Aziz Ansari/Big Sean (1.21.2017)

Okay, here's my review. This show was fairly inconsistent. Overall it was a bit of a let down from last week. There were great moments to be had but they were scattered to far and few in between. Still, what landed really hit. Aziz Ansari proved to be a capable (if not a little overbearing) host who effortlessly ingratiated himself with this cast. He would prove to be a welcoming presence on the show at this point in human history The fact that he was hosting with absolutely nothing to promote from within the past year felt strange, but him being SNLs' first host after Donald J. Trump was sworn in as president is at least somewhat encouraging. The cast was pretty even as far as airtime goes but Kyle, Pete, and Aid could've used more exposure. Sadly, the writing may be on the wall for Alex Moffat more than anyone right now. Anyway, let's break it down.

A Paid Message From The Russian Federation - This cold open was pretty solid, if not something that seemed like it was going to be forgettable. The only things that really stood out were thow Kates' Olya was finslly used outdide of Update and he inauguration/women's March jokes that were addressed directly to Trump. Beck is usually reliable as Putin, but does he ALWAYS have to be shirtless? Also, it was nice to get a bit of a break from Baldwin as Trump (even if it turns out to only be for this week). I assumed he wasn't going to be able to do the show anyway after I read about how he was involved in a protest at Trump Tower with Deniro, Moore, Ruffalo and others. B-

Monologue - This was definitely the third strongest portion of the show. Aziz is just as sharp of a stand up as he ever was. I definitely liked his shade at Trump, Bush and the "lower case KKK". Overall, this monologue was actually better than most of his last Netflix special. Even though this wasn't quite as good as Chappelle, it was nice to have another stand up monologue from another first time host this season. B-

Bear The Bookworm - This was a sketch that telegraphed it's main joke less than ten seconds in but thankfully they knew exactly where to end it. It seemed to be playing to Azizs' weaknesses as an actor. I couldn't help but wonder how much more enjoyable this sketch would be if Azizs' part were written for another host. C-

Interrogation - This felt like it was stretched WAY to thin. Maybe it's because La La  Land criticism in general has been done to death in the press and on social media but it just didn't quite land with me. It was one of the shows weaker attempts to relate to current poo culture in a long time. Beck couldn't save it but at least he tried. Kenan walking was the closest thing to a laugh as I got out of this sketch. Otherwise, it just felt as if either Kelly/Schneider or Torres were having an off night. D-

The Kelly Anne number just confused me and didn't go anywhere. I'm guessing "Chicago" was the thing they were referencing here and that Anderson and Sublette were the ones that wrote this. Well, at least they are trying to give Kate something different to use as Kellyanne. I was wondering what prevented this from being done live until I noticed Beck was in the previous sketch, Kate was in the next one and Beck played both Jake Tapper and a backup dancer in this. C-

Broderick And Ganz Attorneys At Law - This was definitely the second strongest piece of the night. I definitely got a lot of laughs from Azizs' delivery and the intricate way this was written. Bobby's performance was great, too. A-

Update was definitely the strongest portion of tonight's show. Che and Josh really hit the Inauguration/R. Spencer/S. Spicer material out of the park (and I wonder if Che's feminism/women's March speech will win over some of his critics). Leslie's Hidden Figures Commentary was probably her second funniest commentary this season. Mikeys' Friend Zone report was something a bit different for this Era if Update and it could've been shortened as he kind of be labored the point with it but ultimately it worked. A-

Bedroom Dirty Talk - This was okay. It was good to finally see Melissa showcased in something. Even though she only got to sneak in two of her impressions, at least this piece let us see more of who Melissa is as a comedian (outside of her affinity for impressions). Now, if only she could get more of her impressions on the show, she should be set. Other than that, this felt a little rushed and derivative of something MAD TV would have done (not a commentary on their level of humor necessarily, just me pointing out that they tend to do a lot of bedroom scenes is all) it was nice to see the audience respond so well to something she got on. C+

Uber Rating - This short worked well. It got quite a few genuine laughs out of me. I did appreciate how subtle and grounded the humor was in this given how far it escalated. Bobby and Aziz definitely played well off of each other and had good chemistry. B+

Pizza Town - This sketch worked just because it was so well performed. Bobby, Aziz, Aid and Mikey were convincing as anamatronic robots. Kenan played well off of his surroundings. Beck and Kyle did a great job of providing a stark contrast as a cop and criminal in a tense standoff. I'm guessing Mikey wrote part of this. If so, at least he's been good at spacing out these types of sketches lately. This was another time I couldn't help but wonder how this sketch might be different with another host placed in Azizs' role. C+

To Sir With Love - This musical Obama tribute at the end was slightly awkward in execution but ultimately was definitely very sweet and definitely warranted. I can tell this meant a lot to Cecily and Sasheer. They must've been at least a little emotional about it. They're not bad singers either. I would like to see more of Cecily and Sasheer showcase their full singing abilities on the show. The one thing that could've improved this would've been if Kate, Vanessa and Aidy each gradually joined them on stage. I could tell from Vanessa and Aidy's social media that it would've meant the world to them if having to do a live show this week wasn't preventing them from joining the women's March in NYC today (at least it's probably still going to be going on tomorrow). C+

Now, for my updated rankings for this week...

