Louis C.K./Sam Smith (03.29.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This was actually one of the more enjoyable shows of the 2014 half of this season, despite the fact that it started to crumble a bit post-Update. Louis CK really shined as a host and his relevance to comedy proved to be this show’s saving grace. The writing seems still seems relatively stable and they are really starting to utilize the featured players more to their full potential. Anyway, here it is.

Healthcare.gov and Social Media - This cold open was probably one of the most clever and creative of the whole season. Noel did quite well in a non-impression role that seemed very well suited to her comedic strengths as did Taran. Kyle was quite funny as Pope Francis in his brief appearance. As for Nassim, well at least she switched something up about her usual portrayal of Kim Kardashain. Although Brooks killed another non speaking role, I gotta hand it to hair and makeup for his Harry Styles look. I didn't realize until now how much they actually look alike. Overall, it seemed pretty good statement on the power and influence of social media on politics. C+

Monologue - While Louis' monologue wasn't as laugh out loud funny as his previous one, it was still VERY good and it's nice to see some quality standup showcased on SNL for a change. The bits about his daughter's play, murder, men and women in charge and religion were all great. A+

Black Jeopardy - This seemed like it made the most out of a silly premise, but even still it felt a little empty and it could've been taken further. They utilized Louis' character well enough but it would've behooved the sketch to include him a little more. My favorite parts were the "If that was me" category and the "any answer/rap songs starting with the letter ‘n’" lines. C-

In regards to the car commercial w/Cecily, I think she did fine in it and it was nice to see Micheal Che and the behind the scenes process of the show showcased in such a way. On the other hand, it still feels much too soon to be pushing Cecily as the new star of the show. I can't remember any other time a cast member has been promoted this heavily this early in their tenure at SNL.

Baby Boss - I'm glad they recurred this and that it was so malleable in terms of current recurring sketches. I did like the spitup bit (which must've taken some tricky shots and timing to pull off). The cake flinging bit was aso really good too. Kind of reminded me of the E. Eppy Doolittle resort sketch with Murphy and Piscopo from the '83 Joan Rivers episode, but this was way more scripted and more beneficial to the sketch. B+

Joeseph A. Banks -This suit commercial seemed a little too inside for most viewers but the level of commitment to it made it funny. I did like the visual gag with Taran's suit disintegrating. C+

Update is turning out pretty decent. Colin had some fine jokes despite his delivery not adding much to them. Cecily had good jokes as well and her deilvery is probably as good as it's going to get. At this point, I understand the Cecily/Jost pairing a little better and how they are supposed to benefit from each other's presence. Jost's seniorty behind the scenes at SNL helps Cecily because it's only her second year at the show and she is quite young and green for Update. Cecily's experience as a sketch performer helps Jost in that he has someone better to play off of and she looks better with him as an anchor since her delivery is naturally better. I liked seeing Jay's Stephen A. Smith again despite how played out it has gotten over the years and how little energy he put into it. C+

Mr. Big Stuff - This musical sketch got off to a bit of a slow start, but it got better with Louis increasingly expressed befuddlement. I didn't quite know what to make of it at first, but Louis carried it and made it work. His comments once he bought the song to a halt were great especially "becoming an albino" and "clip on goatee". B-

Doctor - This short may have been the weakest piece in the show so far. Louie, Kenan, Beck and Aidy made it work in spite of the material (I did like the gag with Kenan "mopping carpet"). The payoff at the end was pretty weak, though. It felt like it was aiming for some absurdist level comedy but came up quite short. C-

Pajamas - This sketch was probably the worst segment of the night. The intentionally awkward acting really bought it down and it dragged on for quite a bit. The only parts I really liked were Bobby's walk on and Louis rambling about cutting holes in pajamas with scissors. C-

Dyke and Fats - This filmed was okay. It seemed like it took too long to build up to the joke and when it finished, the payoff wasn't that great and that's just what it was. It was fine being just that. Thankfully, they kept it short even though it could've been shorter and Kate and Aidy performed it well. By the way, it was pretty obvious that they wrote it themselves so they could've done without the "created by" credit at the very end. C+

