Charlie Rose - The Torture report was a nice topic for the cold open. Bobby and Kyle performed well in it. The jabs at Time Warner/see cashier/autocorrect were all right. Taran's Charlie Rose was pretty weak. Even though this felt like it was missing something, it was a better cold open than last week. C+
Monologue - Freeman delivered a charming monologue. I did like the self-deprecating tone to it. I have a good feeling about him as a host. Kate’s' Maggie Smith and Taran's throaty Alan Rickman were also welcome additions. B+
Sump'n Claus - This turned out to be more entertaining (and longer) than it had any right to be. I did like how Kenan turned in a rather subdued performance here and Cecily and Sasheer served the sketch well as backup singers. C-
Wedding Objections - This sketch was very fun. I did like how there were several different elements to it that built up and paid off at the end. Taran, Kate, Cecily, Aidy, Leslie and Martin were very funny in it. I especially like Taran’s “shattered penis/Jenga tower” lines. Also, did anyone else think Freeman resembled Martin Short in that wig? B+
The Office: Middle Earth – This was a fun taped piece. It did capture the aesthetic of the Office better than it did the Tolkien films. Taran was great as Gollum (much better than Kattan used to be) but Bobby did a rather weak Gandalf Gervais. He had Gervais's David Brent movements and facial expressions down pat and did a convincing accent but the voice was a little off. Kate did well in this, too. Also, who was that in the orc makeup. This was a clever way for the SNL writers to combine the two things American audiences will most easily recognize Martin Freeman from, but I can't help but think how it might have been improved if this sketch was done when Sudekis was still in the cast and he had played the Gervais role instead of Bobby. B+
Right Side Of The Bed – This sketch was possibly the worst segment of the night. It could've been better had the shifted more focus to Aidy's character. Martin's awkwardness was the best part of this sketch. Kate as Keith Urban was worth a chuckle. Otherwise, Cecily and Taran were trying too hard and this just SCREAMED "An Anderson/Sublette Joint". Did anyone else get flashbacks to that “Pageant Talk” sketch from the Zach Galifinakis 09-10 episode w/Slate, Hader and Wiig? I’ll bet they wrote THAT one, too! Also, what does it say about me that I saw some resemblance to “Chrisley Knows Best” without ever actually watching that show? C-
Christmas Mass Spectacular - This seemed a little dated and unfocused, but it was funny. Beck, Kyle, Jay and Kate were great in it. It did seem like it didn’t know what it was satirizing or who it wanted it’s audience to be, but I liked it nonetheless. I just think this was an odd outlet for Good Neighbors ‘90s slacker humor. C+
Update was a little inconsistent, but strong. Che had a long string of great jokes and even Jost got in a couple of good jabs. The commentaries were what weighed this down a bit, though. It was nice of them to give Sasheer a chance to be herself on Update. Her commentary was funny even if it took a while to get going and emoji narrative humor has kind of been done before. Che really added sommething to it. Cecily's "one dimensional female character in a male driven comedy" seems like something she had a hand in writing but it also seemed a little unfocused and meandering. It was different at least, but it didn't seem like a fully thought out idea. Jacob the Bar Mitvah Boy has really run its course and Che's interaction w/Vanessa was pretty much a carbon copy of Seth's script but at least Che managed to make it endearing. B-
Heinz Assembly Line - This sketch didn't seem to go anywhere, but it was still enjoyable. I was just expecting more from seeing an assembly line set with a Caution sign being put up during the commercial, I guess. Taran and Martin did the best they could with the material. The "blue light" ending was worth a chuckle. C+
Holiday Gig - This sketch seems like the most one note thing that has aired this season so far. It's a little interesting how Kenan's voice seemed to change at least twice through this sketch. Taran's brief appearance was worth a chuckle. D+
Waterbeds Are The Best - This was a decent piece to go out on. Aidy clearly gave it her all as did Martin. Taran and Jay's brief appearances were funny, too. I chuckled at the mattress with her face on it, but the joke of plastering Aidy's giant face everywhere got kinda old. For some reason, it felt like something that has been cut from several previous dress rehearsals. Martins’ accent was an interesting choice. Did he remind anyone else of Buck Henry in this sketch? B-
Here are my updated rankings for this season…
1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar
2. Martin Freeman/Charli XCX
3. James Franco/Nicki Minaj
4. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea
5. Bill Hader/Hozier
6. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
7. Chris Pratt/Arianna Grande
8. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5
9. Chris Rock/Prince
Next week, Amy Adams returns to host with One Direction as the musical guest. So far, I think this show has the potential to go either way. Amy Adams has the potential to really deliver as a host. Let’s hope the writing continues on the upswing its’ been on this month. See you then!
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