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest

2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga

3. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots

4. John Cena/Maren  Morris

5. Felicity Jones/Sturgill Simpson

6. Casey Affleck/Chance The Rapper

7. Aziz Ansari/Big Sean

8. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

9. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

10. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

11. Kristen Wiig/The xx

12. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

In two weeks, Kristen Stewart inexplicably makes her hosting debut. Wow. I mean, she isn't even known for her DRAMATIC acting chops. She would normally stand out as just a questionable hosting choice any other time of year, but during a SWEEPS month you have to REALLY wonder what the hell is going on! Oh well, there's a chance she could still surprise us...as long as she at least attempts to LOOK like she's having reasonable fun doing this show. See you then!

Felicity Jones/Sturgill Simpson (1.14.2017)

Okay, here's my review. This show may not have stood out compared to the rest of this season as a whole but it sure did stand out in terms of previous January premieres as it was one of the stronger January shows in recent memory. Outside of a few weak spots it was a fairly consistent show in terms of what landed writing wise. Felicity Jones was a bit unpolished, but she was a real professional who I wouldn't mind getting to see host again. Good to see Pete make a comeback. Beck seems to have established himself as the shows' male lead judging by the amount of airtime he has been getting this week. Good to see Melissa being used more even though the bulk of her parts were straight non-impression roles (although this was the extent to which Jon Rudnitsky was being used by this time last year and we saw how well that turned out for him. While t hi is episode was unsurprisingly light on Sasheer and Alex it was surprisingly light on Cecily, Bobby and Kyle. Anyway, let's just break this thing down, shall we?

Trump Press Conference - This cold open was pretty strong (except for all the blatantly tacked on urine/pee pee jokes). Baldwins' Trump may need some fine tuning and Beck as shirtless Putin is teetering very precariously into "played out" territory. Was the title card at the beginning all that necessary? B-

Monologue - This was a lot more enjoyable than it had any right to be. Kenan was used well and Tina made a worthwhile contribution (despite it being unclear why she was there in the first place). At this point in the show, it was too early to get a good read on Felicity as a host. While she looked quite nervous and near Krazy Glued to the cue cards, she seemed focused and committed. B-

Beard Hunk - I don't think they needed to do three of the knockoff Bachelor sketches but I appreciated how they kept the changes to the formula they introduced in last years' Ronda Rousey episode. Beck Bennet doesn't seem like the best fit for this sketch but Felicity fit right in despite losing her American accent quite quickly. Other than that, nothing else stood put aside from a few of Kate and Aidys' lines. C+

Shondra And Malik - This short film was strange as it felt pretty one note after it established the conflict between Kenan and Leslie and didn't quite go anywhere. Leslies' sudden heart attack stuck out like a sore thumb right before a rather predictable (but still funny) ending. C+

Theater Donor - This seemed like it either needed some more variation to it or just needed to be cut short. Either way, I did like how it escalated wildly to such a quick punchline. Plus, I appreciated how committed the whole cast was to it. C+

The Princess and the Curse - This sketch was okay. While I legitimately wonder what prevented this from being done live I did appreciate the level of production value. I also appreciated how they didn't drag out the main joke too long and even if the ending was a little predictable, the way it was acted made it funnier. B+

Susan B Anthony House - This  sketch felt like a huge wasted opportunity and needed to be edited WAY down. Although I did like how Kate delivered her "abortion is murder" line, it might have made for much more worthwhile sketch if they played THAT up a bit more instead of what they gave us. Oh well, at least by this point in the show Felicity had already established herself as a host that gelled well with the cast. D+

Update made a very strong comeback. Jost got a head start but it didn't take long for Che to catch up with him. I liked both Beck and Petes commentaries even if they made me feel a bit bad for Melissa as it sounded like they were both being set up for her. Becks' commentary particularly stood out since I appreciated seeing some classic Good Neighbor style comedy being bought back to the show after what felt like a half season absence of their shorts. Plus, it was nice to see a cast member who ISN'T Pete or Leslie deliver a commentary just as themselves on Update. Beck made this feel like a throwback to something we haven't seen on the show in 10-15 years. B+

Hot Robot 3 Fandango Junket - This wasn't the the funniest thing ever, but I could appreciate it for its sublty in the face of sheer silliness. I did like how everyone treated the raunchy stupidity of the movie they discussed with utter seriousness as it was high art or nuanced social commentary. C-

Corporate Retreat - This sketch really rewarded you for sitting through it. At first it looked like we were just seeing a leftover Kristen Wiig sketch from 2010-11 but then it escalated to something much bigger. Kate and Beck acted the hell out of their parts and it paid off. Felicity handled her role well and I did like how Melissa was at least use her odd natural speaking voice to her own advantage for once. B-

Now, time for my updated rankings of this season...

