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If you’re not worried about price, you can pay a lot of money for whisk(e)y. From Pappy Van Winkle to the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection to long-aged Scotch whiskies, you can easily spend the equivalent of a month’s rent (or more) on a highly prized bottle. Also known as “unicorn whiskeys,” these hard-to-find expressions often feel lightyears out of reach to the average drinker.

Today, we’re here to tell you not to fret about missing out on that bottle of A.H. Hirsch Reserve that randomly materialized at your local liquor store. There are tons of great bottles (in the $50-$75 range) that taste a lot more expensive than they are. Check out my personal favorites below.

The Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask (Scotch Whisky)

ABV: 43%

Price: $74.99

Tastes Like: $100

The Story:

Ask any bartender about the best sipping Scotches and they’ll likely put The Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask on their list. This Speyside single malt was first aged in oak barrels before being finished in rum casks. The most interesting thing about this sweet, rich whisky is the fact that the brand didn’t grab just any rum for this offering’s finish. They actually created their own blend of rum and added it to barrels. Later on, it was removed and this whisky was added.

Tasting Notes:

If you take the time to nose this whisky before sipping, you’ll be met with the initial sweet, sugary flavors of islands-style rum. These aren’t the usual first aromas associated with Scotch. The first sip imparts caramelized sugar, creamy vanilla, dried orange peel, and sticky toffee pudding. The finish is long, lingering, warming, and filled with subtle cinnamon and sweet butterscotch notes.

Bottom Line:

This sweet, rich, fruity whisky deserves to be sipped in a Glencairn glass with a few drops of water to open it up and add to the taste experience.

Baker’s (Bourbon)

ABV: 53.5%

Price: $77.99

Tastes Like: $125

The Story:

Named for Baker Beam, the grand-nephew of Jim Beam, Baker’s Bourbon is one of Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection whiskeys. It’s a single barrel bourbon that spent seven years aging in the Jim Beam Barrelhouse. Part of the appeal of this brand is the fact that Baker’s is made without batching or mixing together various barrels. It’s literally made from one barrel and this means that the whiskey inside will always taste at least subtly different from the last time you bought it.

Tasting Notes:

Like many whiskeys, when you nose Baker’s, the first aroma you’ll notice is that of the musty rickhouse itself. This is followed by cinnamon and sweet, dried cherries. The first sip is undeniably smooth with hints of rich vanilla, charred oak, and caramel. The finish is long, warming, and ends with toasted caramel and just a hint of spice.

Bottom Line:

Sometimes high proof means harsh. But that’s not the case with Baker’s. This 107 proof whiskey is mellow enough to be sipped slowly with a single cube of ice in a rocks glass.

The Dalmore 12 Year (Scotch Whisky)

ABV: 40%

Price: $59.99

Tastes Like: $175

The Story:

When it comes to Scotch, there are a lot of great 12-year-old whiskies on the market. One of the best is The Dalmore 12. First launched back in 2008 to replace the brand’s original 12-year-old, this version is matured for 12 years in ex-bourbon American oak barrels before being finished in Oloroso sherry butts. The result is a sweet, complex whisky that is worth way more than its price tag.

Tasting Notes:

Like all great Scotch whiskies, this expression requires a nosing before taking a sip. If you do that, you’ll be met with hints of candied orange peel, cinnamon, and sweet caramel. The first sip delivers hints of chocolate, toffee, sweet sherry, and charred oak. The finish is verrrrry long, full of warmth, and ends with a caramel flourish.

Bottom Line:

Like all the whiskies on this list, The Dalmore 12 should be enjoyed as the distillers intended. Simply pour the juice into a Glencairn glass and sip on it to warm you on a cool, fall night.

Willett Family Estate 4 Year (Rye Whiskey)

ABV: 55%

Price: $50

Tastes Like: $200

The Story:

If you’re new to the world of rye whiskey and you can find a bottle of Willett Family Estate 4 Year Rye, buy it. It’s cask strength, full of peppery spice, and somehow only around $50 dollars. It’s the perfect gateway rye for fans of bourbon and would still sell if Willett increase the price (here’s hoping that they don’t).

