Daniel Craig/The Weeknd (3.7.2020)

Okay, here's my review. This episode wasn't exactly an easy one for me to get excited about because I remembered how disappointing Daniel Craig's first show in October 2012 was. Daniel gave it his all both now and then and, despite being a tad uneven in small spots this episode turned out much better. I guess Daniel had weaker writing last time or they were all just a bit overworked from doing another early start heavily frontloaded election season where they had to write the regular show and the Weekend Update Thursday specials simultaneously. Also, John Mulaney hosted an alarmingly run of the mill show last week compared to the two previous episodes he hosted in the recent past which both felt unique for this era so at least with expectations being much lower first this show we weren't being near deliberately set up for crushing disappointment (much like how J.Lo's episode was followed up by ScarJo and then Eddie). It's nice to see they're steadily giving Chloe and Ego more parts. As far as the rest of the cast, airtime seemed pretty evenly distributed but Pete was invisible once again and I legitimately can't wait to find out what his excuse for missing THIS show was. Anyway, let's break it down.

Ingraham Angle - Well, after all the cameo loaded debate cold opens they've done recently I was pleasantly surprised that they were thinking a little outside of the box this week. Then, I realized how underwhelming this specific cold open template was the two times they did it last season. They started out hitting pretty much all the same beats as those ones with Pirro and the fake sponsors (which I did like along with the list of things to worry about) and I did like the gag with Eric Trumps' fever (the Trump bros are best used sparingly at this point). I'd have to say the highlight of this sketch for me was Darrell Hammonds' return as Chris Matthews doing some of the most pointed criticism of Matthews they've ever done. I also appreciate that they bought Darrell back for an impression that's a little outside the usual trifecta of "greatest hits" he's been known for (Clinton, Connery, Trump) and surprisingly none of the new knowledge I have about Chris Matthews has made this impression any less funny to me now than it was 15-20 years ago. As for Senator Warren, at least I can say I genuinely didn't see this one coming (even though I definitely should've given how Kate appeared in a sketch alongside Hillary Clinton during the same election cycle where she played her). Still, Warren being there just felt like a throwback to a previous era when active (or recently active) politicians and presidential candidates making cameos on the show (or even commenting on the shows' representations of them) was seen as fun and safe and not at all damaging to our democracy or political discourse. Perhaps I'm wrong and reading a bit too much into this but that's the only reason I can think of that Bernie was among the last three presidential candidates to appear on the show (not too recently obviously, I mean the last time he ran in early 2016). I will say I appreciate seeing her on the show at the exact point when she has nothing to lose even though none of the material they gave her really stood out to me. It's also good to see Kate is still the queen of the cold open quick change even if we didn't really need to see her in dual roles here.

Monologue - I'm glad they decided to insert a pretape in the middle of this monologue more for the format breaking than for the fact that the live portions of the monologue didn't quite work for me. Plus, I was a little disappointed that the PWB mention wasn't just a call for Melissa do come on stage and do her impression of her. Gradually turning James Bond into a trashy, Vegas tourist type of gambler seemed like such a simple premise I was surprised I hadn't remembered seeing it on SNL or anywhere else previously (although this did remind me a bit of the James Bond sketch they did in 2008 when Tim McGraw hosted). They pulled this off well and I did appreciate the twist at the end, too. B-

The Sands Of Modesto - This also felt like it was plugged into a template for a specific type of sketch the show has done before but updated for a current health scare. Still, it felt a little labored and telegraphed but I did like the prop heavy romance scenes between Kate and Daniel. Cecily's sneeze was a little predictable but it was the perfect note to end this sketch in terms of length. C+

On The Couch - This felt like the simplest of premises, but the only thing the show had done before that was reminiscent of this was "Jizz In My Pants" and possibly the inverse of "Slow" from Adam Drivers episode. The Weeknd really added to this sketch and I'm glad they used him in a sketch outside of Update. The sketch really picked up once he got the increasingly instant quick jumps to the couch going. Plus, this was another rare moment where the show actually made some use of Melissa's singing skills. B+

The Deirdre Show - I'm glad they keep giving Ego her own showcases. This was all right, but it took a little long to get going for me. Fortunately, that's my only real complaint about it because Ego really saved it with some assists from Kenan and Heidi. Craig really held his own here and there were some shades of the absurdist hyperfocused Comedy Bang! Bang! style of humor from Ego's pre-SNL background. B-

