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Arts
Wednesday, September 28, 2022 — 3
Like every award show, the
Emmys had plenty of big wins, a
number of snubs, a few questionable
red carpet looks and whichever
comedian they could wrangle into
hosting. Some highlights of the
evening include Jennifer Coolidge
dancing to the outro music intended
to cut her speech off, the “Only
Murders in the Building” trio being
the only presenters to land a joke
and “The Bear” stars Ayo Edebiri
and Jeremy Allen White presenting
together (when he called her “chef,”
my heart did melt, thank you for
asking). No notable fist fights to
report, but Jimmy Kimmel did
“play dead” on the floor after losing
in his nominated category. He then
proceeded to lie there well after the
bit was up and Quinta Brunson was
called up to the stage to accept her
award, which made the whole thing
go from mildly awkward to outright
disrespectful and interruptive to
Quinta’s big win. I don’t know when
we as a society will accept the fact
that late-night show hosts are kind
of the worst, but major props to
Quinta for not kicking him right off
the stage.
But alas, now we move on to the
shows, the thing that the Emmys are
actually about … right?
Succession
Could any other show have truly
won Outstanding Drama Series? I
mean, come on, it’s “Succession.”
A
masterful
depiction
of
a
dysfunctionally filthy rich American
corporate dynasty with an all-
around treasure trove of an ensemble
cast, each acting with the passion
of a soap-opera character vying
for the role of best scene-stealer.
At a whopping 25 nominations,
“Succession” dominated the rest of
the pack, with 14 going to its actors
alone, breaking the record for the
most ever acting nominations for
a series. Although it lost out on the
main acting categories aside from
Matthew MacFadyen’s well-earned
Supporting
Actor
win,
British
creator Jesse Armstrong came out
on top with an Outstanding Writing
win for that iconic third season
finale of finales, “All The Bells Say.”
During his acceptance speech,
Armstrong jokingly remarked that
it was a “Big week for successions.
New king in the U.K., this for us,” but
that there was “evidently a bit more
voting in our winning than Prince
Charles.”
Ted Lasso
After its acting category sweep
last year, “Ted Lasso” is 2-0 for the
gold and won Outstanding Comedy
Series once again. In just two
seasons, the Apple TV hit has racked
up 40 nominations and 11 wins at
the Emmys, with a notable win this
year in the Outstanding Directing
category for MJ Delaney and double
streak acting wins for Jason Sudeikis
and Brett Goldstein. Goldstein,
consistent as ever, cheekily tried and
failed to once again make it through
his acceptance speech without
swearing, an all too characteristic
trait of his role as soccer player Roy
Kent. At this point, a true Emmy-
darling, the show’s second season
proved that it was in fact not a one-
season wonder. With all the heart of
a sentimental underdog sports team
and the sweet-talking optimism
of nearly one too many puns, “Ted
Lasso” is a kind, hopeful favorite
among critics and viewers alike.
The White Lotus
The
HBO
anthology
series
“The White Lotus,” which went
viral during the pandemic era for
its comical portrayal of wealthy
privileged vacationers, took home
five awards: Outstanding Limited
Series,
Directing,
Writing
and
Supporting Actor and Actress.
Almost every member of the
main cast was nominated in the
Supporting category, which goes
to show just how solid everyone’s
performance was. Jennifer Coolidge
and Murray Bartlett were more
than deserving of their wins, with
Coolidge’s performance as Tanya
McQuoid evoking some of the
most cringey hilarious moments of
the series, while Bartlett played a
spiraling hotel manager whom you
just couldn’t take your eyes off of.
Speaking of Coolidge, her acceptance
speech served to prove that her
comedic timing knows absolutely
no bounds. She had me literally
gasping for air while laughing, when
she shouted “Wait! Hold on!” as
she danced to the outro music and
continued on with her speech. Mike
White won back-to-back awards for
Writing and Directing, joking that
his success has now increased his
threat level à la “Survivor.” In short,
White and the employees and guests
of the White Lotus resort know how
to make a showstopper first season.
