Okay, here's my review. This isn't saying much, but this was the seasons' strongest episode by default thus far. Kumail did a fine job as host even if his monolog was where he made his best impression. At the very least, you could tell that his presence really seemed to boost morale in the writers room and during rehearsals compared to the previous two weeks. Still, there was a similar quality in terms of sketches as the previous two weeks. There wasn't as much of a steep or sharp drop in quality from last week, but it was visible if you look closely enough. The quality of this show fluctuated more than it just flat out dropped off. They took more chances with the writing, it seems. There were more original premises this week rather than recurring ones. Of course, not everything paid off that we'll but this is as good a time as ever for SNL to shake it up a bit and try out SOME new things. Anyway, let's break it down because this is a show that really needs it.
Trump Trucker Rally - This was largely forgettable aside from the lines about "blood pools" and planting McNuggets in Michelle Obamas' garden. The Pence calls were the best thing this cold open had going for it (and that should be a point against them writing it the way they did). Also, it's a little disappointing that they'd only mention the Eminem Cypher for the sake of a throwaway joke about HGTV rather than bring out Taran or somebody to play Marshall. I do hope they are planning to space out these Baldwin/Trump openings a bit more in the future. C+
Monologue - This was thoroughly enjoyable. I liked his "Beta Male" special and "The Meltdown" which he co-hosted with Jonah Ray so yeah, I consider myself a fan of his standup. All the bits about racism were very funny and I appreciate him giving viewers more insight into his family background. It was more than I was expecting and I loved it. My only complaint about Kumails' monologue is that it wasn't nearly long enough. In fact, it was one of the only segments tonight that gone one shorter than it should've rather than slightly longer or waa at just the right length. B+
Bank Breakers - This was one of the strongest live sketches this season. I liked how intricately it was written. It wasn't a one joke sketch by any means. It built up to several distinctly different punchlines. Even Pete made the most out of his appearance. B+
Kellywise Conway - I liked this short much more than I thought I would but overall, I found it to be wildly inconsistent. Although it felt like they've given us our fill of shorts and sketches where Kellyanne Conway is the main focus in the past year (hell, this might have actually been their fourth one) Some jokes didn't land and honestly felt like some attempts at right wing comedy could've been snuck in there at some points. It did have it's moments, but it might be better appreciated by those who have actually seen either version of IT at some point in their lives. Also, this did seem like a typical Kelly & Schneider piece but knowing their gone this year and that this was written by someone with vaguely similar sensibilities makes me think that this show may be in better hands than we think. B-
Office Halloween Party - This sketch worked even though it didn't build to anything or escalate anywhere and your could see where it was going easily. Aidy seemed to have the best lines, though. C-
Debette Goldry Film Panel IV - While I thought this sketch may have been the funniest one yet, it was a rather awkward way to address the Weinstein scandal. They were criticized enough after it came out that they cut some Weinstein jokes from last weeks' show. Those same critics may just flat out accuse them of trivializing sexual assault from this. This HAD to be cut from last weeks' dress rehearsal, right? Maybe Gal Gado was in this as herself and Leslie was thrown in as a quick replacement? Maybe Melissa could've been used in her place here? B-
Update may have been the single most inconsistent portion of this show. Kudos on Che and Jost for getting around to an opening Weinstein rant tonight. I liked what they had to say even though some of their jokes felt like they'be already been done by now. Still, it was the bare minimum required to counteract the awkwardness of using the Debette Goldry sketch to address this. Their Trump, Ditka and Kim Jong Un material was much stronger. Cecilys' Ivana Trump commentary was much too long and just felt wholly unnecessary. At times, it felt more like she was trying to impersonate Maya Rudolphs' Donatella Versace than Ivana Trump. I would've much preferred either a solo Melania commentary or if Lorne actually got Maya to come back and play this role. C-
Hotel Check In - This sketch was disappointing. At first, it looked like it was going to be another well written sketch in the vein of "Bank Breakers" or the hotel sketch from Louis CKs' first episode but after Leslie and Chris' appearances it became obvious that this sketch was going to get real repetitive real fast. Speaking of which, this seemed like a waste of Chris Redd. Chris has already shown us he has a wide range of comedic acting chops in the small amount of screen time he's been slotted but this seemed like even he had too little material to work with. D+
Nursing Home - This sketch was written in a similar vein but it worked much better. It was also largely based on one single joke but it built up on that joke much in the same way that "Bank Breakers" did. Plus, that one joke was a pretty outrageous one to get that mileage out of. Plus, this sketch gave us a better debut for Heidi. She was a straightwoman here but at least she demonstrated she has good all around acting chops much like Cecily. B-
Customer Service - This sketch was a nice, low-key obviously Julio Torres penned piece to end a show like this one. This did well to satisfy my craving for a Melania piece from Cecily after seeing her Ivana. The ending was a little unambituous but it was sweet. Kumail waa a good sport to do this as well. C+
Now, for my updated rankings of this season...
1. Kumail Nanjiani/Pink
2. Gal Gadot/Sam Smith
3. Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z
Well, that show certainly met my expectation (literally in that I only had one). Next month, Larry David makes his second appearance as host. I'm sure this will be a strong show but it may not measure up to his first one seeing as the writing staff is quite substantially different this time around. Miley Cyrus may only be the musical guest this time around but I have a feeling she won't be able to resist appearing in the odd sketch or two here or there. Hell, I'm surprised they didn't just go full hog and make her a double duty host again but this is certainly a preferable alternative! See you then!
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