With the 2019 Emmy Awards in the can, here are some of the highs and lows of this year’s awards show.
Worst: Homer Simpson Messes Up His Emmys Hosting Gig We were told the Emmys were going host-less this year… and maybe they should have. Homer was introduced as the “host” before walking out on stage and… falling through a hole in the stage. Anthony Anderson was speaking for all of us when he yelled: “What the hell was that?”
Best: Anthony Anderson’s Mom Saves the Intro Luckily, Anderson and his mom saved us from sitting through a completely forgettable opening number.
Best: Ike Baranholz and Maya Rudolph Get Lasik Eye Surgery at the Worst Time C’mon guys, just let Maya host the Emmys (and every other award show) next year.
Worst: Thomas Lennon’s Commentary During Winner Walk-Ups Fox added Thomas Lennon to the broadcast to provide funny tidbits about the winners while they walked to the stage to give their speeches. Here’s all you need to know: Midway through, he said, “This is why people don’t do this, because it sucks!” Though we’ll give him a little credit for a solid Felicity Huffman joke.
Best: Patricia Arquette Calls for Trans Rights in Moving Tribute to Her Late Sister During her acceptance speech for Supporting Actress in a Limited Series, Arquette paid tribute to her late sister, Alexis, who died in 2016. “Trans people are still being persecuted… They’re human beings, let’s give them jobs.”
Best: ‘When They See Us’ Star Jharrel Jerome Honors the ‘Exonerated Five’ It was a night of moving acceptance speeches, with Jerome paying tribute to the “Exonerated Five,” the new moniker given to the men once dubbed the “Central Park Five.”
Best: Michelle Williams Thanks ‘Fosse/Verdon’ Bosses “I see this as an acknowledgement of what is possible when a woman is trusted to discern her own needs, [and] feels safe enough to voice them,” Williams said following her win for Lead Actress in a Limited Series.
Worst: Adam Devine’s Solo Number It just didn’t add anything. We prefer his stellar work in “The Righteous Gemstones.”
Best: Billy Porter Quotes James Baldwin as He Makes Emmy History The “Pose” star made history as the first openly gay black man to win an Emmy for lead actor in a drama series. Quoting author James Baldwin in his speech, Porter said, “It took many years of vomiting up all the filth that I had been taught about myself and halfway believed before I could walk around this earth like I had the right to be here.”