Chris Fitzpatrick for Class President - I'm SO glad they found a way for Kyle to work this character into the show. Although they really had to water it down for network TV the point where he too closely resembled his Inside SoCal character, it was probably the best thing in this show. Pretty much everything that came out of Kyle's mouth had me cracking up with his delivery in this and I also loved the footage of random slow paced car accidents and arrests. A+

Reconciliation - This sketch at the end sure did seem like a mess, but Louis strong comedic presence it worked and I actually liked the sheer rambling absurdity of this sketch. Aidy played well off of him and Bobby's cameo was also great. I like how he kept the same insane expression throughout the whole thing. B-

Now, for my updated rankings…

1. Kerry Washington/Eminem

2. Miley Cyrus

3. Lady Gaga

4. Louis C.K./Sam Smith

4. Bruce Willis/Katy Perry

5. Tina Fey/Arcade Fire

6. Paul Rudd/One Direction

7. Drake

8. Lena Dunham/The National

9. Jim Parsons/Beck

10. Josh Hutcherson/HAIM

11. Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake

12. Melissa McCarthy/Imagine Dragons

13. John Goodman/Kings of Leon

14. Edward Norton/Janelle Monae

Next week, Anna Kendrick hosts. As she is a first time hosts (and especially with SNL in the shape it is in right now) this could go either way. See you then!

Lena Dunham/The National (3.8.2014)

Okay, here's my review. This show turned out to be mostly better than expected and I feel like most of that was due to the writing more than the host. Lena Dunham was pretty much exactly what everyone expected but she proved to be more bearable in smaller doses. I would put her in the same hosting league as Lady Gaga but with more airtime. They both were hosts widely expected to be bad, but proved to be better when used sparingly in smaller roles. The writing was a little bit better this week than it usually was. I also liked how much they made great use of the featured players, but a little more Noel would've been nice. Anyway, let's do it.

Obama Cold Open - This was one of the better cold opens this season. It was nice to see Jay's Obama again and I liked his Putin/Iraq line. Liam Neeson was an unexpected cameo but they certainly made good use of him. He was a nice change of pace from the typical dry political speech I was expecting. The action montage was okay. Nothing about it really stood out to me. I just wondered why he couldn't have been hosting instead of Lena Dunham. Sure, he hosted an unmemorable episode in 04-05 but he'd have been a more interesting host choice. C+

Monologue - This was a little better than I expected. I knew exactly where it was going as soon as Lena mentioned people asking her sex questions. Overall, it reminded me a little too much of Kerry Washington's monologue, but kudos to Vanessa, Aidy, Bobby and Kate for making the most out of their bit parts in this. I don't know if I would've preferred a straight solo monologue to this, but it would've been interesting to see Lena pull one off. C-

Ooh Child - This was one of the better non Good Neighbor filmed pieces this season. It had more of a fun vibe and effortlessly enjoyable feel to it than most. I definitely liked how it waited to establish the main running joke and Brooks' appearance at the end was great. B-

Scandal - Overall, this sketch reminded me too much of the old timey newspaper sketch from the Zooey Deschanel episode but kudos to Sasheer for finally getting a leading role in a sketch (and an impression she easily pulled off at that) and kudos to Beck for getting another impersonation role as well. Lena was decent here. She did a fine job of playing a non-Hannah type role even if she was a little cloying and overbearing in doing so. I also liked the resemblance this bared to the "Homeland" sketch with Anne Hathaway and (ironically) the "Girls" sketch from earlier in that it was an actual satire of its subject matter rather than just introducing some outlandish parody element. I also liked how the Sasheer/Taran lip touch moment reminded me of that great morgue sketch from the otherwise awful Jeremy Renner episode. B-

What's Poppin'? - This sketch felt like it had unreached potential. It started out fine, but started to flail toward the end in search of a coherent ending. Jay and Kenan were fine in it, but they focused a little too much on the band performance. Still, I have to give Mike credit for not totally bombing his role. The Sprite jokes were okay, but I feel like they could've been cut. I also liked the bit at the beginning about the filthy female rapper and Aidy's "flute amp" line. Otherwise, this sketch needed some serious fine tuning in terms of pacing. C+

