Olympic Opening Ceremony 2016: Top Moments, Celebrities and More from Rio

For the better part of the lead-up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the prevailing narrative was disaster.

Infrastructures weren't ready, dangerous bacteria was poisoning the water, and the Zika virus left some athletes thinking they'd be better off at home.

On Friday night, all those fears subsided. For now.

The 2016 Summer Olympics officially kicked off in a sprawling ceremony that pushed the five-hour mark, with nary a sign of scandal to be found. In fact, it looked a whole lot like your standard Olympic affair.

There was a confluence of celebrities, elegant performances and an introduction to the multicultural traditions that make the Olympics great. While Brazil soccer legend Pele proved too ill to light the Olympic torch, festivities got underway in Rio when decorated marathoner Vanderlei de Lima sparked the cauldron:

For the most part, the affair was as lush, colorful and raucous as you would expect. One by one, countries entered Maracana Stadium, waving flags, doing dances and wearing traditional garb from their native lands. Some countries chose a simple wave and walk. Tonga, on the other hand, decided to have the flag bearer go shirtless and bathe in oil before making his debut.

BBC Sport and others were all over the viral entrance:

We also got some sweet hair, courtesy of Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, as NBC Olympics showed: 

Andy Murray, Michael Phelps and Caroline Wozniacki also got their moments in the spotlight as flag bearers.

For Phelps, it's been a trying four years since the London Games.

The most decorated Olympian in history has retired, gone through rehab, been charged with a DUI, gone through depression, battled back and become a father.

"I think I was always just so focused and not really paying attention to anything before," Phelps said on NBC, "so I think really being able to just enjoy the Olympic experience here. You know, we obviously have a very diverse team of people from all over the world. It's pretty special that I'm a part of this team, and I'm leading them out."

Unfortunately, this suggestion from MTV's Hanif Abdurraqib did not come to fruition:

The opening ceremony also provided a special moment for the refugee Olympic team, which was led by Rose Nathike Lokonyen:

The refugee team consists of athletes who left war-torn countries in search of safety. There were 10 athletes chosen in total.

"We still are humans. We are not only refugees. We are like everyone in the world. We can do something. We can achieve something," swimmer Yusra Mardini said, per the Olympics' official website. "We didn't choose to leave our homelands. We didn't choose the name of refugees. … We promise again that we are going to do what it takes to inspire everyone."

The Olympics' Twitter account shared a view from inside the stadium as the athletes prepared for the opening ceremony:

The only tense moment came after the Parade of Nations, when interim Brazilian President Michel Temer formally opened the Games. Temer, who is acting as president in place of the impeached Dilma Rousseff, remains a controversial figure because he was the vice president in her allegedly corrupt regime.

Rousseff oversaw one of the biggest economic downturns in Brazil history and has been accused of widespread corruption. Brazilian citizens have also taken to the streets for multiple protests over the Olympics, which have cost billions of dollars as some are struggling to keep their homes.

Adam Stites of Yahoo Sports noted Temer was not introduced with IOC President Thomas Bach as expected, presumably to avoid an awkward situation. Those plans were thwarted, however, as fans loudly booed Temer when he formally opened the Games.

While that offered a slight window into the problems in Brazil, it was but for a brief moment. The crowd was back on its feet in awe with the Olympic torch lighting, and the 2016 Summer Games got underway without a major problem.