Squid Game
Continuing the “Squid Game”
hype streak, Lee Jung-jae took home
the award for Outstanding Lead
Actor in a Drama Series, making
history as the first Asian man to win
in the category and the first winner
in the category to come from a non-
English show. Hwang Dong-hyuk
triumphed in the director category,
promising a better second season
of “Squid Game” in his acceptance
speech,
which
was
ironic
considering just how many records
the first season broke. Considering
the anxiety that “Red Light, Green
Light” put me through, the win came
as no surprise. I got some flashbacks
when I saw that doll on stage. “Squid
Game” effectively changed the
genre of dystopian TV with a season
that was equal parts terrifying
and thought-provoking. The series
served as a platform to showcase
the absolute powerhouse that is
the Korean film and TV industry,
evidenced by the fact that it is still
the most-watched series on Netflix
since its release on Sept. 21, 2022,
holding onto its number one spot
even after the release of season four
of “Stranger Things.” Season two of
“Squid Game” is highly anticipated,
although it doesn’t look like we’ll be
getting it for another two or so years.
Abbott Elementary
As one of the few network
comedies still in the running at these
award shows, “Abbott Elementary”
revitalized the sitcom genre this
year and quickly became one of
the most popular comedy series on
the air. The mockumentary-style
sitcom features a strong ensemble
cast,
with
Emmy-nominated
recognition for its creator, writer
and star Brunson, as well as its
supporting
cast
Tyler
James
Williams and Janelle James, with
a monumental win for Sheryl Lee
Ralph. With seven nominations
and three historic wins, Brunson
became
the
second
Black
woman ever to win an Emmy for
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy
Series. Its first season hit all the
right notes, equally hilarious and
heartwarming, with all the signs
of a sitcom classic in the making,
Whodunits
are
a
classic
subgenre of mystery. From Agatha
Christie’s work to modern takes
like “Knives Out,” these stories
take the conventional idea of a
detective story a step further by
immersing the audience in the
mystery, giving them clues so they
can, theoretically, figure out the
puzzle for themselves. Parodies of
the genre are almost as old, like the
black comedy mystery “Clue.” “See
How They Run” attempts to unite
the authentic and the satirical, but
fails to understand what makes
mysteries interesting in the first
place: the mystery itself.
Set in 1950s London, “See How
They Run” tells the story of novice
Police Constable Stalker (Saoirse
Ronan, “Little Women”) and jaded
Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell,
“Jojo Rabbit”) who are investigating
the death of condescending asshole
filmmaker Leo Köpernick (Adrien
Brody, “The French Dispatch”).
Köpernick was murdered at a
party for the 100th performance of
Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap”
— a real play that has run for over
70 years on London’s West End.
Despite attempts from filmmakers,
the play has famously never been
made into a movie. Its contract
rights stipulate it could only be
adapted to film once six months had
passed since its stage run ended.
Because of its historic run, however,
this has yet to occur. We are instead
given a whodunit about the classic
whodunit.
Ronan does the heavy lifting in
the character department of this
film. I found it impossible to care
about any character but Stalker,
as she was the only person in the
movie with depth or a likable
personality. Ronan by far has the
best comedic timing of the cast.
I laughed at almost every joke —
which were few and in between —
that came from her. Stalker is the
only character who feels like she
has motivations for her actions,
naively writing down every piece of
information she hears in an attempt
to solve the mystery as quickly as
possible. She is the saving grace of
this film, giving the audience a thin
thread of emotional connection to
the plot and characters.
Besides Ronan, the rest of the
star-studded cast all play eccentric
characters, but none of whom the
audience is given reasons to like or
care about. Rockwell’s Inspector
Stoppard is meant to be a man
broken by years of work, a war injury
and an unfaithful wife, but he comes
across as an uncaring detective
to which the writers forgot to add
depth. I’m especially disappointed
with Rockwell’s acting; he won
an Oscar just five years ago for his
performance in “Three Billboards
Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” but here
he seems content mumbling all of
his lines without emotion. The time-
hardened detective is an enduring
trope with which Rockwell does
nothing.
