What was with that weird Oscar ending?

The 93rd once-a-year Academy Awards were normally going to be a little bit surreal this yr.

The pandemic adjusted lots of of the standard rhythms and traditions of the Oscars on Sunday night time. There was a glamour-filled purple carpet but no onlookers or groups of publicists. There had been in-man or woman, mask-a lot less winners but not in the common purchase, and the speeches were being in no way drowned out with enjoy-off audio.

Compounding the differences this calendar year was a telecast, steered by producers Steven Soderbergh, Jesse Collins and Stacy Sher, that wanted a new appear and experience to an usually stodgy, persistently unchanging ceremony.

But what was with that ending? How staged was Glenn Close’s dance? And exactly where, oh where by, was the participate in-off audio? Here is my very best test to solution some of the evenings befuddlements.

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THE ENDING — WHY?

The Oscars have acknowledged much more extraordinary and much more shambolic endings (“Envelopegate” was a mere 4 many years in the past) but this may possibly have established a new bar for anti-climactic. You would swear anyone even performed a unhappy trombone.

Going into Sunday, the show’s producers had said they desired to choose “some big swings” in the telecast. 1 turned out to be switching the typical awards purchase. Best director, normally one of the closing awards, was handed out mid-present. Best image was third-to-last and the night’s last two awards were ideal actress and best actor. Presumably, the contemplating was that greatest actor would go to Chadwick Boseman (he gained practically just about every very best-actor trophy primary up to the Oscars), and as a result stop the ceremony on a significant take note of tribute.

But there had been hints of an upset. Two months before, Anthony Hopkins gained at the BAFTAs, an award he was also absent for — although the exhibit managed to keep track of him down in his indigenous Wales to talk to the BAFTA push. The Oscars experienced pressed nominees to go to, if possible, or be part of from a remote location. But the 83-year-outdated Hopkins ( who became the oldest actor to earn an Oscar, his 2nd ) elected not to journey to Los Angeles or the hub in London. Knighted residing legends who adore the Welsh countryside get to do that. Only the upcoming early morning did Sir Anthony, with a bucolic vista driving him, article an Instagram movie of many thanks, and a few phrases on the late Boseman. “At 83 many years of age, I did not count on to get his award, I actually failed to,” he claimed.

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