Chance The Rapper (10.26.2019)

Okay, here's my review. This was definitely the most consistent show all season. The highs weren't quite as high as they were in the previous two episode but what few lows there were seemed minor and weren't low enough to create a crater or anything so it all pretty much evens out. The show may still be a little too reliant on outside cameos at times, but they still showed us that unexpected cameos can be fun when used in just the right way. As expected, Chance and the rest of the cast really delivered. As we saw just shy of two years ago, Chance brings a fresh energy to the show that's not like any other recurring "friend of the show" type host that's infectious and clearly rubs off on the cast. Speaking of which, it's great to see a show where the whole cast gets an even amount of airtime. Ego, Heidi, Chloe and Bowen stood out in particular because we finally get to see the show break them in and ingratiate them with the audience. Aidy, Kate and Cecily had few and far in between appearances that suggest the show might be phasing them out in preparation for a mutual parting of ways by the end of this season. Anyway, there isn't too much beyond the cold open to really unpack this week, but I'd still like to just get to it right now.

Albuquerque Trump Rally - There's no doubt that this was a frustrating cold open to watch for anyone invested in this show at all. I won't go into the most obvious reasons but the biggest reason to me had to do with the energy of this sketch. It certainly had a similar not as listless energy as the Equality Town Hall open from the previous episode (which I'd be willing to go back and reevaluate at some point since it was revealed others liked it much more and that it was written by Sudi Green and Fran Gillespie rather than Jost & Che who wrote most if not all of the political cold opens these past two seasons). Parts of it seemed different in that it seemed to be written (and in some parts performed) with some level of controlled, cautious passion by people who actually cared somewhat about the piece and wanted to write what they were writing. I'm guessing they called Sudi and Fran back in to write this along with Jost since Che was recovering from dental surgery and shouldn't have been writing anything in that condition anyway. However, that energy kept getting disrupted at certain points by certain people Baldwin as Trump kept bringing up on stage alongside him. Mostly, I'm referring to Kate and Fred Armisen here (hell, I'd rather see Kate as Gullianni again than as Lindsay Graham but I did like Freds' jabs at Trumps "wealth" here and did get a brief Mary Katherine Gallagher flashback from Kate's Glass Menagerie recital) but Cecily (as out of touch as a Mickey Mouse Club reference may seem in 2019), Mikey, Pete and Aidy especially breathed some much needed life into this with their strong and committed performances. I did appreciate seeing Alexs' Mark Zuckerberg again but even that impression suffers from diminishing returns as it has fallen into repeating the same beats over and over. How many "Zuck is a cyborg" takes do we need to see? Hell, considering this was set in New Mexico I was expecting them to introduce Aaron Paul (who does still have "El Camino" to promote after all) but I'm kinda glad that they were willing to subvert one of my expectations here. Speaking of which, I was expecting this to mostly use a cheap throwaway reference to Trump's Colorado Border Wall gaffe (I appreciate shootouts to my home state on the show but...not like this). I thought what they did there was okay as telegraphed as it felt. It especially stung seeing Darrell Hammond show up to reprise his Clinton alongside Baldwin's Trump. I know he's the post-Pardo announcer now, but I also know most of those announcements are prerecorded from across the country. It must have taken a lot for him to come out to be on the show in person considering what he went through when they pushed him out of a role that was rightfully his in favor of Baldwin. I mean, sure, Baldwin's manic Trump energy seemed preferable to Hammond's Apprentice era Trump but that was when we were all naive enough to think Trump DIDN'T actually have a shot at the presidency. Hell, after less than even a full season of Baldwin we all realized how much easier Hammond mined Trump for laughs and even Trump himself came to the realization that Hammond should be back in the role under his own presidency. Plus, as much as it pains me to notice this much less admit it out loud, Hammond is more physically appropriate to play Trump than he is to play Clinton. C-

Monologue - This was fun. Chance being from Chicago and using that as a jumping off point to rap about other things he likes that are "second best" as Chicago is sometimes known as "the second city" was something that worked surprisingly well. The Adam Carolla lyric made me laugh. I was impressed that Kyle could hold his own so well next to Chance. I was also impressed that Heidi and Melissa could keep up with those cards. Also, is it just me or does Chance seem to young to be married with kids? Still, good for him. B+

