Andrew Robinson
Spoilers for snubbed shows may appear (and certainly will for seasons prior to their most recent one), but I’ll do my best to keep them to an absolute minimum.
Last week, the 2018 Primetime Emmy nominations were released to the public. Per usual, there were quite a few snubs, including Noah Schnapp for Stranger Things, and Kyle MacLachlan for Twin Peaks: The Return, and surprises, including The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story scoring three Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie nods, and two Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie noms. Here, we’re going to note four of the biggest, most unfortunate snubs from an Emmy nomination list featuring many.
1. Noah Schnapp for portraying Will Byers in Stranger Things
Noah Schnapp is the youngest of the main Stranger Things kids at just 13 years old, meaning he was 12 during the filming of the second season of the show.
After spending much of the first season on the sidelines, stuck in the Upside Down, Schnapp is given the difficult task of portraying a character who suffers from PTSD from the events of season one, but also undergoes a seismic shift midway through the season, changing his character tone completely. Much like how season one served as a breakout one for the now-14-year-old Millie Bobby Brown – who was Emmy-nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series last year for her role as Eleven, and returned to the Emmy nomination list this year – season two serves as a breakout season for the young Schnapp, who becomes the show’s most gripping actor by the midpoint of season two. The only difference between the two is that Schnapp, who puts the show on his back and carries it the whole way through season two, was unforgivably left without a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the 2018 Primetime Emmys.
The Switch I Would Have Made: Noah Schnapp (Stranger Things) for Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) in the Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category
2. Twin Peaks: The Return for Best Limited Series
Twin Peaks: The Return is a show unlike any other. While it aired almost an entire year ago, finishing up its 18-episode run in early September 2017, its inability to gain admittance in the Best Limited Series category is nothing short of a tragedy, especially considering the relatively weak field in that category this year (I watched The Alienist and The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, and neither one impressed me too much). While David Lynch has always been a polarizing director for Hollywood, and the show did get nominations for Outstanding Directing for the magnificent Part 8 and Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special, he should have
completely broken through with Twin Peaks: The Return. While the show was difficult (try, impossible) to understand at many points, it was something unlike anything that has ever aired on television, and should have been nominated solely on the strength of its sheer originality, let alone the fact that it was one of the best shows on television in 2017. The Academy’s reluctance to nominate the show for Best Limited Series is extremely disappointing.
The Switch I Would Have Made: Twin Peaks: The Return for The Alienist or The Assassination of Gianni Versace: America Crime Story in the Best Limited Series category
3. Kyle MacLachlan for portraying Agent Dale Cooper, Mr. C, Dougie Jones, and Richard in Twin Peaks: The Return
Another snub faced by Twin Peaks: The Return is from lead actor Kyle MacLachlan. MacLachlan portrays not one, not two, not three, but four different characters in Twin Peaks: The Return. The characters range from naïve and confused to pure evil to kind and strong to a mixture of all, and MacLachlan plays them all to complete perfection
. David Lynch may be the most difficult director to act for in all of Hollywood, due to his extreme tendencies, indecipherable character arcs, and strange choices, but MacLachlan remains unfazed, delivering an epic performance. Not only is it a travesty that MacLachlan somehow went without a nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, but it is also a travesty that he didn’t win. Without MacLachlan delivering an incredible performance, Twin Peaks: The Return would have fallen short of the lofty expectations placed upon it after going 25 years since the original series and follow-up movie. MacLachlan, however, delivers the performance of his career, yet will go unrecognized by Emmy voters.
The Switch I would Have Made: Kyle MacLachlan (Twin Peaks: The Return) for Darren Criss (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) or John Legend (Jesus Christ Superstar) in the Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie category
4. Isabelle Nelisse for portraying Jenny in The Tale
The Tale, which is Emmy-nominated for Outstanding Made for Television Movie and Best Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie (Laura Dern), should have received a Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie nomination for the 14-year-old Isabelle Nelisse. The HBO-produced film that I reviewed here is about a woman (Dern) who slowly discovers that she was sexually abused as a child (played by Nelisse) upon rereading her documented accounts of her childhood. Dern is absolutely fabulous (I would love to see her get an Oscar nomination), but Nelisse gets just about as much screen time as Dern due to the movie’s heavy-flashback nature. The gut-wrenching film is 
acted phenomenally by the young Nelisse, who portrays a sense of innocence and lovability that makes the viewer want to throw up watching what is going on around her and knowing what is bound to happen. It’s a film that I place within the ranks of my favorite films, but is also one that I don’t think I can ever watch again. Nelisse is a revelation, and her going without a nomination is unfortunate.
The Switch I Would Have Made: Isabelle Nelisse (The Tale) for Penelope Cruz (The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story) in the Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie category
