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!
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