As the 2025 Emmy Awards approach, the competition for Best Drama Writing heats up. With 132 submissions, the stakes are high for this prestigious category.
Best Drama Writing Emmy Predictions: ‘The Pitt’ Takes a Risk by Submitting Three Episodes
Ballots for the 2025 Emmys have officially been released, and voting is currently underway in all categories. For Best Drama Series Writing, there are 132 submissions, meaning there will be six finalists for the category when nominations are announced on July 15.
When it comes to writing, there are two strategic approaches for securing a nomination: submit one showcase episode or flood the zone with multiple entries. This year, as is often the case, almost all frontrunners are opting for the former tactic. This includes the incumbent winner Will Smith for Slow Horses, who is the only nominee from last year eligible again. He could win his second consecutive Emmy for the Season 4 finale, a gripping episode centered around River Cartwright (Jack Lowden).
Severance vs. Slow Horses
However, what may halt Slow Horses in its tracks is Severance, with “Cold Harbor,” the Season 2 finale scripted by creator Dan Erickson. It is equally devastating, featuring a race against time and multiple story twists, capped by a final twist that has left fans craving more.
READ: ‘Holy sh-t, this is like “Star Wars”‘: The Ultimate Oral History of ‘Severance’ Season 2
Standout Episodes
The second episode of The Last of Us, written by showrunner Craig Mazin, showcases a brutal battle that ends in a tragic, heartbreaking death, altering the trajectory of the entire series. Noteworthy monologues also appear in submissions from both The White Lotus — featuring Sam Rockwell’s 10-minute treatise on sex, incest, and suicidal attempts — and Andor, with Genevieve O’Reilly‘s Mon Mothma delivering a timely speech on the manipulation of power and truth, echoing themes that earned the Star Wars series a writing nomination in its first season.
The Pitt’s Unique Strategy
The Pitt, however, took a different approach by presenting three choices on the ballot. This includes the first hour by creator R. Scott Gemmill (pilots historically perform well in the writing category), the fourth episode penned by star Noah Wyle, and the eighth episode by medical consultant Joe Sachs, featuring a drowning child patient and an honor walk. Most shows typically avoid multiple submissions due to the risk of vote-splitting, especially for a debut show that hasn’t yet established itself at the Emmys. Nevertheless, we anticipate The Pitt pilot will make the cut.
Another notable series to submit multiple scripts was The Handmaid’s Tale. For its final season, the Emmy-winning series submitted the last three episodes for consideration.
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Most of the other top contenders submitted either their pilots/premieres or their finales. This includes The Day of the Jackal, Black Doves, Paradise, and Squid Game for the former, and The Diplomat for the latter.
Two other potential nominees for the six slots are Bad Sisters, a previous nominee for last season, for its penultimate episode, and Industry, for its fourth installment, featuring some of the most intense dialogue and high stakes.
Here’s how we see the 2025 Best Drama Writing category shaping up.
Frontrunners
- Severance (Dan Erickson, “Cold Harbor”)
- Slow Horses (Will Smith, “Hello Goodbye”)
- The White Lotus (Mike White, “Full-Moon Party”)
- The Last of Us (Craig Mazin, “Through the Valley”)
- The Pitt (R. Scott Gemmill, “7:00 A.M.”)
- Andor (Dan Gilroy, “Welcome to the Rebellion”)
Potential Spoilers
- The Pitt (Joe Sachs, “2:00 P.M.”)
- The Diplomat (Debora Cahn, “Dreadnought”)
- The Day of The Jackal (Ronan Bennett, “Episode 1”)
- The Pitt (Noah Wyle, “10:00 A.M.”)
- Bad Sisters (Sharon Horgan and Perrie Balthazar, “How To Pick a Prick”)
Longshots
- Industry (Mickey Down and Konrad Kay, “White Mischief”)
- Black Doves (Joe Barton, “To Love Then”)
- Squid Game (Hwang Dong-Hyuk, “Bread and Lottery”)
- The Handmaid’s Tale (Bruce Miller, “The Handmaid’s Tale”)
- Paradise (Dan Fogelman, “Wildcat Is Down”)
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