There was little real surprise during the 75th Emmy Awards; the front-runner won almost every prize. The In Memoriam section, which featured a somber performance of the Friends theme song, was maybe the closest the evening got to a moment worthy of raising an eyebrow. That is obviously a really well-intentioned attempt to honor Matthew Perry, but the song doesn't make me cry. Due to the ceremony's September postponement, many of the front-runners are currently celebrating their Golden Globe and Critics' Choice wins, which makes their victories even more apparent.

1. The three major categories that were awarded on Monday night were drama (Succession), comedy (The Bear), and limited series (Beef). In each category, all three took home the top prize for best series. Each of the three took home a writing and directing award. Two acting prizes were given to Beef (the film's two protagonists), three were given to The Bear (the film's three principals), and three were given to Succession (the film's three members of the cast of a gazillion). Quinta Brunson for Abbott Elementary, Paul Walter Hauser for Black Bird, Jennifer Coolidge for The White Lotus, and Niecy Nash-Betts for Dahmer—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story were the only other productions to receive four of the 21 awards given out in these three categories. It appeared as though The Last of Us, which was adapting a phenomenal video game, may do well, or Ted Lasso might be in the running for its (probably) final season. It was not to be, though. The favorites should have won hands-down on this particular night.


2. Although Coolidge's win for her supporting role in The White Lotus wasn't shocking—she had already won last year—it did come as a huge blow to fans of Better Call Saul, including myself. Many of them held out hope that Rhea Seehorn, in her final attempt at winning the prize for her work as Kim Wexler, would win. As a matter of fact, Saul, which many fans believe to be superior to its parent program, Breaking Bad, received zero Emmy nominations. After a highly regarded six-season run, it concludes with 53 nominations and no wins. Maybe that makes sense only for a show about a perpetual failure and bottom feeder like Jimmy McGill, but people in the know know, in particular regarding Rhea Seehorn.

3. This year, instead of having the orchestra play people off to cut off rambling speeches, emcee Anthony Anderson's mother took the stage and began yelling at them. It was obvious from the time she did it to Jennifer Coolidge that this would be quite uncomfortable. Luckily, the producers decided against it. Whether they ever planned to is unclear. Maybe they didn't, or maybe they understood right away that it wouldn't land the way they had hoped. Just play the music, please.

4. It frequently happens that awards shows cast a large number of black performers as hosts or presenters, such as Anderson, yet fail to adequately compensate them for their efforts. Not with these Emmys, though. Ayo Edebiri, Quinta Brunson, and Niecy Nash-Betts were three of the first four black women to walk the red carpet as winners. The ceremony's tribute to 75 years of Emmys featured well-known figures like Arsenio Hall and Marla Gibbs, in addition to significant programs like Good Times and Martin. According to Anderson, it was "like Juneteenth and MLK Day rolled into one."

5. Only a few main categories receive the majority of focus during the Emmys, but there is always a lot going on along the list. Among the noteworthy stories is the one about Elton John becoming the EGOT, an erroneous position that one cannot help but appreciate after winning his special Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium.



6. It was only fitting that there be a lot of nostalgia for vintage television during the 75th Emmy Awards. Certain aspects of the event proved to be extremely successful, such as seeing vintage sets (or close replicas of vintage sets) or reunions, such as the one involving Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers. Some of it seemed forced, such as when Anderson and Dylan McDermott performed an American Horror Story sketch. However, it receives a strong B-plus on a liberal curve, representing how "and now, we salute television!" stuff generally goes.