The virtual 2020 Emmys, or “Pandemmys” as we may or may not call them, took place Sunday night and proceeded with surprisingly few technical glitches and some generally pleasant surprises. We loved sneaking a peek at celebrity homes and makeshift Emmy parties, and seeing TV’s top players in the same situation as those watching at home was oddly comforting as we all celebrated television together.
In a normal year we round up the best and worst moments of the Emmys, but since this year is far from normal, we decided to just focus on the highlights (although that fake audience bit from the beginning… we could have done without). Here are our favorite moments from the 2020 Emmy Awards.
Our favorite shows winning
We know we’re not alone in riding pretty hard for Schitt’s Creek, Watchmen, and Succession, so it was nonstop fun watching those shows dominate their respective categories, delivering win after win for shows that television fans and the TV Academy can agree to love. Moira got her Emmy, Regina got her fourth, and Kendall got the kiss from Daddy. What a night.
The essential workers
Not only did Emmy winners raise nearly $3 million for No Kid Hungry, but the telecast turned several award announcements over to essential workers around the country, including a truck driver, a farmer, and a nurse. It’s safe to say that millions of Americans and billions of people around the world could not care less about the Emmys, but Emmy viewers do and should care about essential workers, and it was nice to see a few in the spotlight.
Uzo Aduba’s mom
We didn’t actually see Uzo Aduba’s mom, but the Mrs. America actress’ elated “Mom, I won!” shout into the next room was exactly the Emmy energy we needed. After thanking everyone on the show and honoring Shirley Chisholm, Aduba rose out of her seat to exit the video frame. “Mom!” she repeated. Same.
The Friends reunion we needed
It seems we’ve had every TV reunion this year except the one we’ve been asking about for 15 years: Friends. But Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and Courteney Cox gave the people what they wanted with a 50 percent reunion (plus a cameo from Jason Bateman). Can we do this again without Jimmy Kimmel or the Emmys?
The Black Lives Matter visibility
Whether it was in the form of banners, t-shirts, or explicit statements, Black Lives Matter was ubiquitous throughout the Emmys, including in Hollywood’s ongoing struggle to recognize Black artists. Daniel Levy explicitly shouted out Issa Rae and the Insecure team for their fantastic work, which the Television Academy overlooked for four seasons. Watchmen writers Damon Lindelof and Cord Jefferson dedicated their show’s wins to the victims and survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre. And Anthony Anderson stood upon the Emmy stage and declared “Black lives matter,” urging Jimmy Kimmel to join in and show support.