posthumously for her role on the show serves as a fond farewell to the actress to has made countless guest appearances in various shows across television's history. We weren't expecting it, but she totally deserves it. (Ethan Anderton)