November 11, 2017 – Tiffany Haddish / Taylor Swift (S43 E5)

You know how you go to your favorite bar, and your local bartender isn’t there? You ask, “Where’s Jeff?” “Jeff no longer works here, I’m Steve.” And you’re thinking, “Hey, who’s this idiot? I like Jeff.” But you still want your drink? And even though Steve doesn’t mix your drink the same way you’re used to, like Jeff, you still like the same bar, you don’t want to have to go to a different bar. And even Steve might feel kinda bad because Jeff trained him. Jeff showed him how to work the cash register, where the tonic was on the soda gun, who tips, who doesn’t. Well…I’m Steve. What can I get you? 

OK, real talk, welcome everybody to the new site. For those of you who don’t know, this site is an extension of Stooge’s wonderful and incredibly thorough One SNL A Day Project. Stooge has decided to ride off into the sunset as far as this project goes, but a dedicated community of SNL fanatics have decided to fulfill the promise of the project by taking the baton from Stooge and helping nudge this puppy toward the finish line.

I’m Carson. Some of you may know me from the One SNL A Day comment section as the guy who makes a lot of lists and quibbles about star ratings. Well, now it’s your turn to be annoyed with MY opinions. I’m honored to kick this project off with the inaugural review.

ROY MOORE VISITS MIKE PENCE
Mike Pence (BEB) & Jeff Sessions (KAM) ask Roy Moore (MID) to drop out

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— Ah yes, the Roy Moore controversy. Forgot about him thankfully.
— Mikey’s makeup is caked on pretty thick. He actually kind of looks like Rich Hall.
— Ooh, our first mention of the Louis CK controversy. Interesting that Stooge retired right before the #MeToo era kicked off as a cultural movement. Thanks for that one, Stooge (kidding, of course).
— Beck stumbles on his line about Louis, kind of lessening the impact of the joke.
— There’s your token Mike Pence conversion therapy joke. Wah-wah.
— As Kate emerges as Jeff Sessions, it strikes me as weird that Mikey’s Moore is being positioned as the straight man here.
— Ha, that “just kidding” line kinda tickled me.
— Kate’s closing monologue isn’t really working for me. She’s got a fun characterization, but it’s weird to play Sessions like the voice of reason.
— Ho-hum, SNL continues to flail away in the Trump era. This is a recording.
STARS: **

MONOLOGUE
not-yet-rich host vows to wear her $4,000 dress as much as possible

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— Prior to seeing this episode in 2017, I knew nothing about Tiffany Haddish. As I watch her hit her mark at homebase, I’m reminded of how struck I initially was by her energy. Before she says a word, she’s already won me over.
— You can immediately tell how second nature this setting is for Haddish. She’s a natural.
— Her story about growing up an SNL fan is charming. Usually I find these kinds of monologues a little cloying, but it’s funny to hear Haddish talk about trying to defend Dana Carvey’s comedic prowess to her fellow foster kids who were all In Living Color fans.
— The token Trump material is fine and fast.
— Haddish’s sexual harassment bit is pretty funny, but referring to the penis as a “thang-thang” is a little, uh…Martin Lawrence.
— Haddish’s rant about her dress is great.
— “People are always shocked when I say that (I’ve been married), like ‘Tiffany, you’ve been married?’ Yes, I’m a beautiful woman, ok?”
— The dance bit is completely out of left field, but it’s in keeping with Haddish’s indefatigable energy.
— Material-wise, this wasn’t anything special, but Haddish absolutely feels like a star here.
STARS: ****

BOO BOO JEFFRIES
(KET) is stuck with non-fighting avatar (host) during video game battle

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— Kenan seems oddly miscast in such a youthful, bro-y role.
— Mikey Day is weirdly adept at those unnatural video game character movements.
— Haddish is immediately hilarious as Boo Boo Jeffries.
— The “Rihanna! Rihanna!” and “Beyonce! Beyonce!” attack moves have been stuck in my head for years. So funny.
— “My biggest weakness is fighting.” HA!
— Haddish describing her introversion is gold. Haddish is killing it in this role.
— Haddish telegraphed Jeffries’ weird hand-waving fight stance in the monologue, it’s even sillier here in the fight sequences.
— I love it when Haddish does the “Rihanna” move in the fight.
— Great performance from Alex.
— “She hates group settings.” I love it when characters buy into the internal logic of the madness around them.
— I always saw Boo Boo Jeffries as an extension of the Kevin Roberts and David S. Pumpkins sketches. They all feel very similar in format. That said, I think I prefer this one thanks to Haddish’s absolutely hilarious performance. The audience ate it up too. A classic.
STARS: *****

LION KING AUDITIONS
screen tests show actors who didn’t make the live-action Lion King remake

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— Pretty boilerplate audition pre-tape, though I dig Cecily’s Lin-Manuel Miranda.
— OK, I do love Kenan’s LL Cool J.
— Pete is having fun as Eminem as he musters himself up for a freestyle. This is his first time playing Eminem and is about as good as it gets in regards to Pete’s Em obsession, in my opinion.
— Mikey does a great John Oliver.
— Heidi is bang-on as Kristen Schaal. Almost identical.
— Aidy as a man with a beard. Sit tight folks, it’s only going to get worse in three years.
— Of all the impressions they could have had Melissa do, they went with Celine Dion? What a waste.
— You know how these things go, there’s nothing on the paper, so they’re only as good as the snapshot impressions.
STARS: ***

THE DEMS ARE BACK
buoyed by election results, same old Democrats declare “We’re Back!”

