Okay, here's my review. This may actually have been the second best new SNL episode to air in 2020 so far. It felt like a real step up from last week mostly because Rupaul's infectious energy kept the show going. He seemed happy to be there, certainly. While he didn't deliver as much outright "campiness" as I was expecting, he still seemed well within his comfort zone. The show managed to maintain just the right balance between appealing to Rupaul's fans while being inclusive toward SNLs' regular audience so it wasn't an issue how much RuPaul just played slight variations of himself the whole night. Cecily wasn't in as much as we thought she'd be but nonetheless the women dominated the show as expected (especially the newer women which is exciting) and for some odd reason Pete got the most airtime he'd gotten all season tonight. Everyone else was practically invisible (especially Alex and Melissa who were in next to nothing tonight). Anyway, let's break this down, shall we?
ABC Democratic Debate - Well, between this, the Trump acquittal news and the Iowa Caucus snafu I guess they went with the easiest and safest option for a cold open this week. Good to see they seem to have matched my prediction of Mikey as Stephanopoulos, Ego (in a surprisingly prominent role) as Lyndsey Davis and Alex (in his only appearance of the night sadly) as David Muir (I was guessing either him or Beck). I'm at least glad that they've gotten to the point where they could manage to do a 2020 dem debate sketch with cast members (current and former with only one outside cameo) portraying ONLY the candidates who were in the actual race and hadn't yet dropped out. Since they decided NOT to use any excuse they could to sneak in Maya's Kamala, Cecilys' Tulsi and Freds' Bloomberg (in studio rather than in prerecorded form) this one felt the least bloated and overly long of all this season's debate sketches. Still, it was actually as long as those previous ones. They just tried to trick me into thinking it was going to be shorter than it ended up being because the "closing statements" that Mikey announced were longer than they really needed to be. Oh well, at least they were able to prove my theory that the debate sketches would feel more focused with less "candidates" on stage. The applause breaks and the "y'all ready for this?" entrances were the things that hurt this sketchs' timing the most. It's great to be reminded how Jason's "fun" first Obama term '08-'13 era Biden can still work if they just give him the same writing as they gave Woody's 2019 wea Biden in his absence. Larry was a distant second but I liked how he and Kate's Warren chose to finally address the "Bernie Bro" issue (although the 4Chan reference seemed a little out of line). It's also nice to see they're giving Bowen more lines in these even though they're having him hit the exact same beats each time still. Rachel Dratch is still getting more lines and I do like how the show still seems to have a very specific take on Amy Klobuchar. Pete would've probably been my last choice to play Tom Steyer (I would've gone with Kyle myself) but I guess it makes sense given that the real Tom Steyer contributes about as much to the team debates as Pete has left to contribute to SNL at this point. C+
Monologue - Well, that was a lot more sincere and personal and less flamboyant than I was expecting. I was glad to see RuPaul just decided to take this time to endear himself to the segment of the SNL audience that may not watch "Drag Race" religiously and give us some insight on what makes him tick. Part of me wishes it could be a little longer, but I appreciate that they wanted to at least keep up the illusion of a tightly paced show after yet another 10+ minute debate sketch. B+
Charades - At first, I thought we were getting another attempt at that "quotes" game show sketch from Heidi that kept getting cut from make hosts' dress rehearsals. Then, I realized how odd of a fit RuPaul would be for that and that whatever this was RuPaul and the show's black cast were going to be the main focus here instead of Heidi. I did like how they established a different gag for each character in the Ru/Ego/Redd/Kenan family rather than just relying on one way to misunderstand how charades work. I also liked how the humor in this sketch was mostly nonverbal and relied on sort of a black cultural shorthand that was carried by several of the strongest black cast members SNL has had in recent memory. Honestly, it was the funniest live sketch of the night for me. A-
RuPaul's Drag Chad - As tired of a character as Chad is by this point, (hell, as tired as Pete's general presence on the show feels at this point) this may be my favorite "Chad" installment of all time just for how drastically different it was. Granted, RuPaul did most of the heavy lifting on this one but Ru really did a lot to stop this from hitting all the same beats as all the previous Chad's. Hell, even Pete himself just being in full on drag rendered him damn near unrecognizable. I'll admit I laughed a little more than I should've at the "gist/jizz" line. B-
