Author: Carson

Posted on

March 27, 2021 – Maya Rudolph / Jack Harlow (S46 E15)

by Carson

SNATCHED, VAXED OR WAXED!
Spring Breakers assemble amidst COVID-19

— Although it’s another rote game show sketch, this is a fun premise and could really go somewhere.
— Wow, Rudolph is making A CHOICE with that accent.
— Chloe: “Hi, I’m Madison. I go to the University of High School.”
— This sketch is fast and lively, which is refreshing, but I’ve barely found anything actually funny. You can usually count on a small handful of sturdy one-liners, but nothing is really hitting me here. Maybe it’s the energy of the piece that’s kind of drowning things out.
— Beck’s cop reveal got nothing. Nor did it deserve anything.
— Melissa is playing Pitbull’s cousin. Is this a real person? It’s a fun performance nonetheless.
— Fuck, they’re still insisting on that sloppy group LFNY.
— I’m not sure if the cold opens have actually improved in the post-Trump era, but I’ve got to say: even when they’ve been lousy, it’s a very refreshing kind of lousy. It’s like having a completely stuffed nose for four years and then having your nasal passage open, only to find out that you live downwind from the dog food factory. It’s not perfect, but you’ll take the change. This is my way of saying: “This stunk, but in a refreshing way.”
STARS: **

MONOLOGUE
SNL anecdotes told to AND, PUJ, LAH by MAR come from The Breakfast Club

— Not much to say about the first couple of minutes of this. Maya delivers a couple niceties, a couple near-jokes and then some more niceties. *shrug*
— Ah, Maya has invited the three new featured players. This could be fun.
— Andrew reveals that he was five when Maya joined the show, which is disgusting. Maya agrees.
— Ah, I see. The featured players are being given nothing to do besides giving stilted straight man reactions. Is that the joke here?
— Maya starts conflating her history on the show with The Breakfast Club. THAT’S the joke. Wait, that’s the joke???
— I kind of appreciate Punkie’s refusal to keep a straight face.
— That…that’s it? That was…nothing. Punkie and Lauren were props, the writing felt like half of a first draft and Maya seemed to just be aimlessly vamping through it. I mean, it was awkward, so that’s notable, but comedically it fell short of even being a feeble attempt.
STARS: *

HOT ONES
spicy wings turn normally-cool Beyonce (MAR) into a wet mess

— Parodying exclusively online content always feels like a weird approach from SNL. It’s like the snake eating itself in a way.
— Mikey is adding some extra nasal stank onto his Sean Evans impressions. Not that a Sean Evans impression is anything to really “study” though.
— It’s an exceedingly simple premise, but it’s expert use of Rudolph to have her Beyonce as a Hot Ones guest.
— Maya: “I still can’t tell if this is beneath me.”
— “Hitler’s Anus Roasted Reaper Sauce” is a pretty funny name. My 14-year-old hot sauce-obsessed son can attest, however, that a Scovel Level of 135,600 is really nothing special.
— Maya: “Yeah, I’m not going to drink a big glass of milk on camera. That’s not a good look for ‘Yonce.”
— Writing-wise, this is basically nothing. But as a pure performance piece for Rudolph, it’s really on par with her well-received season 32 “Star Spangled Banner” performance.
— Speaking of Season 32, here comes a very Deep House Dish performance from Kenan.
— The tease of removing Beyonce’s wig and then having it immediately shut down seems like a weird bait-and-switch.
— I liked the shift in Rudolph’s voice when she says “Shut it down.”
— I liked this, but I feel like the writers and performers left a whole lot on the table in terms of escalation. This was knocking on the doors of greatness, but I feel like it kept itself in second gear.
STARS: ***½

BOOMERS GOT THE VAX
immunized older generation flaunts its well-being

— Ah, this week in “Already dated 2021 takes”: complaining about baby boomers receiving vaccines first.
— I’m OK with the conceit here. I think when I first saw it live, I was more appreciative. But Millennial resentment can be a fun, even cathartic approach.
— Hey, Melissa gets the hook! Good for her! Good for us!
— This is all totally fine and good. No lines are jumping out in any significant ways though. Rap parodies tend to roll that way. I think people get so excited for the music videos that they’re generally more forgiving if the comedy component doesn’t quite measure up. Not saying this one doesn’t measure up, it’s just not laugh out loud hilarious.
— Great shift with Kenan going full “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” Biggie Smalls. That’s a really fun detail.
— Mikey: “Me? I spend my time playing tennis / Two things that don’t work: me and my pennis.”
— Ego’s Edith Puthie (who first appeared in the premiere) is sufficiently dirty, if not particularly tied to the video’s premise.
— Light fun, despite it already feeling like a million years old.
STARS: ***

A KAMALA HARRIS UNITY SEDER
Kamala Harris (MAR) & Doug Emhoff (MAS) welcome politicians

— *sigh* The inevitable Kamala Harris piece. Apparently it was slated for the Cold Open, but someone got cold feet about leading the show off with this piece. 
— They’re trotting Martin Short out to play Doug Emhoff, which elicits some token applause and then a second wave of applause when the audience actually recognizes Short.
— There’s a Lawrence Orbach element to Short’s performance.
— The Short/Rudolph dynamic is seemingly much-celebrated, but I can’t really figure out why. The steamy interactions between the two aren’t doing much for me, though it seems like the two performers are tickled.
— I do like how Rudolph refers to Joe Biden as “J’Biden.”
— Aidy as Ted Cruz. *long sigh* That’s FOUR episodes in a row of this stunt.
— None of the jokes are landing. You could blame another lousy COVID crowd, but SNL usually delivers better one-liners. These are all extremely warmed over.
— Chloe’s Elle Emhoff performance is giving me extreme “peak Tina Fey years” vibes in every negative possible way (actually, her performance in the cold open was similar). I’m starting to get second-hand embarrassment for the performers in this piece.
—Turns out Fey acolyte Emily Spivey made a return to the show to co-write this piece. That might explain the above comment.
— Kenan arrives to do what he does best—gently glide through iffy material without losing face. His scene came and went.
— Alex enters as Joe Biden and is the first person to successfully land a joke. There’s enough to the impression for me to like. I wish the show would trust him to hold down his own scene. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
— Short gets attacked by Joe Biden’s fake dog, which is a very SCTV kind of joke.
— Cecily enters as Marjorie Taylor Greene and it also goes by without much impact.
— It seems like Short’s hand has, at times, come perilously close to grazing Rudolph’s boob. Rudolph seems very aware of this.
— The ending, with Short deciding that he wants to kiss Rudolph, seems to have caught Rudolph off-guard, almost as if he were calling an audible. It doesn’t really work, but I don’t know what could have possibly salvaged this mess. It was completely muddled from the get-go and was unable to deflect away from the poor sketch construction with solid jokes. It just flopped from beginning to end. I would give it extra points for the odd smile or two, but to render Martin Short completely unfunny is unforgivable.
STARS: *

NFTS
(PED) & Janet Yellen (KAM) talk cryptocurrency a la “Without Me”

— Two rap videos in one show. That’s a lot of “almost comedy.”
— I know the boomer piece had a Notorious BIG homage, but this shameless Eminem parody somehow feels even more…needless. I think with the other piece, the “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” element was brief and not overt, but this really does feel like Pete just shamelessly indulging. Maybe the jokes will deliver.
— Chris Redd shows up in Morpheus gear to confirm the basic conceit of this sketch: references to 1999 culture are funny (?).
— Chris: “Non-fungibles / Gifs of Ron Funches eating Lunchables / Or pics of Colin Jost’s face: very punchable.” Glad they could slide the plug in.
— Jack Harlow gets a verse. This one is a little more informative. This is like a modern Schoolhouse Rock, though somehow less funny.
— This felt like the ultimate endgame of what I have seen with SNL’s 15-year foray into rap videos. I get the thrill of a well-produced, visually bedazzled video, but on a comedy show (or a comedy-skewed variety show), you’ve got to have something tangibly humorous. Comedy is subjective, I know, but I don’t know if it’s enough for something to simply “feel” like comedy. It has to have some objective comedic elements, no?
STARS: *

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Tyler Herro” & “Whats Poppin”

— Blue: I know Colin Jost famously has a “very punchable face,” but right away I feel like Jack Harlow could give him a run for his money. 
— Some… interesting lyrics here.
— Wow, already we’re moving into another song. That first song just came and went for me. I had no real feelings about it.
— Damn, I love this track, especially the repeating piano line. Unfortunately, Jack’s rapping is nothing special.
— Are Jack’s backing vocalists even singing? They look like they are, but I can hardly hear them.
— I spoke too soon; I can hear the backing vocalists now. But their vocals sound pre-recorded.
— Feeling pretty conflicted about this song—I think I would love it if someone other than Jack was rapping. His rapping just wasn’t anything special to me, nor did I find him very charismatic to watch perform.
STARS: ***

WEEKEND UPDATE
Sidney Powell’s (CES) unreasonableness is her defense against lawsuits

BOY lists ways to combat the spate of hate crimes against Asian Americans

— Saucy rant off the top by Jost and a great follow-up by Che.
— I will never get tired of the clip of Joe Biden falling up the stairs. It feels weird, in this post-Trump era, to see the show shift its focus on Biden. You can tell it’s a little bit trickier to navigate, especially since modern day Republicans are such shameless ghouls. But clips of Joe Biden falling up a set of stairs are the kinds of gifts that make the transition a lot easier.
— Che jokes have been pretty strong so far while Jost has been pulling in the “foto funnies” and clapter-bait.
— Man, Cecily’s face as Sidney Powell is uncanny. She’s absolutely golden at playing all these Republican freak shows.
— Cecily makes a reference to her “Mee Maw” which is a straight lift from Seth Meyers’ Lindsay Graham impression on Late Night.
— Great performance by Cecily, though this wasn’t necessarily an all-timer.
— Colin’s “National Puppy Day” joke got some hearty groans.
— Great Sesame Street joke from Colin. I think I prefer Colin when he’s not stuck having to make political jokes.
— Che’s Jeffery Epstein joke confirms that, like the Catholic church sex scandal, Epstein is a free spot on the edgy joke Bingo card. It’s effectively edgy, but no one is really going to have to be taken to task for it.
— Bowen delivers a commentary as himself in the wake of Asian hate crimes. I’m interested to see if he is able to thread the needle of talking about a tough, emotional topic and, you know, being funny.
— Bowen is getting impassioned, but I still feel a little perplexed by what I assume are the laugh lines. Bowen can thrust a punchline as good as anyone, but I literally have no idea what Bowen means when he says “Let me know when you feed your white kids chicken feet.” I can’t even tell if that’s supposed to be a joke actually. There’s a serious tone that is offset by Bowen’s natural sassy bite, but the conceit remains elusive. Like me, the audience seem like they’re trying to give Bowen the benefit of the doubt, but don’t know how to interact with this piece.
— Bowen’s serio-comic tone ended leaning more to the former and I get that the moment probably called for it, but I can’t help but find that even as a straight-faced impassioned plea, the piece lacked clarity.
STARS: *** 

CHOREOGRAPHERS
old flames (KET) & (MAR) are rival substitute Broadway choreographers

— I referenced a very 2006 performance from Kenan earlier in this episode. Turns out that was just the tip of the iceberg.
— Ah, it’s a Kenan/Maya two-hander. Perhaps we’re really digging up the ghosts of Season 30.
— The water cooler/water bottle confusion thing was really not worth the time.
— Kenan and Maya are two of the campiest performers the show has ever had (particularly early Kenan and late Maya) and this is diving headfirst into that unabashed campiness. It always feels like a high-risk/low reward proposition, which scarcely seems worth the risk. The two leads are laying it on extra thick tonight, with the rest of the performance standing in eerie silence, almost as if they are in awe of the incessant vamping.
— The comedic repetition is doing very little for me, but I’m trying to give this the benefit of the doubt.
— OK, the Jon Benet Ramsey/Annie confusion got me. That one was pretty dang funny. The audience agrees.
— The camera incorrectly cuts to Maya during Kenan’s line, but she calmly turns her head to her scene partner as if to guide the camera over to him. Very professional.
— Kenan’s little dance routine is very silly, causing me to chuckle in spite of myself. I see that Lauren, stuck in another deflating straight role, is also enjoying the silliness of the performance.
— OK, so this is *objectively* a terrible sketch. But I won’t damn it too harshly because unlike a couple of other sketches tonight, it had jokes that worked and the kind of self-consciously silly Kenan performance that can go a lot further in 2021 than it did in 2005. Still though, this stunk.
STARS: *½

2021 BARFLY AWARDS
Sally O’Flappy (MAR) is biggest booze-soaked winner

— Cecily is so great playing drunks. She’s like a Millennial Foster Brooks.
— I like Aidy saying “reward” instead of “award.” Nice touch. Also her go-nowhere story was pretty funny.
— I kind of like these sketches that give a large cross-section of the cast a chance to play a type. It’s fun to see what everyone’s interpretation of “playing drunk” is.
— Rudolph is doing a very familiar voice, but her scene runs by so quickly I can’t complain.
— Kyle looks like Anthony Peter Coleman (not the reviewer). I’m not as crazy about his drunk voice.
— Oh, more Maya. I guess it’s not going to be so short and sweet.
— This sketch seems a wee bit chaotic and incoherent. It’s by design, but it’s also not giving much to latch onto. I’m not an anti-award show parody guy by any means, but this one is really meandering. I enjoy some of the individual performances, but they’re all such quick hits that they’re not even getting enough time to hook the audience with jokes. It’s not a disaster, but it’s too deliberately messy to really connect.
STARS: **

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest & Adam Levine [real] perform “Same Guy”

— Blue: I’m feeling the same way about this song as I did the last one– I love the instrumental part, but the vocals are just not doing anything for me.
— Strong backing vocals on this song.
— Oh, no wonder I found the backing vocals to be strong– they’re being performed by Adam Levine! (Though I should say, if Jack Harlow has a punchable face, Adam Levine to me has a punchable voice.)
— Pretty weak usage of Adam Levine, having him sing in unison on the chorus an octave up. His part could have been sung by anyone.
— Adam is now riffing, which isn’t doing anything to make the song more interesting to me.
— The backing vocalists sound amazing, although I suspect they’re singing to a pre-recorded track, given that there are only three of them and yet they sound like a whole gospel choir.
— I don’t like giving below-average grades on the basis of a song itself, instead of the performance, but since there wasn’t much to that performance and I found both of the main performers inexplicably irritating, I’ll give this one…
STARS: **

