April 25, 2020 – At Home II (S45 E17)

by John

A MESSAGE FROM DR. ANTHONY FAUCI
Anthony Fauci (Brad Pitt) reacts to Donald Trump’s coronavirus statements

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— There was some debate at the time of the airing of the At Home episodes, which was, believe it or not, now over two years ago (time flies when you spend every day dreading what will happen tomorrow), about whether these should be considered as having hosts or not. As NBC never designated Pitt as having that role, unlike Tom Hanks and Kristen Wiig, I am classifying this as an episode with no host—the first since 1984.
— Written by Colin Jost.
— Brad Pitt is one of the stars who shot from toiling in small roles to big time quickly enough that they zoomed right by hosting SNL. However, Pitt has had two pre-taped cameos, 20 years apart. 
— This is also his second episode with involvement from Bad Boys-era cast members. Clearly Brad was aching for his chance to be in a “you put your weed in there” reunion sketch, which never got to happen. Damn you, COVID!
— The reason Pitt agreed to cameo is because, earlier that month, when Fauci was asked who he would like to play him on SNL, he chose Pitt. 
— This intro uses an Update format of showing Trump clips and having Pitt-as-Fauci react to them. I’m not sure how I would feel if this were used as a regular cold open format—I would probably say it’s a cheat—but here, it works well as the clips and the reaction to them are kept to the point, as the sketch runs for 3 minutes, not 8-10. 
— Pitt received an Emmy nomination for this part, which generated some controversy, as always, but I would say he does a good job. Pitt’s performance is aided by the pre-tape format, but is also much more natural than Kate’s take on the role—probably because we see much less of Pitt on this show, but also because he does not play the role in a way that invites the wink-and-nod of golly gosh, what an honor that our favorite cast member is playing our favorite public figure!
— While things did not feel very simple at the time, I look back at this and miss that window (albeit one already mostly closed by this point) when all talk about Fauci, and the pandemic itself, was not just more culture war hysteria.
— I like the change of LFNY to: “Live, kinda, from all across America, it’s Saturday Night.”
STARS: ***

OPENING CREDITS
— I’m so glad the show made new credits for the at home episodes. There are visual treats, from noticing which cast members look completely ill at ease to which have never looked better (Colin), as well as much more spotlighting and appreciation of the band than they have received in the last 20 years. (As this is the final season for guitarist Jared Scharff, it’s something of a nice, if unintended, tribute to him too)

WHAT UP WITH THAT: AT HOME
Charles Barkley & DJ Khaled [real] panel remotely

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— Written by Steve Higgins and Bryan Tucker.
— I don’t know if much of anyone ever expected to see WUWT again after the 2012 Christmas show, especially since it had originally been retired a year and a half before then. As some said at the time—it took a pandemic to bring back What Up With That.
— While I’m not sure how they felt about the mostly thankless roles, it makes me smile seeing present-day cast Ego and Melissa continuing in the storied tradition of the WUWT backing singers.
— Kenan’s wig…
— Jason and Fred! And more terrible wig placement!
— It was when Bill Hader chose not to cameo in this (after appearing in the first at home show to pay tribute to Hal Willner) that I began to suspect he was increasingly unlikely to ever perform on the show again—two years later, I am still left wondering if that is the case.
— I remember some funny comments at the time when some fans thought they might have just used old clips for Jason and Fred—the response being that based on what a hard time Jason was having keeping his dancing up, he was clearly in the present day.
— A reminder of how big the Michael Jordan documentary was around this time (one of a number of references in these episodes) . And a reminder of the entertainment to be found in Kenan and Barkley playing off each other (even in remote form) after the years Kenan impersonated him.
— Cecily, singing her heart out (of course), makes her first at-home appearance as Quarantina. One of many, many, many COVID-and-alcohol jokes of the last two years and counting.
— Barkley is perfect, in that unique Barkley way, at these brief reaction moments. DJ Khaled is also perfect as I have barely seen him (although the little dance he does at the performances is oddly charming).
— Another appearance from Mikey and his son, who was an honorary cast member in these At Home episodes.
— Getting around Lindsey not speaking by having his Wifi connection lost is clever, but I’m glad they finally adapted to Hader not being there in the next (and last…???) installment.
— While this isn’t a masterpiece, it’s endearing to watch, and works much better in the Zoom format than one might have expected. I’m bumping my score up a bit because bringing back beloved recurring segments after nearly a decade can go very wrong. Fortunately, this was nostalgia done right.
STARS: ****

