“Fleabag,” Billy Porter, a plague from Masked Singers. Here are some of the ups and downs of Emmy extravaganza on Sunday.
The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards began with awards for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and ended with a big win for “Game of Thrones”. But between these expected results were many real surprises and exciting results.
“Fleabag”, Phoebe Waller-Bridges biting and moving Amazon series, dominated the comedy category, including longtime Emmy favorite “Veep” for top comedy. Jodie Comer and Waller Bridge received unexpected but welcome acting awards. Billy Porter wrote History as the first openly gay winner for the best actor in a drama. Michelle Williams and Patricia Arquette gave memorable thank-you speeches.
It was inevitable that a few trifles would get out of hand: a misguided announcement tricks tried the patience of the people and Masked Singers infested the Microsoft theater like gigantic, colorful vermin. Here are some of the ups and downs of Emmy extravaganza on Sundays. – Jeremy Egner
Homer and Friends Fill the Host Void
Much of the pre-ceremony coverage focused on the fact that the Emmys were without a host this year, and certainly the night began with none other than Homer Simpson strolling across the stage (Augmented Reality style), before he was leveled by an animated piano.
The play continued as Anthony Anderson, the star of the Black-ish, jumped out of his place. “We will be able to do without a host tonight!” He said, making it his business to save the show. He found his savior in multi-emmy winner Bryan Cranston, who introduced a montage of clips saying, “Watching TV has never been so damn good.”
The opening was an A-list that some may have not even noticed that there is no leader. At least it did not matter.
But some people did, or at least pretend, that caused a lot of laughter among the audience. A little later on the television program, late-night presenters Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel drew the format of the show. “Alright, well, how’s the old no-host thing?” Colbert said.
“What a stupid idea,” Kimmel answered. “Do you know what a host has? Applebee has a host. “
We are “the real victims,” said Colbert. “If we leave this slide, they’ll use Alexa next to introduce the nominees.” And that, of course, prompted the voice of Amazon’s clever speaker assistant Alexa: “OK, here are the nominees for the lead actress in a comedy series.” – MAYA SALAM
Thomas Lennon Sort of Agreed With His Critics
Instead of a host, actor and comedian Thomas Lennon was on hand to provide comments and pushes between the segments. But the joke announcement just did not work, which he apparently admitted himself and said, “That’s why people do not do that because it’s shit.” Part of it was the material – I’m not sure if Chernobyl are jokes are the way to go – but a bigger problem was how tense it felt to be too separate from the actual broadcast. According to some comments, a microphone accidentally picked up Snark, and the timing never seemed right, so it never developed a proper rhythm. – MARGARET LYONS
Phoebe Waller-Bridge: The Pervy, Angry Belle of the Ball
“This is a love story.” The series introduced the stunning second season of “Fleabag” and pretty much described how Emmy’s Phoebe received Waller Bridge. Veep “for the best comedy and received an award for the direction. And Waller Bridge, with the casual, quick-witted charm she showed in the series, was the insignificant queen of awards. “It’s really wonderful to know and reassuring,” she said, “that a dirty, perverted, angry, confused woman can make it to the Emmys.” – JAMES PONIEWOZIK
Billy Porter Makes History
Billy Porter, starring in “Pose”, the FX drama of the New York ball scene in the 1980s and 1990s, laid the foundation on Sunday. The actor became the first open gay winner of the best actor in a drama, and his speech was true to form, arousing and heartfelt. When Porter quoted James Baldwin and explained that “We all have the right to exist,” the ceremony took on a new level of meaning. – AISHA HARRIS
Masked and Ubiquitous
Did you know that there is a show called “The Masked Singer”? If you have seen this year’s Emmy ceremony, you know it now.
Of course, the network issuing the awards is expected to find ways to integrate its own content. But the schilling for Fox’s bizarre contest show, where celebrities of different stature and relevance sing pop songs while hiding behind ridiculously elaborate costumes and masks, was the next level.
Before the ceremony began, the disguised candidates for the upcoming second season were trotted on the purple carpet. During the show, they appeared on stage as a logo in the corner of the screen and in several commercials. Perhaps the worst was a too long and very listless game between the presenter of Masked Singer, Nick Cannon, and one of the judges, Ken Jeong. It is doubtful that this overkill turned the once-so-happy people into believers. – AISHA HARRIS
About That Bit …
Social media segments are common at awards shows these days, but they’re always a complete drag. No one quite seemed to get Jeong and Cannon’s tedious TikTok routine, which included making a video of the audience. It was also awkwardly sandwiched between Alex Borstein’s speech about her grandmother surviving the Holocaust and the award for best comedy writing, which went to Phoebe Waller-Bridge. It was a lousy bit unto itself, but the placement made it seem even worse. — MARGARET LYONS
Michelle Williams Brings the House Down
Michelle Williams, who won a limited series for “Fosse / Verdon” as the outstanding actress, had one of the most enthusiastic speeches of the night. It was an assembly call to give women in Hollywood the same money and funds that were given to male actors. “When you put value in a person, does that person have the opportunity to connect with their own intrinsic value, and where do they use that value?” She asked. “They put it into their work.”
Williams cut salary earlier: she should earn less than 1 percent of what co-star Mark Wahlberg got for the movie “All Money in the World.” – NANCY COLEMAN
Your Next Emmy Hosts?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Bill Hader presenting the award for best actor in a limited series was bright, silly and short. “What’s a limited series, Bill?” “A limited series is a show that’s been canceled.” The show didn’t suffer from a lack of hosts per se, but if the Academy wanted to go a different way next year, consider these two for the gig. — MARGARET LYONS
A Poignant Moment for the Exonerated Five
Jharrel Jerome’s victory as best actor in a limited series for playing a wrongfully convicted youth in Ava DuVernay’s “When They See Us” was a welcome surprise enough. The most striking moment of his acceptance speech, however, was when he drew attention to the Exonerated Five – the men whose story of injustice and racist stereotypes brought the series to life – who were free and confirmed in the audience. The Emmys is always a celebration of entertainment and fantasy, but for a moment it became something else: history. – JAMES PONIEWOZIK