Since the dawn of storytelling, horror has been othered and compared to more refined genres. Luckily, in the last 20 years, the spooky stories have finally earned a little love at the Emmys, even if it’s in fits and spurts. Sometimes, it will become the darling of the season, which leads to “The Last of Us” receiving a wave of hype and scores of nominations. Other times, showrunner extraordinaires like Ryan Murphy will hit a nerve with projects like “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” or certain buzzy, diva-rich seasons of “American Horror Story.”
But all too often it seems a medical drama, humanist comedy or some other populist obstacle will stand in the way. This season, voters should challenge themselves to get familiar with the horror shows below and make them worthy of their consideration. From a blockbuster prequel to a buzzy comedy mashup to two deeper cuts that could use more of an audience, here are four horror shows Emmy voters should screen this season.
Widow’s Bay
Katie Dippold’s charming comedy-horror series walks a perfect line between laughs and scares, which it achieves thanks to a twisty script about a New England town teeming with supernatural activity. Matthew Rhys achieves sublime comedic moments in a tricky role, working in a gear far different from his legendary run on “The Americans” or his other buzzy role this year in “The Beast in Me.” The series’ look is stylish, thanks to a roster of inventive directors who know both surrealism and horror, including “Atlanta” alum Hiro Murai, Tim Robinson collaborator Andrew DeYoung and “Pearl” helmer Ti West. As frothy and fun as things get in the titular town, it’s a testament to all of the players, including breakout Kate O’Flynn. Both O’Flynn and Rhys have had spotlight episodes so far this season, but will Emmys voters see the pathos and creativity behind the laughs and frights?
