I owe an apology. I’ve been saying for weeks how boring and predictable year-end awards have become, how watching the Oscars is not worth it any more.

I WAS WRONG.

Who knew that the unveiling of the Best Picture winner would pack every bit as much tension and drama as the nine nominees (more than some of them, you know who you are).

And so, after the dust cleared, it was “Moonlight,” triumphing in the most bizarre and memorable way possible.

Perhaps it had to be this way. It feels like a final exorcism of ghosts of Oscars past. In 2006, a film about the people of Los Angeles (“Crash”) beat a much better film about gay men (“Brokeback Mountain”) in a huge upset. Just two years ago, a stylized showbiz drama (“Birdman”) upended an experimental narrative about coming of age (“Boyhood”). They’ve been avenged, if only just a bit.

If you did not watch the show all the way to the end and have not seen clips online, do so now. It’s worth it. But I’ll sum it up anyway.

To honor the 50th anniversary of “Bonnie and Clyde,” Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty presented the Best Picture award. After opening the envelope, Beatty hesitated and showed it to Dunaway, who hollered “La La Land.”

Millions of television sets turned off and the musical’s producers began acceptance speeches. But wait. There’s commotion on stage. Assistants are scampering around in the background. Emma Stone’s lips can be read repeating, “Oh my God.” Then, someone grabbed the microphone and said, “We lost, by the way.” Video of Dunaway and Beatty’s exchange has already been dissected like the Zapruder film. The envelope clearly says “Actress in a Leading Role,” and Beatty’s lips can be read wondering why the card was inscribed “Emma Stone – La La Land.” Someone handed him the spare actress envelope.

Let’s just say it was the worst ending for them since the actual ending of “Bonnie and Clyde.”

This whole episode really throws a wrench into the mystique of Oscar secrecy. If no one knows the winners, how’d they correct it so quickly? Could similar mistakes have happened in the past without having been corrected?

I’ll try to move on for one second. Other than the conclusion everyone will be talking about, most of the awards went according to their normal predictability, and the show was very strong compared to past years. Stars telling us about the movies they loved brought attention to the movie magic the night is about, and a heartier in memoriam than usual packed an emotional punch.

The Academy Awards are supposed to generate a conversation about the magic of movies by honoring the best the year had to offer and reflecting on milestones from years past.

That’s how you wind up with the stars of “Bonnie and Clyde” kinda sorta passing the torch to Barry Jenkins and the “Moonlight” team. Unfortunately the conversation is not about the movies as much as it’s about how Price Waterhouse Coopers messed up its one job.

As long as this means young people years from now skimming old Oscar results for films to feed their budding cinephilia will find “Manchester by the Sea,” “La La Land” and “Moonlight,” that’s fine by me. And if you want to have a conversation about the films, I’d be happy to join.