Chance The Rapper/Eminem (11.18.2017)

Okay, here's my review. This was a strong episode that pretty much falls in line with the rest of this season in terms of quality. Chance The Rapper performed well as a host but even though we saw more of him throughout the show, he left virtually the same impression as he did the last time he was on as a musical guest. He came across as a little nervous and unpolished, but that may be expected of a first time host taking their first stabs at acting and/or sketch comedy. He obviously gelled well enough with the cast. Speaking of which, kudos to Chris Redd on having his first real standout episode of the season much like Heidi did before him last week. Anyway, let's break it down.

The Muller Files: Wikileaks - This cold open at first seemed like it was going to be more original and creative than it was going to be. Still, I do appreciate them going outside the box a little bit more and not overusing Alec Baldwin for the cold opens lately. Kate is a suitable replacement for Hader as Julian Assange and she seemed to play the part with much more subtlety than her other male roles. Mikey and Alex are still funny as Don Jr and Eric even when they just repeat their rythyms and cadences from the Update desk in sketch form. I did also like how they broke format a little with the LFNY line. Too bad the audience was pretty dead through this. Also, why did they title this "The Muller Files" when Muller was barely even mentioned let alone depicted in it?? C+

Monologue - This was enjoyable. I was expecting a musical monologue seeing as Chance The Rapper was not credited as a musical guest tonight, but given his stage name this wasn't quite the monologue I WAS expecting. It felt like a much funnier rewrite of Wiigs' Thanksgiving monologue from last year. Chance had some decent jokes although his delivery could've been better. Still, I think we can give him a pass for how noticeably nervous he was. He is a first time host after all. Kudos on Heidi and Luke getting their airtime I'm early. Also, Melissa looked pretty damn good here. C+

Wayne Manor Thanksgiving - This sketch was funnier than it had any right to be. The writing wasn't ambitious but the cast performances really sold this. The non-Caucasian cast really had the funniest parts and sold them. Melissa came in at just tge right time, got her laughs and got out. That's what really made this stand out from the other bits of sketch comedy I've seen poking fun at the foibles of Bale/Nolan/Dark Night Era Batman films. C+

Come Back Barack - This was a catchy song even though I could immediately see the joke coming after Kenans line about crying after he turns on the TV. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that Chance wrote this. Speaking of Kenan, his spoken word breakdown was the real highlight of this. My only actual complaint would be that some of the lyrics were unintelligible. B-

Family Feud IX - I'm glad to see they're still doing Family Feud sketches (I'm guessing whoever writes these is still with the show?) This did seem like a rewrite of the Family Feud sketch from the last episode that Tracy Morgan hosted but with a couple of small twists added to it to make it seem more complex. Still, I liked how they worked in Redd, Che and the new black writer who played Leslie and Kyles' college aged sin last week. Plus, Chance actually does a pretty solid Steve Harvey himself and I did appreciate the Forrest Gump reference. B-

Update was consistently strong tonight. Jost and Che don't have any real duds. The opening sexual harassed rant really stood out as I really appreciate how they went after Franken in a way that would trick someone who has never seen an episode of SNL from before 2004 that he was never even associated with the show. Josts' Piven joke was also great although I can't help but wonder what his Roger Goddell joke would've sounded like if Che had been the one delivering it. Kate really isn't bringing anything new to her portrayal of Jeff Sessions but I appreciate them relying on her more than Alec these days. This may have been both my favorite Pete Davidson and Bruce Chandling commentaries ever. I like how Kyle really relished delivering dumb punchlines with such foolhardy glee and made his sob story more grounded yet still rediculous. I think what made Petes' commentary work so well was seeing Pete and Colin laugh because of their bond over their mutual disdain of thir hometown of Staten Island. I honestly do have to wonder how many of those newspaper quotes were real. B+

Sideline Hockey Reporter - For a sketch that was based so heavily on a slightly tired and overused stereotype, this was much funnier than it could've been. Chance really sold his lines (which I'm guessing were written by some combination of him, Bryan Tucker and/or Gary Richardson). He and Alex seemed to have the most to add here out of anyone. This seemed like a slightly more underwritten version of the Univision Winter Olympics coverage sketch from the second time J. Lo hosted in 2010. C+

Rap History - This was very funny. Chance, Chris and Kenan really sold both the younger and older versions of themselves. It seemed a little unfocused at first but it holds up better upon repeat viewings as you can see what they were going for more clearly. I'm starting to think that Che may have written this because I've noticed a big part of his comedy is drawing parallels between disparate groups of people. When Petes' character was first established, I first thought something that came out about him in real life may have been part of the basis of this sketch. See, I follow the Twitter account @SNLInReview run by professional writer/critic Andy Hoglund. He reviews the show and posts the odd bit of trivia about it. On Petes' birthday, he tweeted that Pete had supposedly never even knowingly watched SNL before auditioning (outside of some Celebrity Jeopardy sketches on YouTube that he for some reason could not place). I mean, I know Pete is younger than me but this is still a stunning revelation. B+

Career Day - Chance and Mikey were both the best things about this sketch. Cecily and Aidy had some decent back and forth. This reminded me a lot of a similar sketch from January 2003 where host Jeff Gordon played an air force pilot and Seth Meyers played a carpet salesman and they were both giving competing career day presentations to an elementary school class. Also, was anyone else expecting more of an ending where there would've been some sort of reconciliation moment between father's and sons? C+

Skank Babysitter 17 - They didn't really do anything new with Aidys' character here but I did like Kyles' one line and I really did appreciate getting to see more of Heidi in a substantial lead role (even one that the other ladies could've played in a similar way). C-

Now, for my updated rankings for the season...

1. Tiffany Haddish/Taylor Swift

2. Chance The Rapper/Eminem

3. Larry David/Miley Cyrus

4. Kumail Nanjiani/P!nk

5. Gal Gadot/Sam Smith

6. Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z

Well, that was certainly one of the stronger Thanksgiving shows in recent memory. After the holiday, Saiorse Ronan makes her hosting debut. This comes way our of left field. I only know shes' an actress because I read that she was part of a spread in Vanity Fair or some magazine of that ilk along with Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence and (possibly?) Meryl Streep where one of these women (I think it was Emma?) spoke out against sexual harassment in the field. I take it she mostly takes on dramatic roles and isn't tremendously well versed in comedy or anything. I have no idea what to expect here. See you then!