I must confess — I didn’t actually
want to read “Sense and Sensibility.”
It was mid-June and I was
sprawled on the floor of my
childhood
friend’s
bedroom,
listening to the choppy audio and
occasional laughs emanating from
the corner of her bed where she
was wrapped in blankets, scrolling
through TikTok. I sat up and
started scanning her bookshelves,
pulled out Jane Austen’s “Sense
and Sensibility” and read the first
30 pages before realizing that it
was boring and I’d rather not. But
it was too late — 30 pages is a lot
when you’re reading Austen’s tiny
font size and dizzying sentence
structure. I couldn’t throw away my
hard work, so I read the whole book.
Surprisingly, I don’t regret it.
Sure, “Sense and Sensibility” is
frustratingly long and overall quite
boring, and the actual plot doesn’t
start until over halfway into the book
— but none of these unfortunate
aspects detract from an incredibly
thoughtful and redemptive ending
that has stuck with me these past
couple of months.
“Sense
and
Sensibility”
is
essentially about the love lives of
two sisters (though I would argue
that it’s more a character study
than a romance). Elinor, the elder
of the two, is level-headed and
always strives to do what’s right.
She tends to think thoroughly about
an issue before deciding on a course
of action. Marianne is pretty much
her opposite: spontaneous and
passionate in everything, she never
holds back from fully expressing her
joys and sorrows. Over the course of
the novel, both sisters fall in love
with men who end up breaking their
hearts, and the way they respond
to these bitter disappointments
is the focal point of the story.
Marianne leans into her pain with
no restraint, sobbing constantly and
refusing to eat. For most of the latter
third of the novel, she’s pale-faced
and fragile, wandering the house
in the dead of night like a ghost. But
Elinor, out of love and consideration
towards her mother and Marianne,
bears her own sorrow with quiet
fortitude and carries on without
betraying the slightest hint of inner
turmoil.
When
Elinor’s
secret
heartbreak is revealed, Marianne is
shocked and humbled by her sister’s
self-denial — that’s the best part of
the book.
The
boring
exposition,
monotonous dinner parties and
uninspiring
conversations
are
worth it for this singular moment,
when Marianne makes a life-
altering realization that challenges
her entire worldview. Marianne,
who always dismissed her sister’s
self-possessed manner as a lack
of passion, is shocked to find that
what she mistook for indifference
is actually love in its purest form:
restraining oneself for another’s
gain.
Pop culture typically teaches us
to associate love with passion and
gushy feelings. Everyone says to
“follow your heart,” embrace your
inner desires and pursue them
without reserve. In short, be like
Marianne.
This
individualistic
mentality extends to our general
attitude toward life — if something
good doesn’t feel right to you
anymore, maybe it’s time to throw
in the towel, because our emotions
are everything. To be sure, there
are times in life when putting
yourself first is the right thing,
like if you need to protect yourself
from a harmful relationship. That
said, this philosophy is problematic
when taken too far: As Marianne
herself experiences in “Sense and
Sensibility,” pursuing your desires
without consideration for other
people can be hurtful and damaging.
This exact brand of selfishness
is what caused Marianne’s lover,
Willoughby, to break her heart and
crush her spirit — just so he could be
rich and comfortable. Marianne’s
unceasing devotion to her own
desires made her so preoccupied
with personal sorrow that, to her
bitter regret, she was unaware
of the immense pain Elinor was
shouldering. Ironically, pursuing
the intense emotions and desires
that we assume will lead to great
personal satisfaction can actually
result in even greater selfishness.
