Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance in Patrick Melrose, which was in turn nominated for three other awards (on the big night, there was also a casting nomination during the technical awards). But Cumberbatch and Patrick Melrose got swept, as most of the awards went to The Assassination of Gianni Versace. Here’s the thing: As much as I love Patrick Melrose, I’m not exactly mad at that outcome. Versace was pretty amazing in its own right. Benedict Cumberbatch has won an Emmy before. He’ll probably win another one someday. As good as he is in Patrick Melrose, it wasn’t exactly a revelation that he is a good, commanding actor. But Darren Criss? Did YOU know he could act like that? For Criss, Versace was a revelation. 

Besides, Emmy night was not a good look for Cumberbatch. It’s not the tux, that’s fine, if standard. And it’s certainly not Sophie Hunter who turned up (and confirmed she’s pregnant) in a bold yellow column dress. No, it’s his hair. Cumberbatch shaved his head to play a balding political operative for a movie about Brexit, and his hair has not yet recovered. It’s…not good. He really needs that Byronic hair to offset the lines of his face. (Lainey is probably yelling that no amount of hair makes a difference but those of us who appreciate Lizard Bae know the power of the curls.) So it’s not the worst thing in the world that he’s not memorialized on tape forever with that buzz cut. He didn’t seem to be feeling the night, anyway. Colin Jost tried to get him to go along with some dumb bit and Cumberbatch, like the rest of us, was totally over Jost within minutes of the show starting.