65th Emmys Wrap Up

So it was a decent award show, with some surprising wins. As expected, Neil Patrick Harris was a great host, keeping the show moving at a mostly watchable pace. (You know what did slow down the broadcast? Shemar Moore's awkward backstage bumpers.) Will Ferrell coming out to present awards in his basketball shorts and with his three sons in tow was pretty funny.

What did you think of the interspersed In Memoriam tributes? Some of them were particularly moving (like Rob Reiner's tribute to Jean Stapleton and Edie Falco's tribute to James Gandolfini), but were they appropriate? Why were these people singled out for tribute and not others who passed away during the year? For those who were not singled out, was it not a little like kicking someone while s/he's down? How do you think their families felt, with the message essentially being, "your beloved deceased family member isn't important enough." I thought it was inappropriate and not necessary. (When they finally did the full In Memoriam, they had a cellist playing my favorite Bach piece.) Also, perhaps had they not taken all that time for the extra tributes the broadcast would have ended on time instead of ten minutes late.

Before we get to the winners, how about some fashion?


First up are some ethereal looking ladies. Claire Danes wears Armani Prive and Kerry Washington is in Marchesa. I liked Danes's look on the red carpet and while she was accepting her award, but looking at photos, it looks a little droopy. Sill, I like the light weight dress and the way the top shows off her beautiful skin. Washington's dress is an interesting one. I'm not sure whether or not I like it. I don't love the flower applique on the skirt, but I like the way the white straps and crisscrossing on the bodice add structure and a little toughness to an otherwise sweet dress.



Next we have fuchsia, eggplant and purple, oh my! Clockwise from top left: Allison Janney in Lorena Sarbu; Mindy Kaling in George Chakra; Alyson Hannigan in Marchesa; and Linda Cardellini in Donna Karen Atelier. I think C.J. Cregg Janney has never looked better. She looks youthful without looking like she's trying to be young, thanks to a simple cap sleeve and a tasteful slit. I love the eggplant color on Kaling. Sometimes, Kaling appears in dresses or tops that completely cover her decolletage (and I don't think it's flattering; it makes her look homely) so I like the cutouts and detail. Hannigan looks lovely in a simple and elegant purple gown. Cardellini falters a bit, though. It's a nice color and it fits her well but the extra "oomph" on the skirt overpowers the petite actress.



And now it's time for pretty in pink. Above, Cobie Smulders looks classy and fresh in a J. Mendel ballet pink column gown, while Carrie Preston (who arrived on the red carpet already a winner) is in a slightly darker pink Romona Keveza dress. I particularly like the black piping on Preston's dress; it helps separate the pink from her creamy complexion and saves the dress from being too girly. At right is Sarah Paulson in Reem Acra. The color looks nice on her, and the dress accentuates her figure, with both the plunging neckline and the bow cinching in at her waist. Below are some ladies in pink who just miss the mark. Julie Bowen disappears in a frilly, too girly Zac Posen dress. Rose Byrne wears Calvin Klein. While I like the simplicity of the dress, and think it makes her look statuesque, it doesn't quite work. The skirt looks like the top of it is folded over while the top looks like it is folded under. This, combined with the bare midriff, makes it look like Byrne is wearing workout clothes.



We move up a little on the chromatic scale to look at two ladies rocking red. Michelle Dockery looks glamorous and elegant in a two-toned Prada gown (with a peek-a-boo hem that actually works). Sofia Vergara strays slightly from her typical look (her dresses aren't usually as soft) but sticks to the silhouette that works in this lace Vera Wang dress.



Let's take a break from the women for a moment to look at some handsome and dapper looking men. Clockwise from top left: Kevin Spacey in a dark blue Burberry tuxedo; Zachary Quinto (who took a night off from The Glass Menagerie, which opens on Broadway this week) wears Givenchy; Michael Douglas (a longtime favorite of my mom!) is in Canali; and newly married Jesse Tyler Ferguson is in Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers. You might not be able to tell in the picture, but while on the red carpet, Ferguson said his jacket is lace. Bravo to Ferguson for taking a fashion risk.


Back to the women. Let's see who wore cobalt blue better: Tina Fey in Narciso Rodriguez or Allison Williams in Ralph Lauren? It almost seems like they should have swapped dresses, with the younger Williams in the sexy, curve showing Rodriguez number and Fey in the less revealing Lauren gown. But both dresses work on the women wearing them. Fey's dress is slightly ill-fitting, but it's a different look for her and I love the color. And I'll bet she's worked hard for that body, so good on her for showing it off. Williams's long flowing hair keeps this modest look from being too staid. She goes for simple elegance and fended off many, I'm sure, who tried to get her to wear a statement necklace or add some other piece of flair to her look.


