Matthew McConaughey/Adele (11.21.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. This episode was consistently underwhelming. I mean, I had some pretty low expectations going in and while there were still some bright spots these shows had a pretty middle of the road feel to it. While it wasn’t outright bad, it was still pretty average for this season. The cast seemed just a little unbalanced in that Pete was barely in the show and Rudnitsky is still being used only in minor roles. I will say Adele turned in two solid performances as I can’t really think of anything else (good OR bad) to say about this episode right now. Anyway, here it is.

FOX And Friends VIII - They really need to space these out more if they're doing them multiple times a season like this. Nice to see they worked in Kates' Debbie Wasserman Schultz but she really seemed to be phoning it in. The only things that stood out here were Bobby "Happy birthday, Jesus" line and Jay's Ben Carson. It was still nice to see Leslie being used to break the format here. C-

Monologue - It was also nice to see a real monologue on SNL but while McConaughey's “Dazed And Confused” story wasn't totally uninteresting, it bordered on near Trump levels of self-indulgence. C+

Hello (Thanksgiving Miracle Edition) - This had a satisfying payoff what with the wigs and coats and nails and leaves in the end and all. I wish they had played up the family argumenta more, but that's an overdone trope on SNL as it is. B-

Blues Shack - This sketch was a little weak (especially the ending) but at least it was a little more than a band introduction sketch. C-

3D Printed Man - This sketch was the first truly funny thing of the night. McConaughey's robotic speech and movements made me chuckle as the sketch went on. B+

Star Wars Force Awakens Screen Tests - This seemed like a cheap excuse for some cameos but at least the Stone/Hamm/Boyega appearances were funny and Buble/Abrams/Ridley were good sports. As far as impressions went, Becks' Javier Bardem made me laugh as did Jays Shaq/Tucker. Bobbys' George Lucas was worth a chuckle and Rudnitskys' John Mayer was serviceable. Bobbys' Devito was a noble effort but at the same time it felt like a wasted opportunity. Leslie was a great addition to the Star Wars sketch and her cameo made for a great ending. Still, this can't really hold a candle to the classic '97 predecessor. B-

Update was probably the weakest it has been this season but that'should not Jose and Ches' fault as much it was the the commentators. Colin and Micheal played well off each other as they have been all season so far. The immigration debate started off slow but they really bought it home. The "telling jokes the other one wrote" bit was the highlight of Update. I really appreciate that they took Vanessas' child actress character into a new setting but it still was too much. I did like her HIV/Oh boy line. Kenans' David Ortiz also should not have come back either. I did like the ships/go outside lines. C+

Should I Chime In On This? - This was a solid premise on paper that could have been executed better. It had serious pacing issues and it didn't help that the audience was quiet for the first part but God bless Kenan and Mateo for trying. C+

Right Side Of The Bed III - This was only worth watching for Kates' Ed Sheeran and Taran and Cecily's horrified reactions to McConaughey's bizarre character. I don't mind so much that they bring this back since they keep changing little things about it. C+

Amtrak - This sketch took a while to get going and McConaughty r eally seemed miscast in it but I did chuckle at fake hand/bitten by a bat/nice rack lines as well as Tarans' reactions. Overall, the whole thing gave me major flashbacks to that "You Think You're Better Than Me" game show sketch from the 1994/95 finale w/David Duchovny. C-

Now, for my updated rankings for this season…

1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

2. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure

3. Donald Trump/Sia

4. Miley Cyrus

5. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

6. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

Well, that was that. Now, we can all go back home to our families. Afterwards, Ryan Gosling and Leon Bridges will be on the show in two weeks’ time. While Gosling is certainly another big name for SNL right now and seems to be a decent actor, I really don’t know what to expect from him in terms of hosting as the only thing even resembling comedy he has done might be “Crazy Stupid Love” and even for a movie where his costars were Steve Carrell and Emma Stone (both friends of the show) that seems like a bit of a stretch. I don’t know much about Leon Bridges either, but I’ve heard good things and am cautiously optimistic based simply on the fact that the name “Leon Bridges” makes him sound like he could’ve been a musical guest in an episode hosted by Buck Henry in season one. See you then! Happy Thanksgiving!

Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure (11.14.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. This episode was a fine palette cleanser from Trump hosting in addition to other, more important world events lately. Elizabeth Banks proved to be a fine host who meshed well with the cast and the writers knew exactly when and where to user her. Her previous experience in comedies such as “Zack And Miri Make A Porno” and “Role Models” served her well here. The cast was still just as balanced as ever with the exception of Jon Rudnitsky still getting nothing but several small bit roles. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

Paris - This cold open was fitting and very tasteful. Cecily spoke beautifully.

Monologue - This was nothing to write home about. Having the host direct didn't do much to salvage another musical number but it really picked up with the star wipes and green screen treadmill. I also loved the line "more diverse dancers" and Bobby's appearance. C+

Aron's List – Pete, Bobby and Beck were pretty funny in this. It was pretty clever for what it was. Otherwise, it felt like humor SNL has done before. C+

Black Jeopardy II - I never expected them to make this recurring but this was much better than the LCK 2014 installment. Elizabeth's character really added something to this and Kenan, Jay and Sasheer were very funny in it. I especially liked the ending as well as “long ass wire” being included as a prize. C+

First Got Horny 2 U - This video was much funnier than I expected it to be. Aidy and Vanessa were great in it and Taran's brief walk on made the whole thing for me. I think shooting it in the style of a late '90s boy band video really dovetailed well with the premise. B-

High School Theater III - I'm surprised they made three high school theater productions but this was the best one. Kenan, Vanessa, Aidy and Leslie had great lines and Elizabeth was a fine addition. B-

Update was really solid tonight. Virtually all of Jost and Che's jokes landed. The Yale protest commentary really stood out even though the gun control commentary was better. Pete's commentary was great and I loved seeing Che react to Bruce Chandling as he reveals a more unsavory backstory. It feels a little soon for Kate to bring back her Russian character (possibly because it'd so similar to her CBB character) but she really sold it this time even if some of her jokes felt a little telegraphed. B+

Young Ben Carson – This was brilliant. Jay pretty much nailed the impression and the rest of the cast played well off of him. Leslie as Mrs. Carson and Kenan as Black Jesus were great additions. This pretty much proves that anyone but Kenan should be impersonating Carson. I also have to wonder if this was going to be the cold open before they heard about what happened in Paris. B-

The Bureau - This sketch was pretty well written and really deviated from how one note and repetitive of a premise I was expecting from a walk on sketch. Bobby, Jay and Elizabeth were great. I wonder if whoever wrote the New Boyfriend talk show sketch from Jane Lynch’s’ show is still on staff because they could've written this. The only thing that this sketch didn’t have going for it was the glaring technical miscues. B+

Uber For Jen - This Mike O'Brien short felt like a real long walk with a few missed opportunities but the payoff was ultimately satisfying. B-

So Ghetto  - This sketch seemed like the closest thing to an Anderlette sketch have all night but for all we know it could've been a Sublette/Che or Sublette/Tucker collaboration. It did feel like a much superior version of that intern sketch from Dakota Johnsons' episode. Elizabeth Banks and Jay Pharaoh pretty much made the whole thing for me (although it does remind me quite a bit of the Dave Chappelle's projects/ghetto bit from "Killing Them Softly"). C+

Now, for my updated rankings of this season…

1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

2. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure

3. Donald Trump/Sia

4. Miley Cyrus

5. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

Well, that episode was certainly refreshing. Next week, Matthew McConaughey returns to host. They sure got a big name for the Thanksgiving show and his 2003 episode wasn’t terrible in spite of him but now feels like sort of an awkward time to be hosting. Then again, 2003 would’ve also been an awkward time for him to host as well. This show could go either way, really but let’s hope the writing continues on it upswing. See you then!