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— Right off the bat, Alex’s Chuck Schumer is hilarious. Cecily’s Diane Feinstein too.
— Love that Tim Kaine is speaking grade school Spanish.
— Jason Sudeikis and last week’s host Larry David appear in pre-tapes. It’s a noticeable shift in energy. Also, while including Jason’s Joe Biden makes sense with the sketch’s premise, I’m not sure positioning Bernie Sanders as a “same old, same old” establishment Democrat helps the joke much at all.
— “We can’t just appeal to coastal elites. We need mouth breathers from Wisconsin.” “…And window lickers from Ohio.”
— Larry David addresses his monologue controversy from the week prior. It plays ok.
— Great stuff with Kate’s Hillary trying to position herself back into the electoral conversation.
— The ending tag with Leslie didn’t really work.
— Despite my quibbles with the sketch’s pacing and some of the writing decisions, this is a nice, pointed piece that largely achieves its goals. It could have been perfect, but there is enough here to really enjoy.
STARS: ****

KYLE & BECK
COJ conspires with BEB to split up KYM & LEJ at the SNL Masquerade Ball

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— These filmed Kyle and Beck pieces do such a great job of achieving the perfect tone.
— Great use of older Good Neighbor footage.
— I love the continuity with Kyle and Leslie’s kid.
— I love that stupid hat Colin is wearing.
— The perfect absurdist touch by SNL having a masquerade ball.
— Lorne’s little interview about why he likes the masquerade ball is so funny. I always forget how funny a comedic presence Lorne can be.
— Ha, Colin looks ridiculous in his “Kyle” get-up.
— I love that Kyle can’t distinguish between Beck and Leslie. The half-assedness of this “plan” really tickles me.
— “You’re getting so strong, Kyle, I like it.” “Well…I’m Kyle.”
— Love the punching sequence.
— Tiffany Haddish shows up out of nowhere. Her parts in the Lion King sketch just sort of flew by and she was completely absent from the DNC piece. Now she’s kind of an afterthought here. You would think that the show would have revolved around her a bit more.
— Tiffany does get a great line in telling Beck to hold her hair.
— The ending was a little weak.
STARS: ****½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “…Ready For It?”

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— Blue: I’m not too familiar with this “era” of Taylor Swift, so the bass-heavy beat really threw me off at first. That being said, it also grabbed my attention immediately.
— Taylor cuts an authoritative figure in her black outfit with the red lights flashing in the
background.
— Her backing singers are doing a great job.
— I like that sparkly gold mic she’s holding.
— Audience is loving the breakdown, and I have to say I’m digging it too.
— Choreography’s nothing special but it’s fun to watch.
— Taylor is good at selling the song’s story with her facial expressions.
— I really like the bridge (“Baby let the games begin…”).
— Don’t love the vocal effects on the a cappella pre-chorus.
— I wonder how much of the vocals on the repeat of the chorus are pre-recorded.
— Taylor looks like she’s having fun.
— Good energy and great presentation for song #1. I run hot and cold on Taylor Swift but I liked that more than I thought I would.
STARS: ****

WEEKEND UPDATE
frazzled NBC Human Resources rep (CES) gives COJ a sexual harassment quiz

CRR introduces host so she can again show off her $4,000 dress

delusional LaVar Ball (KET) talks up his sons & promotes Big Baller shoes

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— Love Che’s bit about Trump’s catty tweets, calling him “President Miss Thang.”
— The crowd wasn’t quite ready for Colin’s Louis CK joke.
— Cecily’s Claire From HR bit seems like an interesting way to get into the Me Too business.
— Colin: “Are you mad at me??” Cecily: “Yeah, I think I am, actually. It’s hard to explain.”
— The ending to this piece was a little…heavy-handed? Seemed to be reaching for some clapter, but only got halfway there.
— Ha, great little callback to Tiffany’s dress bit. Though Chris’ Coming To America homage is…odd.
— Colin gets in another one of his “Dad.” Jokes.
— Oh man, Che’s OJ joke…absolutely brutal. I love it.
— Kenan officially debuts his Lavar Ball impression, which had previously appeared in a Weekend Update Thursday special.
— The Lavar Ball piece is another breezy and fun, but ultimately forgettable, Kenan desk piece. No harm in that.
— Something strange happened when Kenan pulled out the sneakers. He took an extra couple beats before he started laughing. Wonder what happened.
STARS: ****

THE LAST BLACK UNICORN
last black unicorns (host) & (LEJ) foretell (AIB)’s unpleasant future

