10 thoughts on the 2025 Emmys
It was a good night for the good guys.
In retrospect, I am a little stunned that I have written about so many of the (deserving) winners in this very newsletter you are holding in your hands* right now.
*If you are not reading this on a mobile device, you are metaphorically holding it, in my opinion.
Here are some thoughts about all the cool winners from last night.
- This is not Nate Bargatze's wheelhouse
Nate Bargatze seems like a pretty decent guy for a massively popular standup comedian who is selling out literal sports arenas these days. His two stints hosting SNL both came with extremely successful crossover/viral "George Washington" bits, where half the comedy was Bargatze's awkwardness at being on live television.
The Emmys tried to re-bottle that lightning with their opening bit, but the vastness of the venue and what I'm assuming is the distance of the teleprompter (vs. SNL's cue cards) just tanked all of the timing and poetry of the bit. A combination of subpar material from the writers' room and Bargatze being visibly uncomfortable with anything that isn't standup eventually made it clear that "major awards show host" probably shouldn't be his thing. It wasn't an outright disaster like Jo Koi's turn as Golden Globes host, and the charity drain bit was pretty solid, but we should probably return to actual host-style hosts. We were, however, just spoiled by Conan O'Brien finding his final form as History's Perfect Oscars Host, so the bar has been set unfortunately high.
- Shame about that one director category
Adolescence was always going to win Best Direction for a Limited Series, and it probably wasn't even remotely close, but it was a huge, huge drag that the entire intro to the category was Elizabeth Banks spotlighting that this was the first time in history that a directing category had five women nominated.
... and then the only dude among the nominees won.
It was definitely important to highlight the historic nature of the moment, but as they read the names, and ended with the lone man's name being followed by "for Adolescence," I let out a loud "oh NO." Like, honestly, there was no chance. It wasn't on the level of the Oscars restructuring their entire format under the assumption that Chadwick Boseman would win the posthumous Best Actor, only for it to go to the didn't-even-bother-to-show-up Anthony Hopkins, but it was bad!
- At long last, Noah Wyle
The Pitt didn't exactly dog walk everyone else, as I'd hoped, but it won the three awards that really mattered (and that it deserved): Best Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress for the only person in the cast who bothered/managed to do a Yinzer accent, and of course – at long last – Noah Wyle's first-ever Emmy Award.
His tuxedo was made out of scrubs!
- The Studio is a comedy!
Ah, The Studio. The beautiful, cringe-worthy The Studio. The entertainment industry, as I've written, absolutely loves media about itself, but The Studio is so spectacularly well-made, and so unabashedly funny, that it doesn't seem like a ringer for all of its wins. (Rogen nabbed his first career Emmys as well! Likely far from his last!)
The Studio set a new record for the most Emmys won by a comedy in its first season, mercifully beating out The Bear, which has been constantly pointed out (and on every Emmys broadcast, even!) is not a comedy show.
- I keep forgetting to watch Somebody Somewhere
I've watched the first episode. Maybe the first two. I keep reading about how it was one of the absolute best shows on television, particularly in its final(?) season. I should really knock that one out.
- Stephen Colbert is already a folk hero
The crassness of CBS announcing the cancellation of Colbert's late-night show next year is only topped by CBS advertising constantly since then (especially on national NFL broadcasts) that everyone should tune in on CBS and Paramount+ to watch Stephen Colbert, of whom CBS is very proud, and whose show is dynamite! CBS thinks this kid is going places! Just not on CBS, of course.
Colbert's mere appearance as presenter sparked a spontaneous standing ovation, and then his show won an award later that night as well! The big wet President getting Colbert fired is terrible for our country and basically any precedent you could imagine, but it may end up being the best thing that ever happened to Stephen Colbert, personally.
- Go Birds, Fuck ICE, Free Palestine
Gotta hand it to Hannah Einbinder, who finally won for Hacks after being nominated four times and having to watch co-star Jean Smart win for all four seasons. (Although Einbinder's win came for the show's weakest season to date, feeling more like a cumulative win, but I can't be mad at it.) She raised her notability and pissed off the administration in one fell swoop, sparking a reply from Homeland Security. We should all aspire to this level of realness: win an award and piss off Donald Trump in your acceptance speech. Well done, Hannah.
- A huge win for sexy babies
The Penguin (which I cannot ever hear or read without thinking about the mad king's pronunciation of "penguin" in Black Adder) won its share of awards, but the most deserving of those was for Cristin Milioti, who will forever be iconic for her ditz character in 30 Rock.
Abby forever.
- Tramell Tillman is the absolute man
Huge props to Tillman, who is maybe the best thing about the very good Severance, and absolutely the best thing about the final(?) Mission: Impossible movie, was thankfully a slam dunk for the Supporting Actor, Drama category, and his speech and wardrobe were as dynamic and joyful as his performances always are. Look at God!
- Based Javier Bardem, now and forever
Between the Dune films and his appearance on Conan O'Brien must go, Academy Award winner and smoke show baritone Javier Bardem has been revealing himself as one of the finest comedic actors of his generation, but he was bone serious about his outspokenness for a free Palestine on the red carpet.
Bardem already had my affection, but now he has my adoration. It was great to see many celebrities being so vocal about the genocide in Gaza. Now it's time for anyone in the government to show similar backbone. Actually, the time was two years ago, but now is good, too.