E-Sports Coverage - I heard that they might bring back Chances' reluctant hockey reporter character as he has been doing that same bit for real for various other NBC Sports events. I'm glad they had him report on something much different than hockey (or even just sports in general). It's good too see this character can work in multiple settings even on or off SNL. Chance had a couple of lines that really made me laugh (I mean, they even made HIM almost laugh) and I especially his color commentary on the gameplay clip they showed. This sketch also made great use of Bowen and Chloe and Chance played great off of them as well.

Judge Barry - As strange as it feels realizing we've now had two double duty hosts AND two live courtroom sketches two weeks apart from each other this season, the premise of Chance The Rapper as a judge who makes his rulings solely based on "first impressions" was executed pretty much perfectly. I do like the rapid fire pace of sketchy participants that Chance immediately dismisses. I didn't even mind the genuinely unexpected Jason Momoa cameo either. He fit well into this sketch, too. B+

Tasty Toaster Tarts - This had the perfect amount of build ups and dark unexpected twists to me. Just when I was starting to tire of Chance listing off an excessive amount of Chance they start setting us up for the completely wrong unexpected discovery. B+

Spooky Song - I do appreciate how short and concise this was considering I was expecting something similar to that graveyard song sketch that was in Jim Carrey's 2014 episode.This felt like what that sketch should've been. I wasn't expecting the reveal to be that juvenile exactly but this subverted just the right expectation for me. C+

Update had a fun vibe. Che and Jost had almost nothing but solid jokes (except for that Olaf one, the Bernie/Hillary v. Tulsi jokes that just seemed like bad hot takes and that punchline to that Kanye joke was where Che seemed the most "loopy"). As far as the political material goes, I liked how strongly they addressed the stories from this week that would've made for far better cold opens tonight (especially Ches' Gullianni rant Josts' Matt Gaetz/Quagmire comparison) do appreciate how Alex can make Eric Trump still seem like a newly fleshed out character each time. B-

Finding True Love On Wires At A Bar - This sketch did feature Cecily and she was on wires so this has to be the one sketch that the one girl from the SNL Standby Line podcast mentioned in Twitter just before the show. I was glad to see this didn't get cut (I mean, how could it?). I could easily appreciate this just for it's sheer physicality. I also thought it was interstellar because it's the first time we've ever seen Beck break on camera (or Ego or Heidi for that matter) and this was one of the rare times where the general live studio energy translates well to the viewers at home so it's obvious to everyone why this is funny. B+

Space Mistakes - This was an obvious genre/trope parody in the way that the Downton Abbey parody from the season premiere was general format/premise parody. I could appreciate for how purposely vague they kept it so that the honor comes from how silly and foolhardy this comes across. B+

Dazzle Designs - It seems a little early in the show for this week's obligatory Kate & Aidy farewell tour giggle fest, but okay. I'll take it. Chance, Pete and Chris had some great lines in this. This was interesting to watch for how obvious it was that Kate and Aidy were breaking only due to their chemistry and rapport rather than the material they had and the fact that this sketch was set up with minimal room for unplanned live bloopers. C+

Dance Studio, 1978 - This felt like an exact cross between a similar dance studio sketch from Christina Applegates' 2012 episode,  that other sketch from Jon Heders' 2005 episode where he thought he was a werewolf but he could really only grow a mustache under a full moon and that SCTV sketch (from around the same time in real life that this sketch was set in incidentally) where Eugene Levy played Gino Vanelli singing his hit "Stop" while transforming into a Bigfoot-like wereape. I do have to wonder if this was a dress cut from around 2010-2013 or so as it felt very much like something from that era. Still, everyone really sold it which made it fun to watch. It had some of the typical tropes of an Anderson/Sublette joint but thankfully not all of them C+

Now, for my updated rankings of this season so far...