Birthday Dinner - Well, I'm shocked that this was Cecily's first appearance in the entire RuPaul show (doing what I thought was just a dry and sober Judge Pirro but it turned out she's apparently just doing a specific "Designing Women" scene) but this was something I enjoyed much more than I thought I would once I realized the entire premise of this sketch was just "Cecily and RuPaul just backhandely stand up for and humiliate Heidi in the most elaborate and dramatic way possible for three straight minutes". I'm guessing Cecily may have cowritten this with her favorite non Anderson & Sublette writing partners as this felt too specifically focused on one pop culture moment for James and Kent to have been directly involved. B-
Boop-It - Beck pretty much sprinted away with this for me. Parodies of "Bop-It" and dads becoming pathetically obsessed with their kids hobbies or beating their kids at their favorite hames have definitely been done to death so much that they can't not feel dated but somehow Beck and Heidi made even this feel fresh. It was pretty much the perfect length for what it was, too. B+
Reading For Kids - I guess with RuPaul as host we should've expected some kind of parody of the recent trend of "drag queen storytimes" at kids' libraries. I guess this was the first thing written by and specifically aimed at hardcore "Drag Race" fans because I didn't start to find it funny or amusing until they stopped mid sketch to let Ru basically explain the concept of "reading" just being code for "throwing shade". It picked up some steam from there despite a minor line flub seemingly causing everyone to lose their timing. C+
Update started off with some of what seemed like the least cringeworthy Trump acquittal and SOTU material they could muster. If any Update proved definitively that Update is the only optimal spot in the show for Trump related material (or really any type of political material really) this was it. I hadn't actually seen any of the Trump speech Che showed the clip of so I was actually just a bit stunned that it was real (I know I probably shouldn't be since it's not 2015 anymore and he's actually facing reelection now but still). Besides that, Josts' Guiliani/yarn made from human skin jokes and Che's jokes about the black history doll display, nothing else stood out to me. Honestly, the high point of this Update was Chloe's commentary. She started it off in a very standup like fashion to the point where I wondered if Chloe actually did do standup before SNL or of she just did improv and Instagram impressions. I'm surprised it took as long as it did for her to get into specific impressions (I'm even more surprised that Chloe got to do this on Update before Melissa did since they both seemed to have been hired for this specific purpose) but when she did get to her celebrity impressions she really did deliver. I'm proud of her and proud of the show just for giving us Ego and Chloe's breakout Update features back to back. Chloe and the audience are pretty lucky too that they let her establish herself firmly by just cutting right to the chase with her and skipping way ahead to her doing her impressions as herself straight to camera as if to say "I'm Chloe and these are my impressions." We haven't seen Cathy Anne in what seems like an entire year but given that it's Cecily's birthday and Cathy Anne is one of her favorite characters in what is possibly her final season, it seems like the optimal time to bring her back. The only thing I can say about it is this was the least focused Cathy Anne commentary ever. B+
Thirstier Cops - After Leslie's departure and the actual Baltimore Police Department very loudly and publicly tsk-tsk-ing Ego, this was the last sketch I expected the show to bring back. Still, I appreciate seeing Ego get to reprise her first real character on the show after Chloe's breakout moment (and seeing her get to rebel against authority in some way). I also appreciate how this had something creative to differentiate it from the first installment with Rupaul's queer element added in. Kate's Pittsburgh Dad accent made this for me. C+
The Old New York Show w/Madge & Dickie - Well, this was better than I expected. I realize some people are getting sick of these Kate and Aidy two handers, but there were a few differences between this one and those ones that set this one apart. For instance, this was a talk show instead of an overlong local commercial and they kept the self indulgent breaking to a minimum. Also, despite clearly playing a couple of old spinster Kate and Aidy clearly expressed a fondness for 1994 Guiliani era New York. I liked that odd little detail. Plus, this one had RuPaul playing the character who clearly had all the best lines that I feel can best described as "black Charles Nelson Reilly" and the prank call and oddly specific sound effects made this for me. Incidentally, I happened to be watching this sketch with my dad whole told me it reminded me of "the two Jewish" chicks" and I genuinely couldn't tell if he was referring to "Coffee Talk" or "Bronx Beat". B+
Now, for my updated rankings of the entire season so far...
