Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton (1.16.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. While this episode was pretty middle of the road for this season, it was unusually strong for a January episode. Adam Driver really surprised me and turned out to be a genuinely capable and funny host. He gave the show his all and never once came off like he was trying too hard. I would not mind seeing him return at all. The cast felt evenly balanced tonight with the exception of Sasheer. Anyway, here it is.

GOP Debate - Although it feels a little like overkill since they just did a GOP debate cold open in the last live episode and this one wasn't as good, but this one had its moments. Taran and Jay pretty much walked away with this sketch as Cruz and Carson. Bobby as Christie moving his podium away from Jay as Carson and being swept off the stage by Kenan as the Apollo Sandman was funny. Pete as Rubio had a great line about being the only candidate with a chin and I chuckled at Kates’ brief cameo as Lindsey Graham. Glad to see they're still using Darell as Trump even though he and Beck as Jeb didn't add too much. Cecily was just fine as a moderator but I wish Kyle was used more in that role. C-

Monologue - This seemed pretty phoned in but I did like Adam poking fun at his own military photo and Leslie confusing him for Minnie Driver. Bobbys' Star Wars geekdom was a nice touch. D+

NFL Playoff Game - This seemed to not go anywhere. It seemed like just a rewrite of that football injury sketch that got cut from Seth MacFarlanes' dress rehearsal in 2012. It reminded me a lot of Eddie Murphy Buckwheat assassination sketch from 1983 what with the same clip being shown repeatedly. Kenan had a strong performance. Adam, Cecily and Beck tried their dander to save this but could only do so much with this material. Also, Pete should've had a bigger part being the focal point of this sketch. C-

Undercover Boss - This sketch was executed perfectly. Glad they didn't go too far down the beaten path with the obligatory Star Wars sketch. Adam played off of Taran, Bobby and Leslie (who each had countless great lines, BTW) and turned in a better performance as Kyle Ren than he did in The Force Awakens, IMO. B-

Aladdin - This sketch had to be the lamest thing in the show at first. It seemed like a cheap rewrite of that Aladdin divorce sketch with Sudekis from Rosario Dawsons' 2009 episode. Still, Cecily, Beck and Leslie were the best parts of this sketch. C-

America’s Funniest Cats - This sketch was much funnier than it had any right to be. Cecil and Kate turned in their best performances on the show in quite some time and I liked them making existential grim comments on cat videos. Plus, Adam turned out to be a pretty funny host and wasn't too obnoxious in his role. B-

Update came back strong. Jost and Che had several great jokes and showed they still have chemistry. I did like the Staten Island Summer shoutout and Josts’ Bloomberg/Trump rant and Ches’ masturbation/snake jokes. Pete delivered a very funny commentary. It felt a little too soon to bring back Vanessa as Laura Parsons but thankfully she had much better material to work with. I especially liked her cocaine line. B+

Social Puppeteering - This sketch was funny for the sheer bizarreness of the writing. It reminded me a lot of the Japanese Messy Boy sketch from J.K. Simmons' episode last year. B+

Bowie Tribute - I have to say that was the most I've genuinely enjoyed a Fred Armisen cameo in a long time. While I feel he got a gratuitous amount of applause his Bowie tribute was touching. I am glad they showed even a small portion of his "Man Who Sold The World" performance.

Golden Globes - This short worked well. They did know exactly how to counteract the heart and emotional center of the Kyle and Kate scenes with the rampant debauchery of the Adam and Vanessa scenes. Leiv Schreiber cameo was worth a few chuckles although his part could'be been edited down some. B-

The Doctor Is In…My Butt 4 - I never thought the premise behind "Hot For Teacher 4" was something that could've (or should've) been made recurring but I did like this one much better due to Becks' cheesy acting. Also, it feels a little strange that this would be Aidys' first appearance in the entire show. C-

Now, for my update rankings of the entire season so far…

1. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

2. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith

3. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

4. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges

5. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper

6. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton

7. Donald Trump/Sia

8. Miley Cyrus

9. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

10. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

Well, SNL certainly came back strong from Christmas break. Next week, Ronda Rousey makes her hosting debut. Rousey seems like she could be a fun host and someone I was expecting to see on the show, but it feels a little soon for her (aside from Entourage none of the movies shes’ reportedly involved in have even come out yet) and I haven’t seen any of her non UFC related appearances to gague her comedic talents. Still, I’m sure they could call on musical guest Selena Gomez to make a sketch cameo when needed. I’d be surprised if they DIDN’T do that, really. This is a show that could go either way, but I’m cautiously optimistic. See you then.