After a few decent years of Emmy nominations -- ones that seemed to suggest a TV Academy that was willing to reward innovative programming -- we're back to a disappointing list this year. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely plenty of good to hold onto: Sandra Oh has become the first Asian woman to be nominated as a Lead Actress in a Drama, for BBC America's Killing Eve. Auteurs Bill Hader and Donald Glover have a slew of nominations in a variety of categories for their great series Barry (on HBO) and Atlanta (on FX) respectively. The Americans has been rewarded as one of TV's best series (in its final year) with acting noms for both of its leads and as best drama series. And hey look, GLOW! (It's not exactly my Wish List, but it's something).

When you really dig deep into this year's nominees though (full list here) -- all the way down to the guest appearances and writing / directing nods -- you see how uninspired the nominations truly are. And yet they still aren't terrible! Let's take it category by category:

Comedy

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Image via FX

This is a real mixed bag this year, but I wouldn’t call any of it surprising (except, maybe, that Modern Family’s streak has finally been broken). In fact, unsurprising might be the key word for this year’s nominations. That doesn't mean bad, it's just ... well, what it is. Curb Your Enthusiasm? Ok. But what about Better Things? I mean there are eight nominations for Best Comedy Series, and you miss out on Better Things? (At least Pamela Adlon was nominated for lead actress). The GLOW inclusion is a little surprising, since it’s for Season 1 which didn’t really find its footing until late in the game, but I’ll take it. And it’s heartening to see Barry recognized in so many places and in so many ways, including Henry Winkler in the supporting category. There you will find a fantastic collection of actors and performances, including Brian Tyree Henry, Louie Anderson, and Tituss Burgess, and yet, what about Zach Woods?  And all due respect to William H. Macy, but it’s a tired nomination. (As for Atlanta I mean, it would be ridiculous if it wasn't nominated for basically everything, which it has been, so I am appeased).

As for the actresses, I’m disappointed to not see Constance Wu from ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat included, as she’s a consistent delight in that series. Still, we do get Issa Rae (Insecure) and Tracee Ellis Ross (black-ish), both of whom have had great turns in their series this past year. Plus, in the supporting category, we have Betty Gilpin for GLOW as well as Zazie Beetz for Atlanta. I’m even happy to see Will & Grace's Megan Mullally back in the Emmy race — Karen Walker is iconic thanks to her.

There are a few interesting nods in the guest categories too, including Katt Williams for Atlanta, which is an inspired choice. Plus, Barry and Atlanta received tons of love overall, most especially in the directing and writing categories, as well they should.

In my heart, though, I’m still pouring one out for Downward Dog. That show was an indie movie full of humor and heart each week. It starred a dog. We didn’t deserve it.

Limited Series

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Image via Showtime

I have, by far, the most issues with this category. I mean The Alienist was fine. It had movie stars, and the TV academy always loves to shower them with awards. But the fact that Twin Peaks isn’t nominated in a major category, especially for acting, is egregious. And nothing for The Terror? Howards End? Both were spectacular showcases of the medium and acting tour de forces from exceptional casts. These are major, major snubs. David Lynch being nominated for directing Twin Peaks and “Part 8” receiving a cinematography nomination is not enough. I mean, Genius: Picasso? It wasn’t good. In fact, it was actively bad.

If you aren’t a fan of American Horror Story or The Assassination of Gianni Versace, or didn’t watch The Looming Tower, there’s not much for you in these nominations (although word to the wise, Patrick Melrose is very good). And despite the fact that I like most of the actors and actresses nominated, there are just so many snubs it’s hard to feel great about it (although good job to American Vandal for getting a writing nomination — that’s something!) One of the weirdest picks is John Leguizamo as a guest actor for Waco, a series absolutely filled with outstanding performances, although I would not put Leguizamo among them.

Sigh.

I am going to be angry about The Terror, Twin Peaks, and Howards End for a long time ...

Drama

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Image via FX

Hooray The Americans! Hooray The Crown! Uhhh but Westworld? Stranger Things? This Is Us? No. Not in a TV world where we have Counterpart. Or even more specifically, where we are blessed with J.K. Simmons in Counterpart. The fact that that show was shut out makes me not even want to tune into the Emmys. What a joke!

As happy as I am to see Matthew Rhys getting a nod for The Americans, there is nothing that is otherwise very interesting about the lead actor category. As for lead actresses, it’s a solid list and not very unexpected, except that Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld) should have been swapped for Maggie Gyllenhaal in the The Deuce without question. If I had my druthers, I’d also find room for Caitriona Balfe for Outlander, and Jodie Comer for Killing Eve. I mean, truly, Comer gave one of the most mesmerizingly weird performances I’ve ever witnessed.

No love in general for Counterpart, Outlander, The Deuce or Mindhunter has me pretty worked up, but Mindunter did snag a guest nomination for Cameron Britton, which is a good choice. I’m pretty bored with the supporting actor category too, which is where Game of Thrones stowed so many of their nominees (and Joseph Fiennes for Handmaid's Tale, really?), though I am pleased Matt Smith’s wonderfully odious turn as Prince Philip has been rewarded. Speaking of stowing nominees, holy hell Handmaid’s Tale has three women nominated as supporting actresses, but yes, they are all terrific (maybe even most especially Yvonne Strahovski).

As you could guess, Game of Thrones has a few nominations in the directing category, and Jason Bateman grabs one for Netflix's Ozark, which is overall very heavily represented here. I am very happy to see The Americans’ finale and Killing Eve’s premiere getting writing noms though — very well deserved.

Reality, Animation, Documentary

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Image via Disney XD

Look, I don’t even know if PBS’s the Great British Baking Show is in the Emmy eligibility window, but it should be nominated anyway. And win everything. It’s the show we need in these difficult times. There is such kindness and whimsy! But instead, the reality and variety series nominations are all so predictable it’s a complete snooze-fest. There’s also no nomination for Late Night with Seth Meyers, which is a true snub.

If you happen to take a gander at Kids Programming by the way, you’ll see some weird nominations. Star Wars Rebels is a good one, but Fuller House? Excuse me? An Emmy? Most of the programming nominated is geared towards older kids at best, which seems to suggest that the people nominating these series don’t really understand the premise of this category. If you peek into Animated Series, you’ll also see a boring list of series all aimed at adults, mostly all on broadcast, and not taking into account anything innovative or interesting like Voltron or Final Space.

And while it’s not exactly surprising, it’s good to see that both the exceptional Blue Planet II from BBC America and Wild Wild Country from Netflix were both nominated for Outstanding Documentary Series. There is some justice.

So how are you feeling about this year's Emmy nominations? Let us know in the comments!