Best and Worst of the 2017 Emmy Awards: ‘Handmaid’s Tale,’ Donald Glover, ‘9 to 5’ Reunion

Best: Donald Glover and “Atlanta” avoid the rumored snubs
Yes, HBO’s “Veep” took the top Comedy Series Emmy, but FX has to be thrilled that their critically acclaimed dramedy “Atlanta” came away with two major wins: Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series and Directing for a Comedy Series. Both statues went to Donald Glover who has proven to not only be a great actor and great hip-hop artist, but a content auteur. When you step back and look at it from a historical perspective, “Atlanta’s” success is akin to “Moonlight’s” wins at the Oscars (again, even if they didn’t get the big prize).
– Gregory Ellwood

Best: Nothing But Love for “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Tying for second with “Big Little Lies” in overall Emmy wins for the night, “The Handmaid’s Tale” walked away with what is considered the highest honor – best Drama Series. Undoubtedly one of the most politically charged shows of the year, the love in the room was evident.  The series is haunting and provides a dramatic backdrop for what is possible when the borders between ourselves grow thicker and wider. In a night full of socially relevant and political statements, the lasting words were from the team of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Go home, we have a lot of things to fight for.”
– Julia Teti

Worst: Roger Ailes Inclusion in the In Memoriam
Immediate reactions following the faded picture frame with the title card Roger Ailes underneath were not positive to say the least. Confused and disappointed, there is a reason to include Ailes for his work in television, but this reason is a guise by which his history of sexual misconduct lays over. With a touching performance from Chris Jackson and one of the overwhelming themes of the night being powerful women, it seemed counterproductive to include someone who utilized power in a vulgar manner. Whether or not it was an obligation, it doesn’t mean we have to like it. And we didn’t.
– Julia Teti

Best: Ann Dowd’s Genuinely Surprised Reaction to Her Emmy Win
If you are familiar with Ann Dowd’s performance on ‘The Handmaid’s Tale” you wouldn’t expect such a raw performance to come from a woman who says during her acceptance speech, “They’re very lovely, Hulu.” Dowd definitely melted hearts with her teary eyed, soft spoken acceptance. Samira Whiley’s reaction only added to the love and support that was palpable in the auditorium. Her speech was a sweet, heartening moment to remember.
– Julia Teti

Best and Worst: Sean Spicer
It seems as though Spicer has a new gig. Embracing being the butt of late night TV show jokes and the inspiration for Melissa McCarthy’s Emmy- winning performance, Spicer’s appearance was unexpected but a memorable moment nonetheless. Still, conflict does arise when asking ourselves if we should indulge in even giving a spotlight to yet another member of a very troubled White House. When it comes down to it, rewarding someone that has been a staple joke feels uncomfortable at its core. Thanks for the appearance, Sean, but we’ll stick with Melissa.
– Julia Teti

Worst: Red carpet on the stage, paparazzi
This year’s stage design left a lot to be desired. Not sure if the production decided to put resources (budget) somewhere else (the “Westworld” bit, the RuPaul as Emmy segment), but the set never changed (even the Tony Awards and VMAs stage has some modification). This led to a strange set up with video screens to the far right of the nominees and then a red carpet with stanchions for the winners to walk down. The overall idea was that the backdrop was supposed to be a studio lot, but instead it was awkward, too busy and, honestly, tacky.
– Gregory Ellwood

Worst: Jermaine Fowler as the show’s announcer
In theory, having Jermaine Fowler be the show’s announcer was inspired, but his delivery was just too much. He reacted a couple of times with wrong historical context (yeah, this was Donald Glover’s first win in four nominations but…they were all this year).  Fowler was OK in the middle of the program, but it still seemed disjointed with Colbert as host. By the end of the night he was back at it sharing anecdotes such as, “I read that on the internet” while Elisabeth Moss walked on stage to get her first Emmy after countless snubs. Yikes.
– Gregory Ellwood

Best: Alec Baldwin’s acceptance speech
It wasn’t a surprise that Baldwin won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on “Saturday Night Live,” but he managed to be both funny and inspiring in the allotted time. He started off with a great one liner, “At long last Mr. President, here is your Emmy” and finished with a poignant reminder to everyone in the industry worried about what new laws or orders might be implemented over the next few years, “What we do is important. To all of you out there in motion pictures and television, don’t stop doing what you’re doing, the audience is counting on you.”
– Gregory Ellwood

Best: Anika Noni Rose and Cicely Tyson’s presentation
“I’m so nervous,” says Cicely Tyson as she stands in front of the microphone. A television legend with a rising star announcing the award for Limited Series, while also shedding light on the seminal television event ‘Roots.’ It was an endearing and human moment under the guise of glamour. Refreshing and beautiful, it was a great moment in the broadcast to see two extraordinary women deliver the Emmy to another pair of powerful women for “Big Little Lies.”
– Julia Teti

Worst: Rachel Bloom’s Musical Number
With a musical number opening the broadcast, there’s not really a reason to try and top. Rachel Bloom’s small bit felt unnecessary with an overused punchline. Maybe it was a move to continue to build an audience for “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” but I’d rather devote a full 30 minutes to Bloom’s eclectic show than gawk at an uncomfortable introduction to a group of accountants.
– Julia Teti

What did you think of this year’s Emmys? Share your thoughts below.