October 17, 2020 – Issa Rae / Justin Bieber (S46 E3)

by John

DUELING TOWN HALLS
Joe Biden (Jim Carrey) & Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) town halls differ

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— Any information I will be providing about dress rehearsal comes from the Standby Line podcast.
— Apologies in advance—this is going to be a long read. 
— I don’t care for the voiceover blatantly telling us what we are seeing and how we should feel about the people involved. 
— What makes this even more confusing than explaining details we don’t need explained is the decision to try to recapture moments from the Biden town hall that aren’t going to have any real impact if you did not watch, like the seating placement of various audience members. Is this for people who watched or people who didn’t watch? 
— It’s Fire Marshall Biden! Remember when that was a thing? Or an attempted thing, anyway?
— Jim Carrey gets some of the voice right, and the makeup people don’t do a bad job either, but once again I’m reminded that they had no real idea how to write Biden beyond “wacky, out of touch grandpa.” And of course, aviators and finger guns…very timely for 2012. 
— I’m not sure how to feel about the criticism of the Biden town hall voters, as I don’t want the show to pull punches, but there’s also a vibe of feeling they have to go after “both sides” even if the comedy isn’t there. 
— I have complained about this many times, and I’m going to complain again. The way that Mikey’s George and Kate’s Savannah are used—having these people speak in overly self-aware terms about who they are and what they are doing—takes away any reason for parody; it’s lazy, and suggests a real lack of respect for viewers . 
— I do like the visual of Alex with the glass of milk and blanket.
— Kate is wearing the actual suit Savannah wore in the town hall.
— Not entirely sure what to make of the segment with Savannah vs Trump. There are some good lines, some embarrassingly on-the-nose lines which can still amuse me slightly (like the “rest in power” to Epstein), and a mix of Kate going slightly overboard with Alec Baldwin being more focused than he had been in several years. 
— The return to Biden droning on, and Chris reacting to Biden droning on, is notable for the lack of real audience response (a label that stuck to this episode in particular in this batch of episodes). 
— One of the downsides of Kate playing so many leading political roles is I find myself distracted in trying to figure out who this impression reminds me of (it does not remind me very much of Savannah Guthrie). 
— The line where Trumpwin compares AAA to the KKK was, in dress, Trumpwin saying that the KKK is good at organizing. 
— The whole ramble from Trump about his one beautiful glass lung is not far off where they would take Trump under James Austin Johnson. I wish he’d been there to play this material. 
— As we move to the audience questions, Melissa has her first appearance of the season, and her last appearance of the night. As is often the case, she is setting up a laugh for someone else.
— And now we have Chloe playing some woman no one cared about by the time this aired. 
— Chloe is very spirited, but no one could save that “my parents are from Mrs. Maisel-vania” joke.
— Hello, Lauren Holt! She’s in a thankless role, with flat lines—get used to this for the rest of the season. She doesn’t do anything with this part, but I’m not sure how many could. Having her say “tee bee h” just makes me cringe, and comes across as a 65-year old millionaire writing a New York Times op-ed on kids these days…which basically describes Colin Jost.
— I know it’s something the real…person would do, but Trumpwin repeatedly mispronouncing “Savannah” is exhausting.
— Ego is also playing a presence no one cared about by the time the episode aired, but she manages to wring the first big laughs out of the crowd, and even (without really intending to) gets Baldwin to break, which is a good tension-reliever. 
— It’s Kamaya time!
— The decision to book Maya for the first half of the season was smart from a business point of view—she could help fill the void left behind by Aidy and Cecily (rather than relying on the rest of the non-Kate female cast who didn’t have star/media clout) as well as generate the natural publicity brought by her playing Kamala. 
— Unfortunately, while I understand the reason, that doesn’t make these Kamala appearances feel any less shoehorned. This one, where she just shows up to express “concern” about Ego’s character, has less of the excessive smugness and embarrassing meme overload of her other appearances, but also feels completely pointless. 
— It speaks volumes that we see her talking at us, while barely interacting with anyone around her (including Ego’s character, which was the whole reason she came onto the stage), and not interacting at all with her running mate. A big indication of just how stumped the show was at depicting these relationships, which never changes and likely never will…and also of just how unwilling or unable modern SNL is to depict relationships or interactions in political material.
— We return to increasingly perfunctory Biden appearances, this time doing a Mister Rogers homage. It’s very obvious to me they have nothing to say about Biden and the only reason they even included him instead of just focusing on Trump is because they cast Jim Carrey and had to get use out of him.
— Now we’re back to Trump and Savannah going all WWF, which had no proper buildup and sort of dies on air due to the more low-key audience response. 
— Another checklist moment with Carrey-as-Biden-as-Bob-Ross. This is just stunt casting cosplay. Not only is it unnecessary, but also tonally incoherent, because the town hall audience was supportive of him in the last scene and now they’re back to seeing him as weird and nuts so we can get a Kenan Reacts moment the audience barely registers.
— I don’t mean to make it sound like the audience is completely dead. There are laughs, but never enough to sustain what is meant to be gut-busting material. When you aim your comedy to the rafters and you get some mild chuckles, the onscreen result suffers.
— Trump asking America if they’re better off than they were four years ago and a cartoon of America shouting “NO!” leaves me with mixed feelings. I appreciate the attempt at something different, but the cutesiness feels like something from Stephen Colbert’s talk show. 
— Trump blustering “just try to take me alive” didn’t make me laugh at the time, and now just makes my blood run cold…or it would if it weren’t done in such a half-assed way. This bastard ran for 13 minutes and they could not even come up with a proper ending!
— At the time of original airing, I was higher on this sketch than my lengthy comments above would indicate. The first two cold opens of the season were abysmal, with far less use of the larger cast, and absolutely no energy. While I would still put this cold open above those, the praise only goes so far. I went into this sketch assuming I would go with **, but on a second watch, I just don’t think it’s warranted. 
STARS: *½ 

OPENING CREDITS
— It took me awhile to notice when Kyle goes to look at the photos in the hallway, he’s looking at his own. A lovely touch of nostalgia.
— Ego’s shot is wonderful—it reminds me of something from the late ‘70s, and is a good match for what has so far been her strongest season. 
— I’ve always thought these credits suffer from the COVID element as well as coming right after an all-time best opener, but they are better than I realized at the time.

MONOLOGUE
host likens the four years of Insecure to being in high school

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— The Hulu version of the episode (the one I am reviewing) has the dress version for the monologue. 
— As Issa mentions early on, she was originally meant to host in March 2020. I can’t imagine how different that episode would have been. 
— Good laugh when Issa claims to be the first black woman to host SNL, then roasts the audience for applauding her lie. 
— That the audience did believe her reminds you of just how few black women have hosted over the decades, although this season ends up being a high-water mark on that front.
— Issa’s material is familiar, but well-delivered. I like how she establishes an intimate connection with the audience, as if she is sharing stories with friends—it’s a very different approach to many standup hosts, who go for big, well-rehearsed sets with the audience expected to be in awe. 
— I remember some criticism of this monologue for nerves or not engaging with the audience. When I was watching the live show, I don’t remember being that alienated by said lack of engagement, but it’s been a few years and I can only go with this dress version. I think this is a natural, proper start to the night, and as I only knew Issa from some episodes of Black Lady Sketch Show, it left me feeling more confident about her as a host. 
STARS: ***½ 

BONJOUR HI!
Montreal morning news show has French Canadian quirks

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— I have a faint memory of some fans assuming Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell were involved in writing this due to the “Mikey is confused and has questions” crutch. However, this was written by Sudi Green, Celeste Yim, Bowen Yang. I believe this is Celeste’s first piece to get on the air. 
— As always I invite any of the few people actually reading this to chime in on whether or not these accents are accurate. 
— It’s interesting to see Bowen and Kate paired up, because they are both similar in having a large number of vanity pieces you are more likely to enjoy if you are a big devotee of their work. If not, well…you’re just shrugging through this along with me.
— Issa has the usual generic host role as the plucky reporter, obsessed with Drake, but she’s giving me a few laughs, like her reminding herself Drake was only paralyzed on his TV show, and telling Mikey’s character to “go to town” on the bagel.
— Mikey gets a lot of criticism for his role in these types of sketches, often blamed for ruining them, but honestly, his sticking his tongue on the bagel and then saying, “I regret doing that on camera,” gives me my only real laugh of the sketch.
— As is often the case, the most innocuous pieces cause controversy, which Bowen responded to with grace and humor. This whole brouhaha was the only part of the sketch I remembered. Watching again, I can see why. I do appreciate the goofiness at a time when many needed the relief, but it’s just not for me.
STARS: ** 