IN DEPTH
quarantined anchor’s (MID) daughter phone-filters his report

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— Written by Streeter Seidell and Mikey Day.
— A Chris Cuomo reference. Great start…
— Much as I appreciate the on-the-fly efforts with these episodes, the harsh glare on Mikey’s face is a tad distracting. The same happens in an upcoming Kate-n-Aidy sketch.
— It’s interesting to see the ticker running across the bottom of the screen with news that seems real, but has fake names.
— If this sketch seems familiar to you, it’s because they did this in the Adam Sandler episode about a year earlier.
— Ego is doing good work in the straight woman role.
— The filter that makes Mikey’s character breathe fire when he coughs is a cute idea.
— I like the ending with Kenan as a doctor who is proudly using a filter, earning praise from Ego. A satisfying reversal of the usual humiliation element in these sketches.
— This makes sense as a filler segment for a Zoom show, but beyond a brief grin or two you aren’t going to have much to linger on. I think this type of silliness is more of a natural fit with Sandler in the house. Speaking of which…
STARS: **

STUCK IN THE HOUSE
PED & ADS sing about being quarantined with their families; ROS cameo

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— Pete Davidson raps!
— Written by Pete and Dan Bulla.
— As a number of other recaps have delved into, season 45 was a particular low point for Pete creatively, where his biggest accomplishment often seemed to be making it into the building. The lockdowns changed the course of Pete’s time on SNL significantly, allowing him to just chill with his mother, and give viewers some very lo-fi music videos.
— Near the start we get a fascinating glimpse into the many show business connections Pete had forged by this time, all in one cameo screen. Nathan Fillion (Pete played his brother on The Rookie a few times), Judd Apatow (who cast Pete in one of his first roles [Trainwreck] and then made a film on his life [The King of Staten Island] released around this time), Tan France (who did several Queer Eye makeover videos with Pete), John Mulaney (we all know about that one), Anne Marie Tendler (we’ll just…move on). In 2005, if you were asked how Nathan Fillion or Judd Apatow would appear on SNL, would you ever have said Zoom cameos during a pandemic?
— Pete’s part of the rap is basic, if charming, but I love the “I’m goin’ crazy, crazy, crazy,” hook—I’ve had it stuck in my head since I first saw this episode.
— Adam Sandler! Fascinating how he doesn’t appear on the show in nearly 20 years, then is back twice in a year.
— Thanks for Anthony for reminding me that Sandler got involved because Pete sent him the song and Sandler wanted to add his own verse. Pete said this was by far his favorite moment at the show.
— While Pete and Sandler starred together in a Chad pre-tape that hit Youtube, this is their first heavy interaction to make a live show.
— Sandler’s interlude is a good example of why he has outlasted the various bad imitations of him—a natural charisma beyond saying abbie doobie or miming a trumpet. The inclusion of his wife and kids also reminds viewers that he has been willing to grow up, unlike many in Hollywood, even as he still seems like himself.
— I never thought we’d see Rob Schneider on SNL again. I’m torn between being dubious about modern day Rob being back in any capacity, and giving into my childhood nostalgia. If nothing else, I am glad I can at least remember him in a piece I can enjoy, unlike so much of his final season as a cast member.
— The interaction between Pete and his mother is always charming, even when just sitting on a sofa.
— Strong as Sandler’s 2019 episode was, I feel like this piece comes closer to capturing his enduring appeal.
— Even if this is not as well put together as, say, Tucci Gang, when I think of rap material from Pete I have enjoyed, this is near the top of the list.
STARS: ***½ 

BARTENSON’S GROCERY STORE
(AIB) & (KAM) list items that Bartenson’s Grocery Store has plenty of

