There was no performance more surprising than the one Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life star Alexis Bledel turned in for The Handmaid's Tale. The same year viewers saw her return to the fast-talking character that made her famous, Bledel flipped the script and did so much with little dialogue as Ofglen, a woman used for her ability to have children, on Hulu's superb drama series. This was (and is, she'll be back in season two) a career-defining performance.
Oh, the tears we cried thanks to This Is Us. Milo Ventimiglia quickly became TV's No. 1 dad as Jack Pearson, uplifting (and crushing at times) spirits every week.
Black Mirror's "San Junipero" episode hit viewers right in the gut with excellent performances and a storyline that really touched hearts. It deserves to be recognized.
Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for a show-stopping performance, so an Emmy for her show-stopping performance in Hairspray Live! makes total sense.
Newcomer Katherine Langford handled her role of Hannah Baker, a high school girl who kills herself and leaves behind 13 tapes—the 13 reasons why she killed herself, with ease. The emotionally heavy role in 13 Reasons Why was definitely a star-making one for this young actress.
Lena Dunham's HBO series went out on top, complete with solid performances, expert writing and all the feels.
Please take a moment and remember the brilliant performance Lauren Graham turned in as Lorelai Gilmore in Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Thank you. Graham's category is going to be the toughest one to break into, with nominations pretty much already assured for Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Lange and Susan Sarandon.
Veep and Julia Louis-Drefyus are shoe-ins for nominations, as are supporting players Tony Hale and Anna Chlumsky, but viewers would be hard-pressed to forget all the despicable things Timothy Simons' Jonah Ryan has gleefully done. This was his season and he owned it.
American Gods was full of so many good people turning in some eye-popping performances, but Gillian Anderson's time as Media is the stuff of legends.
The TV landscaped is more crowded than ever, but CBS All Access' spinoff of The Good Wife should not be overlooked. Christine Baranski took the reins for the spinoff and should ride the show all the way to a Lead Actress in a Drama Series nomination.
Becky Ann Baker's TV husband won the Emmy last year, now it's her turn to take it home for her funny, poignant and memorable performance as Hannah's mom in the final season of Girls.
Can you believe Michael McKean has never received an Emmy nomination for his work in AMC's Breaking Bad prequel? Now that the shock has worn off, let's remember the devastating performance McKean turned in as Chuck McGill.
What's it going to take for the Emmys to recognize the brilliance that is Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and its star and co-creator, Rachel Bloom? What. Will. It. Take.
Catastrophe was the last role Carrie Fisher completed before her death. The Star Wars actress always left a lasting impression whenever she popped up, her final appearance a perfect example of that.
NBC's afterlife comedy was witty and full of performances and twists nobody saw coming. Stars Kristen Bell and Ted Danson have great chemistry and Mike Schur's comedy is a fine successor to Parks and Recreation.
Orange Is the New Black season four (yes, last summer's season is what's eligible) was a return to form for the Netflix dramaedy. It was heartwarming, serious and expertly acted—Danielle Brooks stepped up to the forefront.
Netflix's Gilmore Girls miniseries hit all the right spots for fans, but it was Kelly Bishop's turn as mourning widow Emily Gilmore that really hit home with viewers. Gilmore Girls never got much Emmy love (one nomination for makeup) during its original run, so it's time to change that.
Last year, Full Frontal With Samantha Bee got a writing nomination, but not one for overall series. That should change!
MORE PHOTOS: All hail the women kicking butt on TV this summer