Sunday, October 18, 2015

Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato (10.17.15)

Okay, here’s my review. This is hands down the best show of the season at this point. It was heartwarming to see Tracy back performing as much as he can in a live show and being as hilarious as ever. The cast seemed a little unbalanced but that’s no big deal as tonight was Tracy’s big night (as well as some other pleasantly surprising cameos) and it was all about him and his support system. The writers really played to his strengths as well. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

CNN Democratic Debate - That Democratic debate sketch was probably the best debate cold open they did since the last time Baldwin hosted four years ago. He and the rest of the cast were great but Latry pretty much blew every one out of the water. The only real flaw with this sketchange was how miscast Jon Rudnitsky was as Anderson Cooper. Also, I'm surprised they didn't make any mention of Jim Webbs' grenade comment from the real debate. B+

Monologue - Tracy was great here. I'm glad he worked in some actual jokes in brief moments of sincere reflection. The staged 30 Rock flashback was also good aside from the onscreen promos. It was nice to see his former cast mates support him on live TV. A-

Family Feud IV – This sketch seemed like low hanging fruit but it was well executed and it was a lot better than the impression showcases from the last two seasons. Tracy, Sasheer, Jay, Che and Leslie really hit it out of the park and that was the best Sasheer has looked in any sketch. B+

Brian Fellows’ Safari Planet XII - Tracy gave it his all and the camel pretty much upstaged everyone before the well done multiple fantasy sequence was over. Why they thought Pete and Aidy would be good fits for this sketch I may never know. B-

Fake Cocaine/Fake Poop Spray – This was pretty funny and mildly for what it was. Thankfully, it was short and it wasn't TOO stupid. C+

Update was still strong but not as much as previous weeks. The Huckabee slam and the qualified candidates rant were great. A lot of the jokes landed. Ches' alien rant was bizarrely funny. Tinas' Playboy commentary was well written and really built to a satisfying payoff but ultimately was a little derivative of her earlier work. Once again, Kenan really killed the momentum this had going but it was a clever way to work in Woodrow as much as I would've preferred a full sketch with Demi Lovato. B-

Clockmaker Bernard - This town square sketch seemed like it would've been a good excuse for Tracy to deliver his trademark outlandish one liners, but it seemed to veer off in too many different directions. Tracy, Jon and Sasheer did perform well here. C-

The Standoff - This short seemed like it telegraphed into its main joke too early but thankfully Tracy really performed the living hell out of it and writing wise it had a real endearing quality that really saved it. B-

Cool For The Cummer/Confident/Stone Cold - I usually don't comment on the musical performances but Demi Lovato seems like the strongest musical guest so far this season. She really can sing well and hold her own against the backup band she had (as much as they added to her performance).

Yo! Where Jackie Chan At Right Now? - This seems way more like a sketch Key and Peele would've done (they seemed to be channeling Vanda vein and Mike in particular) but I liked it for its sheer strangeness. The guest segments were funny despite Jay having the only accurate impression. B-

Astronaut Jones VI - Good to see they gave us the Astronaut Jones/Demi Lovato sketch we've been clamoring for. I liked the NASA/Martian fake out but if only Tracy hadn't stumbled over his last line. Hopefully, they can put the dress version of this up online soon. B+

Now, to deliver my first ranking of this season…

1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato
2. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd
3. Miley Cyrus

Well, that certainly kicked season 41 into high gear. I can’t believe they are seriously going to follow that up with candidate Donald Trump next month. I actually signed the petition circulating to get him kicked off the show, so that should show you where my head is at. Anyway, see you then!

Monday, October 12, 2015

Amy Schumer/The Weeknd (10.10.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. While this was an unexpectedly divisive and uneven show, I thought Schumer held her own as a host. She should’ve taken a page out of Miley’s notebook and gave the rest of the cast more opportunities to shine. While this episode wasn’t quite as enjoyable as last week, it had pretty much the same hit to miss ratio of sketches. At this point, I feel like it’s still a little too early to definitively say which of the two shows that have aired so far this season is better than the other. You’ll see what I mean soon enough.