Debbie Downer - I feel like I should've been one of the people expecting this given how frequently Rachel Dratch has been making cameos this season (in fact I do have to wonder if this was deliberately kept in the live rundown to make up for a possible Amy Klobuchar sketch being scrapped at the last minute) but this actually caught my by a pleasant surprise. I was never crazy about this flagship character of hers but I guess it just suddenly grew on me here since her performance here is stronger than I remember. Sure, it also seemed to hit on all the same beats that the previous ones did but the "removed for trespassing" and Trump jokes really made this for me. B-

Update was serviceable but not much to write home about. Josts' only jokes that stood out to me were the Biden/Michigan/brain disease ones. I also liked the brief callback to Ches' "drinking problem" from last week but I didn't like how he didn't commit to it as much. After reading about how Bowens' "Bottle Boi" got cut from dress last week, I'm glad to see this got on because it seems like quite a departure for him. He was pretty funny and again, I liked his commitment, but I couldn't get past how this character seemed like a direct cross between Tracy Morgan's "Woodrow", Kenan Thompsons' "Willie" and Beck Bennett's "Bayou Benny" with a little dash of Bowen Yang's "Chen Biao" sprinkled in for good measure. I'm not totally sure we needed to see "TheWeeknd Update" once more but I appreciate the commitment to the continuity there. Normally, I could go either way on Cecily's party girl but it's been a good long while since we've seen her and this may start  providing me some closure on this possibly being Cecily's farewell season. The Joaquin Phoenix joke, Colin sunglasses and illness reveals were the only things that stood out to me. C+

Southern Accent Coach - I wanted to like this sketch more but it didn't quite seem to know what it wanted to be. At times it seemed too subtle when it called for absolutely zero subtlety and there was just too much buildup to whatever little payoff there was. I do appreciate Beck and Daniel really giving it their all and that they chose to end this with completely unexpected vomit tubes. C+

Movie Quotes - Good to see that Heidi was finally able to get this on the air the third time she submitted it. I'm also glad to see that Heidi's character was a lot more low-key than I was picturing based on the dress description I read. Other than that, it's basically exactly what I was expecting so even though I feel like I can barely judge this fairly I'll say everyone played well off of each other. B-

Overnight Salad - I did like this just for the sheer absurdity of it that made it feel far outside of the realm of what SNL would even attempt now. I also liked how it felt like the closest thing this era could've had to a "blackout" sketch that they would do in the first season. This got in, got it's fairly obvious joke out there and got right out. B-

Now, for 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. Daniel Craig/The Weeknd
9. John Mulaney/David Byrne
10. RuPaul/Justin Bieber
11. J.J. Watt/Luke Combs
12. Jennifer Lopez/DaBaby
13. Will Ferrell/King Princess
14. Harry Styles
15. Kristen Stewart/Coldplay

Well, that episode delivered better than I expected given that I barely expected anything. At the end of the month, John Krasinski makes his hosting debut. It's nice that we're getting a first time host who feels like a natural fit for the show. Plus, it's good for him to finally get this in before he fully completed his ongoing transition from low key funny man to high key action hero and people's general perception of him fully changes. I mean, it would've been nice if he'd done the show when he was still on The Office but at least we're getting this now. See you in a few weeks!

John Mulaney/David Byrne (2.29.2020)

Okay, here's my review. This struck me as the type of episode that looks better in comparison to the rest of this season but not so much when compared to Mulaney's previous episodes. He was still a welcome premise and a solid host but it felt like a typical modern episode of the show with Mulaney just dragged-and-dropped in as host (Mulaney having to further postpone a standup gig in Canada he had tonight to host at Lornes' possibly last minute request probably has a lot to do with that). The fact that I can't immediately point to something as being a possible dress cut Mulaney dug up from his time as a staff writer or a piece he championed as a showcase for this season's most underused featured player (which would obviously be Chloe at this point but at least she got her own showcase in the previous episode) indicates that there's barely enough of Mulaney's comedic tone of voice throughout the show for it to hold a candle to his previous episodes (I also know that specific singular unilateral quality is what some people dislike about Mulaney's episodes but hey, to each their own). Plus, looking back over some of the sketches they did it just seems like they just plopped him into a lot of this season's recurring premises he had nothing to do with writing or conceiving thus wasting his talents. Aside from that, cast airtime was pretty uneven. Mikey, Heidi, Alex, Bowen and Ego were barely in anything while Melissa was shut out of the show entirely (gee, Mulaney wasn't THAT hurt by the impression she did of him on social media this week, was he?) Chloe only had a couple of small speaking parts but hey, I'm sure that's a major step up for her. Everyone seemed to dominate the show to different degrees, but let's break it down, shall we?