5-HOUR EMPATHY
(BEB) won’t partake of the Black experience 5-Hour Empathy would provide

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— This was originally in dress for the season premiere. 
— One of a number of attempts by SNL to tackle the George Floyd/racial justice protests.
— Beck has a number of strong pre-tapes this season, and while this isn’t one of the best, it’s a great example of just how much the show relied on his skillset by this point.
— The concept of this pre-tape is interesting, simultaneously in line with the show’s usual take (making fun of “liberal” whites) yet being framed in a way that doesn’t feel like something we’ve seen 50 times in the previous 3-4 seasons. The tone feels closer to In Living Color than SNL, especially Kenan’s narrator role.
— The reveal of Beck not actually caring about empathy beyond lip service feels somewhat rushed. 
— Very good brief turn from Heidi (like Beck, maybe the best pre-tape actor SNL has ever had) as his wife, who turns down the pill because being a woman is the same as racism. 
— Kenan’s reaction to that wasn’t really needed.
— There are various details in this I like (Beck’s character pretending to take the pill and being called out, trying to dial back when his wife asks if he’s upset about the football players kneeling).
— Beck’s character jumping out the window rather than taking the pill seems like it should be a strong ending…
— More telling-us-what-we-know narration from Kenan when Beck’s character jumps out the window. 
— And Ego pops in at the end to reinforce the point yet again. Why not just have her as the narrator?
— I’m trying to figure out just why this doesn’t work more for me than it does. I think the main reason is the lack of tension or proper pacing. We feel strangely uninvolved from what should be a volatile subject. The piece suffers from a certain deadness to me in spite of the best efforts of those involved.. I wish they had tried this in a live sketch format, where the rawness (and the smashing-through-window finale) would have been less cut by gloss. 
STARS: ***

FIRST DATE EXES
(host)’s eccentric Times Square exes interrupt her date with (CRR)

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— A slice-of-life sketch, rare for modern SNL.
— This is an example of how being live can benefit some pieces. There’s a certain hesitancy here which adds to the believability of two people having their first date. The quieter audience adds something of an atmosphere for me as well..
— Chris is doing a good job toiling in the usual straight man part. 
— A part of me thinks Issa is somewhat wasted here, but she’s bringing charm and a grounded quality to her role.
— It’s somewhat forgotten now, due to Pete barely even appearing in his final season, but he did have a real spark back in his performances in 46, as shown to good effect here. 
— I’m always glad to see Bowen get a weirdo character part, as he does here, rather than more arch camp. A rarity. 
— More interplay with Bowen and Chris, including Chris asking Bowen to stop calling him “chocolate daddy,” appears in the dress version.
— More “titty meat” mentions than you will ever find anywhere else.
— Punkie has a great walk-on at the end that nearly steals the sketch.
— This gets a little bogged down near the end (when Issa’s character is talking about her job) but it is still a refreshing, offbeat construction. I wish I knew who wrote it. 
STARS: ****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest & Chance The Rapper [real] perform “Holy”

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— Blue: Interesting to see Justin Bieber displaying a spiritual side.
— Justin is in fine voice.
— I like the piano chords at the start, and the playful rhythm change towards the end of the verse.
—The bass guitar sounds great!
— Hello, Chance the Rapper! I would say it’s nice to see him but unfortunately he isn’t adding much to this song.
— Chance and Justin’s voices don’t blend very well.
— Justin’s movements while Chance is rapping are so awkward, like he’s letting Chance have his moment but still wants the spotlight on him.
— I wish they had an actual gospel choir onstage singing the backing vocals. That would really enhance the moment.
STARS: ***

WEEKEND UPDATE
Donald Jr. (MID), Eric (ALM), Tiffany (CLF) don’t doubt pa Trump will win

alone in a pasture, AIB hasn’t found undecided voters

’80s cocaine wife Carla (HEG) bemoans the state of NYC nightlife

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— The Hulu version again has a mix of dress and live.
— We start right off with Trump clips. Yay…
— Love Che shitting on his own network with that Cosby/Lauer/Trump photo.
— The joke about Biden and Trump being so bad that people are tempted by Kanye lands with a thud, for me as well as the audience (as Che acknowledges), because it just makes no sense—Kanye never had any real chance and was an afterthought the whole time. I get the feeling he just wanted to tell the Kennedy/Nixon/Little Richard joke, which might have gotten laughs in 1989, not 2020 (no wonder it feels like a Dennis Miller bit).
— The way Jost is reading his Rudy jokes comes off like he’s never seen them before, although I did like the “That’s Rudy” sitcom joke.
— Step right up for the last go-round of the Trump bros! 
— Written by Emma Clark, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Alex Moffat, Jasmine Pierce, and Streeter Seidell.
— Even though these impressions had made fewer and fewer appearances over Trump’s Presidency, Alex and Mikey have lost little of what made them possibly the only worthwhile impressions of this fallow-on-paper-shallow-onscreen political period. They’re even in sync (mostly).
— Alex in particular is so endearing, whether in wearing the mask wrong, looking at Mikey’s hands, or drinking the hand sanitizer. “Drunk” Eric also gives Alex another very rare chance at the physical comedy he excels at. If you ask me why I am not critical of this impression while I am with Kate in similar roles, I would just say call me a hypocrite.
— In the live version, the hand sanitizer dripped on Alex’s microphone and screwed up his audio.
— Mikey, as always, is doing terrific straight man work as Don Jr. 
— For the first (and last) time, the brothers are joined by a guest.
— Chloe sounds a lot like Miley Cyrus, which is fitting, as when Tiffany made the news several days after this episode, some called for SNL to stunt cast Miley, either not knowing or caring that Chloe had just played the role.
— Chloe also sounds a bit like Goofy, which is fitting enough for the part.
— The jokes about Tiffany being “Notvanka” and keeping social distance from her father may be cheap, but they still amuse me.
— I enjoy the turn of Eric and Tiffany bonding over both blurting out the wrong thing. A rare example of Chloe and Alex getting to work together. 
— With that we say goodbye to the Trump siblings, aside from a few appearances from Mikey’s Don Jr (just one, really, as the other is a quick audio cameo in Chappelle’s last episode). That last appearance, in the fever dream known as the Ukraine telethon cold open, is closer to the relative reality of Don Jr, but much less effective. I’d say because no one watching ever cared about the real Don Jr, just as they never really believed Gerald Ford looked like Chevy Chase. At least we have these five seasons of a quality double act, and ideally, we’ll never be seeing them again. 
— Aidy! At the time, it was a real surprise to me to see Aidy pop up, as she was away filming the final season of Shrill, and I thought Cecily’s pre-taped appearance in the premiere was a one-off. 
— Written by Sudi Green, Fran Gillespie, Rob Klein. 
— Seeing a correspondent out in the wild, and for the first time in a long time, actually being out in a very different location rather than just on the street, is something I wish we got on Update more often. Or even just a few times a decade. 
— Aidy plays the mix of frustration and anger perfectly, and this is kept short and sweet.
— If you’re wondering why I have little to say about most of the jokes, it’s because many are similar to Che’s Neverland joke…hacky groaners.
— I did laugh at Jost’s attempt at a deep voice, followed by Che quickly responding, “Is that voice blackface?”
— The interplay between Jost and Che, and between them and the audience, still carries some of the more predictable material, like Jost chiding the audience for laughing too much when Che calls him a racist. 
— We’re finally getting into a good flow here with the jokes, less because of the wit and more because of how loopy Jost and Che are in delivering and reacting to them (like Che cracking up at the “beaks only” KFC photo). 
— Heidi, making her first of many appearances on Update this season.
— One thing I appreciate about Heidi at the desk this season is she retired the last of her old characters (Bailey Gismert) so you never knew what you were going to get..
— I’m seriously wondering if Heidi is the first correspondent to “do drugs” at the desk and not just reference them. Amazed we got through the ‘70s and ‘80s without this happening…
— The prop work here (a gun, a purse, a compact, a gun, and a play phone) feels much more expansive than usual. 
— The moment where Heidi cries out in pain and mimics being slapped around (complete with sound effects) gives this a stage show feel you rarely get with Update correspondents (similar to Bottle Boi a season earlier).
— At the time, there was some criticism of Heidi just doing a variation of her other Update characters (especially Angel). While I see the point, Heidi is still adding some unique touches, as well as tapping into her capabilities as a dramatic actress. 
— This isn’t quite as strong as I remember it being, but still, effective, a good sign of just how confident Heidi was this season, and a good way to close out Update. 
STARS: ****

