BONUS – Assorted At Home Cut for Time Sketches

by John

In April and May 2020, a smattering of Cut For Time sketches were uploaded to SNL’s Youtube channel outside of the second and third at home episodes. Rather than try to figure out what should have aired where, I was kindly given the opportunity to review these sketches in their own right.

QUARANTINE DELIVERY
EGN shares how she disinfects packages during the coronavirus pandemic

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— This and the following clip were uploaded between the second and third at home episodes. 
— This seems to be a very barebones attempt at parodying barebones Youtube tutorials.
— “This is trash” is meme fodder waiting to happen.
— Given that Ego is just stuck in her home filming anything she can, I don’t want to be too critical of the end result.
—  With that said, there is little to no humor to be found here. I could grade based on effort, or just on Ego’s very likable presence, but that would do nothing to improve the material itself.
— I’m very glad that Ego has since had the chance to prove she is much more capable than what this video gives her, many times over. 
STARS: *

QUARANTINE COOKING
EGN cooks a hearty two-ingredient soup

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— This is not far off the delivery video in concept, but this version has an actual comedic take.
— While “salt soup” is not the most scintillating punchline, Ego sells the hell out of it.
STARS: **

LOCKDOWN SONG
Wild Trio Gang (KET), (CRR), & (EGN) turn up at home with their rap song, “Lockdown,” about life in quarantine

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— After 35 years of SNL frequently centering white guys in their raps (going from complete joke status to quasi-genuine attempts at artistic value), seeing Chris, Ego and Kenan get to shine on their own is a nice change of pace. 
— Chris is great, although he’s competing for attention with his Obama hoodie.
— Ego’s verse is my favorite of the three—I would say “it’s fire” but I am probably too old for that. 
— For a brief second I worried Ego was going to have a wardrobe malfunction.
— This is actually the first of two lockdown-themed raps for Ego (the other is in the upcoming Regé-Jean Page episode).
— Kenan’s family-focused verse is very sweet, but given the recent news of his breakup, doesn’t quite feel the same now. 
— I know many fans get sick of all the pandemic-related humor, and so have I on a number of occasions, but I still think this has a very good beat, and is worth the watch (or rewatch).
STARS: ***

NEIGHBORS
two neighbors (KYM) (BEB) have a social distancing conversation that takes a weird turn

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— Beck and Kyle together, in a digital short all their own, for the first time in a while. 
— Given their Youtube heritage, this feels like a full circle moment. The title “Neighbors,” similar to their old channel name, brings that home. So much so that initially I wondered if they were leaving and this was a farewell. 
— It’s almost disturbing to see Kyle in a normal role and Beck in the crazy role.
— Beck’s crude commentary about throat-spitting and “doing his pillow” makes me laugh, just because he delivers this type of insanity with such earnestness. 
— Beck brings some genuine menace to the part where his character tries to blackmail his way into being roommates. 
— Good effects, and a good ending twist, with Beck’s character teleporting near Kyle’s for one last attempt at trying to get him to become roommates. 
— Even though we have one more Beck and Kyle pre-tape to come next season, that one also features Andrew Dismukes, which makes me see this as their real last hurrah as a duo.
STARS: ***½ 

DR. BIRX AD
Dr. Deborah Birx (CLF) stars in a commercial to promote her new line of scarves

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— Chloe in her first of so far two political impressions to be taken over by a more long standing cast member (Birx is taken over by Heidi, Jen Psaki by Kate).
— The basic premise here is an old chestnut for SNL of recent years — a noble, long-suffering female politician disrespected by the sexist public. Kate often has this locked down (see the abysmal Teresa May pity party impression), which does little to shake how much Chloe in her debut season feels like she is waiting in the wings for a Kate departure that never happens. 
— On the one hand, this is a committed performance from Chloe—arguably, one of her most committed. I will also give some credit for sticking to the theme and not wandering all over the roadside, as modern SNL is wont to do.
— On the other hand, the premise is, to me, fundamentally dishonest and lazy. Yes, there were people who called Dr. Birx “the scarf lady,” but much of the commentary surrounding Birx focused on her not speaking out enough about Trump, rather than her wardrobe. A piece focusing on the challenges and contradictions would have been more interesting to me. SNL itself would seem to agree, as you can see in this season 46 cold open (if you can stomach it, anyway).
— I do like the part where she says she designed a scarf with birds on it because she likes birds: “Not everything has to be a thing.” 
— The folding section with “missing the point” flashing up on the screen one word at a time is somewhere between clever and a brutal self-own.
— If you want to ignore all the baggage, which I can understand anyone wanting to do (it’s just a comedy show, get over it, etc.), I can see where you might want to grade this higher. I can’t bring myself to do it this time. I am burned out on this vapid and corrosive style of political writing.
STARS: ** 