1. David Harbour/Camilla Cabello
2. Chance The Rapper
3. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish
4. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift

Well, that episode just delivered the most basic vibe I expected based on what I'd seen on this show before. Next week, Kristen Stewart returns. I remember her being a similarly "game" host but compared to someone like Chance, she kinda blended into the background in most sketches. Hell, I think most people remember her episode for her dropping that f-bomb on air and for the first (of what only ended up being four times ever) that Melissa McCarthy played Sean Spicer. Still, none of this should've prevented KStew from getting her second shot at hosting. See you then.

David Harbour/Camila Cabello (10.12.19)

Okay, here's my review. As wildly uneven as this episode was, it's still the strongest one of the season by default because the highs were much higher than the previous two episodes. David Harbour proved himself to be a consummate professional who fit right in to the host role perfectly. The cast members who were either largely absent or still struggling to find their place on the show were featured almost enough to make up for it tonight (aside from Chloe who is sadly still getting washed off the screen as soon as she starts to feel visible). Ego was certainly used the most tonight during her entire SNL tenure so far but until the last third of the show I thought this was going to be a very light night for Cecily. Pete understandably made only two appearances all night and less understandably, so did Kenan. Other than that, cast airtime felt as balanced as it's been all season. Anyway, let's unpack this whole thing, shall we?

CNN Equality Town Hall - I wanted to like this cold open more than I did, but there just wasn't enough there. I guess they had to do it because the CNN LGBTQ town hall took place THIS week and the next actual Democratic Debate will be taking place NEXT week when the cast and crew will be taking off. At least this was still preferable to another Trump/Pence/Barr/Gullianni centric impeachment themed cold open. I'm not sure that the Billy Porter cameo was that necessary (or even appropriate) but at least he added some much needed energy. Redds' Cory Booker and Alex's Anderson Cooper are always solid. Nice to see they're sticking with Colin as Mayor Pete. It works, but they still seem to be struggling to come up with a take on him. I think they might be spreading Kate's Warren a bit thin but at the same time I'm glad they found a way to parody her already funny moment from the real debate in a way that didn't feel like gratuitous piling on. Nice to see Lin Manuel could be called down to 30 Rock in an attempt to shut up the detractors who complained that Julian Castro wasn't represented in the first debate sketch from the season premiere. Sadly, the only moment that stood out to me during his part was Melissa's brief look of barely concealed disappointment that she lost this part to Lin Manuel right before she asked her question (although I could be wrong and it may seem a little mean for me to say that, it's just what I was thinking). Good to see they're sticking with Woody as Biden this election cycle because it's been working. Having him REALLY pander to gays seemed a little off somehow though. Weird to see Bowen as an audience member in this but I guess Andrew Yang wasn't a part of this real event? I probably would've liked this a lot better had Larry been able to show up as Bernie. Wasn't the real Bernie at this thing anyway? C-

Monologue - This got the show off to a much better start. Even though, you could tell exactly where this was going after the first minute, that didn't necessarily spoil it for me. Harbour immediately proved he was going to be funny with his jokes about his Stranger Things castmates and mentioning his role as Hellboy after mentioning his classical training. I do wish they'd done more with the whole "cast gets trapped in the upside-down" concept but I liked the gag with Kenan having Lornes' job and Lorne being his intern. Also, as much as I kinda wish we'd be getting a slightly longer break from Pete I do appreciate how the show just let us know that this was the week he'd be returning (and that he'd be returning so abruptly that this was one of only two pieces in the live show they'd be able to place him in). B-

Little Miss Teacher's Friend Pageant - Okay, this had to have been written by whoever wrote the nephew pageant sketch from Kit Harringtons' episode last season. This was a very similar (yet slightly more abstract) concept. Harbour and Aidy were great at being the glue of this sketch. Kate's "epic tattle" story and Harbours' interactions with Bowen made me laugh. This was also a great way for the show to utilize the underused female cast members (especially Ego and Chloe). B+