Tiffany Haddish/Taylor Swift (11.11.17)

Okay, here's my review. This show was the most consistently enjoyable show of the season so far. It wasn't as unevenly balanced as last weeks episode. Tiffany Haddish proved to be a dynamic host and a welcome presence on screen. Thankfully, they front loaded the show with all their best material so that they didn't run out of steam at least until Update. Everyone in the cast got a pretty decent amount of airtime on the show although I'm starting wonder about Luke Null. He should definitely be worried that he still hasn'hasn't gotten to break out with anything of his own after being shut out of the show completely. Anyway, let's break this down.

Moore, Pence & Sessions - The cold open was enjoyable. I just knew Mikey would be the one to play Roy Moore. He sure looked the part as much as he could but he should've tried to affect a deeper voice. I appreciate that they leaned more on Becks' Pence and Kates' Sessions this week than they did on Alecs' Trump (guess he wasn't available this week). My only real complaints were that Becks' Louis CK name check was pointlessly weak and that there seemed to be no real ending besides the possum thing. C+

Monologue - This helped get the show off to a strong start. It was a lot faster paced and shorter (and a little more pointed and acerbic) than most SNL monologues in recent memory but it had a lot of great moments (especially for someone whos' seen none of her standup.) I especially liked the Tupac/Tyler Perry Island and SNL vs In Living Color jokes (although ILC was on Sunday nights so it must've been pretty easy to watch both back in the day). My only complaint was that the dress/fashion jokes were a little repetitive. A-

Death Fighter 12 Tournament - I did like seeing this sketch fully realized but seeing Mikey on Seths' show describe this its premise in detail kinda ruined it for me. I will say that Tiffany, Kenan and Alex added more to this sketch than Kevin Hart or Leslie could've. B-

Lion King Screen Tests - This left a little something to be desired as far as new impressions being debuted on the show. There were only a few worthwhile impressions out of the ones we haven't seen on the show before. I liked seeing Becks' Nick Offerman again and Cecilys' Lin-Manuel Miranda worked better here than it did in the Family Feud sketch from last seasons' premiere. Petes' Eminem seemed like a pointless addition but it almost looked like he was on to something with that impression. That and Aidys' James Cordes are two impressions I would like to see a bit more of if they develop them a bit more. Although I had been thinking if any member of the current cast was going to play John Oliver it should've been Kyle Mooney, Mikey did a great job with the impression . I think we could've done without Tiffany & Chris as MJ Blige/Cardi B/ Offset and Kenans' LL Cool J but hey, they had to include Tiffany somewhere. Leslie as Oprah  and Heidi as Kristen Schaal were both inspired casting. Heidi played well off of Chris' Sterling K. Brown and Alex did well as Kit Harrington and Melissa as Celine Dion was a welcome addition despite sounding just like a cross between her J.Lo, Xtina and Ariana. C-

A Message From The DNC - This was okay. I liked the impressions (kudos to Mikey on getting to play Tim Kaine for the second time ever) but it could've been shortened a bit and it didn't exactly seem like the freshest or most originsl take on the democratic party. Plus, Leslie playing Donna Brazille stood out to me as I was expecting Tiffany to play her. Tiffany just resembles Donna Braille more closely that Leslie. I did like how they bought Larry back just to poke fun at his monologue from last week in character as Bernie and that they included a pretaped cameo from Jason Sudekus that (for all we know could've been taped four years ago). C-

Beck & Kyle & Colin & Leslie - This short film was a very strong outing for Beck, Kyle, Colin and Leslie. I did like how they gave us a look at Leslie and Kyles' relationship from Beck and Colons' viewpoints as they grew a pat as friends. I also liked how they included the masquerade ball plot rather than going in the direction I was expecting; having Beck use Tiffany to make Kyle jealous. The ending with everyone punching Jost repeatedly worked extremely well and I liked how they worked Lorne and Tiffany in there. Also, does anyone recognize who was playing Kyle and Leslies' now college aged son? Just from hearing this guys' voice closely enough, I can tell that it's not Che, Redd or Pharroh. B-

Update was a little uneven. It got off to a rather tepid start but really picked up with the Roy Moore jokes and the commentaries. Tiffanys' monologue callback must've really given Jost and Che a shot in the arm because all they really hit all their jokes out of the park after that. She showed up at just the right time too as I was starting to think she was being underused as a host at the point. Cecilys' commentary worked extremely well and may have just been the funniest thing she's ever done on the show. Part of me was hoping they would give us another chance to see Heidis' acting skills during this part of the show but I enjoyed this more as it went on as I recognized that Cecily clearly wrote this herself from a place of fear, anger and frustration that she wanted desperately to express. Kudos to her on having the courage to do so. I did like seeing Kenans' Lavar Ball again even though it felt like more of the same. B+

The Last Black Unicorn - This seriously needed some edits. Tiffany really sold her part but Leslie didn't really add anything here. Overall, it showed some promise but turned too one not too early.D+

Get Woke with Tamiya - This was the first real dud of the night. It was too long, had some serious pacing issues and it was the first time I've seen Leslie not really committed fully to a character or try to sell it. I did like the sponsors and Leslie and Tiffany played well off of each other once Tiffany entered the scene. D-

The Dolphin Who Learned To Speak - This was a bit better than it had any right to be. Kate and Leslie really sold their parts but Tiffany really stole this scene and kept it from being too one note. Plus, I felt the timing of this sketch was a little too eerie. C-

Whiskers R We VI - This may have been my least favorite installment of this sketch. The only things that really stood out to me were Tiffany blatantly hitting on Kate and the kittens reactions to being on camera. Speaking of Tiffany, she really stood out like a sore thumb here. This feels like something they tried to write for Taylor Swift earlier in the week that she dropped out of by Friday so they just substituted Tiffany in her place. Plus, kudos to Chris Redd on bring the third SNL cast member to play Katt Williams (even if his was the weakest impression of the three). C+