YOUR VOICE CHICAGO
(host)’s vow to only back Black candidates is tested

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— This sketch got some comparisons to “How’s He Doing,” the black-cast sketch which appeared a few times in the early ‘10s, but as you will see, the comparison is mostly surface level. 
— This starts out with a wink to Issa Rae’s viral “I’m rooting for everybody black,” comment, which isn’t a bad way to establish the concept, but the lack of audience response deflates the air from the tires ever-so-slightly.
— Kenan being a real pro goes without saying, but his excellence at navigation is key to making this work as well as it does.
— The audience is pretty much dead from the start, but to her credit, Issa just powers right through, and eventually, as we see the increasing amount of knots her character ties herself into, she does earn some laughs from the crowd.
— The part with Chris isn’t bad (even if it feels somewhat hollow), but it shuts off some of the momentum building up to that point. 
— I haven’t talked about Ego, but she’s doing strong support work, with great poise. Her ease here is one of those indications of just how important she would be to the show in a season where so much was in flux.
— We now cut to Maya’s other guest appearance of the night. As someone who has a very mixed opinion on Maya’s tenure as a cast member, I have to say that I truly do enjoy most of the cameos she made this season when not playing Kamala. She could play this role in her sleep, but she still has good energy. 
— I also appreciate seeing a beloved vet side-by-side with a featured player, one only in her third episode—such a contrast to the frequent know-your-place vibes the show exudes. 
— This is the sketch that truly sold me on Punkie. Going into the season, I assumed Punkie would be introduced via Update and win people over with some variation of her standup act, as Leslie, Pete, etc. did. Instead, she does not appear on Update until near the end of the season, and instead spends these early episodes having to make a fast impression in support. Her presence and ease with the camera under such difficult circumstances never really got enough credit, but I’m glad it at least got her asked back for another year. 
— The part where Issa’s character slowly and desperately manages to convince Ego’s character to support the Diamond and Silk knockoffs is probably my favorite part of this, especially when she just settles on saying they need employment. 
— The real Diamond and Silk reacted to this sketch. 
— After a steady buildup, the good joke at the end (Issa’s character, after “voting for everybody black” to pained effect, straight up says “Eff Kanye”) feels rushed, and gets no response from the audience, although it got a response from Kanye which goes about how you’d expect.. 
— I remember this sketch, more than any other of this episode (and possibly of the season) being singled out for the near-complete lack of audience support, with some using this to claim the sketch was bad, others saying the audience just didn’t understand the material. This is one of those occasions where I truly do wish the crowd had been more involved, and I think on some nights, they would have, but I’m going to try to grade in spite of them. The sketch had a few bumps, but overall I think it is Issa’s best showcase of the night, one with a good concept and mostly well-executed; I’d say it deserves a reevaluation. 
STARS: **** 

DANCER
hoping to impress musical guest, KYM & host demonstrate dance moves

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— Written by Kyle Mooney and Will Stephen.
— You know Kyle has been on SNL for a long time when he has pre-tapes called “Dancer” and “Dancing”.
— At the time, I was pleasantly surprised to see Kyle and Issa teaming up for a pre-tape, as it felt very different from the increasingly narrowly-focused Kyle backstage pieces (that focus often being, “Kyle’s a loser.”). This is also something of an acknowledgment, intended or not, that both Issa and Kyle started out making online shorts around the same time and parlayed those into larger careers.
— Interesting how Justin Bieber’s SNL sketch journey has gone from appearing in several gross and bad pieces, to hosting a somewhat infamous episode, to only appearing in a few seconds of a pre-tape.
— Kyle’s horrible rendition of “Respect” is done just right.
— I like how Issa now goes from the straight observer of Kyle’s nonsense to jumping right in with her own nonsense. It’s a nice subversion without being treated as a subversion.
— A good turn into a fantasy sequence with Issa and Kyle in what looks like a combo of the “Scream” and “No Scrubs” videos. Kyle’s pre-tapes usually don’t indulge in these flights of fancy. 
— Glad to see Chance pop in briefly to remind us of his strong comedic skills. Up to the time of his arrival I wondered if this was one of those muted pre-tapes, as the audience was completely silent. 
— The end, with Andrew forcibly shutting down Kyle’s attempts to be cute for the camera, is an interesting meta piece on several levels, even more than I had remembered. This is the first time in the sketch they even acknowledge they are on camera, which adds a vaguely unsettling feel. 
— Andrew’s biggest role of the season (for a few more minutes, anyway). At the time, it felt like a big passing of the torch moment. Little did I realize that would not quite turn out as expected—Kyle would stay another season, but Andrew, rather than waiting his turn for any type of “weirdo” gap to open up in the cast, carved out his own place, often on a completely different sphere of the show to Kyle. 
— I am not overly fond of the tone and quality of a number of Kyle’s backstage pieces from season 44 on, but there are several exceptions. This is one of them. It’s more than a little underwritten, but the lo-fi vibes and offbeat use of the host draw me in. I think it holds up well enough on a repeat viewing. 
STARS: ***½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Lonely”

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— John: At the time of original airing, I appreciated the backstage tour aspect of this performance, but until recently I did not realize Bieber was recreating the video for the song. The melancholic atmosphere works for me more than I would have expected. 
— Blue: This is the second season in a row that’s featured a musical performance which opens with the artist singing from backstage. 
— Great shift from falsetto to a mixed register on the second verse.
— I never liked Justin Bieber, but if these lyrics are at all autobiographical, I’m starting to feel sympathy for him.
— Excellent vocal runs on the repetition of the pre-chorus.
— Huh, that was a remarkably short performance.
STARS: ***

JACK FLATTS
restaurant fans (BEB), (KYM), (AND), (KET) threaten governor kidnapping

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— One of the infrequent live sketches of modern years to not have the host. 
— Melissa in a very rare, and in this case, thankless voiceover role. 
— I sometimes think of Beck/Kyle/Andrew as a golden trio we never got. By this time, Beck and Kyle were only a duo on special occasions, so the three of them together was—and is—a treat. I’m glad we get another trio piece for them coming up later this season.
— Opening on three men just bellowing, Will Ferrell-style, is one of the first strong signs of the show shifting away from the more female-dominated balance of recent seasons (helped by two of them being elsewhere, admittedly).
— The tone is also a huge jolt back to mid-late ‘90s SNL, which is jarring to experience in 2020.
— There’s something funny in Beck and Kyle screaming nonsense and then suddenly getting very quiet when it’s time to say, “I’ll kidnap the governor.”
— Apparently the mumbling was essentially inaudible in dress, due to sound issues. This explains why the Lovecraft Country sketch I will be reviewing later down the page has such weird audio problems.
— Beck whining about not liking masks because he “can’t see smiles” makes me laugh.
— Kenan’s performance in this is… maybe not something one should think too much about, but they don’t overdo the “Kenan reacts” mode, and he serves as a good contrast to Beck’s boisterousness. 
— Speaking of that—while Kyle and Andrew are very good here, this sketch is just made for Beck. Few, if any, in the cast over the decades could play man-children so perfectly.
— Nice to see Lauren pop up. At the time I was happy to see all the new people getting a chance to shine (as is often the case, that did not last very long). I just wish we’d gotten more of Lauren, Punkie and Andrew together
— Lauren weaves in and out of the sketch, but she still finds a certain core, helped by the understated bleakness of the waitress who is so desperate for money. Her resigned despair feels more “real” than the usual mode with a performer shouting out what their character is feeling and doing. 
— While Andrew was not “new” to the show, due to being a writer since season 43, just watch some Mike O’Brien (a fantastic writer and pre-tape performer) sketches from early season 39 to see how writers may not translate to the live format. Andrew is with three longtime vets, and he’s still giving a confident, charismatic performance, even while ranting nonsensically about George Washington wanting to be teased. 
— It’s notable that this is the sketch, so close to the end, that wakes the audience and mostly keeps their support. I’m not sure if it’s the constant switch from shouting to defensive muttering, or just the raw nature, but even when this goes on a minute or so too long, the audience doesn’t give up.
— I appreciate that this got on the air more than I love the sketch itself, but there’s still a great deal of energy, a throwback feel, a different use of cast, and just a general mirage of something far away from modern SNL. If this had just been trimmed a tad I think it would be wonderful. As it is, still good, with sparks of brilliance…and it’s always important to just let SNL be weird.
STARS: ****