THE MAYA-ING
MAR & ’70s writer (TIF) haunt SNL a la Kubrick; RAD cameo

— Ooh, a very different vibe to this pre-tape.
— An odd, but pleasingly odd, little joke about Andrew being forced to wear an NBC page outfit.
— “A Stanley Kubrick Film”? I know it’s a parody of The Shining, but this makes it seem like it was actually made by Stanley Kubrick. Seems like an unnecessary detail to include.
— Great take with Maya going through old host photos (“Oh Jeff Gordon, what could have been”), before landing on a picture of Kevin Spacey.
— “Sum 41. That’s when music was music.” Already this is a very funny poke at Maya’s era of the show.
— The aesthetic ties to The Shining are very strong. This does have a great, creepy energy. And the jokes are landing too!
— Tina Fey cameo. Can’t say I’m enthused, but I’m willing to follow where this sketch is heading.
— Fey plays “Gloria Zelweg, one of the original writers on the show” (but not really). She seems like a Rosie Shuster/Anne Beatts composite.
— Kenan in the Scatman Crothers role. “I’m a cook here at SNL. I take baked Lays out of a bag and put ‘em in a bowl.”
— The two Gillys as the hallway twins is an interesting touch. SNL is a little too obsessed with this specific era of the show (it wasn’t that great—especially Fey’s seasons) and the hagiography aggravates me to no end, but this feels more like a necessary exorcism to get the show’s own history out of its system.
— Great Rachel Dratch cameo. Loved the eye poke at the end.
— Nice touch at the end with Maya being integrated into the original cast photo. Interestingly, this is the second time she would be superimposed into an original cast photo. She appeared in a similar, cute photo bumper from her first hosting gig.
— A very evocative and affecting scene. Not laugh-out-loud hilarious (and it’s an episode that could have really used a real gut-buster) save for the Kevin Spacey gag, but comically compelling in a way we haven’t seen since the last Schiller’s Reel in 1993. Schiller’s work wasn’t necessarily hilarious either, but the vaguely parodic auteurist homages had a very welcome place within the fabric of the show. This was weirdly refreshing and, I think, every bit the equal to some of Schiller’s best work. I would love to see more of this kind of material.
—Written by Maya Rudolph, Tina Fey and Colin Jost.
STARS: *****

GOODNIGHTS

— The final bumper is an homage to cover of Maya’s mother, Minnie Riperton, whose album Adventures In Paradise includes a great song—“Love And Its Glory”—which directly namechecks Maya.

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A poor poor poor episode of SNL. I will admit to my biases in saying that I’ve never really been the biggest Maya Rudolph booster, though I am not completely put off by her work. Outside of the final film which was an anomaly in every possible way, this episode lacked energy, focus and direction. Strong premises were left hanging in limbo (Hot Ones) and poor premises were given ample space to explore (NFTs). Maya, for her part, was a game host, but was as guilty as anyone for the sloppy execution of the Cold Open, the monologue and the absolutely dire Kamala Harris piece.

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


RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
The Maya-ing
Hot Ones
Boomers Got The Vax
Weekend Update
2021 Barfly Awards
Snatched, Vaxxed Or Waxed
Choreographers
Monologue
NFTs
A Kamala Harris Unity Seder

TOMORROW
Anthony will blow you away with his insight when he covers Daniel Kaluuya/St. Vincent—a much better episode.

Posted on

November 7, 2020 – Dave Chappelle/Foo Fighters (S46 E6)

by Carson

BIDEN BEATS TRUMP
Joe Biden (Jim Carrey) has defeated loser Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin)

— Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our final Baldwin/Trump AND our final Carrey/Biden sketch. Our long national nightmare is over.
— Beck let’s out a big, very scripted “goddamn” and I think the power of that previously taboo cuss has been officially neutered.
— I don’t have much love for Carrey’s Fire Marshall Biden, but he’s keeping his opening spiel low-key, which I can admire.
— The applause breaks are off the charts. I mean, I get it, but holy sweet goddamn this is over the top. I know we’re talking about a big moment for rational America and a seemingly monumental moment for warmed over neoliberalism, but can we at least applaud when something funny has been said?
— Carrey and Rudolph are now doing a gloat dance. I can take solace in the fact that this is basically the end of the line for this kind of garbage for the rest of the season.
— We switch to Trump, which I actually welcome. Say what you will about Trumpwin, but SNL’s conclusion of the Trump era projects higher comedic potential than the start of the Biden era.
— Fascinating watching SNL parody Trump’s “stop the steal” delusion with the 20/20 hindsight of the January 6 Capitol insurrection.
— The red wave poster showing COVID cases was a good gag, but didn’t require Chloe explaining the mishap.
— Baldwin transitioning from the podium to the piano for a solemn solo performance is a nice touch and a more effective callback to Kate’s douche-chill worthy weeper in 2016 than the 2016-17 season finale’s cold open. That 2016 election performance is more than worthy of mockery and derision, and this is an effective bookend to this horrible era.
— And it all builds up to this one moment, doesn’t it? Four fucking nightmare years for American policy, logic, taste and respectability; a haunting death shrug for the American democratic system; a garrulous windbag of bad faith gaslighting in service of a political entity that actively manipulates people to vote in favor of their own demise; a satire-impervious clown show clusterfuck of bad actors and worse information…and the big payoff is this??? Jim Carrey resurrecting a catchphrase from a 26-year-old garbage movie while he and Rudolph self-consciously put Ls on their forehead like that wasn’t already embarrassing enough during the Clinton administration. The Trump years ensured that SNL was required to take a bunch of hard Ls, but this is perhaps one of the most chilling of all. Perhaps worst of all is that this isn’t the first time SNL has tried to go to this well. All the recognition applause in the world isn’t going to cover for the lameness of Stiller and De Niro trying to regurgitate their Meet The Fockers act or Michael Keaton trying to make winking Batman references to a room full of BTS fans. But with so much delayed gratification on the line, this flaccid climax feels like the ultimate indignity. A fitting final nail in the coffin of SNL’s most futile and inept era of political satire. May we never have to speak of it again. These people can’t get off my screen fast enough.
STARS: ** (like I said, the Trump bit would have been a fitting capper)

MONOLOGUE
host does stand-up about lessons related to Covid-19, race, Donald Trump

— Dave Chappelle enters, cigarette in hand, trying to summon the spirit of Lenny Bruce, I assume, and NOT Denis Leary. We shall see.
— I appreciated how Chappelle’s 2016 monologue attempted to navigate the audience through despair and anger (as fitfully successful as it may have been). I like SNL’s decision for Chappelle to be the bookends of the Trump era. I’m fascinated to see how he comedically navigates “relief.”
— Chappelle opens with a long, mostly serious monologue about his great-grandfather before settling on a punchline about Netflix and HBO Max streaming Chappelle Show without compensating Chappelle himself. It’s a fine dig and a smart parallel, but the liberties taken to get there seem to be a touch too much.
— Chappelle seems to be having more fun talking about the farmers in his Ohio community. I am too. He’s really taking some wild shots at Ohio racists.
— I love Chappelle’s bit about welfare. “Stimulus cheques, the heroin. The rest of the country is trying to move forward and these white n*****s keep holding us back!”
— Chappelle’s joke about Trump being an optimist kind of petered out with little fanfare. I know the reduced (and masked) audience is a major strain for these stand-ups, but the punchlines probably need to punch a bit more.
— “You racist, hilarious son of a bitch.”—Chappelle in reference to Trump referring to the Coronavirus as the “kung flu.”
— Chappelle’s “that’s why women make half” joke is decent if simultaneously mean and unclear, but I HATE HATE HATE his stupid, self-congratulatory “Did I trigger you?” response. For one, it all feels very premeditated. His “I’m sorry Lorne, I thought we were having a comedy show” comeback felt like a locked and loaded response for a joke that was only ever going to get one kind of response. Second, that is just about the laziest defensive mechanism for a comedian to combat material that isn’t quite developed. As much as I love him, Bill Burr is guilty of this too. Guys (almost always guys), it’s not always the spiciness of your takes that engenders such a “triggered” response; it’s the comedian putting the edge before the comedy. Think of Norm’s famous “women drivers” bit from his final Weekend Update in 1997. Part of the fun of that is, yes, the cruelty of the joke, but more importantly, it’s the way the joke is expertly strung along to elicit a certain audience response, play into that audience response and then finally completely demolish the audience response. Here, Chappelle tells an OK joke that was only ever going to get one response and then just attacks the audience for doing what they were supposed to. There’s no dance, no skill, no subversion—just new recitations of modern stand-up cliches.
— Chappelle digs himself out of his hole by getting back to the Trump stuff. It works! Everyone’s having fun again.
— Chappelle’s recounting of Trump’s COVID “scare” is pretty great, especially when he plays on Chris Christie. Feels like the cathartic moment the show was hoping to have in the cold open.
— Here comes Chappelle’s pastoral benediction to close the set.
— The inevitable, and only partially-earned, bat flip style mic drop. Maybe Chappelle dropped the mic because he was exhausted since this monologue went on for nearly 17 minutes! A record. In fact, between the monologue, the cold open and the 20-cast opening credits, we’re nearing 30 minutes for the show’s opening segments. That is stunning. Perhaps Lorne Michaels felt that the moment called for such largesse or perhaps this was a logistical reality due to the show’s COVID limitations. All I know is that’s a lot of time being gobbled up.
— As far as the monologue goes, it’s the biggest, most auspicious of this season’s stand-up monologues, but I don’t think it’s the best. Mulaney’s was tighter and Burr’s was equally as pointed while eliciting more laughs. That said, despite my issues, I think Chappelle largely met the moment. He was the proper way to wrap up what had begun four years earlier, weighing the gravity with reasonably sharp comedic punctuations. It could have had some more energy and I would have done away with the “triggered” nonsense altogether, but overall it was a success.
STARS: ****

UNCLE BEN
host introduces sketch about the impact of racial sensitivity on commerce

corporate mascots Aunt Jemima (MAR) & Uncle Ben (KET) have been canceled

— Chappelle is immediately back at home base, introducing the next sketch Chappelle Show-style. It’s an odd choice for SNL. How often have they done this sort of thing? “Let’s Kill Gary Gilmore For Christmas” is one. The Lost Ending to It’s a Wonderful Life another. What am I missing?
— Alec and Maya are front and center here. The dream of 2002 is alive on SNL!
— Maya’s opening line (“But I’m Aunt Jemima!”) gets a rolling wave of laughter that lingers so long that Maya starts to corpse. Admittedly, it’s all a little infectious (this audience wants to laugh!) and the reveal is funny if a bit clunky, but we’re not quite yet at the comedy portion of the sketch.
— “It’s not what you did, it’s how you make us feel about what we did” – astute line from Alec there. If nothing else, I find these tricky topics endlessly fascinating to pick at and I appreciate when SNL takes a shot, however foolhardy it sometimes can be.
— The breast milk line got a good laugh from the crowd. I’m a little iffy on it.
— Fun heightening with bringing Uncle Ben into this.
— Chappelle shows up again as Dennis Haysbert (the AllState guy), but he starts giggling before he even gets a line out. This sketch is LOOSE.
— Fun voice and a terrific opening line from Chappelle. Sounds like a vocal modifier on him.
— Chappelle calling Pete’s Count Chocula a “chocolatey n*****” is a strong spice.
— OK, for all this sketch’s loosey-goosey energy, Chappelle delivers a classic moment by breaking the fourth wall to point out the real Pete Davidson’s lips as proof of his blackness. Pete, always on the verge of corpsing, accidentally spits out his fake teeth.
— The sketch just kind of ends there.
— This is a tough one to call. First, I hate hate hate that Maya and Alec get feature roles in this thing, but then again, if the end game is simply creating a moment, then they succeeded. It’s far from the tightest writing the show has ever produced, but it has a fun energy that culminates in a truly hilarious moment.
STARS: ****

SUPER MARIO 35th ANNIVERSARY
Super Mario Brothers commemoration lingers on (KYM)’s testicle trauma


— Ego playing Nintendo’s VP of Sales reflecting on the initial sales of the original Mario Bros 35 years ago would put her conservatively at, what, 65? 70-years-old? Kind of an odd decision to have that not really reflected in the performance. I mean, it’s an inessential item and it’s probably just me, but it also seems kind of glaring.
— Actually, this weird quibble extends a bit to Mikey and Kyle playing first generation Mario fans despite not looking a day over maybe 40. Why is this bothering me so much?
— Mikey’s insistence on talking about Kyle’s testicular trauma is an OK conceit. Kyle is always good at trying to maintain his self-respect in spite of the indignities he’s enduring. That said, I’m still trying to figure the logic of this sketch. Kyle and Mikey were super excited on the day of the first Mario’s release in 1985, which means they were likely SUPER little kids. How significant can testicular trauma be before your balls even drop? Is there a doctor in the house that can explain this to me?
— I do like things cutting to Kenan and him asking them to change the order of interviews.
— Mikey’s insistence on detailing Kyle’s trauma is a trope that modern SNL seems to enjoy these days (think of “The Loser” with John Krasinski). It’s OK, but it’s very “tell, don’t show.”
— Funny picture of Kyle having to plank over the toilet.
— My logic frustrations aside, this is one of those pieces with a pretty low ceiling. Everyone plays their respective parts just fine, but it really just plays out as a time filler—especially so early in the proceedings of such a high stakes episode.
STARS: **½

