The Golden Globes mark the entry into awards season. There are many shows still to go that continue to help the industry indicate who may take home Oscar gold. Yet, winning along the way is also a very good thing. There were some surprises and some snubs in last night’s show. Hosts Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh were safe in their monologue which did veer the night towards being politically light. Just last year, the Times Up movement and legal fund were established and was supported by the show. Women wore black gowns and many men wore pins with their tuxes to show solidarity, but this year, that particular elephant had left the room. The messaging came primarily from moments of female-empowerment with a comment from Sandra Oh in the opening and a moving speech from surprise winner Glenn Close. A lack of political statements are not missed, though, as this is a fun event, keeping the tone light and supportive was a welcomed shift from last year’s more serious show.

The Hosts

Andy Samberg and Sandra Oh did their best to create their own style. Neither are known for stand-up comedy, so to do a stand-up style monologue would have felt forced. Instead they opted to be complimentary of the show’s attendees with a sarcastic tone. They mentioned Amy Adams as a double nominee, multi-talented pile of dog crap. Not the best joke, but they tried to make the delivery work. They stayed true to who they are, but the presentation did feel stiff. Neither ever got comfortable on stage in the opening and worked their way through the material as we watched them read the teleprompter. Sandra did make a statement about the proof of change in the industry that she felt was reflected in this year’s globes nominations, but it felt a little in need of a transition as the tonal shift was a little lost until we figured she was being serious. I do appreciate the unexpected pairing and the fresh blood the two brought to the show. For many years the Globes would repeat hosts for two or three years. I don’t foresee Samberg or Oh returning next year, but never say never in Hollywood. Throughout the show, the hosts seem to disappear with little influence over the proceedings following their monologue.

Film Winners

The big award of the night, Best Drama, went to Bohemian Rhapsody, the moving and inspirational story of Freddie Mercury and Queen. The iconic singer was performed by Rami Malek, who took home the prize for Best Actor, Drama. The film was a financial success, but only received a 62% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, yet a 90% from the audience. Typically, the Golden Globes vary from the Oscars when it comes to top films, so this may not be a sign that the film will become a favorite in the Academy’s Best Picture race. The favorite was A Star is Born; which only brought home Best Original Song for “Shallow”. Many pegged Lady Gaga as the winner for Best Actress, Drama, but the award went to Glenn Close for The Wife. Close was more shocked than anyone to be called the winner. Bradley Cooper was never able to accept an award for his passion project with A Star is Born also losing in the Best Director, Best Actor and Best Drama categories. Many felt (as we did) that A Star is Born would sweep, but we may have been a little wrong.

Green Book became the story on the comedy side. The film took home Best Comedy, Best Supporting Actor (Comedy), and Best Screenplay. This smaller film may now have a better chance at Oscar gold as it wasn’t as much of the conversation prior to the Globes. Also in comedy, the polarizing The Favourite was a winner for Olivia Coleman as Best Actress, Comedy. The film has opposite scores to Bohemian Rhapsody on Rotten Tomatoes with a 94% from critics and a 60% from the audience. The film was hoping for awards recognition, but this film still leaves viewers wondering why they even went to see it at all. Not, a great reaction for a potential Oscar film. Though, the win for Coleman could propel the film to more wins this season. Fan-favorite Crazy Rich Asians, was shutout, but was still part of the conversation in the room. It wasn’t favored to win, but the buzz and its cinematic historical relevance could lead to more nominations and wins for other awards.

Television Winners

On the TV side, there were some unexpected moments as well. The Kominsky Method, from Netflix and TV tycoon Chuck Lorre, won for Best Comedy Series. The show also saw Michael Douglas as the winner for Best Actor in a Comedy Series. The favored Comedy Series winner was the sophomore season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, as a repeat winner. The Golden Globes don’t like to repeat winners. Thusly, Rachel Brosnahan’s second win for the show as Best Actress in a Comedy Series, was a little surprising, but her performance earned it. These two will not compete against each other again until this fall’s Emmy Awards. With so much time before then, who knows what shows may show up to impress in the comedy race before then.

The top drama series category was announced early in the broadcast going to the final season of The Americans, though stars Keri Russell and Mathew Rhys were not winners. The series lost to Game of Thrones at the Emmy’s. We also saw a win for host Sandra Oh for Killing Eve. Along with single wins for Sharp Objects and Escape at Dannemora for Patricia Clarkson and Patricia Arquette, respectively. On the men’s acting side, the Brits dominated as A Very English Scandal  and Bodyguard saw wins for Ben Whishaw and Ricahrd Madden. The drama category proved a little less repetitive than the comedies as no show won two awards.

The only double dramatic show winner was the limited series, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story. The series took home awards for Best Limited Series (or Movie) and a win for star, Darren Criss. Criss has been on an awards sweep starting with his Emmy’s win and has received a SAG nomination for the role. The show was well-reviewed and well-rated, so Ryan Murphy’s Crime Story franchise looks a be just as successful as his previous series. The next season is rumored to focus on hurricane Katrina, though work on this season seems to be slow-going.

The last big stop for television during awards season is the SAG Awards as Hollywood now begins to focus on the films of the year.

Looking Forward

All in all, the Globes offered some surprises and snubs throughout the show. Because of their interest in spreading the love to many films, it is hard to predict the Oscar race based on these results. Last year,  Lady Bird and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri took home top honors, but the The Shape of Water won Best Picture. A Star is Born was one of the most talked about films of the year, so it would make sense for the film to see more awards attention. Black Panther was the first comic book film to be nominated for Best Drama. The Academy as a tendency to feel above the comic book franchises when it comes to Best Picture. Avengers: Infinity War was the most popular film of the year, though was skipped by the Globes. It would be surprising if both Black Panther and Infinity War were nominated for Best Picture, but possibly one will represent the 10 years of Marvel’s success. The field is still open and Oscar nominations are not closed for another week, so it remains to be seen how the Academy will respond to this year’s films.

What was your favorite film of the year? Share in the comments!