Emmys 2024: Best and Worst Moments

the bear The New York stage star has been a fixture for decades, juggling off-Broadway work with appearances in TV shows and films. But her role as Tina, the feisty Beef chef who hides a softer side, launched her into a different league. In a breathless speech, the Bronx-born, Puerto Rican actress concluded her speech with a resolute, inspiring call to action: “To all the Latinas who look up to me: Keep believing. And vote. Vote for your rights. Thank you. Thank you.”

It certainly was. Her third win Breakthroughsand her sixth Emmy overall, but Jean Smart is so beloved in Hollywood that the entire Peacock Theatre stood for her as she walked on stage anyway. And of course, she didn’t disappoint, saying, “I’m so humble, and I appreciate it, because I don’t get enough attention,” to laughter from the audience. After mixing up HBO and Max, she muttered, “Just what we need, another network.” One of the best lines of the night from one of the best lines ever.

In the elections In a season that has seen household pets take on a strange significance, the 2024 Emmys had their share of them, too. Early on, Selena Gomez joked that Only murders in the building Co-stars Martin Short and Steve Martin were “cat ladies without children,” a reference to Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. J.D. Vance's generalizations about the Democratic Party base. They later accepted the award for best written variety series for last nightHost John Oliver hilariously mispronounced his son Hudson’s name as “my husband” (“That’s going to come back to haunt me,” he noted) before choking up as he thanked his “idiot” and recently deceased family dog ​​as orchestral music played for him and his crew offstage. “Perfect choice of music,” Oliver joked, adding, “I feel like Sarah McLachlan right now.” He then shouted, “Go to hell! There you go,” continuing, regardless of the reference: “She was an amazing dog, and this isn’t just for her. This is for all dogs! All dogs. You’re very good girls, very good boys. You all deserve a reward.” Finally, he told the producers, “Get off me now!” The audience audibly appreciated his affection for the dog.

In one of One of the most delightful surprises of the night, Lamorne Morris won Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology or Movie for his role as police officer Whitley “Wit” Farr in the final season of FargoThis was Morris' first Emmy win (and nomination) and to get it, he had to beat out Jonathan Bailey (Travel companions), Tom Goodman Hill (baby reindeer), the late Treat Williams (Feud: Capote vs. Pelican), and recent Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. (sympathetic). If you can't catch Maurice in FargoYou may have known him from New girlWhere he spent seven seasons playing the charming, eccentric, cat-obsessed Winston Bishop. Such a role can often be a mixed blessing for a professional actor: You get a bit of career stability and an amazing launching pad for whatever comes next—though whatever comes next often involves fighting against stereotypes and separating yourself from that character. With Fargo Winning (not to mention his upcoming role as Garrett Morris – no relation – in SNL film, Saturday nightMorris seems to navigate that difficult terrain adeptly. He's definitely not just Winston Bishop, he's also: Oh my God, Winston Bishop won an Emmy!

Awards show love. At best, this means the typical three-hour speeches and segments interspersed with some over-the-top montages celebrating the various aspects of the craft required to make a great film or TV show, or just a whole bunch of memorable lines and scenes strung together. However, the 2024 Emmys gave us the dumbest version of this: a whole bunch of “honoring things.” [Insert Character Archetype Here]“That means there were tributes scattered throughout the show to fathers, villains, mothers, doctors, lawyers, coaches, and cops. During these tributes, a few actors who embodied one of the aforementioned archetypes (see “villains” Antony Starr, Kathy Bates, and Giancarlo Esposito above) would come on stage and make some jokes about playing that archetype. Then there was the awkward transition of these actors handing out an award that had nothing to do with the archetype they had just praised. A waste of time and talent. The lawyer tribute was definitely the dumbest of all. Bring back the clip montage!

No, not this. 1. It's fitting that the writer of the slyly funny spy series slow horses He began his speech with a glib joke (or so it seemed): “Relax,” said Will Smith—white and very English—as he took to the stage and accepted his award for best dramatic writing (beating out several heavy favorites). Shogun“Despite my name, I come in peace.” Things might have gone differently if Chris Rock had been spouting cheap lines from the stage, but either way, the Oscar slap is the award show gift that keeps on giving.

If Larry David didn't attend this year's ceremony, it was for two good reasons: 1) There were too many people; and 2) Curb your enthusiasm The series was routinely and criminally ignored by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences during its nearly quarter-century run, earning 55 Emmy nominations and winning just two, for directing and editing. This despite the fact that David, a TV icon, played “himself”—a misanthrope who has every reason to be happy with his fame and fortune—to hilarious perfection throughout that time, cementing the series as a comedy cornerstone of its era. curbIn the final season of the series, David lost the award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series to Jeremy Allen White of The bear (who won the same award earlier this year, come on), while curb Lost Outstanding Comedy Series Award Breakthroughs. A wonderful surprise winner (it turned out to be The bear It may not be a comedy after all, but it doesn't give a damn. curb Is it due to be delivered sometime before now? That's too bad.

Maybe it didn't happen. The good news for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards is that this was technically the second Emmy Awards in a calendar year. You may (or may not) remember that the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards were held in January after being postponed from their usual September slot due to the then-Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild strikes. As such, there was probably a bit of Emmy fatigue. The telecast certainly felt like a chore, in a way that goes beyond the usual awards show routine. There were some pleasant surprises (awards for 10… Breakthroughs, TraitorsLamorne Morris), but almost everyone expected to win, and they won (The bear Stars Shogun, baby reindeerHosts Dan and Eugene Levy ran the show with quiet charm. Perhaps the craziest moments were John Oliver’s Freudian slip and the great Catherine O’Hara pretending to tear up her ballot for Best Comedy Series — the fitting penultimate act of the entire show, in a way. And don’t even get us started (again) on those stupid nods. At least this time, there’s a full 12 months until the next Emmys.