TAKE ME BACK
(EGN)’s ex (BEB) reveals increasingly-disturbing traits

— Like the last piece, this is a sketch of descriptive escalation. I like the conceit of a boyfriend trying to win back his ex, though. Feels a bit more timeless.
— Another piece without Chappelle in the fold. It’s also not particularly zeitgeisty. Kind of a curious decision in the wake of all that was happening that week. I know the entire show can’t be about the election (and knowing SNL’s recent political track record, thank God), but it seems particularly glaring that they’re not making more hay.
— The escalation is immediately really fun. From the cocaine to the herpes medication to the gun as “protection.”
— Great sound effect of Ego smacking Beck’s hand away.
— Beck revealing that he “got a little too into porn” as a way of saying he was a gay porn actor is hilarious.
— Ha. “I’m grown. I’m a man. I’m 18 now.” SNL having more fun with baffling age logic. This time I’m into it.
— Seeing how the film elements were only a means of establishing tone with music cues and some quick edits, I do wonder how this sketch would have played live. I think it could have been decent. As it is though, this was a tight and hilarious pre-tape.
STARS: ****½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Shame Shame”

— Blue: I like the descending riff that opens this song.
— Taylor Hawkins’ vocal harmonies sound great.
— Dave Grohl has spent most of this song so far singing with his eyes closed, which is lowkey bothering me. Closing one’s eyes is a good way for a singer to lose the connection of an audience.
— Another thing that’s bothering me is Dave mouthing along to the “oh’s” on the chorus, while not actually singing them. The two women in the back are handling that instead, and drowning out Taylor’s vocals while they’re at it.
— Pretty unimpressed with Dave’s vocal performance so far. He sounds strangely out of breath, given his breathiness at the end of certain phrases and ever-so-slightly flat notes.
— I like that the acoustic guitar is pretty audible in the mix. I feel like that’s an instrument that frequently gets lost in the mix during SNL performances.
— Very disappointed that the buildup towards the end of this song only leads back into a final repetition of the restrained chorus. I would have loved to hear a few bars of hardcore rocking before returning to the chorus.
STARS: ***

WEEKEND UPDATE
conspiracy-minded Rudy Giuliani (KAM) plans to contest election results

— The clips of people around the world celebrating Biden’s win (or, probably more accurately, Trump’s loss) are pretty stunning.
— Che’s still got the glass of liquor! Perfect. Amazing touch.
— The talk of Trump not conceding is probably the weirdest timestamp of this still-relatively-recent episode.
— I like Colin using Trump’s own logic to explain how he let in millions more illegal immigrants during his administration.
— Che removing his clip-on is a great added touch to his new DGAF persona. Post-COVID Che is one of the best developments of this era.
— SCREEEEEEEEECH! Rudy Giuliani appearance.
— Oh, this is fresh off Giuliani’s Four Season’s fuckup. The crowd is gobbling it up, which I get. Still extremely less than thrilled with Kate’s…uhh…entire presence, but I get why this is maintaining audience goodwill. It’s not like the writing is heinous here.
— The strippers/pollsters confusion tickled me.
— Honestly, whatever. The audience is in a good mood, I’m in a good mood. I’m not too mad at this Giuliani bit. Kate’s a ham, but there are moments when it’s OK to lean into every turn. This is one of them.
— Short, sweet and deliriously energetic. This was a real fun Update.
STARS: ****½

HAILSTORM
news report reveals co-workers’ (KET) & (KAM) hailstorm-induced romance

— Our fourth consecutive hostless sketch. This is almost like the George Carlin episode from 1975.
— “From the Coronavirus to the red onion recall, there’s been a lot of difficult news this year.” I love it when sketches open with low key jokes that audiences don’t quite pick up.
— As someone who lives in an area that gets semi-regular hailstorms, I’m tickled by all the eyewitness interviews comparing the hail to golf balls.
— Great turn with the sketch beginning to focus on the emotional/romantic connection between Kate and Kenan during the storm. Great delivery from Kenan there especially.
— Love the chyron reading “FRIENDS BUT KISSED DURING STORM.”
— I do appreciate how Ego and Alex are playing it straight as the news anchors. We’ve seen so many wacky, unprofessional news anchor sketches that it has sort of become a cliché at this point.
— “If I had a nickel for every time that we kissed underneath that blanket, I’d have about 45 cents.”
— Great added turn with Heidi’s characters being a mutual friend of both Kate and Kenan.
— Excellent joke with Alex revealing that several people in their town are missing.
— Alex: “Have you been a part of those search efforts?” Kate: “No, I’m done searching.”
— Fun escalation at the end of the sketch with Alex revealing that Kenan has a missing wife and then Alex and Ego briefly having their own connection. Alex gives a fabulous take to cap off the scene.  
— A really well-done sketch with evergreen elements and very few of the negative trappings of this era. Everyone gave an exceptional performance too. The audience, who have been refreshingly enthusiastic all night, helped give this an extra boost with their own really well-timed responses.
— It’s hard to know how to rate sketches that exist so fresh in the memory. One can’t really peg a classic right in the moment. That said, this feels classic in the sense that it could have worked with any cast in any era and I really appreciate that. The writing was sharp and the performances advanced the writing from there. I did not anticipate giving this five stars, but I can’t see a reason to compel me not to outside of fear of recency bias. Alas…
STARS: *****

DC MORNING
news report shows Donald Trump’s O.J. Simpson-inspired White House exodus

— OK, now this is a little sloppy. Two news report sketches in a row? And with Ego in the anchor seat again? Is this just an extension of the previous sketch? Seems like the producers would be a little bit more seamless in how they structure the episode.
— Back on the Trump train, though. And Chappelle’s back too to remind us that he’s on this show.
— Fun reveal of Trump leaving the White House in a white Ford Bronco, OJ-style.
— Chappelle gets in a one-liner about Trump supporters. It’s pretty meh.
— Fun use of Mikey’s Don Jr.
— “It’s sad. And you hate to see it. But more than that, you love to see it.”
— Whoa, it’s over already. I appreciate how we get in and get out of this sketch before things get stale, but this felt supremely truncated. Fun while it lasted though.
STARS: ***½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Times Like These”

— Blue: Maybe I’m just in a goofy mood, but I giggled a bit as Dave hit the first note of this song (“I!”).
— This is clearly intended to be a Serious Moment, with the only accompaniment to Dave’s singing being chords on the organ.
— Once again, Dave has his eyes half-closed as he sings, which is still bothering me. He also keeps tensing his shoulders.
— I’m surprised that the rest of the band didn’t come in after the first verse.
— I keep tensing up as I’m watching Dave sing. His voice sounds fine, but I wonder how much better it could sound if he were more relaxed.
— Dave’s voice cracked slightly on the second-to-last line of the second chorus. I wonder if the band had had a recent show prior to this performance, or had been on tour for a while, which would explain why Dave’s vocals aren’t quite up to par in either of these performances.
— Finally, the rest of the band comes in, and they’re rocking as hard as I wished they had on the first song.
— Dave’s screaming at the end is too aggressive for my tastes.
— I do like this song a lot, so I’ll give it an extra half-star.
STARS: ***½

GOODNIGHTS

— Nice “You’re Welcome!!!” sign, Alec, you fucking dunce. What did you even accomplish?
— Whoa, Jim Carrey shaved his head!! That is very…Jim Carrey, I guess.

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— In my initial live viewing of this episode, all I noticed was how weirdly unbalanced it was. The bloated opening, the even more bloated monologue, Chappelle’s strange absence. All the hype and time devoted to the show’s first half really obscures what is actually a really sturdy show with some timeless pieces and a hot, locked-in audience. What we remember about this episode are the monologue and the Aunt Jemima piece and I do understand it. Chappelle’s monologue is epic, but only fitfully amusing. The Aunt Jemima sketch boasts a classic moment but is so full of pitfalls of the modern era that it’s hard to fully embrace. That said, as the show begins to settle into its regular flow, some really excellent pieces emerge, including a couple of timeless sketches and an infectious Update segment. The episode might reasonably seem like a step down from the previous Chappelle episode (especially since Stooge had a couple thumbs on the scale by not rating the “Hallelujah” cold open), but my second pass with the episode yielded a more impactful experience than I was expecting. I certainly didn’t come in with any kind of agenda (I especially didn’t think I’d be handing out five stars to anything), but once we got through the inevitably slovenly cold open and once the pacing settled in, the mix of energy and solid sketch writing proved super rewarding. It’s still not better than the prior Chappelle episode, but it’s closer than people think.

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


RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Hailstorm
Weekend Update
Take Me Back
Uncle Ben
Monologue
DC Morning
Super Mario 35th Anniversary
Biden Beats Trump

TOMORROW
The ever-keen-eyed Matt takes our first look at the post-Trumpwin era with host Jason Bateman and the perpetually disgraced Morgan Wallen.

Posted on

April 11, 2020 – Tom Hanks / Chris Martin (At Home I) (S45 E16)

by Carson

Before we start, I just want to say I’m excited to be reviewing these highly unique, fitfully compelling episodes of SNL At Home. I know there was some debate on the old site about whether the three At Home episodes of SNL count as official episodes, so I’m glad we’ve come to this conclusion. Even if Frank Serpas III’s SNL episode guide, Saturday Net, doesn’t acknowledge these episodes with sketch recaps, I still fail to see how 90 minutes of fresh material, complete with a monologue, Weekend Update and musical guest, would be anything other than a proper SNL, even if it isn’t quite living up to the “L” part of the moniker. These three episodes are SNL in spirit and almost entirely in format. So yeah, to me, they’re canon.

AT HOME COLD OPEN
SNL castmembers assemble via Zoom

— This is just a simple, table setting opening that lets us know the social distanced nature of the program. It’s short, sweet and establishes the sense of “well, here goes nothing.”
— I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that Kenan, Aidy, Kate, Mikey, Michael, Pete and, I think, Colin are the only ones who are audible during this brief intro. It would seem the show’s hierarchy of perceived value remains intact in this new setting.
STARS: N/A

OPENING MONTAGE

— Very cool how they updated the intro to reflect quarantine, complete with each member of the SNL Band shown playing from home.
— Love Beck’s goofy sitcom grin and belly flop into the pool.
— Mikey is shown playing with his son and living his family life, which I think is extremely sweet.
— Colin—looking somewhat jacked—is sporting a greying beard. He looks like a GQ model. I think I hate him now.
— Kate, Cecily, Ego and maybe even Alex are all looking very “at home.”
— Nice touch with Bowen recreating his wave from the regular montage.

MONOLOGUE
COVID-19 survivor Tom Hanks [real] talks about his coronavirus experience

— After some piped in applause, Tom Hanks, looking disconcertingly bald (it’s for a movie), commences his monologue from his kitchen.
— Tom: “Hey all you cool cats and kittens.” Oh man, the Tiger King references already feel a million years old.
— Because I’ve been trained already by COVID-era comedy, I’m not thrown by the silent responses to Tom’s little one-liners. I might have been at the time I first watched this episode, but I actually enjoy the lack of vocal response. Now, if it were this silent in front of an actual audience that would be another thing. But we’ll get to the 2020-2021 season soon enough.
— Tom brings up his Coronavirus diagnosis and spins it into a pretty sharp late night monologue-style punchline.
— Tom runs down how the show was made, with the SNL cast filming themselves from their own homes.
— Tom starts a standard issue Q&A monologue, playing all the question askers. It’s a silly bit that Tom bails on the second it wears thin (about 30 seconds).
— Tom, tempering expectations for the upcoming episode: “Will it make you laugh? Eh, you know, it’s SNL. There’ll be some good stuff, maybe one or two stinkers. You know the drill.”
— Honestly, this was a really nice way to open the show. Nothing fancy, nothing over-the-top; just a modest, charming way of easing us into a low stakes show.
STARS: ****

DRAKE SONG
lyrics of PED’s pastiche rap involve missing an ex

— We are fully at the point of Pete Davidson’s tenure that he understands that his celebrity combined with some sort of low-effort musical comedy equals mass relevance among a certain age bracket. Pete Davidson is the king of clout comedy.
— Hey, this DOES sound like a Drake song. How ‘bout that?
— Is…is this a sincere song? Like, is this Pete Davidson’s “Party All The Time”?
— No seriously, what’s the joke here? It’s not parody. It’s not a cover. It’s just a pastiche.
— I’m guessing Pete’s clout rating was off the charts after this one. Wish he brought some comedy with him, but I guess you can’t spell “Soundcloud” without “SNL.” At least it was short.
STARS: *

WORKING OUT AT HOME WITH RBG
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (KAM) works out at home with diminutive equipment

— Oof, SNL’s perception of what works is completely out of line with my own. This is giving me an existential crisis.
— Kate’s “SUPER DIVA!” sweater gets five YAS KWEENs out of five.
— Hey, at least this registers as comedy. It’s not my preferred brand of comedy, but it’s undeniably comedy unlike “Drake Song.”
— “Pee Is Normal.”
— Our first Gins-burn and my brain is going to take a quick sabbatical.
— Ginsburg working out with Q-tips and batteries is, once again, technically comedy. I appreciate the low-rent quality of this piece, actually.
— RBG’s political comedy is attempting to add some substance to this fluff, but the poor audio quality is kind of obscuring things. Or maybe my ears are just rejecting the material.
Please God, let this episode get better.
STARS: *½

HENRIETTE & NAN
technologically-illiterate Henriette & Nan flounder during office Zoom

— A pretty accurate representation of business Zoom calls, especially in the early days of the pandemic. Heidi’s apology for her place is a smart touch.
— Henriette and Nan, two characters that were introduced a season prior in the Idris Elba episode make a bit of a surprise return. I remember being pretty ambivalent to the live incarnation of these characters, but I found my recent re-watch more favorable. This is a natural setting for these characters and the kind of subtle setting change that recurring sketches from this era don’t do often enough. I’m hopeful.
— Chris: “Does anyone else fully hate their kids?” An insightful line. Hell, this could be the impetus for an entirely new sketch.
— Kate and Aidy’s struggles with the Zoom call are already quite funny. I get that this may not be the most novel concept, but it’s working quite well.
Kate’s screen turning into a picture of Wayne Brady is actually a callback to the original version of this sketch.
— I love Kate and Aidy immediately becoming despondent.
— The fact that the setting is actually a Zoom tutorial is another aspect that makes this sketch already feel a million years old.
— Amazing part with Aidy bringing the Zoom into the bathroom and starting to take her clothes off.
— Kate: “I’m from hell!”
— I love that while Chris and Heidi are doing their token horrified reaction stinkfaces, Alex is just sitting there with a smug smile.
— “I used my license as toilet paper and now I don’t know my own birthday.”
— “I tried to clean my ass in the middle of the night with a hose in the driveway and I went – I went viral!” That weird stutter in Kate’s line is one of those small choices that is so impactful.
— Love how Alex’s character is responding to all of this.
— Here’s our first example of SNL leveraging its limitations to its benefit. These characters were solid, if unexceptional, in a standard live setting, but the Zoom setting proved an absolutely natural fit with excellent use of quick cuts and a tempered reliance on reaction shots.
STARS: ****½