1. Eddie Murphy/Lizzo
2. David Harbour/Camilla Cabello
3. Chance The Rapper
4. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift
5. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish
6. Scarlett Johansson/Niall Horan
7. Adam Driver/Halsey
8. RuPaul/Justin Bieber
9. J.J. Watt/Luke Combs
10. Jennifer Lopez/DaBaby
11. Will Ferrell/King Princess
12. Harry Styles
13. Kristen Stewart/Coldplay
Well, that delivered more surprises than I was expecting. Next week, John Mulaney returns for his third time hosting. I guess he's deservedly becoming the show's new "go to" winter/spring male standup host now? Anyway, I usually like Mulaney's presence affects the writers' room when he hosts. I just hope he can throw something a little different in there to keep it fresh and differentiate it from his previous two hosting stints. At least we may be able to count on getting a sketch featuring Chloe in a lead role given how much Mulaney likes to champion criminally underused featured players like Ego and Luke Null. See you then!
Sunday, February 9, 2020
Sunday, February 2, 2020
J.J. Watt/Luke Combs (2.1.2020)
Okay, here's my review. I'd say at best this episode was on the same level as Driver (and that might feel generous to some of you, I know). At worst, I'd say it was just a step down and was just forgetably mediocre. Both of the first two new SNL episodes felt kind of the same to me but the highs in this one weren't nearly as high. It got off to a shaky start, but aside from one sketch near the end it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. J.J. Watt as a host was pretty much the best I could've hoped for for him. He varied from sketch to sketch. Sometimes, he was well within his comfort zone and other times he was a bit stiff and reliant on cue cards (if he wasn't just flat out playing himself). Still, at least he always came across like he enjoyed being there as much as he could. Pretty much the entire cast got decent airtime (except for Alex and Chloe who were practically invisible). Let's break it down, shall we?
The Impeachment Trial You Wish Happened - This was certainly more promising than the "Days Of Our Impeachment" cold open from the Harry Styles episode, but some things were sorely lacking in execution. I'm guessing Jost and Che wrote this since Kenan as Judge Mathis just screams "this is Che's biggest contribution to this week's cold open". Good to see that Becks' portrayal of Mitch McConnell is more subtle, grounded and refreshingly unreptilian compared to Kate's even more cartoonishly flamboyant characterization of Lindesy Graham as a foppish Southern dandy. Honestly, the most interesting thing about this was Cecilys' choice to portray John Bolton as basically Jeneane Pirro on steroids (even if it still smacks of the "petty nrocon war hawk baiting/ 'lightning doesn't strike twice' denial" mentality that gave us Kate's Sessions, Aidys' AG Barr and Mathhew Broderick of all people as Mike Pompeo in the wake of McCarthy's Spicer). Hell, I remember when Carvey played a real over the top John Bolton on Colbert a while ago but as much fun as it would've been to see him again on SNL, his portrayal would've clashed with this sketch. On the plus side, I thought Pete as himself as Hunter Biden kinda worked (especially when comparing "himself" to Trump). Even Baldwin's Trump didn't seem as obnoxious here because it was the only outside cameo in this sketch (hey, great job on getting through one of these political cold opens without any new cameos, guys!) and his Trump coming clean about everything was an angle we haven't quite seen before. Kyles' impression of Joe Pesci in "My Cousin Vinny" was the only laugh I really got out of this. Thankfully, the "Send In The Clowns" number was something they decided to go light on as it leaned into SNLs' worst political tendencies. Also, for the first time in what feels like ages, Kenan delivers a solo LFNY. C+
Monologue - JJ Watt came off just a little stiff at first but he quickly gained his footing when he started talking about his family and whether he (definitely) would trade hosting SNL for the Super Bowl. Plus, he showed some real class and sportsmanship when congratulating those who DID make it to the SuperBowl. Cool to see that Watt and the writers had faith that he could handle a straight to camera solo monologue himself. B-
Frozen II Outtakes - Man, this seems WAY out of place as the lead off sketch in JJ Watts' episode, huh? At first, I thought it might have been cut from previous table reads until I realized Frozen II came out too recently for that to be the case (and they probably thought JJ Watt was the perfect host to play Prince Hans). This was all over the place and seemed like the most bloated, drawn out (no pun intended) and unfocused segment of the night. Kate and Aidy speculating on Elsa's sexuality really felt like fan service but for a specific group of fans not nearly cynical or overly critical about this show or Disney enough to even know the meaning of the term "fan service". I didn't really have any problems with the Kyle/Beck/Kenan segment but it still felt like it should've been its' own separate sketch entirely. Mikey's "Olafs' new carrot" gag felt like the only attempt at a genuine joke in this, sadly. C+
Robbie - This was when the show really started to get on the right track. It was the strongest pretape of the night. JJs' profanity and Kenans' demotivational speeches really made the whole thing for me and Chris acted off of them very well. I'm also glad they gave us more than just a one note repetitive buildup to Chris getting gruesomely mutilated after getting the chance to prove himself on the field. B+