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— Written by Anna Drezen and Alison Gates.
— It wouldn’t be season 45 without one more Kate-n-Aidy-n-Drezen piece.
— Bare shelves Bartenson’s!
— Between the depleted stock, and the joking reference to Ukrainian yogurt, this all feels much more current than it should.
— Aidy’s side ponytail gives her a younger look than many of the sketches where she was actually playing teenagers.
— The Dasani jokes aren’t very new, but they are amusing…moreso if we didn’t get a version of the joke four different times.
— The substitution part is funny.
— I like that they are playing with the obviousness of Kate and Aidy not being together and having to pretend they are together, and of Kate being blocked by an item and awkwardly trying to move away from it. There’s a very French & Saunders feel to this type of humor.
— The material feels repetitive enough to where I assumed the runtime is longer than it actually is.
— This pairing, of both cast members and writers, does not do a great deal for me, but I will say this was better than a number of other variations of this sketch from Kate and Aidy over the last 3 seasons. Just a bit too repetitive in tone for me to give a slightly higher ranking.
STARS: ***

BIG DOMINICAN LUNCH
David Ortiz (KET) & Big Bunny (Bad Bunny) cook meat

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— Written by Colin Jost and Kenan Thompson.
— I have to admit I’ve never been a big fan of this Update fixture, possibly due to having limited knowledge of the real Ortiz.
— The pure hell/Purell play on words is pure Jost. Kenan, as always, makes it work.
— Bad Bunny has a decent turn as Ortiz’s cousin, “Big Bunny.” He clearly enjoyed himself, as he goes on to appear in multiple sketches when he’s musical guest a season later.
— The heavy focus on the different meats both men are cooking is probably something that would have gotten more negative attention during simpler times. Even they reference it with the “PETA calls it a genocide” line.
— A quick laugh when Ortiz’s response to his cousin asking why he looks so much better these days is: “I got shot.”
— I like that after all this talking, Ortiz does not bother with any actual cooking.
— Similar to Bailey Gismert, I think the role suits his own sketch more than being behind the desk. 
— Aside from an Update piece in the Willem Dafoe episode that did not even make dress rehearsal, this is the final Big Papi appearance for now.
STARS: *** 

AIRBNB
COVID-19 left (CLF) stuck living with eccentric Airbnb guest Ooli (CLF)

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— Written by Chloe Fineman and Jasmine Pierce.
— When I chose my episodes for this season, I did not realize I’d cover two Ooli appearances. Sadly, I will not be covering the third. The honor of that particular… episode is going to another kind reviewer.
— It would be glib to say COVID was a benefit to Chloe, especially since she actually had COVID around this time, but there’s no denying that Chloe feels much more at home (no pun intended) getting to comb through her wigs and makeup and shoot her own material, rather than trudging into the studio to play Parkgoer #3 in Woof Woof Wow! starring Cecily, Aidy, and 3 terriers.
— I’m not sure if the wig and rainbow clothing Chloe wears as Ooli here is similar to how she styled the character pre-SNL, but along with the wardrobe change, Ooli has also undergone something of a personality change— rather than running around as a vlogger, Ooli is just a constant party machine.
— Very fun little glimpse of Bowen, Heidi, and a shirtless Alex as ravers on Ooli’s laptop. You got more genuine camaraderie in the at-home episodes than you do in many “normal” ones.
— Every time I hear Ooli’s “pretty cool” catchphrase, I’m reminded of how much more Chloe would have fit an SNL of 30 years ago, likely with various kids trying out that line, and that accent, at school on Monday.
— Ooli mindlessly clanking pots together to thank nurses amuses me.
— The scene with Ooli claiming she and the owner will be best friends is a good way to wind down, rather than what we got (the host being shocked at a “nude” Ooli doing yoga outside).
— Chloe does a good job contrasting Ooli with the rational, frustrated Airnbnb host, but this premise never gets out of first gear, leaving this feeling padded even with a trim runtime.
STARS: **½ 

RELEASED EARLY
after his coronavirus-spurred prison release, (CRR) contacts old flames

