The writers delve into what makes their nominated episodes work

Can you sum up an entire episode of a TV show in one episode, if… key — Scene? Maybe it shouldn’t be, but at The Envelope we like to say, “Yeah, yeah!” It’s true: One scene alone can’t win a show an Emmy, but, in context, the most notable scene from a nominated episode absolutely underscores what makes a particular show unique, powerful, moving…and worth watching. So, once again, with feeling: According to the nominated writers and producers of this year’s comedy and drama writing nominees, these are the key scenes that will reveal their stories to you.

COMEDY

Laszlo (Matt Berry) joins a gay pride parade in the “What We Do in the Shadows” episode “Pride Parade.”

(Russ Martin/Special Effects)

'What We Do in the Shadows' (FX)

Episode: “Pride Parade” (written by Jake Bender and Zach Dunn)

Here's the key: Nandor crashes from space while Laszlo and the other vampires are organizing their neighbor Sean's pride parade.

The big problem: “Our goal was to ground this potentially far-fetched space story by basing it on the uncertainty of Nandor,” Dunn writes in an email. Bender adds: “The physics of Nandor flying into space and plummeting back to Earth would likely not hold up to scientific scrutiny, so we hope Neil deGrasse Tyson never sees this.”

Four women enter a house decorated for a party in "Girls5Eva."

'Girls5Eva' (Netflix)

Episode: “Orlando” (written by Meredith Scardino and Sam Means)

Here's the key: Taffy, a long-time Girls5Eva fan who is now married to a billionaire, throws a birthday party and brings the band along. Dawn sees her as a sympathetic figure.

The big problem: Taffy turns out to be more clear about her motivations than Dawn thinks, and Dawn begins to respect the nostalgia factor for her band. “She may be embarrassed by the bad messages they sent back then, but there’s something she misses that she can tap into now, that bravery from when you’re younger,” Scardino says.

A man looks very happy at a high school reunion in "The other two."

'The Other Guys' (HBO)

Episode: “Brooke Hosts a Night of Undeniable Kindness” (written by Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider)

Here's the key: After falling face first into a diaper full of his own urine, Cary finally realizes what's missing from his life.

The big problem: “It represents a pivotal moment for Cary: will he finally realize, after eight episodes of prioritizing work at the expense of personal relationships, that what he needs, that missing “Is there friendship and community in his life?” executive producer Andrew Singer asks in an email. “And then… no! He learns exactly the wrong lesson.”

Two women chat with a coffee table between them. "Tricks."

'Hacks' (HBO)

Episode: “Bulletproof” (written by Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs and Jen Statsky)

Here's the key: Ava confronts Deborah about her lies and betrayal, then blackmails her into taking over as head writer.

The big problem: “Ava has taken all the lessons she learned from Deborah over three seasons and uses them against her, changing the power dynamic completely,” Aniello, Downs and Statsky write in a joint email. “Deborah and Ava are “Same thing, there's nothing more important to them than comedy. But it's complicated because Ava is doing this for the good of the show and Deborah is doing it because she knows they're better together.”

A woman stands up to speak at a meeting of teachers sitting in folding chairs in "Abbott Elementary School."

'Abbott Elementary School (ABC)

Episode: “Career Day” (written by Quinta Brunson)

Here's the key: Janine reveals to Gregory that she received an offer to temporarily leave her job as a teacher and accept a scholarship in the school district.

The big problem: “This scene…highlights the will-they-or-won’t-they nature of Gregory and Janine’s relationship, and forces the characters to weigh how much they love each other and how much they care about work,” co-showrunners Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker write in an email. “The conflict between ambition and love is particularly evident with these two 20-something characters trying to find their way.”

DRAMA

Two men, one with his wrists tied, talk in "Shogun."

'Sheeither'gun' (special effects)

Episode: “Anjin” (written by Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo)

Here's the key: What begins as a straightforward interrogation of the ship's pilot John Blackthorne turns into chaos when the stranger challenges the priest translating for them.

The big problem: “We see Blackthorne identify his true enemy in this land: not the Japanese or his Portuguese rivals, but the very idea of translation,” Marks and Kondo write in an email. “The fact that Blackthorne turns the tables on this adversarial priest is his greatest triumph in the series. The manipulation of language is, indeed, the central concern of our show. Words matter.”

Anna Sawai as Lady Mariko is surrounded by guards with spears in "Shogun."

'Sheeither'gun' (special effects)

Episode: “Crimson Sky” (written by Rachel Kondo and Caillin Puente)

Here's the key: Lady Mariko publicly announces to Lord Ishido and Lady Ochiba that she will not be held captive and creates a diplomatic crisis.

The big problem: “With carefully chosen words, Mariko upends societal rules and reclaims her identity in the face of a system that has worked to shame her,” Kondo and Puente write in an email. “This scene is a point of no return. Mariko’s defiance has set her on an unstoppable trajectory that finally allows her to reclaim the purpose she’s been searching for her entire life.”

A man with a disfigured face wears a cowboy hat as he walks through ruins in "Fallout."

'Fallout' (Prime Video)

Episode: “The End” (written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner)

Here's the key: A nuclear disaster not only ends the world, but interrupts a child's birthday party, leaving a movie cowboy trying to escape the destruction with his daughter.

The big problem: “It’s the 1950s, but it’s not ours, because there are robots and you’re dropped into it,” says Wagner. Robertson-Dworet adds: “The story is about a man trying to escape, with his daughter, the beginning of a nuclear war on horseback, and that image is key to the show. It’s an emotional, violent image. And also, how can you escape the end of the world on horseback?”

Lesley Manville holds a telephone receiver in her lap with a distant look in her eyes. "Ritz" episode of "The crown."

'The Crown' (Netflix)

Episode: “Ritz” (written by Peter Morgan and Meriel Sheibani-Clare)

Here's the key: In a flashback to V-Day 1945, London is celebrating victory and Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth sneak out of the palace for the night. Margaret finds Elizabeth dancing with American soldiers in the basement of the Ritz Hotel.

The big problem: “Young Elizabeth is more carefree in this scene than we’ve seen her before,” Morgan and Sheibani-Clare write in an email. “Margaret acknowledges her sister’s fleeting happiness and allows her to enjoy it without interference. This is also the episode in which Princess Margaret finally dies, leaving Elizabeth alone, so the scene is a touching tribute to the two sisters’ extraordinary closeness, encapsulated in their joyous dance at the end.”

Donald Glover and Maya Erskine share a moment of closeness in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

(Main video)

Episode: “First Date” (written by Francesca Sloane and Donald Glover)

Here's the key: Rookie spies John and Jane arrive home from their first mission, and as they try to relax, the weight of their dangerous new life together catches up with them.

The big problem: “It’s a moment of real vulnerability — two very lonely people admitting things to each other that they’ve never shared with anyone else,” Sloane writes in an email. “They’re both overwhelmed and comforted by having someone to say goodnight to for the first time.”

A bloodied man leans against a car in "Slow horses."

'Slow Horses' (Apple TV+)

Episode: “Dealing with Tigers” (written by Will Smith)

Here's the key: River realizes that his arch-enemy and former agent, Spider, was involved in the operation that caught him. Not only that, River was specifically selected because he was considered an easy target.

The big problem: At the height of the River-Spider rivalry, it seems Spider has the upper hand. “He even boasts, ‘The gods are shining on me today,’ not knowing that he is just as out of place as River and is about to die,” Smith writes in an email.

COMEDY

DRAMA

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