EBAY
eBay is ready to address broken promises of pandemic self-betterment

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— This was also in dress for the season premiere.
— Cecily voiceover, meaning she’s there even when she actually isn’t. 
— Great premise, likely relatable to a number of their viewers without trying too hard to seem relatable. 
— Ego, Heidi and Chris were all smart choices for their roles.
— After a night where some of Chris’ work in the sketches bordered on, “say comedy line, widen eyes,” I’m glad he gets a chance to show his mettle here. The moment where he says no one told him that playing the guitar hurts is my favorite part of the whole thing.
— Kind of neat to watch Heidi listening to herself (it sounds like her, anyway) in silly voice mode for “Selling Sunset.” 
— I don’t think this needed the extension of the “Prebay” section, but if we’re going to get another padded short, we could have done worse. 
— Cecily saying “bail” reminds me of the “Fashion Coward” pre-tape.
— Ego has the least to do of the three performers, but this is mollified by a wonderful visual image of her trying to bubble wrap a harp. You don’t usually get such great images in these fake ads. 
— I like the ass-covering “doesn’t apply to you if you worked or had kids,” closing. 
— This suffers from many of the same sins as most modern fake ads (explain, explain again…fill more time…), but is still a worthwhile watch that doesn’t play out the same beats as most pandemic material this season (often “lol alcoholism”) and allows for some quality performances from the players. 
STARS: ***½ 

GOODNIGHTS

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— Issa pleading with people to vote really gets to me, mostly because it reminds me it feels like nothing ever changes, beyond getting worse. 
— Eerie seeing such a (relatively) sparse stage after many years of bloat.
— In dress, Pete came out still wearing the outfit he’d had on for the First Date sketch. He’s nowhere to be found here. 
— In dress, Bieber left as soon as Issa finished speaking. At least he stuck around this time.
— Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin are listed in the credits. No idea what they wrote, but I’ve seen some suggestion of “Jack Flatts,” which would make sense (especially with Beck’s involvement). 

CUT FOR TIME: SUNDAY NIGHT PLANS
host attempts to pitch convoluted Lovecraft Country at tailgate party

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— Written by Sam Jay and Gary Richardson. 
— This is even more of a straight-up slice of life piece than the date sketch, so much so that it’s compelling watching various players who are usually not in this environment try to go through it (particularly Kenan, whose whole SNL career is a world away from this type of performance).
— The mentions of Lovecraft Country, which went from everywhere to nowhere (although it helped give us a host) remind me of how long ago 2020 feels.
— A pleasant surprise to have Ego playing a queer character without this being made into a punch line or a reason for the audience to gawk.
— Issa seems a little nervous, but the skittishness fits the character.
— Issa and Chris have a good back-and-forth in this. 
— Heidi’s very frail “white ally,” quickly shut down by Issa’s character, is played just right. 
— Some serious audio issues peppered through this, especially when Issa is trying to describe the show.
— It’s so refreshing to see attempts at character traits and relationships that aren’t just there for a punchline. Issa’s character is abrasive and the people around her react to that, just as real friends do, rather than staged conflicts for the sake of staged conflicts.
— I like the thread of Kenan’s character constantly drinking and going to get more beers, which, along with him constantly defending Issa’s character, has a good payoff.
— I can see why this was cut, much as I would have loved to have seen it as part of the episode. I’m just happy, and somewhat bewildered, that it was uploaded at all. 
— I’m grading this on a curve, somewhat, but as a last hurrah for Gary Richardson and Sam Jay before Jay’s departure for her own sketch show (they do have one more sketch that gets on but it’s a group effort in the Chappelle episode), as well as a heartbreakingly rare echo of the more reality-based material the show has lacked over the last 30 years, I feel like I have a right to do so.
STARS: ****½ 

OTHER DRESS REHEARSAL SKETCHES
— A pre-tape with Andrew, on a beach vacation, watching via Ring cam as Mikey, Pete and Chris break into his home. They, and Issa (as the Ring controller), question Andrew about why he isn’t spending more time with his family while on vacation, only for him to tell them his wife and kids have their own vacation. They start doing the limbo and encouraging him to come out of his shell. After they tell him to go talk to a girl on the beach, he thanks them, calling them his best friends and telling them to enjoy burgling his house, which they proceed to do. (I’m surprised this was never uploaded, as Issa’s presence means it can’t be used again) 
— Mikey and Ego as actors in a commercial, with Issa having to talk to them about their COVID tests. The setup was similar to SNL’s own testing processes. Melissa, Bowen and Heidi as techs who were just trained about COVID tests only 30 minutes earlier. Mikey and Ego would ask what was going on as the three of them had no idea what they were doing, did not wear their masks properly, didn’t put names on COVID tests, etc. The punchline is that they were doing a porn commercial for cereal. (This doesn’t sound great, but I’m sorry we never got a Bowen/Heidi/Melissa team-up, and never did.) 

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— Some fans I have a lot of respect for enjoy this episode and consider it a road not taken for the rest of the season, while others I have a lot of respect for were underwhelmed, or unable to feel involved due to the audience. My own opinion is more on the positive side, which is why I wanted to review it. While I don’t have any knockout grades, I think the episode takes a few risks and builds up a good flow from Update onward. I’m more positive about season 46 than some fans are, but I can’t deny that a number of episodes just feel empty. Much of this episode, for me, is full of creativity, even with quieter crowds. This also feels like one of the few episodes of the season that wants us to embrace all the newer cast and not just see them as placeholders or helpers.
— At the time these episodes aired, I was on something of a high horse if people felt that the quiet crowds hurt their viewing experience. Now that we’re a few years removed from that disorienting period (as an SNL fan and…just in general), I see that this wasn’t entirely fair on my part, and I can understand why viewers as well as the cast and crew may have felt demoralized. The episode got over enough for me that I didn’t mind the subdued atmosphere, but if this had been something on the level of that Elon Musk episode airing at this particular point in time in the season, I probably would have been in despair. 
— A common criticism of reviewers was the common criticism of many episodes—that the host was wasted. There are certainly many occasions where this is the case, but I think Issa got a few strong chances to use her comic voice, with another if you count “Lovecraft Country.” That’s more than a number of hosts tend to get, especially comedians in recent years. I hope she can come back and get even more chances. Maybe if that movie she did with Bill Hader ever comes out…? 

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

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RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
(CFT: Sunday Night Plans)
Your Voice Chicago
Jack Flatts
First Date Exes
Weekend Update
Dancer
eBay
Monologue
5-Hour Empathy
Bonjour Hi!
Dueling Town Halls 

TOMORROW
The one and only Kabir will be reviewing Adele/H.E.R.

October 10, 2020 – Bill Burr / Jack White (S46 E2)

by Matt

VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Bidenfly (Jim Carrey) teleports to Mike Pence’s (BEB) head during debate

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— Goddammit, I thought I’d never have to see this cold open again. Sigh… alright.
— I did get an unintentional laugh out of the dichotomy between the roaring applause from Maya’s entry and how Beck, for his entrance, received less than crickets.
— Maya’s Kamala repeatedly grilling into Beck’s Pence for interrupting her and mugging at his every word is the sort of thing that Maya can execute incredibly well, and she gives this material the best shot at working, but y’know, she’s still shooting for a hoop a thousand miles away. It’s fine, for what it is.
— Coming down on Kamala for stepping back from her stance against fracking is the sort of thing I’m surprised SNL would call out, though it executes it in such a way that she still gets applause by the end of her line. Daring writing.
— Oh, and now here’s Jim Carrey’s Joe Biden impression, which just feels like a bad memory that we all collectively had. I don’t want to belabor the point of everyone else who has to cover his impression, as I’m sure all of us will say the exact same thing, but Jim is an ace sketch performer who was woefully miscast and never found a bead on the impression beyond being “Jim Carrey as Joe Biden.” From the moment it debuted, I was pretty much just waiting for it to be retired, and thankfully, after this season’s insane, six-week stretch, he’d be gone for good… though SNL’s anxious struggle to find someone to play Biden would continue. Anyway: Joe Biden is here to turn into a fly, like in the movie The Fly (which Biden, of course, famously starred in), because satire.
— I remember thinking, when I watched this VP debate, that there was no way that SNL would find a way to fuck up the ridiculousness of a fly landing on Beck’s face, but I suppose I don’t give the show enough credit in its ability to trip on its own dick. At the very least, the show was willing to acknowledge how stupid this was in the season finale, which I’ll honestly respect.
— I have no idea what that weird gun pantomime thing is that Jim has done in his Biden impression several times.
— Oh, and now Jim Carrey is Joe Biden as a fly as Jeff Goldblum, because again, satire.
— It does tickle me, as usual, how cocky SNL is that for all of the fucking stupid things to happen to Trump and Biden, they still didn’t pose a legitimately menacing chance of retaining the presidency. Didn’t learn anything last round, guys?
— Kenan makes an appearance as a second fly, who is also Herman Cain. It’s a little bit more scathing, and Kenan is doing his best to inject some fun into proceedings, but the cold open is very much spiraling out by this point.
— Kinda fun to see Jim and Kenan sliding down the set of Pence’s hair while saying their LFNY. Definitely one of the more memorable ones from this era.
— In summation: woof woof.
STARS: *