Girl - This really made the most of a shaky premise. This is one of the rare times this season where the writing actually benefitted the show and seems to matter more than the performances. I was impressed by the CGI effects that placed Vanessa's face on a snake. Otherwise, this seemed like it would be quickly forgettable. C-

What Are You Even Doing? You're Being Crazy! - This turned out to be better than expected. Kudos to Kyle for getting a lead role no matter how small it was. Bobby was great here and Nassim and Lena were just okay. The true highlight of this sketch of course was Jon Hamm's bewildered unexpected cameo. Again, I have to wonder why HE hasn't hosted again yet either. B-

Update continues to show some gradual changes for the better. Cecily continues to improve in her delivery and have more fun. Colin continues to...just be a pleasant alternative to Seth. The writing continues to be at about the same level. Taran as Matthew McConaghey was great despite him not looking the part. He had the voice down cold and he was very funny. Putin's friends from growing up was surprisingly the most disappointing moment of this show. Fred has cameoed three times this season since leaving. That's two times too many...even for a guy who does a show thirty feet away. C+

Jewelry Party - Cecily's accent seemed a little overbearing and rather unnecessary to the character. Otherwise, this was a decent sketch. It was another sketch that could've been improved in terms of pacing because it felt like it really dragged in some parts. Still, it had a funny premise behind it. Lena was good as the character seemed especially written for her. Mike was okay, but he did make the sketch drag on a little. B-

Pimpin' Pimpin' Pimpin' Oscar Edition - Seeing Jay's Katt williams impression again was fun and he had a lot of good one liners. Brooks didn't quite do the best Jared Leto, but kudos to him for getting another substantial impression role. Lena's Liza Minelli wasn't all that great but thankfully it was short. Taran's Harrison Ford wasn't his most accurate impression either, but he had Ford's delivery down and made it funny. I also liked the fake sponsors in this sketch and Jay's interaction with the audience member who booed his Rob Ford joke. Noel's Lena Dunham was a nice touch. B+

Good Neighbor - I liked this, but it really didn't start to get funny until they started talking about drugs. The discovery that there was no concert was also very funny. They even made Brooks seem funnier. I liked how this built up. B+

Well, most of this show turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Granted, I watched most of it with other people again so that may have contributed but a lot of this show felt different from how the rest of the season has been turning out. Louie CK hosts again in three weeks, so...FUCK YES! Also, this may be the first time in at least 2008 that SNL has had three shows in March. Anyway, here are my Updated rankings for this season...

1. Kerry Washington/Eminem

2. Miley Cyrus

3. Lady Gaga

4. Bruce Willis/Katy Perry

5. Tina Fey/Arcade Fire

6. Paul Rudd/One Direction

7. Drake

8. Lena Dunham/The National

9. Jim Parsons/Beck

10. Josh Hutcherson/HAIM

11. Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake

12. Melissa McCarthy/Imagine Dragons

13. John Goodman/Kings of Leon

14. Edward Norton/Janelle Monae

See you soon!

Jim Parsons/Beck (3.1.2014)

Okay, here's my review. This turned out to be probably the second or third best show so far in the 2014 half of the season. Jim Parsons turned out to be a capable yet fairly predictable and forgettable host. He started out a little slow but he picked up some steam toward the middle of the show. I'm also glad the newer cast got some more substantial airtime this week but I would've liekd to see more of Kyle and Noel soon. Let's do this.

Ellen II - This cold open felt too much like a carbon copy of the Ellen sketch from Anne Hathaway's last episode. The hidden camera prank part w/Jay as the Captain Phillips actor was a highlight. I haven't seen that much of Johnny Weir in terms of live footage, but I'm positive he doesn't talk EXACTLY like Sheldon Cooper. This doesn't bode well for our host. Still, I did the the "dad was a Christmas ornament" and "Tara Lipinski is in my coat pocket" jokes were okay. C-

Monologue  - This was pretty cringeworthy in terms of Jims' one liners and how he stumbled over delivering them. For once, the song and dance actually SAVED it. The premise behind the song and the performances from Jay, Bobby, Kate and Taran were all fine. C+

Peter Pan - This sketch seemed like the thinnest premise ever, but Aidy as "Tonkerbell" really saved it with her delivery. Bobby as the mouse was also funny and John does a great English accent, but Jim Parsons is the worst possible actor for the role of Peter Pan. B-

Bird Bible - This is possibly the most boring and pointless sketch SNL has aired in thirty years. Still, the most positive thing I can say about it much it felt like a throwback to the '90s Jack Handey/Delicious Dish era. F.

