Okay, here's my review. This show was a slight step up from last week, overall. It was more consistent in terms of sketch quality and relied less on recurring sketches and premises. Awkwafina delivered exactly what I expected her to as a host, but I'm not expecting her to be joining the five timers club anytime soon. Still, she didn't seem to be in every sketch and was exactly as (barely) visual as Adam Driver was last week. If this trend continues into November, I would find that troubling. Still, at least this show didn't rely as much on outside help to make the headlines this week (which, while good, makes the lack of a host presence THIS week somewhat more troubling).
CNN Kavanaugh Post Game Locker Room Coverage - This cold open wasn't what I was expecting but I liked it just fine. At least it's a different approach (even though it gave me flashbacks to Kate's performance as Hillary during the Lin-Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots cold open). Speaking of Kate, while her Lindsey Graham impression continues to underwhelm (I would've rather have seen her play Susan Collins but Cecily did okay in that role) at least she had better written material than last week. Everybody had decent lines here and Heidi was a pretty solid straight woman anchor here. Beck as Mitch McConnell was the true highlight here. I did like how they kicked in with the Schumer interview portion right when I was starting to tire of the rowdy locker room premise (and was also wondering how Pete & Cecily fit into the roles they were given instead of Mikey, Melissa & Alex). Also, Kenan as Don Lemon was fine but left a little to be desired to what we were able to see of Jay Pharrohs' impression of him. I wonder why they didn't just have Chris Redd play Lemon? Still, this is encouraging after last week it's a sign they're capable of moving away from stunt casting and celebrity cameos (both unexpected and completely expected) in political opens. C+
Monologue - I wasn't expecting a straight, solo monologue from Awkwafina either, but it was very nice to see considering she just became famous so recently. To my knowledge she's more known as a comedic rapper turned actress and doesn't do standup regularly. I was half expecting her to bust out into a rap number stomping all around the studio here but what we ended up getting here actually made me glad that didn't happen. This should've been a good way for her to let the audience know how she is (especially if they barely know who she is). The "water bottle" joke at the beginning seemed a little too forced but the Lucy Liu story was very endearing and I liked her imitating her own fathers' Trump-like accent. Hell, at this point she'd be more fun to watch playing Trump on the show than Baldwin (and considering the fact that we're two shows into a new season and he has yet to show up even once to play him shows either incredible restraint on the show's part or extreme burnout on Baldwin's part). B-
Dance Battle - I guess since Awkwafina didn't end up filming a big flashy music video with the female cast (which I guess is something they really did leave behind when Sasheer & Vanessa left the show) this could've been the most she was in her own comfort zone the entire night. Still, this was actually very funny for what it was. I did like how they bucked expectations by having the Mikey/Ego/Kate/Redd team actually be intimidated by the opposing team's use of game show music instead of just confused or put off by it. Plus, if Travis Scott had to make an actual sketch appearance tonight this would've been the most appropriate one for him to be in. He actually helped provide this sketch with a real conclusion too somehow. The only thing that really bugged me was that while Kate actually can dance she felt a little out of place in this sketch. Maybe Pete or Heidi would've fit better there. Also, I do feel a little bit bad for Ego considering this was her only appearance of the night. I know it's only her second show, but still she, like all new featured players really only has until Christmas to prove herself. B-
Cricket Emergency Alerts - Even though the premise of this felt like I've seen it done to death on my social media feeds (Trump using the EAS system to deliver the exact same trivial and stupid messages he's been using Twitter for the past several years) this was still fun to see play out. Kate suddenly dropping her phone in the nearest available hot dog water was a sight gag that genuinely made me laugh and the twist of this being a Cricket ad was clever. B-
Hidden Tales Of Egypt - This was the weakest sketch of the night, but at least it was short. It got right to the point and got out. Cecily was the most likable player in this because even when she switched from playing it completely straight to playing like everyone else was playing it she did the least overacting. D+