MONOLOGUE
host does stand-up about coronavirus, woke white women, gay pride month

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— Bill Burr would say on his podcast that he was originally asked to host last season, though his scheduled booking was canceled due to the pandemic. It’s nice to see him given the chance to return. It’s also been quite some time since we’ve had a stand-up making their SNL debut, so this feels refreshing.
— It’s certainly not new to hear the sort of jokes that Bill is telling about how he doesn’t care if you wear a mask because that just means you’ll take out your grandparents—these were all pretty well-mined at the time—but they still pop pretty well under Bill’s trademark delivery, and feel a bit ballsy to hear on SNL.
— “Speaking of dreams come true, did ya see Rick Moranis got sucker-punched on the Upper West Side? New York is back, baby!”
— Mm, I can always do without stand-ups going on some antiquated rant about “Ohhh no I’ll probably get canceled for saying that!” This is like the appetizer for Dave Chappelle saying “Triggered?” with a shit-eating grin in a few weeks.
— I do love Bill’s segue of “PLOWING AHEAD!” after his cancel culture bit fizzles out.
— Bill’s bit about how white women have co-opted the woke movement is going a lot better, and I like his comments about how they’ve stood by white men for centuries as they engaged in repugnant behavior. I struggle to know how exactly to feel about Bill simply out of a lack of exposure, but I do like that he’s usually pretty good at finding ways to do his gruff social commentary with a sense of tact.
— “Listen, I don’t wanna speak ill of my bitches here…”
— Another funny bit about how Bill’s discovery of what Pride Month is was like him suddenly seeing the Matrix. (“AAAHH! Tank tops! Zero percent body fat!”)
— The comments about how gay people shouldn’t have a longer and better month than black people straddles the line pretty well; it’s the part of this monologue that I remember the most.
— Overall, there were a few turns I wasn’t as huge of a fan of, but Bill did a good job here at waking up the tough audience that S46 tends to have. Not an all-timer, but enjoyable.
STARS: ****

NOON NORMAL
upon emerging from isolation, (host) & (KAM) are called out for malaprops

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— Right off the bat, this premise feels sort of flat, but Bill is in fine form here as this character. (Someone who has insane, angry outbursts—surprising, right?) Kate in these types of roles, I can always take it or leave it, but Bill’s chemistry with her is making it more palatable; they’re a good duo.
— Minor gaffe with Ego saying she was pronouncing “Dua Lipa” wrong, but with her correct pronunciation also not being right (“leepa,” not “lippa”). I wouldn’t normally point something that pedantic out but I mean, it is the premise of this sketch.
— Kenan is funny as the neighbor trying to tell people not to correct Bill and Kate.
— Bill is going at this now with full, psychotic energy, and he’s selling this thing hard. (“Things get REPEATED! Our brains get CONFUSED!”) Kate’s fury, meanwhile, feels a bit too self-aware and campy to be fully working, but it’s not to the detriment of the scene so much as her commitment could help sell it further. Imagine how much better this would be with Cecily in her role…
STARS: ***½

THE BLITZ
sports teasing is sour in wake of police shooting of Black man

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— Goddamn, the turn this sketch takes up top with Bill having to painfully swallow up his gleeful antagonism for a sports bet he made with Kenan since Kenan didn’t even watch the game, because he was too distraught by news of the fatal shooting of a black man… that’s one of the most brutal turns I can think of an SNL sketch taking. It’s wisely not played for laughs, giving Bill’s character a moment to realize how deep of a mistake he’s made.
— And so, the game of the sketch begins, with Bill having to painfully step back everything that he’s said, and everything that he’s scheduled to happen, because of how flagrantly tone-deaf it’s become. It’s absolute gold, and Bill, once again, is perfectly-cast here, selling his exasperation with aplomb.
— A great beat where Bill feebly attempts to dissuade the steak Pete’s delivered to him. Mikey as another waiter, presenting Kenan with a giant baby bottle, is even better.
— Pete seems rather awkwardly cast in this role. It’s a bit of a nothing role, but he’s coming across as a touch unnatural.
— Another way that this feels perfectly written for Bill as a host is how it tasks him with wandering through the most deadly of laser beams, all of which end up being to his own undoing. The switch where he awkwardly tries to prevent the steak from simply being thrown out and wasted since it’s already there is the sort of moment that few other hosts would be able to pull off as effectively.
— Love Bill’s response when he’s put on the spot for not “remembering” the name of the shooting victim: “God, you know… there’s so many guys to name—and that’s the problem!”
— The ending with Bill immediately calling Kenan out for squelching on the bill is a great way to reset the sketch before it gets too lost in the deep shit it’s stepped into. This is such a strong, underrated sketch, daring in a way that I feel like SNL so rarely is these days (and especially this season) in its satirical approach to contemporary issues. I gotta really award it for that.
STARS: *****

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH
(BEB)’s political viral video try is poorly received; Jason Momoa cameo

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— Beck is always good at playing holier-than-thou millennial airheads. 
— Geez, going right into this from “The Blitz.” SNL really doubling down on the cringe comedy this episode.
— This sketch is directly following the same format as the “Pepsi Commercial Shoot” sketch from Louis C.K.’s S42 episode. I’m usually pretty skeptical of sketches rehashing ideas like this, though I feel like it’s fair enough game here, and I kind of like extending that idea over to something which feels a bit less topical.
— This is essentially a one-joke premise, but Beck is selling it very well, and I like all of the different beats from the people he interacts with who verblessly crush the glimmer in his eyes and express how abhorrent his video was.
— Random Jason Momoa cameo, but it escalates the sketch to a necessary conclusion, with Beck taking his angry video call as a sign that he’s becoming famous.
STARS: ****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Don’t Hurt Yourself”, Ball & Biscuit”, and “Jesus Is Coming Soon”

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— Matt: Jack White returns to 8H as an emergency back-up musical guest, in light of the scheduled musical guest, Morgan Wallen, being forced to cancel due to not obeying COVID protocols. It’s one of the greatest examples of a crisis averted that I can think of—on only a few day’s notice, White flew to New York, assembled this medley (featuring altered, topical lyrics), and absolutely fucking killed it. Two of my favorite performances in the show’s history.
— Blue: Wow, Jack White is out there with only a drummer and a bassist to back him up. That’s a gutsy move (though he probably couldn’t get any other musicians down there on such a short notice). I’m ready to hear them make some noise.
— Very intrigued by drummer Daru Jones’ unconventional setup. And judging from the comments on the video I’m watching, so are a lot of people.
— Loving those clean, tasty guitar riffs at the beginning.
— Oh, I like the effect the engineer put on Jack’s vocal mic. Reminds me of the three-mic setup he used in his S44 performance.
— I’m having a lot of fun watching Daru play– probably not as much as he’s having, though!
— After a few bars of “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” we’re treated to a sizzling transition into “Ball and Biscuit,” sounding much rawer than the White Stripes’ studio recording.
— The interplay between Jack and Daru is fascinating to watch.
— Jack’s guitar is starting to drown out his vocals, but the guitar sounds so good that I couldn’t care less.
— That first solo……. Excuse me, I need a moment to pick my jaw up from the floor.
— “The great disease was mighty, and people were sick everywhere.” Topical lyrics indeed…
— Great dynamic contrast between the first and second times that Jack sings “Let’s have a ball and a biscuit.” 
— Jack’s second solo was less jaw-dropping than the first, but I can still practically smell the smoke coming off that guitar. Or is that my brain frying? That was sick. 
— Is it premature to give a five-star rating when I haven’t seen the second performance yet? Well, fuck it…
STARS: *****

WEEKEND UPDATE
Dr. Wayne Wenowdis (KAM) holds forth on pandemic-related epistemology