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest

2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga

3. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots

4. John Cena/Maren  Morris

5. Felicity Jones/Sturgill Simpson

6. Casey Affleck/Chance The Rapper

7. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

8. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

9. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

10. Kristen Wiig/The xx

11. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Well, that was a strong way to kick off a new year for SNL. Next week, Aziz Ansari will make his hosting debut As a fan of Aziz, I would say this is well deserved. Sure, maybe I'd be more excited about this if it were happening maybe four or five years ago, but I'm still looking forward to it. Aziz has previous acting and sketch comedy experience that will serve him well and it will be nice to see another stand up monologue on the show. Sure, Aziz may not have anything to promote currently but who cares? SNL could use some more actual comedians as hosts right now. See you then!

Casey Affleck/Chance The Rapper (12.17.2016)

Okay, here's my review. This show well exceeded my expectations and I got more out of it than I was expecting to. Casey Affleck was an enjoyable host despite only being known for dramatic roles and projects. He gelled well with the cast and the writers actually seemed to know how and when he could've been best used best. Sure, the writing was a little uneven and a lot of recurring premises got dug out of mothballs when they shouldn't have been, but hey...there have been worse Christmas shows in recent memory. Aside from Pete (who I hope is doing well if he isn't in rehab), Melissa (who is most likely not going to make it to the end of the season at this point), plus Leslie, Cecily and Mikey (which is very unusual for both of them at this point) the cast was pretty evenly balanced for airtime. Let's break it down shall we?

Another Trump Christmas - This was probably their strongest post election Trump piece. Kate and Alec were fine but really didn't give us anything new and weren't really the focus of the sketch. Beck put his Putin impression to his best use yet here. It was nice to see SNL finally start to get a firm grasp on tbe Russian hacking/interference scandal. Goodman as Rex Tillerson was a bit of out-of-the-box stunt casting and he was great here as well. It's alsk encouraging to see SNL start to go after Trumps' cabinet more and more each week rather than focusing all their energy on making Trump and KellyAnne look even more clownish (as if they needed SNL's help in that regard). Still, seeing Goodman make a cameo I couldn't help but wonder why HE wasn't hosting instead of Casey Affleck. Yeah, his last hosting stint wasn't all the great, but come on! He certainly deserves another chance! B-

Monologue - This didn't instill a ton of confidence in me for Casey Affleck as a host at firstt. He handled it well enough, but he seemed a little out of his element and the material meandered quite a bit. The true highlights were the Baldwin/Goodman walk ons and his stomping on the musical numbers. Kenan as Black Santa felt too tacked on for my liking. Also, I couldn't help but wonder why Casey had a full beard when every other (male) host in recent memory has had to be clean shaven. Did he actually need this for another live action film he is shooting currently and work it out with Lorne? Something tells me he may not be used much in this episode and this is going to be another episode that is densely packed with cameos. C+

Dunkin Donuts - This ad was funnier than it had any right to be mostly due to the efforts of Casey and this season's male featured players. Sure, it must've been the obligatory attempt at Boston humor considering the host is named "Affleck", but it worked nonetheless. B+

Robotic Worker Presentation - Was there a point to Armisen being a part of this sketch? I guess he's got a new penultimate season of Portlandia coming out next month to promote. Plus, Seth Meyers still has a show and still employs him and I guess SNL was lucky enough to catch him when he wasn't taking time off from it. I guess his presence here was appropriate enough since this whole sketch felt like a throwback to his Era of prominence as a cast member as it was blatant gay humor run into the cold, cold ground withour taking a second to think of what more they could trim fron this. If they were trying to make a statement on political correctness, they failed. I have to give credit to Casey, Kenan and Aidy here as they really played off of their surroundings well. Beck looked like he just walked off the set of a 1994 Duracell commercial and Kyles' wig looked like it was applied in too big of a hurry. C-

Jingle Barack - While this was clever, something felt strange about its execution. I realize it's a riff on Run DMCs' "Christmas in Hollis, Queens" but was it really that necessary to give a very 1986 aesthetic to something so obviously set in 2016? Anyway, a lot of individual jokes worked in spite of this. Plus, this was a decent use of Chance The Rapper outside of the musical guest slot but he didn't really seem like he was giving it his all. Adding Leslie as a Salt-N-Pepa-alike MC was an inspired touch. C+

Christmas Miracle - I don't see why they needed to recur this a third time in only two seasons but at least this, much like a lot of Kates' recurring sketches has a great streak of absurdist writing to it and is performed as reliably well as always. Plus, it's not totally a bad thing that the law of diminishing returns really helps reduce the corpsing. I'm tempted to say this sketch is becoming the next Debbie Downer but this sketch warrants return installments much more than Debbie Downer ever did. By this point in the show, it became pretty obvious that Casey's beard wasn't a big if an issue as Lorne may make it out to be with other hosts either because they wrote his parts around it or it was just incidental to every sketch he was in.  C+

Update is improving ever so slightly. They still have plenty of good material. Jost is still on a bit of a hot streak and Che is making the best of what he is given. The lone commentary really killed this one. We didn't need to see Fred and Vanesas' "friends from growing up" bit anymore but they were both in the building during a week when Russia was in the news again so we should've seen this coming. I thought that they might have been planning to take this in a different direction when they mentioned Putin being a fan of Che but I spoke too soon. C+