Grouch - This was another one of those pop culture parodies where they took a very simple concept and ran with it executing it as expertly as they possibly could've. I'm even more impressed to learn that this was something Harbour himself pitched. This is likely the most successful host pitch in SNL history. Seeing Harbours' slow burn transformation and the rest of the cast as live action versions of Muppets were great. I especially liked Kenans' Snuffy the pimp, Heidis' Big Bird, Melissa's Elmo and Alex and Mikey as Bert and Ernie (Alex might have drawn from that Melissa impression he did with Mikey and Cecily that Melissa posted on Instagram). A-

SoulCycle Auditions - This was very fun and enjoyable sketch that helped keep up the energy the show had established since the monologue. It was also a great showcase for Ego and Bowen but Harbour clearly ran away with it. Alex, Heidi, Cecily and Kate were great supporting players in this. Since Bowen was prominently featured in this, I'm guessing there's a pretty good chance that he at least co-wrote it with some of the show's current crop of millennial female writers (Anna Drezen, Sudi Green, Fran Gillespie etc.) It does really seem like it's in at least one of their voices. B+

Update was pretty much the exact point in this episode when things started to get pretty uneven. Che had a strong night but it doesn't speak well for Josts' contributions to the show when his funniest Update jokes were a Trump slideshow set to the music of Thin Lizzy and him calling himself out on how bad he thought his own Mayor Pete impression was. Personally, I didn't think the impression was that bad. I mean, Jost looks the most like Pete Buttigieg out of the current male cast but he barely tries to sound like him so the best thing I can say about it is that I can still see what they are going for. The entire short form portion of Update completely fell flat for me except for Josts papal celibacy joke and Ches' sex doll joke. Heidi's latest Bailey Gismert commentary was pretty indistinguishable from all her previous ones. The only part of Pete's latest commentary that I actually liked were his and Josts' attempts at fourth wall breaking with the audience. The rest of it seemed so unfocused and meandering that it really made it obvious just how late in the week Pete made it back to Studio 8H. C-

Folk Of The Past - This felt like the most aimless sketch of the night. Alex was funny as the cloying host but the song seemed to go nowhere. There were some funny lyrics here and there but they were too few and far in between. C-

Father-Son Podcast Microphone - This is another piece I wanted to like a bit more but I really wasn't sure what it was going for. I guess the main joke here was that podcasts in general are such a white Male dominated field that they're now the only way said white men can genuinely communicate with each other (thank you very much, Marc Maron). Still, there were some pretty solid acting moments between David and Kyle here. C+

Grandparents - This sketch had a very 90s feel to me. Specifically, it was very reminiscent of when Steve Martin played Grandma Pugga in '91 as well as those Kirstie Alley Italian restaurant sketches, that sketch where Dana Carvey and Linda Hamilton played a couple, that dinner sketch with Danny Aiello, that sketch from when Gullianni hosted and he played Cheri Oteris' grandmother in drag and those Zimmerman sketches with Oteri and Kattan. Other than that, it just seemed like a gender swapped Morning Joe sketch but if they were non-famous old world Italian grandparents mixed with every "Last Call" sketch Kate has done. That's all I really care to say about this sketch. It just seemed like an excuse for Kate and David to act very inappropriately broad and for Kyle, Cecily and Melissa to react accordingly. I did like David's performance but he didn't need to prove to us that he would be a strong and fearless host anymore by this point in the show. D+

Dog Court - Well, given her well documented love of animals in general (but especially dogs) it's pretty obvious that Cecily cowrote this with either Anderson/Sublette or whoever wrote that Judge Court sketch from Emma Thompsons' episode (which she wasn't even in) and aside from Cecily's pug near the end the dogs were surprisingly well behaved here. The intro from Cecily and the brief cutaway reactions from the dog jury were the real highlights to me (especially the Tim Allen grunt after the reveal of Kate's stretched out shirt). Also, does anyone remember that Chris Farley documentary where David Spade talked about the week that Farley tried to write that "puppy lawyer" sketch that bombed at the table read? This sketch reminded me a lot of that but in a good way because I was glad to see something at least with a similar enough concept to that actually can make it to air 27 years later to honor his spirit. Also, I have this theory that this sketch the real reason this sketch got on is because this may very well turn out to at least be Cecily's last season and people at the show happen to know it already and those same people also knew that this may have been a sketch concept she had been wanting to get on the show all these years but she just couldn't get it off the ground (sort of similar to how Jason Sudekis only got to do Maine Justice in his last season in the cast). B-

Now, for my updated rankings for this entire season so far...