FOX And Friends VIII - As much as they have run Fox & Friends into the ground in the past four years, this did seem like an appropriate time to bring it back. As usual, Bobby had the best lines with Pete coming in a close second. Kate seemed to have the hackiest lines but god bless her she did her damndest to sell them and she seemed to be channeling Phil Silvers and an SCTV Era Rick Moranis (see "The Lary Siegel Show"). B+

Monologue - While I'm not particularly a big fan of Schumers' comedy, I did enjoy the monologue. I liked the Kardashian/lava lamp/antibiotics bits. Good to see more stand up on SNL these days. B+

Delta - This sketch was fun at first and felt like on of SNLs' more creative and less completely predictable sketches in a long time. I particularly like Kenans reactions and Amy and Vanessa berating Taran. While this may have dragged just a hair in some spots, I also really appreciated how this sketch wasn't too one note and how they knew exactly where to end it. C+

Hot For Teacher 8 – This felt like something that could've been better if it were shortened and filmed instead of done live. I did like Aidy's lines an Amys various interactions with Vanessa. I also couldn't help but wonder who else I would've liked to have seen in Schumer role. C-

Guns - This commercial was some of the most subtle yet incredibly pointed social satire SNL has done in recent memory. Everyone's ridiculous uses of guns were funny. B+

Update was a lot of fun tonight. Che had a lot better jokes than Jost but good to Jost is still hitting his stride. Plus, the whole gun control debate was funny. I honestly think Jay's new character feels more like something Kyle would do than Kenan. In fact is looked to me like a cross between all of Kyle characters, Urkel, Nick Nolte and Boomhauer from King of the Hill. Still, it was something I did quite know what to make of. I liked seeing Kates foreign apartment lady again. It wasn't as good as her first appearance but I did really appreciate the Boulder shout out (being a CU alum and all). The only thing I could've done without was "The Weeknd Update." B+

Fords’ Theatre - This Lincoln Reenactment sketch was the first thing I couldn't get into all night. Schumer played it far too broad but I did like what Kyle bought to the sketch. D+

Selfie Stick - This sketch had potential but didn't seem to go anywhere with it. I did like Schumers' part, though. C-

City Council - This was pretty funny although it seemed odd for this to be Cecily and Leslie's first appearances all night. Kyle seemed to be channeling Ali G and about half of Fred Armisens characters. Amy seemed to just be playing the same character from the Toddlers and Tiaras parody she did on her own sketch show. Kenan character reminded me a lot of the Delicious Dish sketch from when Dana Carey hosted in 2000. Pete was funny and he reminded me of Farley and Sandlers' performances in that Nightline/Clinton sketch from when Nick Cage hosted in 1992. B-

Baby Shower – This was the only real dud of the night. It felt way too long and way too hammy on Amy and Cecilys' parts. D-


Well, that show was more or less a watered down version of what I was expecting. Next week, Tracy Morgan returns to his old stomping grounds to show the world he is well enough to try and make us laugh again. I have no idea what to expect from this show (how serious will it be, how often will Tracy participate in sketches, will they want/need to bring someone in the Fey/Poehler/Baldwin family of cameos in as a possible backup host) but I am cautiously optimistic. See you soon!

Monday, October 5, 2015

Miley Cyrus (10.3.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. Overall, this episode was a pretty middle of the road return. It wasn't necessarily as bad as I expected but it was a lot less inconsistent than the last two season premieres. Thankfully, they scaled back somewhat on using Miley as a host and put the focus more on the cast which might have made this her strongest SNL outing yet. Anyway, let’s get right down to it.

