The 74th Primetime Emmys was a night of many winners as shows like “Succession,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Dopesick” and “The White Lotus” took home trophies. And while the wins and awards brought us to the telecast, some unpredicted side moments kept us there (or made us question why we stayed).
The musical opening to different opening theme songs of nominated shows was … interesting, but Sheryl Lee Ralph’s acceptance speech in the form of song and Jennifer Coolidge’s stalling tactic of dancing to the music used to play actors and actresses out of their acceptance speeches made up for the wobbly beginning.
Read on as we run down the best and worst moments of the 2022 Emmys.
Worst – That Opening Musical Montage
While most hosts choose the first few moments of the ceremony to make a statement or crack a series of jokes in a monologue, Kenan Thompson opted for a less traditional option that we are not sure paid off. Beginning with eyes on the iconic “Friends” couch, Thompson started off the night with a compilation of TV’s best theme songs, from “Game of Thrones” to “The Brady Bunch.” While the performance was meant to spark an appreciation of the history of the small screen — complete with Thompson wearing a platinum wig — it seems it had the opposite effect as those iconic songs morphed into modern renditions complete with a troupe of dancers for each number. Was it comedy? Appreciation? We’re still not sure.
Worst – Censorship of Michael Keaton and Brett Goldstein
Michael Keaton kicked off the awards when he won for Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series. The “Dopesick” star, who portrayed Dr. Samuel Finnix in the adaptation of Beth Macy’s bestselling book, started out his speech on a strong note, but at the end they silenced his words as he dared use profanity on broadcast television. Here’s what he actually said. Anyway, congrats Michael!
“Ted Lasso” actor Brett Goldstein was also (predictably) censored in his acceptance speech of Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (for the second year in a row). He played it up like he was going to say something heartfelt to his parents, but he really wanted to say “I f–king love you,” as his beloved character Roy Kent loves to say in “Ted Lasso.”
Best – Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Acceptance Speech and Song
Sheryl Lee Ralph’s acceptance speech (or song) for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy (“Abbott Elementary”) was definitely a highlight of this year’s ceremony. The actress stood up when her name was called, but it took her a second to fully soak in her win. Once she did and made it to the stage, she was silent for a few seconds before belting out Dianne Reeves’ “Endangered Species.” This moment was made all the more amazing by the fact that Ralph expressed the power of destiny in her red carpet interviews. She determinedly said that what is meant for you won’t miss you, meaning fate assigns what is meant to be. Ralph became the first Black actress to win Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 35 years.
Best – Bowen Yang’s Temporary Substitute Hosting
“SNL” co-star Bowen Yang stepped in to guest host for a little bit for Kenan Thompson, and while he did he told some great jokes. Kenan asked Bowen why he could possibly need an alternate, replacement host and Bowen responded: “Did you see the Oscars?” Yang then listed off all sorts of possibilities like a locked dressing room door, disappearances like TV shows from HBO Max and more. Yang then nodded to “Only Murders in the Building” stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short and Steve Martin, comparing it to Lady Gaga taking care of two Tony Bennetts. Yang ended his short hosting duties by saying nothing could be worse than what happened to “My President” at Mar-a-Lago.
Best AND Worst – Jennifer Coolidge’s Acceptance Speech, and Being Played Off
While it brought us one of the best moments of the show (her dancing to stall and try to beat the “playoff” music and keep going with her speech and thank yous), cutting Coolidge off in the first place is a firm “worst” moment.
In an attempt to fight for more time, Coolidge threw her cares to the wind and shimmied to the music that signaled her to wrap up her speech. A legend, truly.
Best – Lizzo’s ‘Watch Out For the Big Grrrls’ Victory Speech
After winning for Outstanding Competition Program, Lizzo, who is now halfway to an EGOT, shouted out her big girls and reminded audiences that stories like hers aren’t uncommon, just untold. “Let’s just tell more stories,” she said. “When I was a little girl, all I wanted to see in the media was a girl like me. Fat like me. Black like me. Beautiful like me.”
Best – Kumail Nanjiani’s Honorary Guest Bartender Bit
A joyful surprise segment involved Kenan Thompson spotlighting Kumail Nanjiani as the night’s guest honorary bartender in the audience. Thompson shouted out Nanjiani in a white suit, who said he didn’t have time for messing around because he was under a lot of stress and pressure making drinks he had no knowledge of making. A stressed Kumail tried to throw bottles of alcohol behind his back like Tom Cruise in “Cocktail.” Then Jason Sudeikis (maybe as Ted Lasso?) approached the bar and asked for a mojito, but Nanjiani said he didn’t know what goes into that and handed him a bottle of hard alcohol instead.
To seal the deal, Kel Mitchell, who was keeping his head down at the corner of the bar the whole time, popped up when Thompson asked what he wanted. His response was “Can I get a Good Burger,” alluding to the comedy duo’s appearance in the sketch-turned movie “Good Burger.” Thompson excitedly hugged Mitchell before the two started jumping up and down.
Worst – Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hartigay Catch a Thief
Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hartigay from “Law & Order: SVU” were called into their characters’ roles when someone ‘stole’ something after a commercial break and a security camera spotted it. The thief was stopped by the dynamic duo — with Meloni slipping off one of Hartigay’s heels and offering to grab her lipstick. The pair eventually made it to the stage, where they leaned in to kiss each other before swerving away and leading into the announcement for a comedy Emmy. Let’s just say the action sequence of their show didn’t hold attention for very long.
Worst – Jimmy Kimmel Not Leaving the Stage for Quinta Brunson’s Acceptance Speech After Bit with Will Arnett
What started as a bit between Will Arnett and Jimmy Kimmel, in which Arnett dragged Kimmel across the Emmys stage as a dead body, continued much too long. When Quinta Brunson came to the stage to receive her award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, Kimmel remained lying down the stage, stealing considerable attention from Brunson. Bonus: Brunson tried to give him an out before starting her acceptance speech, but Kimmel declined, instead opting to stay stiff as a log. Social media was none too pleased.