1. David Harbour/Camilla Cabello
2. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish
3. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift

Well, this was a bit of a shot in the arm for this season. In two weeks, Chance The Rapper returns for his second time as host, third time as musical guest but his first time pulling double duty on SNL. It feels a little soon and it almost seems to go against the vibe of "variety in hosts" this season has been establishing so far but I honestly don't mind seeing him again as his first hosting stint two years ago was such a strong episode. See you then!

Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift (10.5.2019)

Okay, here's my review. This was a bit of a let down from last week. It had it's moments but still felt just as uneven as last week. The highs were pretty high but the lows weren't exactly lows as much as they were just mediums. The live audience seemed to raise the energy level considerably given that tonight's host and musical guest both drew in a lot of rabid fans. Phoebe Waller-Bridge was probably the most fun to watch out of all the British female hosts the show had had recently. Still, this show had some of the same basic pacing problems as last week and a lot of sketches felt like basic retreads of previously aired material. They even recurred some sketches that should've stayed one-and-done but seemed necessary to them given who the host was. I'm sure Phoebe kept morale up this week, but it showed much more in the performances than in the actual writing. Plus, Heidi and Melissa were shut out of the show entirely (the latter of whom seemed to be in better spirits about it during the goodnights) which had to be a bummer for both of them. Even thought everyone else got a decent amount of airtime, I'm sure I'm.not the only one still having an easier time getting used to Pete's unexpected temporary absence from the show than I am getting used to Leslie's slightly-less-unexpected permanent one. Anyway, let's break it down, shall we?

Cabinet Meeting On Impeachment - This was one of the blandest cold opens in recent memory. I automatically couldn't get behind it since it led off with two of my least favorite political impressions the show currently features. It almost seems like they were going to just do a live version of that cut Gullianni/Fleabag parody from last week (which I actually would've preferred to be honest) because it would've been overkill of they just did this and showed it after the monologue. With Beck playing Pence in the same sketch I can see why Aidy as AG Barr was actually warranted. Still, that doesn't explain why they went with Matthew Broderick to play Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. That has to be the most baffling example of SNL political stunt casting I have ever seen. I'm sure they've actually seen what Pompeo looks like but realized they were already using Beck and Aidy in other roles. I mean, there is one way I can see why they would've cast Broderick in this role. Mike Pompeo has gained a reputation as a big time conservative war hawk and seems like a guy who projects a false air of power and imposing strength in much the same way Trump and the rest of his cabinet do. They must have thought Matthew Broderick was the exact polar opposite of this and wanted to have Broderick play him just to get under his skin like they managed to do to Trump and Sean Spicer but in a more subtle and thoughtful and less petty way than what they must've been going for with Bill Barr and Jeff Sessions. Still, I don't get why they felt this was the place to jam in Ferris Bueller references. Maybe they just came with the territory since they already got Broderick in the building. Honestly, the only real laughs I got out of this were the Stephen Miller snake parseltounge scene and Kenan as Ben Carson. It's not quite on the same level as that of Jay Pharroh or Sterling K. Brown but it still works and is still very funny. C-

Monologue - This definitely allowed the show to pick up some stream. Phoebe Waller-Bridge was immediately very likable and expertly got the audience on her side (which was probably pretty easy when you consider how many audience member were probably fans of hers' and Taylor's who camped out in the standby line). I liked how she was able to pull off self deprecation well and make jokes about "Fleabag" and "Killing Eve" that one didn't have to have watched either show to find funny just before seemingly effortlessly transitioning into an unexpected standup routine on the current state of human sexuality. She seemed a lot more comfortable in her own skin than she let on, but that was probably the whole point of that monologue. My only complaint about this monologue would be it's seemingly excessive length. B+