Tasting Notes:

If you’re only going to nose one style of whiskey, make it rye (and this one in particular). You’ll be met with hints of subtle peppery spice along with dried cherries, cinnamon, and butterscotch. The first sip drops notes of white pepper, sweet vanilla, charred oak, and just a hint of fresh mint. The finish is long, warming, and filled with candied orange peel, vanilla, and just a dash of spice at the very end.

Bottom Line:

Stock up on this rye, you’ll want to spend the rest of fall (and much of winter) sipping on this subtly spicy, well-rounded whiskey.

Redbreast 12 Year (Irish Whiskey)

ABV: 40%

Price: $55.99

Tastes Like: $100

The Story:

Redbreast 12 is the brand’s signature bottle and well worth the $50 dollar price tag. In fact, with its complex, well-rounded, robust flavor we’d be willing to pay way more for this unique offering (but we don’t want to). This triple distilled Irish whiskey is made with both malted and unmalted barley before aging in a combination of ex-bourbon American oak barrel and Oloroso sherry butts.

Tasting Notes:

While nosing, the first scents you’re greeted with are rich honey, sweet sherry, dried cherries, and cinnamon. The first sip brings forth candied orange peel, toasted marshmallow, and toffee flavors. The finish is long, warming, luxurious, and ends with an added kick of peppery spice.

Bottom Line:

This sweet, rich, well-balanced whiskey should be paired with plate of bangers and mash, a warm blanket, and a chilly evening.

Old Forester 1920 (Bourbon)

ABV: 57.5%

Price: $55.99

Tastes Like: $150

The Story:

This “Prohibition Style” bourbon was made as a reference to the passing of the Volstead Act in 1920. The reason for this homage is because, during Prohibition, Old Forest didn’t shut down. Instead, the distillery made bourbon for “medical use.” To fit that distinction, this bourbon needed to be bottled at 100 proof.

In 2020, this whiskey enters the barrel at 100 and ends up at lofty 115 proof after maturation. It’s a true throwback expression — one that deserves a place on your liquor cabinet shelf.

Tasting Notes:

The first aromas your nose is met with are charred oak, dried cherries, and brown sugar. The first sip drops hints of fiery cinnamon, toasted oak, sweet caramel, and burnt sugar. The finish is long, warm, and filled with more caramel, and a subtle hint of barbecue smoke.

Bottom Line:

When you crack open this bottle, pretend like it’s still Prohibition. Drink it in private in a dimly lit room in front of a roaring fire on a cold night.

The Los Angeles Lakers trailed 103-102 with 2.1 seconds to play in Game 2 of their Western Conference Finals matchup with the Nuggets after having seen Denver erase a 16-point deficit in the second half — as has become a regular occurrence for Denver this postseason.

On their final inbounds play, L.A. put their two superstars into the action and made Denver make a quick and difficult decision. The result was Mason Plumlee going to LeBron James, who was already being faceguarded by Jerami Grant, leaving Davis with an open catch and window to shoot a deep three at the buzzer in front of a hard closeout from the side by Nikola Jokic. Davis, who was 1-for-3 on threes to that point in the game, buried the shot and gave L.A. a 105-103 win (and a 2-0 series lead).

After the game, Davis explained that the opportunity to take that shot in that moment was the driving factor in why he wanted to go to the Lakers when he issued his trade request from New Orleans, telling Allie LaForce he “wants the big time plays” and elaborating to reporters later that he knew this was the stage and the championship chase L.A. would afford him.

Given that the biggest remaining question Davis faced as a player was whether he could take and make these kinds of shots on a championship caliber team, taking the lead in a situation when LeBron James didn’t have it down the stretch, he answered that with an exclamation point on Sunday. Davis was the only Laker to score in the final five minutes of the game, including both of his three-pointers on the night.

