Why the Emmys Were Perfect Just the Way They Were
Everyone seems to get along at the 2021 Emmys.

You know how when it comes to Hollywood, it can be hard to tell who actually gets along? At last night’s Emmy Awards, hosted in a smaller, outdoor–albeit packed–set up, everyone seemed to actually like each other. People are curious about what awards shows are really like, you hear rumors of the Oscars being boring and the Golden Globes being better because they offer what guests really care about: food and alcohol. They also often turn for the tone deaf and cringy, the Emmys being no exception, with Cedric the Entertainer being a sub-par host and moments you just wanted to end already. But something about this year, with nominees seated around tables, the smaller, more intimate space, and the lighting seemingly not as glossy as usual–where you could actually see people’s skin–made me more curious than ever. Maybe I had low expectations, and in some ways they were met, but holding an extravaganza in the middle of a pandemic aside, this year’s Emmys seemed ironically approachable, and like plain fun.

The shows started off with a group sing-along, where everyone suddenly had microphones. Rita Wilson rapped. It teetered right on the edge between cute, and borderline cringy. It was exactly what the start of the show needed to be. 

The enthusiasm actually continued, with Hannah Waddingham receiving “Ted Lasso’s” first win of the night for best supporting actress in a comedy. Her first instinct was to hug, very tightly, fellow costar and also category nominee Juno Temple, who plays the charming Keeley and to whom she later said in her speech, “there’s no Rebecca without Keeley and if you ever leave my life I will stalk you.” Everyone gets along at the Emmys! Her second instinct upon starting her speech was to scream, and it was exactly what the first speech of the night needed to be. 

The rest of the night was predictable but rarely actually boring, with the exception of the weird pre-recorded sketches the host seemed to rely on instead of actually just hosting. They were honestly a waste of time, particularly the joke about Mike Pence and the mosquito, which felt like he’d been holding on to that one for a while but hadn’t gotten the chance to actually use it until now; kind of like everyone at the MET Gala who dressed up as if they had fomo from 2019’s Camp theme. I quite frankly really just wanted to get back to watching the actual Emmys. 

The other wins were–for the most part–expected and that was honestly fine, it added to the comforting and charming mood of the night. Gillian Anderson for supporting actress in a drama for “The Crown,” “SNL” for variety sketch, Jason Sudeikis for outstanding lead actor in a comedy for “ted Lasso.” Though we’ve had other awards shows since the pandemic, the Emmys felt like they were catching us up on what we’d been expecting for a couple months now and reminded us of the shows that consumed us during the later months of the pandemic. This feeling came full circle when “Queen’s Gambit” won the last award of the night, for outstanding limited series, taking us back to the fall days where COVID was rising and temperatures were going the opposite way. 

I’m usually constantly refreshing Twitter when something is on TV that the entire nation is watching and commenting on, and I noticed nothing really happened that encouraged me to do that this year, but that was okay. Debbie Allen received the 2021 Governors Award and her incredible speech was an instant mood booster. When Scott Frank won for outstanding directing in a limited series for “Queen’s Gambit,” a category Michaela Coel (“I May Destroy You”) was also (finally) nominated for, her instinct was to stand up as he was walking towards the stage and with impressive etiquette, firmly shake his hand. It made her winning the following category, outstanding writing for a limited series, all the more enjoyable; she received a standing ovation and I clapped in my apartment well into the commercials. 

Around this time, I noticed there hadn’t been a weird sketch in a while and it was so much better, allowing for the awards to be just what they needed to be this year, simple and straightforward. Though there were certainly enjoyable and exciting moments, nothing too outstanding happened during the Emmys, but they were just good enough to watch. Kind of like a “background show” you play on Netflix, where you don’t really need to think and some moments are just what they are, but it still has little things that captivate you and characters you’re rooting for.