Ultimate Emmys Bracket: Can Ozark Deal a Bad Blow to The Good Place?

In the days leading up to the 2019 Emmy Awards, we're pitting the 26 shows with the most nominations against each other to determine Primetimer readers' favorite Emmy-nominated series of the year. Full details in our kick-off post. 

On to the next set of match-ups in round one... (Seed number appears before show title)

Round 1, Match 9

Veep
Network: HBO
Nominations: 9, including Outstanding Comedy Series

The final season of HBO's vicious comedy series about politics and the unbelievably self-centered people who take part in it, took an extra year getting to us in order to give Julia Louis-Dreyfus time to undergo cancer treatment. Fortunately, both the show and it leading lady returned with zero signs of rust. Selina Meyer hit the campaign trail with her customary desperate zeal, and the twists and turns on the trail gave us moments like Richard Splett (Sam Richardson) killing a small-town dog mayor, while Amy (Anna Chlumsky) defected from Team Meyer to sell her soul and become the Kellyanne Conway of Jonah Ryan's (Tim Simons) campaign.

The Amazing Race
Network: CBS
Nominations: 3, including Outstanding Reality Competition Program

Having just this summer aired its 31st season, The Amazing Race is nominated tfor season 30, where Big Brother transplants Cody Nickson and Jessica Graf took the million-dollar prize after traveling through places like Iceland, Morocco, Bahrain, and Hong Kong. While long in the tooth, Race continues to get massive respect from Emmy voters, having been nominated for all 17 years of the Reality Competition category and winning 10 times.

The Matchup: These veteran series both have rich Emmy pedigrees, but while The Amazing Race's years of Emmy dominance have engendered resentment, Veep's final season has been rightly seen as a victory lap.

Primetimer Ultimate Emmys Bracket Round 1, Match 9

'Veep' vs. 'The Amazing Race'

— Primetimer (@primetimercom) September 15, 2019

Round 1, Match 10

Ozark
Network: Netflix
Nominations: 9, including Outstanding Drama Series

Netflix's dark (literally dark) series about a money-laundering couple — played by Jason Bateman and Laura Linney  — who get caught up in organized crime in the titular Ozark mountains is frequently the butt of Bloodline-esque jokes about who even follows it, but Netflix consistently makes mention of the show as one of its most-watched dramas. It's certainly been campaigning well, given all its nominations.

The Good Place
Network: NBC
Nominations: 5, including Outstanding Comedy Series

After three seasons of lovable characters, ethical philosophy, bonkers comedy, and wild twists of plot, NBC's fervently beloved comedy series got its first Emmy nod for Best Comedy. Having just aired its most ambitious season, the show presents a double-edged sword for Emmy voters: Its spotlight episodes are knockouts, but you'll need a whole lot of context to jump right in.

The Matchup: You could not have picked more polar opposite shows to face off. The Good Place is cool and beloved on social media; Ozark represents Netflix's excesses, and centers on an unlikable Jason Bateman performance. The upset possibilities are seriously ripe.

Primetimer Ultimate Emmys Bracket Round 1, Match 10

'Ozark' vs. 'The Good Place'

— Primetimer (@primetimercom) September 15, 2019

Watch for more matches in the coming days (and follow us on Twitter and/or like us on Facebook for direct access to the polls as they're released).

Joe Reid is the senior writer at Primetimer and co-host of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. His work has appeared in Decider, NPR, HuffPost, The Atlantic, Slate, Polygon, Vanity Fair, Vulture, The A.V. Club and more.