What's Wrong With This Picture II? - This was a very strange and unexpected choice of something to make recurring (especially since it actually first appeared a mere two episodes ago) but it was still just as funny as the first one and everyone performed this really well. Maybe Phoebe saw the last one and liked it so much she wanted to do another one? Kyle also made a great replacement for Pete. I did like how much tighter this felt than the previous one. B+

Love Island - Even though this seems like the exact type of thing I thought they left back in season 43, I guess this was something else they couldn't resist doing with a British host? Maybe this is one of Phoebes' guilty pleasures? It obviously seems like it would be one of Cecily's. I liked this mostly for everyone's attempts at the trashiest specific type of British accent there is. Upon rewatching this, I noticed this had some pretty solid writing behind it. I liked the intros and Phoebes' confessional at the end. I also liked how they wrote Chloe a role she seemed tailor-made for as well as the makeup/thumb gag between her and Aidy who also did some great physical comedy on this. B+

Local Mid-Day News - This was a fairly simple Chappelle's Show-like premise (which automatically makes it a little dodgy to try and do in 2019) but they pulled it off well and the performances from everyone really sold the hell out of it. Good to see Ego placed front and center in something (literally) for once. The worst thing I can say about this is that Phoebe really seemed to struggle with her accent. Also, did the sight of Chris Redd playing a weather man with a suddenly very loose tie give anyone else flashbacks to David Alan Grier in Wake Up And Smile? A+

The War In Words II - I had a feeling we might get another one of these even before someone I follow on Twitter who went to dress rehearsal confirmed it for me. Mikey and Streeter couldn't resist doing one of these again, huh? I guess after the monologue this is the second thing Claire Foy did 10 months ago that Phoebe Waller-Bridge vastly improved upon. I can't say much about this as it seemed to hit all the same beats as last time but I did like the doctored Hitler footage and the five year old cameo as they were the only things that stood out to me as different. C+

Update started out strong but started to lose a bit of steam in the middle and near the end. Jost & Che who seemed like they were really on top of their game. I do have to wonder if Che's utterance of "See? He's Strong!" during Josts' Trump/Nickelback joke was planned or an adlib. I liked Kate's Warren commentary just for the jab at Hillary and the BDSM marine jokes, but I'm hoping they don't waste this impression by running out into the ground through Update especially since she may have a shot at winning the Dem nomination now. Also, the fact that this and the cold open were Kate's only appearances tonight seems to suggest they're phasing her out at what may be a more and more inopportune time for the show. Bowen's commentary was the true highlight of this Update for me (especially since I was starting to get worried he'd be shut out of the show entirely on the same night my local NBC affiliate ran a profile on him interviewing his old mathematics/improv teacher from the high school in my own home state where he graduated from and was named "Most Likely To Be A Cast Member On SNL"). They may have waited until his second show to give him his big showcase but he really hit the ground running. His performance skills really made up for the sheer Kelly-and-Schneider-esque millennial-ness that might put off some viewers over the age of 35. Mikey's Super-Centenarian was something else I'm surprised was made recurring instead of being left a one off. This also hit all the same beats as the original but there were funnier misleads directed at Colin this time. I also liked the jab at Pete and that the sheer length of this week's Update made up for the shortness of the previous week's Update. B+

Royal Romance - Kenan made this much funnier than it had any right to be. He clearly sprinted away with this but everyone else supported him well. I wonder if whoever had written this had just gotten to see "Dolemite Is My Name" before this Monday's host/pitch meeting? A+

State Line Bar - This sketch was a bit of a mess, but I liked it mostly for Phoebes' attempt at a white trash Southern accent. Plus, it was fun to see everyone on the verge of breaking all at once and trying to guess who would be the first to go. C+

Now, time to start ranking this season...

1. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eillish (9.28.2019)
2. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift (10.5.2019)

Well, that episode certainly defied expectations if you bought into the hype enough to set them high. Next week, David Harbour makes his hosting debut. I've already seen he has a good sense of humor about himself so he should be fun. Plus, Canilla Cabello (a newly self professed fan of the show) makes her debut as a musical guest. To me, she seems goofy enough to want to participate in some of their sillier sketches. See you then!