Mariska Hargitay, the longtime star of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, hosted the 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, and the ceremony brought plenty of surprises. Some were real upsets. Others carried a clear point behind them. We take a look at the biggest snubs and surprises from the night here.
Hargitay Hosts, and the Stars Arrive
Hargitay stepped onto the stage to host the evening, and a number of unexpected moments kept viewers on edge throughout the night. Among them was an early surprise involving Taylor Swift, who somehow managed to appear in two places at once.
A comedy sketch was taped by Swift to back up Hargitay’s hosting gig. That allowed her to attend her husband Travis Kelce’s opening game of the season with the Kansas City Chiefs. This shows Swift finding time for both her singing career and her love of sports.
Rhys Beats Isaac in Lead Actor
Matthew Rhys made history at the ceremony by winning two acting awards. He took home lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie for his performance in Beef, and then went on to also claim lead actor in a comedy series. That meant he became the first person ever to take both prizes in the same year. Oscar Isaac had been the favorite to win the lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie category.
The sweep came as a shock, particularly given that Isaac’s performance had been forecast to triumph by the pundits.
Colbert’s Final Season Wins
The final season of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earned a variety series award. That recognition followed a notable adjustment to the category itself. In 2015, outstanding variety series was divided into two separate awards: outstanding variety sketch series and outstanding talk series. For this year, though, the split has been undone, and the two categories have been brought back together.
The ending of his show brought plenty of controversy, so Colbert had a real chance to take home the combined category. He’d already claimed the talk series crown last year, while the juggernaut of John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight had kept winning the variety sketch series statue. The merged category win came as a surprise.
Slow Horses Takes Drama Directing
The writing field brought its own surprises. Amid starry and showy nominees like Noah Wyle and Vince Gilligan, Slow Horses director Saul Metzstein snuck in with a win for the episode “Scars.”. The victory came despite the stiff competition.
Writing Goes to Pluribus
In the writing category, the drama field produced its own upset, with Gilligan’s out-there Pluribus besting more down-to-earth storytelling. The victory came as a surprise.
Supporting Actresses Split the Vote
One snub was less about who won and more about who didn’t. The supporting actresses of The Pitt may have canceled each other out. While Allison Janney is brilliant, it’s likely that Pitt vote splitting opened the lane for her work on The Diplomat to be recognized.
Fashion Lovers Left Wanting More
Very few celebrities showed up at the red carpet and ceremony with anything close to their best effort, and the event lacked any real sense of glamour. The paper remarked that the show would need to add some pizzazz if it hoped to improve for next year.
Sexual Tension Between Hosts
The opening stretch included a moment that grabbed the audience’s attention. As Hargitay and Jean Smart lay in bed watching TV, Smart sent a distinct glance at her partner. It was so plain that the paper said the camera ought to have stayed on them longer.
The Show’s Timing Problem
Monday Night Football came back for its first week, and it was a Kansas City Chiefs game. That night, the Emmys aired opposite it. Ratings for awards shows have been falling, and the Emmys decided to compete against a football powerhouse.
The piece questioned why the Emmys would clash with a sports broadcast, given that plenty of viewers are devoted to both television shows and sports.
A Tight Ceremony
The show was three minutes short, which the paper called a win. Brevity is the soul of wit, and this year’s ceremony kept things tight. The mantra of “leave ’em wanting more” is something other award shows could stand to learn.
Mulaney Delivers Inside-Joke Laughs
An hour into the show, John Mulaney delivered a tight stand-up segment. His performance was no surprise, but his introduction to lead actor in a dramatic series squeezed so many laughs and inside-baseball showbiz jokes that it gave the night a great jolt.
A hearty laugh was earned by Mark Ruffalo, whose name appears among the nominees, when he chuckled along with the audience.
O’Flynn Takes Home Hardware
Patricia Moyer is Kate O’Flynn took home hardware for the year’s most peculiar creation. The pundits had their doubts, but her victory at a major award show was delightful all the same. O’Flynn is just too undeniable on Widow’s Bay.
A Night of Mixed Feelings
There were some real surprises during the evening, including Colbert’s sweep’s win to Rhys’. The omissions, however, stood out more sharply, especially when it came to the acting categories and their lack of diversity. In a separate piece, my colleague Clayton Davis examined the snubbing of non-white actors in considerable detail, pointing out that every lead and supporting acting prize went to a white performer this time around.
The fashion snub was more satirical than outraged, but it still stung. Very few celebs brought their A-game to the red carpet and ceremony.
The event ran smoothly, and that was a good thing. The presentation stayed brisk, and the three-minute shortfall ensured the evening concluded without lingering.
The decision to schedule the Emmys opposite Monday Night Football proved to be the night’s most curious move. It pitted the awards show against a Kansas City Chiefs game during the first week back for the NFL.
The night had plenty of surprises, and the snubs were a reminder of the industry’s ongoing struggles. The Emmys are a celebration of television, and this year’s ceremony delivered a mix of triumphs and oddities.
| Category | Winner | Surprise / Snub |
|---|---|---|
| Lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie | Matthew Rhys | Record sweep over Oscar Isaac |
| Variety series | Stephen Colbert | Final season of The Late Show |
| Drama directing | Saul Metzstein | Slow Horses episode “Scars” |
| Writing | Vince Gilligan | Pluribus |
| Supporting actress | Allison Janney | Likely vote-splitting from The Pitt |
| Red carpet | None | Very few celebrities brought their A-game |
The night had plenty of surprises, and the snubs were a reminder of the industry’s ongoing struggles. The Emmys are a celebration of television, and this year’s ceremony delivered a mix of triumphs and oddities.
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