It was a sensational performance, further cementing his position as not just one of the league’s most elite talents but as a player capable of stepping up on the big stage and knocking down a critical shot. As the Lakers move forward, that ability, when the focus shifts from defenses to slowing down LeBron James, will be critical in L.A.’s ability to take the Larry O’Brien trophy home from Disney to Los Angeles.

The brand isn’t just strong, it’s durable, with Kid Mero and Desus Nice moving operations of their Showtime late-night comedy series to the virtual space with enviable shoe walls and socially distanced humor that, to be honest, hums and roars like the show did when they were in studio together. It’s something Mero told us is a benefit of a long comedy partnership where the two only rely on each other for any kind of feedback. “No matter where you put us, audience, no audience, 20 people, 5,000 people, you’re still going to get the same kind of vibe. So it works in any format.” But will it work in book form? All signs point to yes with Desus & Mero pulling from a lifetime of experiences and lessons learned from their Bronx upbringing to create God-Level Knowledge Darts (out 9/22), a legitimately on-brand book that could comfortably live in either the comedy or self-help section.

We spoke to the comedy team about the book, stumping lawyers during legal review of the drug chapter, their differing POVs, and navigating life in lockdown. And with Donald Trump insinuating that he’d like to have Joe Rogan moderate a four-hour Presidential debate, we had to ask about what a Desus & Mero-hosted debate would look like.

I don’t know if you saw the news but apparently there’s some effort to get Joe Rogan to host a four-hour debate between Biden and Trump. You guys want to put your hat in the ring to host a debate? You want to go five hours?

Desus: Hell yeah! Hell yeah. Because every time you watch a debate, you have professional journalists and they’re very respectful. And they’re like, “Your time. Your time. You’ve gone over.” If me and Mero were there, it would be like, “Yo, shut the fuck up, my man!”

Mero: “Yo, shut the fuck up! Yo, you’re done! Yo, you’re done.”

Desus: “Cut his mic off. Yo, my man, I will come up there. I will come up on that stage, keep playing with me.” It will be the first debate where one of the candidates is speaking you just hear, “yo, who’s mans is this!?”

Mero: I’ll go straight into the Dominican Dad Mode. I’ll take my belt off, I’ll be like, “Yo, I told you your time was the fuck up. Get away from the mic and let somebody else speak.”

Desus: “Yo, this nigga lying, your honor.” It’d be wild. It would be wild. Also, it’d be the only debate where they’re talking about fracking or something very important, and all of a sudden you just hear, “DER-EK JE-TER [Claps] DER-EK JE-TER [Claps].” We stop broadcasting the debate, we just talking about Yankee highlights. “Hey, Mero, remember Mike Mussina?”

Mero: Whoo. “Remember Tino Martinez? That guy, oh, that was a stud right there. Incredible field presence.”

Desus: “Oh, he had such a vision. Listen. Listen. When he was at bat it was epic.”

Yeah, I want that. It’s going to beat anything Rogan could do, anything anybody else could do. Let’s make that happen.

Mero: You know what I’m saying? Rogan would have to smoke DMT to get to our level if we went on there. He would have to do that, he would have to do whatever he does on his podcast, smoke ayahuasca before he does this shit to even touch what we’re doing. [Laughs]

I know they’re talking about wanting to drug test the candidates if they can actually make sure that whoever hosts it is high as fuck, that would be the way to go.

Desus: You see? They’re talking about drug testing the candidates. If we were hosting it, it’d be a cipher. It’d be the first debate that’s in a hotbox. Instead of just asking questions, we’re just standing around, we’re just passing the wild-l to Joe Biden. He’s passing it to Donald Trump, Donald Trump’s like, “What is this?”

Mero: [Trump impression] “Wow, it’s a presidential Kush. Wow. Some acid. Whoa.”

Desus: Biden’s like, “Whoa, you got me feeling like I’m back on the Amtrak. Whoa.”