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— One of the rare Sam Jay and Gary Richardson sketches to make it on the air.
— I would classify season 45 as Chris’ low point as a cast member—other than the “That’s the Game” pre-tape, I struggle to remember standout moments for him. This sketch, however, is an exception, putting his charisma and confidence to what may be its best use.
— Ego is great in her quick role as a hookup who is not going outside because “[their] 5G stuff messed up and made a pandemic.”
— Aidy just about steals the sketch as the good Christian wife and mother who only talked about getting her “cheeks clapped” (that alone made me pause and laugh) because she assumed Chris’ character was never being released from prison.
— A number of Chris pre-tapes and sketches revolve around how stupid his character is, and don’t go much beyond that. One of the reasons this piece works as well as it does is because that element is made much less of a focal point—yes, he’s an idiot, but the real entertainment is watching him haplessly go through these women.
— Clever conclusion with Chris suddenly losing interest as his last call (Cecily) is coughing and sneezing. You don’t get a lot of interaction between Chris and Cecily.
— Something that slips under the radar here is how graphic some of the sexual language is—probably because it’s all said in a natural way, rather than being trotted out as naughty words for the viewers to tee hee at.
— This sketch slips under the radar in general, but it shouldn’t—not only does it remain one of the best showcases Chris Redd has had in his 5 seasons at SNL, it also serves as a glimpse into what might have been if Jay and Richardson had been given more of a chance.
STARS: ****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Miley Cyrus & Andrew Watt [real] perform “Wish You Were Here”

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— Blue: Wonder what model guitar Andrew Watt is using. There’s more treble in its tone than on the original Pink Floyd recording.
— The video’s red tint and the smoke rising from the fire pit is very atmospheric.
— As I’ve said before, I don’t like Miley Cyrus’ voice. Not loving her take on this song.
— Miley scatting along to the song’s main riff is pretty unnecessary.
— This is pretty much on the level of Chris Martin’s previous performance: a harmless, ultimately forgettable version of a beautiful song.
STARS: ***

WEEKEND UPDATE
PED reports from home on intimacy in the age of coronavirus

COJ announces contest that will require MIC to tell the winner’s joke

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— This is the first Update to not have any laughter or background reaction, after the at-home debut featured the odd effects of cast and crew laughter (something that would be utilized more successfully in the season 47 shutdown Christmas episode).
— Love Che’s T-shirt.
— Che is in full no-fucks-to-give mode, enhanced by a lack of a crowd to play to.
— Jost feels more hamstrung by the quiet, but he gets an unexpected jab in comparing Rudy to the racist stereotype in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
— Pete returns to Update to give a much less depressing commentary than earlier this season, in spite of being in the midst of a pandemic.
— Sometimes I forget this is still relatively early into the period where Jost was fine with letting people on the show joke about his relationship with Scarlett Johansson (I think the first was Chloe’s Update commentary) The jokes still pop up sometimes now, but were more effective around this point.
— Pete’s routine feels a bit “off” due to the lack of audience, almost as if he’s taking his turn and waiting for a response.
— This really gets going once Pete starts talking about the pornographic tone of the COVID sex guidelines from NYC, with a very funny line at the end about how the material gave him a semi.
— Pete himself even says it all feels weird without an audience. While I am in agreement, this is still a worthwhile commentary.
— Sharp joke from Che about the Land o’Lakes lady being replaced by a pipeline.
— Che razzing Jost over a bad joke makes it feel like they are in the same room, even though they aren’t.
— This concludes with a lot of setup to a write-a-joke-for-Che contest, and Che being given an ‘edgy’ joke that isn’t all that edgy (it’s not until season 46 that I think Jost finally pushes some darker material onto Che). Slightly plodding, but overall, fine.
— From some interviews around the season 46 premiere, I think Jost was one of those at the show who was not thrilled with the at-home format. You can feel that onscreen as well. However, the chemistry between Che and Jost is still there, and even with very bleak subject matter mixed with a few corny jokes, there is still something comfortable about watching them in such dark times. I am not sure how much I could say that about a number of other Update anchors.
STARS: ***

SOULCYCLE AT HOME
intense instructors conduct SoulCycle Virtual Workouts from their homes

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— Written by Fran Gillespie and Sudi Green. The third and last in the SoulCycle…cycle.
— Due to the at home aspect, this installment drops the roles of Ego and Mikey (Mikey did not play this character in the first one but that was only due to illness) as the “normal” people reacting to the crazy instructors and each other. This was always the weakest part of the first two sketches, and frees up Ego for a much better role as another of the instructors (“I’m hot AND religious…it’s a trap.”)
— Heidi is also very funny as the idiot who insists she can’t get COVID because she’s 22. You get the usual politically extreme outburst from a Heidi character, but also some good physical comedy she doesn’t do as often.
—The other participants don’t have as much comedic value, although I do like Bowen’s character decrying the “cancellation” of Bill Cosby because “we need doctors right now.”
— The second Ozark plug tonight. Sorry, SNL writers, still never seen it…
— Good ending with Cecily’s character announcing their positive vibes cured COVID…then realizing the text just mentions a steakhouse is delivering.
— The show really wrung all they could out of this concept, but this was a perfectly adequate way to bow out—while the first is still the best for me due to David Harbour’s performance and the freshness of the material, I would still put this above the second, which is mostly just memorable for JLo’s surprisingly strong work.
STARS: ***