Now we'll dial back the blue, a little, going from blue to white. First, Zooey Descannel looks lovely and sophisticated in her J. Mendel column dress. She usually plays up her "I'm quirky" factor, but not this time and because of that, she's a best dressed nominee. Next is Malin Ackerman in Marchesa. She's a beautiful woman and would look gorgeous in anything, but I like the structure of the bodice mixed with the fun, fluffiness of the skirt. And House of Cards star Kate Mara takes a risk in this white J. Mendel dress. Everything that should be covered is, so rather than looking trashy, this NFL scion (the Mara side of her family founded the NY Giants; the Rooney side founded the Pittsburgh Steelers) looks sexy and sleek.


There was another trend on the red carpet and that was the black and white dress. Above left Elisabeth Moss wears a Sandra Ginn gown. I like the sparkle and I like the texture (which you can't see so well in the photo, but it was noticeable on E!'s glam cam), but there's something about this dress that seems like it's been done before. It doesn't feel very fresh. Above right Merritt Wever swaps the color blocks for a retro glam look. With the column skirt starting so high, it makes Wever look tall and thin. Above middle is award show veteran Julianna Margulies doing black and white a little differently. Her Reed Krakoff gown sports an unobtrusive pattern, but I could do without the extra piece of fabric just hanging on her right sight.

Below are three not-so-little black dresses. Christina Hendricks looks voluptuous as ever in this nice if a little boring Christian Siriano dress. Next is Amy Poehler in Basler. When I saw her during red carpet coverage, I didn't like the look. That high collar would not be my first choice. But looking at the picture I like the look a little bit more. I'm still not wild about it, though, and I don't know what those things on her hips are. Jessica Lange shows all these ladies how to do it in Escada. The netting makes the look age-appropriate and the pattern on it keeps it fun and whimsical.



There were also some good looking duos on the red carpet. Clockwise from top left: Jon Hamm in Armani and Jennifer Westfeldt (also rocking red) in J. Mendel; Peter Dinklage and Erica Schmidt; Breaking Bad stars Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston both look terrific in Burberry; and Michael J. Fox (in Emporio Armani) and Tracy Pollan look happy and beautiful.



And now, it's curtains for the worst dressed ladies. Connie Britton, who has looked a-mah-zing before, seems to be wearing her couch's upholstery. The Naeem Khan dress fits quite well, but the pattern, color and fabric look like what you'd find in the garment district. And January Jones seems to have taken a page out of the Scarlett O'Hara playbook with her Givenchy dress that looks like window drapery. It's a boring dress in a color that does nothing for her. Honorable mention for worst dressed goes to Lena Dunham, at right, who looks goofy (and like she's hiding all the other girls from Girls under her dress) in this Prada number.

My pick for best dressed is Anna Gunn in Romona Keveza. She's on trend in black and white; the lace and satin gown hugs her curvy body; and the asymmetrical neckline draws the eyes up, making her look even more statuesque than the tall actress typically does. I think she looks stunning, and it's a welcome departure from her frumpy, on-screen look.

Phew! Now that we have that out of the way, how about some awards? Herein, a list of winners in select categories. Winners are notated in bold typeface and with an asterisk.

Drama

Drama Series
  • Breaking Bad*
  • Downton Abbey
  • Game of Thrones
  • Homeland
  • House of Cards
  • Mad Men
This was a wonderfully competitive category, and Breaking Bad was the right choice. As Jesse would say, yeah bitches!

Lead Actress
  • Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel
  • Michelle Dockery, Downton Abbey
  • Claire Danes, Homeland*
  • Robin Wright, House of Cards
  • Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
  • Connie Britton, Nashville
  • Kerry Washington, Scandal
This wasn't unexpected, though I was rooting for Robin Wright. I like that Danes used some of the little time she was allotted to accept her award to honor the Homeland writer who passed away (see below). Danes has been at this - and has been exceptional at it - for a while and she's a class act.

Lead Actor
  • Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
  • Hugh Bonneville, Downton Abbey
  • Damian Lewis, Homeland
  • Kevin Spacey, House of Cards
  • Jon Hamm, Mad Men
  • Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom*
Whoa. I was not expecting this. I thought if someone was going to shake things up it would be Kevin Spacey, not Jeff Daniels. I guess that's what happens when you get to speak Sorkinese, though. I like the Lanford Wilson quote Daniels shared, "make it matter and make it count." Bravo! Will McAvoy rides again!

Supporting Actress
  • Anna Gunn, Breaking Bad*
  • Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
  • Emilia Clarke, Game of Thrones
  • Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
  • Morena Baccarin, Homeland
  • Christina Hendricks, Mad Men
Way to go! Gunn's character really grew this past season and this award is totally deserved.

