Emmys 2022: The best, worst, and weirdest moments from TV's big night

Who thought it would be a good idea to start the 2022 Emmys with a random tribute to Friends, The Brady Bunch, Game Of Thrones, and Law & Order: SVU, among other shows? And to do it with dancing to remixed versions of their theme songs? That time could’ve been spent honoring this year’s nominees instead (although Stranger Things was part of this bizarro presentation). Kenan Thompson’s monologue was far better and funnier, which makes this ridiculous song-and-dance routine feel even more cringe-worthy. Sorry to Thompson, who tried his best in that Targaryen wig. [Saloni Gajjar]

So while I was pulling for Station Eleven’s Himesh Patel to nab Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, Keaton (Dopesick) nevertheless set a nice, grounded, casual tone with the first win of the evening. It was a welcome follow-up to Oprah’s graceful but, frankly, pretty hyperbolic intro about how TV is the biggest medium and there are eight billion people in the world and that winning this statue has … “300 million to 1” odds or something. After hearing this, I (and I assume a lot of viewers) thought, “Cool?” Keaton told a gracious, simple story about his family winning a TV and him being obsessed with it and them, in turn, not giving him shit, in a charming, uncle-at-a-BBQ sort of way. [Tim Lowery]

After that kinda ridiculous big song-and-dance intro, Thompson fell into the groove of hosting, with a quick string of jokes that mostly landed, including one on Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating history and another on the whiteness of Succession. But I was partial to the not one but two digs at Netflix over its financial woes, particularly his jest that the streamer would be one of the financially strapped contestants on Squid Game season 2. [Tim Lowery]

Now I’ve never won an Emmy or anything, but if that happens, I’d like to imagine getting only 30-45 seconds or so would be a huge goddamn bummer. Compressing a ton of thank yous, processing emotions, and generally having to find the courage to address your peers takes an effort that shouldn’t be limited to a mere few seconds. Yes, the show needs to end within three hours, but could you imagine playing off Jennifer Coolidge to an extent that she had to dance to stay on stage? Almost every nominee who got up there, from Ozark’s Julia Garner to Squid Game’s Hwang Dong-hyuk to Succession’s Jesse Armstrong complained about the short time. The producers need to calm down with that playoff music. [Saloni Gajjar]

Raise your hand if Sheryl Lee Ralph’s moving victory left you in a puddle, too. The legendary actor bagged the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series trophy for her role as Barbara Howard in ABC’s Abbott Elementary. She was shocked when her name was announced, and her fellow co-stars had to help her process the win so she could walk to the stage. She then belted Diane Reeves’ “Endangered Species” in her glorious voice, and immediately set a high bar for speeches that no subsequent winner reached.

Ralph has been a bonafide Hollywood star for years now, so it’s nice to see the TV Academy honor her skills. She’s now the second Black woman to win in this category after Jackée Harry’s 1987 win for 227. She was also the only fresh winner in the main comedy acting categories this year, since Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, and Jean Smart all scored consecutive wins. Good for her. [Saloni Gajjar]

What else is there to say except yuck? This commercial took everyone watching a hot second to process. And now we’d like to memorialize it as a weird add-on to the Emmys ceremony. I’m sure throwing this in is more important than letting winners make their speeches without the music cutting them off, right? [Saloni Gajjar]

Can these three just host the show already? The jokes weren’t great or anything, but the chemistry between these Only Murders In The Building costars was, and the bit felt, compared to most of the other celeb ones this evening, way less written. It’s a formula—two old friends burning each other, a younger colleague dryly burning both of them about their ages—that proved perfect for the room, and it was the only time tonight I wished a lead-up to announcing a win went long. [Tim Lowery]

Coolidge nabbed her first Emmy ever for The White Lotus, saying, among other things, “You know I took a lavender bath tonight, right before the show, and it made me swell up inside my dress, and I’m having a hard time speaking.” Then, as the walk-off music started playing, she went on, eventually dancing along to it to rapturous applause in a very fun moment, complete with her sparkly green dress and matching ring. (Also, she was indeed fantastic in the show, so there’s that, too.) [Tim Lowery]

It’s rare for award presenters to do bits that make people laugh. Only a select few pulled them off at the 2022 Emmys, including the aforementioned Only Murders In The Building stars, The Office’s Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak, and the ever-enchanting Selma Blair—who deserved that standing ovation. But what about the rest? It’s hard to botch comedic talents like Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, Regina Hall, and Kumail Nanjiani, but these presenter jokes were terrible. None more so than Will Arnett and Jimmy Kimmel; the latter refused to get up and walk off the stage, instead imposing as an unwanted prop during Quinta Brunson’s Emmy win for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series. (Brunson seems like a better person than me for this.) [Saloni Gajjar]