Mero: We’re doing it all in a Buick LeSabre with a GoPro. That’s it. [Laughs]

With the relationships, kids, and the money stuff… Obviously, this book was written months and months ago. How do you think this all applies to now with everything in the new-new, post COVID world?

Desus: Speaking for myself, everything has kind of changed but the basics are the same. The thing with COVID is it’s made your reality different. Because now you could possibly get into an altercation with someone because they’re not wearing a face mask. That’s nothing I’ve ever had to worry about ever in my life. And it’s just kind of using what you were born and raised with in The Bronx and your life experience and just kind of applying it now. Things that might have mattered more before COVID don’t really matter now. I have a great sneaker collection but where am I wearing these sneakers to? I’m throwing on a brand new pair of Jordans to go get an Amazon package? That’s not fun. But yeah, this is the new reality.

Last time we talked, I asked you about sneaker budgets and setting the level. You said get a new pair when I write a big piece, and I do that now and there’s no point.

Mero: Instagram!

Desus: Yeah, but even Instagram is like… It’s not the same. The flex is gone, that’s the side effect of corona. It stole the flex.

It is. Mero, how is it affecting your family life and relationship and everything being at home?

Mero: Yo. Yo, you put it on the tee for me, bro. That’s why this book is so perfect, because you get two sides of everything almost, you know what I mean? Because our life’s like, we’re boys and we vibe super heavy but our lifestyles are different, you know what I mean? With the book, you get both sides of life essentially. So for me, it’s not about going out on dates and getting the right outfit together or whatever. It’s more like, yo, how are me and my wife going to keep from murdering each other while being on top of each other all the time? You know what I mean? Because a normal marriage is like, yo, you have your day, I have my day, we reconnect throughout the day or whatever. But now, it’s just 24 hours real world. Like Big Brother, we’re in the house all the time, 24/7 and it’s taught me a lot of patience and understanding, a lot more talking. You know what I mean?

So I want to say surviving the pandemic relationship-wise is just about communicating and not taking shit personally and understanding. Like, this is a weird situation and everybody’s reacting differently. My wife likes to go outside and go hiking and walking and jogging and this and that and she was losing her mind, getting stir-crazy. So I didn’t take any type of, “oh, I’m upset about something or I’m moody” or whatever… I didn’t take it personally. I was like, “I understand your life has been thrown off-kilter, mine has as well so we’re both going to be a little snippy sometimes.” And just understanding that and working together to get past that and not taking stuff personally.

Like you said, you guys live different lives. What did you learn about each other and how you process things going through each other’s sections of the book?

Desus: I mean it was kind of stream of consciousness so it really felt like just talking to Mero or just a conversation.

You went back and forth or was it you did a section and then he had his section?

Desus: It was weird.

Mero: It was a list of self-help questions.

Desus: They just meshed together because we’ve worked together so much that it’s just kind of… We know each other’s vibes and we already know what it was. Other authors would have had to be in the room together so there’s some continuity. And we didn’t have to do that.

Mero: We worked in a Google doc.

Desus: I mean I don’t want to brag but the last time two different authors were able to get together and make a comprehensive book, it’s a little thing called the Bible. So that’s where we’re at. That’s where we’re at, right there. And that was 66 books, you know what I’m saying? We got one.

Mero: We got one so we got 65 more to go.

Desus: So I’m not saying but I’m saying, you know what I’m saying here, all right?

Hey, listen, I read 60 pages of your book and I want to keep going. I read 60 pages of the other book and…

Mero: You were like, “yo, where are we going here? What’s this sheep thing? What’s going on?”

Desus: Yeah, there’s plot holes, they’re talking to a lion in a pit, we don’t got nothing in our book like that.

What was the legal review like for this? The drug section was interesting, getting the allegedly-s in.

Desus: That email was hilarious because there’s so many things that had to be redacted from the book. And then just the emails where they were just like, “I don’t even know if this is a crime” or “what is this?”