KAM explains that Dr. Wayne Wenowdis is a coping mechanism for hard times

Harry Potter tattoo-owning PED is unhappy with J.K. Rowling’s transphobia

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— Che, regarding Trump recovering from COVID: “It kinda feels like when there’s a car crash, but the only survivor is the drunk driver.” Wonderfully mean.
— Usually Che walks away from these Updates with the most cutting material while Jost huffs about with the corniest stuff the writers could conjure, but Jost’s actually getting some really fun digs in here, I assume because the news story of Trump having coronavirus is a perfect happenstance for comedy writers. His comment likening how Trump didn’t learn a thing from the experience to someone smoking through the hole in their neck… so good.
— The debut of Kate’s character, Dr. Wenowdis. I recall enjoying it at the time, but I wonder how well it’ll play for me now.
— I will say, there is very limited enjoyment I’m getting out of this initial phase of Kate’s commentary, where she just keeps saying “We know dis” or derivative terms. Before the meta angle approaches, it’s ungodly convincing as a thin Kate vanity piece.
— To Kate’s credit, though, she is actually doing a great job of playing all of this off as a sincerely loose performance, which I think is part of why the twist worked so well for me the first time. It felt legitimately unexpected, earned, and organic, even though it’s obviously written into the piece. (“Are you okay?” “…I’m obviously not.”) So in a way—and this feels odd to say—I don’t think anyone could’ve sold this correspondent piece better than Kate does.
— Overall, I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did the first time, which is perhaps unsurprising with the element of surprise gone, but I’ll give it some credit for trying something different and offering Kate a chance at a more conceptual and involved performance.
— Heh, I love how Che always ends up getting the bestiality jokes.
— Pete’s commentary on J.K. Rowling isn’t particularly remarkable. He’s in fine form as always doing his stand-up at the desk, but there’s not any particularly tactful argument being made, and his jokes feel pretty standard for the subject matter.
— Okay, I did really like Pete describing the core difference between him and Dobby the House Elf: “I’m a real person, and he gets his films released in theaters.”
— Similarly, the comment from Pete about how Rowling’s use of goblins as the creatures who control banks in Hogwarts is anti-Semitic feels like a pretty tired observation—there’s so much shit in these books—but Pete’s digression about how he could make those comments because he’s half-goblin is great.
STARS: ***½

DON PAULY
after 20 years behind bars, mob boss (host) lacks modern sensibilities

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— This sketch was cut from Adam Sandler’s S44 episode. I can see why it would find a second home in this episode considering the host and the sort of subject matter this night’s been tackling.
— I can’t tell if I like this premise or not; I think there’s something to the idea of a mafia boss having to be caught up to speed with what is now politically-correct, but it also feels like it risks being hacky. And either way, a large part of the humor comes from the lack of sensitivity to Bill’s words, which is something that just doesn’t feel super fresh by this point in the night. 
— I do like the beat about how nobody knows who Jamie Kennedy is anymore (a joke perhaps enhanced by knowing just how much questionable stuff Jamie Kennedy used to do).
— I’ll at least flag Alex playing a non-binary character as unique, because as a non-binary person it feels interesting to see that concept be recognized on SNL. It still feels like these “modern ideas” are being couched as jokes in a vaguely uncomfortable way, though.
— Punkie gets her first notable role in this sketch as a black mobster. She’s alright, though as with some of her work this season, it’s hard to tell if the writing doesn’t do much for her or if she simply isn’t landing the jokes as well as she could.
— A sudden and random-feeling ending with Punkie shooting Kyle per Bill’s instruction.
STARS: **½

SAMUEL ADAMS JACK-O-PUMPKIN ALE
real Bostonians like coarse (host) appraise Samuel Adams pumpkin ale

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— A sequel to the great “Dunkin’ Donuts” sketch from Casey Affleck’s S42 episode.
— I do take issue in how much this obeys the template of the first one, what with how the situation intensifies and the inclusion of Mikey as the same character, but Bill is making this sketch his own. It’s a testament to how much of a force of nature he is, and it’s helping the sketch strike enough of a different tone.
— The second beat, where Bill goes from immediately spitting the beer out to downing an entire glass and then saying “I don’t like that.” is strong, as is Heidi’s concerned side-eye.
— Hi, Lauren Holt! Bye, Lauren Holt!
— Fun detail that Bill’s character has a cast on his left arm with crudely-censored drawings on it.
— There’s also a decent change in the dynamic between Mikey and the host’s characters, going from a friend in the Casey installment to an argumentative son in this one. Again, the beats are playing out similarly, but the dialogue feels equally strong… so it’s just kind of unfortunate that this one has to be derivative. Still, I can’t deduct too many points.
STARS: ****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Lazaretto”

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— Blue: I love Jack’s blue plaid suit, it certainly flatters him. And it matches with his guitar!
— Once again, Jack’s guitar is overpowering his vocals. I care a little more about it this time because I’m finding his rhythmic delivery to be more interesting than the guitar’s main riff.
— Jack’s delivery is sounding more and more like rapping as he goes along. There are a lot of little things to love about his performance– the way his voice goes up at the end of “lazarettO,” the rhythmic, conversational way he sings “making models of people I used to know,” his faint, smothered laughter on the line “out of coffee and cotton…”
— Love the earsplitting shriek that kicks off Jack’s first solo. 
— Now Jack’s hit a pedal to bring some welcome distortion into the solo.
— I’m not too sure about the dissonance that marks the transition into the next part of the song. Feel like there was a better way to transition it.
— Darus is totally captivating to watch, now standing up and smashing the cymbals as if his life depends on it.
— I feel like the ending could have been less abrupt. I wanted a little more from it. 
— Wow! That’s all I can say. Jack and his band crushed it!
STARS: *****

IN MEMORIAM
a clip of Eddie Van Halen performing on SNL marks his passing

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— SNL honors the passing of Eddie Van Halen earlier in the week by showing a brief clip from his performance of “Stompin’ 8H” from the S12 Valerie Bertinelli episode. It’s a nice bit of happenstance that Jack White would be the musical guest here, and he pays tribute with a Van Halen-inspired guitar solo in “Lazaretto.” Bill wears a Van Halen shirt during the goodnights and announces, “Rest in peace!”

GOODNIGHTS

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CUT FOR TIME: GOSPEL PLAY PROMO
production of “God, God, Don’t Let Whitey Take The House” is a real by-the-numbers gospel play 

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— North Carolina! Always like seeing the homestate get a shout-out whenever it’s not because of something bad.
— The production value in this sketch is great; it feels rare to see SNL spoofing this sort of live play production. The performances are also very on-point. Unfortunately, I can’t say I’m connecting a ton to it, simply because I lack awareness of the sort of thing that the sketch is parodying and it lacks obvious punchlines.
— I liked the scene between Bill and Chris. I’m starting to get keyed more into the joke of this sketch and the sort of tropes it’s exploiting even if I can’t say I love it as a whole.
— Random inclusion of Pete playing a role in this sketch as himself, playing a Jon B.-esque role. Was that added because the writers weren’t confident that this one would get a ton of laughs with its pastiche work? Because honestly… fair.
— I feel like I’m simply not the right audience for this sketch, because I can tell it’s doing a damned good job of what it’s making fun of, but I can’t for the life of me claim I know anything about that specific genre of content. Kudos to SNL, though, for writing a piece like this that really plays for black audiences, a nice and rare sort of opportunity that comes with how many black cast members are currently in the cast.
STARS: ***

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A strong episode. Bill Burr was a natural host, and the show wrote to his voice incredibly well, even if I wish that he got more chances to participate in this episode. (A lot of the episodes early in this season feel skimpy on material, especially as a byproduct of the long cold opens and stand-up monologues.) While I don’t frequently account for the musical guest as part of an episode’s quality, I have to shout out Jack White here, who compliments the energy Bill brings to this episode perfectly.

