Okay, here’s my review. So far, this was a far cry from
worst of the season. It was a pretty forgettable episode but still more enjoyable
than almost any episode form the 2012 half of the season. I wouldn’t say we’ve
entered a January slump just yet, but something is missing in the writing
department. As for Miss Lawrence as a host, I would say she performed exactly
as I expected. She came of a little nervous, but she looked like she was having
fun with the cast. She showed off what I viewed to be her complete comedic
range tonight. Yes, she comes off as a fun easy going girl with a sense of
humor in interviews but it doesn't translate into her acting as she is still a
little young and green. Still, I could see her being asked back to host if she
has another big hit movie on her hands. It was a good night for the new
featured players since they got a lot of air time. It was also a good night for
Hader, Moynihan and Sudekis as they also were in a lot and it was great seeing
them again. Let’s get right to it.
Piers Morgan Tonight III – This cold open had its moments
even though I was a little disappointed they didn't have Tim playing Alex
Jones. Jason did a fine Lance Armstrong and his "fat bitches" yelling
was funny. Bobby playing Manti Te'o as an oblivious moron was also hilarious
(although I find it odd that they put bronzer on him as Snooki but not as Te’o).
Kate as Jodie Foster felt a little too tacked on to me. B+
Monologue - Jennifer
was just fine here. For what it might have been lacking in terms of writing and
delivery, it was nice to see another straight monologue instead of another song
(outside of Hader's great cold silent Tommy Lee Jones stare and neck dance).
Jennifer alternately trashing then warmly praising her fellow Oscar nominees
was also funny, even if she kind of awkwardly stumbled over some lines. B-
Verisimo – This Starbucks commercial was a clumsy premise,
but Jay and Cecily’s voice overs pulled it off well. Also, it’s worth noting
that the hulu clip a lot of comments in a similar vein to that of Jamie Foxx’s
monologue last month except some are daring to argue that it’s NOT racist. C+
Girlfriends Talk Show II - I wish they hadn't made this
recurring, but considering the host I can see why they had to. Lawrence still
did more for the dynamic of this sketch than Hathaway did because she was
playing a more developed character. Still, Aidy's lines can make this worth
watching and Cecily talking about her fake boyfriend is admittedly pretty
funny. C+
Post Hunger Games Press Conference - Wow, I wonder what
happened to them not doing any "Hunger Games" sketches? Oh well, at
least if it weren't for the promos her comments about "retiring the bow
and arrow" would still technically be accurate. Anyway, Jay, Tim, Bobby,
Kenan and Jennifer had plenty of funny lines. I especially laughed at everyone
making fun of Hader's beard. It was nice to see what appeared to be a well
written satirical parody of "The Hunger Games" after that half assed
ten-to-one from Sofia Vergara's episode last April. Still, I have to say it
feels a little dated now. B-
Hobbit Sequels – This fake trailer was kind of lame, but
Jason, Taran and Jennifer had funny lines in it. I wonder how they’re going to
try and stop weird unexplained video pauses during future taped segments. Still,
it does speak volumes to the amazing cinematography seen in the taped segments
nowadays. Also, this was the only sketch Lawrence was in all night where I wasn’t
distracted by how badly I wanted to make out with her. D+
Johnny Two Tones - This diner sketch was okay. All the girls
were really good in it but did it seem
like a blatant Whitest Kids U'Know ripoff to anyone else? C+
Ho Hey - Normally, I don't comment on the musical guest but
hearing the Lumineers, I guess it was one of those songs I've heard everywhere
but couldn't place with a band and it's definitely more than a coincidence that
they're playing a song featured heavily in the song "Silver Linings
Playbook" which Miss Lawrence is promoting tonight.
Update is still on an upswing. Seth's only good jokes were
his Manti Te'o/hissing possums/ German Game Show lines. I thought Bobby's
second hand news guy was retired for good after 10-11, but they bought him out
of mothballs anyway. I did like laugh at his "no eyes Eddie"/Lance
Armstrong lines and he and Seth were riffing off each other well. This makes me
think of how eerily accurate some of us were with our predictions. Kudos to
whoever called second hand news and Girlfriends Talk Show in “Guess the
Recurring Sketches”. I'm just glad Update was shorter tonight. B-
Top Dog Chef - This seemed like a premise that tried more to
be cute rather than funny, but Bill, Bobby and Vanessa were good in it.
Actually, Bobby was kind of doing his Snooki here, but whatever. Also, is it
bad that when I saw them setting this up during the commercial I thought that
was Tim in Fred’s costume? C-
B108 FM - The Morning DJs from Minnesota didn't need to be
bought back either, but everyone really stepped up their performance from the
last sketch. Lawrence was pretty good here as well. Strangely, an actual
Minnesotan commenter on nbc.com seemed to enjoy this sketch. C+
Danielle: A Free European Woman - This was a sketch I was
too unfamiliar with to make sense of. I've never seen "Emmanuelle"
but I just know that it's crappy soft Cinemax porn. Lawrence and Hader stood
out in this, but it could've benefitted from purposely worse dubbing. They
should’ve been more out of sync and had a different actor than themselves doing
their voices much like in the “Iron Chef” sketch from the Charlie Sheen 00-01
episode. Still, I liked Armisen’s “peasant children” line and HAder turning to
the camera and simply saying “Danielle”. C+
Love Letters - This Civil War sketch was pretty funny. It
had its moments, but it was kind of unremarkable other than the fact that it's
Tim's first leading sketch in months. It does kind of remind me an old Greg Giraldo routine. Still, it's one of the few things I genuinely laughed at the
night. Is it just me, or does anyone else sees this as a sketch Samberg could’ve
done worse verbatim if he were still in the cast? A-
Well, I guess that's the show. Next week, Maroon 5 front man
Adam Levine will be serving as host. I can’t quite tell if he has any acting
ability, but he seems like the type of guy who the cast would have fun with
throughout the week so this couldn’t possibly be a worse show than when Justin
Bieber hosts on February 9th. See you then!
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