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

1. Tiffany Haddish/Taylor Swift

2. Larry David/Miley Cyrus

3. Kumail Nanjiani/P!ink

4. Gal Gadot/Sam Smith

5. Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z

Well, that show provided some much needed stability for this season. Next week, Chance The Rapper makes his hosting debut (after two previous appearances as musical guest). He may seem like an odd choice for host but he did a fine job in his sketch appearances from last December and obviously made an impact on the show then. He reportedly pitched several ideas for his own sketches when he showed up that week and "Jingle Barack" was apparently his strongest one and it worked well when they did use it. They must have decided to book him as a host because he showed a lot of initiative and willingness to be very involved with the show just as a musical guest and they liked those qualities enough to let him host so he could pitch his ideas on Monday like everybody else instead of (presumably) Thursday. I have a feeling cast members like Cecily, Kate and Aid are going to dominate this show. Apparently, Chance The Rapper is known to be politically and socially active (they say he wanted to do a sketch called "Gentrified Chicken" last year) so he's probably going to want to work the most with cast members that have similarly "woke" sensibilities to his. See you then!

Larry David/Miley Cyrus (11.04.2017)

Okay, here's my review. As expected, this show managed to be the relative high point of this season while not being as good as Larry Davids' first hosting stint from February 2016 in terms of quality or consistency. As a host, Larry certainly proved to be just as welcome of a presence as ever. Obviously this is good because he clearly gelled well with a cast and writing staff that has changed drastically since he last visited studio 8H. Still, its' nice to see they were still willing to take some risks for what felt like the first time this whole season. Aside from Luke, Mikey and Melissa everyone seemed to get a decent amount of airtime tonight. Anyway, lets' just break it down.

Trump & Manafort - This cold open felt pretty awkward even without the pre-shower scene blooper. I will say Alex as Paul Manafort worked more than it had any right to once you actually recognize what he was going for. I appreciated the initial sight gag of the Airplane!-style inflatable pilot disguised as Trump but I don't think that two scene of it was necessary (even if I kinda liked Cecily's dialogue in the second one). The best thing this cold open had going for it were Beck and Kates' walk-on as Pence and Sessions and even some of their parts could've been trimmed down a bit. C+

Monologue - This was quite enjoyable seeing as he rarely seems to do stand up anymore. His Weinstien jab worked much better than Alecs' in the cold open (c'mon , like every one on Twitter didn't make that same Weinstien joke that Baldwin just did). The Quasimodo jokes worked well and if it weren't for social media existing, you may also believe the Holocaust pickup lines did, too. Hey, all I'm saying is I've seen live SNL audiences react much worse to things that they considered shocking. B-

Celebrity Price Is Right - This worked very well. Beck Bennett is one of the last members of this cast I would ever expect to play Drew Carey (that role could've just as easily gone to Luke Null) but he pulled it off well (even if the voice was a little too high). Leslie and Kate played off each other well. This may have been my favorite of her appearances as Tilda Swinton on the show. Chris Redd did well as Lil Wayne. Kudos to him for getting his first impression with actual lines on the show. Alex did a great Chris Hemsworth and his presence provided a great excuse to sneak Miley and her fiance into the sketch. Nice to see Baldwins' Tony Bennet and Cecilys' Sofia Vergara worked in. Also, it was great that they found an impression from Melissa we haven't seen her do yet. Finally, I really liked that this was how the chose to work in the obligatory Bernie impression into the show. B+

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Press Confeerence - This music video was entertaining and had plenty of solid comedic moments (the "riddles" in particular come to mind) but something about it felt a little...off. I waa half expecting her to sing "incompetent" but as soon as she sang the actual lyrics, I got some mixed messages from it and at times it almost seemed like even the writers didn't know what they wanted this to be. Either way, I'm curious to see what Demi Lovato and Father and Daughter Huckabees' reactions will be. B-

Career Retrospective - This sketch was very funny. I liked how they took a real chance with this and got out right when they got all their necessary laughs and only Larry David could've made this work. Still, I was left wondering why Larrys' character had a ponytail that no one adknowledged and Aidys' character had no lines at all. For all its' strengths, it wasn't without its tiny flaws. B+

Baby Steps - This was something that really rewarded the viewers' patience as short as it was. Larry dressing down Miley and the cast was the best payoff possible to this. Plus, Pete Davidson is surprisingly competent as a rapper. C-

Update was a little inconsistent but it still had its moments despite how burnt out Jost and Che seemed at the beginning. Che had good rants on Trumps' tweets and the NAACP but this Update really seemed backloaded with all the best jokes delivered by Jost. The latest appearance by the Trump brothers seemed a little less inspired than their previous ones but Mikey and Alex still delivered (especially Alex who really knocked his best jokes out of the park once Mikey got him going). Kudos to Heidi for getting her first substantial character piece on the show and I was impressed with how well written and developed this was. I have a good feeling about Heidi as a cast member after she sold the hell out of this. It did almost seem like the type of thing that would've been written for Cecily except done better and with some more depth by Heidi. Leslie's commentary wasn't that great but it was obviously written as an excuse to work the Houston Astros into the show. B-

Fresh Takes - This sketch worked mostly because it felt natural as it wasn't as much of a stereotypical cookie cutter portrayal of high schoolers by a group of thirty-something adults as we'receive used to seeing on a show like SNL. They played well off of Larrys' wildly inappropriate AP History teacher and I'm glad to see they were able to bring his character to its logical conlusion. Leslie and the various "sponsors" were very funny. Pete and Chris scored some decent laughs. Miley didn't quite play against type here but kudos to Luke for getting one of the biggest laughs of the show with his only line of the show. B+

New Wife - This sketch also REALLY rewarded the viewers' patience for a totally different reason that obviously wasn't planned. I was actually anticipating Larry to start cracking up any minute. After watching this, any SNL viewer should be able to fully understand how breaking character can sometimes save a sketch rather than always derail it. Upon second viewing, what worked within the sketch that WAS planned was hearing Larrys' character incredulously over explain his girlfriends gay culture to a confused Beck, Kate and Chris and then suddenly kick Beck out of the room. Still, that worked best as a buildup to the breaking. C-