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

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RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
The Blitz
Samuel Adams Jack-O-Pumpkin Ale
Enough is Enough
Monologue
Noon Normal
Weekend Update
(CFT: Gospel Play)
Don Pauly
Vice Presidential Debate

TOMORROW
John tackles Issa Rae’s episode

October 3, 2020 – Chris Rock / Megan Thee Stallion (S46 E1)

by Vax Novier

THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) interrupts Joe Biden (Jim Carrey) at debate

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ー Starting off the season with an unnecessary disclaimer saying that the debate is a rebroadcast, possibly to avoid addressing any comments about Trump’s then-recent Covid diagnosis. It goes on to bring up the subtext of SNL returning to live, in-studio shows by stating this may be the only presidential debate that takes place.
ー Beck portrays Chris Wallace this time around, but you just know they would’ve brought in Tom Hanks to play him again for the headlines if it weren’t for the global pandemic going on.
ー Alec Baldwin has now been the resident Trump impersonator long enough to be part of two election cycles of debate sketches. What the hell has happened?! Clearly, no one on the show would have ever expected him to win or they wouldn’t have brought Baldwin on in the first place to coast off of the Tina-as-Palin hype years before. And now we’re left with 40+ openings of the bare minimum, instead of replacing him after the first year with a better performer whose impression wouldn’t have to be stuffed in our faces several times in succession long after Trump’s term had ended, because “star power+word salad=comedy gold!” according to Lorne. But at least this volume of content won’t age poorly and be uncomfortable to watch within a year due to the performer…
ー If that wasn’t bad enough, we get the debut of Jim Carrey’s short-lived Biden. Aside from the obvious issue of having another celebrity guest playing the primary presidential candidate, it’s less of an impression and more of an outlet for Carrey-shtick. While using the role to highlight comedic bits isn’t necessarily a problem (Chevy established a memorable Ford portrayal long ago without actually imitating the president at all), this is geared for a specific reaction that falls flat if the audience isn’t on board.
ー Proving that the show has learned nothing over the past 4 years, Carrey’s Biden is equipped with cocky reactions to Trumpwin’s rambling. Kate-as-Hillary was portrayed in a similar way and look how that turned out.
ー They’re really pushing for those little Biden quirks like the paper bag and the finger guns, but none of them are landing well at all.
ー A too easy joke with Trump bringing out panties and calling it a mask.
ー Very random Harry Styles appearance in the form of a pre-taped insert. I see they’re finding ways around the restrictions so they can still have a cameo-fest.
ー Cecily makes her only appearance during this six week stretch of episodes in a similar pre-taped insert, parodying Kimberly Guilfoyle’s ecstatic speech at the RNC over the summer. She will be away filming her show Schmigadoon! until December, as the shoot got delayed due to the ensuing lockdown after the initial Covid outbreak.
ー And now Maya, who we’re going to be seeing a lot of over the next couple months, has arrived on the scene as Kamala Harris, making her first appearance after Kamala was selected as Biden’s running mate (we can admit there’s a good portion of the population who wouldn’t be aware of her if it weren’t for Maya’s impression and its engineered-to-be-viral bits, right?). 
ー I really could do without all the applause-inducing clapter bait every couple minutes, but their inclusion is basically commonplace for these extended cold opens by now.
ー Going on minute 10 and the aimless direction is killing me! Did they even watch the debate that week?! I’m not asking for a shot-for-shot recreation of the event, but the material it provided could’ve been enough for the show to go off of, given its desire to reenact each and every highlight of these debates.
ー Then Biden uses the remote from Click to pause Trump before making a personal campaign appeal to the audience. A legitimate concept that was written out and transcribed on stage in full sincerity.
ー Once again, everyone should feel very lucky the election ended up the way it did, or this piece would go down as a bold assumption moment aging poorly.
ー The ending was literally set up for Jim to deliver a solo LFNY, but they had to make it yet another group exclamation of the line by having Trumpwin be “unpaused” (right after stating that he wasn’t going to be) and Maya just popping back into the scene! What could’ve been a triumphant energy booster for a new age of the show marked by uncertainty and fear, instead becomes an incoherent mismatch, delivered in three different tones that lacks any unison and fails to inspire any sense of invigoration to the proceedings 
ー A terrible way to start the season and for the show to make its return in the pandemic era. Yet another batch of guest star galore filled with weak attempts at pandering to the audience. And this is far from the end of the drudge due to some self-imposed requirement to cover every single debate during the election.
STARS: *

OPENING MONTAGE

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ー After the quarantine episodes provided a custom opening sequence, a new intro felt inevitable for the fall.
ー The usual New York scenery is depicted while incorporating a mix of still images and motion imagery for the cast, seen hanging around the 30 Rock plaza and in the Studio 8H, wearing masks in at least one of their individual shots.
ー Funny enough,  a couple years back, I was thinking up a possible intro that showed the cast throughout the studio in a fast-paced, consecutive take style similar to the one in season 29. So it’s interesting to see the concept utilized here, even if the execution is kind of a baseline approach.
ー Ego Nwodim has been promoted to the repertory cast.
ー Andrew Dismukes, Lauren Holt, and Punkie Johnson have been added to the cast, bringing it to an all-time high of 20 people! Between the extensive cold open and the time it takes to rattle off every name (with a 3-5 second gap between each of them), we’re already 15 minutes into the episode. Not to mention the following standup monologue, nearly bringing the runtime all the way to the 30-minute mark.
ー Bill Murray can be seen wearing a mask and holding a Y-shaped balloon before the musical guest shot (last screencap above).

MONOLOGUE
CSR does stand-up about the intersection of coronavirus & government

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ー We get a first look at the studio setup to accommodate social distancing requirements. Several plexiglass shields have been placed between the band membersーthe ones who weren’t relocated to neighboring studiosーand the audience capacity is now limited. 
ー Rock comes out wearing a mask that he takes off as he heads to the front of the home base stage. Bill Burr does the same the following week, but it doesn’t become a tradition. The only other hosts to enter with a mask on going forward would be Jason Bateman and John Krasinski.
ー Chris, when addressing Trump’s hospital stay, “My heart goes out to Covid.” As alluded to earlier, this statement brought some controversy for allegedly bashing the president when he was down.
ー Rock gives a shout-out to the first responders that make up the floor audience.
ー When discussing reassessment of relationships over the past couple months, the mention of reevaluating the one with the government gets a rousing cheer from the crowd.
ー A funny bit about how the president gets to keep their position for 4 years no matter what, comparing it to a bad chef with job security.
ー I like the tangent on the minimal requirements for being president and how there’s more rules to a game show than running the country.
ー Chris, on handsome guys giving their friends dating advice in relation to rich politicians making decisions for poor people, “Well I think you should grab her by the ass and tell her it’s yours. Yeah, that works for you, Idris!”
ー Ending on a humorous rant about Election Day being on a Tuesday, before leading into a serious plea to vote.
ー This monologue served its purpose as a tension reliever, and Rock delivered the energy it required, though said tension brings the segment down a bit.
STARS: ***½

SUPERSPREADER EVENT
TV reporter (MID) covers contract tracing at name-change office

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ー The return of the name-changing news report sketch from Rachel Brosnahn’s season 44 episode.
ー They even repeat the opening bit of Mikey calling out the anchor for making a tasteless joke.
ー Ego gets to shine as “Edith Puthie” in the first of many standout moments for her this season.
ー Meanwhile, Lauren Holt makes her debut as “Irma Gerd” and…she gets to say “Irma Gerd”… twice.
ー The parts with Pete laughing at the funny names feels out of place in this version given the scenario, even if these aspects are more subdued for the most part.
ー The whole “Mike Rodick” bit feels like they’re explaining the joke too much, though the “Clit” payoff and callback at the end provided a light chuckle.
ー A step down from the first installment (which I enjoyed more than Carson did), but I’ll give it points for serving as a palate cleanser of silly, harmless humor in stressful times, in the vein of doing Gassy Baby after 9/11.
STARS: **½

BOTTOM OF YOUR FACE
music video spotlights facial mystery linked to mask-wearing

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ー A timely conceit about wearing masks in public.
ー I’m liking the specific look of the guys, especially on Chris (Redd).
ー Interesting how they’re using extras for the occasional cutaway shots instead of legitimate cast members for the role. It could’ve provided the opportunity for Punkie to make her debut or have Melissa appear at all, who is completely shut out for the first couple episodes of the season.
ー A good turn with the girls taking a verse to criticize the guys’ skepticism.
ー While Chris (Rock)’s part at the end is meant to be a homage to his role in the “No Sex in the Champagne Room” music video, it still feels shoehorned in terms of his use throught the episode.
ー This was pretty middle-of-the-road for the rap videos. There wasn’t too much that really stood out, but most of the individual performances held it together.
STARS: ***½

FUTURE GHOST
given a glimpse of 2020, Y2k teen (KYM) focuses on video game graphics

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ー It feels appropriate for the show to take advantage of hindsight and develop a sub-genre of material on pre-pandemic attitudes. The Psychic sketch later on fills a similar vein of premises.
ー Rock’s future getup looks exotic on the surface but seems pretty basic the more you look at it.
ー Kyle has practically honed these preteen roles by this point in his tenure and this one is no more exceptional than how he usually portrays them.
ー Some shoddy direction going on between the camera staying on Rock when Kyle is speaking and Beck being visible in the corner getting into position.
ー Very fitting to have Beck playing a version of Kyle’s character here.
ー No comment on the bit with Rock slapping Kyle.
ー A funny, though very abrupt ending with the Kenan Thompson promo twist.
ー There’s a decent idea to be found in all of this, but it suffers through a lack of focus in the execution. I would’ve liked to see it go a bit further with the past perspective concept instead of stopping before it actually went anywhere.
STARS: **½

THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW
Drew Barrymore’s (CLF) show is characterized by cheery fare

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ー I’m a bit partial to Heidi’s Drew Barrymore from the Jurassic Park auditions piece, but Chloe is doing a fun impression here. Besides, the former was playing 90’s Drew, meaning I can separate the performances enough so that Chloe’s stands on her own.
ー This is a good chance for Chloe to show off more of her impressions after her Update commentary and the Masterclass bits in quarantine. I especially liked the back-and-forth interaction with Drew and her Nicole Kidman. 
ー The set design and pacing manage to capture the look of her show based on miscellaneous clips and stills I’ve seen of it.
ー I enjoyed the little Freddy Got Fingered shout-out during the Tom Green scene.
ー The bit with Billy Porter singing to a flower feels like an absurd exaggeration of the bubbly quality this sketch is spoofing, but it turns out that it was apparently a real segment from the show.
ー A short and sweet segment that served as a good showcase for Chloe to start out her sophomore year. The attention it got would lead to her dominating the late night circuit over the next couple months without really doing much on the show itself.
STARS: ****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Savage”

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ーBlue: Even just sitting down, Megan Thee Stallion exudes confidence and a command of the stage. I’m not a huge fan of her, but I always enjoy watching her perform because I find her presence so mesmerizing.
ーThe black-and-white swirls and stripes that are projected in the background and that Megan and her dancers are wearing are right up my alley in terms of visual presentation. It’s eye-catching and engaging. I also appreciate the “Protect Black Women” message projected on the center of the wall.
ーI’m sure I’ve made my opinion of pre-recorded backing vocals known many times already, and I know sometimes I can be way too picky about them. But this particular instance is grating. Megan isn’t even bothering to sing the chorus, even though it’s not difficult to sing, nor is her choreography complex enough that lip-syncing would be necessary.
ーNow that I’ve noticed the pre-recorded track, I’m having trouble identifying between it and Megan’s live vocals when she’s singing along.
ーEnjoyable dance break.
ーAfter the chorus following the dance break, the background abruptly turns black as the sound of gunshots are heard. It feels a bit jarring to transition from the song’s vibe into a political message, but the jarring-ness is fitting, showing that light entertainment can’t always be used to avoid real-world problems.
ーNot content to simply project her message in the background, Megan is now letting recordings of Malcolm X and Tamika Mallory speak for her, the latter a direct response to the investigation of Breonna Taylor’s death. This was very powerful to me when I saw the performance aired live, and it still holds up for me now.
ーThe visuals during this section are also very powerful, showing blood flowing from bullet holes in the background.
ーNow Megan is making her own statement, and winning a lot of respect from me.
ーI’ve seen some criticize this performance by saying that this wasn’t an appropriate song choice to make such a politically-charged message. As I’m watching this now, though, I think the song choice was just fine. What started out as a typical bragging hip hop song is now a proud, unapologetic declaration.
ーFitting the shift in the song’s perspective, the background has now turned from black to red, as if symbolizing the anger Megan is feeling.
ーThere wasn’t much to that song, but I thought the presentation was great enough to give it a high rating.
STARS: ****

WEEKEND UPDATE
TikTok defender Chen Biao is dismissive of American challenges

Carrie Krum is perfectly fine with quarantine-mandated staycations

KAM wears Ruth Bader Ginsburg costume to mark her passing

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ー When this first aired, I remember feeling disappointed with the setup given the worldly circumstances, and was hoping they would continue the thread of a hopeless Michael, without a suit, lamenting on the times. I felt they shouldn’t have been acting like everything was normal right away in case the return to live shows didn’t work out and they had to do At Home shows again. But now that they’ve successfully done up to 40 shows since the start of the pandemic, those feelings seem more trivial looking back.
ー Bowen’s breakout character from last year, Chen Biao, returns for the first commentary of the season, in what ends up being Bowen’s only appearance over the season’s first two episodes.
ー Chen’s status returns to the Trade Daddy angle after his February 2020 appearance mixed things up by making him the coronavirus “health minister” for China.
ー Chen: “This has been a really hard time for China.” Che: “Because of the virus?” Chen: “No, because live-action Mulan was just okay!”
ー Outside of the Tiktok stuff providing a change of pace, this was more of the same with Bowen selling the material enough through his delivery.
ー Loved the bit from Che about Vin Diesel’s music.
ー The final appearance of Aidy’s Carrie Krum character. Another Update character with little variation in each installment that is carried more by the performance than the material. I can understand their decision to ease the load a bit during the first week back in uncertain times.
ー Anyway, there weren’t really any individual moments that stood out here. The quarantine aspect provided an interesting angle for the character, but I don’t see a reason to bring her back again.
ー After the sign-off, the camera cuts to Kate, in her first appearance of the night, dressed as Ruth Bade Ginsburg in the audience to honor the late SC justice. A fine tribute that is preferable to doing one last commentary where she ascends to heaven after delivering the ultimate “Ginsburn.”
ー There were some scattered highlights throughout this Update, but the global context still outweighs the humor a bit since it doesn’t feel removed far enough from the start of the pandemic to land entirely.
STARS: **½

NBA BUBBLE DRAFT
women hope to gain access to isolated basketballers

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ー A funny bit with Lauren as the “Covid nurse”. Enjoy while it lasts, this debut will end up being the peak of her underwhelming year on the show!
ー Maya in cameo #2 of the night, which would go one to be a regular occurrence over this stretch of episodes, at the expense of the newer and underused castmembers.
ー Boy, Chris fumbling through his lines is really noticeable here more than anywhere throughout the night.
ー Knowing now how reliable he would become to the cast, Andrew’s two brief appearances in his debut takes you back to when he was being used even less than Laren and Punkie, and was practically invisible during this stretch, to the point where he was completely shut out from half of these episodes.
ー I love Heidi’s walk-on as the Disney World employee.
ー A very uncanny valley look to the Adam Silver makeup on Alex.
ー Not my favorite piece of the night, but this was pretty inoffensive for the most part.
STARS: ***

STUNT PERFORMERS ASSOCIATION
stuntwomen (KAM) & (AIB) specialize in slapstick kid comedy movie roles

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ー The vibe of this piece feels like a holdover from the At Home shows. If it weren’t for the scenes with Kate and Aidy together, I would’ve guessed that it was cut from one of them.
ー Another premise with a good idea that suffers from poor execution. It probably could’ve worked more as an ensemble piece rather than focusing primarily on Kate and Aidy’s characters.
ー The humor here is pretty cheap between the fart runner and and the ass bashing.
ー I did like the line from Kate about the pain she went through for one film only to reveal it happened before the shoot.
ー Better soak in all the Kaidy material for now, as Aidy will be away until January filming Shrill for the rest of the year.
STARS: **

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Don’t Stop”

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ーBlue: The synth sound that opens this song is very irritating to me.
ーAgain, I’m finding Megan’s reliance on pre-recorded vocals to be lazy. I don’t know why her movements were intentionally choreographed so that she’s holding her microphone away from her mouth.
ーYoung Thug is also rapping along to pre-recorded vocals, and doing so much more obviously than Megan.
ーNot loving how the performers’ red outfits match the red background. They look better against a contrasting black and white background.
ーMegan’s little gestures at the end are endearing to watch.
ーThis performance is getting an extra half-star solely because I find Megan so fun to watch, but the song itself did nothing for me, I didn’t like her use of pre-recorded vocals, and the visual effects were too cluttered at times.
STARS: **½

GOODNIGHTS

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IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS:
ー There were a ton of expectations going in for what a live SNL would look like with a pandemic going on, or how it would play out to appease the cast and crew’s safety, and the outcome was more of a normal structure than anticipated on the surface. The extensive cold open didn’t leave room for a lot of material, resulting in this show, and the next, to have only three live sketches in the lineup (for the first time in over 40 years). 
ー Chris Rock delivered the bare minimum of what was asked from him by acting as a raw presence for uncertain times in his monologue, and became a non-entity for the rest of the night.

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

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RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
The Drew Barrymore Show
Bottom of Your Face
Monologue
NBA Bubble Draft
Weekend Update
Superspreader Event
Future Ghost
Stunt Performers Association
The Presidential Debate

TOMORROW:
Matt covers the Bill Burr episode. But before that, it’s 15 minutes of Twitter-pandering!