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!

Melissa McCarthy/Haim (5.13.2017)

Okay, here’s my review. This weeks’ episode had its moments but it felt like a very strange show given that Melissa McCarthy was hosting and there was certainly NO shortage of political news this past week. I would expect both of these things to have really lit a fire under the writers’ asses but sadly there was no evidence of that here tonight. This wasn’t exactly the weakest show of the entire season but it was definitely the weakest of all the shows that went out live coast to coast so far. Hell, I barely felt like I was watching a truly “live” show and it wasn’t because of the hockey game going into overtime that may have at least delayed it on the east coast. Melissa officially joined the famed five timers’ club tonight which means that Lorne, the cast and the writing staff OBVIOUSLY loved working with her each and every time she has hosted. You’d think they’d jump at the chance to do so again and would make an effort to give her as much screen time as possible but she sadly (and STRANGELY I reiterate) felt way underutilized tonight. It’s not that she was overshadowed by anyone at all; she just seemed all but hidden in plain sight tonight. The strange thing about this was that Melissa McCarthy is usually a larger than life presence at SNL but none of that presence was felt in studio 8H this week. Maybe it was because she was noticeably less focused on broad physical humor as much as she has been in past SNL outings. Maybe the pressure on the staff of having to keep up with this weeks’ rapid fire deluge of jaw dropping political news at possibly break neck speed almost broke everyone. Maybe the staff knew they were going to narrow their focus to one particular part of the show from the very start of the week because it did certainly feel that way. Any number of these factors could’ve led to such an underwhelming show. I’ll let you decide which one(s) as we break down this weeks’ show together once again.

NBC News Trump/Holt Interview - This was enjoyable if not a little uneven. It didn't really get going until the Nixon/Kelly Anne jabs and the Melania/prime the pump line in the middle. Still, it was well acted and I liked the "did I get him/nothing matters" bit at the beginning. Mikey did well as Paul Ryan. It's about time he inevitably took over that role. I also liked the brief return of Alex as Anderson "Eye Roll 360" Cooper. B-

Monologue - This was entertaining enough once Melissa took that woman from the audience backstage. I liked that Kyles' appearance as well as the fact that they finally acknowledged the running gag of the backstage Llama. Why were the cameos from Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds necessary? I was hoping this was the monologue because they were so focused on making sure this show was caught up on all this weeks' insane political news that they only suddenly remembered it was mothers' day after realizing they forgot to write out a monologue this week. Sadly, much of the rest of the show didn't seem to confirm that suspicion for me. C-

Just Desserts – This REALLY stretched out one simple punchline for all it was worth. Honestly, it felt like a leftover dress rehearsal sketch from McCarthys' first show in 2011...that had previously been cut from several dress rehearsals...the last two seasons in a row. This was completely the wrong choice to lead off the show. D-

Amazon Echo Silver - This sketch seemed to have been suffering from the same fate as Just Desserts at first but the cast really did all they could to save this one. Kenan, Kyle, Kate and Leslie performed it well and made it more watchable than it had any right to be. C-

Sean Spicer Press Briefing IV - The requisite Spicer sketch left a little to be desired. It seems like it will compare better to the rest of this episode than it will to previous Spicer sketches, but at the same time I did like how they at least tried to imply the existence of a running arc or through line with the other Spicer sketches that was being concluded here tonight. It reminded me a bit of the Seth/Stefan wedding in Haders' final episode but drained of any and all emotional impact. I also liked how the pretaped footage from the other day turned out and how they incorporated it in between the live portions of the sketch as well as Aidys' performance as Sarah Huckabee-Sanders. The only real demerit on this sketch is that the ending felt a little rushed and incomplete. B-

Update was better than its' been in recent weeks. As far as jokes, the only ones that really stood out were the Trump/Comey/record scratch jabs (I pretty much knew exactly where Colins' Spicer/Bushes joke was headed before he even finished it). Petes' post-rehab commentary was the funniest thing he's done on (or off) the show in quite some time but it did really have a strong feeling like he was working out some new stand up material at the worst possible time setting. I did like Cecilys' latest Cathy-Anne appearance for the building absurdity and the glimpses of her back story we got. B-

