I had July 13 marked on my calendar for months.  That was the day that the 2017 Emmy nominations were to be revealed, and my favorite show, Bates Motel, was finally, FINALLY going to get the recognition it deserved after an epic and buzzworthy final season.  Or so I thought.  Alas, I opened my computer that morning to find that once again, my fave had been snubbed.

Let me help you understand my pain.  Bates Motel is A&E’s clever and darkly funny prequel to the classic movie Psycho, following a young Norman and his mother.  The last ten episodes premiered this spring to very positive reviews from fans and critics alike. Yet Bates, while possessed of a dedicated fan base, is a show so underappreciated that when it won three People’s Choice Awards earlier this year, star Vera Farmiga thought it was a joke and executive producer Kerry Ehrin tweeted that it must be an indicator of the apocalypse.

Maybe your favorite show is Westworld or The Handmaid’s Tale, which both scored lots of nominations.  Well la dee da, good for you.  You will be happy dancing your way to the Emmys ceremony on September 17, while I will be crying into my popcorn.  I will still be watching, however, because even the absolute injustice of Freddie Highmore being denied an Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series nod for the fifth year running cannot keep this pop culture junkie away from TV’s biggest night.

I know I’m not alone, however.  Perhaps you are feeling a similar pain.  Perhaps you too were rooting for Bates, or are a diehard fan of another snubbed show, like The Leftovers or Insecure.  Misery loves company, but I want to help my fellow snubbed fans tolerate (and maybe even enjoy) this year’s Emmy ceremony.  Here’s how to get through the show without breaking your TV in a righteous rage.

Root for your second choice

I know, this seems really hard.  But acceptance is an important step.  In the categories about which you’re most miffed, find someone to cheer for so you’re not just sitting there stewing about what could have been.  For me, this is relatively easy, since another show I like, This is Us, is nominated in all the categories that I was hoping would feature Bates.  If Freddie Highmore can’t take home the Lead Actor trophy, then I really hope Sterling K. Brown does.

If you don’t watch any of the shows in that are nominated in those categories, pick someone to root for anyway.  Maybe it’s an actress with a cool social media presence or a show that is really forward-thinking.  Finding a reason to pull for at least one nominee gives you a chance of feeling somewhat rewarded by the Emmys.

Find other categories you’re excited about

While the Drama Series, Drama Actor, and Supporting Drama Actress categories may have deeply disappointed me, the comedy nominations are pretty awesome.  I don’t even know who to root for in the Lead Actress in a Comedy category–how can I choose between Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Tracee Ellis Ross?  There is still a good chance that one of my other faves will win something that night.

Again, even if you’re not into any of the nominees, all is not lost.  Ask your friends who they’d like to see win, and then support them like the true blue friend you are.  Fill out Emmy ballots or bet on winners so you have more motivation to see certain shows and stars triumph.  Basically, find a way to make it fun.

Tune in just to see Stephen Colbert host

Stephen Colbert is hosting this year’s Emmys.  Need I say more?  No matter how upset you are about your favorite show being ignored, you’re guaranteed to laugh out loud at least once during the broadcast.

Rewatch your fave

The most important thing to remember is that the Emmys are not the be-all-and-end-all judgement of a TV show.  At the end of the day, an Emmy is just a piece of metal that one group of people voted to give to someone.  Just because your favorite series got snubbed, doesn’t mean it’s not AWESOME — and come on, you don’t need me to tell you that.

The number of nominations a show gets is tiny and inconsequential compared to the number of fans whose lives it touches.  If a show or performance moved you this year, celebrate that.  Tweet the actors, share GIFs on Tumblr, read some fanfiction.  Restart the show from the beginning or rewatch your favorite episodes.  Hey, you may be so busy binge watching that you forget to turn on the Emmys.