White deserved those statues for Writing and Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his work on that phenom he created, The White Lotus. But I was also taken by his first speech, for writing, in which he thanked his parents and then, citing Survivor, a show he was a contestant on, said, essentially, that he just wants to keep making stuff and “Don’t vote me off the island, please.” It’s about playing the long game, after all. [Tim Lowery]

What was I saying about unnecessary comedic bits? Ah, yes, exactly that. Look, Mariska Hargitay and Chris (should-be-counted-in-the-Best-Chris-debate) Meloni share extraordinary chemistry. The Emmys should’ve just gotten them up on that stage to kiss—not have an almost kiss—like Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams did at the MTV Movie Awards years ago. Imagine the conversation and Twitter buzz it would start. Instead, the two Law & Order: SVU stars participate in a skit where they run behind a masked man who has stolen an Emmy. At least Hargitay got to boast about the two trophies she’s already won. But in the end, we all lost. [Saloni Gajjar]

Jerrod Carmichael will not be bothered by Los Angeles’ boiling heat. The comedian and actor attended the Emmys in a stunning white coat—look at that, it’s a total fashion serve. To top it all, he got to show it off on the Emmys stage when he won Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special for his HBO comedy special, Rothaniel, an unmissable stand-up act in which he opens up about his private life. Carmichael started off strong by saying, “I wanted to win, I’m happy I won,” and ended with a simple, “I’m going to go home.” A victory speech for the ages. [Saloni Gajjar]

So, what could Bill Hader have done differently as far as Barry’s fantastic third season? I’m … not sure. But I certainly wasn’t expecting him to come up empty-handed three times. In the end, the multi-hyphenate lost for Lead Actor and Outstanding Writing and Directing For A Comedy Series—and it’s that last one that stings the most. His work over season three, directing five of its eight episodes, made the case that he is indeed a serious filmmaker and prompted the many, many fans of this show (myself included) to anticipate his inevitable move to helming movies. [Tim Lowery]

Lee Jung-jae was my preferred Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, and I’m happy to be proven right. The South Korean superstar and Squid Game actor made history as the first actor of Asian descent to win in this category. That alone is worth celebrating. But if you need more, his performance is why Netflix’s survival drama remains engrossing to its violent season one end. He beat the odds by besting Succession’s beloved Jeremy Strong and Brian Cox, as well as fellow first-time nominee Adam Scott (for Severance). Don’t underestimate the power of Squid Game. As series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk said in his own acceptance speech, this is hopefully not the last time the show and its actors do well at the Emmys. [Saloni Gajjar]

Admittedly, this year’s dramas are some of TV’s all-timers. Succession, Squid Game, and new entrants like Yellowjackets and Severance all deserved the top spot. Yet it’s disheartening that AMC’s Better Call Saul didn’t win a single award all night, despite seven nominations. Rhea Seehorn’s snub, in particular, is unfathomable. All in all, BCS has scored 46 nominations during its run but has yet to win a single Emmy. This needs to be remedied, so I hope voters are ready to watch the show and hand out wins to Seehorn, Bob Odenkirk, and everyone else next year before it’s too late. [Saloni Gajjar]

DJ Zedd was certainly having a fun time because some of his song choices were truly unhinged. He played Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man” when Jason Sudeikis won Outstanding Comedy Actor for Ted Lasso. (Does Zedd know he’s unwittingly provided fuel to the Don’t Worry Darling drama?) The Supremes’ “Baby Love” played when Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak walked onstage to present Mike White his trophy. And the musical picks also include everything from Latto’s “Big Energy” to Coldplay. There was no meaning behind any of them. [Saloni Gajjar]

White was the official color of the night. Okay, not official, but several actors donned stellar suits to look hella dapper on a red carpet (which was in itself a weird combination of tan and blue). Anyway, here’s an appreciation of Andrew Garfield, Seth Rogen, John Legend, and Nicholas Braun, and how good they look in white. Oprah Winfrey obviously stole the show with her own red moment, as did Issa Rae with her own black-and-white gown. Red carpet moments can be fun—just ask some other fashion experts from this year, including Quinta Brunson, Himesh Patel, and Zendaya. Check out all the looks here. [Saloni Gajjar]

For all the talk of a pandemic, almost everyone in attendance forgot there’s one still going on, and masking is a wise idea. Before anyone comes at me, I know that vaccination cards were mandatory to enter the venue, but Hollywood loves to preach about COVID-19 safety protocols (see: Lorne Michaels’ victory speech). Yet only a few people were spotted with a mask, including Barry’s Bill Hader. [Saloni Gajjar]