New York Now - This Long Island nativity scene was possibly the weakest live segment of the night. It had Anderlette written all over it and it felt very derivative. It felt like a pinch of Coffee Talk, a teaspoon of Bronx Beat and a dash of Affleck chanelling Kroll and Mulaney in "Oh Hello" baked into a thin bare Nativity sketch premise crust with other attempts at lame regional NY type humor. Chance The Rapper didn't quite fit into this sketch at first but then having him drop a Hammer reference seemed oddly appropriate. . Plus, it felt like this was Cecily's first appearance of the night (which is strange at this point in the show) and if Mikey's part was what this was building up to, it was too weak of a payoff.  D+

Hillary, Actually - This really pulled it's weight. The electoral college angle was topical enough to justify writing it (speaking of which, I'd be shocked if this wasn't a Kelly/Schnieder joint) and enough bizarro-Zuckeresque sight gags with the fold out cards and giant check to justify filming it rather than doing it live (they did this exact same thing in a live sketch with Pete and Amy Adams that got cut from dress two years ago). This was surprisingly enjoyable with what they added to it. B-

Christmas Bar - This sketch was a little repetitive and predictable and shticky for my liking but it was more watchable than it really had any right to be. I liked how they kept upping the stakes and adding to this. Normally, you could only see this type of "wild building on a trope" sketch on the recently departed Comedy Bang! Bang! IFC series but it worked surprisingly well in this setting. Casey performed his part well even if it wasn't too much of a stretch from the Boston role he played earlier. C-

Mrs. Claus And The Elves - I'm sure this is a bad sign, but I saw where this sketch was going the very second it started. I was hoping that it would be a little different since "Mrs. Claus" was the focus but I ended up hating myself for being right. This was definitely the most unwelcome recurring segment of the night and Casey Affleck was the host who added the least to it. It dragged on, but at least the ending was swift and abrupt.  D-

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

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest

2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga

3. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots

4. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

5. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

6. John Cena/Maren Morris

7. Casey Affleck/Chance The Rapper

8. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

9. Kristen Wiig/The xx

10. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Well, that was as good a note to end 2016 on as any. Next month, SNL rings in the new year with Felicity Jones as their first new host. I can't say I've seen her in anything big just yet, I've heard good things about her acting and can say with some confidence that I am looking forward to this episode. See you then!

John Cena/Maren Morris (12. 10.16)

Okay, here's my review. In spite of itself, this show is definitely the strongest out of all the episodes that have aired since Chappelle hosted last month. John Cena performed exactly as well as I had expected as a host. He showed a lot of commitment and strong comedic energy. He was obviously psyched just to be there and gelled well with the cast but at the same time, he didn't always make his presence known. Obviously, this was through no fault of his own. It seems the writers only used him in the two ways they knew how; in either hunky guy roles or big dumb athlete roles. Unfortunately, not every sketch calls for that role and Cena felt out of place in those types of sketches when he was placed in them to fill a straight man role that any other male cast member or host could've easily handled. Cena was just shoved into the background in sketches that didn't call for him getting to play himself. Of course, this was on top of the fluctuations in this episode's writing quality. Cena was one of the seasons better hosts when he was visible He met my expectations more than the writers did. Aside from Pete, Sasheeer Alex and Melissa the cast was pretty evenly balanced tonight. Anyway, let's break this down.

The Lead w/Jake Tapper - This was very well executed despite being a slight variation on the commonly observed theme among Trumps' cabinet picks. Becks' Jake Tapper was serviceable here but Kate may have to find a new angle on KellyAnne Conway. The Bryan Cranston cameo was great and they wrote great lines for him. I especially liked the retconned Mr. Whites' death on the series into a faked suicide just for this sketch and worked in the LFNY rather than just tacking it on like they have been doing. B-

Monologue - This was a lot of fun despite being a little predictable. Bobby, Kenan and Leslie were great at cutting promos. Cena gelled really well with them and set a great tone for the rest of the show. B-

Hook A Hunk - This MTV dating game sketch was a little uneven, but overall I liked how they handled it. They could've played down Cena and Cecily's parts, but they knew exactly when to embellish Mikey, Beck and Kyles' parts and end the sketch there. C+

The Karate Nerd - This parody was another uneven piece that worked despite it's flaws. Cena played his role so big that it became obnoxious by the end. Kenan played his role well, but they could've trimmed down the penny training flashback. I kept waiting through the buildup of what I expected to be a bloody, Farewell, Mr Bunting/Wake Up And Smile type payoff but seeing Mikey get knocked out of his pants Charlie Brown style through five walls was just cute and cartoonish enough to work. C+

U. of Alabama Science Class - This sketch was funny despite feeling like it tread on a slightly overdone trope for SNL. Cena had the best lines with his dopey banana speech and his delivery really sold them. Beck, Aidy and Kenan played theit roles well. Mikey, Bobby and Vanessa were competent straight foils but mostly felt like furniture here. B-