A MESSAGE FROM BERNIE SANDERS
Bernie Sanders (Larry David) fields campaign & coronavirus questions

— Even in quarantine, SNL still makes room for celebrity cameos. Oh well, I have more leeway for Larry David’s Bernie Sanders.
— Right off the top, Larry acknowledges the lack of wig.
— Toilet paper references! Feels like a million years ago.
— Solid ranting for Larry David here, though nothing particularly notable here outside of Bernie saying his plan was to finish his heart attack from earlier in the year.
— I’m not one to really get in a lather about the technical aspects of the show, but the sound is noticeably lo-fi here.
STARS: ***

MASTERCLASS QUARANTINE EDITION
Timothee Chalamet’s (CLF) MasterClass provides hoodie advice

Jojo Siwa’s (CLF) MasterClass gives you TikTok tips

Carole Baskin’s (CLF) MasterClass involves bike riding & murder denials

— I feel like these were really considered a big moment for Chloe at the time. What I appreciate about this piece is how it really feels like a cast member’s singular vision, even if it feels like it’s in the nascent writing stages.
— Chloe’s Timothy Chalamet is a bit of fun, but this all feels like an audition tape.
— Jojo Siwa is a person I’m not aware of. Chloe’s energy is off the charts though.
— Aaaaaaaand here’s our second Tiger King reference of the night. At least I can fully gauge the quality of the impression—it’s fine.
— I don’t know, there’s something weirdly robotic and distant about Chloe’s impressions. I know a lot of people really see her as the future of SNL, but I can’t connect with her. This was a perfectly OK talent showcase, but it didn’t really scratch a comedy itch.
STARS: **½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Chris Martin [real] performs “Shelter From The Storm”

— Blue:  I know it’s very easy to rip on Chris Martin (and Coldplay as a whole), but I remember finding this performance pleasantly comforting when it originally aired.
— The choice to shoot in black and white nicely differentiates this performance from the sketches.
— Good song choice, too. The lyrics are fitting for the quarantine situation.
— I love how Chris has put up hand-written signs on his wall to mimic SNL’s Grand Central Station stage set.
— The sound quality here is great, though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a professional recording artist would happen to have professional-level recording equipment in his house.
— As someone who’s used to seeing Chris Martin play piano, I’m really appreciating his guitar playing, even if it’s just strumming and nothing too technically proficient.
— This cover reminds me a little bit of Coldplay’s own song “‘Til Kingdom Come.”
— Chris’ little “whoo!” at the end cracked me up.
— Pretty forgettable in comparison to the original, but I doubt Chris was trying to impress anyone here.
STARS: ***

WEEKEND UPDATE HOME EDITION
via phone, Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) claims coronavirus success

— Colin and Michael are doing their jokes with an entire Zoom audience. I think the desire for a live audience response makes sense, but they would drop it for the next two installments.
— I love that the jokes Colin and Michael are telling are not polished AT ALL. They feel very much like joke pitches.
— Colin: “It’s either Trump or Biden, which means we have comedy gold for the next four years.” That is an absolutely flabbergasting statement. Not simply with the hindsight of the 20-21 season (where the political comedy was decidedly NOT gold), but because we already know how hard the show struggled in the Trump era up to this point. Are the staff and writers in that much of a bubble that they think their handling of Trump was effective?

— Oh my gosh, they really don’t know, do they?
— Uh-oh, Trumpwin alert.
— Alec calls Michael “Lebron.” SNL absolutely LOVES the joke where someone misidentifies a black person. I would be interested to see how often they pull that one out of the woodwork. I bet it’s like three times a season since 2000.
— Trump on his alternative nicknames for the “China Virus”: “Stephen Miller came up with ‘Yellow Fever’ but that’s already a thing. It’s when a white dude is horny for an Asian chick.” I appreciate the bluntness.
— Another Tiger King reference! Followed by a “Pence is gay” joke. Jesus.
— Michael’s Twinkies cereal joke is golden.
— Another Tiger King joke! OK, we’re overdue for a drinking game.
— Ha, the gerbil joke was predictable, but I love it.
— Michael brings up losing his grandma to COVID as an excuse to kick off a joke swap and my God, was Colin’s joke a doozy.
— Michael then admits that his grandma never watches the show.
— “For Weekend Update, I’m Martha’s grandbaby!”
— Some killer jokes among a series of half baked mediocrities and Alec’s Trump commentary was a big nothing, but I enjoyed the overall energy.
STARS: ***

BAILEY AT THE MOVIES
Bailey Gismert’s reviews of home-screened movies highlight awkwardness

— Another recurring character that just might be a natural fit for this new format.
— Although I really tire of all the vocal fry, I love how Heidi always pushes this character into unsettling territory, especially her mentioning the V her dad is developing from all the push-ups he’s been doing.
— Despite an overuse of the word “awkward,” I enjoyed Heidi’s analysis of Emma.
— Classic Bailey Gismert moment with her deflecting about her crush on the Invisible Man by having a small emotional breakdown.
— One of the odder quirks of this character is Bailey’s insistence on wrapping her segment up by expressing a problematic opinion. Here, she endorses the new Louis CK special.
— Short and sweet.
STARS: ***½

MIDDLE AGED MUTANT NINJA TURTLES
adult concerns weigh down the quartet

— Despite having a different animation style, this has very strong TV Funhouse energy.
— Seems that SNL had this one in the hopper and finally found the perfect episode to pad out.
— Pretty solid reveal of the premise.
— “All of them are just in…Under Armor.”
— Amazing scene with Donatello getting the results from the doctor about the lump on his spine.
— I love how low-key these scenes are playing out. Just an excellent job of tapping into the existential despair of a has-been group of friends.
— Another short and sweet piece.
STARS: ****½

CAM PLAYZ DAT
Call Of Duty Warzone deaths abound in Twitch session

— Another solid opportunity to parody Twitch streams.
— The joke of this sketch is classic “Day-Seidell Sketch Comedy 101,” but I’m not hating it. It’s something I could show my kids at least.
— It’s so weird to see a guy like Mikey playing a young person. He’s a youthful looking guy, but there’s some weird uncanny valley business when he actually has to play young.
— Decent conclusion with Mikey failing at Super Mario Bros and falling into a moment of despair.
— Overall, this was super slight, but effectively done.
STARS: ***½

SKY SPORT REPORT
homebound Sky Sports announcer Bob Tisdale (ALM) calls invented sports

— I feel so excited to see an Alex feature piece.
— I know this is a direct parody of something, but I can’t remember what.
— I love how incredibly homemade this is, complete with Alex using a spatula as a mic.
— This is all very slight and silly, but this is the kind of material that I feel really shines with this format. It reminds me of early Conan.
— Alex on the popcorn competition: “Ooh, top right, there’s some action—tossing and turning, but lo, no bursting.”
— Loving all these small pieces.
STARS: ****

WHAT YOU JAMMIN’ ON?
via FaceTime, BEB, KYM, FRA turn writer’s block into a musical creation

— A Beck and Kyle piece! I can get behind this.
— I find the stupid voices they use with each other to be very infectious.
— OK, there’s literally nothing here. It’s more of a rhythm piece where the humor is just in the absurdity of inanity.
— Beck’s big idea: “Maybe something like…dinosaur bones?”
— Fred Armisen cameo. Hey, at least there’s no applause break.
— This was almost aggressively stupid. I actually kind of appreciate it.
STARS: ***

VISUALIZATIONS WITH AIDY
AIB’s pleasant stock-video visualizations are invaded by bad thoughts

— I love that this show is basically just a compilation of solo performance pieces from the cast.
— Hilarious commentary from Aidy on the weirdly asexual nature of the romantic stock footage.
— A great moment with Aidy’s red carpet existential crisis.
— This is a really great mix of Aidy playing up her anxieties and goofing on the silliness of the stock footage.
— A very personal piece that was a perfect mix of absurd and silly.
STARS: ****½

HOW LOW WILL YOU GO
game show contestants (EGN), (HEG), (AIB) are horny

— Beck with a beard!
— Only our second real ensemble piece of the show.
— “I’m your host Alex Burpee. That’s right, my dad invented lying down and getting up really quick.”
— Quarantine horniness is the theme of this sketch and a running theme through a couple sketches in later episodes.
— Love Beck complaining about having to stay at home with his kids despite being the dad.
— Ego: “The last warm thing I touched was sourdough.” Another reference that feels a million years old.
— I will never not be horrified by watching Pete do Family Guy impersonations. I know he’s playing an undesirable character, but I come from the generation where Family Guy references are an absolute comedy killer.
— Aidy: “I got it. First time’s for you; second time’s for me. Tale as old as time.”
— Fun performance from Kenan.
— Pretty lame closing line from Beck.
STARS: ***½

MAKEUP TUTORIAL WITH EGO
Crayola markers are the sole product used during (EGN)’s makeup tutorial

— Another premise-less solo piece, but I’m really into the DIY aesthetic of the show and this might be the quintessential quarantine piece.
— Ego looks wild after filling in her eyebrows.
— Not a ton to say, but this was a perfect get-in/get-out piece that really highlights this episode’s “anything goes” quality.
STARS: ***½

I GOT $2,000
rapper (PED) prominently displays $2,000 during music video

— Good Lord, ANOTHER Pete video???
— OK, credit where it’s due, at least there’s a discernible joke here. And it’s decently funny to boot.
— Another thing that needs to be pointed out: Pete absolutely stinks at rapping. Like, at least the Lonely Island guys could approximate bars. Pete is rapping at a very cautious pace. I think Pete’s a funny stand-up and is generally OK on the show, but this, despite popular opinion, is not his forte.
— That said, the joke was solid and it didn’t go on forever, so I can’t really be too mad. But it probably could have been fleshed out even more if an actual writer had helped.
STARS: **½

HAL WILLNER TRIBUTE
castmembers mark the passing of SNL music producer Hal Willner

— A very detailed and loving tribute to Hal Willner, the SNL Music Supervisor who died from COVID the week of this episode.
— Everyone is chipping in here, including Armisen, Hader, Mulaney and Sandler.
— A sweet musical tribute of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” performed by Fey, Gasteyer, Dratch, Poehler, Shannon, Spivey and Pell.
— A very sad, moving tribute.
STARS: N/A

GOODNIGHTS

— Hanks, who was MIA outside of the monologue and the musical guest intro, signs off. It’s not much of a hosting appearance, but it kind of feels consistent with some of the Ebersol era hosts, so I’ll give it a pass. Congratulations on your 10th hosting appearance, Tom!

CUT FOR TIME: ELMER’S EASTER ADVENTURE AUDITIONS
Bruce Chandling (KYM) auditions for Elmer’s Easter Adventure

— Here’s a fun setting for Kyle’s underrated and oft-cut for time Bruce Chandling character.
— The patented VHS tracking effect that Kyle would put to good use on his Saturday Morning All Star Hits.
— Kyle dropping a very hacky “Have you heard about this?” after he mentions that Christ came back to life at Easter is a brilliant little touch.
— OMG, that “Res-erection” joke was absolutely awful! I’m deeply impressed.
— The standard Chandling pathos moment feels a little perfunctory here, but I am enjoying the ambivalence of the off-camera casting director. And the callback to Chandling’s first joke worked well enough.
— It’s always fun to see a good character put into a new setting. The familiar beats were fine but predictable. The best parts of the Bruce Chandling character appear in the margins. I think this piece got the ax because the Bailey Gismert piece was doing similar work and played a wee bit better with the At Home framework.
STARS: ***½

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A really fun, but wildly scattershot experiment. SNL would, I think, simultaneously fix some of the problems of this episode and undercut some of the qualities in later episodes. I appreciated how some characters were able to find a welcome home in this new setting and also loved the “throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks” energy it all had. Some of the pieces really stuck well and some were absolutely terrible. Weirdly, the show decided to frontload the least comedically effective pieces.
— Cecily, Melissa and Bowen were all notably absent.

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


RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Henriette & Nan
Visualizations With Aidy
Middle Aged Mutant Ninja Turtles
Sky Sport Report
Monologue
Bailey At The Movies
Makeup Tutorial With Ego
(CFT: Elmer’s Easter Adventure Auditions)
Cam Playz Dat
How Low Will You Go
Weekend Update Home Edition
What You Jammin’ On?
A Message From Bernie Sanders
Masterclass Quarantine Edition
I Got $2,000
Working Out At Home With RBG
Drake Song

TOMORROW
John goes deep on our second SNL At Home.