OJ ADDRESS
O.J. Simpson (KET) interprets responses to him through a COVID-19 lens

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— Written by Josh Patten and Pete Schultz.
— Interesting way to start this sketch by taking us directly to “OJ’s” Twitter account, complete with a funny tweet about him recently talking to R. Kelly.
— Having OJ directly talk to SNL, and “Lauren Michaels,” is a smart idea, especially because the show doesn’t overuse this concept.
— Guilty laugh from him “relating” to SNL thinking they would have to do the one [show] then having to do another…
— Jokes about OJ being oblivious to why people hate him are older than much of our population, but the sheer goofiness and energy of Kenan’s delivery make them work.
— You know they couldn’t resist a Michael Myers mask for a COVID mask joke, although I kind of wish they had.
— “Even if I did get Corona, you know I’d beat it. I can beat anything.”
— This is a bit of a different approach to Kenan’s take on OJ—there is the usual obliviousness, but much more overt anger as well. I don’t think Kenan can pull that part off as well, but he doesn’t really have to as the piece doesn’t run on too long. This anger element is continued, again I’d say to mixed results, in Kenan’s most recent OJ appearance (in the Jerrod Carmichael episode).
— I was watching a reaction show stream after that appearance, which included a comment about Carl Tart being so good in this impression it wasn’t the same watching Kenan’s. And that made me realize, similar to the many, many OJ sketches with Tim Meadows, I don’t actually care about this impression (although Carl Tart is very talented)—it’s just my goodwill toward the performer that makes me give it a try. I have already heard all of these jokes too many times for too many decades. While this piece has some positives before trailing off in the second half, I probably wouldn’t have gone through it without Kenan in the role.
STARS: **

FACETIME WITH RUDD
Paul Rudd [real] & his cousin Mandy speak for first time since childhood

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— Written by Heidi Gardner.
— This is Paul Rudd’s second and final cameo in season 45, with Mandy facing a longer return—last seen two and a half seasons earlier, with James Franco (who is even less likely to return to SNL than Mandy was).
— Heidi and Paul have a nice backstory together, due to being Kansas City natives—he even tried to get her a job when she first moved to LA.
— Heidi had not had a particularly strong season up to the at-home shows. Aside from the usual Bailey Gismert appearance, her main lead roles had been somewhat aimless collaborations with Andrew Dismukes that came across like they were taken from a 2009 Kristen Wiig discard pile, and a movie quote sketch that took three different tries to finally get on the air, only for her to be overshadowed by Kate breaking up.
— The Franco version of this sketch is, like some of Heidi’s most underrated pieces (looking at you, “RV Life”), more melancholy in tone, whereas the Rudd revival zeroes in more on how strange Mandy is and her roasting the hell out of Rudd without any pretense of wanting to help him. Normally I would prefer the former, but between the host and the many unnecessary plugs of his various films, for once I am fine with the less layered followup.
— I always call Paul Rudd modern SNL’s Teri Garr because they are both incredibly talented comic performers whose specific comic styles rarely mesh with the show’s format. Most of the time, Paul either walks through, or is put in a position of trying too hard to be a Paul Rudd parody. This piece gets his style just right—laid-back, but with irritation seething under the surface.
— There are many line readings here from Paul that crack me up without making any sense unless you watch the sketch—my favorites are “what’s tatato?” and “You don’t have to keep saying Ramy Youssef.” (Heidi saying “Ramy Youssef” over and over also cracks me up)
— Seeing Paul, and the show, walk the tightrope of mentioning the infamous “Imagine” singalong without actually attacking it (as some of Paul’s friends/co-stars [and the above mentioned Wiig] were involved) is quite something.
— Heidi has rarely been funnier to me than she is in parts of this, especially her readings of, “Do YOU have Coronavirus?” and “You’ve changed, Paulie!” Just so aggressively weird. There’s a very specific energy in this that reminds me of encounters with drunk people which were not as amusing as this sketch tends to be.
— I love the idiocy of Cousin Mandy assuming fingerless gloves help stop her from getting COVID.
— Good ending with Paul hanging up after she tries to bring up a long-ago kissing incident between them.
— This sketch doesn’t get a great deal of attention, similar to most of the at home sketches, but it’s the perfect length, has witty dialogue that isn’t trying too hard to be witty, and is among the best work Paul or Heidi has given on SNL. As we are in another season which feels like a wash for Heidi, watching this again for the first time in a while was a much-needed tonic.
STARS: *****