Supporting Actor
  • Bobby Cannavale, Boardwalk Empire*
  • Jonathan Banks, Breaking Bad
  • Aaron Paul, Breaking Bad
  • Jim Carter, Downton Abbey
  • Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
  • Mandy Patinkin, Homeland
Oh. My. Thespis. I did not see this coming. I thought for sure Aaron Paul was going to win again and if he didn't I would have expected Peter Dinklage to take home the award. That said, I'm thrilled for Cannavale (The Big Knife) who was a double nominee tonight and is ridiculously good in everything he does, oftentimes surpassing the material. (That wasn't the case with Boardwalk Empire - it's a great show.) Congratulations, Cannavale! (And didn't he look particularly handsome in his Calvin Klein tux?)

Guest Actress
  • Margo Martindale, The Americans
  • Diana Rigg, Game of Thrones
  • Carrie Preston, The Good Wife*
  • Linda Cardellini, Mad Men
  • Jane Fonda, The Newsroom
  • Joan Cusack, Shameless
I was pulling for Jane Fonda because she so wonderfully chews scenery on The Newsroom, but Carrie Preston has made Elsbeth Tascioni a welcome face on The Good Wife.
Guest Actor
  • Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
  • Nathan Lane, The Good Wife
  • Rupert Friend, Homeland
  • Robert Morse, Mad Men
  • Harry Hamlin, Mad Men
  • Dan Bucatinsky, Scandal*
Writing
  • George Mastras, Breaking Bad, "Dead Freight"
  • Thomas Schnauz, Breaking Bad, "Say My Name"
  • Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey, "Episode 4"
  • David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, Game of Thrones, "The Rains of Castamere"
  • Henry Bromell, Homeland, "Q and A"*
Bromell passed away earlier in the year so his wife accepted the award.
Directing
  • Tim Van Patten, Boardwalk Empire, "Margate Sands"
  • Michelle MacLaren, Breaking Bad, "Gliding Over All"
  • Jeremy Webb, Downton Abbey, "Episode 4"
  • Lesli Linka Glatter, Homeland, "Q and A"
  • David Fincher, House of Cards, "Chapter 1"*
Hell yeah, David Fincher (The Social Network)! This win brings House of Cards' Emmy total to three in its freshman year. The second season is filming now and will be on Netflix early next year. (This first season is, of course, available on Netflix now. Let the binge watching commence!)


Comedy

Comedy Series
  • 30 Rock
  • Girls
  • Louie
  • Modern Family*
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Veep
You know what? Even though I love Veep, I still think Modern Family is one of the most consistently funny shows, over 100 episodes in. Bravo.

Lead Actress
  • Tina Fey, 30 Rock
  • Laura Dern, Enlightened
  • Lena Dunham, Girls
  • Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
  • Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
  • Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep*
JLD accepted her award in character with Tony Hale. Hilarious! She won this award last year, too. I had been rooting for Amy Poehler, but if it wasn't going to be Poehler, I'm glad it was JLD.

Lead Actor
  • Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
  • Jason Bateman, Arrested Development
  • Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory*
  • Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
  • Don Cheadle, House of Lies
  • Louis C.K., Louie
I don't watch The Big Bang Theory so..., but congrats to stage veteran Parsons. (He was in The Normal Heart a couple of years ago, and will be in the HBO movie adaptation.)

Supporting Actress
  • Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock
  • Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
  • Jane Lynch, Glee
  • Julie Bowen, Modern Family
  • Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
  • Merritt Wever, Nurse Jackie*
  • Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Woohoo!!!! Wever (Uncle Vanya) is consistently so funny and so full of heart. And she clearly was not expecting to win but I'm so glad she did.

Supporting Actor
  • Adam Driver, Girls
  • Ty Burrell, Modern Family
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
  • Ed O'Neill, Modern Family
  • Bill Hader, Saturday Night Live
  • Tony Hale, Veep*
Buster Bluth won an Emmy! And nice shout out to the Tallahassee theatre that helped him fall in love with acting. I had been rooting for SNL's most valuable player, Bill Hader, especially since Hader has departed the show. But let's hear it for the humble Hale!

Guest Actress
  • Elaine Stritch, 30 Rock
  • Molly Shannon, Enlightened
  • Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
  • Melissa Leo, Louie*
  • Melissa McCarthy, Saturday Night Live
  • Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Guest Actor
  • Will Forte, 30 Rock
  • Bob Newhart, The Big Bang Theory*
  • Nathan Lane, Modern Family
  • Bobby Cannavale, Nurse Jackie
  • Louis C.K., Saturday Night Live
  • Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
I was rooting for Bobby Cannavale because he's just so good in everything!