Posted on

December 21, 2019 – Eddie Murphy / Lizzo (S45 E10) 

by Carson

SIXTH DEMOCRATIC DEBATE
Joe Biden (JAS) challenges debate-crasher Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin)

— To introduce each of the candidates, we get extended audience applause breaks and a standard issue one-liner, which is about the most stilted way to kick this off. We’ve already had 37 of these sketches this season (give or take), the formula has worn completely thin.
— These complaints have been made before and made more eloquently, but the cavalcade of cameos is a bug, not a feature. I don’t care how good Larry David is as Bernie Sanders or how wonderful Dratch, Rudolph, Armisen, Sudeikis and Baldwin have been on SNL in the past. I take no pleasure in seeing them gobble up this much airtime, especially when this is preventing me from seeing the SNL great of all SNL greats.
— Maya Rudolph’s appearance, more than anyone else’s, is exceedingly insufferable. Like, Dratch is always fun and Sudeikis still pitches a fastball, but Rudolph’s Yas Kween routine is absolute death. Also, I don’t actually HATE Rudolph. She was great on The Good Place, Forever was pretty decent, and she had a couple really strong years as an SNL cast member (01-2 and 06-07 for those keeping score), but this approach to her Kamala Harris gives me unceasing waves of second-hand embarrassment.
— Baldwin’s Trump shows up and references Delirious and Raw, making me even more impatient for this sketch to end so we can finally start the comedy show.
— Kate does a quick change to appear as Nancy Pelosi and we’re an awkward group “LFNY” away from a blackout on the “Awful SNL Political Satire” Bingo card.
— Fuck me, Kate even does the stupid “Pelosi clap.”
— You’ll notice I did not reference any of the one-liners here. There’s a reason for that. None of them popped in any way.
— And there’s the Bingo card blackout.
— In a word: deplorable.
STARS: *

MONOLOGUE
EDM declines to use sketch ideas of TRM, CSR, Dave Chappelle [real]

— Absolutely huge chants of “EDDIE!” when Eddie comes out. People know this is a special evening.
— Eddie: “This is the last episode of 2019, but if you’re black, this is the first episode since I left back in 1984.” Wild to think that this is 35 years to the week that Eddie last appeared on the show.
— Eddie feels completely in his element riffing off jokes.
— The Bill Cosby joke was great, but it was Eddie’s jump into his Cosby impression that confirms that this will not be the aloof, low-energy Eddie Murphy that appeared at the 40th Anniversary Special. The real Eddie Murphy is HERE!
— Tracy Morgan cameo! I mean, Eddie doesn’t need the help, but I’m always happy to see Tracy.
— Chris Rock now! And now Chappelle. This is all very “modern SNL” to pile on unneeded cameos, but at least there’s a bit of a conceit with all these icons pitching Eddie sketch ideas.
— I especially love Eddie’s clearly facetious exclamation of “What a moment we’re having!” Goddamn, I forgot how effortlessly funny Eddie is.
— Chappelle: “Right now you’re looking at half of Netflix’s budget right here on this stage.” Tracy gets the topper though, saying he got all his millions getting hit by a truck.
— Beck makes a very “Beck” entrance (Tracy says it’s Joe Piscopo in the most “Tracy Morgan” voice he’s ever used) only to be quickly be supplanted by Kenan, who gets to stand shoulder to shoulder with giants. I’d say Kenan’s status is more of a result of attrition than genius. No offense.
— Great way to get the energy up after a completely tedious cold open. The cameos were not needed to make Eddie’s return seem any more special, but it was a ton of fun nonetheless. You can already tell Eddie is in his element.
STARS: ****½

MISTER ROBINSON’S NEIGHBORHOOD
gentrification has provided opportunities

— Here we go! The return of a classic character.
— Already love the conceit of Mister Robinson now living in a gentrified neighborhood.
— Honestly, other than Eddie being beefier than he was 35 years ago, it’s like he didn’t miss a beat. This is as keyed in as any of Eddie’s performances in the early 80s.
— The classic “WHO IS IT?” gag.
— “Damian and Nika are my new neighbors. They paid $1.2 million for an apartment where Mr. Robinson’s friend Frankie used to cook crack.”
— I love Eddie’s hard stares to the camera.
— Funny seeing Mikey and Heidi playing roles that, decades earlier, would have likely belonged to Tim Kazurinsky and Robin Duke. Mikey and Heidi are strong performers, but it already feels like Eddie renders the other performers kind of useless. His charisma and magnetism are really strong. It just confirms how hard it must have been for the talented performers of the 80s to compete with Eddie’s confidence and irrepressible energy.
— I know some critics, namely AVClub scold Dennis Perkins, expressed hesitancy for this sketch, noting that it “continues to suggest that a black, inner city Mister Rogers would be a shifty, no-account petty crook and deadbeat” and that Murphy didn’t seem that into it. I would debate the validity of the first comment – Mr. Robinson is a composite of a very rough and dangerous early 80s New York – and absolutely scoff at the suggestion of the second – Murphy is clearly having a blast here.
— Great reveal of Mr. Robinson having the big screen TV after all, especially with him using it to call his neighbors racist.
— Classic turn to the camera when Chris Redd tells Eddie he’s his long-lost son.
— I love that this sketch followed the classic structure while seamlessly incorporating all the necessary updates. It didn’t feel like a relic at all (the way a lot of “bringing the classics out of the mothballs” sketches can). Fabulous job by the writers and more proof that Eddie hasn’t lost a thing.
STARS: *****

HOLIDAY BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP
bad cakes are based on characters kids love

— A return of the Nailed It! parody from the Don Cheadle episode. I found the original sloppy, but hilarious. This doesn’t seem like an ideal use of Eddie Murphy, but we will see.
— Is it just me, or does Cecily’s botched Elsa cake look like Donatella Versace? Too mean?
— I love Eddie’s corny delivery of “Hi guys, I can’t believe I’m here.” It’s really an amazing feat to be able to extract a sense of actual silliness from the show’s humorless exposition dialogue.
— Nice reveal of Eddie’s Sonic The Hedgehog cake. Of course, this is following the exact template of the previous installment, but I can forgive it.
— Aidy: “Why is it brown, Mitch?” Eddie: “I don’t know. Why is anything brown?”
— I do still get a kick out of the judges totally glossing over Heidi’s completely sufficient cake design.
— Kyle’s wig, tiny head shake and line (“My favorite Christmas memory is Cinderella”) make for a hilarious combination.
— The reveal of Kyle’s penis cake is the one element of this sketch that lacks the impact of the original..
— Eddie says “We can still win this shit” and then covers his mouth. Pretty funny way to wrap up the sketch.
— It’s still a scattershot sketch with a lot to laugh at. I don’t begrudge SNL returning to this well, but it did suffer without the element of surprise.
STARS: ***½

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
(EDM)’s dinner toast leaves out family conflicts

— Another instance of SNL returning to the well. These pieces always play out predictably, but effectively. In fact, the last time this sketch format was used was in the previous season’s Matt Damon episode, which, weirdly, was the SNL Vintage the night this episode aired. 
— Basically this is everything you would expect this to be, but the added elements of Kenan’s grandpa character and Mikey’s fiance character are a nice touch.
— Ego: “Why can’t I marry him? Because he’s white?” Eddie: “YES!”
— Ah, the hell of sleeping on an air mattress.
— Really enjoy the montage of Kenan sleeping (and then farting and giggling) through the festivities.
— Eddie’s wince when Mikey calls him dad… so perfect.
— Of course, there’s the needlessly treacly Hallmark ending that always kills the buzz of a solid piece of normie comedy.
STARS: ****

THE MASKED SINGER
after his identity is revealed, Buckwheat sings

— I can already tell that Bowen does a rock solid Ken Jeong.
— Immediately we know that it’s Buckwheat under the corn on the cob costume. I enjoy that they’re bringing him back in what is basically his original context. But this character went on to become one of the richest recurring pieces in SNL history. It would be nice if they would have tapped into that richness. I mean, my God, at least acknowledge Buckwheat’s assassination.
— Not unlike his Mister Robinson, Eddie still has a strong handle on the Buckwheat. His medley is terrific.
— Melissa’s short, sincere speech to Buckwheat was actually quite moving.
— It’s a delight to see Eddie in his most iconic role again and he was as delightful as expected. I just wish the writers had given him more to work with. I enjoyed it, but it was undeniably undercooked.
STARS: ***½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Truth Hurts”

— Blue: Cool tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe right at the start of this performance—Lizzo’s guitarist is dressed to resemble her.
— Right away, from Lizzo’s eye roll and laugh after delivering the first line a cappella, it’s obvious that she’s having fun.
— Good choice to add some space to the song by having the guitar and drum hits on the first beat of the first couple measures.
— Not loving the dancer’s outfits, but their choreography is well-done and compliments Lizzo without getting in her way.
— I like the string accents on the verse—it almost sounds like a violin being plucked along to the main synth riff. Of course, the violin itself is probably a synth.
— Every time I watch Lizzo perform, I’m blown away by her sheer positive energy and confidence, and this time is no different.
— The keyboard is definitely mixed too loudly, as the synth hits are now slightly drowning out Lizzo’s voice.
— Love when Lizzo adds that grunt/growl to her voice. Not sure if she’s had professional vocal training but I wouldn’t be surprised—she’s staying on pitch and conserving her breath remarkably well.
— Seeing Lizzo and her guitarist cut loose with huge smiles on their faces brings a huge smile to my own face.
— Very impressive vocal run from Lizzo at the end, where she drops from her head voice into a lower chest voice, before belting out the last note in her mixed register and staying perfectly in tune. Even more impressive considering that Lizzo was supposedly ill with a sore throat the week of this performance. Great recovery on her part!
STARS: ****

WEEKEND UPDATE
Gumby is upset that he hasn’t been given proper credit for saving SNL

PED compares the public’s perception of his life with how COJ is viewed

surprising news items cause drunk Jeanine Pirro (CES) to spew wine on COJ

— The use of video footage is a far more effective way of skewering Trump.
— Oh shit, early on, Gumby interrupts the proceedings (like Colin was literally mid-joke)!
— Overwhelming energy from Murphy as he rants about how he saved SNL.
— I love that Eddie calls Colin “trailer boy” and Michael a “black bastard.”
— Classic moment when Eddie temporarily breaks and then sternly shouts down the audience for laughing at him. Shades of his George Washington Carver rant from 35 years earlier.
— Ha, now he called Colin “head shot.”
— This is loose as hell, but it’s a riot.
— It gets even better with Eddie refusing to leave when his segment wraps. Colin and Michael seemed really tickled by this. I am too.
— Michael’s pronoun joke was very in keeping with his online persona. It wasn’t a laugh riot, but in terms of palatable jokes about gender pronouns, I think it remained a fair ball.
— I like the fake out of Pete saying he’s going to do a political commentary.
— Pete points out that it’s hard to follow Gumby: “I can’t believe you guys let me do this during the Eddie Murphy episode. So many fans being reminded why they stopped watching.”
— Colin points out that Pete is the youngest cast member to join the cast since Eddie Murphy. I will not stand for this Anthony Michael Hall erasure.
— Pete’s dig at Daniel Tosh wasn’t hilarious, but I like that Pete is willing to say “I don’t like that guy.”
— A rambling, yet amiable commentary from Pete.
— Wow, we’re already transitioning to the joke swap. They’re not wasting time here.
— A funny series of joke swap gags, but probably the least memorable this duo has done. The absurd cue card thing was pretty wild, however (“Merry Christmas homeboy. You’re fired.”).
— Cecily’s Jeanine Pirro is *possibly* her finest character. Always happy to see her show up.
— Cecily: “To my Christian friends, I wanna say ‘Merry Christmas!’ And to all you Jewish and Muslim folks out there: I SAID ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS!’”
— Ha, hilarious twist on Jeanine throwing wine on Colin by having her puke the wine instead. In the history of sketch comedy guilty pleasures, the puke hose is my all-time favorite. No apologies.
— Colin: “It’s in my mouth.”
— The opening run of jokes were OK and Pete’s commentary was just fine, but between Gumby, the always-reliable (if more subdued this time) joke swap and Cecily’s always riotous Pirro, this was a highly memorable Update.
STARS: ****½

BLACK JEOPARDY
Velvet Jones’ ho tutorials vie with modern sensibilities

— Now it’s Velvet Jones’ turn for a modern update. This is not necessarily a favorite Eddie Murphy of many, but I always enjoyed well enough.
— Weird delay from Kenan when introducing the categories.
— Eddie is a little sloppier here, but he’s still doing a good job with this classic character.
— The fact that Velvet Jones is sort of a man out of time is a pretty good concept, though I’m not sure Black Jeopardy is the right format for this to thrive.
— Kenan: “Velvet, you know about #MeToo, right?” Eddie: “Of course! You like hos? Me too!”
— The fake sponsor for “Put Some Water In It” is really funny, but that doesn’t strike me as a particularly black stereotype. My family does that shit all the time.
— The “How To Be An Instagram Ho” seems like a decent out for this sketch.
— Unlike the Buckwheat sketch from earlier tonight, I appreciate that the writers were able to effectively frame this character within a measurable comedic concept. I’m not sure if they completely pulled it off the way they did with Mister Robinson, but it was an enjoyable attempt nonetheless.
STARS: ***½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Good As Hell”

— Blue: I really love the backup dancers’ outfits here, made to look like ribbons on wrapped Christmas presents.
— Incredible how close Lizzo’s vocals sound to the recorded version of this song.
— Oh yesss, the backup dancers are swinging on candy-cane-striped poles—so fun to watch!
— The synth’s entrance on the second verse is overwhelmingly loud.
— This dance breakdown is awesome, especially seeing Lizzo join the choreography.
— WOW, that glittery backless suit reveal! The sound engineer must have turned the audience’s mics off, because I can’t imagine no one cheered for that.
— Flawless held note from Lizzo—the transition between registers was seamless.
— Precious to see Lizzo jumping up and down in excitement at the end.
STARS: ****

NORTH POLE NEWS REPORT
manic elf witness (EDM) describes polar bear attack on Santa’s workshop

— A kind of middling setup is completely saved by a full throttle Eddie Murphy.
— “It don’t matter what my name is!!”
— A classic scream by Eddie as he exits his first scene.
— Great bit with Eddie explaining that the polar bear situation has gotten so bad that a white teenage elf girl would approach an older black elf in sweatpants for help.
— Ha, Eddie about the Tooth Fairy’s “Thoughts & Prayers” Instagram post: “That bitch sounds crazy!”
— “Listen to this sexy-ass elf right here!”
— Honestly, this sketch is a 90/10 performance to writing split. There’s almost nothing on the page here, but Eddie proves that he still has a superhuman ability to elevate the material he is given. That is the hallmark of a star. Most performers are confined by the material they’re given. Eddie absolutely explodes through the screen and throttles the audience into laughter.
STARS: ****½

GOODNIGHTS


CUT FOR TIME: HOLIDAY GIG
keytarist (EDM)’s medical condition derails Treece Henderson holiday gig