The Talk - Kyle and JJ got this off to a funny start but Aidy kind of bought this to a slow stop for me. Still, good for Aidy for getting this part as I was expecting Cecily or Heidi to get it. For an obvious example of the type of strong "bro" humor that would attract JJ Watt's type of crowd, this was actually pretty engaging. I just think they maybe could've come up with a different ending than Aidy explaining how she "turned out" JJs' character and both of them lauding Kyle for coming out as bisexual as they seemed too tacked on and only confused the sketch. B-
Oil Of BrOlay - This was perfectly executed and felt fresh for the type of "needlessly heavily gendered/unusual athletic product that has nothing to do with athletics" genre of commercial parody SNL seems to have been doing quite frequently in recent years. It got in, established its main joke and got right out before said joke got too belabored. B+
Update was really only worth watching for the commentaries. Jost had a couple of good lines about White House emergencies not needing to be books and comparisons between himself and Jared Kushner. Hell, that segment was also notable for being one of the few times footage of Jaredd Kushner speaking in his real voice has actually been shown (instead of him with Gilbert Gottfrieds' voice dubbed over his like John Oliver was fond of doing). Still, that Trump/Can't Touch This felt a little too Trevor Noah-ish for me. If they're going to make Chen Biao a recurring character, I'm glad they made substantial changes to his character. Mainly, he is now a medical official instead of an economic figure (and he even acknowledged this change) and he is on the defensive rather than just being flamboyantly gay. The jabs at American Airlines also worked for me. Mostly, this Update was notable for giving Ego her first solo showcase and finally letting her get her own character on after a year and a half. She was very funny and her piece was creative so if she hadn't yet secured her place in this cast, she has now. B-
Pilot Hunk - It's nice to see SNL keep their continuous streak of yearly "Not!Bachelor" sketches going six years strong. I was wondering if they were going to do this with either Driver or Watt and since they didn't do this with Driver I figured we should expect this with Watt. They must've figured it would be an easier template to just drop Watt into and they must've wanted to do other things with Driver. I guess it was either that or the regular writers of these sketches aren't really able to get their "hook" on this year's Bachelor season until their second show of the new calendar year but it took quicker than that for them to realize Watt more closely resembled this seasons Male contestant than Driver did. I figured after last year's "Virgin Hunk" with James McAvoy they try to make the male characters in these sketches resemble the real life Bachelors as closely as they can. I spent most of this sketch waiting to see how they would use Chloe. Thankfully, her vestigial twin and the implied beheading of Melissa's character were the only things that stood out here to me. Also, this sketch has the distinction of being the only of these sketches to air in February instead of January. I am left wondering why the hell it aired as late in the show as it did? C+
EA Madden '21 Voiceover Session - This was honestly the funniest live piece of the night to me. I liked seeing JJ Watt shouting phrases that increasingly made him look real bad. Mikey and Ego were well used here. B+
Food Dudes - After hearing that this got cut from the previous week's show, I was one of the first to predict that we would see this make it to air in a future episode as there was no host to be seen in it. I'm glad to see that actually happen. It seemed a little more detail oriented and like more of a "writer's sketch" than was described but it was still well executed and Kenan made the whole thing for me. B+
My Fair Bigfoot - This and the cold open felt like the opposite of a lot of what we saw tonight. This was another premise that seemed interesting on paper but was severely bought down in its' execution. It could've really been something if they didn't decide to make the one central punchline of this piece "Bigfoot took a massive shit in the bathroom and everyone is very slow to catch on." Plus, Cecily's character falling in love with Bigfoot after he admits to everything and pledges to leave with her and a harp felt too tacked on for my liking. D+
Big Willie's Pizza - Well, I'm glad that this wasn't just a reprisal of Aidy's "child who obliviously ends up in an porno setting" character. They got me with the faux aged camera affect but the fact that this didn't have a faux title should've tipped me off. Instead, we got a breakdown of the most tired trope that comedy shows fall back on when they parody the general concept of porno films. It was nice to see a premise that was actually SAVED in it's writing and execution for once. I don't think I've ever seen this done elsewhere in comedy before but it felt fresh for something that seemed like it could've been cut from a few dress rehearsals in the past. Also, this was a testament to Kenan now being "the glue" of the show and seeing Heidi basically reprise her Kristen Schaal impression didn't hurt either. B+
Now, here are my updated rankings of this entire season so far...
