Emmys 2024 best and worst moments: ‘The Bear’ sweeps, Lorne Michaels gets roasted
TV’s biggest night was a mix of predictable wins and some surprises.
The official 2024 Emmys were the second ceremony held this year, since the 2023 ceremony got kicked from its intended September date to January once last summer’s actors and writers strikes ended.
Father-son duo and “Schitt’s Creek” stars Dan and Eugene Levy emceed the night, broadcast live on ABC (8 p.m ET), on Sunday, September 15, from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
This year’s crop of nominated shows included “Baby Reindeer,” “The Bear,” “The Crown,” “Fallout,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Abbott Elementary” and “Fallout.”
Nominated stars included Jeremy Allen White, Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Jon Hamm, Larry David and “Baby Reindeer” star Richard Gadd.
Here are all the best and worst moments from the 2024 Emmys.
Best – Eugene and Dan Levy roast ‘The Bear’
During their opening monologue, which was inoffensive and mildly amusing, Eugene and Dan Levy did get in a nice zinger at “The Bear.”
Now in Season 3, the FX/Hulu series keeps dominating the Emmys and Golden Globes in the comedy category despite being a workplace drama with themes of suicide, depression, divorce and dying relatives, and featuring characters who are constantly stressed out.
“’The Bear’ is nominated for 23 Emmys tonight, making it the most nominated comedy in history,” said Eugene during the monologue.
“Now I love the show, and I know some of you might be expecting us to make a joke about whether ‘The Bear’ is really a comedy … but in the true spirit of ‘The Bear,’ we will not be making any jokes,” he quipped.
Best – Kaitlin Olson and Rob McElhenney call Meryl Streep a “jockstrap”
The real-life spouses and co-stars of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” presented the category for Supporting Actress in a Comedy.
After McElhenney talked about how these performances “hold everything in place and show crucial support,” Olson pointed out, “What you were just describing sounds very much like a jockstrap.”
McElhenney protested that he didn’t think that was true. As he continued talking and started describing how “the whole package falls apart” without these supporting roles, he paused and admitted that his wife was right.
Olson said, “Are you calling Meryl Streep a jockstrap? Are you calling Carol Burnett a jockstrap?”
It was an amusing way to present an award; it didn’t drag on too long — and it showed off their comedic chops (demonstrating how silly it is that “It’s Always Sunny” has never been nominated).
Worst – Jeremy Allen White wins for “The Bear”
Jeremy Allen White is a talented actor, and his performance in “The Bear” is great. Nevertheless, it’s ridiculous that he’s been sweeping awards in the “comedy” category for the role. This year in particular, it was especially egregious, as there were many worthy comedy actors also up for the award, including Matt Berry for “What We Do in the Shadows.” It was also Larry David’s last opportunity to win for “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai’s last chance to win for his stellar work in “Reservation Dogs.”
It’s not White’s fault. But at this point, it’s absurd that his victories are shutting out comedy actors who deserve accolades for actual comedy roles.
Best – Liza Colón-Zayas makes Emmys history
This is one “The Bear” victory that’s worth it. Liza Colón-Zayas, who won the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy, made Emmys history as the first Latina to win in that category.
“Thank you to my husband, David Zayas,” she began, referring to her actor husband, best known for “Dexter.”
Visibly emotional, she added, “He told me to write a speech and I didn’t, because I didn’t think it would be possible. How could I have thought it would be possible to be in the presence of Meryl Streep and Carol Burnett and Janelle and Sheryl Lee Ralph?”
Best – Jessica Gunning wins for “Baby Reindeer”
First-time nominee and first-time winner Gunning, 38, took home the trophy for Best Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her creepy role in “Baby Reindeer,” where she plays a stalker.
She was visibly emotional as she thanked star and creator Richard Gadd for “trusting me to be your Martha.” During her speech, Gunning said that she has “tried many times to “put into words what working on the show meant to me.”
But since she couldn’t find the words, “I’m gonna sing!” She quickly clarified that she was kidding, earning laughs from the crowd. It was the perfect mix of heartfelt and funny, with the result of shining a spotlight on a new star.
Best – John Oliver’s rambling speech
After John Oliver won for best scripted variety series for “Last Week Tonight With John Oliver,” he soon lost control of his acceptance speech with amusing results.
He thanked his family, saying, “I’d like to thank my wife and husband — Hudson,” only to interrupt himself, correcting his flub, “His name is Hudson,” referring to his son. The comedian took the opportunity to make a joke at his own expense, saying, “Ouch, that’s going to come back to haunt me!”
He then confessed to having to put down his beloved family dog. As playoff music started in the background, he said, “F – – k you, I feel like Sarah McLachlan right now,” joking about the famous ASPCA commercials, before begging, “Play me off now!”
Best – “SNL” stars roast Lorne Michaels
“SNL” stars Maya Rudolph, Seth Meyers, Bowen Yang and Kristen Wiig came out to present the award for writing for a variety special. Immediately, they started interrupting and talking over each other.
“We hear that our dear friend, our mentor, Lorne Michaels, has been nominated for and lost the Emmy 85 times,” said Wiig. “He has never won.”
Rudolph jumped in to tell Michaels: “Each and every one of those 85 times you lost, you were robbed. You hear me! Robbed!”
Meyers then corrected everyone, explaining that the “SNL” creator has won 21 Emmys — and that the show has taken home over 200. So, none of what they had said was true.
“What? 200? That’s too much,” said Wiig, as her colleagues proceeded to “turn against” Michaels.
The whole thing was an amusing bit.
Worst – Ebon Moss-Bachrach’s mid-ceremony commercial
“The Bear” star Ebon Moss-Bachrach and “Red White and Royal Blue” star Taylor Zakhar Perez did one of those pointless, time-wasting sketches. In it, the two men met “backstage” at the bar as Moss-Bachrach reassured Zakhar Perez that it was okay to drink at the Emmys. “The Bear” star also asked the bartender for information about the drink. It felt like a commercial for the whiskey, and it turns out it was. Talk about cringe.
Moss-Bachrach is an Emmy-winning actor; this is undignified!
These actors (and the Emmys) are above that. Leave the ads to the commercial breaks. The two actors then went out on the stage and commented, “That was nice.” No, it wasn’t.
Worst – the Emmys draws attention to how it ignores Greg Berlanti
The super producer, known for shows such as “Dawson’s Creek,” “Riverdale,” “You,” “Supergirl,” “The Flight Attendant” and “Superman & Lois,” was presented with the Governors Award to recognize his significant impact on TV.
Berlanti gave a nice speech about how he went from being a “scared” closeted gay kid during his youth to telling LGBTQ+ stories on TV as an adult. It was a heartwarming speech, and the award is deserved since he helms a staggering number of shows — but the moment also calls attention to the fact that the vast majority of his shows have been shut out of the Emmys. Many of them aired on The CW or were geared towards teenagers. The Emmys don’t show love to those types of shows. Awkward.
Best -Jodie Foster wins her first Emmy
Foster, 61, took home the trophy for Best Actress in a Limited Series for her lead performance in “True Detective: Night Country.”
Even though Foster is a Hollywood legend, this was her first Emmy win. It goes to show that it’s never too late, and even industry icons still get “first times.”
During her acceptance speech, the “Silence of the Lambs” actress thanked her wife and sons and said, “This is an incredibly emotional moment for me because ‘True Detective’ was a magical experience.”
The “Contact” actress went on to thank “the indigenous people of northern Alaska.” She said, “They told us their stories,” calling the experience “deep and wonderful and older than this place and this time. That’s just the message, which is love and work equals art.”