A Message From Donald And Melania - Taran did as serviceable a Trump impression as I was expecting from him. He nailed the facial expressions and had a good handle on the voice but he could improve it over time. I'd say the biggest problem with this cold open was that it was too Cecily heavy and it didn’t quite have an ending. Still, I did like the jabs at Megyn Kelly and the “smartest guys/one strand at a time” lines. C+

Monologue – This was better than it had any right to be. I do appreciate that they took the focus off of Miley and let the cast shine. I especially thought Vanessa, Sasheer, Kate, Bobby, Kyle and Aidy were used well here. Good way to sneak in Jost, Che, and Rudnitsky as well. B+

Abilify - This ad was clever enough even if Miley felt out of place. It was a decent way for SNL to get in their jabs at the sheer volume of GOP hopefuls still inexplicably in the race but it could've been shortened. C+

Homecoming 1955 - I was hoping for some kind of Back To The Future parody upon seeing a "Homecoming 1955" banner but instead we got some I'll conceived barely thought out piece that played off Mileys post Disney/Montana image. Thankfully, this was short but it reminded me too much of those self-serving sketches Timberlake did during the height of the Hader/Samberg/Wiig era. C-

Bar Talk - The Hillary Clinton cameo was all right. She did come off like a good sport and I did like how it strayed from the formula of the typical celebrity-makes-a-cameo-and-meets-their-impersonator sketch. Plus, it showed that Kate must've worked on her Hillary over the summer to bring it closer to the real deal. Darrell's brief blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo made the whole sketch for me. Otherwise, it kinda dragged in some spots but that's not really anyones' fault. C-

Update was pretty good. They did a good job of covering people and events that were notorious over the summer. The only thing that signified any real change from last season is how Jost seemed to have better jokes than Che. I’m also quite shocked they decided to go after Bernie Sanders that hard this early in the election cycle. Kyles' bizarre pope Francis impression made me laugh despite the fact that it went absolutely nowhere. Pete and Leslie turned in strong commentaries, but Pete looked more high than Miley and comparing Trump to Sanjaya seems more like something that would be in Seth’s wheelhouse. Still, he and Leslie both turned in strong commentaries. I'm surprised they did not give Jon Rudnitsky a commentary considering his stand up background. Oh well, I'm sure he'll get one in due time but kudos to him for getting so many parts in sketches (no matter how small) on his first show. B+

The Millenials  - This was probably the worst sketch of the night. It felt too derivative of that office intern sketch from last seasons' Dakota Johnson episode. Still, I have to hand it to Kate for having the least grating character in the whole thing. The only other thing I actually liked was when Kenan and Taran said "do it" to Jons' character by the window. D+

Katz’s Deli - This was pretty lame but it was probably the hardest I've laughed at Leslie in her entire tenure on the show so far. Still, they should've ended it right before Kate's appearance and the Dutch oven bit. C-

The Squad - This was a big swing and a miss. They pretty much just put "Beygency" and "Swiftamine" in a blender and let it meander on. This was yet another piece that could've benefitted from some trimming. C-

American Voices - That late night show sketch was one of the better live sketches of the night despite the technical glitches and miscues. It felt rather odd how it bled directly into the Good Neighbor short. Did this sketch originally have an ending that was cut for time or did they mean it to go right into the Good Neighbor short? C+

Miley Wedding Tape - Speaking of which, the new Good Neighbor short was fun. I liked seeing their surreal brand of strangeness on SNL again. I didn't think they needed to make a sequel to the Miley sex tape short from her previous hosting stint but this one managed to surpass the original. I especially liked how this ended with Kyle walking in on his own funeral with an elderly Miley playing one of his beats again. B+

Well, that defied all but one major expectation. Next week, Amy Schumer hosts. While I’m not a fan of hers, she is certainly more qualified than Miley to host the show at this point. Also, while I don’t pay attention to her Comedy Central show regularly I’ll admit the some of the more viral friendly stuff I’ve seen from her this past year has been quite good and this was good timing for SNL to get her hot off of her beating them for an Emmy. Still, there’s a chance this could be a weak show so I don’t know what to expect going into the show. I view her hosting the same way I viewed Kevin Hart hosting both times he did it. See you then.

Louis C.K./Rhianna (5.16.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. This show bought the season to a close on a high note despite getting off to a choppy start. Louis CK was a very game host as expected and the writing showed signs of his positive influence. I would say this episode is the strongest contender for the best of this season. Despite a few minor flaws here and there, it was the most thoroughly enjoyable show in weeks. Anyway, let’s get to it.