Ted Cruz For Senate - Beck Bennett did a fine job picking up where Taran Killam left off in the impersonations department. His Cruz isn't quite there yet but there were plenty of other visual gags around him to cover it up. Seeing Ted Cruz physically damage and break every piece of equipment he touches effortlessly was hilarious and I especially liked him breaking his nose while dabbing. I almost wish they would've explored this a bit further. B+
Update was much more consistent than last week in terms of how many strong jokes there were. Somehow, I had a feeling we would see Eric & Don Jr drop by tonight but I liked how much they noticeably changed up the formula to these bits. Even the part where Mikey brings out the obligatory toy to distract Alex seemed much different. I also appreciate how much more smug, cocky and undeservedly confident Alex has made Eric and how his dialogue occurs much more naturally. While I'm not sure I like the idea of Pete appearing on Update two consecutive weeks in a row, I did like his humorously self-effacing commentary on Kanye's off-air rant from this week much more than his commentary on his & Arianas' relationship from last week. I especially liked him making fun of his own sense of style doubling down on the Chevy Chase dissing & showcasing his own reaction to Kanye as it happened last week (and at least now they can say part of Kanye's rant did make it to air, audible boos & all). B+
So You're Willing To Date A Magician - This felt like the longest sketch of the night simply because there were so many different & distinct characters that each demanded our attention. Kenan & Kyle were the real standouts. Alex & Heidi just came across like they were trying too hard (a rare miss for either of them, this really feels like a first). Meanwhile, Pete came across like he wasn't trying hard enough. His whole presence really took me out of this whole sketch because I really couldn't tell why the camera was supposed to be on and off of him when it was. Awkwafina & Leslie were good foils to all of this & Leslie fit surprisingly well into the game show host mold. C-
Baby Shower - From what they showed of the set during the commercial break, I thought we were getting another installment of the "haircut" & "spirit animal" sketches from the mother's day shows that Brie Larson & Melissa McCarthy hosted within the past three years. Then, I realized that whoever wrote those is probably not on the show anymore. Then, I got more disappointed when I realized what other previous sketch this was a carbon copy of. This was definitely the weakest live sketch of the night. I have a feeling this was written by Anderson & Sublette or if not them, whoever wrote the ten-to-one sketch from Amy Schumer's 2015 episode where she played a bartender (not just because both sketches were set at baby showers but because they also followed the same specific formula right down to Cecily breaking down in tears after her strange friend she invited shows up and gets them both upset about something). At least this one was better because it had an infinitely more likable host in it and had a quicker resolution. C-
Pumpkin Patch - This had a very sophomoric premise but Beck, Kyle and Mikey did their damndest to sell this one. For a brief moment, I thought this might have been written by the same people who wrote the high school wrestling short from the last episode Jonah Hill hosted two and a half years ago but Beck & Kyle were barely in that one whereas they were the main focus of this one so it's a safe bet this was written by them. C+
Film Panel - While I've never been all that crazy about Debette Goldry as a character (and I still don't believe her sketches are the right venue for SNL to address #MeToo comedically) this had its moments. I did like Kates' "cigarette nap/sleepy bitch" line as well as her jokes about giving away the Lindbergh baby & playing all the Asian woman roles in the '40s. It was nice to see Heidi's Allison Janney again (even played completely straight) and Awkwafina fit into this well (even though there are only so many things you can do with a Sandrah Oh impression). C-
Now, for my first official ranking of season 44...
1. Awkwafina/Travis Scott
2. Adam Driver/Kanye West
Well, that show took a few more baby steps in the right direction. Next week, Seth Meyers will make his hosting debut which means his show will probably be in reruns as he spends his week working just a bit further down the hall from where he normally does. You know, I legitimately thought this would never happen as recently as last month given Seth's lack of characters and acting experience while being on the show. However, I'm more accepting of the idea of it now that I've come to appreciate Seth more on Late Night. Still, I hope they don't overload us with certain cameos from his cast and I hope he pulls a Mulaney/Lobster Diner/Second Chance theater on us and tries to revive some of his favorite sketches that never made it. I think at a certain point it became more & more obvious that Seth's hidden talents lied more in the writing department anyway. That seemed to be the consensus. See you then!
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