THE REVEAL
virtual police procedural has some singing & an anticlimactic confession

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— Written by James Anderson and Will Stephen.
— I remember watching this live, trying to figure out what the point was going to be, then when Cecily started singing, my brain clicked into, “Oh of course, it’s James Anderson.”
— Watching this, I realize, adding on to what I said above about Cecily and Chris, you never saw a lot of Beck/Aidy/Chris/Bowen combos either. I am one of those fans who prefers a large cast, but I think more people would not be as critical of the concept if we got the mixing and matching that we get here.
— Beck’s stupid song is…stupid, but he makes it catchy.
— Heidi’s casual confession, and walking out, kind of works.
— Not a big fan of the ending, but I do like Heidi’s character returning to jam to Beck’s stupid song.
— This type of piece, which is all affectation and awkward vocals, tends to die a death when live. Here… well, it still isn’t great, but there’s a certain Inland Empire feel, especially when Heidi pops in near the end as a very Lynchian woman, that I appreciate.
— We’re near the end of James Anderson’s tenure as a staff writer. If he was going to go out on one of his old tropes, at least this works better than one might have expected…for whatever that’s worth.
STARS: **

PORNHUB
PornHub is there for its homebound customers in their time of need

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— Written by Seiday.
— Beyond another appearance from Mikey’s son, you also get a cameo from Chloe’s boyfriend Jake Nordwind, who would join the writing staff a few seasons later.
— Nice to see Melissa get a chance to work herself into a more subtly performed ensemble piece.
— Ego closing the blinds was the perfect ending, but the one we get (a panicked Mikey slamming his laptop shut when his son runs up) is alright.
— This is an effective (if, as per usual, just a tad overextended) parody of the “we’re all in this together” ads. The only downside is it doesn’t work as well once you know what the joke is about. This is the reason some fans complained about the show just putting “PORNHUB” right in the title on Youtube, which, as of today, they have not changed.
STARS: **½ 

WHISKERS R’ WE AT HOME
Barbara shows similar-looking cats available online via Whiskers R’ We

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— Written by Kent Sublette.
— An old favorite for Kate, last seen two and a half seasons earlier.
— I will admit, I am not a huge fan of these sketches, because they usually just devolve into crude sex jokes between Kate and various female hosts. However, the limitations of the at home format mean Kate has to change things up.
— I like that she is clearly using the same cat over and over even as it is presented with different names (and occasionally, tints).
— It’s amusing to see the cat looking genuinely annoyed (but not in a serious way—more in a Garfield-hates-Jon way) during a part where it is meant to be imperious and annoyed. As Master Thespian would say….acting!
— The BDSM joke entertained me more than it should have.
— The moments where Kate is cracking up at her cat are genuinely very sweet.
— I would have trimmed this a bit (along with a few of the pointless sexual references), but this is a very light, likeable segment, a side of Kate I enjoy far more than some of her more frequently utilized comedic personas, and it’s just nice to hear the cat purring and seeing how much real love is there between it and Kate, unlike a lot of animal-related segments on SNL, wich are often uncomfortable and unnecessary.
— This is, up to now, the last Whiskers R’ We sketch, and I hope that remains the case.
STARS: ***½ 

WHAT’S MY NAME?
at a party, Tommy (KYM) puts Rob (KYM) on the spot with “What’s my name?”

