Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson/George Ezra (3.28.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. This episode was pretty middle of the road of this season, but it was certainly a breath of fresh air from the last two episodes with Johnson and Hemsworth. The Rock certainly delivered as a host again. He still is a talented comedic performer with a strong presence that almost makes up for the continually uninspired writing this season. He also manages to bring out the best in the current cast as talented performers as they are. As far as musical guests go, I have to say George Ezra does have quite a similar voice to Ray Lamontange who was the MG during The Rocks' previous show in '09. They both seem like MGs that he specifically requested. He must have a real specific taste in music. Anyway, here it goes.

The Rock Obama III - I don't think anyone DIDN'T expect SNL to bring this out of mothballs but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by how they were able to make it seem as fresh, topical and relevant as it did six years ago although Dwayne’s impression seems to be slipping a bit. Taran and Bobby played well off each other although since they have both now played Ted Cruz I have to wonder what they're gonna do with the election material over the next couple of seasons. The only real weak points in this sketch were how bad Kyle and Becks' fake limbs looked and how Sasheer and Leslie has such small parts were as clever of twists as they were. B-

Monologue - This was more enjoyable than it had any right to be. Dwaynes "franchise Viagra" lines were funny as well as his jabs at Smurfs/Theory Of Everything. All in all, The Rock and the girls had the charisma to make such a sliver of premise watchable. B-

Pep Boys - This was funny. Beck, Taran, Bobby and Andy all had great lines and Kate and Sasheer played off them well but Starbucks canceling their race discussion campaign kind of removes some topicality from it. C+

WWE Promo Shoot - This sketch felt like a derivative premise but Dwayne wrestling background helped him pull this off and Bobby played off him well. I did like the Family Guy porn and intricate catfish bits. B-

Bambi Remake - This felt like the first bit of clever writing all night. The makeup team really deserves some kudos. Jay, Dwayne and Taran performed really well here. B-

Dinner Date – This felt like a sketch premise that has been done before but The Rock turned in a funny performance and it was nice to see Cecily try a different type of accent for once. Also, The Rock’s character reminded me a bit of the character he played in his “Goombahs” sketch from his first show. C+

Escape From Jungle Island - This sketch seems like the most physically and scatalogically daring sketch SNL has done in years. It felt like a sketch that could've been cut from the dress rehearsal of The Rocks 99-00 show. In fact, it reminded me a lot of the “Today’s Lady” sketch from that show. As far as who could’ve wrote this, I also detect some traces of Anderlette but based on his Update commentaries from the Pratt/Rock episodes last fall it seems more to me like something Pete Davidson had a hand in writing. It seemed pretty one note but they kept it from going on too long at least. Again, Kate was an interesting casting choice. Speaking of which, did anyone else get some serious Ace and Gary flashbacks watching this? C+

Brogaine - This almost seemed like a premise that was beneath SNL but the Good Neighbor style of comedy really added something of value to it. Even Kenan and Sasheer gave us some laughs and I liked the OU/SAE racist chant jab. B-

Update was really strong tonight. A bunch of the jokes were really solid. Che's Ted Cruz jab was great as relatively toothless as it seemed. Josts' rant on The Jinx has to be the most animated we've seen him on SNL. Kates' Russian commentary was fun even if I saw some of the jokes coming from two towns over. Hell, I’m surprised she didn’t make a joke about how they just got Eminems’ “My Name Is” in Russia. Also, was anyone else reminded of Pete Holmes during the “Well Played, Devil” line? Still, I did like the Etta James/Hunger Games Jokes. They built up a lot of momentum until Kenan bough it all to a screeching halt. B-

Cooking With Paul - This was something a little different for Kenan. He played well off The Rock and even though they relied on that Internet gag a bit much I do like how they just got in, got its laughs and got right out. B-

Improv Team - I really enjoyed this. Kate as Robert Durst was clever stunt casting and I liked Cecily's part as well. What made me appreciate this sketch is how accurate it was to all the improve shows I have seen in college right down to the entrances and audience interview shtick. I also appreciate how they ended this sketch at just the right moment as well. B-

Interrogation - This sketch seemed like it's took a while to build to something. There wasn’t much more to it than The Rock playing against his tough guy/action star persona. Still, he may be the only host who can really pull it off. Also, it felt like Vanessa’s first appearance of the night although upon further examination, it was her third. Perhaps they’re phasing her out? C+

Kyles’ street interview was a good choice to cap off this episode. The reactions from all the kids really made this one for me. 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. J.K. Simmons/D’Angelo

6. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson/George Ezra

7. Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes

8. Bill Hader/Hozier

9. Blake Shelton

10. Kevin Hart/Sia

11. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

12. Amy Adams/One Direction

13. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

14. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

15. Chris Rock/Prince

16. Chris Hemsworth/Zac Brown Band

Well, that show was certainly a pleasant surprise at this point in the season. Next week, Michael Keaton returns to host and I sure hope he is still more of a host in the same vein as The Rock or Woody Harrelson or even Martin Freeman. See you soon!