1. Eddie Murphy/Lizzo
2. David Harbour/Camilla Cabello
3. Chance The Rapper
4. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift
5. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish
6. Scarlett Johansson/Niall Horan
7. Adam Driver/Halsey
8. J.J. Watt/Luke Combs
9. Jennifer Lopez/DaBaby
10. Will Ferrell/King Princess
11. Harry Styles
12. Kristen Stewart/Coldplay
Well, that well exceeded my tempered expectations. Next week, RuPaul hosts for the first time. Well, it makes sense as the shows' big birthday (and possibly "going away") present to Cecily and "Drag Race" remains quite popular after nearly a decade. Still, it should be an energetic show with strong performances in spite of how "out of left field" it seems. See you then!
The Impeachment Trial You Wish Happened - This was certainly more promising than the "Days Of Our Impeachment" cold open from the Harry Styles episode, but some things were sorely lacking in execution. I'm guessing Jost and Che wrote this since Kenan as Judge Mathis just screams "this is Che's biggest contribution to this week's cold open". Good to see that Becks' portrayal of Mitch McConnell is more subtle, grounded and refreshingly unreptilian compared to Kate's even more cartoonishly flamboyant characterization of Lindesy Graham as a foppish Southern dandy. Honestly, the most interesting thing about this was Cecilys' choice to portray John Bolton as basically Jeneane Pirro on steroids (even if it still smacks of the "petty nrocon war hawk baiting/ 'lightning doesn't strike twice' denial" mentality that gave us Kate's Sessions, Aidys' AG Barr and Mathhew Broderick of all people as Mike Pompeo in the wake of McCarthy's Spicer). Hell, I remember when Carvey played a real over the top John Bolton on Colbert a while ago but as much fun as it would've been to see him again on SNL, his portrayal would've clashed with this sketch. On the plus side, I thought Pete as himself as Hunter Biden kinda worked (especially when comparing "himself" to Trump). Even Baldwin's Trump didn't seem as obnoxious here because it was the only outside cameo in this sketch (hey, great job on getting through one of these political cold opens without any new cameos, guys!) and his Trump coming clean about everything was an angle we haven't quite seen before. Kyles' impression of Joe Pesci in "My Cousin Vinny" was the only laugh I really got out of this. Thankfully, the "Send In The Clowns" number was something they decided to go light on as it leaned into SNLs' worst political tendencies. Also, for the first time in what feels like ages, Kenan delivers a solo LFNY. C+
Monologue - JJ Watt came off just a little stiff at first but he quickly gained his footing when he started talking about his family and whether he (definitely) would trade hosting SNL for the Super Bowl. Plus, he showed some real class and sportsmanship when congratulating those who DID make it to the SuperBowl. Cool to see that Watt and the writers had faith that he could handle a straight to camera solo monologue himself. B-
Frozen II Outtakes - Man, this seems WAY out of place as the lead off sketch in JJ Watts' episode, huh? At first, I thought it might have been cut from previous table reads until I realized Frozen II came out too recently for that to be the case (and they probably thought JJ Watt was the perfect host to play Prince Hans). This was all over the place and seemed like the most bloated, drawn out (no pun intended) and unfocused segment of the night. Kate and Aidy speculating on Elsa's sexuality really felt like fan service but for a specific group of fans not nearly cynical or overly critical about this show or Disney enough to even know the meaning of the term "fan service". I didn't really have any problems with the Kyle/Beck/Kenan segment but it still felt like it should've been its' own separate sketch entirely. Mikey's "Olafs' new carrot" gag felt like the only attempt at a genuine joke in this, sadly. C+
Robbie - This was when the show really started to get on the right track. It was the strongest pretape of the night. JJs' profanity and Kenans' demotivational speeches really made the whole thing for me and Chris acted off of them very well. I'm also glad they gave us more than just a one note repetitive buildup to Chris getting gruesomely mutilated after getting the chance to prove himself on the field. B+
The Talk - Kyle and JJ got this off to a funny start but Aidy kind of bought this to a slow stop for me. Still, good for Aidy for getting this part as I was expecting Cecily or Heidi to get it. For an obvious example of the type of strong "bro" humor that would attract JJ Watt's type of crowd, this was actually pretty engaging. I just think they maybe could've come up with a different ending than Aidy explaining how she "turned out" JJs' character and both of them lauding Kyle for coming out as bisexual as they seemed too tacked on and only confused the sketch. B-
Oil Of BrOlay - This was perfectly executed and felt fresh for the type of "needlessly heavily gendered/unusual athletic product that has nothing to do with athletics" genre of commercial parody SNL seems to have been doing quite frequently in recent years. It got in, established its main joke and got right out before said joke got too belabored. B+