Good Neighbor: Beers - This worked mostly because of how intentionally absurdly miscast Larry was in his role and how the cheesy production values clashed with the attempts at building a serious or dramatic moment. It had the usual reliable trademarks of a Good Neighbor short that get laughs, but what Larry added was really icing on the cake. B+

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

1. Larry David/Miley Cyrus

2. Kumail Nanjiani/P!nk

3. Gal Gadot/Sam Smith

4. Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z

Well, that was a shot in the arm the show needed right now. This season got off to a slow start but thankfully it has been gradually improving. Still, the question now is how long can they at least keep this momentum going? Next week, Tiffany Haddish makes her hosting debut I know shes' a stand up but I'm not terribly familiar with the jokes in her act. Most of my exposure to her has been seeing her as a guest on various panel/late night/talk shows. Still, after Larrys' monologue from tonight I am very excited at the prospect of THREE consecutive stand up monologs in a row (especially when one is from a person whose act I am genuinely seeing for the first time). I'm sure she'll also be dynamic as a host and hopefully Leslie and Chris get their chances to shine when paired up with her. Still, even an established comedian would need to be backed up with some solid writing so let's hope they keep actively trying to improve the show and play your Tiffanys' strengths rather than expose her weaknesses as an actress. See you then!

Kumail Nanjiani/P!nk (10.14.17)

Okay, here's my review. This isn't saying much, but this was the seasons' strongest episode by default thus far. Kumail did a fine job as host even if his monolog was where he made his best impression. At the very least, you could tell that his presence really seemed to boost morale in the writers room and during rehearsals compared to the previous two weeks. Still, there was a similar quality in terms of sketches as the previous two weeks. There wasn't as much of a steep or sharp drop in quality from last week, but it was visible if you look closely enough. The quality of this show fluctuated more than it just flat out dropped off. They took more chances with the writing, it seems. There were more original premises this week rather than recurring ones. Of course, not everything paid off that we'll but this is as good a time as ever for SNL to shake it up a bit and try out SOME new things. Anyway, let's break it down because this is a show that really needs it.

Trump Trucker Rally - This was largely forgettable aside from the lines about "blood pools" and planting McNuggets in Michelle Obamas' garden. The Pence calls were the best thing this cold open had going for it (and that should be a point against them writing it the way they did). Also, it's a little disappointing that they'd only mention the Eminem Cypher for the sake of a throwaway joke about HGTV rather than bring out Taran or somebody to play Marshall. I do hope they are planning to space out these Baldwin/Trump openings a bit more in the future. C+

Monologue - This was thoroughly enjoyable. I liked his "Beta Male" special and "The Meltdown" which he co-hosted with Jonah Ray so yeah, I consider myself a fan of his standup. All the bits about racism were very funny and I appreciate him giving viewers more insight into his family background. It was more than I was expecting and I loved it. My only complaint about Kumails' monologue is that it wasn't nearly long enough. In fact, it was one of the only segments tonight that gone one shorter than it should've rather than slightly longer or waa at just the right length. B+

Bank Breakers - This was one of the strongest live sketches this season. I liked how intricately it was written. It wasn't a one joke sketch by any means. It built up to several distinctly different punchlines. Even Pete made the most out of his appearance. B+

Kellywise Conway - I liked this short much more than I thought I would but overall, I found it to be wildly inconsistent. Although it felt like they've given us our fill of shorts and sketches where Kellyanne Conway is the main focus in the past year (hell, this might have actually been their fourth one) Some jokes didn't land and honestly felt like some attempts at right wing comedy could've been snuck in there at some points. It did have it's moments, but it might be better appreciated by those who have actually seen either version of IT at some point in their lives. Also, this did seem like a typical Kelly & Schneider piece but knowing their gone this year and that this was written by someone with vaguely similar sensibilities makes me think that this show may be in better hands than we think. B-

Office Halloween Party - This sketch worked even though it didn't build to anything or escalate anywhere and your could see where it was going easily. Aidy seemed to have the best lines, though. C-

Debette Goldry Film Panel IV - While I thought this sketch may have been the funniest one yet, it was a rather awkward way to address the Weinstein scandal. They were criticized enough after it came out that they cut some Weinstein jokes from last weeks' show. Those same critics may just flat out accuse them of trivializing sexual assault from this. This HAD to be cut from last weeks' dress rehearsal, right? Maybe Gal Gado was in this as herself and Leslie was thrown in as a quick replacement? Maybe Melissa could've been used in her place here? B-

Update may have been the single most inconsistent portion of this show. Kudos on Che and Jost for getting around to an opening Weinstein rant tonight. I liked what they had to say even though some of their jokes felt like they'be already been done by now. Still, it was the bare minimum required to counteract the awkwardness of using the Debette Goldry sketch to address this. Their Trump, Ditka and Kim Jong Un material was much stronger. Cecilys' Ivana Trump commentary was much too long and just felt wholly unnecessary. At times, it felt more like she was trying to impersonate Maya Rudolphs' Donatella Versace than Ivana Trump. I would've much preferred either a solo Melania commentary or if Lorne actually got Maya to come back and play this role. C-

Hotel Check In - This sketch was disappointing. At first, it looked like it was going to be another well written sketch in the vein of "Bank Breakers" or the hotel sketch from Louis CKs' first episode but after Leslie and Chris' appearances it became obvious that this sketch was going to get real repetitive real fast. Speaking of which, this seemed like a waste of Chris Redd. Chris has already shown us he has a wide range of comedic acting chops in the small amount of screen time he's been slotted but this seemed like even he had too little material to work with.  D+

Nursing Home - This sketch was written in a similar vein but it worked much better. It was also largely based on one single joke but it built up on that joke much in the same way that "Bank Breakers" did. Plus, that one joke was a pretty outrageous one to get that mileage out of. Plus, this sketch gave us a better debut for Heidi. She was a straightwoman here but at least she demonstrated she has good all around acting chops much like Cecily. B-

Customer Service - This sketch was a nice, low-key obviously Julio Torres penned piece to end a show like this one. This did well to satisfy my craving for a Melania piece from Cecily after seeing her Ivana. The ending was a little unambituous but it was sweet. Kumail waa a good sport to do this as well. C+

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

1. Kumail Nanjiani/Pink

2. Gal Gadot/Sam Smith

3. Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z

Well, that show certainly met my expectation (literally in that I only had one). Next month, Larry David makes his second appearance as host. I'm sure this will be a strong show but it may not measure up to his first one seeing as the writing staff is quite substantially different this time around. Miley Cyrus may only be the musical guest this time around but I have a feeling she won't be able to resist appearing in the odd sketch or two here or there. Hell, I'm surprised they didn't just go full hog and make her a double duty host again but this is certainly a preferable alternative! See you then!