Contrast this with the image
of Elinor, suffering in silence
and controlling her own heart-
wrenching emotions in order to
shield her mother and Marianne
— who are already burdened by
Willoughby’s betrayal — from
the additional blow of Elinor’s
heartbreak. This kind of self-
denying love is something we
recognize in our own lives, most
often in our mothers. A loving
mom is sacrificial and attentive
to their child’s needs. Regardless
of how tired or emotionally
drained they might be feeling,
they somehow set aside their
own preferences in order to give
their best to their kids. When you
think about everything moms
do on a daily basis, it sounds
exhausting — and yet, a mother’s
care is often celebrated as the
noblest, most elevated form of
love known to humankind. There
is true beauty in sacrifice, and it’s
far more weighty and honest than
the dizzying infatuation that is
sometimes passed off as love.
And that’s what you missed on … the Emmys!
‘See How They Run’:
A whodunit with no mystery
Jane Austen still knows a thing or two about love
Design by Kate Shen
SERENA IRANI &
SWARA RAMASWAMY
Daily Arts Writers
ZACH LOVEALL
Daily Arts Writer
PAULINE KIM
Daily Arts Writer
In 2022, like in years before, the
writers of The Michigan Daily Arts
are stretching out their hammies to
participate in a grueling challenge
of mental fortitude and physical
fitness: the Probility Ann Arbor
Marathon. A little pretentious, a
little weird, The Daily team is a
mix of ex-trackletes. For the sake of
journalism and prestige, The Daily’s
tenacious review-writing gremlins
are closing their laptops, tying up
their Brooks and hitting the Ann
Arbor pavement. Non-gremlin but
marathon-interested
University
of Michigan students can sign up
for the marathon with the discount
code “Goblue25.” Individuals in the
Campus or Ann Arbor community
interested in volunteering at the
Oct. 2 event should contact alise@
epicraces.com for more information.
Read our first installment of runner
introductions here.
Laine “Just Scraping By”
Brotherton
My relationship with sports
is like that of a child and their
grumpy piano teacher — nothing I
do is right and I never know where
to put my hands. Seven-year-old
me didn’t play soccer so much as
she kicked the ball once or twice
before losing track of where it was.
Nine-year-old me was just fine on
the neighborhood swim team, but
competing made her anxious to
the point of nausea. Ten-year-old
me served a four-year tenure term
playing softball but quit before it
got too serious.
Despite this, I recognize that
being fit and healthy is a privilege,
and I really do feel my best when
I’m in shape. The pandemic brought
forth the most sedentary period
of my life, and roughly a year ago
I had a relatively invasive surgical
procedure that prevented me from
any high-impact activity. Following
that period, I could hardly run a
mile; now, after about two months
of light running, I can comfortably
run three. I may run like someone
whose arms and legs don’t belong to
them, and I may up my tempo and
end early simply because I’m bored,
but I want nothing more than to
become a true runner: Someone
who knows when to rest and when
to go, how to stretch and what to
eat. If I’m being completely honest,
I also want to be someone who
carries around pockets of flavored
energy goo, just to see how it feels.
At present, I’m confident I would
vomit before crossing the finish
line, but I’m putting in writing my
intention to turn that around before
Oct. 2. Despite seven-hour days
in the Chemistry building, 9 a.m.
classes or my tendency to smack
headfirst into the pavement when
I run at dawn without glasses,
I’m going to make it happen.
Following the pattern of most of my
decision-making — a declaration of
commitment without forethought
— I have sworn myself to do
something that I truly believed I
would forever be capable of.
Zach “Hates Running But
Loves Being Outside” Loveall
My first real experience with
running was in middle school
when, in an attempt to stay active,
I signed up for the school track
team. I was always a half-hearted
participant — one of my events was
the long jump because it meant a
large chunk of practice was spent
standing in line. I loathed the
idea of running long distances.
Every day that I had to run more
than a couple of miles increased
my temptation to quit the team.
I stopped going after one year,
switching to tennis instead.
Daily Arts runs a marathon:
Introducing the runners (part 2)
Design by Francie Ahrens
DAILY ARTS WRITERS
Design by Abby Schreck
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Read more at MichiganDaily.com