Dyke and Fats Save Christmas - This seemed like the ultimate "worked-best-as-a-one-off" sketch. Aside from the Christmas theme and the "broads" line near the end, they may not have changed enough to justify a retread. C-

Update was pretty weak tonight. I was a little disappointed with the way they handled this weeks' Trump/CIA/Russia news. I don't know if it's because I've seen too many other takes on this story or if it's because it's one of those stories that has implications so scary that they're beyond satire. The only jokes from Jost and Che that landed were the short form and Black Santa material. It was nice to see Kates' Angela Merkel again even though it felt like too much more of the same. Shockingly, the strongest part of Update was Cecilys' return as Cathy-Anne as this character dovetailed nicely with her topic. This is why I think the writing really justified this as she had some strong "alt-right" slams and the only jab at Trumps' SNL tweets. Possibly the weakest Update of the season so far. D+

Where'd Your Money Go? - This was genuinely the funniest piece of the night to me. It was definitely the thing I genuinely laughed the most at, but it could've been shorter. It also had the strongest writing (at least dialogue and viewpoint wise) and they really played to the cast strengths impression-wise. It was nice to see Kenans' Charles Barkley make a return although something seems different about that impression. It seems like he has reverted it back to whem he first debuted this impression in the 07-08 Bon Jovi episode opposite Kristen Wiig as Bjork mixed with a little of his Steve Harvey for goid measure (since it is a game show sketch after all). Cena was cast well as Gronk. Physically, he was perfect for the role but I can't really judge the accuracy of the impression beyond that. Bobby was perfect as Jon Daly and Alex was serviceable as Connor McGregor. Kudos to him for getting a third notable impression on the show (which is sadly more than the show can say for Melissa Villasenor who SPECIALIZES in impressions). Sadly, at this point it might just spell the end for both of them after this season. If I had to guess who may have written this, I'd have to guess that it was Micheal Che for a couple of reasons. First of all, this does seem like the closest thing to his style out of everything live that aired tonight. Secondly, I have to think Che must've been pretty excited to write something for John Cena this week. Before he deactivated his Twitter for a second time, he was pretty good at responding to people. When I asked him who HE may want to see as SNL host, he responded "I think John Cena would be dope." Since Che got his wish, I'm guessing if they collaborated on something that aired, this has to be it (if Jost or someone else didn't write this).

B+

Through Trumps' Eyes - This was a clever filmed piece. They actually improved upon common complaints on Trumps behavior. It was strongly reminiscent of the "Reagan Directs" sketches from the Ebersol years. My only real complaint was that the ending seemed a little rushed. This had to be another Julio Torres piece because it was a short film that resembled Melania Moments from earlier this season (which we now know he wrote) and it's just surreal enough to be his. They did make decent use of Cena dressed up as Trump in this, so kudos to whoever predicted that. B-

Joanne and the Christmas Tree - This sketch felt like it ran out of steam at too pivotal of a moment. It started out seeming like it was going to be fairly ambitious in terms of writing and staging for what it was but it felt pretty one note in the middle and Cena felt almost wasted here. Thankfully, they were able to bring it to it's logical conclusion even if this also felt a little rushed. C-

Erotic Bookstore - This sketch seemed to go on without any real point. Sure, it was Cena's part was written to his physical strengths, but aside from Kenans' clumsy exposition it just seemed to go nowhere. Beck and Vanessa were a welcime addition but Melissa was wasted in a small straight tole that didn't require her to draw on her repetiore of impressions. Maybe it was another one of those more female oriented sketches that will receive a lot of female praise online but to me it was the weakest segment of the night. D-

United States Of Talent - This sketch was just a mess (both literally and figuratively). The bulk of it felt like an overly long and elaborate buildup to a very season 20-ish punchline. The only thing this had going for it was Kenans lines at the end criticizing the owl. C-

Now, for my updated rankings of this season…

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest

2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga

3. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots

4. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

5. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

6. John Cena/Maren Morris

7. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

8. Kristen Wiig/The xx

9. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Well, that was that. Next week, Casey Affleck makes his hitting debut. Given the choice between the two Affleck brothers, Casey would not be my first choice to host the Christmas 2016 episode of SNL. In fact, given the choice for musical guest, this may be the most inappropriate lineup for a Christmas show since Jeff Bridges/Eminem, Lil Wayne episode from 2010. Still, I go into it with an open mind since knowing he could surprise us and turn out to be adept at sketch comedy despite seeming to have more of an affinity for dramatic acting and directing. See you soon!

Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes (12.3.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. This episode was completely indistinguishable from either of Emma Stones’ previous two shows in terms of quality. Sure, she still gives it her all and she’s still a talented sketch performer in her own right, but something still seems missing. I don’t know if it’s just the lack of energy, but it’s almost as if they still don’t know how to use Emma to her full potential. Granted, she may be working with a different cast and a different writing staff this time (each with their own different sensibilities) but I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same. Still, it was considerably better than the previous live show since it relied less on unwelcome recurring material. The cast seemed balanced tonight, but things may not be looking so great for Melissa Villasenor as it’s two weeks until the Christmas show and we have yet to see anything of genuine substance from her. Anyway, let’s just get right into it…

Trump Tweets – This cold open felt a sort of unfocused, derivative and just slightly toothless. Maybe it's because I'm not completely up on the Trump/16yrold/Twitter story or maybe it's because jokes about Trumps' miniscule attention span feel a little down the beaten path (or maybe it's because it was a little too close to their last cold open) but this one wasn't without it's redeeming moments. Kate and Bobbys' parts were the funniest. Alec had great “build the swamp/drain the wall” lines. Kenan and Alex had good inauguration lines and I liked the Grim Bannon the most. C+

Monologue - This have been her best out of the three she's done so far. It was subtle, revealing and poignant. It didn't blatantly retread any other monologue and it took us backstage for a bit and made us wonder a bit more about whether Leslie's relationship with Kyle us as real as her “relationship” with  Jost. Vanessa, Aidy and Bobby had the best lines and Becks' barely missed hug was funny. B-

Woodbridge High School Theater Showcase V - The high school theater showcase may have felt like lather/rinse/repeat by this point but Emma Stone really added something to this. Plus, Kenan and Vanessa had their best comebacks yet. C+

Christmas Candle – This short was pretty unremarkable. It just felt like they put "Wishin' Boot" and "Neurotology" in a blender with a tiny pinch of Sump'n Claus and Egg Nog for good measure and poured it through a strainer to remove "Wishin' Boot"s' air of mystique. D+

Posters - This was a big waste. It felt too much like a jokeless '09-'12 Era sketch for my liking. Everyone pulled their weight but Emmas' Character was too obnoxious and shouldn't have been the focus of the sketch. She played a role that would be WAY better suited for Wiig, Abby, Vanessa or Nassim. In fact, it was like every single one of all of their performances smashed together. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this got cut from the previous shows’ dress rehearsal. The payoff was all right but just wasn't worth the buildup. D-

The Hunt For Hill – This was a little underwhelming. Essentially, it was a joke that social media had beaten to death by the time SNL had come back from Thanksgiving break but fleshing it out and executing it as a sketch didn't do them a tone of favors. They kinda stretched themselves too thin with this one and showed that it wasn't totally worth the effort of the execution. C-

Update felt a little lopsided tonight. Either Che was having a real off night or Jost just happened to get all the best material. Leslie's commentary was pretty middle of the road for her but the mascot riffs and mirror instructions were worth a few laughs. The Rachel commentary served its purpose of drum rolling the Aniston cameo. While it went down like almost every other impersonator-meets-subject cameo in SNL history, it was one of the least wasted cameos in recent memory. B-

Cleaning Crew - This was better than it had any right to be. I did appreciate the strangely oversexualized nature of the Santa songs and the scattershot nature of the reactions. Also, it seemed strange that this sketch was Cecily's first live appearance so late in the show. If this was obligatory Anderlette sketch of the night, I have to give them props because it was less loathsome than everything else they've ever written. C+

Paley Center Screening - I could certainly tell where this was headed right away. While I'm still not all that into this new Kate character I have to say I liked this installment much better than the original from the season premiere as she had much better material. It's good to see the same level of acerbic writing is here. Also, while Kate was the main focus of this sketch it was a wasted opportunity as far as Leslie self-cameos are concerned. B-

Fischer-Price Wells For Boys - The well sketch was quite enjoyable despite not being "ha-ha" funny. I'm willing to bet that Julio Torres wrote this. It smacks of his style even though it's more coherent and straight forward than the rest of his work. B-

Nativity Scene – While this wasn’t the most inventive premise in the world or anything, Kyle played his part very well as did Emma. Also, Emma played her part EXACTLY like Cecily would have. It's almost like this sketch was originally written for her but was cut from previous seasons' dress rehearsals. It makes me wonder if this was just resubmitted for Emma or why couldn't Cecily have just done it instead. C+

Now, for my updated rankings of this season…

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest

2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga

3. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots

4. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

5. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

6. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

7. Kristen Wiig/The xx

8. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Well, that met my minimum expectations. Next week, John Cena makes his hosting debut. I know Cena has had the necessary acting and comedy experience (in both film and TV) to make a great host (much like The Rock who also successfully graduated from wrestling to do what Cena has been doing). Plus, I have no doubt he will bring a fresh, much needed energy to the show. Given this months’ SNL lineup, I’m predicting this will be the strongest show of the two remaining this calendar year. See you then!