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— Written by Kyle Mooney and Dan Bulla.
— In season 45, Kyle had a difficult journey to document. After spending most of season 44 being a utility player, where you got more of him as Bradley Cooper than you did of him getting comedic showcases in his own voice, he had several very strong pre-tapes and decent live show work, culminating in the phenomenal Del Taco sketch. However, the one attempt at an old Kyle meta piece (“Kyle’s Transformation”) feels very regressive, half-assed, and is one of my least favorite things he’s ever done on SNL. The at home shows gave him a chance to refine his old Youtube style, which he definitely takes advantage of.
— Kyle playing opposite multiple versions of himself reminds me of his recent Netflix show, Saturday Morning All Star Hits (which is very much worth the watch). I wonder if he was using these sketches as a testing ground.
— Kyle does well at making each version of himself seem slightly different just through small quirks of style and performance.
—This sketch led to some claims of being too similar to another comedy video, which I don’t really see, but if you want to compare for yourself…
— Once we get to the main portion of the sketch (him roaming around the desert, angstily singing ‘80s power pop), I simultaneously find this entertaining and yet am left wanting more.
— I do like the editing effects in the music video, and the silliness of him singing every thought in his head.
— I also like the ridiculous non-ending of him just fading away.
— This isn’t among Kyle’s highlights, and runs into the problem of being derivative that you are more likely to get after 7 seasons in the cast, but it’s still very much worth watching, especially as a glimpse into non-SNL paths Kyle has taken.
STARS: ***½ 

MELISSA’S BIG DATE
MEV invites an unseen beau to spend the night

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— Written by Dan Bulla, Steven Castillo, Dan Licata, Melissa Villaseñor. This would be one of the only pieces Licata got on the air all season.
— As I write this, we are in another period of speculation and angst about how SNL has treated Melissa, her unhappiness, and her future at the show. I think Melissa is a very quirky, compelling figure whose talents are not well-suited to live sketch or to a brutally corporate, cold program like SNL. She probably would have shone in more introspective, slice-of-life material, the lifelines for fellow out-of-place/underused talents like Robin Duke and Laraine Newman, but that show has been gone for about 30 years. Add in most writers never doing much with her, and we’re left with this never-ending purgatory, where we just have to pause and praise the highlights.
— One of the reasons I like this sketch is because it does remind me of something Robin Duke might have done in early ‘80s SNL, especially the pantomime of her intensely kissing the invisible person beside her.
— Melissa’s inherent sweetness and vulnerability as a performer are put to their best use here during the portion where she slowly responds to the praise her beau is giving her.
— Love the music (it reminds me of “Come Saturday Morning”) and the absurd choices of clips used to represent the night of passion.
— A happy ending (not that…well, sort of that kind, I guess) for this sketch would have been a teensy bit better for me, but the part with her banishing the invisible person from her home due to their backing up her toilet is a decent laugh.
— A wonderful end with her, knowing smile and hands on hips, saying, “Oh, Meliss…you sure know how to pick ‘em.”
— While the last two seasons have had a highlight or two for Melissa, I think this is the perfect endpoint for her tenure, a perfect use of her gifts, and remains one of the more endearingly offbeat sequences on the show in modern times.
STARS: *****

AIDY’S REAL JOURNALS
AIB revisits her younger mindset by reading from her 2nd grade journal

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— Written by Aidy Bryant.
— This is a variation of a standup routine Aidy did several years earlier.
— My main takeaway is how natural Aidy is at delivering a monologue, as herself, no real frills or hiding behind a character.
— I especially like the part about her misspelling turtles and then making a quote bubble to no one that she would not be eating them.
— I have mixed feelings about the section where she starts talking about needing to get out and we get weird effects. I think it’s unnecessary, but it also helps slot this into the very strong “woman having a nervous breakdown” pieces Aidy gave us in the last third of 45 (like Overnight Salad and Eleanor’s House)
— Appropriately for Wonka-style flashbacks, we get a glimpse of her as an Oompa Loompa from season 44.
— While I still don’t think the “we’re in a pandemic…scary!” tag-on was needed, this is still a nice cooldown piece to close out the night.
STARS: ***

GOODNIGHTS

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— There’s something very chilling about going to a darkened stage with just the closing theme playing. I suppose it reflected the mood of those at the show more than any COVID sketches ever could. 

CUT FOR TIME: MESSAGE FROM GOV. WHITMER
Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer (Cecily Strong) has some safety tips for people protesting stay-at-home orders.

