The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards, held on September 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, failed to capitalize on Mariska Hargitay’s historic casting as the ceremony’s first female host since Jane Lynch in 2011. Despite initial buzz surrounding a pre-taped introduction featuring NBA star Jalen Brunson, the segment devolved into a brief sketch that quickly gave way to a musical number promoting sponsors United Airlines and Marriott. The opening sequence, which spanned only eight minutes, served as an accurate preview of a telecast that critics described as hasty, erratic, and overly reliant on high-profile cameos rather than showcasing its host.
Hargitay, widely recognized for her iconic portrayal of Olivia Benson on NBC’s Law & Order: SVU, entered the role with significant goodwill. Beyond her long-running television success, she is an advocate for survivors of sexual violence, a Broadway performer, and a documentary director who recently earned two Emmys for her film about her mother, Jayne Mansfield. Her support of the New York Knicks during the recent NBA Finals further endeared her to a broad audience, leading Variety to dub her a “national best friend.” However, throughout the broadcast, she functioned more as an affable companion than a commanding ringmaster.
The monologue offered little comedic punch, featuring jokes about guest stars she had “arrested” on SVU and a cameo from Nicole Kidman referencing her viral AMC Theatres advertisement. Many of the night’s funniest moments belonged to presenters rather than the host. John Mulaney stole the show with a satirical tribute to masculinity while presenting the Lead Actor in a Drama Series award, and Andrew Rannells injected energy into a struggling musical segment. Meanwhile, writer Vince Gilligan delivered the telecast’s most substantive remark, urging Americans to reject division and respect one another.
While the ceremony avoided the catastrophic failures associated with past reality-TV-hosted Emmys, it also missed opportunities to honor legacies effectively. A reunion between Sarah Michelle Gellar and David Boreanaz was underutilized, and the obligatory SVU parody focused on Taylor Swift felt like a contrived excuse to feature the pop star. Ultimately, Hargitay maintained her likability and avoided disaster, but the production was hampered by lackluster writing and a structure that failed to let her shine. As the industry considers future hosts, the event highlighted the need for awards shows to provide women with meaningful opportunities to lead, regardless of the outcome.
Glad they kept the cameos limited. The writing just felt lazy and rushed throughout the whole broadcast unfortunately.
The United Airlines skit killed any momentum immediately. Why do awards shows insist on shoving sponsors into the intro?
At least it wasn’t a train wreck like previous years? Small victories for the Emmys perhaps.
John Mulaney carried the entire night honestly. Hargitay is lovely but clearly ill-equipped for live awards hosting duties.
Disappointed that Hargitay was reduced to a mascot. She deserved better material and actual hosting opportunities this year.