The 2012 Emmy nominations are in: and we’ve got a lot to say about them. Okay, not true. We’ve got just a little bit to say. About a month ago, Heba and I shared our dream nominees with you…and now we’re back to talk a little bit about the official nominee list, including: who we’re rooting for, who we didn’t expect would get a nomination, and who we think was the biggest snub per category. But first, here’s a list of the nominees in the bigger categories (click here for the full list):

Comedy

Lead Actress:
Zooey Deschanel, New Girl
Lena Dunham, Girls
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly 
Lead Actor:
Larry David, Curb Your Enthusiasm
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men
Louis C.K., Louie
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Supporting Actress:
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kathryn Joosten, Desperate Housewives
Supporting Actor:
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ty Burell, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
Max Greenfield, New Girl

Series: Curb Your Enthusiasm; Girls; 30 Rock; Veep; Modern Family; The Big Bang Theory

Drama

Lead Actress:
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Claire Danes, Homeland
Glenn Close, Damages 
Lead Actor:
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Damian Lewis, Homeland
Supporting Actress:
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad
Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
Joanne Froggatt, Downton Abbey
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Supporting Actor:
Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
Giancarlo Esposito, Breaking Bad
Brendan Coyle, Downton Abbey
Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
Jared Harris, Mad Men
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones

Series: Boardwalk Empire; Breaking Bad; Downton Abbey; Mad Men; Homeland; Game of Thrones

Y’all ready?

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

Who we’re rooting for

Amy Poehler has been one of the most captivating underdogs for the last couple of years, underrated at best. If she doesn’t win the Emmy this year, it would honestly be blasphemy. 
Since Heba chose Amy Poehler, I had to go with my runner up — but it’s a very close second. Let’s just put it this way: There’s a reason Julia Louis-Dreyfus is tied for most Emmy nominations.

Biggest snubs

Cougar Town and its cast continue to be ignored even though they’re TV’s adorable gem. It’s ridiculous that Cox has NEVER been nominated for an Emmy; do these people watch the same TV we watch? 
After we posted our dream nominees post, I remember telling Heba that I completely forgot about Awkward. Not this time, guys. Awkward.‘s first season was such a pleasant delight and surprise, and Ashley Rickards absolutely shone through in it…it saddens me that this show didn’t go to a network that gets recognized.

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

Who we’re rooting for

Always and forever, I would root for him even after he wins his 5th Emmy — and he will, mark my words. Without Parsons, The Big Bang Theory wouldn’t even be half the amazing show it is it today. And it sure as hell wouldn’t have been nominated for an Emmy.
The show may not garner all that many laughs, but Louis C.K.’s performance of…well, himself…is outright effortless, which I’m sure is hard to do when you’re not only in front of the camera, but directing, producing, editing, writing, and marketing et al. This one man show deserves credit where it’s due. And the buck stops at Louis C.K.

Biggest snubs

Joel McHale should be nominated for everything. That is all.

“There’s a reason Julia Louis-Dreyfus is tied for most Emmy nominations.”

Look at that, two NBC shows that will never be recognized (well, except for Community’s writing nod and Chuck’s stunt nods). I suppose I could have chosen Adam Scott in this category, but I still believe Zachary Levi helped solidify his titular character in a perfect tone for the series for five years. His co-star Yvonne Strahovski definitely deserves it, too. However, I couldn’t pick her.

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Who we’re rooting for

Let’s be clear, I hate Amy. And that’s why I’m rooting for Bialik. I actually love her as an actress and she managed to make me hate her character – something I think wasn’t far off from the writers’ expectations. It takes a lot of talent to make millions of people hate your character.
I actually went back and forth between Kristen Wiig and Sofia Vergara (say what you will, I think she’s the funniest part of Modern Family). But since this is Kristen’s last time being nominated for SNL, and seeing as she’s made me laugh so many times: I’m hoping she wins come Emmy night.

Biggest Snubs

This woman plays not one but TWO incredible characters on TV, two polar opposite characters and she kills them off brilliantly in each episode. How she was robbed of her Emmy nomination is beyond me.
At this point, we’re just choosing anything on NBC, apparently. Even though it wasn’t 30 Rock‘s best season, Jane Krakowski never once phoned it in, carrying the lewd, insane, almost cartoonish Jenna Maroney in the same hilarious speed. And as always, effortlessly so.

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Who we’re rooting for

I’m not a huge fan of New Girl, to be honest. But I am of Schmidt. I love Schmidt! So MG FTW.
This choice goes to Bill Hader. Everyone’s so busy talking about Kristen Wiig, people sometimes forget SNL‘s chameleon Bill Hader. The reasoning is simple: no one gets me to laugh as much on SNL than Bill Hader (and Eric Stonestreet has already won). For that, he deserves the win!

Biggest snubs

No actor is more worthy of a nomination than this man. He does his character, and his character’s condition(s), justice. His quirky, physical comedy is that only few can pull off. It’s sad that the cast of Modern Family, as amazing as they are, still dominate this category.
Heba, stop taking my choices, seriously! Well, regardless…he’s Ron Effin Swanson. And Offerman plays that so well, sometimes it’s hard to believe that it’s just a character. And even though Offerman offers (ha!) us laughs in spades, he also plays Ron’s heartwarming scenes beautifully — and his out of character ones even more so!

Comedy Series

Who we’re rooting for

Jim Parsons, you guys.

“Joel McHale should be nominated for everything”

The thought process is simple: I love Curb and I love 30 Rock, but I just don’t think they had their best seasons; and as much as I liked Veep, having watched HBO’s other comedy Girls just recently, it’s hard to deny the amazingly accurate and wonderfully whimsical vibe it executes so perfectly.

Biggest Snubs

Last season of Community was Dan Harmon’s last, so I idiotically hoped this lunatic of a showrunner would get the recognition he deserves. But as I said, it was idiotic. Brilliant comedians like this man will always be overlooked because they’re not conventional enough to be recognized.
I thought about listing all the different snubs here (Louie, Cougar Town, Community, Happy Endings) but Parks and Recreation HAS actually been nominated and isn’t overlooked by voters. Besides, how can a series that aired the most hilarious scene on television this year NOT be nominated?

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

Who we’re rooting for

C’mon, is anyone rooting for somebody else?
Nope, not me. I just couldn’t pick anyone else. This is Claire Danes’ to lose.

“This is Claire Danes’ to lose”

Biggest Snubs

Victoria freakin’ Grayson, TV’s most evil yet captivating character at the moment. Madeleine Stowe is everything Revenge is — intoxicating. The sad truth is that none of the women nominated is less deserving than Stowe  to be on that list so I get why she was not considered this year.
I love John Noble, but I don’t really know if anyone is more deserving on the Fringe team than Anna Torv, who has played not just two different characters, but double because of different timelines, as well as the future, and… oh, yeah also just William Bell. No big deal.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

Who we’re rooting for

It wasn’t Don Draper, or Jon Hamm’s, best season on Mad Men this year. But I’m still convinced he was robbed of his win last year. I’m only hoping next September will make up for it.
If you watched the season finale of Homeland, I don’t see how you can choose anyone else.

Biggest Snubs

Was I too hopeful expecting Hugh Laurie to pull a Kyle Chandler? Probably. I never wanted him to win; I just wanted him to be nominated in honor of the 8 years of House he was awesome in.
I don’t not believe that Andrew Lincoln’s colleague Jon Bernthal also did an amazing job (he’s supporting), but Lincoln himself did fantastically as the leader of his troupe during the apocalypse — from tragic hero to the beginnings of a dark individual.

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Who we’re rooting for

Uhm, do you not know me? Of course I’m rooting for Christina Hendricks! No one other than her can make you cry with just one look from her eyes. She wasn’t in many episodes of Mad Men this year, but she was a scene-stealer in those she was actually in.
I hear this is the first time Anna Gunn gets nominated for an Emmy. Especially being on such an Emmy-loved show, I didn’t even think that was possible. Even January Jones snagged a nod (to be honest, I love Betty Draper and Jones as her but that’s ME). That aside, I’ve just started watching Breaking Bad and Anna Gunn has already proved her worth to me.

Biggest snubs

“Do these people watch the same TV we watch?”

Apparently Heba’s completely fine with the nominations. Not me. Damages almost got a complete snub — but Glenn Close still took that nod. I believe Close is very deserving, but someone who has never won is Rose Byrne, and while Damages is nothing without Close…it’s also nothing without Rose Byrne.

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Who we’re rooting for

In honor of his character’s death, really.
Once again, a newb here but Aaron Paul’s casting was perfect as drug dealer who’s all about the streets, yo.

Biggest snubs

WHAT? The LSD episode alone should have gotten this man an Emmy statue. I don’t get how someone as funny and heartbreaking as John Slattery could be ignored the way the Emmys did this year. It was arguably his best season on the show! How is Mr. Carson nominated and he isn’t?
John Noble plays quirky mental patient (and genius) Walter Bishop on Fox’s will-never-be-recognized Fringe. Perhaps the best thing about his performance is he plays Walter as an insane man, not just a man with a few quirks, so well — and then he double dips, playing Walternate, his nemesis from Over There.

Drama Series

Who we’re Rooting For

I want to root for Homeland, I do. But Mad Men‘s win will make it the show with the most Emmy wins for Best Drama and I NEED that to happen. It would probably mean nothing to Weiner, but it would mean the world to me.

“The Good Wife is as compelling as all the shows nominated”

“I have little faith Emmy voters won’t give it to Mad Men”

Homeland‘s freshman season was practically perfect — intriguing, mysterious, action-packed, heartbreaking, nerve-wracking, all while never insulting the viewers’ intelligence. Sorry, Heba, but with four consecutive wins and a fifth season that I keep hearing was kind of rocky for Mad Men, this is TOTALLY Homeland‘s category. Sadly, I have little faith Emmy voters won’t give it to Mad Men. Sigh.

Biggest Snubs

NO broadcast show was nominated this year for Outstanding Drama! Not even The Good Wife! It feels wrong and unfair. The Good Wife is as compelling as all the shows nominated, including the two favorites to win: Mad Men and Homeland. Did they not watch the Blue Ribbon Panel episode? Ugh.
Given the fact that Revenge has sort of become ABC’s flagship show-slash-new face of the network, I was actually really surprised that it didn’t get one nod. Like, at all. I mean, forget other cable dramas that should get recognition, I just figured Emmy voters would go “Ah, that Revenge thing everyone’s talking about. Yeah, let me vote for that.” But nope.

Now it’s YOUR turn: Who do you want to win come Emmy night — and who do you think got snubbed for a nod?