Somehow, though the Television Academy relegated even more awards to the pre-telecast ceremonies, this year's Emmys still felt stuffed. Maybe it was the spaghetti-at-the-wall approach of SVU star , who tried multiple musical numbers (eek), a cameo (better) and seemingly two seasons' worth of dresses (impressive, frankly) to make her first-time hosting gig stick.
It was smooth enough, aided by a packed awards schedule that mostly went according to prognosticators – big wins for The Pitt in drama, a single televised award for DTF St Louis in limited series, Widow's Bay nearly sweeping the comedy awards – though still with some surprises. I don't think many, not least , saw the Widow's Bay star also winning lead actor in a limited series for The Beast in Me, thus becoming the first actor to win two leading awards in one night.
There were some highlights – J's brilliant send-up of a man's man, and's tribute to , every time the Widow's Bay creator, , spoke – and some low-lights (whatever it was and were doing, for far too long), as well as a notable lack of pointed political speeches, with many, such as the Pitt's , talking vaguely instead about our crumbling shared reality. But the show went on … and on.
And so goes another season of TV. Thanks for joining us! We'll see you back here next year.
My colleague has a full run-down of the evening, from 's historic double win to 's record-breaking fifth comedy actress trophy for Hacks:
Feels like it was ages ago now but mere hours earlier there was a red carpet – backless dresses are, well, back, it seems? Here are some highlights:
Here's a full list of winners from tonight, if you still need to get up to speed:
This year's ceremony was noticeably less political than last year, when used her acceptance speech to call for a free Palestine and stars wore solidarity pins and keffiyeh on the red carpet.
Accepting best writing in a drama for Pluribus, the show's creator, , obliquely reminded us of the outside world when he described the show as set in a world "in which everybody gets along – that's so sci-fi. But think about it: there's nothing weirder than our current reality." He added:
"We will never agree on everything but we can treat each other with respect – and we can stop listening to a relative few who think that is for suckers.
The Pitt creator , meanwhile, referred to AI when accepting the best drama Emmy:
It is so hard to tell what is real and what we can believe any more, which makes telling honest stories about real human struggles so much more important than ever. What you do, it changes people's lives.
In case you missed it earlier – here's 's hilarious intro for lead actor in a drama series, which was easily the best presenting bit of the night, both genuine and appropriately deranged. Please, John Mulaney, stop saying no to hosting award shows!
No surprise here – Widow's Bay, the breakout hit of the summer, completes its comedy sweep (sorry to the final season of Hacks) by winning the night's final award, best comedy, for its truly outstanding freshman season.
We are still waiting for the night's final award, best comedy series, which is being held up by and doing a extended bit about their respective dad and mom each other, in support of their new show Brothers. Get it? I'd like this to stop.
The Pitt came into this evening with the momentum, the most nominations and a sweep last year, and The Pitt emerges victorious again.
Creator l speaks on behalf of the PTMC team, who appear just as thrilled as last year, with a lengthy speech celebrating both the storytellers of Hollywood and the unsung staff of emergency rooms across the nation.
"We are so blessed to have the most talented and passionate cast and crew, and I know that it's not just our show … the best part of this job are the people we get to work with every day," he says, before turning attention to "the real life heroes in the emergency departments who are there for us day in and day out":
When I look around this room, I see something more important than the award and the ratings. I see a whole community that is still trying to do the right thing …
People need to know the truth, and people need to keep telling them that in whatever way they can.
On to season three!
Still going with the in memoriam, still very heavy, as the pride of Vermont, , sings Bridge Over Troubled Water in honor of the many, so many industry figures we lost this year. Among them: , , , and , who won a posthumous Emmy last weekend for his guest role on The Bear.
His win, a teary tells us, set a record for the longest gap between Emmy awards – 48 years, breaking a feat set by none other than his father, .
Back to the in memoriam with another tear-jerking tribute, this time by ,and to their collective on-screen mom, .
The Canadian comedy icon "wasn't just a wife and mother to Beau and Matthew and Luke, she was my mom, our mom, all of our moms," said Culkin, appearing near tears. Murphy recalled how her laugh was "a perpetual yes" before detailing numerous humorous (and very Canadian) encounters with strangers also mourning her death, showing "how profoundly Catherine has impacted the world, and it's because she brought us joy".
The biggest lesson O'Hara taught Levy was to "always say yes … Say yes to her stories and her dinner invites and her wisdom and her stories." Cue tears.
I would've guessed Beef but HBO's DTF St Louis, barely heard from this evening, has already won seven Emmys this season – though most of them, including acting awards for stars and, were handed out before the telecast.
The dark comedy's creator, , makes quick work of the acceptance speech, thanking all 175 people who worked on the show – "We are all grateful and we each send our appreciation, thank you" – just as the whole cast makes it on to the stage.
Oh man, cue the tissues – we're headed into the in memoriam segment of the evening, first with . "If there are truly angels on earth, then we just lost one," says her Steel Magnolias co-star , who "adored her from day one – how could you not?"
Parton, she adds, was "blisteringly funny", with a bawdy sense of humor that would send "any rude guy-looking for a place to hide". But she also was a "real giant" – not just as an entertainer, but "as a human". And if that didn't have you crying, enters with a stirring, appropriately smoky rendition of Parton's nostalgic tribute to her home town, Appalachian Memories.
The celebrated creator of Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul and now Pluribus quite charmingly opens his speech by shouting out fellow nominee , a former writer's room assistant on Better Call Saul now nominated for her work on The Pitt.
And he still quite charmingly manages to address the political moment, of sorts, by jokingly scoffing at Pluribus's world "in which everybody gets along – that's so sci-fi. But think about it: there's nothing weirder than our current reality."
"We will never agree on everything, but we can treat each other with respect," he adds as two cents – and "We can stop listening to a relative few who think that is for suckers."
In perhaps the sweetest moment of the night so far, presents the humanitarian award to , the beloved actor and advocate for people with Parkinson's, for his tireless philanthropic work to eradicate the disease.
The love in the room for the 80s star is quite evident, especially as Fox thanks viewers for "this amazing and humbling honor" and his peers for not dropping him upon his diagnosis with the degenerative disease in his late 20s. He stayed in Hollywood "because you stood up for me, and I appreciate it".
"Accepting Parkinson's didn't mean I had to surrender to it," he continues, noting he's "proud of the progress we've made" toward a cure for the disease and, most importantly, in patients' lives. A very deserved standing ovation.