Emmys Recap

posted September 24, 2020 in Arts & Entertainment by Jimmy Lu and Courtney McGinley.

As one of the first virtual awards shows of the year, the Emmys shocked audiences in more ways than one. Here are some of the biggest moments to look back on.

“Schitt’s Creek” swept the comedy categories

For its final season, “Schitt’s Creek” broke the record as the first comedy show ever to win an award in all seven major comedy categories. Ultimately, it took home the award for Lead and Supporting Actor and Actress in Comedy, Outstanding Comedy Series, Directing, Costume and Casting.

The show made quite a mark from having zero to nine Emmys in one night. Although “Schitt’s Creek” was expected to take home some Emmys, it’s still a surprise that it took home all the major categories. — Jimmy Lu

Zendaya made history

One of the biggest surprises of the night was Zendaya winning Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her outstanding performance in “Euphoria.”

Beating out all of the strong contenders as a first-time nominee, Zendaya became the youngest winner for the award and also the second black woman since Viola Davis to win. The actress also used her acceptance speech to recognize the activism among her peers. — Jimmy Lu

“Succession” and “Watchmen” win big

It came as no surprise that two of the most critically acclaimed shows this year won a lot of Emmys on Sunday night. “Succession” dominated the drama categories, winning Outstanding Drama Series, Casting, Writing, Directing and Lead Actor for Jeremy Strong’s terrific performance as Kendall Roy.

“Watchmen” also took home wins in most categories it was nominated in. Regina King won Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her outstanding role as Angela Abar. This is this actress’ fourth Emmy. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also won for Supporting Actor in a Limited Series. — Jimmy Lu

“Friends” Reunion & Thoughts on Kimmel

Although Jennifer Aniston did not take home the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, she united with some “friends” to support and congratulate her fellow nominees.

In a short spoof, Aniston is accompanied by Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow. Jimmy Kimmel, the host for the night, asked the infamous trio why they were all together. The three informed him, jokingly, that they all have been roommates since 1994. The timelessness of this bit only made it more hilarious that it was the 26th anniversary of the popular sitcom, “Friends.”

Aside from this comedic sketch, Kimmel had a slew of jokes up his sleeve to keep the audience at home entertained. He lightened the mood during this pressing time. It was hard to accept the fact the awards show was virtual, but everyone played their part in making it a memorable night, especially Kimmel. — Courtney McGuinely

Memoriam

The Emmys also paid tribute to the performers who died this year. Kimmel started by paying respect to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg before two-time Grammy winner H.E.R. performed a rendition of “Nothing Compares 2 U” as a video played in the background. The video included “Glee” star Naya Rivera, Chadwick Boseman and countless other Hollywood legends. — Jimmy Lu

Other Winners

Some other honorable mentions include Maya Rudolph’s win for Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her hilarious performance as Senator Kamala Harris on “Saturday Night Live.” She was also nominated in the same category twice as The Judge on “The Good Place.”

Billy Crudup (“The Morning Show'')  and Julia Garner (“Ozark”) beat out some strong contenders and won for Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress in a Drama Series. It was the second Emmy in a row for Garner, and the first for Crudup.

Mark Ruffalo won Lead Actor in a Limited Series as predicted. Uzo Aduba won Supporting Actress in a Limited Series for her performance in “Mrs. America.” It’s also worth noting that Aduba and Regina King both wore a shirt in support for Breonna Taylor.

“Insecure” finally won its first Emmy after four excellent seasons. The show is still going strong four years after its premiere. Season 5 of the show has been in the works, so it still has a chance in the future to win more Emmys.

Overall, the show felt a bit predictable. Even though all the winners deserve the awards, giving all the awards to the same shows seems overdone, and frankly made the show quite boring when there are many other deserving nominees in the category.

“The Good Place” has been extremely well-received by both the critics and the audience, but the show ended with zero Emmys after 13 nominations. Jimmy Kimmel has also been the host for the Emmys and the Oscars twice each, so it would be nice to have other people hosting the award shows so it doesn’t feel repetitive. — Jimmy Lu

 

Jimmy (Chien-Hsing) Lu is a senior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jfl5603@psu.edu

Courtney McGinley is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email cbm5861@psu.edu

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