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— Apparently “The Last Black Unicorn” was the title of Tiffany’s book.
— Tiffany’s going all out with those unicorn noises.
— Decent-ish turn with the unicorn predicting an awful life for Aidy.
— There’s something vaguely stilted about this sketch.
— Leslie’s entrance didn’t add much for me.
— The punchlines are generally pretty whatever.
— Tepid ending.
STARS: **

GET WOKE WITH TAMIKA
show philosophy & format marked by confusion

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— I like what they’re going for here. There’s a real Brian Fellow/Lionel Osbourne vibe right off the top.
— The audience is a little hesitant.
— Leslie starts corpsing in the middle of her line, which disrupts her deadpan.
— Hilarious how Get Woke is sponsored by Breitbart.
— Damn, Leslie keeps fumbling. First she laughs again and then she drops her ear piece, which temporarily brings the sketch to a halt.
— Get Woke is also sponsored by Russia.
— There are great little details in Leslie’s dialogue, but the audience isn’t really picking up on it.
— Great fake out with the closing credits.
— I love what this sketch was going for, but I’m not sure Leslie is the right performer to push this one over the goal line. She has a lot of comedic skills, but deadpan isn’t really a part of her arsenal. The sketch is far funnier than what the audience was giving it (SNL audiences rarely pick up on subtlety), but there was a bit of a trainwreck energy to it that Leslie couldn’t undo.
STARS: ***

THE DOLPHIN WHO LEARNED TO SPEAK
The Dolphin Who Learned To Speak solicited handjobs from (AIB) & (KAM)

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— Aidy is named Dr. Mary Hartman in this sketch. Is that a Louise Lasser reference?
— It looks like a Kate and Aidy two-hander. It feels like a Kate and Aidy two-hander, but mercifully it’s not really a Kate and Aidy two-hander. Phew. I thought this was going to be a “Kate and Aidy are lesbians” thing, but what it actually ends up being is far funnier.
— Great reveal with Kate jerking off the dolphin so he could get back to focusing on their lessons.
— Apparently this sketch is a parody of this.
— “We would work a while, yank a while, work a while, yank a while. A tug or two and then teach a dolphin to speak.”
— Haddish gets another tossed-in pre-tape role, but she’s making the most of the miniscule material.
— Tiffany, regarding Kate and Aidy’s practices: “No, no, no, that’s nasty!”
— “Who gonna J me O?”
— The dolphin’s insisting “Hand!” is hilarious.
— Love that Gerald the dolphin started to develop a shame kink.
— A great little film that I had completely forgotten about.
STARS: ****½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Call It What You Want”

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— Blue: Quite a shift from the presentation of the last song, with Taylor sitting down strumming an acoustic guitar.
— This is neither here nor there, but either the chords to the song or the strumming pattern is really reminding me of “Stay” by Lisa Loeb.
— Strong, romantic-sounding chorus.
— Nice entrance of the cello- I was wondering when the rest of the group would join in. Hoping for some vocal harmonies coming up.
— There’s the harmonies! They provide a nice pillow of sound.
— Not a fan of the lighting onstage. I get that Taylor’s the star, but I wish I could see the faces of her backing musicians.
— This song has a pleasant melody, and I like how it contrasted with her first song (showcasing her range), but it’s not something that’s grabbing me. Decent enough, but I wouldn’t feel the need to listen to it again.
STARS: ***

WHISKERS R’ WE
Katt Williams (CRR) joins Barbara & new partner (host)

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— I never grew as frustrated with these sketches as Stooge did. They’re the perfect kind of “plug and play” episode fillers that slide in nicely at the end of an episode. The one-liners are strong, there’s a fun live element and the performers get to be loose and play around. They’re a low risk, medium reward proposition, which SNL has always needed to keep the show steady.
— Tiffany already having some fun with the cats in this one.
— The flirtation elements are admittedly played out.
— “Boingo’s addicted to PCP.”
— Fun addition with Chris as Katt Williams. Not a bad impression.
— As always, the puns and sexual stuff are whatever, but the playful energy keeps these harmlessly fun.
STARS: ***½

IN MEMORIAM
A photo of SNL audio engineer George Corrado marks his passing

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GOODNIGHTS

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— Whoa, Tiffany mentions that she’s the first black female standup to ever host the show. That’s wild to think about. It’s stunning that people like Whoopi Goldberg, Wanda Sykes or maybe even Marsha Warfield (a stretch, I know) never hosted.
— Colin has his face made up to look like he’s still feeling the effects of his ass-kicking.
— I love that Chris Redd can be spotted in the corner doing Tiffany’s Boo Boo Jeffries dance.

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A very fun episode. Tiffany Haddish, by sheer force of will, established herself as a star, even if she was underused for large portions of the night. When I first saw this episode, I could have sworn she was going to become a perennial. I’m still baffled it didn’t happen.

RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Boo Boo Jeffries
Kyle and Beck
The Dolphin Who Learned To Speak
The Dems Are Back
Monologue
Weekend Update
Whiskers R’ We
Get Woke With Tamika
Lion King Auditions
Roy Moore Visits Mike Pence
The Last Black Unicorn

MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS

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TOMORROW
SNL review legend-in-the-making Anthony Peter Coleman takes a crack at the Chance The Rapper / Eminem episode.