On our final Oscars podcast, we break down the Slap and everything overshadowed by it

History was made at the recent 94th Academy Awards: For the first time ever, a streaming service, Apple TV+, took home Best Picture. (CODA's earlier PGA Awards win over Netflix's The Power of the Dog almost guaranteed a streamer would arrive at the podium.) A woman won Best Director for the second year in a row. And an openly queer woman of color, Ariana DeBose, won, for Best Supporting Actress in West Side Story — a first.

But all of these achievements were lost to the discourse around the Slap. Was it ugly and bad for the show? Did it trigger complex emotions along issues of race and power? Was it all of those things and more? Yes, for certain. And until April 18 and a ruling by AMPAS's investigating body is finally announced, questions will swirl, likely after then as well.

We discuss what Will Smith's action means, both in a specific sense to the show, and in a wider context to his career and the general well-being of Hollywood. And to think that ABC's producers were going into these Oscars worried about saving time. It ended up being the longest show since 2018.

Listen to the full exchange on EW's The Awardist podcast below or available wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe for new episodes every Monday. Our season covered the road to the 2022 Oscars with in-depth analysis and interviews with Kenneth Branagh, Mike Mills, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Halle Berry, and more Oscar hopefuls.

Check out more from EW's The Awardist, featuring exclusive interviews, analysis, and our podcast diving into all the highlights from the year's best films.

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