Oscar Night Reactions: Part 2
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 8:00PM If you missed part one, click HERE.
Some of the Team Experience writers were almost as happy for Amy Madigan's win as Ed Harris.
For the second half of our Team Reaction blurbs from the 98th Academy Awards, we asked Team Experience about the moments that perplexed them, broke their hearts, and brought them joy... and if there's any last thing about awards season anyone would like to get off your chest.
It's all after the jump...
WHO WERE YOU SADDEST FOR ABOUT THEIR LOSS?
Cláudio Alves: Every other nominee in Best International Film, whose victories would've all felt more meaningful than Sentimental Value's, even if I appreciate that Trier got to hold an Oscar and delivered some of my favorite words of action from the winners during his backstage interview. It never feels great when the nominee I like the least from the Oscar lineup wins gold, especially when their competition includes my pick for actual Best Picture from the eligible titles.
Juan Carlos: The Secret Agent not winning anything. Come on, Brazil deserved to win back-to-back with that film, especially over the film that eventually won.
Eric Blume: Wagner Moura. His performance is superior, and his win would better stand the test of time.
Nick Taylor: Delroy Lindo, because he’s excellent in Sinners and he’s deserved his moment in the sun several times already. I still wish he’d been nominated for Da 5 Bloods. Penn’s great in One Battle, but he didn’t need a third Oscar! I’d have been just as psyched to see Benicio or Stellan win, but I was really hoping Lindo could pull it out at the last second. Also, super bummed The Secret Agent went home empty handed.
Lynn Lee: Delroy Lindo, only because he would've been so much more appreciative - and deserving - of a Best Supporting Actor win than the absent Sean Penn. (Same for Stellan Skarsgård, with the asterisk that he shouldn't have been in that category in the first place.)
Nathaniel R: My heart cracked a little when Renate squeezed Stellan's arm to console him when he lost. This was the time if there was ever going to be the time, you know?
Eurocheese: Honestly, if Sean Penn isn't going to play the game, give the award to someone who cares. Even if the performance was worthy, any of the other four would have been more fun and also deserving.
Abe Friedtanzer: Stellan. Sean Penn didn't even show up and already has two trophies. Would have been a nice career moment for him.
WHICH SINGLE MOMENT GAVE YOU THE MOST JOY ON OSCAR NIGHT?
Nick Taylor: Winning a trivia contest at the Oscar party I attended and collecting a bag of Marty Supreme ping pong balls for my cats to play with. They’ve ignored the balls so far, but maybe we’ll see some interest by the time you’re reading this.
Lynn Lee: Michael B. Jordan winning best actor - even though he wouldn't be my pick of the (stacked - pun intended) lineup, it just felt so good and cathartic to hear his name announced and see his own joy and gratitude in his acceptance speech. It also felt like a win for Sinners, knowing Sinners wasn't going to get the big one.
Abe Friedtanzer: Michael B. Jordan winning! I really didn't think it was happen but what a well-deserved delight. I would have given him a prize earlier in his career for Fruitvale Station, but he's so excellent (twice) in this too.
Cláudio Alves: Ryan Coogler with Autumn Durald Arkapaw's kid during her acceptance speech. I love how tight and loving the whole Sinners team has been throughout the season. Even when I wasn't in agreement with their wins, it was always impossible to feel resentment or any sort of negative feeling for their success. Happy for all those guys.
Juan Carlos: Amy Madigan winning, against all odds. Just based on pure passion. (Shout-out to the extended noise every time documentaries are mentioned. Long live doc filmmakers!)
Eric Blume: Amy Madigan's win. I would have voted for Inga, but it was so thrilling to see a character actress who has worked continuously under the radar win something this big. And it's such a splendid performance, so weird, such a big swing. And fun to see a spread of wealth to a movie not nominated elsewhere...we need more of that!