ANIMAL CROSSING
MEV and MID FaceTime while playing Animal Crossing

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— Something that always appeals to me in this sketch is that one of the first sights we see is of a very happy smile from Melissa. I feel like Melissa has shown glimpses of a naturally likable, endearing personality which the show has so rarely taken advantage of in a way they often did with, say, Gilda Radner. The disappearance of the backstage format and letting cast members play themselves on a more frequent basis is a big factor in feeling more isolated from the ensemble. 
— A seemingly rare interaction between Mikey and Melissa. Even though they joined the cast at the same time, it never quite feels that way due to Mikey jumping right to the frontlines (likely because of his 3 years on the writing staff). 
— I don’t play a lot of  Animal Crossing, but her impression of one of the characters is amusing (and a rare chance of late to show her impression skills). 
—  Melissa’s offbeat line delivery adds some zest to the bit about the animals hating her (“Door’s that way.” “Did I stutter?” and so on.)
— The way she says “Tom Nook just said,  ‘I hope you get COVID,’” is absolutely priceless, and has been somewhere in my head since I first saw this video.
— Good ending with Melissa’s AC character being murdered, and Mikey asking if he can stay on the island for the party celebrating her death. 
— This is one of my favorite At Home pieces. It takes a different approach than most of the other segments and relies on a quirky (in a good way) performance from Melissa, with rock-solid support from Mikey. If anyone ever makes a “Best of Melissa Villasenor” cut, this is another sketch that should be on the list. 
STARS: ***** 

JADEN ACTS OUT
a woman (MEV) reaches out to anyone with advice on how to deal with her husband, Jaden (ALM), who is acting out during quarantine

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— A rare showcase for Alex Moffat.
— Some laughs from the tantrums Jaden is having, especially when he climbs through the window. Given Alex’s background in physical comedy, I have always been disappointed at how infrequently these skills have been used on the show, especially since he joined right after Taran Killam, a very physical comic, departed.
— There’s something disturbing in the closing shots of Jaden in the tub with his face painted red and with red splattered across the back wall, like something from one of those Clive Barker films that came and went in the late ‘80s. It makes me wish SNL would go back to some of the grimy horror elements they occasionally dipped into in the early ‘80s. Calling you, Sarah Sherman…
— Nice as it is to see Melissa get a bit more airtime, her role here as the harried wife is jarring, due to the fact that we are definitely not hearing her voice in the segments with Alex (I am guessing that was his wife). Presumably someone decided it wasn’t worth the time to dub Melissa in, so they just threw this onto Youtube as is.
—  I wish they had just left the Alex parts and  expanded on them, if that material was available. This was fine for what it was, but seemed to get started just as it was finishing.
STARS: ***

YOUR HOUSE PROMO
commercial promotes all the enticing features your house offers while you have nowhere else to go during the coronavirus pandemic

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— The last of an old standby through Beck’s run—amping up the drama in mundane activities like mass, high school graduation…or staying at home. 
— Some great touches in the early part of this, like the dangerous stove  (the guttural-voiced “call the fire department!” is especially funny) and the terrifying “orgy of cables” behind the TV.
— Kyle in his underwear…one of his old standbys this season. 
— Using an overly-serious segue about health throws the tone off balance and doesn’t do much to hide that the medicine cabinet part feels tacked on. 
— This gets back on track a little with the segment about the shredded socks, and a scene-stealing appearance from Kenan’s kids. 
— I do like the runner in this about the loose AAA battery (as close as SNL gets to a runner these days).
— As is often the case with pretapes of recent years, you could have chopped 40 seconds off with no big loss, but this is passable enough.
STARS: **½

ROM-COM TRAILER
Nick (ALM) hasn’t had time to find “the one” until coronavirus forces him to quarantine at home

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

— Interesting premise here. 
— Bowen popping in for the thankless best friend role. Another rare pairing here too, of Bowen and Alex.
— I can’t imagine how strange it was to play a scene where you talk to another version of yourself who is checking out your ass, but Alex is somehow a pro at it.
— This would actually pass as an arthouse film…with much less clothing and much more staring into space, anyway. 
— Good subtle bit where Bowen realizes just what has been going on.
— The reviews, as is often the case in these parodies, are not necessary.
— I’m not sure if it was planned, but the self-lovers being briefly torn apart by wrist pain is a clever touch (no pun intended). 
— Good conclusion with the “I love you…I mean me! I love me!”
— Even the familiar joke of not knowing what month it is works.
— A worthy choice for the final Cut For Time piece uploaded to Youtube, and another reminder of the many talents of Alex that are so rarely utilized.
STARS: ****½

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

• 

• 

• 

RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Animal Crossing
Rom-Com Trailer
Neighbors
City on Lockdown
Jaden Acts Out
Your House Promo
Quarantine Cooking
Dr. Birx Ad
Quarantine Delivery

COMING SOON
Season 45 wrap-up! The gang’s all here!