Hosts Dan and Eugene Levy immediately addressed the topic that was on everyone's minds Sunday night at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
“I know some of you might be expecting us to make a joke about whether 'The Bear' is actually a comedy… but in the true spirit of 'The Bear,' we're not going to make any jokes,” Eugene Levy said during the opening monologue.
And lo and behold, enough Emmy voters agreed with the general sentiment that “Yeah, ‘The Bear’ is great … but it’s not really a comedy” to give the final award of the night, comedy series, to “Hacks,” a show that contains, you know, real jokes and humor and all that. (It also has plenty of drama, but it’s not nearly as emotionally draining as what you see on “The Bear.”)
As befits the Canadian hosts' homeland, it was a perfectly pleasant, mostly unsurprising spectacle (at least until… that final) but not without its share of moments. Let's review them.
Emmy for the best moment
“The Bear” premieres new seasons in June, which puts it in an odd position for the Emmys. All of the Emmys it won tonight were for its second season, which premiered 15 months ago. But members of the television academy were also watching the new season when they voted for the winners and saw Liza Colón-Zayas deliver her heartbreaking performance in “The Bear’s” stellar flashback episode, “Napkins,” which showed how Tina got her job at The Beef sandwich shop. Colón-Zayas also had a moment in Season 2 during Tina’s touching karaoke rendition of Freddy Fender’s “Before the Next Teardrop Falls.” But it sure didn’t hurt to have that extra episode on voters’ minds.
Emmy for the worst moment
But the problem for “The Bear” was that “Napkins” might have been the only standout episode in the show’s third season — which, again, was the season voters were watching as they filled out their ballots. As the first half of a two-part story (the third and upcoming fourth seasons were filmed back-to-back), the final batch of episodes felt, at times, like the show was going in circles. That led to an inevitable “‘The Bear’ isn’t that good” backlash, with critics saying the show was inconsistent and short on plot. Coupled with some genuine confusion and resentment about why “The Bear” was competing as a comedy, its loss to “Hacks” wasn’t a total surprise.
Jean Smart remains undefeated
After Colón-Zayas won the Emmy for best supporting actress in a comedy, it seemed inevitable that “The Bear” would sweep (but it didn’t). But that would be underselling Smart, who has already won six Emmys, including awards for all three seasons of “Hacks.” Of course, she’s wonderful, playing the indomitable Deborah Vance, a showbiz legend and a survivor. And she’s also a beautiful person, as you can see from her acceptance speech, which managed to be both sincere and sharp in just a minute. “It’s very humbling, it really is,” she said when accepting the trophy. “And I appreciate it because I just don’t get enough attention.” It should also be noted here that “Hacks” had a terrific season, its best yet. It deserved every Emmy it won.
Jodie Foster is feeling the 'love, love, love'
Smart received the first standing ovation of the night; Foster, who won her first Emmy along with two Oscars, received perhaps the longest. (It was a big night for older women.) Accepting the award for playing the local sheriff in “True Detective: Night Country,” Foster thanked the “Inupiaq and Inuit people of northern Alaska, who told us their stories and let us listen. And that was a blessing. It was love, love, love. And when you feel that, something amazing happens. It’s deep and wonderful, and it’s older than this place and this time. And that’s the message, which is that love and work equal art.”
The least surprising of the unsurprising Emmy awards
I thought a lot of things were true when we tuned into the ceremony Sunday night. Eugene and Dan Levy would gently entertain us. Ron Howard and Henry Winkler would evoke our 1970s nostalgia for a show set in the 1950s. And “Shōgun” would win the Emmy for best drama series. After all, it had already won 14 Emmys last weekend at the Creative Arts Emmys, the most ever for a single season of any show. And that didn’t even count the awards voters gave to the behind-the-scenes docuseries about the making of “Shōgun.” If there were an Emmy for Best Program That Started Life as a Limited Series but Became a Drama Series Because No One Wanted It to End After One Season, “Shōgun” would have won it. Or maybe it did? There are so many Emmy categories, who’s to say?
The best censored moment
“Fuck you! I feel like Sarah McLachlan right now.” John Oliver, after winning another Emmy for his series “Last Week Tonight,” took a moment to pay tribute to his beloved dog, Hoagie, who had since passed away, but what got him going was the cheesy orchestral tie-breaker music from the awards show. So he reacted the only way he could. (He’s very good at shouting profanities. I think he won an Emmy or two for it.)
Speech that best exemplifies the tone of the winner's show (and why “The Bear” probably isn't a comedy)
Jeremy Allen White, fresh off winning the Emmy for best comedy actor for his role as stressed-out chef Carmy in “The Bear,” took the stage in an apparent state of panic. “My heart was pounding,” he said. White composed himself and gave a heartfelt speech, but then walked offstage in the wrong direction.
The best version of the obligatory greeting from the winner to his children.
Lamorne Morris, who received the Emmy for best supporting actor in a miniseries for his work on “Fargo,” said: “My beautiful daughter, Lily. I love you. I told you I would. You always doubted me.” Lily turned 4 on Saturday.
In God we trust
“Baby Reindeer” became a phenomenon after being off the radar when it began Emmy campaigning earlier this spring. Creator and star Richard Gadd, dressed in a kilt, gave three speeches after winning Emmys for writing, acting and miniseries; the last of them drew some cheers from the audience.
“I know the industry is in a crisis right now, and I know that might force or pressure networks to tighten their purse strings and expand offerings, but I don’t think any crisis has been overcome without a willingness to take risks,” Gadd said. “If ‘Baby Reindeer’ has proven anything, it’s that there’s no set formula for this — that you don’t need big stars, proven IP, long-running series or all-encompassing storytelling to be successful.”
Saul Goodman Award for Emmy Futility
“Better Call Saul” earned — and I mean earned — 53 Emmy nominations over its six seasons, but it never won a single award. This year, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” gave us a sad send-off. (Sad for us. I don’t get the sense that Larry David is that torn up about it.) Voters offered no parting gift, leaving the celebrated series’ final total at two wins (directing and picture editing) out of 55 nominations. It’s an honor to be nominated, so pretty… pretty… pretty good?
The Emmy loser has a better chance of winning an Emmy next year
Yes, Pedro Pascal will be back for “The Last of Us,” and his character will have a lot of explaining to do. And Adam Scott will be back for “Severance,” and it’s possible someone will show up in the next season of “White Lotus.” But Gary Oldman and “Slow Horses” finally made their way into the Emmy voters this year, and I don’t see how Oldman won’t take home the trophy for his portrayal of the foul-mouthed, flatulent, booze-soaked, greasy British intelligence officer Jackson Lamb. I’ll bet my last Alka-Seltzer on him.