Writing
  • Jack Burditt and Robert Carlock, 30 Rock, "Hogcock!"
  • Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield, 30 Rock "Last Lunch"*
  • David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik, Episodes, "Episode 209"
  • Louis C.K. and Pamela Adlon, Louie, "Daddy's Girlfriend, Part One"
  • Greg Daniels, The Office, "Finale"
Last win for the last season.

Directing
  • Beth McCarthy-Miller, 30 Rock, "Hogcock!/Last Lunch"
  • Lena Dunham, Girls, "On All Fours"
  • Paris Barclay, Glee, "Diva"
  • Louis C.K., Louie, "New Year's Eve"
  • Gail Mancuso, Modern Family, "Arrested"*
This is only the second time a woman has won this award, we learned as Mancuso walked up to accept her award.


Miniseries or Movie

  • American Horror Story: Asylum (FX)
  • Behind the Candelabra (HBO)*
  • Phil Spector (HBO)
  • Political Animals (USA Network)
  • The Bible (History Channel)
  • Top of the Lake (Sundance Channel)
Lead Actress
  • Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Asylum
  • Laura Linney, The Big C: Hereafter*
  • Helen Mirren, Phil Spector
  • Sigourney Weaver, Political Animals
  • Elisabeth Moss, Top of the Lake
Yay!!!! This was such a poignant series, and this final season, presented as a miniseries, was particularly moving. Linney (Time Stands Still) is phenomenal and absolutely deserved this. Bravo!

Lead Actor
  • Michael Douglas, Behind the Candelabra*
  • Matt Damon, Behind the Candelabra
  • Toby Jones, The Girl
  • Benedict Cumberbatch, Parade's End
  • Al Pacino, Phil Spector
"You're only as good as your other hand." -Michael Douglas

Supporting Actress
  • Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story: Asylum
  • Imelda Staunton, The Girl
  • Ellen Burstyn, Political Animals*
  • Charlotte Rampling, Restless
  • Alfre Woodard, Steel Magnolias

Supporting Actor
  • James Cromwell, American Horror Story: Asylum*
  • Zachary Quinto, American Horror Story: Asylum
  • Scott Bakula, Behind the Candelabra
  • John Benjamin Hickey, The Big C: Hereafter
  • Peter Mullan, Top of the Lake
Writing
  • Richard LaGravenese, Behind the Candelabra
  • Tom Stoppard, Parade's End
  • David Mamet, Phil Spector
  • Abi Morgan, The Hour*
  • Jane Campion and Gerard Lee, Top of the Lake
Morgan co-wrote Shame with Steve McQueen.

Directing
  • Steven Soderbergh, Behind the Candelabra*
  • Julian Jarrold, The Girl
  • David Mamet, Phil Spector
  • Allison Anders, Ring of Fire
  • Jane Campion and Garth Davis, Top of the Lake, "Part 5"


Other Categories

Variety Series
  • The Colbert Report (also nominated in the Writing and Directing categories)*
  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (also nominated in the Writing and Directing categories)
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live (also nominated in the Writing and Directing categories)
  • Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
  • Real Time with Bill Maher (also nominated in the Writing category)
  • Saturday Night Live (also nominated in the Writing and Directing categories)*
The Colbert Report won Outstanding Variety Series, as well as Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series, an award that usually goes to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Don Roy King, SNL, won for directing, and he gave a sweet speech.
Variety Special
  • 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief (also nominated in the Directing category)
  • The Kennedy Center Honors (CBS) (also nominated in the Directing category)*
  • Louis C.K.: Oh My God (HBO) (also nominated in the Writing and Directing categories)
  • Mel Brooks Strikes Back! with Mel Brooks and Alan Yentob (HBO)
  • Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Thursday, Part One (also nominated in the Writing category)
Special Class Programs
  • 66th Tony Awards (this is the 2012 broadcast)*
  • London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
  • Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel, Live from Lincoln Center
  • 70th Golden Globes (this is the 2013 broadcast, hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler)
  • The Oscars (this is the 2013 broadcast, hosted by Seth MacFarlane)

And there you have it. The 65th Annual Emmy Awards. For a full list of winners, visit the Emmys website. For even more photos, head to my Emmys Pinterest board for lots of Emmys pics.

(All photos taken from E! Online.)

Comments

  1. I love the Bach piece they played in the In Memoriam section as well, but for the life of me I can't remember the name! Do you know the name of the piece?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's the Bach cello suite in G major. Check it out on Spotify: http://open.spotify.com/album/2OpnKgmVYPEN2GldgBponI

      Delete

Post a Comment