The proposal was definitely the most memorable moment from the 2018 Emmys ceremony.Getty Images
The Emmys saw its first-ever proposal this year, which energized what was otherwise a bit of a plodding telecast.
The 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, hosted by Colin Jost and Michael Che, aired Monday night from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
It was a big Emmys night for streaming giants Netflix and Amazon, as well as HBO and long-snubbed “The Americans” from FX.
There were many surprises throughout the night, including the shocking proposal, major wins (including a historic one) for “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” and the controversial best drama win for the worst season of “Game of Thrones.”
And there were also some awkward moments, such as when Jeff Daniels used his speech to thank a horse, and some major snubs for “Atlanta,” which dominated the comedy category at 2017’s ceremony, but won none this time around.
Here are all the biggest surprises and snubs from the 2018 Emmys:
“Barry” unexpectedly won in both male comedy acting categories.
Bill Hader winning best actor was a big surprise, because most people didn’t expect him to win for his dark but funny performance as a hitman turned wannabe actor on the HBO series.
Henry Winkler, who won best supporting actor in a comedy for “Barry,” got his first Emmy. It had been 40 years since his first nomination.
Winkler, who received his first Emmy nomination in 1976 for “Happy Days,” won his first Emmy for his role as an eccentric acting teacher on “Barry.”
“I was 27 when I started doing The Fonz. I’m now 72 and I’m standing right here in front of you with her,” Winkler said directly to his Emmy statue. “Wow.”
Amazon’s “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” swept the comedy categories.
Amazon’s critical comedy hit unexpectedly won its first Emmy with Alex Borstein for best supporting actress. And it continued to dominate the comedy category with a historic win for creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, who was the first woman to win Emmys for both directing and writing.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” went on to win for best lead actress in a comedy, which went to Rachel Brosnahan. And it became the first comedy from a streaming service to win the best comedy category.
Unfortunately, some of the wins for “Mrs. Maisel” and “Barry” meant some major losses for FX’s “Atlanta.”
“Atlanta,” which won major awards including best comedy last year, lost despite a great second season.
Although “Atlanta” had an incredible second season that impressed fans of the first season, which swept the Emmys ceremony last year, it didn’t win any this year.
Henry Winkler’s win for “Barry” was deserved and a touching moment after decades in the industry without a win, but Brian Tyree Henry did some of the year’s best work on “Atlanta” and carried the season in a way that made most people think he was the shoe-in to win.
“Atlanta” was a bit more deserving to win best comedy than “Mrs. Maisel,” which is a good show. “Atlanta” provides sharper criticism on American culture through Donald Glover’s brilliant lens.
“The Americans” creators and showrunners won their first-ever Emmy for writing the series finale.
This was such a sweet moment for Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, two of the best storytellers in television history. And the cut to their children in the audience was a delight.
Glenn Weiss, who won for directing the 2018 Oscars ceremony, proposed to his girlfriend on stage.
This moment inspired a lot of remarkable celebrity reactions, the best being Benedict Cumberbatch’s pure joy. It brought Claire Foy of “The Crown” to tears.
In her acceptance speech, a shocked Thandie Newton called God a woman.
“I don’t even believe in God, but I will thank her tonight,” Newton said. “I am so blessed.”
It was a sweet moment for Newton, who was not the favorite to win in her category, and seemed quite shocked that she won.
Regina King won best actress in a limited series for her role on “Seven Seconds,” a show that Netflix canceled already.
People were quick to point out that fact on Twitter when Netflix enthusiastically congratulated her.
Jeff Daniels thanked his horse and reminded actors to not pretend that they know how to ride a horse because it is very hard.
It was a good warning, but honestly, a weird speech.
Matthew Rhys, at long last, won best actor for “The Americans.”
This was a shining moment for all fans of “The Americans.” Rhys has been doing some of the best acting ever depicted on any kind of screen, big or small, since the show began in 2013. We are so happy for him, but sadly quite surprised that he won over his competition from more popular shows like “Westworld” and “This Is Us.”
But Keri Russell didn’t win.
Russell lost to Claire Foy, who also deserved a win for her final season on “The Crown.” But it’s a huge blow to Russell’s career-best work for six seasons on “The Americans,” a show that absolutely wouldn’t have been the same without her chilling presence and performance.
Sandra Oh, whose nomination alone made history as the first Asian actress ever nominated in the category, would’ve also been a great winner. Fortunately, she’ll have another chance as “Killing Eve” continues.
For some reason, “Game of Thrones” won best drama for its worst season yet.
There is no doubt that the seventh season of “Game of Thrones” had a few great episodes and battles unlike anything ever made for TV. But in the end, it was a bloated mess that lacked direction and moved certain storylines to an uncomfortable place that didn’t make sense for characters.
“The Americans” should have won this award for its beautiful, tight, and sensible final season, and George R.R. Martin should not attend another awards ceremony until he finishes writing “The Winds of Winter.”
Diversity dominated Michael Che and Colin Jost’s monologue and the jokes throughout the ceremony, but most of the winners were white.
The Emmys opened with a sarcastic song about how diversity had been solved because of this year’s nominations, which were more diverse than ever. Che and Jost continued hammering in uncomfortable, one-note jokes about diversity in the industry that the room was clearly not having. Their deadpan, effortless (but in the bad way) delivery didn’t help.
The irony was that despite a diverse set of nominees, most of the winners were white. The few people of color who won Emmys included Regina King, RuPaul, and Thandie Newton. Darren Criss (whose mother is Filipino although he does not identify as a person of color) also won.
Last weekend at the Creative Arts Emmys, every winner in the guest actor category was a black performer. The winners were Tiffany Haddish (“SNL”), Ron Cephas Jones (“This Is Us”), Samira Wiley (“The Handmaid’s Tale”), and Katt Williams (“Atlanta”).