Kristen Wiig/The xx (11.19.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. While this episode WAS a considerable letdown from last week with Chappelle, it wasn’t quite as big a letdown as we were expecting. This was, by far, the most uneven show of the season thus far but only the second worst. By and large, this was comparatively better than Wiigs’ previous hosting stint from three-and-a-half years ago (which was surprisingly more recurring character heavy than this one). Two things this show did have going for it were a different cast and writing staff from that time and a few unexpected cameos from much beloved figures to at least front load the show with (however brief and underutilized they were). Plus, pretty much the entire cast got some airtime (even if the senior established players got more). Quality wise, this show started out fairly strong with some degree of promise but then started to sputter too soon and almost completely spun out well before the end. Let me show you what I mean…

Donald Trump Prepares - This cold open, if nothing else, does show us how nicely they bounced back from the election. Baldwin had good lines as Trump and Kate played off him brilliantly. Mikey didn't add much but Bobby and Beck each had great material. Nice to see how seamlessly they worked in some Hamilton material at the last minute. It was nice to see Sudekis as Romney again and he got his laughs and got out but that felt like a real wasted opportunity for him. Also, the bit with Googling Isis felt down the beaten path. C+

Monologue – This got off to a slow start but really picked up once they started working the entire cast (and some writers apparently) into the mix. The cameos from Steve Martin and Will Forte were also a welcome addition (at least they got more to do than Sudekis). C+

The Bubble - This was well written and executed but didn't feel entirely original. Still, it did a fine job of poking fun at the deep cultural divide and borderline ideological hypocrisy in this country that really decided this election. B-

Secret Word - This was the first truly unwelcome addition of the night. Kenan as the host was worth a few chuckles and I like that they tried to work in some backstory to Hader's character (along with a voice mail from the man himself). Thankfully, that's all they relegated his role to because if they did get him to travel to NY just for this, THAT would be the biggest waste of all. Cecily played a role well suited for her. Unsurprisingly, she played it way too big but she did look damn good doing so. The rest of this was just a carbon copy but at least they knew when to end it. D+

Anderson Cooper 360 - This had some shades of 04-05/09-10 Era writing to it but at least it built up to a worthwhile payoff and was well performed. It was also a decent jab at CNNs' reporting and the way they worked in the Westworld reference was clever. B-

Target - This was another clever piece that seemed to be well suited to Cecily and Aidys’ acting ranges and written from a fresh-for-SNL angle. I appreciated how they managed to wring some more topical humor from a rather unlikely place. It did remind me a lot of the Hometown Thanksgiving tourism ad from the Jeremy Renner 2012 episode but that was written in a COMPLETELY different time. B-

QVC Auditions – This piece was something I didn't quite know what to make of. It showcased the typical hammy Wiig/Cecily performances I don't typically care for but it seemed to go in different directions and build to something unexpected. It was more about the journey than the destination, regardless of how pointless the journey was. Plus, Wiig and Cecily seemed to have a lot of fun playing off each other as evidenced by how Wiig looked like she was going to break. C-

Update was pretty uneven as Jost, Che and Pete got in some great material on Breitbart (hey, someone in mainstream comedy has to take them down), the Trump transition and Pence/Hamilton gate but none of their individual short form jokes worked at all and Willie just buried whatever momentum this Update may have still had. B-

Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade – This sketch was kinda lacking. They split too much of the focus between Mikey, Wiig and Bobby as baloons and Beck and Cecily bickering as a couple. Bobby as Pennywise and the Kristen Chenowith doll gag were funny but this sketch really failed to go anywhere. D+

Whiskers R We V - This is definitely something I shouldn't have been surprised they bought back with Wiig. Her mouthpiece in this sketch reminded me of her Clearbrite sketch from the 2008 Tim McGraw episode. Other than that and Bobby's walk on, nothing stood out to me. D+

Surprised Sue V - The only things that surprised me about Surprise Sue was that it was the final sketch of the night and that she really went from 0 to 60 in no time flat. D-

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

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest
2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga
3. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots
4. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd
5. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars
6. Kristen Wiig/The xx

7. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Well, that was certainly unexpected any way you look at it. In two weeks, SNL returns from Thanksgiving break with Emma Stone returning to host for her third time. I think we can all agree what a strong host she was. Even if her first two shows weren’t filled with great material, she still performed the hell out of it and I think her great love and reverence for the show played a big part in that. I believe she can helm a great third show working with this rebuilt cast and writing staff. See you in two weeks!

Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest (11.12.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. The lineup for this episode alone was enough to put this episode on a fast track to becoming the best episode of the season, but the team effort and unprecedented historical context that it found itself in put it WAY over the top! Dave Chappelle and the cast all came together to prove they and SNL still have what it takes to reach us through the power of satire. Without missing a single comedic beat, they provided much needed relief, comfort and hope for tomorrow to a deeply divided nation that is frightened over an uncertain future. Once again in our lifetime, they showed us exactly why it’s okay to laugh in these types of moments in order to help get over such fear in the face of a national tragedy. Still, I don’t want to oversell it or anything so just judge for yourself. This episode was also consistently strong both in writing and performing even when the material wasn’t explicitly topical. The cast was a little uneven in terms of airtime tonight. We saw very little of Pete, Bobby, Cecily and Sasheer (more on why that’s actually strange for once at the end). We saw absolutely NONE of Melissa and for the first time Alex Moffat manager to get more screentime than Mikey Day (although they were still mostly in smaller, non-consequential roles that show is very little of who he really is). Plus, I think we may have hit the absolute all time record for most uncensored N-bombs and GD-bombs dropped (hey, let’s make sure the rest of us don’t let them get too “normalized” now) as well as instances of the host being caught visibly smoking on camera (and inside a pot Bloomberg era New York building no less) in a single episode. Anyway, without further ado…

