Okay, here’s my review. Russell Crowe delivered exactly what
was expected of him as a host. It was more the writers who went above our expectations
in the way they used him. This episode reminded me a lot of Lady Gagas’ hosting
stint in 2013 in that the both episodes had the writers apparently realizing
they needed to use the host sparingly or just as little their lack of acting or
comedy chops dictated they should be placed within the show. However, this
episode was far more forgettable. The only other thing I can say about it is
that Margo Price quietly proved herself to be one of this seasons stronger musical
guests.
A Message From Hillary Clinton - That cold open was pretty
forgettable. I still like Kate as Hillary but aside from the subway/turnstile
bit and the Bernie/Cruz/Sarandon jabs, she wasn't given great material. C+
Monologue – This was much better than I was expecting but
that's not saying much. I did appreciate seeing Crowe make fun of himself and
the way he delivered his lines was worth a chuckle. Still, it's hard to gage
how he will be as host. C+
Preparation H - This commercial was pretty juvenile but it
was Tailor-made for a performer like Beck Bennet. He played well off of Taran
and really made this more amusing than it had any right to be. C+
Politics Nation V – This should've stayed in mothballs. It's
nice to see Sasheer in something more than a "pretty girl" role but
she was still wasted here. This was an odd place to have the real Sharpton make
a cameo (and he is looking a little TOO thin to be honest). His appearance
really just showed how tired "impressionist-meets-their-subject"
sketches have become on SNL. I did like the Bill Clinton/Bernie/Cruz/Trump jabs
but I didn't like how they sandwiched them between some fumbled fourth wall
breaking. Other than that, the best thing I can say about this sketch is that
it showed what a competent impressionist Kenan can be if he really tries. C+
Henry VIII - This sketch had a role Crowe was well suited
for but beyond that, it was the most one not sketch in recent memory. Kenan had
a couple of good lines here, but that's it. D+
Matchmakers - This was
a rather uneven sketch. Crowes' accent was nothing to write home about and
Cecilys voice work was just odd. Crowes' vaginal talk was funny at first but
got old pretty quick. Pete and Kenan really had the best material here. As
cheap as it would'be been for them to just carbon copy the dating game show
from Woody Harrelsons' episode last season, I would've actually rather seen
that instead of this. C-
Update was enjoyable, but pretty uneven. Jose and Che had
good election/subway material but a lot of their other jokes were pretty
lackluster. Kates' Deenie commentary was just a pale imitation of the original
from the Fey/Poehler Christmas show. Bruce Chandling made a welcome return and
while I did get a kick out of seeing Che Crack up at him, it kind of ruined
Kyle moment building. B-
100 Days In The Jungle - This was another uneven sketch.
Crowe had awkward timing but he did well in a role that I imagined could have
been filled by any male host and every joke felt really telegraphed. Pete and
Leslie really had the best material here. C+
Pogie Pepperoni - This Good Neighbor short was the strongest
thing of the night. Beck and Kyles' gleeful dorkiness was great and they really
played well off of Pete and Leslie here. The extremely fake cheesy confetti mannequin
headsplosion effects followed by the reveal that they were only working there
for fifteen minutes was also really funny.
Shanice Goodwin: Ninja– This sketch was fun. While it went
on longer than it should've been it was very funny. While it felt like a true
ensemble sketch, Leslie stood out with her ability to get so many laughs with
so few lines. Kenan break was covered up nicely and this was the only role that
Crowe fit into seamlessly.
Oprah Winfrey: A Life Of Love - The Mike O'Brien Oprah
biopic was not as great as his fake Jay-Z biopic but this had its moments such
as the car/magazine segments and the celeb interviews. Of course the Sudekis
cameo made the whole thing.
Now, for my updated rankings of this season…
1. Larry David/The 1975
2. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato
3. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith
4. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E
Street Band
5. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges
6. Ariana Grande
7. Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani
8. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West
9. Jonah Hill/Future
10. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper
11. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton
12. Donald Drumpf/Sia
13. Miley Cyrus
14. Matthew McConaughey/Adele
15. Russell Crowe/Margo Price
16. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd
17. Ronda Rousey/Selena Gomez
Next week, Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns for her third time
hosting. She should be a welcome change of pace and bring some much needed
energy to Studio 8H just as she did when she hosted nearly ten years ago. See
you then.
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