Okay, here’s my review. I didn’t exactly know what to expect
from this show or host, but while it was pretty inconsistent it proved to have
a few enjoyable moments here and there. Andrew Garfield proved to be a very capable
host, if not a rather forgettable one. It’s not too great that the new featured
players have gotten less airtime than in the previous weeks, but at least they’re
using Beck and Kyle a lot. Anyway, let’s get to it.
Clipper Press Conference - This cold open was nothing
special. They probably could've come up with better ways to address the
Sterling scandal. Taran's "random high fives" line was pretty good. I
can't say much for Bobby's impression or even the makeup job they did on him. He
was okay, but it may have been a mistake to center the whole piece on him. Still,
Jay, Sasheer and Kenan all did great in this. C+
Monologue - This was also pretty forgettable. Andrew is
doing fine. He doesn't appear too nervous right off the bat. Emma Stones’ cameo
was certainly NOT unexpected, but she, Andrew and Aidy played well off each
other and came off likable. Also, does Aziz Ansari know Andrew Garfield has
been raiding his wardrobe? C+
Stanx – This was pretty juvenile, but there were at least
some attempts at creativity here. Beck was the best thing about it. I did like
the visual of him rising in his chair. The explosion gag was totally expected,
but it was executed well as was the "thanks, stanx" line. D+
Celebrity Family Feud II – This wasn't quite as good as the
first one they did this season, but it still had its merits. Garfields'
Timberlake needs some work. He has the voice down close, but the mannerisms are
a bit off. Hell, he looks more like Zac Efron in pretty much any wig/hairstyle
than he does Timberlake. Does anyone else see the resemblance there? Nassim was
terribly miscast as Bruno Mars but thankfully she barely had one line. Noel did
fine as Reba and Kyle as Skrillex was serviceable. Seeing Kate's Shakira and
Aidy's Adele again was nice (although I hope Aidy's impression wasn't based
entirely on that laugh). Jay's Drake and Taran's Russell Crowe were the real
highlights of this and were very funny. I did also like the "fiddlin' wit'
ya giblets" line. Overall, it was an admirable effort. B-
Oliver Twist – This sketch seemed like a really simple,
unambitious premise but the performances from Bobby, and Kate really saved it.
Cecily also did a fine job here despite how strong the sketch started and then
trailed off after her appearance. Her voice was a little distracting, but it
wasn’t annoying or overly grating. The ending fell a little flat, though. C+
The Beygency - This was one of the better filmed pieces this
season, but it ran a little long and could've been edited. I liked it
premise-wise a lot. Good to see SNL (or some comedy show) finally poke fun at
Beyonce's absurdly fast overnight rise in extreme popularity in the past year
and a half. Kiefer Sutherland/Mary Lyn Rajskub proved to be a decent unexpected
cameos and Kate, Bobby and Taran's parts were great. I liked the kid/mask
reveal gag and the single ladies dance (even if I saw it coming miles away). I
also liked how it accurately parodied the tropes of dystopian action films. B+
Update was pretty forgettable. Colin isn't quite making any
progress and neither is Cecily. Kate's depressed Russian character may be
getting close to "run into the ground" territory, but it's still nice
to see. The people I'm watching it woth right now were reacting favorably to it
before she even came on. I did like the Full House/exports/FML jokes (even if I
saw the last one coming a mile away). I also gotta hand it to Cecily for those
Clooney/waffle jokes. It was great of them to give Leslie Jones (a black female
WRITER) at that but I feel like her commentary (while interesting and quite
funny) was kind of all over the place. Taran's Jebediah Atkinson is always
welcome. I liked his Rent/Annie/Mice and Men/Cats/Wicked/Lincoln jokes. It felt
a little underwritten this time, but Kilam's performance really saved it
considerably. C+
Spider-Man 2 Set – This kissing sketch was pretty one note
(kind of reminded me of that Peyton Manning 300 sketch from '07) but the
strange vibe actually helped this one. Still, I guess we could've done without
Chris Martin but then this sketch wouldn't have really had an ending. Oh well,
it's not like that would've stopped them. C+
Wedding Toast - I don't quite know what else to make of this
except that it seems to be Garfield's strongest performance of the night. Kyle
as the DJ was a nice addition. Also, as far as live sketches (especially THIS
season) go, this was pretty well written. I did like the increasing reveals of
Andrew and Nassim's family and Kenan's line at the very end. I also liked how
they actually knew the right spot to end this. B+
I see they repeated Bird Bible. I know I trashed this the
first time it aired but I've grown to reevaluate it and appreciate it more upon
second and third viewings. B-
My updated rankings…
1. Kerry Washington/Eminem
2. Miley Cyrus
3. Lady Gaga
4. Andrew Garfield/Coldplay
5. Seth Rogen/Ed Sheeran
6. Louis C.K./Sam Smith
7. Anna Kendrick/Pharrell
8. Bruce Willis/Katy Perry
9. Tina Fey/Arcade Fire
10. Paul Rudd/One Direction
11. Drake
12. Lena Dunham/The National
13. Jim Parsons/Beck
14. Josh Hutcherson/HAIM
15. Jimmy Fallon/Justin Timberlake
16. Melissa McCarthy/Imagine Dragons
17. John Goodman/Kings of Leon
18. Edward Norton/Janelle Monae
Well, that was the show. Next week, Charlize Theron returns
to host. Her 2000 episode wasn’t all that memorable but I remember her being a
pretty fun and energetic host when her episode aired. Maybe some of that was in
the writing, but let’s hope it serves her well this time. See ya then!
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