Okay, here’s my review. This show had pretty much the exact
same vibe as last weeks’ episode but with just a little more effort put into it.
Michael Keaton proved to be a game host and delivered in every sketch despite this
being his second most underutilized outing as host. They did keep the recurring
material to a minimum and that’s always a good sign. Anyway, here it is.
Road To The Final Four – This wasn’t a terribly strong cold
open but it had some clever writing behind it and I'm pleased to see SNL tackle
the student athlete issue. Kenan and Jay made the most of their small roles.
Bobby made this entire sketch for me. C+
Monologue - It troubles me to see SNL do two singing
monologs two weeks in a row but this one was a lot more fun than last weeks’ song-and-song-and-dance
number with The Rock. This was mostly thanks to Taran, Bobby and Jay. Kudos to
the wardrobe team for getting him through three costume changes in two
sketches. I also loved the doctored backstage footage (Taran does a
surprisingly good Catherine O’Hara) and the puppet of the Beetle juice shrunken
head guy. B-
CNN Newsroom – This sketch was pretty funny. It kind of
reminded me of what I read about that original cold open that got scrapped from
Louis CK's dress rehearsal last year but thankfully it took on a different
angle. I liked the puppet reenactment (was anyone else reminded of Crank
Yankees or Spitting Image?) and the Money For Nothing animation (I have to give
them props for beating me to that joke in this review). Also, the interpretive
dance number with Keaton, Kenan and Aidy really made the sketch for me. Jay’s
autotuned Don Lemon was also pretty funny. Kudos to whoever wrote this for
managing to make Cecily that funny and likable. C+
A Mike O'Brien Film: Prom Queen - This is something I didn't
know quite what to make of. It reminded me of a less homoerotic and way way WAY
more watered down version of Adam McKay's Short Film "The Heat Is On"
from the 99/00 Alan Cumming/JLo episode. Then, I liked O'Briens’ brief back and forth with Davidson
when he told him he “needed to graduate” and how he played subtly off all the
tropes of "She's All That" and other 20th century teen films of that
ilk. Then, I noticed how Keatons’ lack of real commitment to the whole thing
was funny and that they knew exactly where to end this. C-
Easter Hotline – This really made the most out of a thin
premise. Cecily was just okay but the rest of the cast and Keaton all really
pulled their collective weight. Also, this is the best Sasheer has looked in
any sketch. She played well off Leslie and they worked her into this sketch
quite well. B-
Wallace Advertising - I will say that the sheer unapologetic
obnoxiousness of Keatons' suggestions were really funny. I liked how that one
had a rather unpredictable feel to it. Not a lot of hosts could add something
to this kind of sketch like he did. C+
Church Of Neurotology – This was one of the more biting
pieces of social satire SNL has done in years. All the captions made this
sketch for me. I also liked how they worked Colin Jost into this film. B+
Update was very strong and well-paced tonight. There weren't
a ton of jokes but all the ones that were there landed (even if Josts’ Israel/Lethal
Weapon rant felt a little more like something Seth would do just as he was
starting to step out of Seth’s shadow). Pete Davidsons Walking Dead commentary
was very funny. He had a great back and forth with Colin and the Norman Reedus
cameo was icing on the cake. Good to see Taran is just as animated playing
Jebidiah Atkinson as he was last season. I liked how subtle their self deprecation
was. Also, was anyone else reminded of that “Comedy Killers” sketch from
Roseannes’ 90-91 episode when his Archduke Franz Ferdinand joke got total silence?
B+
Smart House - All I can say about this sketch is that while
I find the Southern accents are quite gratuitous for my liking I do appreciate
the sheer sci-fi tech induced weirdness of it. For a Cecily accent showcase, it
thankfully didn't feel like the most Anderlettey Anderlette sketch I’ve ever
seen and Beck, Kyle, Kate and Vanessa reactions really made it for me. Keaton
turned in an interesting performance as well. C-
Easter Candy - As soon as I saw Keaton pull out that Easter
basket and sit down, I knew exactly where this was headed. The only things that
separated this from the sketches like this from the Edward Norton and Steve
Buscemi 2011 episodes were the length and Keatons' commitment to playing a
creepy character (despite the later reveal that he was apparently playing
himself). Kate was a welcome addition to this sketch. 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. Michael Keaton/Carly Rae Jepsen
7. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson/George Ezra
8. Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes
9. Bill Hader/Hozier
10. Blake Shelton
11. Kevin Hart/Sia
12. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
13. Amy Adams/One Direction
14. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande
15. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5
16. Chris Rock/Prince
17. Chris Hemsworth/Zac Brown Band
Well, that was just as much fun as I was expecting. Taraji
P. Henson hosts next week. I haven’t seem much of Empire or Hustle and Flow so
I don’t quite have a sense of how she will do as a host yet. Still, I have a
feeling it could be a refreshing change of pace for this season. See you then!
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