Okay, here's my review. This episode was consistently better than last week's show even as it was running out of steam toward the end. Gal Gadot proved to be a more versatile and capable host than we imagined. The writers seemed to be able to play to her strengths well and know just when and how to use her. I don't know if I'd like to see her host again as she didn't leave that strong of an impression on me but she certainly delivered in her debut outing. Leslie and Kenan seemed to be tonight's stand out performers among a fairly balanced cast (aside from Kate who for some reason decided to make the most out of her time in the second half of the show). Good to see Luke Null finally make some onscreen appearances and Heidi start to break out on her own. Chris Redd didn't make as many appearances as lady week but he is still proving he can make the absolute most of whatever screen time he is given. Anyway, let's break it down.
Jason Aldean Won't Back Down - Given the events of this past week, I suppose this type of cold open was to be expected. I suppose with the Tom Petty cover all their bases are covered. Jason Aldean sure is a trooper for making it all the way out to New York after being in Vegas the night of the tradgedy. It is kinda sad that THAT'S what it took to get him on SNL for his first time. It was a lot more upbeat and enjoyable than their previous somber post-tradgedy openings. While something about it felt slightly off tonally, I very much appreciate the sentiment.
Monologue - Right out of the gate, this was far more entertaining than Gosling droning on about jazz last week. The subtitled Israeli speech was funny and Gal had great chemistry with Leslie (kudos to her for not totally playing herself in a monologue for the first time). B-
E! Fall Line Up - This was much better than it really had any right to be. Gal was funny in the Kendall/Gigi/Bella segments. She was cast surprisingly well and had great chemistry with Kate. Kudos to Luke for finally making his on screen debut with a solid Blake Shelton. He played pretty well off Kate. Chris managed to get laughs with no lines doing a very specific Kanye impression. B-
My Dinner With OJ - Kenans' wig gave away the premise of this sketch pretty quick but the sketch was still welcome written nonetheless. Chris and Cecily had decent walk ons and they knew exactly when to end this. Unfortunately, not a lot else stood out here. C+
The Chosen One - As soon as I saw Pete, I had a strong feeling he'd be playing the same slack jawed, dimwitted pool boy/college student from last years' JLD and Cumberbatch episodes but shoved into a Hogwarts/Narnia type fantasy setting. I don't remember a time I was as disappointed to have guessed something so accurately so soon. Sadly, his giggling at "coming/cumming" and Cecily offering him her virginity were the only things that stood out. This episode got of to a more promising start than last week but this filmed piece kind of killed some of the momentum built up by this point. Also, Gal Gadot would've fit in perfectly here but she was strangely absent. I have to wonder if this got cut from dress rehearsal last week. D+
Mirage - This sketch got off to a rather slow start but picked up steam thanks to Mikey, Kyle and Leslies' commitment. So far, this is the only sketch Gal Gadot was in where her accent was a distraction. B-
Safelite - was another piece where I could tell where it was heading right away buy thankfully they heightened it and threw in the odd twist and turn here and there. Still, this was an oddly specific choice for an ad parody but it worked nonetheless. C+
Update was pretty strong tonight. The Las Vegas rant started out strong with Josts' remarks but Che took it and ran away with it. It wasn't quite up there with their previous gun rant from Amy Schumers' episode two years ago but it felt needed and was appropriate. I had a feeling that Kate might reprise her RBG again tonight. It was nice to see her make her first live appearance of the night but nothing stood out here. Ches' birth control rant felt too strange coming from him but Josts' LG mosquitoes and sex robot jokes were nice palate cleansers. It was great of Pete to address his recent mental health issues in the way he did. It was the flat out funniest thing he's done on the show in at least a year. B-
The Maiden And The Mice - This sketch was a weak premise but they added just enough to it to make it somewhat worthwhile. Kate, Aidy and Kyle had the best lines. The ending with Beck as the prince was a little predictable but it broke up some of the monotony of the sketch well. C+
Webcam Espionage - This sketch really only worked due to the fairly benign silliness of Aidy and Cecily's characters (given the setting and subject matter) and the fact that this was the only sketch where Gal's accent really made sense. The ending was pretty predictable though but Alex was a good foil. Even though Mikey Day wasn't in this, I have a feeling he may have written it. This sketch seemed almost identical to the cotton candy dance party sketch from Chris Pines' episode in May which he WAS in and was just as silly and flashy as some of his other stuff (especially Space Pants now that I think abut it). Therefore I assume he did write it or whoever else did if not him. Is it just me or was Cecily playing a variation of Cathy Anne here? Seriously, this seemed like it could've been a prequel. C-
Themsycira - This sketch was pretty inconsistent. It was well written in that Kate and Aidys' characters seemed pretty well written and developed. At the same time, it was pretty repetitive and took a while to go anywhere. Also, the technical screw ups didn't seem to help much. I did like Melissa and Heidis' brief cameos though. I have a few other stray observations I'd like to share. First of all, way to go Kate! Second, does anyone else think Kate and Aidys' characters were loosely based on or parodies of real life lesson comedian couple Rhea Butcher and Cameron Esposito? Third, how come they were allowed to say "tits" in the live coast to coast broadcast but it had to be beeped out in the repeat roughly an hour later? C+
The Naomi Show - This sketch was even more inconsistent. Gal Gadot stood out like a sore thumb in her role as a daytime talk show host. Kudos to Heidi for debuting her first character although I hope this one stays a one-off because there didn't seem to be much there to build on. Really, this only started to work once her and Kenans' characters gradually became more unraveled. C-
Now, for my first rankings of the new season...
1. Gal Gadot/Sam Smith
2. Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z
Well, that just gave me some more hope for the rest of this season. Next week, Kumail Nanjiani makes his well earned hosting debut. While I'm looking forward to this one for obvious reasons, I also think it has the potential to make or break the entire rest of this season. See you then!
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