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The Studio heads to the Golden Globes (and Matt's ego crashes and burns)

This guy is obsessed with being thanked by Zoë Kravitz.

By Brian Tallerico  |  May 7, 2025 | 3:00am
Photo: Apple TV+
TV Reviews The Studio
The Studio heads to the Golden Globes (and Matt's ego crashes and burns)
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There have been shows that dabbled in industry jargon and insider references like Entourage, The Franchise, and even Hacks. But nothing compares to the eighth episode of The Studio, a chapter of television so dense with nods to the industry and its power players that it’s hard to catch them all. It’s an installment that further defines Seth Rogen’s Matt Remick as a true Hollywood creature: someone who knows what to say in public even though he feels completely differently in private. In this first season, the writers of The Studio have shifted so many of the narratives around the industry, but one of the most fascinating has been to watch how they portray executives as performers themselves, people who know how to sell a character to an agent, director, or performer to get what they need. Matt Remick may say one thing to the press, but he truly believes that he’s as much of an artist as Zoë Kravitz, and no one, especially not Ted Sarandos, is going to convince him otherwise.

Knowing about the troubled history and often-tarnished reputation of the Golden Globes helps a great deal when it comes to unpacking this episode. Portrayed on television as Hollywood’s greatest party—it’s known for having a free-flowing presence of alcohol through the evening that has led to some memorable moments—it’s also faced some criticism for blurring the line between appreciating art and merely rewarding those who play the game. In 2011, the widely-panned The Tourist was nominated for Best Musical Or Comedy despite being neither, and it was revealed later that voters had been flown to Las Vegas by the distributor and treated to a Cher concert. On a more serious note, they were rocked by accusations of systemic racism in 2021, leading to NBC pulling the plug on broadcasting them. 

All of this context makes Matt’s behavior at the Golden Globes even sillier. “The Golden Globes” centers Mr. Remick’s obsession with being thanked by the presumptive winner Kravitz, whose film he spearheaded at Continental. It’s true that studio executives rarely get the credit for making Hollywood magic happen, but the real wit of this episode, other than the excellent pacing and non-stop cameos, is in how much it exposes a game in which people claim they don’t care about awards while also caring deeply about awards. Patty, who produced Zoë’s film and so will get a Globe herself, tells Matt that when she was the head of Continental that she would sob in her limo the entire ride home when she wasn’t thanked. It’s so pathetic, but also not hard to understand how people attracted to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood enough to be studio executives might want some recognition when one of their projects pays off.

Like a lot of The Studio, “The Golden Globes” takes place in a funhouse-mirror version of actual Hollywood. There’s Erin Moriarty and Antony Starr riffing on The Boys, and Paul W. Downs, Jen Statsky, and Jean Smart winning Globes has to be a nod to the award-show success of Hacks. But those references exist alongside imaginary projects like Quinta Brunson’s film with Alexander Payne or Jonathan Levine’s Best Picture nominee Dogs Are People Too. It’s a show that’s constantly weaving what people know about actual actors and directors into the fabric of its imaginary world. Could Adam Scott, Jean Smart, Quinta Brunson, and Zoë Kravitz be Golden Globe winners on one evening? Totally.

It also understands the overall tone of the Golden Globes, one that’s a little sillier than the Oscars. (Again, alcohol has been such a factor in the past that NBC used to practically advertise the show as “come watch celebrities get wasted.”) Ramy Youssef is excellent as a believable host (actually probably better than half of the recent ones) who latches onto a bit that fuels the night. In this case, it’s when Adam Scott thanks Sal Saperstein, whose couch he slept on when he moved to Hollywood. It leads to multiple winners thanking Sal, which only makes Matt’s concerns that Zoë won’t thank him more impossible to repress and gets funnier every time that Barinholtz’s character gets to revel in the spotlight. 

It’s also an episode that’s as inside baseball as this show has gotten to date with name drops of executives like Donna Langley at Universal and even a very funny appearance from Netflix head honcho Ted Sarandos, who jokes that the reason he gets thanked all the time is because he puts it in the contract that his talent has to do so (at least, I think that’s a joke). Sarandos gets a funny scene with Rogen wherein he implies that he understands that he’s just “a bean counter” and not a true artist, which Matt doesn’t get at all. As Ted implores, “Don’t say that in front of the real artists.”

Seeing the king of Netflix on an Apple show is itself a notable choice, as are nods to Prime Video’s The Boys and Max’s Hacks. There are companies out there who might not have been as willing to play nice with the competition. It’s hard to imagine WB’s David Zaslav wanting to promote something on Apple through one of his own shows, but, then again, he’s never remotely predictable. It does reflect how much the streaming industry has reshaped the competitive landscape. There was a time many years ago when you would never hear a reference to an ABC property on a CBS show, for example. At least the streamers recognize they’re all in this chaotic world together.

Which brings us back to Matt Remick, the man who still sulks in his limo even after his film wins Best Picture. Zoë Kravitz tried to thank him—although that likely had as much to do with the promised first-dollar gross deal on her next film as anything else—but was cut off by the orchestra. In the end, no one really noticed but Matt and his mom. 

At least Sal had a fun night. 

Stray observations

  • • These episodes move so quickly that it can be difficult to appreciate the acting being done in them, especially from the guest stars. Sarah Polley and Anthony Mackie were both great early in the season, and Zoë Kravitz gives them some competition as Best Guest Star this week, perfectly capturing someone who knows how to play the game of saying awards don’t matter in public but wanting them so badly in private. 
  • • Patty tells Zoë not “to go full Benigni,” a reference to one of the most famous thank you speeches of all time. Watch it.
  • • Wonder who was voicing Matt’s mom on the phone? Rhea Perlman, perfectly conveying one of the reasons Matt is so desperate to get attention: He doesn’t want to disappoint mommy.
  • • It’s hard to see all the influencers on the red carpet driving Matt and Patty crazy but you can’t miss Charli D’Amelio and Jessica Clements. It really is a new era. 

 
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