— Ah, one of those “Kenan is a silly scatman who becomes obsessed with some embarrassing minutiae, thus derailing his band’s performance” sketches.
— Kenan’s Jergen’s request is not quite “delightfully odd,” but more “discursively mirth-ish.”
— Watching Eddie have to pantomime a key-tar solo while Kenan kind of vamps and giggles is like having Jimi Hendrix stuck playing rhythm guitar (or some similar reference but more, you know… contemporary!).
— Kyle is a secular humanist, Eddie is Kenan’s roommate – so many details in search of a joke!
— Finally we get to the comedic meat of the sketch: Eddie’s character has some weird disease or discharge issue that Kenan repeatedly tries to discuss on stage to everyone else’s chagrin (it finally comes over two minutes into the sketch). When I meant “comedic meat,” I was referring to tofurkey.
— There are so many nearly funny lines being delivered here. The rhythm of everything seems about right, but I’m not hearing any discernible laugh lines.
— Eddie forgoes pantomiming one of his solos in favor of tucking his cell phone back in his pocket. I figure if this sketch would have made the cut (which would have been a baffling decision), that would have been a detail Lorne would have sniffed out.
— It’s one thing that this sketch is so poorly written (if adequately performed), but the real reason this one never made it to air is because it underserves Eddie. I think the dress rehearsal edits are largely made with deference to the host. Eddie is present and active here, but with very little to work with. Classic “Cut For Time” fodder. Absolute filler.
STARS: **

AIDY BIZZO & LIZZO
empowered (AIB) imitates new bestie (musical guest)


— A sequel to the Aidy B sketch from the Chadwick Boseman episode. Kabir dug that one, let’s see how this one goes.
— Kate: “Lizzo (embraces her raw sexual power) because she knows she’s 100% that bitch.” Just an absolutely chill-inducing line.
— Beck, looking beefier than I remember him and oozing with white boy smugness: “You girls talking about Lizzo again? Why can’t we just talk about rock n’ roll?”
— As the music kicks in and Aidy begins to do her hyper-sexualized rap lady whatever, it dawns on me that there is no audience track here. It’s really glaring.
— An interesting backstage with Aidy, Bowen and Eddie. It’s interesting to see Bowen being utilized in the “modest newcomer” role, but that’s all that I can really say about this portion. But Eddie sincerely thanking God for Aidy’s ass was a funny little bit.
— Aidy: “I’m going to sit on your dick so hard that you die.” Gadzooks!
— The smash cut from Aidy and Lizzo grinding in a music video to Aidy quietly humping on top of the NBC page’s desk is probably the comedic conceit that would have best held this sketch up over its four minutes.
— Chloe’s playing herself in a backstage segment. Worth noting if only for the fact that I don’t think I know what Chloe’s personality is.
— I’m not offended by the overabundance of the word “bitch” in this sketch. I just find it supremely cheesy.
— Aidy: “Is it me or are we best friends?” Lizzo: “Yeah… I mean, I’m definitely your best friend.”
— Aidy walking out of Lizzo’s dressing room bare-assed caught me by surprise. Kudos.
— Tactically speaking, giving a feature spot to the musical guest is a pretty surefire bet to make it to air. But this isn’t just any episode. Another sketch to largely overlook such a powerhouse host leaves this one destined for the scrap heap. And I’m not sure it deserved to be in the show on merit either. Eye-rolling at Yas Kween sketches is maybe becoming a cliche in its own right, but this one seemed to revel in all the most tedious elements of that vibe. Some funny moments though.
STARS: **½

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A rising tide lifts all boats and Eddie Murphy is exactly that rising tide. He was on fire from the jump and brought his infectious energy to every live performance just in case anyone thought he wasn’t a master. A fabulous episode of SNL, even if the show was largely committed to bringing back Eddie’s classic bits and plunking him into some pre-fabbed sketches as well. Shame the show couldn’t get out of its own way with the cold open. In another era (in ANY other era), the show would have likely done a meta bit about Eddie’s return to the show. A lack of creativity on the writers’ part probably prevented what could have been a perfect episode.

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


RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood
North Pole News Report
Weekend Update
Monologue
Home For The Holidays
Holiday Baking Championship
Black Jeopardy
The Masked Singer
(CFT: Aidy Bizzo & Lizzo)
(CFT: Holiday Gig)
Sixth Democratic Debate

Want more Eddie Murphy content? Check out our breakdown of his Best Of special here.

TOMORROW
The Eddie Murphy of SNL reviewers, Matt, takes on our first episode of 2020 with Adam Driver/Halsey.

Posted on

February 16, 2019 – Don Cheadle / Gary Clark Jr. (S44 E13) 

by Carson

TRUMP DECLARES NATIONAL EMERGENCY
Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) declares a national emergency to build wall

— The annoying audience applause at the beginning of every SNL makes it seem like Trump is some kind of beloved figure. It’s weird.
— A direct address to the camera almost feels refreshingly quaint in this era of blown-out cold opens.
— The Dinner For Schmucks line probably deserved a bit more than it got.
— I like how Trump is skirting basic syntax to get across his wall message. I can’t remember if that is a specific reference, but I think it’s a slightly fun quirk.
— Trump references the Mueller Report crumbling Trump’s house of cards. Oh, 2019, you gullible idiot.
— The callback to Trump saying he wasn’t going to do the voice when he starts into his Chuck Schumer impression is pretty good.
— Beck Bennett is given a near non-speaking role as Attorney General William Barr. Apparently, they were waiting for an ace impressionist like Aidy to take on such a meaty role.
— Listen, this Trump stuff has aged like milk, but I have to give credit to how nice it is to have a simple, unadorned press conference sketch open the show. It gives off a strong 2001-2002 vibe and even if it wasn’t lights out hilarious, I admire the simplicity of it all.
STARS: ***

MONOLOGUE
LEJ’s selfie encounter with host represents a typical NYC fan experience

— Cheadle’s weird dance and ill-fitting 1983 couch cushion attire are already putting me on edge.
— There’s a relatively new trend of the host getting off a couple B- jokes to kick off their monologue. I mean, I know it goes back to the beginning of the entire show’s history. But it’s really kicked into overdrive as of late.
— These jokes are a stealth way to incorporate Cheadle’s wide slate of credits.
— Leslie walk-on. It’s not great.
— Pure time-filler.
STARS: **

FRESH TAKES
teacher’s (host) attempts to be cool are inappropriate

— The second installment of this sketch, which premiered in the previous season’s Larry David episode.
— Another strong 2001-02 vibe. This is very reminiscent of Wake Up, Wakefield, one of that era’s more beloved mediocrities. On the bright side, it could be akin to SCTV’s Pre-Teen World, which is absolutely essential “adults as kids” sketch comedy.
— Ha, 17-year-old Carson definitely relates to both Alex’s friendzoned character and Kate’s newly de-braced character.
— Cheadle as a teacher sharing gossip about his colleagues is a fun little conceit.
— Kyle was basically born to play this role. The “She Said Yes” screen popping up after Kate turns him down for the prom is perfect.
— Leslie has done some absolutely stellar work in a couple of this season’s highlights (House Hunters, Weezer Argument), but I still feel like she gets thrown into too many of these pieces where she’s required to just “be Leslie” without much in the way of actual jokes.
— Cheadle admitting to his curiosity about people’s bodies was a nice, tossed aside line.
— Cheadle’s character incriminating himself was a predictable conclusion to this sketch.
— While this was no Pre-Teen World, it was a more than worthy successor to Wake Up, Wakefield. There were a couple fun characterizations and it was far more joke heavy.
STARS: ***½

EXTREME BAKING CHAMPIONSHIP
cartoon-inspired cakes are many types of bad

— I love the stupid scrambling the contestants are doing at the beginning of the sketch. I don’t think it was meant to be funny, but something about it is tickling me.
— The reveal of Leslie’s poorly made Olaf cake gets a laugh, but it’s not significantly off the mark from the typical reveal on Nailed It. That’s a tricky line for this sketch to navigate—this sketch is built on a sort of escalation, but the source of parody is already meant to be viewed in somewhat comedic terms.
— Leslie: “I think my nerves get the best of me and also I’m bad.”
— Small, nearly unnoticeable joke: Cheadle’s character is referred to as a “go-to-work dad.” I liked that.
— Great response from Aidy to Cheadle’s non sequitur Tickle Me Elmo transition.
— Great reveal of Cheadle’s monstrous Cookie Monster creation. I also love that the cake inexplicably has the name “Sean” written on it.
— I love how the judges are completely unphased by Heidi’s more-than proficient Spongebob cake. You can’t heighten much from Cheadle’s cake, so this was a really effective turn.
— Cheadle’s cake being a sentient puke monster (wonderfully voiced by Kenan) is a huge turn. I love it.
— Kenan and Alex’s misogynistic retorts to Heidi’s understandable protestations is another really fun detail. This piece is just packed with jokes.
— Kyle: “My cartoon is Yoda the pesky elf.”
— Usually breaking from the comedy “Rule of threes” is a risk, but this fourth reveal of Kyle’s cake is a perfect touch.
— Beck: “And what’s that he’s holding?” Kyle: “Why that’s his famous penis of course!” The way Kyle delivers that line is impeccable. Looks like it caught Aidy a bit too because she starts to subtly corpse.
— I remember the first time I watched this sketch, I thought it was a mess, but with enough jokes to keep it afloat. I think that view comes from how tricky it was for the show to escalate the comedy. In this re-watch, I’m actually quite impressed by how the show executed each escalation, jumping into absurdity early, but pushing and releasing on the ways this kind of parody could be funny. It’s not the most coherent sketch you’ll ever see, but I think it tracks as much as it needs to. Plus, it’s still an absolute joke machine. Tons to laugh at here.
STARS: *****

POUND PUPPY
dog-shaped sex tent shields canines from owners’ intercourse

— The dogs watching the couples trying to make love is a funny, relatable bit. Can confirm that this is the case with cats too. Those horny bastards are also trying to catch a glimpse.
— OK, I don’t actually love the giant dog tent gag, but everything’s executed with efficiency—and of course the requisite inclusion of the real dog trying to hump the fake dog.
— “So throw your dog—and yourself—a bone” is a good one-liner. So is “Your dog will smile while you doggy style.” But for my money the best line is the concluding “Available in the adult section of PetCo.”
STARS: ***½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Pearl Cadillac”

— Blue: Nice falsetto from Gary.
— Strong chorus. There’s a nice laid-back intensity to the groove.
— I’m never going to complain about hearing falsetto vocals, but the few moments where Gary reaches into his lower register at the end of each phrase leave me curious to know if he’d sound even better singing in that range for the duration of a song.
— Good choice for several instruments to drop out on the bridge.
— Took a moment for Gary’s solo to heat up, but now it’s definitely on fire.
— The outro, stripped down to just Gary’s vocals and the organ, is really pretty.
STARS: ***½

WEEKEND UPDATE
builder of southern border wall (PED) accidentally created a ladder

Chuck Schumer (ALM) & Nancy Pelosi (KAM) gloat about outmaneuvering Trump

when it comes to the Oscars, Jules (BEB) sees things a little differently

Mort Fellner (MID) reports on the inexorable demise of supercentenarians

— The Trump clips are probably the best way for them to kick off Update. They’re definitely better than some warmed-over one-liner. That run of Trump describing the legal challenge is honestly stunning.
— Jost ends his hot run with an absolute clunker about climate change.
— Che’s resigned take about the endless Trump inanity is actually really fun. It’s almost a pre-cursor to Che’s pre-pandemic exasperation routine.
— Fun quick hit by Pete accidentally building horizontal slats for the wall.
— Che goes in on a rant about America’s drug problem, effectively plowing through the bit’s clapter moment.
— I love Alex’s Chuck Schumer. Also Kate’s Nancy Pelosi is here.
— Eh. The gloating establishment Liberals routine is rubbing me the wrong way. Oh, they’re doing the condescending Pelosi clap thing now too. Yas Kween! And also, kill me.
— Ha, I liked that Ryan Adams joke.
— Ah yes, Jost’s second infamous pro-Amazon rant (following the first time Jost went down this road in the Steve Carrell episode). The joke itself is too innocuous to really get worked up about, but I guess the short-sighted view on Amazon’s employee relations is probably regrettable. In hindsight, it seems like the mild controversy was much ado about a mild joke with an iffy, and presumably hastily written, premise. Jost’s whole vibe also, unfairly I might add, screams out-of-touch privilege, so that would also be a strike against him, but I also bet he didn’t actually write the joke himself. I don’t necessarily like the neoliberal, corporate shill takes, but SNL can’t always be a reflection of our varied and nuanced political perspectives.
— Jules, Who Sees Things A Little Differently is not necessarily a fan favorite, but I kind of adore the absolute douche-chilliness of it all.
— Ha, Beck called a football a “football ball.”
— Beck’s calling Black Panther “Equal Panther” got a sort of eerie hush from the audience. I thought that was pretty great.
— Beck’s run describing the movie he wants to see is pretty wonderful.
— Not that they were too tight or anything at the beginning of Update, but Che and Jost are beginning to loosen up as things go. It gives everything a nice jolt of energy, especially as they veer away from political material.
— Mikey debuts his supercentenarian Mort Fellner character, an almost vaudevillian Tim Kazurinsky throwback. It’s a silly, almost throwaway one-note bit, but Mikey plays the beats perfectly.
— A pretty solid Update overall that was marred by the rotten Schumer-Pelosi bit and will live in some degree of infamy for a couple of lame jokes that Internet progressives deemed “problematic.”
STARS: ***

CELEBRITY FAMILY FEUD
Spike Lee (host) & Lady Gaga (MEV) helm Oscar nominee teams

— There have been good, even great Family Feud installments. I’m of the mind that none of them have involved a carousel of impressions.
— Cheadle’s New York Knicks jab (as Spike Lee) got the kind of groan usually reserved for pedophile jokes. Funny what things hit a nerve.
— As I await an impression that raises above the level of “Yeah, sure, OK,” I am overwhelmed by the perpetual lameness of these bits.
— Kyle doing Bradley Cooper? Haha, that’s the funniest joke in the whole thing.
— Pete is a natural as Rami Malik. I mean, the impression itself is nothing, but they’ve both been gifted with the kind of butthole eyes people seem so taken with these days.
— Melissa as Lada Gaga: “Spike, I adore your films. I’d love to be in one sometime.”
Cheadle: “Oh that’s so nice. No.”
— Other than that one little exchange, this was as lousy as these things usually are.
STARS: *½

