Did we all enjoying the Emmys tonight? “But didn’t we do this eight months ago?” you’re asking. Yes, but those were the strike-delayed Emmys celebrating the TV from 2022 to ’23. These were the regularly scheduled Emmys celebrating the TV from 2023 to ’24. Keep up! Succession is out, Shōgun is in. The Morning Show was being celebrated for its 2023 season that depicted the events of 2021, while The Bear cleaned up for its season that aired not this past summer but the one before that. What even is time? Speaking of which, season four of True Detective earned six nominations.
It wasn’t the most explosive ceremony ever — someone rude might even call it a snooze — but there were still some moments that made it all worth it. Here are the night’s highlights:
Billy Crudup is a wife guy
For some reason, the Television Academy loves The Morning Show, as evidenced by Billy Crudup’s win for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama. He spent most of his acceptance speech lauding praise onto his “piece of eye candy,” Naomi Watts, who is also nominated tonight (for Feud: Capote vs. the Swans). She’s an actress, an immigrant, and she starts businesses, too!
Liza Colón-Zayas was genuinely surprised
Did voters think they were voting for her stand-alone episode from season three of The Bear? Maybe, but Colón-Zayas deserved her historic win nonetheless. In her speech, the theater legend was clearly shocked that she was the person standing onstage. “Thank you to my husband, David Zayas. He told me to write a speech and I didn’t, because I didn’t think it would be possible,” she said. “How could I have thought it would be possible to be in the presence of Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett and Janelle and Sheryl Lee Ralph. I love you all — I revere you to the bottom of my heart.”
Traitors wins!
This is a huge moment for all of us who have had Peacock accounts since before the Olympics. The most outstanding reality-competition program actually won the award for Outstanding Reality Competition Program. Alan Cumming accepted the award in one of his classic tartan outfits and thanked the nations of Scotland and Holland. That’s how you do it.
An Y Tu Mamá También reunion
Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna reunited on the Emmys stage to present the award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. They said they wanted to help bring in a wider audience for the Emmys, which I thought meant they were going to kiss. Instead, they did all of their banter in Spanish. I’ll take it.
The Olympics might be over …
But Dancing With the Stars (an ABC property) is just about to begin. The show will have two Olympians on the roster this season, and you bet ABC was going to get its synergy moment. Olympians Ilona Maher, Stephen Nedoroscik, Caeleb Dressel, and Paralympian Ezra Frech were trotted out during the ceremony to hand an envelope to Jane Lynch and Brendan Hunt. Get it? Because those two played coaches on TV and they’re real athletes? It’s a bit of a stretch, but I liked seeing them onstage. Plus, it reminded me that I’m kind of looking forward to Maher and Nedoroscik on DWTS. Great work, ABC marketing team.
Jodie Foster
Need I say more? I don’t, but I will. Foster took home her first Emmy for True Detective: Night Country. She received a well-deserved standing ovation and thanked the Indigenous peoples of northern Alaska for sharing their stories. No one does a speech like, Jodie — don’t you forget it.
A great night for Shōgun
Anna Sawai won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama, Hiroyuki Sanada won for Outstanding Lead Actor, and the show won for Outstanding Drama Series. This brought the show’s grand total up to a record-breaking 18 Emmys. Taste!
The “bee-nado” 9-1-1 trailer
Yes, ABC was more intent on pushing the show where Joshua Jackson plays a cruise-ship doctor, but I was much more compelled by whatever the hell is going on here. Twenty-two million killer bees on the loose in Los Angeles? We’re in a new golden (and black) age of television.
This post has been updated.