Emmys 2025: The Best, Worst, and Most WTF Moments

Sometimes the best new bit is an old bit. That’s a lesson comedian Nate Bargatze took to heart for his first time hosting a major awards show. With the help of SNL stars Bowen Yang, James Austin Johnson, and Mikey Day, Bargatze opened the 77th Emmy Awards by re-creating his viral sketch about George Washington dreaming about the future of America, this time from the perspective of Philo T. Farnsworth — the inventor of television. Instead of a tri-corner hat, Bargatze donned a white lab coat, but Farnsworth’s dreams were equally baffling as Washington’s, including a channel for history that’s all about aliens, shows for wives that only focus on real-life murderers, and a new kind of television, “streaming,” that only exists for “companies to lose money.” The skit had plenty of nods to nominees like Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, The Bear, and The Pitt, while cashing in on some of Bargatze’s internet clout. It was a smart move, especially considering how Bargatze spent the rest of his time as host freezing, dropping jokes entirely, and generally looking lost. Maybe he should’ve dreamed up a better rehearsal.  —C.T. Jones

It speaks to the greatness of The Pitt that LaNasa beat out four stars of the Emmys juggernaut The White Lotus (and, you know, Patricia Arquette for Severance). It also speaks to the power of working hard and staying in the game. LaNasa has been acting for more than three decades, making one-episode appearances in everything from Seinfeld to Touched by an Angel to ER, and doing short arcs on procedurals like NYPD Blue and sitcoms like Two and a Half Men. Now, The Pitt’s beleaguered, badass charge nurse Dana is the role she was born to play. LaNasa gave a shout-out to executive producer John Wells in her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress. “I’m so much better when you’re around,” she said. “Mostly because I don’t want to get fired.” Here’s hoping Dana doesn’t actually quit the ER, and we get more of her in Season Two. —Angie Martoccio

In the beginning of the evening, Bargatze announced that he was starting the telecast with a $100,000 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of America — but there was a catch. For any speech over 45 seconds, he’d deduct $1,000 per second; for any speech under 45 seconds, he’d add $1,000 per second. It was a cheeky effort to prevent winners from droning on too long, and while it was somewhat charming and funny at first, the bit quickly became exhausting and tacky, as a meter wildly ticked up and down (mostly down) at the bottom of the screen while each recipient gave their long list of thank yous … or just scampered off the stage without saying much of anything — which is, ah, not very entertaining! (You know a joke is lame when even the shy kid from Adolescence says, “Uh-oh, I’m going down!”) We knew all along that Bargatze would make a big donation regardless of the speeches — why torture the audience, and the children you genuinely want to highlight and help, with emotional porn? —A.M.

When the beloved Jennifer Coolidge took the stage to present the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, she was warmly welcomed by a crowd eager to see what her brand of kooky comedy would bring to the moment. On this night, that kookiness ended up being a slow-moving, mostly awkward, rambling bit that earned precious few laughs. The one good joke — Coolidge saying she had played a grandmother mid-colonoscopy on The Pitt in a scene that was cut for time — was immediately forgotten in the silence surrounding some riffs on the number of actresses who could’ve been nominated, the time Coolidge won, and a nominees group chat she’s no longer a part of. Coolidge’s shtick works best when she’s given room to riff — exactly what you don’t get at an awards show that is desperate to finish on time. But suffering through this meandering talk immediately after host Nate Bargatze had admonished people to keep their speeches short only made it feel all the slower. —C.T.J.

We’re still eight days away from the start of fall, but the Emmys kicked the season off a little early this year with a Gilmore Girls reunion. For a few minutes, the stage transformed into the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, as Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel appeared on their front porch. “Twenty-five years ago, a show called Gilmore Girls premiered, and apparently took the season of fall hostage,” Graham said to laughter. Despite their “autumnal dominance,” the duo joked about how broke their little show was — saving up all year for “one snow episode” and having to eat the leftovers of Drew Carey’s sheetcake. They were there to present the award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, but in a show packed with lame bits and quick speeches, their famous quick-witted banter (originally crafted by showrunner Amy Sherman-Palladino) felt very welcome. —A.M.