BENJAMONSTER AWARDS: Outstanding Writing of a Drama Series

Today's award is Outstanding Writing of a Drama Series!

The nominees are:

JESSE ARMSTRONG, Succession "This is Not for Tears" (HBO)

KERRY EHRIN, The Morning Show "The Interview" (Apple TV+)

MIKI JOHNSON, Ozark "Fire Pink" (Netflix)

LAURA KENAR, This is Us "A Hell of a Week Part Three" (NBC)

J.C. LEE, The Morning Show "Lonely at the Top" (Apple TV+)

PETER MORGAN, The Crown "Margaretology" (Netflix)

RYAN MURPHY & JANET MOCK, Pose "Never Knew Love Like This Before" (FX)

And the Winner Is...
JESSE ARMSTRONG
Succession "This is Not for Tears" (HBO)
This was a tough one to pick. All of the nominees are examples of really strong writing but so many of them are also punctuated by a standout performance. The reason I went with Jesse Armstrong's season finale for Succession is that it is a standout episode for all the characters and that is a testament to the writing more than anything. "This is Not for Tears" was jam packed with plot and ended with a nice twist to set up the third season. By the end of season two, Armstrong and his team of writers had spent so much time (and some growing pains here and there to be honest) really defining the characters. By the time this episode rolled around, each characters strengths and (many) flaws were pretty clear and they could interact more effectively. It made me very excited for season three, whenever that happens!

Thoughts on the Rest of the Nominees:
There were two entries for The Morning Show on this list, which picked up steam as it went along. "Lonely at the Top," featuring Steve Carell's character prominently, and the explosive finale both revealed a show and writing staff that was getting more and more comfortable with trusting its incredible cast. The penultimate episode of Ozark's third season really amped up the intensity. The Princess Margaret focused episode of The Crown was a fascinating portrayal of two very different sisters. Pose's "Never Knew Love Like This Before" featured a beautifully written eulogy delivered by Billy Porter's character. Finally, the conclusion of the very well done trilogy about the big three on This is Us was perhaps the show's best story for Kate (Chrissy Metz) so far.

Tomorrow: Outstanding Directing of a Limited/Anthology Series!