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!
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