Gal Gadot/Sam Smith (10.07.2017)

Okay, here's my review. This episode was consistently better than last week's show even as it was running out of steam toward the end. Gal Gadot proved to be a more versatile and capable host than we imagined. The writers seemed to be able to play to her strengths well and know just when and how to use her. I don't know if I'd like to see her host again as she didn't leave that strong of an impression on me but she certainly delivered in her debut outing. Leslie and Kenan seemed to be tonight's stand out performers among a fairly balanced cast (aside from Kate who for some reason decided to make the most out of her time in the second half of the show). Good to see Luke Null finally make some onscreen appearances and Heidi start to break out on her own. Chris Redd didn't make as many appearances as lady week but he is still proving he can make the absolute most of whatever screen time he is given. Anyway, let's break it down.

Jason Aldean Won't Back Down - Given the events of this past week, I suppose this type of cold open was to be expected. I suppose with the Tom Petty cover all their bases are covered. Jason Aldean sure is a trooper for making it all the way out to New York after being in Vegas the night of the tradgedy. It is kinda sad that THAT'S what it took to get him on SNL for his first time. It was a lot more upbeat and enjoyable than their previous somber post-tradgedy openings. While something about it felt slightly off tonally, I very much appreciate the sentiment.

Monologue - Right out of the gate, this was far more entertaining than Gosling droning on about jazz last week. The subtitled Israeli speech was funny and Gal had great chemistry with Leslie (kudos to her for not totally playing herself in a monologue for the first time). B-

E! Fall Line Up - This was much better than it really had any right to be. Gal was funny in the Kendall/Gigi/Bella segments. She was cast surprisingly well and had great chemistry with Kate. Kudos to Luke for finally making his on screen debut with a solid Blake Shelton. He played pretty well off Kate. Chris managed to get laughs with no lines doing a very specific Kanye impression. B-

My Dinner With OJ - Kenans' wig gave away the premise of this sketch pretty quick but the sketch was still welcome written nonetheless. Chris and Cecily had decent walk ons and they knew exactly when to end this. Unfortunately, not a lot else stood out here. C+

The Chosen One - As soon as I saw Pete, I had a strong feeling he'd be playing the same slack jawed, dimwitted pool boy/college student from last years' JLD and Cumberbatch episodes but shoved into a Hogwarts/Narnia type fantasy setting. I don't remember a time I was as disappointed to have guessed something so accurately so soon. Sadly, his giggling at "coming/cumming" and Cecily offering him her virginity were the only things that stood out. This episode got of to a more promising start than last week but this filmed piece kind of killed some of the momentum built up by this point. Also, Gal Gadot would've fit in perfectly here but she was strangely absent. I have to wonder if this got cut from dress rehearsal last week. D+

Mirage - This sketch got off to a rather slow start but picked up steam thanks to Mikey, Kyle and Leslies' commitment. So far, this is the only sketch Gal Gadot was in where her accent was a distraction. B-

Safelite - was another piece where I could tell where it was heading right away buy thankfully they heightened it and threw in the odd twist and turn here and there. Still, this was an oddly specific choice for an ad parody but it worked nonetheless. C+

Update was pretty strong tonight. The Las Vegas rant started out strong with Josts' remarks but Che took it and ran away with it. It wasn't quite up there with their previous gun rant from Amy Schumers' episode two years ago but it felt needed and was appropriate. I had a feeling that Kate might reprise her RBG again tonight. It was nice to see her make her first live appearance of the night but nothing stood out here. Ches' birth control rant felt too strange coming from him but Josts' LG mosquitoes and sex robot jokes were nice palate cleansers. It was great of Pete to address his recent mental health issues in the way he did. It was the flat out funniest thing he's done on the show in at least a year. B-

The Maiden And The Mice - This sketch was a weak premise but they added just enough to it to make it somewhat worthwhile. Kate, Aidy and Kyle had the best lines. The ending with Beck as the prince was a little predictable but it broke up some of the monotony of the sketch well. C+

Webcam Espionage - This sketch really only worked due to the fairly benign silliness of Aidy and Cecily's characters (given the setting and subject matter) and the fact that this was the only sketch where Gal's accent really made sense. The ending was pretty predictable though but Alex was a good foil. Even though Mikey Day wasn't in this, I have a feeling he may have written it. This sketch seemed almost identical to the cotton candy dance party sketch from Chris Pines' episode in May which he WAS in and was just as silly and flashy as some of his other stuff (especially Space Pants now that I think abut it). Therefore I assume he did write it or whoever else did if not him. Is it just me or was Cecily playing a variation of Cathy Anne here? Seriously, this seemed like it could've been a prequel. C-

Themsycira - This sketch was pretty inconsistent. It was well written in that Kate and Aidys' characters seemed pretty well written and developed. At the same time, it was pretty repetitive and took a while to go anywhere. Also, the technical screw ups didn't seem to help much. I did like Melissa and Heidis' brief cameos though. I have a few other stray observations I'd like to share. First of all, way to go Kate! Second, does anyone else think Kate and Aidys' characters were loosely based on or parodies of real life lesson comedian couple Rhea Butcher and Cameron Esposito? Third, how come they were allowed to say "tits" in the live coast to coast broadcast but it had to be beeped out in the repeat roughly an hour later? C+

The Naomi Show - This sketch was even more inconsistent. Gal Gadot stood out like a sore thumb in her role as a daytime talk show host. Kudos to Heidi for debuting her first character although I hope this one stays a one-off because there didn't seem to be much there to build on. Really, this only started to work once her and Kenans' characters gradually became more unraveled. C-

Now, for my first rankings of the new season...

