Better Call Saul: The Unfortunate Record Holder at the Emmys

Better Call Saul's Emmy Losses

Following the most recent Emmys, Better Call Saul has set an incredible record following the show's losses. With season 6 split into two parts, the strategic scheduling decision allowed for Better Call Saul's final season to be nominated at two consecutive Primetime Emmys. The first half was in contention at last year's ceremony, with the second batch of episodes, which included the acclaimed series finale, among the nominees at the most recent event. During both ceremonies, lead stars Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn were nominated for their respective roles as Saul Goodman and Kim Wexler. The AMC show was also nominated in the Outstanding Drama Series. But as Variety notes, despite getting nominated for 53 nominations throughout its six-season run, Better Call Saul hasn't won a single Emmy award.

Omar Little testifying in court in The Wire

Following another disappointing Emmys for Better Call Saul, the show has now set the unfortunate record for most losses ever.

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy holding a wooden stake in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Twitter article posted by Variety

The Unrepresentative Nature of the Emmy Awards

With this year's batch of Emmy winners, a familiar pattern took hold. Of the already limited shows that were represented as nominees, three shows swept their respective categories: Succession won 14 major awards, clearing the drama categories. The Bear swept in comedy, while BEEF won major awards in the limited series categories. There's widespread agreement that all three shows are great. However, the Emmy Awards are hardly representative of the varied stories and great series that are on American television every year. This is a recurring problem. As an awards ceremony, the Emmys tend to pick favorites. The same shows are often nominated each year, sometimes regardless of the quality of a given season.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast looking shocked in season 12 premiere

Shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The Wire, as different as they are, and as much as they pushed TV forward, are also united in the fact that neither won any major Emmys. The same is true for audience favorites like The Good Place, New Girl, Parks and Rec, in addition to critical darlings such as BoJack Horseman, The Leftovers, and Halt and Catch Fire. While it everyone involved with Better Call Saul would have wanted to conclude their run with some Emmys wins, especially considering the quality of that final season, it's not diminished by the loss. The spinoff joins a class of comedies and dramas, often elite, that are revisited and sometimes even studied for how they managed to tell their stories and bolster the medium of television as a whole.

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Better Call Saul's Legacy

Despite the disappointment of not winning any Emmys, Better Call Saul is in good company with other critically acclaimed shows that also never won major Emmys. The show's quality is not diminished by the losses, and it joins a class of comedies and dramas, often elite, that are revisited and sometimes even studied for how they managed to tell their stories and bolster the medium of television as a whole.

Nora and Matt sitting in folding chairs and holding hands in The Leftovers