Coronavirus Press Conference - Well, what this cold pen says to me (besides just "Baldwin and Sudekis weren't available this week) is that the cast and writers must've had so much fun writing original sketches with Mulaney that writing this weeks obligatory political cold open felt like even more of a slog than usual so they really had to rush this one. I do like how they went slightly outside of the box with this one by just assembling almost all the cameos regular viewers might be expecting for a Democratic Debate sketch at this point but placing them in a sketch parodying last night's White House Press Conference instead. They sprung those cameos on us at the exact moment when we would expect them the least. Speaking of the things I least expected, I'm not sure Mulaney as Biden worked for me but thankfully he had some decent lines and his part in the sketch was fairly small. Plus, I could tell adding anyone as Biden was a VERY last minute addition since they heavily referenced his victory in the South Carolina primary from hours ago that same night. As much as I tire of seeing Fred Armisen on SNL, I know I have to get used to it seeing as the looming inane face of Mike Bloomberg is still watching over this election. Plus, with Mulaney hosting it feels somewhat appropriate since he seemed to really like writing for both him and Hader during his time on the show. Of course, it's always nice to see Rachel Dratch and Larry David again even if they don't have much that stays with you after their sketch is over. Honestly, the true highlight of this sketch was Kenan as Ben Carson. Sure, his impression wasn't as strong as that of Jay Pharaoh or Sterling K. Brown but Kenan injected some of the fun and loose yet restrained just the right amount type of silliness that he has mastered by this point in his SNL tenure. While I still don't quite know what to make of this sketch, I will say it worked in spite of itself because everyone seemed to have better dialogue than we usually get in these modern day political cold opens. Plus, it was a lot more entertaining and watchable than what we usually get when they try to cram in all of the big tentpole political headlines of the past two weeks that they took off into a single cold open. C+

Monologue - It's good to see Mulaney is still in the prime of his standup career. I liked this much better than I liked the bull of his standup monologue from last season. I especially liked the comparisons he made between himself and Louis Farrakhan, the Founding Father's and the '92 Chicago Bulls as well as all the constitution material. I also liked how he really broke down the general concept of "dad jokes" just enough to make them seem fresh and how he managed to make a story about him fulfilling a sick child's Make-A-Wish request funny in a self deprecating type of way. Also, I like that he just admitted he was promoting nothing but I was a bit surprised. I guess his "Sack Lunch Bunch" special on Netflix didn't come out recently enough for him to still be promoting but I guess he can't just be "promoting" his own standup whether he's on tour or just releasing a new album or Netflix special for some reason. B+

The Sound Of Music - This had to have been at least cowritten by Mulaney as it's so much in his voice that it immediately reminded me of the bit from his second album/special where he just lays out how conceptually fucked up "Back To The Future" had to have been even as a pitch to a studio. Well, at least I hope it was since that would be the best thing this had going for it. Between doing at least their fourth or fifth "Sound Of Music" parody this century and at least their third or fourth sketch with this cast pointing out how baby boomer era pop culture just flaunts inappropriate age differences and power dynamics in romantic relationships compared to how we tiptoe around such things today, they really hit us with the one-two punch of "tired SNL sketch premises in the 21st century". I don't know if it actually was too long or if all of those things I just mentioned made it feel much longer than it actually was but it just didn't feel necessary. D+

When Your Uncle Finds Out You've Been Memeing Him - Seeing Chloe being prominently featured in the commercial bumper showing this sketches' setup made me think this could've been her big sketch if not Heidi's third attempt at getting that sexy movie quotes game night sketch of hers on the air. What this ended up being was Mulaney's obligatory collaboration with Pete but it ended up being much funnier than I expected (that's probably because I just found out before posting this that Dan Licata and Stephen Castillo wrote this instead of John and Pete). Meme humor on SNL is another thing that is starting to feel played out but thankfully it was another thing that only someone like John Mulaney (with the occasional assist from Chris Redd) has the comedic ability to feel fresh and funny in 2020. Mulaney pretty much carried this whole sketch on his back but everyone else played straight men off of him well. B+