Hallelujah – This cold open set the most appropriate tone possible for this episode. I seriously considered whether this episode would open with something as somber as what they followed events like 9/11 and the Sandy Hook/Paris shootings with and I honestly think they made the right call here. Given the mood of the country, they eased us into the rest of the show well. The nods to Leonard Cohen (RIP) and Kates' message at the end were quite touching. (not going to assign a letter grade to this because, obviously…)

Monologue - That was the best monologue done on SNL in at least twenty years. Dave Chappelle is still a stand up legend and it's great to see he still hasn't lost his touch. The Obama and White protest bits cracked me up in particular (hell, he’s the only person to make a truly funny and worthwhile Harambe reference EVER) and I liked that he chose to end on something poignant and thoughtful. My only complaints would be that I thought the Pulse/ISIS allegiance and pussy grabbing references weren’t in the absolute best taste (okay, I chucked at the former even if it felt a little misguided to me but the latter actually happened at my old school) but rather than split hairs on those two points I will leave well enough alone. A+

Election Night - The election night sketch was extremely well done, too and had hints of that classic Chappelle's Show style to it. Most of all, it was dead on with the way it accurately captured the raw panic of white culturally liberal America and put it a perspective of real historical racism. Chris Rock's appearance was icing on the cake. B+

Chappelle’s Walking Dead Show – This was a great tip of the hat to all the old Chappelle's Show fans out there tuning into see one of their comedic idols. I appreciate how he worked in all his funniest and most memorable characters and even introduced the sketch in the same way he introduced every segment on his old show. Lil Jon seemed pointless but the Player Haters gave me a laugh and I love how they chose to work in Clayton Bigsby in reasonably good taste (although he's admittedly low hanging fruit at this point). My only real complaint was that the ending w/Tyrone Biggums was a little too outlandish and silly. A-

Update may have taken a few extra seconds to get going but Jose and Che really did a great job addressing the ideological divide that ended up REALLY deciding the outcome of this election. Plus, the VERY loose vibe really added to this (especially when Che flubbed his Mexican/Puerto Rican) joke. If there was any time that we NEEDED a long form Update, it was this week. Kate made her best appearance yet as RBG and it's especially good to see HER of all people fired up right now. B+

Jheri’s Place/Inside SNL - I didn't know where the Inside SNL piece was going when it first started out but I'm glad to see they were breaking the fourth wall. The press conference was very funny and Dave, Kenan, Aidy and Leslie had the best lines. B+

Sheila Sovage VI - I didn't expect Dave Chappelle to be a host that warranted this sketch but if anything, his delivery really sold this one. Plus, all of Kenans' reactions really made this as well (although Bleach isn't supposed to be clear, last I checked). B+

Kids Talk Trump – This short film almost seemed like a direct ripoff of something Jimmy Kimmel would do (if he hadn't already) but went for something bigger with the addition of Dave and his daughter. Overall, it's short length was it's biggest drawback. It did get its intended laughs (albeit awkwardly) but it definitely felt like they could've done more with it because it already went a couple of different places. C+

Love And Leslie – This short film was something that sure started out poignant and revealing but then took a turn for the silly when it was revealed that she is dating Kyle (who's quite jealous of Colin) and she plans to take his virginity. Overall, this worked well from a few angles and I think the segments featuring Beck, Alex, Lorne and the anonymous page really added to this. Dave's cameo at the end really made this for me. A-

Football Party – This sketch revolving (seemingly entirely) around adult breastfeeding was funny enough and ambitious for what it was but overall it stretched it's main joke too thin to the point where everything felt too telegraphed. I will say they pulled out the exact right ending for this. I'm not totally against gross out humor or anything but this just felt too awkwardly executed. Plus, whole I realize Leslie is one of the shows' biggest draws right now, it may be cause for concern when SNL has a prominent black host like Chappelle and Sasheer has only one appearance all night at the end of the show. C-

Now, for my updated rankings on this season…

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest

2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga

3. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots

4. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

5. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

6. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Well, that was just what America needed plus just a little more. Next week, Kristen Wiig returns for her second hosting stint just before Thanksgiving. Yeah, that may be the second most disappointing piece of news I’ve heard this week but this point in human history should be all about finding whatever silver lining we can in the things going on around us. For instance, whether you love her or hate her, there’s no denying Kristen Wiig (and a few of her costars who are still on this show currently) were given the opportunity to become strong role models and action heroes to little girls everywhere who needed to look up to them this summer. Granted, the film was a little overhyped for its degree of success and what it turned out to be…but I’m choosing to give SNL credit for showcasing her once again if for no other reason than to remind those girls that even in Donald Trumps’ America, they can still aspire to be whatever they could possibly want to. Plus, compared to how recent her previous hosting stint was to her leaving the show, this would be a more appropriate time for her to come back. Also, the cast and writing staff have been rebuilt since she last hosted and they’ve produced an above average season thus far. Let’s hope they continue that trajectory next week. Stay strong and see you then!