Nathaniel: Runner up moment: Finally seeing Joachim Trier holding an Oscar. I love him and his filmography so much. Skål! But the peak of the evening was the very end. My heart exploded just like the fireworks behind Christian & Satine --- the Moulin Rouge! reunion which I've been suggesting and dreaming of for so long was pure heaven. And they both looked sensational. Plus the honor of presenting "Best Picture".... AND THEY SANG ?!?! The moment kept getting better (and the right film won, too).
Eurocheese: The In Memorium section really getting its due in a way it rarely does. Babs, McAdams, Crystal... really beautiful, and how we should honor our greats.
WHAT WAS THE MOST SHOCKING MOMENT OR PERPLEXING THING THAT HAPPENED ON OSCAR NIGHT?
Juan Carlos: Cutting off the Original Song winners. We get it, non-acting winners (esp when they’re not White) are easier to cut off than the big stars rambling. The Oscars don’t have to remind us that they value some categories more than the others.
Eric Blume: The most shocking moment was discovering that Sam A. Davis, the director of The Singers, is drop-dead gorgeous.
Eurocheese: I never bought Amy Madigan all season. She gave great speeches and enjoyed the ride, but I still don't get it. *shrug*
Nathaniel R: Apart from the tie, I was most "flummoxed" to use Amy Madigan's words, that there were so few shocks. I definitely expected a more volatile evening of surprises given how chaotic the season had been.
Cláudio Alves: C'mon, it's got to be the tie. Especially a tie that resulted in the two best nominees winning, a rare occasion on its own, but even rarer when one considers the category we're talking about is the land of mirthless mediocrity called Best Live-Action Short Film.
Nick Taylor: The TIE, god damn! Also, I didn’t know Andy Jurgenson is gay???! Good for him!
Abe Friedtanzer: The tie! Especially between two shorts that have so little in common.
Lynn Lee: Orchestra playing off the KPop Demon Hunters Best Song winners was fucking disrespectful. Maybe the orchestra was mad that "I Lied to You" didn't win? [Continued in the next question]
GET ONE LAST THING OFF YOUR CHEST ABOUT AWARD SEASON. GO!
Lynn Lee: I am a KPop Demon Hunters fan, but those live performances just triple-underscored that "I Lied to You" should have won best song.
Abe Friedtanzer: I'll never understand how The Testament of Ann Lee couldn't get a single nomination, let alone all the technical categories.
Nathaniel R: One thing? I know I asked these questions but there's so many. One Battle After Another winning Best Casting leads me to believe that Chase Infiniti was super close to securing a spot in the Best Actress shortlist. I'm sad that excellent mainstream entertainments like Roofman can't get arrested (if they don't scream IMPORTANT CINEMA).
And supposedly the Oscars are now requiring that you see all the nominees in a category before voting. I don't believe for a single second that most of the voters are doing this. Or that the Academy is policing the policy.
Juan Carlos: Hamnet and The Secret Agent deserved more, but whatever. It Was Just an Accident deserved more noms. And with what’s happening in the world, the way this ceremony (and the awards season) felt largely apolitical felt out of touch. It’s as if everyone’s just avoiding it (save the team behind The Secret Agent). Weird shit.
Eric Blume: The season is just way, way, way too long. Everything should be wrapped by mid-February. Film releases should reflect that so everyone can see them by then. That extra month of Oscar prognostication always turns so ugly and weird.
Eurocheese: Shorter seasons in the future, please!
Cláudio Alves: May all precedents be broken, all genres bias left behind, and may American actors voting for awards learn to watch movies with subtitles someday.
Nick Taylor: I’ve never watched a movie. It’s all just to meet guys.
Mic drop. Your turn in the comments!
Reader Comments (1)
Saddest: in this year, with so many acting categories unlocked (which i love), I can't help feel sad for Teyana, Wunmi, Stellan, Delroy and Timmy, who all must have known they had a reasonable shot. I just want everyone to win, so sue me.
Joy: Michael B. Jordan brought me joy, and so did Andy Jurgensen kissing his date. And the shout-out to Canada and the NFB.
Shock: nothing shocks me.
One last thing: I honestly think this was the best batch of nominees and winners (even if they weren't my top picks) in all my 34 years of oscar watching. Hope its the start of a trend!