Mero: What’s the statute of limitations?

I want to ask you guys a basketball question real quick. Giannis and the whole IG unfollow spree. As a Knicks fan, does that just get your hope up that this means he might be leaving the Bucks?

Mero: Yes and no. We are lifelong Knicks fans so we’re going to hope, right? But that’s also like hoping that Batman is real, you know what I mean? We know it’s not going to happen but we’re going to pretend it’s going to happen because we’re riding that Knicks cocaine high that you ride every off-season as a Knicks fan. And then when the season actually starts and you’re… Last season was a perfect example, it was supposed to be Zion, KD, and Kyrie. We ended up with Julius Randle who has a spin move that never works. So…

Desus: Yeah. You know what? Being a Knicks fan… This might not be the right comparison. I feel like being a Knicks fan is like being the father of an ugly child, you love this kid and you will do anything in your power for this kid. But every now and then you walk to the park and you’re like, god damn, it’s not going to get better.

I grew up as a Yankees fan but I switched to the Orioles a few years ago. And it’s so different because you go from that mentality of watching every other team and being like, “in a few years, we’re gonna get him” to basically like, “oh, he’s leaving? Oh, HE’s leaving? Oh, he got traded?” I do miss that New York sensibility. I’m a Bulls fan too, so I still get that a little.

Desus: Well, what’s super weird is as Yankee fans, the Yankees have been kind of floundering lately and I’m just like, all right, season’s done. Forget it. Because if it’s not a World Series, why are we even doing this? I don’t care if they make the playoffs. And my other friends go, “Wow, you Yankee fans are jerks,” and I was like, “And proudly so, Sir. Proudly, sir.”

Mero: Yeah. You got people in the mentions like, “I’m a Pirates fan! I don’t even know what success is like! You guys go to the ALCS every year!”

Desus: I’m like, “Oh, Pirates fan? You have it rough? We haven’t been in the World Series since ’09!” They’re like, “No, you don’t even understand what you just said.” I was like, “’09! That was a long time ago.”

Mero: They’re like, “Sir, please. We haven’t won since 1922.”

But the Knicks balance it out.

Desus: Exactly. Imagine us if the Knicks won four championships in a row, you understand? We would not be able to be on Zoom because our heads would be so swollen. “Hey Mero, hey Mero. I’m Patrick Ewing, four rings!”

Mero: Yeah! You know that picture of Jordan where he’s with the rings [and his hand is] on his face? We would do that. That would be every cover for everything that we ever do.

Desus: Yo, every time we’d have an interview we’d stop to talk about the greatness of the greatest shooting guard ever in the history of basketball, John Starks. You want that? You want that? Huh?

I really don’t want that.

Desus: You want us to do a 10 minute retrospective about Derek Harper? Nah, you guys don’t want this. You guys don’t want that.

Again, I grew up as a Bulls fan living in Jersey so that era the mid-’90s with Starks and Greg Anthony and all those guys… Charles Smith.

Desus: That was one of the few times we saw real basketball as Knicks fans.

It was fun, but man, if you guys won even a playoff game, it was insufferable.

Mero: Bro.

I got into a fight once on the Circle Line, me and a bunch of kids in Bulls Jerseys throwing garbage at a bunch of kids in Knicks jerseys.

Desus: I love it. I love that. Yes.

Mero: We need that energy.

Desus: We don’t have that energy anymore. Now you leave Madison Square Garden, you think you’re leaving a funeral. People get in their Ubers and you just hear soft weeping, it’s just sad.

‘God-Level Knowledge Darts’ is out September 22. You can get your copy here and below you can check out an audio chapter preview from the book’s section on relationships –courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio — narrated by the authors.

After blowing the doors off of the Nuggets in Game 1, the Lakers looked to be headed for another breezy win as they took a 16-point lead in the third quarter against Denver in Game 2, but as the Nuggets proved multiple times against the Clippers, they will fight and claw to the end.