Kyle Gets Swole - It sure feels nice to see another one of these soft focus "The Problem With Kyle" type shorts (especially since they can still pull these off after Leslie left thus making this one the first of these types of shorts they have done all year). I do like how drastically against type Kyle played himself here and how they added a lot of different elements to make this different from the one from last season's premiere where Kyle just tried to gain everyone's respect just by emulating Pete. I also liked the two covers of SNL magazine as well as how they underplayed such an outlandish premise by having it reach such an anticlimactic conclusion. The only negative thing I can really say about this is how needlessly and gratuitously tacked on the Justin Theroux cameo felt (or was that Alex Moffat or Taylor Swuft in heavy makeup?) B+

Say, Those Two Don't Seem To Loke Each Other - Okay, this pretty much killed all the momentum the show had been building up to this point. I liked Kate and Aidy presenting each other with various deadly weapons. Thankfully, they weren't the focus of the rest of this. Sadly, it's not saying much that Mulaney ended up being the main focus or that they barely changed the premise of this from the J.Lo installment. This one was honestly worse and seeing Becks' character (and not even he could save this one either) suddenly turn gay at the mere sight of Mulaney's character is a bit of a stretch (maybe not as big as seeing bullets from a tommy gun do absolutely no other collateral damage to Mulaney's character besides blasting off his sleeves and pant legs but still). Oh, well. I'm sure this still had a lot more value to that small but vocal hardcore segment of Mulaney's fanbase who, like he said in his monologue, views him as their Farrakhan. D+

Update was really only worth watching for the drastic format breaking. Che's Coronavirus breakdown and Josts' Eric Trump joke were the only things from them I was really feeling (and yeah, I am getting the subtle hint here that this is at least their last full length season on the show if not their last episode). Redds' black history month commentary was the highlight of Update for me. I like that they finally let Chris Redd just do some of his own standup on Update. I am just wondering why this didn't happen two seasons ago when Redd was still a mere featured player. That's honestly the only bad thing I can say about Redds' piece. B+

Phantom of LaGuardia - Okay, I can immediately tell what this was based on seeing the commercial setup. I'm still left wondering if this was another one of Mulaney's lost dress cuts or if it was something he wanted to write AFTER Diner Lobster (and to a lesser extent Bodega Bathroom) became viral hits. Still, this was enjoyable despite feeling a little overstuffed with possibly one or two Broadway showtime parodies too many (and maybe those "Sack Lunch Bunch" fan service cameos from Byrne and Gyllenhaal could've been cut) but I guess I could understand Mulaney wanting each of these to feel bigger and more spectacular than the one that preceded it (and besides, at least this ensured Alex and Bowen each got a few seconds of airtime this week so they wouldn't be totally shut out like poor Melissa putting on a brave face during the goodnights). Also, I don't think they really NEEDED to explain the Sully Goose Phantom joke but I'm sure there would be some viewers out there who would've missed it otherwise. B-

Forgotten Figures Of Black History - This was something I wanted to like for how creative if a premise it seemed but it ended up being so muddled and unfocused in execution (in a way that screams "only Che could've written this") that I could barely get a handle on it. I think the main problem is that Kenans' character was given much more detailed and intricate backstory than was necessary. The payoff was okay, but the buildup didn't quite seem worth it. C+

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. John Mulaney/David Byrne
9. RuPaul/Justin Bieber
10. J.J. Watt/Luke Combs
11. Jennifer Lopez/DaBaby
12. Will Ferrell/King Princess
13. Harry Styles
14. Kristen Stewart/Coldplay

Now, just for fun, I think I'll rank all of Mulaney's episodes from best to worst...

1. John Mulaney/Thomas Rhett (3.2.2019)
2. John Mulaney/Jack White (4.14.2018)
3. John Mulaney/David Byrne (2.29.2020)

Well, that pretty much met my kost realistic expectations for a Mulaney hosted episode in a heavy election primary season. Next week, Daniel Craig makes his hosting return after an eight year absence from SNL. I think it'll be a little hard for a lot if people (myself included) to get genuinely excited for that one. That's certainly not just because it's the week after Mulaney hosted. It's mostly because his 2012 episode was looked upon as being pretty weak at that time. In fact, it was one of the few minor weak spots in the middle of the otherwise solid season 38. I may have to go back and reread my old review of that one or see some clips from it to see if that general consensus still holds up but I feel like it still should given how little I remember of his first episode. Oh, well. See you then!