Blake Shelton (1.24.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. This show felt dull and listless throughout, but it was entertaining in some spots and not quite the worst we’ve seen this season. It started out promising and then fell into a considerable lull before picking up some steam here and there during and after Update. Blake Shelton may be one of the most forgettable hosts in recent SNL history but he certainly proved to be just barely capable enough of a choice. As far as the cast goes, Bobby, Leslie, Kate and Taran had particularly good nights. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

Inside The NFL – This cold open was fun. It was possibly the most energetic open this season. Beck was pretty funny as Bill Bellechick and Taran's portrayal of Tom Brady was pretty accurate to that press conference. Of course, Bobby and Kate doing "A Few Good Men" really closed this with a bang. B-

Monologue – This throwback to Hee Haw seemed much too out of place on SNL (even when someone with an actual connection to country music is hosting) but Leslie, Jay, Bobby and Pete made it worth watching. Also, Blake's opening lines seemed a little awkward but he recovered nicely once everyone else came in and took their places. C-

Farm Hunk - This sketch seemed REALLY repetitive and a little clumsily written. Still, I have to say Kate and Leslie's parts were the only true highlights. Aidy seemed like she was trying too hard and Blake barely added anything. If they were meaning to poke fun at “The Bachelor” tropes, that humor was completely lost on me as I’m proud to say I’ve never watched that show. D+

Wishing Boot - This was a well-produced music video. While it was a little light on laughs, it built up to a decent payoff and was just strange and surreal enough to work for me. C

Celebrity Family Feud III – This sketch was probably the weakest one of these they've done so far. Aside from Taran's Adam Levine and Kenan's Steve Harvey, everyone's impressions were a bit off. Sasheer's Nicki Minaj was all right but it was a rather dated portrayal (Nicki seems to have mellowed out and grew out of her pink hair phase a couple of years ago) and the same can probably be said for Jay's Pharrell (those hat jokes are pretty dated eve if he still wears them). Beck's Harry Connick Jr in particular stood out as the weakest. It's almmost as if he thought HE would be playing Keith Urban instead of Kate but no one told him. Kate's Keith Urban was pretty funny though just for the sheer visuals regardless of how accurate it was. Honestly, Kenan, Kate and Taran really held this together. Blake didn't add too much as a straight man, but I liked how he was willing to poke fun at his Miranda Lambert related troubles. That was really the only joke in this sketch that stood out to me. D+

Update was really inconsistent tonight. The commentaries really saved it from being the worst of the whole season, though. Jost was just kinda there and even Che was more awkward than usual. I did like his steroids/Santorum jokes as well as how gleefully they stuck by that twins/triplets joke. Bobby's “Riblet” character was possibly the funniest part of the whole show. Between this and the cold open, Bobby was really good at breathing some life into a rather dull and listless show. Pete was effortlessly funny with his latest commentary despite how similar it seemed to his one from the premiere. It's nice to see Sasheer break out with a new character piece of her own. Her piece was strong and well-acted even if it wasn't that funny. I liked how well she played off of Che and how they called back to Bobby's character from earlier. I also liked how they tried to work in some attempted chemistry between Che and Jost. C+

Prison Release - This sketch felt odd, but in a surprisingly good way. As Kenan did his weak Morgan Freeman, it built up to something better with the reveal that his character was a cannibal. Bobby, Cecily and Blake played well off him and they kept it from going on too long. It was probably the best one joke sketch I've seen on SNL in quite a long time. C+

Topeka Today – This sketch was much stronger than a lot of live pieces tonight. The buildup was much more subtle and gradual and it paid off brilliantly with the reveal through song that Kate's character was a stone cold monster to Taran. This was probably Blake's best moment in a sketch the whole night. The make-up job did a great job on Taran as well and all. The vintage looking photos looked funny and Bobby did well in his supporting role. B-

Magician - This sketch was a decent choice to end the show on. It did get a little funnier as Blakes' requests got increasingly absurd, but it was a little too repetitive. Blake did well with the lines he was given but I still can't help but think what this sketch would've been like with any different host. B-

Now, for my updated rankings of this season…

1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar

2. Martin Freeman/Charli XCX

3. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

4. James Franco/Nicki Minaj

5. Bill Hader/Hozier

6. Blake Shelton

7. Kevin Hart/Sia

8. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

9. Amy Adams/One Direction

10. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

11. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

12. Chris Rock/Prince

Well, that was that. Next week, J.K. Simmons makes his hosting debut on SNL. This, I am cautiously optimistic about. Simmons has to be one of the more inspired left-field hosting choices this season and is a dependable actor. I hope he does well and I hope the writing continues on the path it’s been on for the past two weeks. See you then!