Emmy Awards 2015: Best And Worst Moments

Andy Samberg's goofy song-and-dance routine found the host secluding himself in a bunker and watching literally every show — except for (whoops!) Nathan Fillion's Castle. The joke would've landed using just about any procedural crime drama that'll never make its way onto the Emmys radar — but Fillion's ego-free participation turned it into an LOL highlight.

Jane Lynch only appeared for a moment as Game of Thrones "mean nun" — chanting the unforgettably awful refrain of "Shame! Shame! Shame!" But whaddaya know, we kinda wished host Samberg had made good on his promise to sic her (rather than the orchestra) on any winners' whose speeches ran long.

"Paula Deen is on this season of Dancing With the Stars," Samberg noted in his monologue. "But I have to say, if I wanted to see an intolerant lady dance, I could've gone to one of Kim Davis' four weddings."

OK, the joke was as obvious as a Kardashian's need for "Likes," but we couldn't help but guffaw when Samberg referenced Adrien Brody's role in the TV miniseries Houdini — then looked at his empty seat and gasped "He escaped!" (BTW, don't feel bad that the chair didn't get a statuette — it got to sit in between Getting On's criminally underrated Niecy Nash and Bloodline's legendary Kyle Chandler.)

"Let's not forget what tonight is really about," declared presenter Amy Schumer. "Celebrating hilarious women and letting the Internet weigh in on who looks the worst."

You wouldn't think anything could throw off Mom's ageless Allison Janney on her sixth trip to the Emmy podium, but on a scorchingly hot day in Los Angeles, she began her acceptance speech with a surprise ("I apparently brought my blotting thing up here with me!") and a bit of hilarious littering (tossing the little pink cloth to the floor with a shrug).

Picking up her stauette for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, Transparent creator Jill Soloway thanked her own father (her "moppa"), who came out as transgender in her 70s, and then reminded the audience that in 32 states, landlords could reject her parent's application for housing by saying "We don't rent to trans people." It's not usually stirring when an acceptance speech includes a Web site URL, but Soloway's shout-out was an absolute exception: TransEquality.org.

Did Samberg actually get away with reenacting Girls' Season 4 interlude — Allison Williams' Marnie with her boyfriend on his knees behind her — on a super-sized Emmy stauette? We'd doubt it ourselves, but then we've got this screengrab as Exhibit A.

Nobody on #TeamEmmys watched Samberg and former colleague Seth Meyers' bit rewarding former SNL boss Lorne Michaels with a "World's Best Boss" mug and wonder aloud, "Guys, can't you do better?"

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, picking up her fourth straight award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, began her speech quoting her ridiculous politician Selina Meyer — "What a great honor it must be for you to honor me tonight." Then, after some comical fumbling, she corrected herself and attributed the line to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. "It's getting trickier and trickier to satirize this stuff," Louis-Dreyfus added — leaving us wondering whether we should laugh or cry.

Three cheers for Empire's Taraji P. Henson for letting out a whoop of approval (so we weren't left hanging all by ourselves) after handing the Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie to American Crime's Regina King (AKA the woman who was snubbed over and over again for her work on the late, great Southland). Their embrace as the cameras cut away following King's sweet, emotional speech was one of the best candid moments of the entire telecast.

"It started with a book, Andy!" chuckled Olive Kitteridge star and EP Frances McDormand, accepting Outstanding Miniseries for a program that began as a novel by Elizabeth Strout. What better way to prove you hadn't pre-written your speech than by calling out the host's "Suck It, Books" zinger from his opening monologue.

Accepting Outstanding Variety Series, Amy Schumer tried to explain how her self-titled comedy series fights for what she and her staff believe in. But when it became clear she was about to get played off the stage, Schumer went in a less series direction, thanking "the girl who gave me this sort of a smokey eye — I really love it."

Samberg expressed his excitement about getting to hang with the Emmy band and "of course, the guitar girl in the bar from True Detective Season 2." (Bonus points to funny lady Lauren Lapkus for her tragic strum of the instrument in question.)

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series champ Peter Dinklage marveled that he won for the second time for Game of Thrones, pausing to express his awe over Better Call Saul's Jonathan Banks, then adding, "and the rest." We know, we know, dude was probably already getting the "wrap it up" signal on the teleprompter, but the end result sounded way harsh, Tai.

The anticipation of Jon Hamm finally winning the Best Actor in a Drama Series trophy — on his eighth nomination — coursed through the entire Emmy telecast. But the actor's subdued speech — focusing on a list of folks who had his gratitude — was not the "release the floodgates" moment for which fans of Mad Men (and overdue victories) might've hoped.

"In my mind, I see a line. And over that line, I see green fields and lovely flowers and beautiful white women with their arms stretched out to me over that line. But I can't seem to get there. No how I can't seem to get me over that line," said How to Get Away With Murder's Viola Davis, quoting abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Her gracious, gorgeous shout-out to inventive writers ("you cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there") and to the actresses (including fellow nominee Taraji P. Henson) who helped redefine what it means to be sexy, to be a leading lady, to be black was the emotional highlight of the telecast.

After five consecutive years of hearing "And the Emmy goes to Modern Family," we're still not certain if it was a wild upset that the ABC sitcom didn't make it a six-peat or an inevitability that the statuette finally went to another series (in this case, the brutally hilarious Veep).

Tracy Morgan, presenting the Best Drama Series trophy to Game of Thrones in his first major appearance since suffering a traumatic brain injury in a car accident, noted he's just beginning to feel like himself (and therefore ready to "get a lot of women pregnant" at Emmy afterparties). The larger audience may not have picked up on it, but 30 Rock fans had to chuckle over the parallels to one of his all-time best zingers from the show: "I love cornbread so much I want to take it behind a middle school and get it pregnant."

Reminded by E!'s Ryan Seacrest that she'd been nominated for multiple awards this year, Inside Amy Schumer's titular star (accompanied by her sister Kim) grinned wickedly, then shot back, "That's one of the best things about being a woman: Multiples." Oh, grrrrl! See what happens when you spend the weekend as Madonna's opening act?

"Oh, you're wearing yourself? That's like masturbating!" snarked Jimmy Kimmel, upon learning Ryan Seacrest's tux was from the Ryan Seacrest Collection. Don't judge us for guffawing — judge yourself if you didn't!