Its always a little bittersweet whenever you tout the Emmys for a notable first (i.e. first Black actor to win X award or the first female-led series to win X major award). Because as nice as it is, its also incredibly embarrassing that the bar is so low. Because the pleasant shock is almost always followed by a valid question along the lines of: What the hell took so long?

That came to mind yet again Monday night when Sheryl Lee Ralph and Jennifer Coolidge , inarguable screen and stage legends, won their first ever Emmys for their indelible roles in Abbott Elementary and The White Lotus , respectively. They landed their only nominations after decades in the Hollywood game just two months ago.

Even they recognized the sheer shock of it all when they got on stage. Ralph immediately, and flawlessly, belted out lyrics of Dianne Reeves Endangered Species. And Coolidge, defying the scant time for acceptance speeches, began dancing along to the get-off-the-stage music they were playing. Because, even as she put it, this has been a long time coming.