1. Gal Gadot/Sam Smith

2. Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z

Well, that just gave me some more hope for the rest of this season. Next week, Kumail Nanjiani makes his well earned hosting debut. While I'm looking forward to this one for obvious reasons, I also think it has the potential to make or break the entire rest of this season. See you then!

Ryan Gosling/Jay-Z (9.30.2017)

Okay, here's my review. This was, any way you look at it, one of the weakest season premieres in recent memory. Ryan Gosling and the cast seemed to be on autopilot the whole show. He performed here like I was expecting him to perform before his 2015 episode aired. He still gelled well with the cast, they just weren't as compelling to watch with him as last time. The premiere is usually expected to be one of the bottom five shows of any given season, but this one gave me the least hope for the remainder of any season in recent memory. I'm starting to think some people were on to something when they said all the Emmy wins would make them too complacent. It must be either that or losing Kelly and Schneider as head writers (man, what a blow to the show right now) must be what plagued this episode the most. The cold open still felt like they cpuld've written it, though so I have to wonder who's the new head wroter or st least who they lean on for writing political material now. Kate and Alex were the only real stand out performers tonight. I have to feel real bad for Luke Null for not getting to make any appearances whatsoever in what was supposed to be his first episode. I do have to hand it to Chris Redd and Heidi Gardner for getting on tonight. Sure, Heidi just played a few straight woman/background roles but Chris actually made his presence well known and actually showed us his talents as a COMEDIC performed known in the screen time he got. I already feel Chris is going to go the furthest on the show out of this group of newbies with Heidi coming in a slightly distant second to him Anyway, let's break it down a bit further, shall we?

Trump, Sessions, Huckabee and Schumer - This oval office sketch was a decent way to open the season. Good to see Baldwin being put in different Trump outfits. He looks comparatively svelte in Trump's golf gear. Nice to see Aidys' Huckabee and Kates' Sessions make an appearance. I did like the NFL jabs more than anything else. Nice to see they are already making better use of Melissa in this cold open than they did in the entirety of last season. As soon as Chuck Schumer was name checked, I had a strong feeling Alex would be plating him (probably because he played Al Franken last season). Thankfully, he had a short part because there didn't seem to be much to his impression. Nice to see they could also work in some last minute topical references to news stories that essentially broke this morning. B-

Montage - I'm a bit disappointed to see that they are essentially keeping the same opening credits sequence from the past four seasons. Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't 1990-94 the last time they let this happen? I will say that this seasons' intro does feel shorter since it's less front heavy without Bobby, Vanessa or Sasheer. It worries me a little that we now have six featured players for the first time since 2013-14, but at least three of this years' featured players are lucky enough to already be well established performers who have already made an impression and built something of a rapport. So hopefully, this won't resemble another "rebuilding" year for SNL.

Monologue - It's a good thing that cold open didn't build up any serious momentum because this monologue would've killed it. Seriously, this also felt like it was being written just this morning and had serious shades of 2004-05/2009-11 Era inanity to it. Not even Kenan or Emma Stone could do that much to save it. I was pretty disappointed considering Gosling was a return host I was expecting more from based on his December 2015 outing. I'm surprised he bothered to even crack up here. D-

Another Close Encounter - I was hoping they wouldn't rewrite this skecth, but I have to give them at least partial credit for continuity here. Aidy and Mikey mentioned they were the only people to have witnessed two alien abductions, but shouldn't this have been the third for Kate and Cecily's characters? I'd say fourth since they previously did this with Brie Larson and Casey Affleck but I'm pretty sure Afflecks' was about the second coming of Jesus since it was last year's Christmas episode. Other than that, nothing stood out about this installment other than Kates' line about crash landing into a 12 year olds birthday party. If nothing else, this sketch just shows how dependable Kate still is after nearly seven years on the show. If there waa going to be any recognition applause, I'm at leaat glad they got it out of the way early. Also, it seems like not only were Aid and Ryan the only ones cracking up here but they were barely trying to hide it at all. C+

Woke Jeans - This fake ad was pretty inconsistent. At first it seemed like a big pile of wasted potential but it really started to pick up around the time the colors and the zippers and lack of pockets were mentioned. Kudos to Heidi and Chris for quietly making their (filmed) debut on the show but Mikey and Kenan were clearly the stand out performers here. C+

The Fliplets - This was something I was hoping would go somewhere a bit faster than it did. It wasn't the best take I've seen on the recent "over abundance of White People Flipping Houses shows" trend I've seen but at I at least appreciate what they were trying to build this too. I did like Ryans' soliloquy at the end about witnessing a car accident and doing nothing. Does anyone else think he and Alex Moffat look nearly identical when the latter is given the right hair and makeup? Speaking of which, is there any specific reason why Gosling was allowed to not shave before tonights' show? Otherwise, this sketch reminded me too much of that sketch from Fallons' last show in '04 where Armisen played the third Olsen twin mixed with Deniro and Sambergs' father and son produce show from 2010 and that Swedish siblings album commercial with Eva Longoria from '05. C+

Update was pretty unmemorable and inconsistent tonight. Josts' opening joke had already been made dozens (if not hundreds of different ways) on Twitter but his Katrina/ESPN/Pitbull jabs were on point. Ches' NBA/flag and Trump/Puerto Rico response jokes were great but did he seem a little sick to anyone else? His voice sounded pretty rough and his eyes looked like they were watering pretty bad. Does it seem odd to anyone else that they would have Jose make a lame joke about Hef dying and then give him the standard deceased host tribute card? Besides that, "White Fudge Ding Dongs" was all that stood out. Anyway, I liked seeing Kates' Merkel but nothing stood out at all. I do like Alex, but his boat guy wore out his welcome too fast. I do appreciate adding Ryan as his Soho buddy but it literally just felt like too much of the same. I did like the "is it in yet/tu dongo es trasho" lines. C-

