Emmys 2020: Lead Actress, Limited Series — Our Dream Nominees

The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be airing (in some form!) on Sept. 20. Before the real nominees are unveiled on July 28, we at TVLine have come up with our own dream nominations in 15 major categories. Scroll down to see our ideal contenders for Lead Actress in a Limited Series, then give us your thoughts!

DAISY EDGAR-JONES, NORMAL PEOPLE

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Rare is the actress who can not only break our hearts but make us feel every tiny piece fall away, one by one, as it slowly shatters; Edgar-Jones is such an actress. Balancing Marianne's feistiness and bravery with a self-loathing born of a horrific family life, Edgar-Jones left us over and over again holding our breath, in equal measure rooting and fearing for her damaged character. Here's hoping that, when the Emmy nominations are announced, we'll finally be able to exhale and cheer.

KAITLYN DEVER, UNBELIEVABLE

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: I was raped. With those three words — the first uttered by Dever's Marie Adler — Netflix's engrossing miniseries was set in motion, almost daring you to stay tuned as it told the story of a teenage rape victim whose case was heartlessly mishandled. Marie had been violated in a multitude of ways, but every question from the first officer on the scene cast aspersions on what transpired. In early episodes, Dever sold us on how Marie could be so disoriented by the reactions of police, nurses and two foster mothers that she'd get shaky on details to a degree that she would not only be disbelieved, but punished. Then, as the series wound down, Dever tapped into different emotions, as closure was at long last delivered.

LIZZY CAPLAN, CASTLE ROCK

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Caplan had considerable shoes to fill with her portrayal of mentally unbalanced nurse Annie Wilkes — and she rose to the challenge quite literally: Her commitment to Annie's odd, graceless walk oughta score an Emmy nod on its own. But rather than merely mimic Kathy Bates' Oscar-winning Misery work, Caplan showed us new and fascinating shades of Annie in Season 2 of Hulu's horror-drama, urging us to feel sorry for her even as we knew how her story would end. To leave Caplan off the Emmy ballot would simply be cockadoodie crazy.

MERRITT WEVER, UNBELIEVABLE

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: Given how disheartened we were by the treatment of teen rape victim Marie Adler early on in the Netflix mini, the arrival of Wever's Colorado police detective Karen Duvall was most welcome. As Duvall, Wever portrayed a LEO who was attentive and compassionate, a stark contrast to those who worked Marie's case years prior. She was also unstoppable in her solving of a mystery, forcing a team-up with Toni Collette's Grace Rasmussen that was a bit mismatched at the start, but eventually saw the detectives' best qualities rub off on each other. As bleak as Marie Adler's world was in the wake of her own assault, Wever's genuine, relatable performance gave us cause to hope that multiple, horrible wrongs would one day be righted.

SHIRA HAAS, UNORTHODOX

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: The Israeli actress brought a stunning delicacy to her portrayal of Esty, a pregnant teenager both driven to flee from her arranged marriage and ultra-orthodox Jewish community, and reluctant to condemn the traditions that had left her metaphorically imprisoned. As the runaway embarked on a new life abroad, her portrayer made the most of every hard-won smile, every revelation (no, ham wouldn't make her sick), giving us a sense of just how strange and sweet were her first tastes of freedom.

CATE BLANCHETT, MRS. AMERICA

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: We had little sympathy for Republican firebrand Phyllis Schlafly — played expertly by Blanchett in FX on Hulu's historical limited series — for most of Mrs. America's run. But... did you see how Blanchett conveyed Phyllis' devastation when she was passed over for a seat in Reagan's cabinet? Blanchett somehow managed to communicate her character's inner collapse without dropping a note of joviality from her voice or an inch from her patrician posture. The moment was a perfect cap for a season of excellence from the two-time Oscar winner.

REGINA KING, WATCHMEN

WHY SHE DESERVES A NOD: We were mesmerized by King from the first moment of her portrayal of Tulsa police detective Angela Abar, who was as likely to explode in jaw-busting anger as she was to retreat into a moment of tearful vulnerability. (At several points in the HBO series, you could almost see the physical effort it took her to rein in Angela's emotions.) Tapping into the character's bone-deep grief, King somehow managed to sell storylines about intergenerational trauma and a giant squid attack with equal aplomb. Is there anything the woman can't play?