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— Written by Fran Gillesepie and Sudi Green.
— I like the choice to film this outside. It feels less suffocating than a one-person address to camera might be otherwise.
— I’ll leave it to “Michiganders” to weigh in on Cecily’s accent. 
— Cecily has gone so  hogwild in her impressions  over the last few seasons I’d almost forgotten she was still giving a restrained performance this late in her tenure.
— Not a great start to this with the hacky Melania “that woman” joke.
— Better footing with some of the safety tip jokes, especially “You can call me a bitch from your couch…it’s called Twitter.”
— “Please, wear a mask, but not a Joker mask, not a clown mask…absolutely no mask that comes with a hood.”
—  A very rambling close to this sketch, but having her yell at kids vandalizing her house isn’t a bad wrapup…better than the lazy middle finger joke, anyway. 
— Whitmer’s main response to this piece was sending Cecily Michigan-made beer.
— I’m not too shocked this was cut—it’s probably too pointed politically for much of modern SNL outside of Update (I think a similar fate met Cecily’s CFT Dianne Feinstein pre-tape in season 44). 
— I have to admit I have become increasingly tired of political pieces where the politicians say easy claptor lines, and this is one example. WIth that said, it works fine for what it is (especially in the context of the time it was made), and works as a latter-day showcase for Cecily that doesn’t involve singing or shouting. 
STARS: ***

ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST TOUR
Beck Bennett gives a tour of his home for Architectural Digest

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—  Written by Beck Bennett.
— Does this open with the real intro for an open door AD segment? I don’t recognize the woman’s voice. I thought it might have been Beck’s wife, Jessy Hodges, but I am just not sure. 
—  All of you anti-product placement advocates out there will be seething to know who left the top comment on the video.
— This is a very simple concept, but is something I think could have been fun as a runner for several cast members: showing off their homes, making comedy of what is nearby. 
— That this works as well as it does is down to Beck’s easy camera presence and confidence. He could have mugged up a storm here, going along with his “who’s going to play the idiot?” reputation, but wisely held back.
— The part where they mention a calendar they now just use to hold puzzle pieces adds a bit of honesty to these types of at home segments. 
— Fun way to wind this down by showing off the various cracks in the walls.
— I’m such an idiot that the first few times I watched the end of this sketch, I thought he was saying goodbye to Aidy,  not “AD.” 
— This is a quick, highly watchable  segment. I’m not sure exactly why it didn’t get in (maybe it wasn’t seen as comedic enough?), but I’m glad they made this available on Youtube.
STARS: ***½ 

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— I’m very honored to be able to review one of the at-home episodes, and more specifically, my favorite of the three—the one that most balances general SNL content with experimentation and freedom.
— It’s easy to be negative now—hell, it’s always easy to be negative about the show, there’s a whole mini-industry built around that choice—but I do think the back half of season 45 was in very shaky form until we got the pandemic. While the long-term effects, from illness and death of beloved personnel and family, to the severe damage wrought to the industry leading various cast to stay longer than they likely planned, were harmful, one positive, inappropriate as it may be to find a positive in all this sorrow, I appreciate the innovations and risks taken by the show trying out this format, even just for a handful of episodes. It was the shakeup which the show had needed for some time, and has still carried over, in fits and starts, over the next two seasons.
— The shorter runtime for the material in this episode not only led to far more variety, but also far more patience and generosity on my part, with not a single rating below two stars for the entire night. I am sure there are valid reasons why we are stuck with a handful of 5-6-7 minute long sketches in most modern episodes, rather than shorter and sweeter sketches, but the at home episodes show just what a mistake that decision is.

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

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RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Melissa’s Big Date
Facetime With Rudd
Released Early
What Up With That
Stuck In The House
What’s My Name?
Whiskers R’ We At Home
(CFT: Architectural Digest Tour)
Weekend Update
A Message From Dr. Anthony Fauci
Big Dominican Lunch
Aidy’s Real Journals
Soulcycle At Home
Bartenson’s Grocery Store
(CFT: Message from Gov. Whitmer)
Pornhub
Airbnb
OJ Address
The Reveal
In Depth

TOMORROW
The mighty mighty Matt covers the third, and final, at-home show as we head out of season 45.