The Killer Files - This sketch was an improvement. Kudos to Beck Bennett finally getting the chance to be used as a utility man. The Dance Floor Killer turned out to be Jims least Sheldon-like role in the show so far (and the role that best suits him oddly enough). Did he remind anyone else of Hader as JonBenet's killer John Mark Karr or the "Truckee River Killer" from Reno 911? B-

12 Years A Slave Auditions  - This was probably the best segment of the night taped or otherwise. Jay and Bobby were brilliant in it. Kudos to the writers for finally giving Brooks and Mike their most comfortable roles on the show so far. A-

Now we come to the moment everyone's been waiting for...Weekend Update, which in some ways was pleasantly surprising. Whoever kept saying Colin Jost seems to similar to Seth was DEAD...ON. I mean, Jesus, their voices are identical. Hell, I'd even say Jost both resembles AND sounds like the product of a three-way between Seth Meyers, John Mulaney and Kermit the Frog. Still, his delivery is a lot more bearable than Seth's. He actually made me chuckle at those Jeter/Paula Deen lines. Colin doesn't show much of an ability to save a lame joke as much as he shows a cometency at not ruining a joke by trying too hard or haphazardly rushing and shouting his way through it, which is preetty much 99% of what Seth did as an anchor. Cecily also continues to be a pleasant addition to Update as well. Although I saw the punchline to that Joe Biden/Yakety Sax joke coming a mile away, I liked her little dance to it. I also liked her delivery on the driving dogs/vaginal douche jokes. The Shaq/Barkley segment also felt like too much of a retread, but I liked how they played up Shaq's exasperation at Shaq's soft spoken cluelessness. Jebadiah Atkinson was a welcome addition to Update and I do like how they spaced out his appearances more this time. I especially liked the Woody Allen and Forrest Gump jabs. Overall, Update appears to be taking baby steps. In the right direction. Also, before I forget to bring this up, I know they've changed up Update anchors midseason before but is this the first time in SNL history where the Update titles (well, when Update HAD titles) have changed mid season? Both the titles and AND theme song are now different. I don't remember any other time where this happened. C+

Murder Mystery Party  - This sketch was okay. It felt a little repetitive, but it had some decent writing and premises behind it and made nice use of the cast. Jim Parsons was all right, but I couldn't help but imagine how this sketch might have been different with any other host. He was just portraying an exasperated Sheldon here. C+

Spotlightz Camp II - This sketch obviously felt too similar to the sketch from the Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansen episodes but less funny, but I did like the Wolf of Wall Street/Her/Capt. Phillips bits. C+

Elevator Ride  - This sketch felt just like they wrote the dialogue and performances a certain way to hide a really cheap premise. The most positive thing I can say about it is that Mike O'Brien really performed it as competently as he could've. D+

Old West Surprise Birthday - This sketch felt like it had one of the more creative premises behind it, but something felt missing in terms of performance. Still, kudos to them for using Beck and Brooks in substantial roles they were able to pull off well again. C+

Well, that show turned out to be a pleasant surprise in some ways. Next week, Lena Dunham hosts. I honestly don't know what to expect from her in terms of performances but let's hope the writing doesn't just take a nosedive.

Now, to update my rankings for this season...

1. Kerry Washington/Eminem
2. Miley Cyrus
3. Lady Gaga
4. Bruce Willis/Katy Perry
5. Tina Fey/Arcade Fire
6. Paul Rudd/One Direction
7. Drake
8. Jim Parsons/Beck
9. Josh Hutcherson/HAIM
10. Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake
11. Melissa McCarthy/Imagine Dragons
12. John Goodman/Kings Of Leon
13. Edward Norton/Janelle Monae

See you soon!