Created by Dan Fogelman, This is Us is a critically-acclaimed family drama that concluded its sixth and last season in May this year. Historically loved by the Emmys, the show has 39 nominations, 4 wins and 1 honorary title under its belt.
For multiple seasons, the show has bagged nominations for Outstanding Drama Series and the cast has repeatedly been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor/Actress.
Hence, as an ardent admirer of the show, you can perhaps sense my disappointment when the game-changing final season received all of ONE nomination (for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics) at the 2022 Emmy Awards.
What's even more shocking is how none of the actors and their brilliant performances received a modicum of Emmy recognition. One of the leading actors of the show, Mandy Moore delivered - what critics call - her career-best work in the penultimate episode of the sixth season, The Train.
Her portrayal of Rebecca Pearson at various stages of ageing and addled by Alzheimer's was a hard-hitting portrayal of how a mental disorder can affect someone as vivacious as her character. Naturally, fans were distraught when she went unrecognized by the Emmy Jury as well.
Even the cast of This Is Us opened up about this shocker. Immediately after the list of nominees for this year's Emmys was announced, Mandy Moore took to Instagram Story to express her dismay.
"Do I wish our show was recognized in what I think was its finest hour? Sure. And Dan Fogelman's brilliant writing for 6 seasons (hello THE TRAIN)? Yah... But nothing can take away what our show meant to SO many (us included). That's an incredible legacy to be a part of."MANDY MOORE
Chrissy Metz, who plays the indomitable Kate Pearson in the show, also took to social media to express her disappointment.
“When there are people who are so innately, incredibly gifted and talented who write a show — Dan Fogelman — and who act and star in a show — Mandy Moore — that don’t get recognized for their beautiful work? And the way that they have changed people’s lives and hearts and minds, and for the connective tissue between other human beings, and they don’t get recognized for it? I understand it’s not everything, honey, but it’s something” said the Emmy-nominated actress on her Instagram story.
But acknowledging the fans' unending admiration for the show and its cast performances, Metz wrote that this offered her "serious perspective".
The showrunner and also Executive Producer of the current Emmy fave, Only Murders in the Building also took to social media to share his thoughts. He tweeted, "The Emmy noms didn't break for #ThisIsUs today - if you're happy when they go your way, you've got to take it on the chin when they don't. That entire group wins a "Danny" in my book." Fogelman joked. He also shouted out the show's incredible sound designer and lone receiver of this year's Emmy nod, Siddharth Khosla.
Not just fans but critics, too, were taken aback by this year's notorious snub. Variety's Adam B. Vary and Kate Aurthur referred to Moore as "one of the year’s biggest snubs". They wrote, “Both top nominees in previous seasons, ABC’s Black-ish and NBC’s This Is Us finished their runs with strong finales that landed the plane with style and grace (and many tears). And yet neither show earned any top nominations this year — especially surprising for the career-best work by This Is Us star Mandy Moore.”
The Emmys snubbing dearly loved but underrated shows is not a new trend. But what's peculiar is the jury's sudden failure to acknowledge the final season of a show; one that they had continued affinity for, throughout its past seasons.
People took to Twitter to express their displeasure, with some even starting petitions to give Mandy Moore her rightful recognition.
One Twitter user wrote, "Unacceptable. Best season by far. Best tv show in a very very long time. @TheMandyMoore gave a career defining performance. The Emmy showed us how all these awards shows are BS" while another tweeted, "So wrong at every level especially the snub for Mandy Moore! I have lost all respect for their judgement."
Here are some other social media reactions:
The final season of This Is Us not only delivered some landmark performances but also delved into issues like being black in America after George Floyd’s murder, raising a disabled son and navigating through family trauma, among other poignant issues.
Not receiving an Emmys nod will admittedly not alter the amount of people who have been tangibly touched by the show, but as a true blue fan: bit of recognition never hurt anyone!
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