LOLLIPOP
“Lollipop” on jukebox makes a dance party of (host) vs. (BEB) bar fight

— The wrong fight song playing on the jukebox is a gag lifted straight from the impeccable Dirty Work. The reveal in this sketch doesn’t hit like Dirty Work’s “If you like Pina Coladas…”
— I dig the subtle little dance shuffle Beck and Cheadle are doing as they square up to fight.
— I love how the two fighters have decided to wait out their fight until the song ends and break into dance to fill the time.
— Underrated part of Beck’s comedy arsenal is the way he gracefully moves his tuna can body around.
— I love how everyone is interpreting the lyrics.
— Wonderful turn with everyone jumping into a choreographed dance.
— Fun, silly and simple—and I don’t even know the source song.
— SNL would return to this general concept again in the Regé-Jean Page episode.
STARS: ****½

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “This Land”

— Blue: Interesting synth intro. This song has a very different feel from the last one.
— Ahh, now Gary is using his lower register that I was hoping I’d hear eventually. Great versatility, and he does sound better in this range. I like the rawness of his voice.
— The faint horn (?) sample on the verse is really cool.
— Wow, these lyrics are heavy. Gary’s selling it well with his facial expressions.
— I dig the hard rock-reggae rhythm of this song.
— While not super flashy, Gary’s solo gets the tone of the song across perfectly. 
— Since I enjoyed both performances a lot, I have to wonder… how have I never heard of this musician before?? This was some quality stuff.
STARS: ****

ROACH-EX PLUS
it ends family drama caused by a homewrecking insect (host)

— This is a parody of a common kind of “clever” ad.
— Cheadle putting his hand on Heidi’s leg is a wonderful escalation.
— Turning this light ad into a harrowing domestic drama is a great touch. The climax is very nicely played, especially with the son being the one to ultimately kill Cheadle’s cuckolding roach.
— Love how the ad returns to its jaunty tone.
STARS: ****½

THE REGAL PROMENADE PAVILLION
the low-rent venue for your special event

— A Kate/Aidy two-hander. These tend to run indulgent, but I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt.
— Oh, also, Kate in drag alert. We were spared in the cold open, but I knew it was too good to be true.
— A great gag about the loose outlet.
— Lots of great observations about shitty hotels. Very relatable material here.
— Another strong joke that gets nothing: the squeakiest green beans you’ll ever bite in your life.
— After a strong start, I feel like this is petering out slightly.
— Pretty solid for a 10-to-one piece. It would have been far better if it were half as long, but even as the strength of the joke subsided, I felt like it was still amiable enough.
STARS: ***½

IN MEMORIAM
A photo of SNL stage manager Joe Dicso marks his passing


— Love that they use a still in Dicso’ performance during the “Tonight Song.” I miss how the show used to utilize their crew. Would love to have some of that freewheeling energy back. Dicso was a great onscreen presence.

GOODNIGHTS

— Hmm, Cheadle has been sporting some very politically minded shirts through the course of tonight. First his “Protect Trans Kids” shirt during the second Gary Clark Jr. introduction (a good take, no doubt). And now his CCCP Trump hockey jersey, which is a bit of an eye-roller.

IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— Honestly, full marks—a pretty strong episode. I think my positive feelings stemmed from the more contained cold open, which was so refreshingly modest (if comedically mild) that I wasn’t immediately put into a bad mood. One classic piece emerged plus a few more strong pieces that should be remembered. I think one of the benefits of the episode is how efficient some of the pieces were. From the Cold Open to Pound Puppy (a mediocre piece made stronger by its brevity) to Roach-Ex Plus. Only the final sketch felt hurt by being too long. Well, and Family Feud, but that was doomed to start with.

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


RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Extreme Baking Championship
Lollipop
Roach-Ex Plus
The Regal Promenade Pavilion
Fresh Takes
Pound Puppy
Trump Declares National Emergency
Weekend Update
Monologue
Celebrity Family Feud

TOMORROW
Matt, who is an excellent writer and an even better SNL critic (he also helps me with my screenshots, so I need to butter him up a bit), gets to mitts on John Mulaney/Thomas Rhett

Posted on

January 19, 2019 – Rachel Brosnahan / Greta Van Fleet (S44 E10)

by Carson

DEAL OR NO DEAL
Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) does Deal Or No Deal with government shutdown

— Alright, so they’re trying something a little different with their Trump cold open. Credit there, I guess.
— Weird choice to insert Kenan’s Steve Harvey impression in place of Howie Mandel. Really, NO ONE could do a Mandel? Or is Kenan’s Harvey really THAT precious to the show? Other than the Tracy Morgan Family Feud sketch, I can’t recall a Harvey sketch that really stands out to me (OK, to be fair, I had completely forgotten about Chance The Rapper’s 2017 edition. Now, I’m not going to shy away from the fact that it completely escaped my memory, but I will say that a recent re-watch confirms that Anthony’s review is pretty bang-on. It’s a good one)..
— Oh my gosh, the government shutdown—another blip on the radar of Trump-era calamities. Totally forgot about this.
— Kate is aggressively doing the camera glare with her Nancy Pelosi impression. This is a tick of Kate’s I could live without. The camera making a cut to “Kenan reacts” only underlines the limitations of this trope.
— I still dig Alex’s Chuck Schumer.
— The sponsorship portion makes me long for Jack Handey’s fake sponsors.
— Ugh, I hate the “interrupting a person when they’re about to curse” gag. It always seems so cheesy to me.
— Melissa does a terrific AOC.
— Pete makes his first appearance in the wake of his 2018 breakdown. More on that later.
— I appreciate that there was a little more clarity in the writing here, though I wouldn’t suggest anything was particularly hilarious. It trudged along inoffensively enough.
STARS: **½

MONOLOGUE
host, CES, KET, AIB musically resolve to have fun, but worries intrude

— Cecily jumps in and we’re off to the races with…a musical monologue. *sigh*
— Ah, the “interrupted by socio-political insecurities” bit is not really that great. I think playing off the humor of fear and despair yields diminishing returns. Think of SNL during the Bush years. Whatever heat the anxiety of the moment had created was gone before the end of Bush’s second term. The Trump era just quadrupled the speed of fatigue. This feels fatigued.
— Fun walk-on by Kyle.
— The comedic conceit is pretty leaden and the forced charm is, at this point of the era, nigh-unbearable.
STARS: *

ACTION 9 NEWS AT FIVE
news report features name-change candidates affected by earthquake

— Ha, I enjoyed Kate’s anchor’s cheeky attempt at a joke. Mikey pointing out its inappropriateness is very “Mikey explains.”
— Oh man, with that belaboured setup, we’ve got a funny names sketch—the lowest rung of the sketch comedy ladder. Your mileage may vary. Unfortunately, mine doesn’t.
— Brosnahan reads off a list of unfunny names that concludes with “Morgan Mindy,” which Pete follows up by saying “Nanu nanu” in the background. Pete’s entire delivery here is weirdly off-putting and I swear on my life that reference had to be explained to him before he performed it. Then again, why are we even doing Mork & Mindy references in 2019?
— I’m much preferring the game of Kate trying to insert punny comments.
— The “A. Hitler” switch-up is decent.
— The N-word bit didn’t really fly with the audience.
— OK, Kate’s character being named “Carol Kumdungeon” actually worked for me. Not a pun, just a funny name.
— So yeah, this is actually bottom of the barrel stuff, but points to the writers for including a couple table scraps of decent comedy.
STARS: **

LEAVE ME ALURN
prospect of cremains dissuades unwanted male attention

— This is quite the premise. Feels like a bit of a stretch, but like so many filmed pieces, the execution is overcoming the material.
— Ha, loved Alex’s response to all the women having urns.
— The back spikes add-on was a bit heavy-handed, but I think the premise there is stronger than the urn.
STARS: ***

MILLENNIAL MILLIONS
Baby Boomers prevent contestants’ financial security

— I tire of game show parodies, but this premise has some teeth to it.
— Lots of air time for Pete tonight.
— Great stupid song by Aidy explaining Baby Boomers.
— I love that the challenge is that the Millennial has to listen to the Boomer complain without saying anything.
— Kenan’s Gen-X comments are kind of allowing the writers to have things both ways. That said, some of his comments are quite funny.
— This is a minor quibble, but an issue with this era is that SNL sometimes makes its point a little too obtusely. I think that’s what’s keeping this very good sketch from being top-tier.
— Pretty quick ending to this. I don’t think it hurt anything, but I could have tolerated another beat or two.
— A strong piece with some nice digs at the generational divide.
STARS: ****

THE RAUNCHIEST MISS RITA
the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (host) mentors (LEJ)

— Our inevitable Marvelous Mrs. Maisel parody of the night.
— It’s Leslie as an anachronistic Def Jam style comic. The conceit and the execution are exactly what you’d expect, complete with strategically placed bleeps to let you know how wildly raunchy Miss Rita is. It’s all a bit of a snooze.
— Weird seeing Aidy play Alex Borstein. This is the second time an SNL cast member has played a MadTV alumni after Chris played Jordan Peele in the Sterling K. Brown episode.
— Leslie drops the stock one-liner: “I bet your dick is so small you piss on your nuts.” They bleeped “piss” which kind of surprises me.
— The ending with Kenan’s Cosby was pretty ho-hum, which I guess is in keeping with the rest of the piece.
— This was about as perfunctory a Leslie sketch as you’re going to get. In that way, she’s in her element here, I guess. But none of the beats really made me laugh. Even her supposed “raunchiness” was a lot of bleeped “mothafuckaaaas,” which is nothing much.
STARS: **

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Black Smoke Rising”

— Blue: What the hell is Josh Kiszka wearing?
— That is NOT the voice I expected to come out of this man. No wonder everyone compares Greta Van Fleet to Led Zeppelin.
— Nice guitar tone.
— Josh’s low notes at the end of the “woah-oh-oh-oh-yeah” phrase makes me curious to hear him sing a song entirely in that register, instead of relying on his identity as Knockoff Robert Plant.
— This is actually a pretty strong chorus—I like the introduction of the major chord to give it that uplifting, hopeful feeling.
— Josh might sound like Robert Plant, but he sure ain’t acting like him. His stage presence is rather awkward. It can be difficult to hit the right notes while moving around, so at least he’s concentrating on his vocal performance, but I’d like to see him use the space a bit more.
— That “wave the microphone near your mouth” thing that Josh is doing is a valid technique to cause vocal distortion, especially if you want to be more “organic” and not rely on added effects. However, that doesn’t mean I’m not laughing watching him do it.
— As if they couldn’t get more Zeppelinesque, the first couple notes of Jake Kiszka’s guitar solo sounded like the first few notes of the solo in “Stairway to Heaven.”
— More unintended laughs from Jake & Sam Kiszka strutting around the stage. They’re sure having fun.
— Ending seemed a little hesitant.
STARS: ***

WEEKEND UPDATE
battle-toughened Elizabeth Warren (KAM) will fight to become president

plot elements of The Mule left PED & John Mulaney [real] incredulous


— Colin’s opening run on the government shutdown was exceedingly mild, but Michael had some funny comments (“That speech sucked”).
— There’s a pretty distinct contrast between Colin and Michael here. Michael is delivering some fun rants, while Colin is just delivering warmed-over Seth Meyers jokes.
— YAS KWEEN! It’s Kate’s Elizabeth Warren!
— OK, sarcasm aside, Kate can still bring the energy. It’s all very “Kate” but she hits the back of the room better than anyone else.
— “America, you will do everything you possibly can to not vote for a woman for president. All I am asking is that you let me be that woman.”
— Ha, Colin’s “Super Blood Wolf Moon” joke is great.
— I love how Michael throws Colin under the bus. Also, his Fleshlight joke is amazing.
— Uh-oh, here comes the now-infamous Pete Davidson/John Mulaney two-hander following Pete’s suicide threat.
— Pete already seems somewhat…off…in his performance here. I think having to address his recent troubles would be difficult—even if he’s doing it in a more sideways manner—but there’s a heightened manic agitation to his giggly performance here.
— Introducing Mulaney as the bastion of sobriety has, uh, not aged great.
— Yikes, Pete is really giving a self-consciously jittery performance.
— Some OK lines here about Andy Garcia and Pete smuggling drugs up his ass, but the rhythm of this piece is a bit much for me.
— Pete’s performance here is just incredibly distracting and disconcerting. This seems like the very height of the “Pete’s just not that into the show” era. We await another low point later this season.
— Overall, a decent Update with some strong individual jokes, but the Pete/Mulaney piece really left a bad taste in my mouth.
STARS: **½

TABITHA
videos show men react accordingly when shamed like dogs

— I know it’s a daytime talk show parody, but I couldn’t help but find it funny that the audience actually sincerely applauded when Leslie announced that her fake book made the New York Times Bestseller list.
— Funny enough concept of equating men and dogs, especially with the male cast members actually taking on canine qualities (ie, Kenan standing in the corner, Mikey shamefully avoiding eye-contact).
— Decent escalation with Cecily scolding Beck for having a secret family.
— This moved by pretty quick but played its concept out decently. Not exactly a laugh-out-loud piece, but a sturdy filler.
STARS: ***

KOOL-AID
taking Gillette’s lead, Kool-Aid promotes social responsibility

— Great visuals for the old Kool-Aid ad. There’s something about it that reminds me of Brigsby Bear, Kyle’s excellent film.
— Pretty clever angle to take on those hectoring Gilette ads.
— The sight of Beck running in his red jumpsuit with his stained lips all puffed out is really funny.
— Hilarious inclusion of Colin.
— Ha, now Michael’s getting in on the fun. Figures, he wrote the sketch.
— The piece didn’t quite explode of the screen the way I’d hoped, but this was a very solid parody.
STARS: ****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “You’re The One”

— Blue: Jake has switched over to an acoustic… looks like Greta Van Fleet are adhering to the “one upbeat rocker and one sensitive, lowkey song to display our versatility” rule of SNL.
— Huh, this acoustic number is actually more upbeat than I thought it might be.
— Oh my god, I feel bad for constantly laughing at this band but Josh’s scream came out of nowhere and killed me.
— Nice display of mic-sharing between Jake and Josh, although Jake’s vocals really aren’t audible.
— Man, I promise I’ll stop making fun of this band soon, but… Josh’s wordless high vocals sound like a theremin.
— The use of an organ on this song is really bringing the 70’s rock vibe, and I appreciate that.
— I like the high, fast strums of the acoustic guitar on the outro.
— So, if Greta Van Fleet are intended to kickstart the revival of rock music… I understand why folks are saying this, and I’m honestly glad that this band is out there doing their thing, and that they’ve got an audience for what they do. But I don’t know if this will kickstart anything. I genuinely don’t think their music is bad—I’ve just heard it a hundred and one times, and I would prefer to see innovation over obvious derivation. (Or maybe I just don’t care much for Led Zeppelin, anyway.)
STARS: ***

KEN’S INSTAGRAM
(host) & other Barbie interns suggest captions for Ken’s Instagram

— The return of the clueless Barbie interns. These are sturdy little joke machines. SNL usually does quite well with depicting stupid people (save for the Trump stuff).
— When the interns incorrectly guess which Instagram account they would be providing input on despite Kenan and Cecily making it abundantly clear, I love that Pete quickly adds a guess of Cecily’s character’s name. The audience didn’t laugh, but it was a terrific delivery.
— Funny wallet/cellphone confusion.
— I’m never quite as crazy about the overly intense characters that the hosts are required to play. This one is really no different.
— I wouldn’t say this sputtered or anything, but the whole of the sketch was merely OK.
STARS: **½

GOODNIGHTS


IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— Like so many post-Christmas break episodes, this was a whole lot of nothing. Rachel Brosnahan was often sidelined in these largely innocuous sketches and was merely fine when given a chance to get out of first gear. The off-stage drama surrounding Pete Davidson at this time also influences some of this energy, capping off with a really troubling Update feature.