Henrietta And The Fugitive - This sketch was something I didn't know what to make of. It established a bit of an outlandish premise very early on (without much in the way of explanation or exposition) and didn't build to anything or go anywhere with it. It just kind of meandered for a while. Next to the monologue, it felt like the second longest segment of the night. Sadly, Kenans' walk on and the screw up with Aidys' costume (maybe she's never even seen Kids In The Hall and this is just a big coincidence) seemed to be the only laughs on the whole sketch. D-

Fake Italian Restaurant - This sketch was the funniest live piece of the night. I can definitely see this getting compared negatively to the Farley/Schillers' Reel/Swedish Coffee ad bit but this managed to work almost as well live because everyone really sold what they were given. I'm glad Ryan could just as easily channel some of his old energy from the Santa Baby film from his last show. I did like how Cecily refused to believe a fake restaurant was fake after being explicitly told so. Mikey and Beck made the most of their small parts and kudos to Redd and Heidi on their debut appearances and Chris actually getting some funny lines here. B-

Papyrus - This Avatar related film was the funniest thing in the whole show hands down. I think what actually made this work was something so trivial and banal being the subject of such heightened drama and psychological intrigue. Again, Kudos to Chris on getting in two genuinely funny performances in a row in his first show (as late as they were). B+

Dive Bar - This sketch was a bad note to end the show on. I will say that Kenan and Kyle were the strongest performers in it (even if it plays to Kenans' worse tendencies as a performer and Anderson and Sublette playing to their own worst tendencies as writers). I could've sworn that this was another by-the-numbers rewrite of a sketch they previously did a few years ago and it took someone on this board pointing out that it was Martin Freemans' show for me to remember what/when this was. At least this one was done in a way that it coukd at least hold up a bit better on second (and posdibly third) viewings. C-

Well, that was a bit of a letdown. Next week, Gal Gadot is going to host. I'm not sure how that will go. Obviously, most people know her from "Wonder Woman" this summer and may not know what else (if anything) she has starred or acted in. At this point, we know she can do well as an action star but I'm having a hard time not picturing her as anything but an awkward comedic performer. I just hope the writers will have shaken off all of their cobwebs completely at least by the 14th when Kumail Nanjing hosts because I fell only then can we actually get a sense of how this season is going to go. I hope this doesn't turn out to be another 04/05 or 09/10 type of season and it looks like we only have about two more weeks tops to hold out on that hope. Things may look pretty dire for SNL right now, but this season still has some wiggle room and a substantial amount of time to prove itself. See you then!

Dwayne Johnson/Katy Perry (5.20.2017)

Okay, here’s my review. This was overall one of the more enjoyable season finales in recent memory. Dwayne Johnson certainly continues to deliver as a dependable host. In fact, it may have been the strongest of all the live coast-to-coast shows to air this season. It did feel like the show was the least dependent on topical humor it’s been in recent memory but its’ easy to see why. They were obviously aiming for a feel good show with a fun host for the finale and if the writers’ weren’t just plain burnt out on having to keep up with the past few weeks’ worth of political news then they were finally just glad to be freed from the pressures of having to constantly mine comedy out of all of the insanity for at least the next couple of months. As far as cast screentime, it was widely reported in the hours leading up to the live show that this would be both Bobby and Vanessas' last but you might not have known it just from watching since they are used Vanessa way more than they used Bobby. Hell, this might have been the most she was ever used in her entire seven year tenure on the show. This reminded me quite a bit of five years ago when Mick Jagger hosted what was both Wiig AND Sambergs' final show. Besides them, Cecily, Beck and Kyle felt the least underused tonight. Sasheer didn’t seem to be in much tonight but I have quite a bit more to say on that so I’ll be saving those comments for near the end. Most of the rest of the cast seemed overshadowed by big name cameos (among other things) but in the case of this week I think we can forgive them for that. Anyway, let’s break it down.

Hallelujah Part II - This cold open was an appropriate way to close out the season and tie everything together in a neat little package. It pretty much retroactively justified having Kate as Hillary sing Hallelujah when Chappelle hosted. Also, did anyone else notice that when Baldwin tries to sing as Trump, he almost sounds exactly like Darrell Hammond doing Trump? B-

Monologue - This was all right. It wasn't quite what I was expecting from a Rock hosted episode but it was much more enjoyable than his singing and dancing monologues. I could kind of tell where the gag with Baldwin was headed before Hanks came out but they were both charming and gave the show its most enjoyable political discourse in ages. B-

Cartier Fidget Spinners - This reminded me a lot of Wiigs' Red Flag perfume from her own final season but it was the perfect piece for Vanessa to go out on. I don't know much about fidget spinners to take a side in the ongoing debate on them (hell, I don't even think I've seen one in real life yet) but whoever wrote this clearly does and has. It didn't seem like too hot a take but I could still see this putting off some pro-fidget spinner people. B-

Koko Watchout Vs Trashyard Mutt: Payback - I had a feeling they might bring back the Koko Watchout vs Trashyard Mutt WWE promos. I don't think it really holds much of a candle to the first one but I did like the California Girls reenactment and the long lost twins bit. I’m a little surprised the Katy Perry mention didn’t setup a cameo. C+

Rappers On The Track - This film seemed a lot like something MAD TV would've done 14 years ago but this turned out to be funnier than it had any right to be. Kenan really carried this even though people like Beck, Kyle, Melissa, Vanessa, Cecily and even Jost and Che each added their own silly touches to this. If anything, this really shows you what the cast and crew are talking about when they say they value Kenan as an onstage director. The Katy Perry cameo felt a little forced but I suppose it was to be expected. It was nice to see they found a way to sneak in David S. Pimpkins. B-

Scorpio - This sketch was a little predictable. Still, the girls were likable in it and the Rock played a decent straight man. C-