Update was really only worth watching for the commentaries. Jost had a couple of good lines about White House emergencies not needing to be books and comparisons between himself and Jared Kushner. Hell, that segment was also notable for being one of the few times footage of Jaredd Kushner speaking in his real voice has actually been shown (instead of him with Gilbert Gottfrieds' voice dubbed over his like John Oliver was fond of doing). Still, that Trump/Can't Touch This felt a little too Trevor Noah-ish for me. If they're going to make Chen Biao a recurring character, I'm glad they made substantial changes to his character. Mainly, he is now a medical official instead of an economic figure (and he even acknowledged this change) and he is on the defensive rather than just being flamboyantly gay. The jabs at American Airlines also worked for me. Mostly, this Update was notable for giving Ego her first solo showcase and finally letting her get her own character on after a year and a half. She was very funny and her piece was creative so if she hadn't yet secured her place in this cast, she has now. B-
Pilot Hunk - It's nice to see SNL keep their continuous streak of yearly "Not!Bachelor" sketches going six years strong. I was wondering if they were going to do this with either Driver or Watt and since they didn't do this with Driver I figured we should expect this with Watt. They must've figured it would be an easier template to just drop Watt into and they must've wanted to do other things with Driver. I guess it was either that or the regular writers of these sketches aren't really able to get their "hook" on this year's Bachelor season until their second show of the new calendar year but it took quicker than that for them to realize Watt more closely resembled this seasons Male contestant than Driver did. I figured after last year's "Virgin Hunk" with James McAvoy they try to make the male characters in these sketches resemble the real life Bachelors as closely as they can. I spent most of this sketch waiting to see how they would use Chloe. Thankfully, her vestigial twin and the implied beheading of Melissa's character were the only things that stood out here to me. Also, this sketch has the distinction of being the only of these sketches to air in February instead of January. I am left wondering why the hell it aired as late in the show as it did? C+
EA Madden '21 Voiceover Session - This was honestly the funniest live piece of the night to me. I liked seeing JJ Watt shouting phrases that increasingly made him look real bad. Mikey and Ego were well used here. B+
Food Dudes - After hearing that this got cut from the previous week's show, I was one of the first to predict that we would see this make it to air in a future episode as there was no host to be seen in it. I'm glad to see that actually happen. It seemed a little more detail oriented and like more of a "writer's sketch" than was described but it was still well executed and Kenan made the whole thing for me. B+
My Fair Bigfoot - This and the cold open felt like the opposite of a lot of what we saw tonight. This was another premise that seemed interesting on paper but was severely bought down in its' execution. It could've really been something if they didn't decide to make the one central punchline of this piece "Bigfoot took a massive shit in the bathroom and everyone is very slow to catch on." Plus, Cecily's character falling in love with Bigfoot after he admits to everything and pledges to leave with her and a harp felt too tacked on for my liking. D+
Big Willie's Pizza - Well, I'm glad that this wasn't just a reprisal of Aidy's "child who obliviously ends up in an porno setting" character. They got me with the faux aged camera affect but the fact that this didn't have a faux title should've tipped me off. Instead, we got a breakdown of the most tired trope that comedy shows fall back on when they parody the general concept of porno films. It was nice to see a premise that was actually SAVED in it's writing and execution for once. I don't think I've ever seen this done elsewhere in comedy before but it felt fresh for something that seemed like it could've been cut from a few dress rehearsals in the past. Also, this was a testament to Kenan now being "the glue" of the show and seeing Heidi basically reprise her Kristen Schaal impression didn't hurt either. B+
Now, here are my updated rankings of this entire season so far...
1. Eddie Murphy/Lizzo
2. David Harbour/Camilla Cabello
3. Chance The Rapper
4. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift
5. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish
6. Scarlett Johansson/Niall Horan
7. Adam Driver/Halsey
8. J.J. Watt/Luke Combs
9. Jennifer Lopez/DaBaby
10. Will Ferrell/King Princess
11. Harry Styles
12. Kristen Stewart/Coldplay
Well, that well exceeded my tempered expectations. Next week, RuPaul hosts for the first time. Well, it makes sense as the shows' big birthday (and possibly "going away") present to Cecily and "Drag Race" remains quite popular after nearly a decade. Still, it should be an energetic show with strong performances in spite of how "out of left field" it seems. See you then!
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