As published on Blog do Amaury Jr./Splash UOL

The 2025 Emmys ended up being one of those events that leave viewers divided: generally predictable, yet sprinkled with just enough surprise wins to shake things up. You can’t really call it a “night without surprises,” because a few did happen — but none as big as Andor being completely shut out of the Drama Series win. In a year of extraordinary television, it’s hard to say the Emmys were unfair — but I’ll say it anyway: Andor deserved more. Lucasfilm’s series didn’t just deliver the best season of the year; it redefined what TV drama can be: political, deeply human, tense, and visually impeccable. But in the Emmys game, The Pitt came out on top — and yes, it was a legitimate win, just far from my favorite.

The night started on an unexpected note, with the first statue handed out before Nate Bargatze’s monologue, setting a looser tone for the show. It was genuinely fun to see Seth Rogen win his first Emmy right off the bat, in a moment that drew laughs and applause. It might have been “Martin Short’s moment” — after all, he won the SAG Award — but The Studio, a sharp satire about the Hollywood machine, is the kind of thing the industry loves: poking fun at itself. Totally predictable. Still, Bargatze spent the night stumbling through jokes, in a performance that felt under-rehearsed and made it seem like the timing — so crucial for a stand-up comic — got lost somewhere on the Emmy stage.

And speaking of surprises, the biggest shock was watching The White Lotus go home empty-handed. One of the most celebrated shows of the season, it came in tied with Severance for the most nominations — and still won nothing. It was the kind of twist that sets social media on fire. Maybe the show’s era of novelty has simply passed. Katherine LaNasa shone as she took home Supporting Actress in a category where votes were split between Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, and Aimee Lou Wood. It was the kind of win that reminds us how vote-splitting can open the lane for a less obvious name.

Another moment that brought the house down was Noah Wyle winning his first Emmy for Best Actor in a Drama, capping off The Pitt’s strong season. It was symbolic and emotional. Meanwhile, Diego Luna didn’t even get nominated — one of those injustices that sticks in your throat, especially since both he and Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) may not have many more chances. It was a missed opportunity to recognize them — though Noah may just be starting his Emmy collection.

Britt Lower finally took home her long-awaited Emmy for Severance, and it was nice to see the night split fairly evenly between The Pitt and Severance — two shows that have been jockeying for the drama crown since Succession ended its reign in 2024. Severance is the more complex of the two; The Pitt, on Max, is the reliable, old-school hospital drama that always plays well with voters. Risking sounding like a broken record about Andor, at least its most important final-season episode was honored with a Writing win — a small but meaningful victory for those of us who followed it closely.

Comedy brought no surprises: The Studio was the darling of the night, winning Best Comedy, Best Actor (Seth Rogen), and both writing and directing awards. It was historic for such a young series and confirmed that Apple TV+ knows how to launch hits. Still, the results felt more inevitable than exciting. Hacks held its ground, with Jean Smart adding yet another Emmy to her shelf and Hannah Einbinder delivering the best speech of the night — a mix of humor and politics that stopped the show and trended online. Even so, I missed seeing Only Murders in the Building recognized. At least The Studio is a true comedy — because The Bear being classified as comedy has become a running joke, and even Hacks isn’t exactly laugh-out-loud; it’s about a comedian and has funny moments, but it’s also heavy with drama. So if Only Murders and Abbott Elementary had to lose, at least they lost to an unabashedly comedic show.

In the Limited Series field, Adolescence swept the night — taking Limited Series, Writing, and Directing, and crowning young Owen Cooper as the youngest winner ever in the Supporting Actor category. It was one of those rare moments that elicited a standing ovation. Tough luck for Colin Farrell, who fell short despite a strong campaign and the success of The Penguin. He lost to phenomenon Stephen Graham, who not only starred in but also created the winning series. Honestly, it would have been the perfect night for a tie, but Adolescence carries more social weight than any DC villain. That said, one of the most beautiful moments of the evening was Cristin Milioti taking home Best Actress in a Limited Series. Her performance in The Penguin was the soul of the show, and her emotional speech will be remembered for a long time.

There were also missteps. The absence of show clips and the producers’ insistence on timing acceptance speeches — offering $1,000 for every second saved and deducting for each second over — felt like a bad joke. The problem has never really been speech length, but the long, drawn-out bits by presenters. Cutting off an actor living the biggest moment of their career is not the way to make the night “snappier.” And honestly, 45 seconds to get to the stage, thank people, and hold back tears is far too little. After so many decades, the script — not the speeches — remains the biggest drag on ratings.

So when the credits rolled, the 2025 Emmys felt competent, polished, but lacking that edge that sometimes makes an awards night unforgettable. The Pitt may have taken the Drama crown, The Studio reigned in Comedy, and Adolescence dominated its field — but the shows that pushed television’s boundaries were left on the sidelines.

And I insist: years from now, we’ll look back and remember Andor as the true masterpiece of 2025. Maybe these Emmys just rewarded the “safest drama,” but history will eventually correct this podium.

The Winners:

• Outstanding Drama Series – 🏆 The Pitt
• Outstanding Comedy Series – 🏆 The Studio
• Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series – 🏆 Adolescence
• Lead Actor in a Drama Series – 🏆 Noah Wyle (The Pitt)
• Lead Actor in a Comedy Series – 🏆 Seth Rogen (The Studio)
• Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series – 🏆 Stephen Graham (Adolescence)
• Lead Actress in a Drama Series – 🏆 Britt Lower (Severance)
• Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – 🏆 Jean Smart (Hacks)
• Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series – 🏆 Cristin Milioti (The Penguin)
• Supporting Actor in a Drama Series – 🏆 Tramell Tillman (Severance)
• Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – 🏆 Jeff Hiller (Somebody Somewhere)
• Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series – 🏆 Owen Cooper (Adolescence)
• Supporting Actress in a Drama Series – 🏆 Katherine LaNasa (The Pitt)
• Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – 🏆 Hannah Einbinder (Hacks)
• Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series – 🏆 Erin Doherty (Adolescence)
• Reality Competition Program – 🏆 The Traitors
• Scripted Variety Series – 🏆 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver
• Outstanding Talk Series – 🏆 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
• Variety Special (Live) – 🏆 SNL50: The Anniversary Special
• Directing for a Drama Series – 🏆 Slow Horses (“Hello Goodbye,” Adam Randall)
• Directing for a Comedy Series – 🏆 The Studio (“The Oner,” Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg)
• Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie – 🏆 Adolescence (Philip Barantini)
• Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series – 🏆 Adolescence (Jack Thorne & Stephen Graham)
• Writing for a Comedy Series – 🏆 The Studio (“The Promotion,” Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck, Alex Gregory & Frida Perez)
• Writing for a Drama Series – 🏆 Andor (“Welcome to the Rebellion,” Dan Gilroy)
• Writing for a Variety Series – 🏆 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver