Trending badgeTrendingPosted 1 hour agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret Down12 Moments Of Jeff Hiller As Joel In "Somebody Somewhere" That Will Restore Your Faith In A Mad, Mad WorldWhat the world needs now, is Joel sweet Joel.by Jada GomezBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink Note: This article contains spoilers for every season of Somebody Somewhere. Last Sunday, Jeff Hiller took the Emmy win for Best Supporting Actor for his role on HBO's sweet sleeper hit, Somebody Somewhere, delighting devoted fans of the show and winning even more with his both hilarious and heartfelt acceptance speech. Myung J. Chun / Getty Images Hiller seemed as surprised and delighted by his first-ever Emmy nomination and win, and he brought that energy and excitement to the stage to accept his coveted golden statue. John Shearer / Getty Images "I feel like I'm gonna cry because for the past 25 years I've been like, world, I want to be an actor and the world's like, maybe computers,'" he said in his wholesome acceptance speech. Hiller thanked the creative team behind Somebody Somehere, who "wrote a show about connecting and love in this time when compassion is seen as a weakness." David Jon / Getty Images Bowen Yang's face was literally all of us, as the world fell in love with this pure soul in real time. And for us Somebody Somewhere devotees, it was glorious vindication for a series that finished a three-season run, and frankly, deserves many more seasons. 2025 Emmys / YouTube If you're new to the Somebody Somewhere fandom, and curious about watching the series: Welcome, we've been waiting for you, and this is definitely the good place. "Somebody Somewhere" / HBO Max Somebody Somewhere stars Bridget Everett (who's also an executive producer) as Sam Miller, a 40-something year-old woman who returns to Manhattan, Kansas - her conservative hometown - to care for her dying sister and aging parents. Along the way, she reconnects with her high school classmate Joel (who she doesn't even remember) at their dead-end job. "Somebody Somewhere" / HBO Max Thanks to Joel, who believes in optimism, goodness, friendship, and taking chances, Sam starts to shed her loner identity and embrace life's joys - she revives her love of singing thanks to Joel's "Choir Rehearsal" party nights - and challenges, like grief and strained family relationships. Sandy Morris / HBO But Joel is not just a queer trope to support a female lead. He is fully dimensional. Throughout the series, he searches for a church where he feels embraced as a gay Christian man and navigates romantic relationships. Sandy Morris / HBO In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Hiller shared how the opportunity of Joel was such a breath of fresh air. "It's always so embarrassing when actors talk about their characters in the third person, but I do feel like Joel makes you want to be a better person," he says. "He makes you want to have connection and community, and I'm taking that with me - not like I was anti-­connection before." Sandy Morris / HBO If you're new to Somebody Somewhere and thinking about giving it a weekend test drive, or just a fan in need of a good Joel fix, here are 12 of the most joyful Joel-fueled moments of the series. Marian Wyse / HBO 1. First rule of Somebody Somewhere, you've got to get in those steps. Marian Wyse / HBO Joel is one determined daily stepper and will get his steps in wherever, whether through a sweaty Zumba session or even just a quick bop around the house to hit his goal. And there's a real-life reason Joel and Sam picked up on a daily step routine. In his memoir Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success, Hiller says the cast and crew started getting in their steps during the height of the pandemic in 2020, as a way to get some movement and get together safely outdoors. 2. Joel's intense Zumba session enforces personal boundaries and self-worth. "Somebody Somewhere" / HBO In season one, episode 2, Sam starts to pull away from her budding friendship with Joel due to her vulnerability issues. After trying to crush Joel's dreams about his future in Kansas, she comes to his place to apologize. But Joel, in the middle of a sweaty Zumba session, prioritizes his needs first, and is very clear with Sam that she crossed a line. In true Joel fashion, he's forgiving, but in this scene, it's clear that even though he has a forgiving heart, he's no pushover. 3. Joel and Sam talk dream weddings and shake boobies to "Gloria." HBO / TikTok / Via tiktok.com There are some incredibly fun car scenes with Joel and Sam (including a car chase, which we will get to!). In season 2, episode 5, Joel shares that he always wanted to fly in the '80s icon Laura Branigan to sing her hit "Gloria" at his wedding. "But now I don't need Gloria. I've got you," Joel says. Sam breaks out into "Gloria," which kicks off a fun, energetic, boobie-shaking karaoke car moment. Let's just say "Gloria" is now one of the mainstays on my Most Recently Pla