Denver would climb back to take a brief lead in the fourth quarter, but unlike the Clippers, the Lakers were able to respond and gut out a win behind some incredible shot-making and timely defense. As such, the series now shifts to must-win mode for the Nuggets in Game 3 to avoid a 3-0 deficit to L.A., and looking ahead to that tilt on Tuesday, here are our takeaways from Game 2.

1. Anthony Davis Bailed Out LeBron

This isn’t to bury LeBron, who was sensational early in the game, scoring 20 points in the first half, but the Hall of Famer struggled in the second half with just six points and some rough turnovers (six total in the game) that allowed Denver to stay in the game. Davis was quiet in the first half, but had 22 points in the second half, including the game-winning three at the buzzer to deliver the Lakers a Game 2 win and a 2-0 series lead.

That effort included the final 10 points of the game for the Lakers, all of which they needed to get a win as Nikola Jokic gave the same type of Herculean performance for the Nuggets.

It was maybe the one question people had of Davis — whether he could take the reins of a contender late and will them to victories — and he answered that emphatically in Game 2. It’s also exactly what James needs from a star partner, because there are going to be nights where he doesn’t have it to take over offensively, and Davis giving them that lift when LeBron couldn’t was the difference in Game 2. It’s not a knock on James in anyway, as that’s the case for any star in the league, but it’s more an affirmation of why Davis was the right guy for the Lakers to pair with LeBron.

2. Nikola Jokic Is A Big Game Player

Jamal Murray was the initial catalyst for the Denver comeback, but he started to run out of hero ball gas in the fourth quarter. As such, he turned things over to Nikola Jokic who was sensational in scoring the final 12 points of the game for Denver.

Jokic, over the past two years, has cemented himself as a tremendous big game player. He’s hit big shots, carried the Nuggets at times when they needed him two, and has shown up in just about every big game, with Game 2 being no different. He finished with 30 points, nine assists, and six rebounds in the 105-103 loss, but what he did offensively down the stretch showed his incredible versatility and his savant-like understanding of where to be and how to make a play at all times — as evidenced by his ridiculous tip-in of a blocked Murray three.

He hit threes, he had the tip-in, he hit that hook over Anthony Davis in the post that made the runner-up for the DPOY look like he had no effect. It was a sensational performance but one that saw Denver come up just short, and that has to be disheartening. At the same time, this is a Nuggets team that seems completely unfazed by what would normally be gutting losses. They get blown out and bounce back immediately. They lose a heartbreaker and do the same. I don’t expect anything different in Game 3, but this time they just might not have enough to overcome this 2-0 deficit.

3. The Lakers Have Some Tweaks To Make

The second half provided a lot of good film for Denver and I expect them to try and attack some things the Lakers gave them more in Game 3, which means the Lakers have a few tweaks to make. For one, they were way too willing to switch guards onto Nikola Jokic off the ball, which provides the star big man with an advantage he almost always wins against. When Alex Caruso or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Danny Green or whatever guard it was switched onto the big fella, the Lakers were in deep trouble. Sending the double at Jokic, the best passing big in the NBA (and maybe ever), leads to him finding the open man 10 times out of 10. Leaving him one-on-one is almost always a basket or a trip to the free throw line (or both). As such, the Lakers can’t be so quick to give Denver those switches when Jokic sets a screen off the ball, and I’d expect that to be a talking point for Frank Vogel ahead of Game 3.

On the other end, they were spectacular getting inside early in the game, but settled for a lot of jump shots late and struggled to get it going. Davis, of course, found his rhythm down the stretch and got them the win, but Denver did a good job of being active and showing bodies defensively, James, particularly, struggled late to get to the rim for easy baskets and fouls.