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


RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Millennial Millions
Kool-Aid
Tabitha
Leave Me Alurn
Deal Or No Deal
Ken’s Instagram
Weekend Update
The Raunchiest Miss Rita
Action 9 News At Five
Monologue

TOMORROW
John tackles James McAvoy/Meek Mill

Posted on

December 8, 2018 – Jason Momoa / Mumford And Sons (S44 E8)

by Carson

MUELLER VISITS ERIC
Robert Mueller (Robert De Niro) visits Eric Trump (ALM) at bedtime

— If you’re going to do a Trump family opening, best to run with the bit with the highest batting average. Though that being said, I tend to prefer the Update commentaries from the Trump brothers.
— I must say, the dynamic between Alex and Mikey is really strong in these pieces.
— The “Say ‘stop’ when you don’t understand a word” bit was pretty fun. Honestly, I would have extended it a lot longer, considering where this sketch is leading…
— Robert De Niro, ladies and gentlemen…and look, he brought his “I’m watching you” Meet The Fockers eye point schtick with him.
— Man, Alex almost seems to be trying to telepathically will the Oscar winner through this.
— Kind of a painful applause line before we get to the disconcertingly slow LFNY.
— Love how Alex mispronounces “live” (a small joke repeated from the prior season). That seems like a sincere error De Niro would make.
— The first half was pleasant enough, but unsurprisingly the Mueller staff was a terrible drag.
STARS: **

MONOLOGUE
funky KET, LEJ, CRR tell host “Aqua Boogie” should be Aquaman theme song

— Jason Momoa is an absurd looking human.
— “I am so muscular to be hosting Saturday Night HUGE!”
— A bit of an absurdist bent to the beginning of this monologue. Not hilarious, but promising.
— OK, time for the cast walk-ons. First Aidy with the stock and trade “flirting with the host” routine.
— Second, we have Chris (in his first live appearance since the Seth Meyers episode), Leslie and Kenan insisting that Parliament’s “Aqua Boogie” be Aquaman’s theme song. That’s a nothing premise, but I welcome any and all P-Funk references.
— Yeah, this monologue was a mess, but the “Aqua Boogie” performance was pretty fun. I’ll be generous with my grading.
STARS: ***½

ELF ON THE SHELF
Elf On The Shelf (host) dislikes monitoring a masturbating 13 year-old

— I don’t know what it says about me that I saw this reveal coming from a mile away. Possibly this is the downfall of watching too much damn sketch.
— Still, this is being executed decently. Jason’s voice sounds really funny all high pitched. It almost gives him a Walkenesque delivery.
— I liked Jason talking about the moral ambiguity of masturbation.
— “Oh Scrabby, you spelled ‘Flashlight’ wrong.”
— There’s an odd specificity to the way Jason talks about his 13-year-old’s frustration with his body.
— The premise may have been predictable, but Jason really did quite well with his performance, giving the piece a little bit more nuance than I would have expected.
STARS: ****

GE BIG BOY APPLIANCES
overengineered for macho house husbands

— Another mild premise, though SNL’s film crew always does well to inject these with energy.
— Nice visual of a riding vacuum cleaner. I’m actually pretty tickled by such a silly concept.
— Not a lot to write home about, but the piece delivered well enough.
STARS: ***

KHAL DROGO’S GHOST DOJO
dead Game Of Thrones characters visit (host)

— Shit, I’m in trouble now. I’ve never seen Game Of Thrones. Though I’m a firm believer that the best parodies don’t actually require a working knowledge of the source material. I don’t know how many SCTV sketches blew me away before I was even aware of what they were making fun of. It can be done. 
— A talk show format seems like a bad omen.
— Jason kills Kenan’s character and then Kenan just pops back to life, saying that he was saved by a witch. I would complain about the inanity of the writing, but I guess that’s directly a reference to the source material.
— Beck stumbles a bit when he sits down, which makes Kenan, who seems very loose here, giggle.
— Jason dumps molten gold on Pete’s head and I’m totally lost. I know it’s another reference, so that’s on me. 
— The anachronistic jokes are pretty lame.
— Some stumbly performances in this one. It’s just as well though, there’s basically nothing here to begin with.
— Bowen Yang spotting! 
— The fake ads are pretty mild too.
— Kate as King Joffrey, doing a “Catch me outside” bit as this thing suddenly turns into a Maury parody.
— Listen, maybe this thing was great and it’s simply a matter of me being the exact wrong audience. Or maybe it really was the mess it appeared to be. I’m thinking it’s the latter. In the immortal words of Nathan Thurm: “Is it me? It’s them, right?”
— I’ll give it one star with a half star hedge.
STARS: *½

THEM TRUMPS
black version of First Family is modeled on Empire

— A silly, slightly hacky premise, but in the right hands, this could smash.
— The names (Darius Trump, Malika) are all pretty good.
— Love the cut to the Darius Trump Country Hams.
— Fabulous Katt Williamsesque characterization from Kenan.
— Ha, OK, it’s just a blackout.
— I like the premise that the true reality of Trump is that if he were black, things would play out far differently—though this is in spite of the fact that Trump would go on to be impeached twice.
STARS: ****

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Guiding Light”

— Blue: Interesting to see Marcus Mumford playing so high up the fretboard on his guitar.
— Good restrained energy so far.
— Huh, I thought the chorus would sound more explosive than that. This is fairly dialed back for Mumford & Sons.
— Great percussion entrance, and I love the clicking sound of the drumsticks against the side of the drum.
— Wish the harmony vocals were louder in the mix.
— Speaking of things that could be mixed louder, I have never heard such a quiet banjo. I can’t tell if there’s an effect put on it or if that’s just what a banjo sounds like at low volume.
— I like the blinking overhead lights.
— Do they need to have so many musicians onstage? The guitarist in the back doesn’t even look like he’s playing.
— Leave it to a synth buildup of all things to introduce that anthemic Mumford & Sons sound to this song.
— Overall… it was a Mumford & Sons song, you know exactly what you’re getting when it comes to them. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.
STARS: ****

WEEKEND UPDATE
7th grader Carrie Krum’s (AIB) personal experiences color her travel tips

bidet fan MIC endorses having ads for the bathroom devices in the subway

— The opening “Trump: Endgame” joke is a total throwaway, but also an indication that Jost/Che are not above Fey/Poehler groaners.
— Oh my gosh, Jost’s stock market joke got nothing. A very palpable nothing.
— All this Mueller Report material is a whole lot of counting eggs before they hatch.
— The debut of Aidy’s Carrie Krum character, which I’ve always enjoyed. Aidy seems really well-connected to the spirit of this character’s specificity.
— Love the “Aunt Nancy’s bra was on the couch” bit. Some guy in the audience really dug it too.
— “Mumford and Sons gave me a bunch of Sierra Mist.”
— Whoa, Michael’s bit about the old man who refuses to quit smoking hit a brick wall. I wouldn’t say Che/Jost are having an off night, but they’ve left a couple jokes completely dangling.
— Nice recovery from Che with his bit about Kevin Hart’s Oscar controversy.
— Ha, Che hops to the other side of Jost for an Update feature about bidets.
— “Shut up, Colin! You white…guy. It’s better when Leslie does it.”
— Fun commentary by Che and a strong recovery from some wobbly moments.
STARS: ****

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
extra spirit (host) confuses Ebenezer Scrooge (MID) on Christmas Day

— Very iffy premise here with Momoa being an “extra” Christmas spirit.
— Momoa’s weird “extra” dance at the beginning was pretty lame, but I have to admit that Mikey’s confused “Ooooookay” response made me chuckle.
— Also, once again, Jason Momoa has a…disconcerting look. Like, I don’t want to, uh, aesthetic-shame anyone, but he is a baffling sight.
— Momoa’s aimless comedic vamping is only matched by the “Mikey explains” of it all.
— Momoa’s dancing makes Tiny Tim walk. I guess that’s something.
— I understand the play on “extra” as a part of the modern vernacular, but this sketch was rail thin. A weird excuse for Momoa to sort of approximate sexy dancing without much of an overriding joke. This was a pretty flagrant miss.
STARS: *½

DAY OF THE DORKS
in a 1980s movie, (host)’s hatred of dorks is violently self-destructive

— A Revenge of the Nerds parody. Timely.
— Momoa is shirtless again I see. Looks like we’re applying the Matthew McConaughey model to this episode.
— That said, Momoa looks pretty funny (intentionally this time) and he’s giving a fun performance.
— Momoa breaking stuff because of his anger at dorks is only so-so, but I kind of like the reveal that his character has been going to college for eight years and still can’t read.
— Fun performance from Mooney as the dork on the inside.
— Whoa, and it just ends. Feels like this sketch could have actually, you know, led up to something. Some individual pieces were OK, if insubstantial, but the rushed finish really undermined any potential this piece might have had.
STARS: **

MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Delta”

— Blue: You can tell this is a Serious Song because the stage is dark.
— Enjoying Marcus Mumford’s voice here. Past live recordings I’ve seen of him didn’t impress me, but here he sounds just like he does on the band’s studio recordings.
— Okay, don’t love his voice on the chorus—it sounds like the engineer put some effect on it that doesn’t jive with me.
— Ooh, this section with the driving drumbeat and the crisp guitar deserves to be a song all its own.
— Lots of passion from the band here on the repetition of the chorus. Winston Marshall and the keyboardist are especially getting into it.
— Marcus’ high notes hurt my throat to hear, even though that rasp is naturally part of his timbre—there’s nothing wrong with his technique.
— I respect how the band obviously enjoyed cutting loose here, but I dunno, this song didn’t do much for me. Like I said, it’s Mumford & Sons, you know what to expect. 
STARS: ***

SLEIGH RIDE
Gemma & her latest meathead boyfriend (host) shake up a sleigh ride

— Funny opening business from Kenan and Leslie.
— Ah. Gemma. OK.
— “I’m Gemma. I’m British. I got a new vagina today.”
— I have my issues with these sketches and how they’re written, but I am always impressed by the specificity of Cecily’s performance.
— Funny how they keep assuming Kenan and Leslie are siblings, but between Gemma, Momoa’s brutish character, Kenan and Leslie’s dynamic and now Mikey’s asexuality, this sketch is full of too many spices. I guess it’s nice that everyone has something to work with, but it’s hard to figure out what the central premise is.
— A very weak ending to a very muddled sketch. 
STARS: **

FIRST IMPRESSION
(BEB) plays hide & seek with fiancee’s (MEV) parents

— Nice to see Melissa get a sizable role.
— Momoa actually looks decent playing an older man.
— Love Beck’s playful baby voice.
— I love that Momoa is immediately buying into the Hide & Seek game. I am very into when characters completely buy into the absurdity of their situation.
— “Follow the little giggles hehehehe!”
— Ha, great gag with Beck’s pie-in-the-face booby trap not actually working.
— Great shift with Beck now greased up and stuck behind the TV.
— Haha, I love that Beck’s motivation in greasing himself up and hiding was because he wanted to look cool in front of Melissa’s parents.
— Beck: “I’m sorry I ruined your clothes with my pie trap.” Heidi: “You didn’t.” Beck: “Crap!”
— He’s had a couple strange performance choices tonight, but Momoa is terrific here.
— I love the turn with Momoa sizing up Beck’s near-naked body.
— So many wonderful absurdist turns here and I love how the sketch never really tips its hand in terms of tone. Lots to really love.
— It should be noted that this sketch was written by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin (Tim’s co-writer on I Think You Should Leave), which might go a ways in explaining why I enjoyed it so much.
STARS: *****

RUDOLPH’S BIG NIGHT
after his promotion by Santa (host), Rudolph (PED) bullies other reindeer

— Pete with a wonderful pivot as he switches from sincere to menacing.
— I don’t find this hilarious, but I admire the, what is it, effort(?) that Pete is showing here.
— Pretty wild turn with Pete forcing Beck to suck his nose and then Santa shooting Beck.
— Pete covers his face either to giggle or to put his nose back in place.
— Far and away Pete’s best live performance up to this point in his tenure. A low hurdle, I know, but baby steps.
— I enjoyed the conceit, but I still think this could have been fleshed out a little more.
STARS: ***½

GOODNIGHTS


IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
—Really up and down episode—from the writing to the host. Momoa was either excellent or just kind of weird. But when the episode worked, it was a lot of fun. Kind of a wash, I guess.

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


RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
First Impression
Them Trumps
Weekend Update
Elf On The Shelf
Rudolph’s Big Night
Monologue
GE Big Boy Appliances
Day Of The Dorks
Sleigh Ride
Mueller Visits Eric
A Christmas Carol
Khal Drogo’s Ghost Dojo

TOMORROW
Anthony takes on Matt Damon/Mark Ronson & Miley Cyrus, which includes one of my favorite sketches

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started