With the 2018 Emmy Awards well under way, here are some of the highs and lows of this year’s awards show.
Best: Sandra Oh as a presenter
When presenting the award for Best Directing for a Comedy, Oh decided to speak from the heart in lieu of a prepared speech with her co-presenter Andy Samberg. The “Killing Eve” actress — who herself was nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama — got so flustered that she ripped the card with the winner’s name in half and announced “La La Land” as the winner. “Anything but that!” Samberg cut in.
Worst: The Opening Number
While entertaining, the opening number was all about diversity in Hollywood. And while the lyrics “we solved it” were tongue-in-cheek, the first several winners were all white — until Regina King won for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Movie — making the message fall flat.
Best: Chrissy Teigen and John Legend presenting Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
The couple presented the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie, and when Legend commented on what a year they’ve had, Teigen cut in to joke, “We know, we know” about her husband completing his EGOT.
Worst: Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph
While Armisen and Rudolph are a funny pair, their bits in between presenters fell flat. And for a show that often runs long, it didn’t seem a necessary way to spend air time.
Best: John Mulaney’s acceptance speech
When accepting his award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, Mulaney thanked his wife, who couldn’t be at the awards because she was in New York. Mulaney said that she told him, “I just can’t fly across the country to watch you lose,” which garnered laughs from the audience.
Best: The proposal
During his acceptance speech for Outstanding Directing of a Variety Special for “The Oscars,” Glenn Weiss proposed to his girlfriend Jan Svendsen.
“Do you know why I don’t like to call you my girlfriend?” the director said. “Because I want to call you my wife.” The crowd inside the Microsoft Theater immediately started cheering, and Svendsen started nodding her head “yes.”