Chris Hemsworth/Zac Brown Band (3.15.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. The sheer lifelessness of this show qualifies to replace Chris Rock/Prince as the worst of the season. Sure, Rock’s episode had its share of problems but at least it made some daring choices unlike this episode. Chris Hemsworth barely seemed like he wanted to be there all night. Kate and Sasheer were the only two cast members who had a standout night. That would be pretty par for Kate’s course at this point but when you can say that about Sasheer, something may have gone wrong. Also, I have to wonder aloud why Chris Cornell was playing with the Zac Brown band and covering what had to have been one of his own songs with them. He isn’t even touring with them (according to a local ad for the Zac Brown Bands’ latest tour I saw during the show). That wasn’t a bad moment in the show necessarily, but it was one of the most left field collaborations I have ever seen. Anyway, on to the sketches.

A Message From Hillary Clinton - I'm glad Kate has replaced Vanessa as SNL's resident Hillary Clinton impressionist. As expected, hers was a stronger and more engaging portrayal. Still, it could use some fine tuning if they’re grooming her for 2016. The only thing that really stood out to me was the email from Bill. C+

Monologue - Chris seems to be on the same level as Dakota Johnson as far as hosts go. He really seemed to be phoning in the monologue but I can't really blame him given how Kenan heavy it was. Yeah, his Australian accent was worth a couple of sketches but it was a lame uninspired premise. Thank god Kate was there to breathe some life into it. D+

American Express - This had some decent writing behind it but Hemsworths' performance really didn't do it any justice and it wasn’t a terribly creative spin on the Mindy Akling ad. C+

Brother 2 Brother – This was really a long setup to a rather obvious payoff. All the performances were strong (except for tonight's host) but it felt too much like a retread of that Kristen Wiig/Amy Adams school twins sketch. Also, I can't believe you can now say "my dick is bigger" on network TV with no bleep on but obviously that was the biggest laugh of the whole night so far. C+

Empire – This was a pretty one note parody. At least Che’s part was funny and Hemsworth played well off Sasheer and Leslie. Did anyone else think Hemsworth resembled Ike Barinholtz just a little in that wig? C-

Spaceship – This was a sketch revolving entirely around a chicken spaceship. It was just as unfocused as it sounds but I'll gladly take it over another Bobby kitty cat guy sketch. This seems like a sketch Tim Kazurinsky would've led during the Ebersol era. D-

The Iggy Azalea Show - Kate does a better Iggy Azalea than the real Iggy but this whole sketch just felt lifeless and like a big wasted opportunity for Kate. Jay's T.I. was all right but it sounded too much like a cross between his Eddie Murphy, Katt Williams and Shannon Sharpe impressions. While this sketch initially falls flat, it does get better upon a second viewing. For example, I first thought Chris Hemsworth was just playing Riff Raff which would have been the worst stunt casting in recent SNL history (unless he played Riff Raff in the same way that James Franco did in Spring Breakers). Then, I noticed Kate saying he was playing a different character who was supposedly her Australian rap “mentor” and suddenly he fit a lot better into this sketch. Honestly, the true highlight of this sketch was the good glimpse I got of Sasheer's great legs. C-

Update even felt pretty formulaic and forgettable tonight. I did like Che's police rant and Josts' plane and penis jokes. Also, their take on Seth and Amy’s one story/multiple jokes recurring gag was more interesting than the way either of them were accustomed to it. Leslie's commentary was fun but it was a little long and a lot like what we've previously seen from her. Ditto Cecily’s Party girl bit but I did like her HMO/progress jokes.

Avengers - This sketch somehow managed to be weaker than the one from Jeremy Renner's episode but at least it was Hemsworth's most animated performance of the night. Taran was all right but he doesn't do a great RDJ or anything. I did like Pete's take on Bruce Banner though. D+

Movie Set - I already didn't like where this was going Kenan just made his first entrance in the director sketch. Oh, I get it. It's a very meta sketch about broad mugging performances. Very subtly meta for Kenansville but not an admirable effort. D+

Good Neighbor: So You Think You Can Live With Jeff? – This parodied reality show tropes well enough and it had its moments such as the Survivor challenge and the ending freakout. Still, it’s not quite up there with GNs’ best SNL work. C+

Dolce And Gabanna – The former porn stars are beyond tired by this point. Strangely enough, Hemsworth’s bizarre character was the only time he was actually funny. Hey, good thing he managed to do it once before the show ended. C-

Now, for my updated rankings…

1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar

2. Martin Freeman/Charli XCX

3. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

4. James Franco/Nicki Minaj

5. J.K. Simmons/D’Angelo

6. Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes

7. Bill Hader/Hozier

8. Blake Shelton

9. Kevin Hart/Sia

10. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

11. Amy Adams/One Direction

12. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

13. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

14. Chris Rock/Prince

15. Chris Hemsworth/Zac Brown Band

Well, we know the next live show will be on March 28. What we DON’T know is who will be hosting or why they didn’t bother to acknowledge that SNL will still be on after tonight during this show. That can’t be a good sign, but I’m sure we’ll find out in due time. See you then!

Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes (2.28.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. This show was pretty unremarkable and a bit of a let down from the JK Simmons episode and the 40^th Anniversary special. Still, only a couple of things stood out as really terrible rather than just overwrought and forgettable like the rest of the episode. Any episode where Kyle is more of a standout than Taran, Kate, and Bobby can’t be completely bad. Dakota Johnson delivered pretty much exactly what I expected of her as a host. She didn’t do much besides prove she was able to coast on weak material and take Amy Adams’ place as most underutilized SNL host this season. Also, is it just me or does Dakota Johnson look a lot like Noel Wells? I swear they added her back to the cast if I didn't know any better. Anyway, here it is.

Giuliani (Or The Unexpected Virtue Of Ignorance) - This was pretty creative and ambitious for this season. It was a strong showcase for Kilam, for sure. I liked how he was able to channel both Rudy Giuliani and Michael Keaton seamlessly. Sure, he didn't do the most accurate Giuliani but it was a grounded portrayal. Turning the Giuliani controversy into a Birdman parody was a clever angle. The pop culture references practically scream "Kelly and Schneider wrote this". Working Dakota into this sketch felt unnecessary even though it seemed to be her most committed performance of the whole show (and it was taped). B-

Monologue - Dakota did just as fine despite how little confidence she seemed to have in the material. Unfortunately, she is setting that tone for the whole rest of the show. Kyle and Kate were funny was audience members and it was pretty gracious of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson to show up. C+

ISIS – Well, at least this was better than whatever they attempted during the Chris Rock show. I liked how they didn't just beat us over the head with it and how this audience wasn't gasping and silent. C+

Cinderella - I can't believe they recurred Cecily's character from that awful James Franco bridge troll sketch. Hey, is it just me or is Cecily doing the exact same voice that Kyle used in that 420 sketch from Seth Rogen's episode last season? D+

Say What You Wanna Say - This was probably the strongest piece in the whole show so far even if it ran just a little long. Kate, Leslie, Dakota and Aidy did well in it although I can't help but notice how similar it was to a piece I saw the current Second City touring company do last year. This really made me think about those accusations of plagiarism that arose from the riverboat sketch in Sarah Silverman’s episode. B-

Press Junket – This sketch was fine if not a little unfocused. Kyle was great as a precocious reporter and Kate played off him well. Overall, it reminded me of the type of sketch Bobby would've done before Kyle joined the cast. I know a lot of people are reminded of Samberg, but the whole behind the scenes angle reminds me of a sketch Bobby did when Bradley Cooper and Robert DeNiro hosted. C+

I Can’t - This was all right if not a little obnoxious. Aidy really carried it. It could've benefitted from some editing, though. Did Bobby’s voice remind anyone else of Louis CK’s “one voice”/Obama “impression” from his monologue last season? C-

Update was pretty strong tonight. I liked the dress bit and Che's ISIS gentrification rant. The pope/Chris Brown jokes were great too and Jost is showing more signs of life than ever. Kate was good as Justice Ginsburg. She did the type of commentary she always excels at but they really ran the whole "Ginsburn" bit into the ground. Jay's Kanye was all right but it just goes to show Jay's Kanye doesn't work in a solo piece when the entire focus is on him. I think it's a little soon to bring back Riblet but his attempts at ghetto style Update jokes were great as were the suit reveal and mic delivery. B-

Worf M.D. - This sketch had potential but it kinda flailed around all over the place. Kenan started to turn in a real solid performance but it somehow got away from him. Vanessa and Pete each had great lines here. Also, I'd think Dakota was breaking character if she didn't look so blatantly disinterested in this whole sketch. D+

Net Neutrality - This sketch seemed to take a minute to find its real focus. The highlights were Bobby's porn speech, Pete and Leslie's back and forth, and Taran slapping everyone. Dakota's "harder" line was her only real contribution to this sketch. I'm surprised Pete's joke about racist YouTube comments didn't get a bigger laugh. I'd almost swear Leslie was wearing Hader's old Stefon wig if I wasn't so sure it wouldn't fit her. C-

Good Neighbor: Mr Riot Films – This short seems to be parodying a specific type of viral video that hasn't been popular in years, but I did like how Beck and Kyle incorporated real people off the street into it. B+

Now, for my updated rankings…

1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar

2. Martin Freeman/Charli XCX

3. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

4. James Franco/Nicki Minaj

5. J.K. Simmons/D’Angelo

6. Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes

7. Bill Hader/Hozier

8. Blake Shelton

9. Kevin Hart/Sia

10. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

11. Amy Adams/One Direction

12. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

13. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

14. Chris Rock/Prince

Well, another forgettable episode just came and went. Next week, Chris “Thor” Hemsworth hosts and I honestly think this could go any possible way as I have no idea what he can bring to the show. See you then!