Jurassic Gemma IV: The Lost World - I didn't expect this but we are past the point of no return with this sketch. Plus, it is Vanessas' last show and The Rock was the only host that made this sketch work. I'll also admit that taking these characters outside of a bar and grill setting really improves this sketch. Also, was the background screen supposed to look as cheap as it did? C+

Xentrex - This sketch was another example of sketches getting funnier the more they escalate in absurdity and danger. The visual of Dwayne manhandling Kyle around his office was great. I also liked how this sketch felt like someone threw Happy Fun Ball and the Hartman/Roseanne MetroCard sketch in a blender (which SNL archives now shows me were both in the same episode oddly enough). B+

Update was actually a decent way to close out this season. Both Che and Jost had their fair share of great jokes tonight. It was a little soon to bring back Dawn Lazarus considering she just debuted this character two weeks ago this month...but then again we may definitely never see her again after tonight. It was inevitable that we would also see Drunk Uncle one final time and he certainly went out with a bang...pun intended. Seriously, the "shots" bit was my favorite even though I may have preferred they end on some more Jost & Che material. B-

RKO Movie Set – This sketch gave me bad flashbacks to the infamous January Jones episode but at least this was different since it was less one note and built up to something resembling an actual ending. D+

Worlds’ Most Evil Invention Exchange - The reveal of a child molesting robot was funny for its immediate shift in tone alone. I thought Dwayne acted his part really well since I could hardly tell if his unease giving his presentation was real or not. Beck, Kyle, Bobby and Sasheer played very well off of him. The White Castle plug at the end was a nice touch. I've already seen some of the reaction to this sketch posted online and let me tell you...it's exactly what you would expect. B+

Wingman - This sketch was all right if not a little inconsistent. I kept expecting it to go a bit further than where it actually ended up going. Bobby cameos were funny though and kudos to Beck and The Rock for selling this. Although, I have to say, I think the very idea that someone of the Rocks' stature being bad at approaching women may have been the most ridiculous thing about this sketch. C-

Senior Class Of 2017 – This was cute. It wasn't the Bobby/Vanessa send off or final closing sketch of the season I was expecting but it was still funny and enjoyable and a decent way to close out the season. The reactions of Alex, Melissa, Pete and Leslie (especially Pete and Leslies' back and forth) made this for me and Dwaynes' general inappropriateness was a nice touch. Still, I wish this had more of an ending rather than being cut off so abruptly. B-

Goodnights – I usually don’t comment on these but I feel like I just have to say a few things here. I’m a little disappointed they cut these off as early as they did and deprived us of some final shots of Bobby and Vanessa together with their cast. The Rock gave us a nice speech but the very end of the show (or what we saw on television anyway) felt pretty lacking. I just recently started following some girls on Twitter who are fans of the show and have made it out to New York to catch the last few weeks’ worth of shows at 30 Rock live in studio 8H. They have told me that Bobby (!), Vanessa and Sasheer were all CARRIED off the stage at the end of the show (there is a photo somewhere on Twitter of Vanessa being carried) and that a security guard at studio 8H had revealed to at least one of them that Sasheer was also leaving at the end of this season. The only thing that really surprises me about this is how it was not announced beforehand ala Bobby and Vanessa but I suppose it would be tricky for Sasheer and the show to navigate her exit in the first place. Also, unlike Bobby and Vanessa (or Taran Killam or Jay Pharroh for that matter) it would seem Sasheer is deciding to leave the show without any future television or film projects in the works. This is what actually makes me a little bit sad about her leaving so quietly and abruptly but Sasheer is also a stand up who can go on tour and continue to do her weekly “party time” showcases in New York in between lining up possible on screen gigs. Personally, I wouldn’t mind paying to go see her do live stand up in Denver if she ever decides to tour again. Jay Pharroh was in a similar situation about a year ago and seems to be doing well for himself. Then again, this is all just speculation I am hearing second-or-third hand from somebody who was there so I think we should take this with a grain of salt until we hear something from either Sasheer herself on social media or from an official source like Deadline or Variety as we did with Bobby and Vanessa. At any rate, I wish the three of them the absolute best of luck in all their endeavors.

Now, for the final time, here are my final rankings of SNLs’ 42^nd season…

1. Dave Chappelle/A Tribe Called Quest

2. Tom Hanks/Lady Gaga

3. Kristen Stewart/Alessia Cara

4. Lin Manuel Miranda/Twenty One Pilots

5. Louis C.K./The Chainsmokers

6. Dwayne Johnson/Katy Perry

7. Jimmy Fallon/Harry Styles

8. Aziz Ansari/Big Sean

9. Chris Pine/LCD Soundsystem

10. Alec Baldwin/Ed Sheeran

11. Melissa McCarthy/Haim

12. John Cena/Maren Morris

13. Scarlett Johansson/Lorde

14. Felicity Jones/Sturgil Simpson

15. Casey Affleck/Chance The Rapper

16. Octavia Spencer/Father John Misty

17. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

18. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

19. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

20. Kristen Wiig/The xx

21. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Now, I’d like to do something a little special and rank all of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnsons’ episodes in a similar manner from best to worst. This was as much of a challenge as when I did this for the other five timers that hosted recently (and maybe a near five timer). What made this a challenge is the fact that Dwayne has hosted the show in various completely different eras of quality in its history. Hell, he’s been billed ad both “The Rock” AND “Dwayne Johnson”. What does that tell you? Anyway, since I’ve now only reviewed three of his five shows and had only been able to locate the one most recent previous one prior to this (but big thanks to Stooge and The Doc on posting their reviews of his ’09 and ’15 shows respectively on the Voy board before this one) I had to rely partly on memory for the sketches I didn’t feel I needed to watch again or haven’t seen in recent enough memory until it all came falling into place. Here goes…

1. The Rock/AC/DC (3.18.2000)

2. Dwayne Johnson/Katy Perry (5.20.2017)

3. Dwayne Johnson/George Ezra (3.28.2015)

4. Dwayne Johnson/Ray LaMontange (3.7.2009)

5. The Rock/Andrew W.K. (4.13.2002)

Well, that season was a wild ride and what a way to cap it off! See you in the fall! Have a great summer!