Finally, the Lakers probably need to find a few more minutes for Dwight Howard when Jokic is on the floor. It’s a difficult balance because Howard does have a tendency to be overly aggressive and pick up fouls (he had five in 13 minutes on Sunday), but he’s by far the most effective Jokic defender they have. He has to find the fine line between bringing that energy and aggression and picking up dumb fouls by trying to bully Jokic, but getting him up closer to 18 to 20 minutes would be ideal and some of that is up to Dwight not to get dinged with bad fouls.

The good news for L.A. is they managed to win a “bad” LeBron game — again, he had 26/11/4, this is all relative to the insane bar he has for himself. I don’t expect that to happen again, but the Nuggets did frustrate Kawhi Leonard in the last series into a lot more inefficient nights offensively than we’re accustomed to so they do have a good strategy for opposing star wings. The difference is this L.A. team has Anthony Davis, and while they have some adjustments to make to clean some things up from the second half, if their stars show up, they always have the advantage.

It’s been a rough year, and though the Emmy Awards are largely about escapism, there’s one annual segment that always brings us back to reality: the In Memoriam montage. We’ve lost more people than usual this year, with a pandemic that has no end in sight, some of whom made long-lasting impressions on television history. This year’s montage began with someone whose death is both very recent and which may alter the course of the future.

Host Jimmy Kimmel began with a brief tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Supreme Court justice who passed away on Friday at the age of 87. From there, Kimmel introduced singer H.E.R., who played a stirring cover of the Prince-written “Nothing Compares 2 U,” made popular by Sinead O’Connor. And from there, we were reminded of all the members of the industry that have left us since last year’s ceremony.

There were TV idols, like Regis Philbin, James Lipton, Jerry Stiller, Jim Lehrer, Robert Conrad, Bill Macy, Rip Taylor, and Caroll Spinney, the Sesame Street puppeteer who voiced Big Bird. There were performers who performed in both film and television, like Shirley Knight, Robert Foster, Brian Dennehy, Fred Willard, René Auberjonois, Buck Henry, Wilford Brimley, Diana Rigg, and Carl Reiner. There were movie stars who occasionally dipped their toes in television, like Max Von Sydow, Ian Holm, and Kirk Douglas. And there were those who largely worked behind the scenes, among them songwriter Adam Schlesinger, of Crazy Ex Girlfriend and That Thing You Do!, and filmmaker Lynn Shelton.

The montage even saved the final spot for a movie star: Chadwick Boseman, whose untimely death in early September sent shockwaves across the industry. They, and more, will all be missed dearly.

The comedic side of this year’s Emmys has been dominated by Schitt’s Creek, which won seven awards (including the acting categories and Outstanding Comedy Series) in a sweep. Many feel that this domination was well deserved, but it left fans of one show feeling rightfully conflicted. The series in question, The Good Place, also ended this year, so it would have been the best time for the beloved show to end an Emmy-less streak. This year, The Good Place was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, Lead Actor (Ted Danson), Supporting Actor (William Jackson Harper), and Supporting Actress (D’Arcy Carden), aaaand it took home… none of those awards.

In other words, the surreal sight that Ramy Yousef claimed to see may have been quadrupled for a show that brought great joy to many, and its fans aren’t having it. Sure, some of them are also quite happy for Schitt’s Creek, but they simply cannot understand why such an acclaimed and embraced series can walk away with zero Emmys. It’s sad! Maybe we really are in “The Bad Place”?

This night isn’t over yet, and we’ve still got the drama awards to cause more, well, drama. Check out the rest of our Emmy’s coverage here, and enjoy the evening.

The Denver Nuggets, as they’ve done so many times in these playoffs, managed to erase a 16-point Laker lead in the second half of Game 2 to come mere seconds away from evening the series at 1-1.

To get there, they followed the lead of Nikola Jokic who was a monster down the stretch, hitting just about everything including this running hook shot over Anthony Davis to give Denver a 103-102 lead late.

The Lakers would get a wide open Alex Caruso three-pointer that fell woefully short on the ensuing possession, but they got an offensive rebound and after Jamal Murray blocked a shot out of bounds, had 2.1 seconds to find a game-winner. The play they drew up sent the ball to Anthony Davis, who had carried them in the fourth quarter, and the big man hit a tough fading three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to rip the hearts out of the Nuggets.

