Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea (10.25.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This show, while rather inconsistent, turned out to be the strongest of the season so far and had a lot of things going for it compared to the previous three that aired. While the writers are still relying on certain “tricks” too much, they didn’t rely on any recurring premises from previous sketches tonight…so, I guess that’s a step in the right direction. Carrey added some much needed energy to a lot of sketches even if he didn’t seem to be giving them his all. I also appreciated the abundance of Halloween themed sketches in the final October episode. It seems like everyone got in a lot of airtime tonight, so kudos to Kyle Mooney for finally really breaking out as a sketch performer and to Leslie Jones for making it into the cast after doing the same earlier in this season. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

Ebola Czar - This cold open was pretty forgettable. Taran was fine in his role. Kenan's Sharpton was the only thing that it could've done without. Still, I appreciate SNL making an attempt to mock the hysteria surrounding Ebola and choosing a more topical and relevant cold open than the previous show. C-

Monologue - This was definitely the weakest of Carrey's three hosting stints and had the least substance to it. It was only really memorable for Carrey's bizarre "Helvis" costume. At least he did a serviceable Elvis imitation and Bobby had a funny part. C-

Lincoln - This commercial parody was great. Carrey does a much better McConaughey than Kilam did and was great at poking fun at the pretentiousness of Matt's recent roles. B+

Carrey Family Reunion – This was a very strong performance piece (despite being a blatant retread of the Walken reunion from '08 right down to using the exact same set). Taran, Kyle, Beck were very funny and even Vanessa didn't overact (even in the one sketch where it might have behooved her to). Jay was fine here even if he played it a little too goofy. I appreciated Cecily's Fire Marshal Bill reference and Bobby's reference to the Mask. Jeff Daniels appearance was well timed. I did like how he and Carrey used this opportunity to poke a little fun at themselves. I wonder who that was in the Riddler costume? Was their part cut at dress for time? B+

Lincoln II – This was all right but the first one was funnier. I did like the “whose kids are these?” reveal. C+

Graveyard - This was very bad. I never quite got the point of it. It went on too long and meandered too much. The writing dragged down pretty much every body's performances (even Jim and Bobby who must have been put through the ringer by the makeup department tonight) Jay and Taran tried to liven up their performances but it just wasn't working. There was also a big camera miscue that really blew the sketch.Their explanation of their deaths was all right. Still, at least they didn’t try to revive the Merryville brothers again without Bill Hader. D-

Allstate/Lincoln III – This kind of meandered, but I liked the mislead at the beginning, the visual of Kenan getting hit and the reveal of Carrey being asleep at the wheel. I’m glad they didn’t run these into the ground too much like they did with those Taran/Brad Pitt Chanel ads two years ago. B-

Update was really strong joke wise, but not so much commentary wise. Che had a good Ebola rant. Jost tried something similar but just proved he isn't as strong as Che at stand up (but kudos to Jost anyway for delivering three solid jokes and showing some traces of a personality). Vanessa pretty accurately skewed the well-known tropes of romantic comedies but her piece went on too long and just wasn't too funny when Che wasn’t trying to save it. Drunk Uncle was more of the same but I did like the visual of Bobby casually rolling over to Jost's side of the desk and admitting he says “super racist” things. B+

Georgia Zombie Apocalypse - That zombie sketch was pretty middle of the road. At times, it felt a little repetitive and dragged on a bit. Still, Carrey and Davidson played their roles well (even if this sketch wasn’t the best use of Davidson and still leaves the audience wondering how he could work in most sketches). C-

Secret Billionaire - This was surprisingly funny. Bobby and Jay were good in their supporting roles but Carrey really stole the sketch. I liked the sheer bizarreness of his character. I especially liked his Denis/Bryan speech. It would've even worked in a "Girlfriends Talk Show" sketch with Carrey as Cecily's "boyfriend" but I'm glad we got this instead of that. There were also some noticeable technical gaffes, but they didn’t bring down this sketch. B-

Ghosts: Fact Or Fiction? - This short was a very strong use of Leslie's performance talents and a strong debut for her as an official cast member/featured player. B+

Chandelier Dance Off - This office costume contest sketch felt really labored for what was essentially a rather under choreographed dance number. Still, it was fun to see them sprawl all around the studio. I mean, Jim Carrey/Kate McKinnon aren't exactly Steve Martin/Gilda Radner or even Christopher Walken/Molly Shannon but it still works! It was also a nice use of Lorne and Iggy Azalea in a sketch. Beck, Kyle and Aidy did well in this sketch. Also, I’m sure you’re as surprised as I am that this actually made it online with Sia’s song actually intact. I guess it wasn’t as hard to clear as it was a fairly recent Top 40 hit. B+

Halloween Emporium - This sketch was pretty much screams "ten-to-one" (no pun intended). Carrey played a demonically possessed role suitably well and Cecily and Vanessa played fine off that. Good to see the return of the sleeve concealed vomit hose after a seven year absence. C+

Now, I think I’m finally ready to rank the shows form this season.

1. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

2. Bill Hader/Hozier

3. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

4. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

Well, that was certainly enjoyable. Next week, Chris Rock returns to host. There’s really no reason to NOT be optimistic about this episode. We can already tell the monologue is going to be one of the best of this season and Rock will most likely gel real well with the likes of Jones, Che, Pharroh and Zamata. That dynamic should produce some strong comedy. See you then!

Bill Hader/Hozier (10.11.14)

Okay, here’s my review. This episode still exhibits blatant signs of the trouble SNL has been in for the past two years. Still, it was this seasons’ strongest episode so far. This is mostly due to Haders’ presence and not just for the instant nostalgia. While the writing hasn’t shown any real signs of improvement since 2010, Bill has shown he hasn’t lost touch with his comedic acting chops. He’s still just as solid of a sketch player as he ever was during his time in the cast. It’s also nice to see Pete Davidson all over this show after being completely shut out last week. I’m sure having the guy who recommended him to Lorne hosting sure didn’t hurt matters there. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

Kim Jon-Un - North Korea was an odd choice for cold open (as it wasn't really dominating the headlines) but Bobby's rapid fire back and forth between hobbling in pain and trying to prove his agility was funny. Also, they knew the exact spot to end it before it got too old. Strangely enough, the dated pop culture references (“Space Jam” and “The Fury”) turned out to be some of the funniest moments in this sketch. C-

Monologue - Bill was good, Kristen killed any momentum this monologue could’ve had. He was very funny and likable and even his singing was played for great comedic effect. Thankfully, the whole music number didn't focus on Wiig for once. I also liked how Bill told the story of Megan Mulally discovering him. Harvey Firestien was an unexpected cameo but still, a nice addition to this monologue. C+

Herb Welch VII - This felt pretty much like a carbon copy of every other installment, but this sketch was a nice use of Pete and Bill's back and forth with Taran as the news anchor was good (even though without Sudekis, it’s not quite the same). C-

The Group Hopper – This was a nice bit of satire even if it was missed on about 75% of SNl’s audience. Obviously, this might’ve landed better with me had I read the books or seen the films they were referencing but it was still enjoyable even if it had some pacing issues. Parts of it moved to fast while other parts meandered a bit. It did a fine job of poking fun at all the tropes of the YA dystopian fantasy lit/film craze taking the country by storm right now. Even though Hader's character really made this sketch for me, it was a nice use of Pete, Sasheer, Beck and Kyle and featured some of Pete’s strongest acting on the show so far. B-

Hollywood Game Night - This was a fine showcase of impressions. Hader's Pacino was a welcome addition. Beck's Nick Offerman was uncanny. Kate did a fine job as Jane Lynch exposing the banality of the show. Cecily's Sofia Vergara was accurate if not a little overbearing. Taran as Christoph Waltz was alright if not a little underutilized. Jay's Morgan Freeman has improved but there could've been less Wigg as Kathie Lee. Everyone's ridiculous bad answers were fun. B+

HelpFund - This was another clever filmed piece even if it was pretty one note and repetitive. Hader played a rather defensive role well. It was nice to see them sneak in Leslie jones in there again. It was also a nice use of Sasheer. Kenan and Jay added a lot to this, too. B-

Love Is A Dream - It was very touching of Bill and Kristen to introduce this classic. I would say Jan got the tribute she truly deserved tonight and this was Kristen's best moment in tonight's show.

Update is still the strongest segment of this SNL season. Michael Che had some good moments (but not quite as good as the previous two week and his gay marriage joke felt like something several other comedians have done before). Even Jost had some decent jokes writing wise, not that his delivery did anything to help them. Thankfully, this Update was lighter on jokes than it was on commentaries. Pete's commentary was good, but his commentary from the premiere was a little bit better. Still, it was nice to see this make it to air after getting cut last week. Seeing Stefon back in his element was nice. I especially liked his “human defibrillators” line. C+

