I said it last season & I'll say it again. William Jackson Harper, more than anyone on the cast, & perhaps anyone in comedy right now, deserves an Emmy for this show. I had never heard of him before this, & yet I don't think they could've done this show without him. His influence is that integral. He creates something, in rather short order, that allows for the rest of the thing to sail on a momentum, that he fuels. I believe his character's authenticity more than any of the others.
He has given the most profoundly ranged, diverse, & nuanced performance, of the bunch. I know Eleanor is the principle lead, & Kristen Bell is pretty much the star of the show, but without having him to play off of, in the very special way he put his performances together, none of this works as well as it did imho