Donald Trump/Sia (11.7.2015)

Okay, here’s my review. Like most of you, I had my reservations about this episode but fortunately (and even watching with extreme caution as I did) this episode defied most of them. Donald Trump performed exactly as I expected him to based on his 2004 appearance and barely played any roles that were different from Donald Trump. Thankfully, he let them refrain from making the show a 90 minute campaign spot and didn’t even try to make him appear likable or fun enough to be elected president. I think it’s safe to say at this point that SNL certainly didn’t do much to change peoples’ minds about Donald Trump (certainly not mine or yours if you happen to be reading this) but we may have to see how that plays out over the coming weeks as far as media coverage goes. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

MSNBC First In The South Democratic Candidates Forum - That cold open was pretty weak compared to the bulk of the previous shows debate sketch, but it was a decent way to ease us into what was to come. I did like Cecily’s “debate no one watches” line and the tight cuts to Kenan, Jay and Leslie. I also liked seeing Kates' Hillary again but the material felt a little down the beaten path for SNL. Thank God for Larry David. As expected, he was the only truly worthwhile part of this sketch. B-

Monologue – This was exactly as self-serving as expected (including Taran's walk on and Darrell's cameo) but Aidy, and again, Larry were the true highlights. C+

White House 2018 – This sketch was utterly pointless. It felt exactly like something Trump himself would've had a large hand in writing. I didn’t really see the point of having Trumps’ daughter cameo either. The big reveal I kept waiting for was pretty weak and just let this sketch end with a dull thump. D-

Bad Girls - This music video felt like a retread of the Brave sketch from Dakota Johnsons episode and the other female centric music videos from the past two years but it sure stood out in THIS episode. Kate, Aidy, Leslie sure stood out in a piece that would've died in any other episode. C+

Live Tweeting - This sketch actually turned out pretty funny and sure picked up when Kenan, Vanessa and Leslie entered the scene. The bare premise of the restaurant scene within the sketch felt exactly like a sketch MAD TV did 11 years ago, but I’m sure I’m just splitting hairs at this point. It was decent way for Trump to poke fun at his own boorish loudmouth image but it made me a little worried that this was the hardest they would be able to go after Trump. B-

Hotline Bing – Speaking of other things MAD TV would’ve been doing years ago, Hotline Bing jokes feel pretty dated after just two weeks but as much of a very, very very watered down Bart Baker/Key Of Awesome production this looked like it was a noble effort from the SNL cast. Martin Shorts' cameo as Ed Grimley made my entire night but Trumps appearance made me cringe. Thankfully, his cameo was all too brief near the end. B-

Update was a highlight. Thankfully Jose and Che were on point even if it took them a minute to get into their groove and had some pretty good material. Leslie's commentary wasn't great but her come-ons to Jost were funnier than usual. Also, I usually don't care that much for Drunk Uncle but his appearance in this episode was definitely clever and well placed. That had to be my favorite Drunk Uncle commentary ever. B+

Laser Harp - This sketch was quite odd. I chuckled at the first laser harp appearance as well as Becks manic bass playing but overall it felt like Anderlette tried to write a too subtle criticism of Trumps campaign that didn't quite land (at least I can HOPE that's what they were going for). C-

Mr. Crocker – This sketch was funny at first just for the sheer strangeness of it all. I chuckled at Becks autotuned singing, outbursts and hastily explaining his bad deal with a record guy but Trumps appearance almost ruined it for me. B-

Toots - Why was Kenan necessary to introduce Sias' second performance with Trump? F

Donald Tramp 2016 - I was wondering if there was a point to having the two former porn stars come back but it was a bit of a long walk to a somewhat satisfying ending. I did like Bobby's delightful strange conceptual character but I don't know what it says about SNL right now that he apparently has the best Trump impression in the cast. I also liked the lines about not having visited the White House since the '90s and Donalds' line at the end may be the only thing he did tonight that I can admit I was a fan of. I'll bet this was the one sketch they would've wanted him to cameo in had he not agreed to host. Also, I'm a bit surprised he agreed to do this given his comments about not alienating Iowa voters but I guess he figured it would be so late in the show that they would be asleep by now. B-

…and now for my updated season rankings.

1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

2. Donald Trump/Sia

3. Miley Cyrus

4. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

Next week, Elizabeth Banks hosts for the first time. I would say this seems long overdue considering she has been in her share of Appatow comedies over the years but if it took the Hunger Games to get her on so be it. Hopefully, the writing doesn’t sink her but with the way this season has been going so far I wouldn’t be too worried.