Puppet Class II – It was nice seeing this again since it was a classic one-off that wasn’t as run into the ground as much as some of Haders’ previous sketches from his time on the show. Still, it wasn’t as good as the first one. Bill and Cecily performed well in their roles but Taran and Bobby felt like they were trying too hard and didn’t service this sketch as well as Kenan and Seth MacFarlane did. The puppet flashback was good, but they could’ve played it up for bigger laughs. B+

Inside SoCal - I'm very glad they made Inside this recurring. This one was so much better than the first one from Jonah Hill's episode in January. The Pete/Kate/Taran segment was hilarious and Bill was a great addition with his lost, rambling answer. Beck and Kyle were great in this with their own segments. I especially liked Beck’s Vicodin line and Kyle’s red salsa interview with Cecily. Still, the ending with Bobby didn’t quite work as well. This sure beats another Californians sketch, huh? B+

Cat In The Hat – This sketch seemed quite unfocused and like it had a very thin premise. Still, Bill's performance was the real high point. His line at the end was funny even if it felt way out of place. C-

Well, that seemed to be a pretty polarizing show. Jim Carrey hosts in two weeks. Let’s hope the writing doesn’t sink him. See you then!

Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5 (10.4.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This was another real middle of the road show that turned out to be more inconsistent than last week. Sarah Silverman was a fine host, however underutilized she may have been. The cast is still really inconsistent in terms of airtime. IT’s not a good sign when Vanessa and Kenan are on this much and it may not have been wise for Pete Davidson to disappear completely after such a strong debut last week. Anyway, let’s get to it.

60 Minutes - This cold open was very middle of the road. Jay and Taran were OK in it and some of the digs at social media were good. As a whole it was better and more consistent than last week's open. Otherwise, it seemed pretty forgettable. C-

Monologue - Sarah was great here. She was miles better than Pratt's monologue was last week. Her stand up material was good. We could've done without the lame audience interaction bit but the montage of her answering her own audience question clips from '93-'94 was the real highlight and was a very clever bit of editing. Still, I have to admit I was a little disappointed that they didn't find a way to work in her ape mask clip from the Charlton Heston monologue. B+

Ebola In Our Everything – This Fault In Our Stars parody was very good. Taran and Sarah played very well off of each other and kudos to SNL for being one of the first comedy outlets to find a satiric hook on TFIOS. I think they were the first to parody this. A-

Joan Rivers Roast - This sketch was great for what it was, although they could've done more with it. Sarah, Jay and Kate all did fine with their impressions even if they lost it by the end of the sketch. At least they found a way to work Sasheer in there even if her bit was a little forgettable. Adam Levine as Freddie Mercury was possibly the worst stunt casting in the history of television. Bobby stole the sketch as a giddy Ben Franklin. C+

Whites - This PSA had a funny start but kinda fell flat toward the end. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was reminded of a certain Louis CK routine by this. C+

Forgotten TV Gems - This soap opera sketch had some very clever writing behind it even if some of the jokes could've been seen coming from two towns over. The sting reactions at the end of each scene were the best part. B-

Update continues to be a highpoint of the show despites its relative inconsistency compared to last week. Che was very good and even Jost had his moments but every time they got a decent bit going and built up some momentum, a commentary would come along and kill it. Kenan's Al Sharpton just came and went and god bless Sarah and Kate for trying to salvage that feminist song bit, but it just didn't work. Kudos to Jost for at least trying to show a sliver of human personality tonight. His bit with Che where they determined what they can and can't say was the true highlight. B-

Riverboat - I don't quite know what to make of this sketch except that Sarah had the strongest performance and I liked Sasheer's line about trying to escape. Other than that, it really didn't go anywhere. C-

Cheating – This sketch was almost the strongest live piece of the night. Sarah and Bobby really carried it. It was another piece that had some strong writing but a little less so given how derivative it was of the wedding toast sketch from Andrew Garfield's episode and that carpool sketch from Baldwin's '06 show. Even though working Adam Levine into another sketch seems a little too gratuitous, the sheer outlandishness of his part made me chuckle. I also liked the fudge song on the radio, but it kinda fell apart at the end. B-

Good Neighbor: Poem - This film was one of Beck and Kyle’s stronger recent efforts. I quite liked the strong physical humor of it and how well it contrasted against the softer moments. B-

Vitamix - Wow. Vanessa's performance in this blender sketch makes that entire riverboat sketch seem laser focused. I'm genuinely surprised that this even made it past dress. D-

Well, there is still hope for this season. Next week, Bill Hader returns to host (albeit a bit soon). Frankly, I think the less cameos, the better his episode will be. Sadly, I think at least Wiig may be guaranteed to show up on account of being Haders’ “Skeleton Twins” costar. See you then!