Fans Are Pretty Unhappy About This Better Call Saul Star's Big Emmys Snub

When "Better Call Saul" debuted in 2015, it had some pretty big shoes to fill, and some pretty major expectations to live up to. Given the consistent praise it's received from critics since its inception (see: Roger Ebert in 2015, Entertainment Weekly in 2020, and its near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score), and the impressive numbers surrounding demand for the series' 6th and final season's move to Netflix (per Variety), it's safe to say it's lived up to, if not surpassed, those expectations. And yet.

For some yet-to-be-explained, possibly non-existent reason, the series, at least as far as its fervent fandom is concerned, has been and continues to be the victim of prolonged snubbing by the powers that be at the Emmys. Back in 2020, Cinema Blend's Erik Swann wrote an article titled "The Emmys Are Killing Me With The 'Better Call Saul' Snubs," a sentiment echoed by fans and in publications such as Newsweek, IndieWire, and Decider. Two years later, sitting down to watch the primetime awards show as a "Better Call Saul" super-fan is still, sadly, a little like being a pre-2004 Boston Red Sox fan: you know what's coming, you're familiar with the curse, but a part of you can't help but hold out hope that maybe, just maybe, this is your year.

But of course, it isn't. Once again, the Emmys have disappointed one of television's most fervent fandoms by failing to properly recognize one of its favorite performances. 

Rhea Seehorn — the actor behind what a fan on Reddit called "the best female character of the last few years on Television" (aka Kim Wexler) — went unacknowledged by the Emmys for five seasons of "Better Call Saul." This year, Seehorn finally received the nomination for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series — and hopeful fans tuned in to watch her (finally) accept it — but the award ultimately went to Julia Garner for her performance in "Ozark." 

Needless to say, this didn't sit well with viewers already holding a grudge for her lack of nominations in previous years. Reactions on social media ranged from baffled ("HOW did she not win," asked one Twitter user) to disillusioned, to pure, unadulterated rage, as in the case of one already oft-retweeted proclamation. 

For many, the fact that Seehorn's performance in the latter half of Season 6 will still be eligible for next year's awards show offered little condolence. "I guess there's a shot next year," wrote Twitter user @mizphantasm, "but the show will have been over for a whole year." The momentum bias fear was shared by many, including a number of fans who replied to critic Alan Sepinwall's reassuring reminder of Seehorn's 2023 potential. 

Still, the fact remains that, as ever, it could happen for the unjustly under-celebrated actor, and (again, as ever) some fans remain hopeful. "I'm not going to call for a revolution just yet," wrote @ThatAldenDiaz, adding, "But I swear to every god that'll hear me – Rhea Seehorn better win for that final run [of 6B]. We must avoid the snub of a lifetime."