Summertime For Hillary - This cold open felt pretty awkward. Kates’ Hillary could still benefit from some fine tuning. They did have something with Kate's interactions with the surfers and the kids building sandcastles. Otherwise, it could've used some serious edits. The cameo from Darrell was a welcome surprise and allowed this sketch to have a great payoff. This was a real middle of the road for this season. At times it felt like they tried to clumsily combine two separate show opens together. Still, the song provided a welcome twist on the group LFNY trope of recent seasons. C-

Monologue -This was stellar as expected. Louis bits about benign racism, his daughters fighting like Israel and Palestine and the risks he took by bringing up pedophiles were great. That was probably the biggest risk this show has taken in years. Plus, this entire set managed to be funnier and more memorable than most of his recent comedy store special. A-

The Shoemaker And The Elves - This sketch seemed like pretty cheap and derivative but Louis, Kenan and Vanessas' commitment to playing such awkward and corny roles really sold it. Plus, the left field viewer text ending was worth a chuckle. C+

Sprint Store - This sketch was brilliant. Louis and Leslie played off each other perfectly and again, it was nice to see Louis really commit to playing a character. This is a strong contender for best live segment of the show so far. A-

Wood PSA - This brief commercial was very funny. I liked how it got in, got its laughs and got right out. Beck singing and Louis with the single tear running down his face were very funny. A-

Update ended on a fairly strong note this season. The jokes really picked up after the first commentary. Speaking of which, while I think they should've gone a lot harder on Tom Brady (even though every unknown comic on Twitter beat them to the punch) I did like how they used Taran's impression of him here. He really did capture that stiff wooden vibes he and most athletes gave off when they hosted. Plus, he played off Che and Jost played expertly off of each other. Pete's Commentary was nice as well. It still wasn't up to some of his previous ones but it is nice to see that he gets to go out on. I did like his bits on Harry Potter and not knowing how he got on SNL. His Clinton/Obama bit was also great. The Riblet thing was a little gratuitous at this point in the season but I like how they kept it toned down compared to his last appearance. They did have something more with the cut jokes from dress angle. I wish they had gone more down that road. B-

Cabana - I can't believe they decided to recur Cecily's British bimbo character. Even though this was an exact carbon copy of the first one, I think Louis really added more to this than the Rock did and they really threw Sasheer a bone by giving her a small role. Plus, they kept it shorter than the last one. C+

Police Lineup – This had a weak premise but the performances by Taran, Beck and Kyle did wonders for it. This seems like it was written specifically with their acting skill sets in mind. Even Louis and his awkward stage presence worked here. My only other complaint would be that the ending with Taran felt too predictable. B-

Wood PSA II - I do like how they continued the Lumberjack as a running gag. I also like how they're giving Sassher much more to do tonight. Does this remind anyone else of the "Death By Chocolate" runner from last season? A-

Whoops! I Married A Lesbian - All I can say about the last sketch is that is that it was the only time in the show that the performances as committed as they were did more to bring down a sketch than the writing or the premise. C-

Now for my updated rankings of this season…

1. Louis C.K./Rhianna
2. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar
3. Martin Freeman/Charli XCX
4. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea
5. James Franco/Nicki Minaj
6. J.K. Simmons/D’Angelo
7. Michael Keaton/Carly Rae Jepsen
8. Reese Witherspoon/Florence + The Machine
9. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson/George Ezra
10. Scarlett Johannson/Wiz Khalifa
11. Dakota Johnson/Alabama Shakes
12. Taraji P. Henson/Mumford And Sons
13. Bill Hader/Hozier
14. Blake Shelton
15. Kevin Hart/Sia
16. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
17. Amy Adams/One Direction
18. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande
19. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5
20. Chris Rock/Prince
21. Chris Hemsworth/Zac Brown Band


Well, there you have it. This episode sure gave a lot of SNL fans hope for season 41. See you then and have a great summer!