It’s a sensational shot from Davis, who was able to get enough space off a LeBron James screen on Jerami Grant, who didn’t hear the switch call coming from Mason Plumlee. Nikola Jokic gave a good effort to challenge the shot, but it was just a hair too late and Davis got his shot off clean and found the bottom of the net.

Davis finished the game with 31 points on 11-of-24 shooting, hitting two of his four three-point attempts including that one at the buzzer. Nikola Jokic’s 30 points, nine assists, and six rebounds kept Denver close, with Jamal Murray dropping 25 of his own, but in the end the Lakers emerged on top and now have firm control of the Western Conference Finals.

Last Week Tonight won its fifth consecutive Best Variety Talk Series award at tonight’s Emmys, and host John Oliver pulled out the stops in the wardrobe department. Oliver exuded a nice blend of “virtual ceremony appropriate” and “awards ceremony” attire by staying casual-yet-formal in a plush-looking red hoodie. The results may make up for him neglecting to thank the object of his obsession, Adam Driver (who the host has described as both a “f*ckable redwood” and a “big unwashed buffalo”), during his short winner’s speech. The details often slip by during big moments, but he looked great.

Actually, the British comedian was keeping it real with a Liverpool F.C. sweatshirt, as fellow fans were quick to celebrate on Twitter. The confetti also provided a nice, festive touch in a time when we can sorely use some levity.

Oliver actually kept his speech pretty tame, by his own standards. He kept it light, as people need to hear at an awards ceremony, and didn’t skewer anything. He did fervently hope (as we all do) that he can get back to speaking to a live audience as soon as possible. And since Oliver will definitely be on the air (unless the Earth explodes, which it might) for several years to come, that time will happen, sooner or later.

The Emmys may have started with a literal garbage fire, but things went extremely well for one group: the cast and creators of Schitt’s Creek. The beloved comedy bid farewell to the world by walking away with nine Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series and all four main actors. (Dan Levy himself also won for writing and directing, making so many speeches he eventually started apologizing.) Good for Schitt’s Creek! And bad for all the people at non-Schitt’s Creek shows who lost those coveted awards.

One of them was Ramy Youssef, star and co-creator of Hulu’s Ramy, who started 2020 by winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. He was also Emmy-nominated for actor and director, both of which he lost to Eugene Levy’s son. It’s a bad break, but he had a fun way of responding, showing the surreal thing that happens when you lose.

So…is that real? It was revealed earlier in the show that people are there with Emmy statues to give the winners in person (with hazmat suits). But it seems that the winners are such a secret that people are sent to every nominee, just in case? We guess? If that’s the case, then that’s a bizarre job, and it’s kind of cruel to the losing nominees. Of course, if that’s so, there are worse things going on right now than not winning an Emmy.

Among the upcoming Marvel shows coming to Disney+, including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and She-Hulk (starring Tatiana Maslany), the most intriguing title is WandaVision. It’s a superhero show, starring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as Vision (and A Serious Man icon Fred “Sy Ableman” Melamed), but it’s also a ’50-style black-and-white sitcom. Think: the Marvel Cinematic Universe meets The Honeymooners meets Pleasantville. I have no idea what this show is, and I can’t wait.

“I don’t think that myself or Lizzie have ever been more surprised when [Marvel chief Kevin Feige] pitched the idea to us,” Bettany said about WandaVision. “He pitched this idea for a sort of six-hour movie that I would never [have thought of]… which is why he is the one earning the really big bucks. It’s so avant garde, and weird, and messed up, and then moves seamlessly into more familiar territory. But the place where it starts is so odd.” Also, Fred Melamed. Never forget about Fred (and Kitty from That ’70s Show).

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

The series is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision—two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

Watch the first trailer above. WandaVision premieres later this year.