Debette Goldry Does The Lincoln Center - Aside from adding Melissa as a clone of Kates' character, this was just a blatant by-the-numbers rewrite of the first one (right down to casting Cecily and Sasheer as Marion Cotillard and Lupita N'Yongo respectively). Thankfully, the outlandish Stefon-like quality of the writing of these is still present. Kates' "grip" joke had another punchline I saw coming from two towns over and I wish Melissa had put a little more effort into her character. It seemed like she was just trying to imitate the voices of Seth Greens' extremely nerdy characters from "Family Guy" and "Robot Chicken". I guess if nothing else this sketch just did more to confirm that Vanessa, Cecily and Sasheer are the best at not breaking. C+

Kyle And Leslie On The Rocks - I like that they chose to not only keep going down the road with Leslie and Kyles' relationship but also keep them grounded by giving them problems down the line to face. I also thought it was sweet of the cast to indulge their wedding and kids' recital in the studio. Also, naming their apparently rapidly aging kid "little Lorne" gave me flashbacks to when Jimmy and Tina did a "dramatic play" on Update 12 years ago when Cameron Diaz hosted. Lorne walked away with this simply by having the most psychologically removed reaction to Kyle shooting Josh right on the leg. B-

Mothers And Their Spirit Animals - This sketch was another blatant rewrite of the mom haircut sketch from last mothers’ day when Brie Larson hosted. Still, this one was a bit funnier by virtue of being more outlandish. I did like Vanessas' speech and McCarthy's line about choosing to call her son before a big meeting. Still, the only thing this sketch really had going against it was how out of place Villasenor seemed here. She stuck out like a sore thumb but oh well. I guess this was sort of a rite of passage for her as SNLs' newest female cast member. I understand that Sasheer wrote the Brie Larson edition of this sketch with her most frequent collaborators on the writing staff. I would assume she also got to write this as well so good on her for being able to get her own material on the air. C-

Lighthouse Pictures - This was the funniest live sketch of the night. I really liked how McCarthy and Bennett each really built up the strange silliness of this in their own different ways and how well Bobby and Cecily played off of them. B+

Goodnights - Having Steve Martin come out during the good nights to present Melissa with her own smoking jacket was a nice touch. I was wondering if they were going to make as big of a deal of McCarthy joining the five timers club when it actually happened as they did BEFORE it happened. B+

Now, for my updated rankings of this 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. Jimmy Fallon/Harry Styles

7. Aziz Ansari/Big Sean

8. Chris Pine/LCD Soundsystem

9. Alec Baldwin/Ed Sheeran

10. Melissa McCarthy/Haim

11. John Cena/Maren Morris

12. Scarlett Johansson/Lorde

13. Felicity Jones/Sturgil Simpson

14. Casey Affleck/Chance The Rapper

15. Octavia Spencer/Father John Misty

16. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

17. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

18. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

19. Kristen Wiig/The xx

20. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Now, I’d like to give you my ranking of all of Melissa McCarthy’s episodes so far form best to worst (much like my ranking of this season above). Now, this was a considerable challenge. Unlike Justin Timberlake, Melissa McCarthy doesn’t seem to rely on a specific set of characters and by-the-numbers scripts. While her characterizations can be varied, there tends to be a common theme among her performances. She has a gift for fearless physical comedy and, in some cases, a knack for Wiig-like awkward interactions. She’s had memorable sketches from each of her specific episodes, but nothing much stands out at an “above all else” level. This is what really makes her episodes run together in my mind. Since I knew I couldn’t rely solely on memory on this one, I decided to reread some of my archived reviews of her old shows and rewatch some of her old sketches on YouTube and the SNL app. Frankly, I was surprised to see what still holds up and what doesn’t. Anyway, without further ado…here are my rankings of the shows hosted by the five timers clubs’ newest female inductee.

1. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West (2.13.2016)

2. Melissa McCarthy/Imagine Dragons (2.1.2014)

3. Melissa McCarthy/Haim (5.13.2017)
4. Melissa McCarthy/Lady Antebellum (10.1.2011)

5. Melissa McCarthy/Phoenix (4.13.2013)

Well, that was a slight disappointment considering I’ve never had my expectations that high for a Melissa McCarthy episode until now. Next week, the season draws to a close as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Katy Perry bring us all home. Now, there’s the host that’s going to end this tumultuous year with a bang! While Dwayne and Melissa are two very different hosts who’ve done the show in vastly different eras of its history (and surprisingly the former started relying less on physical comedy earlier) I do have the same expectations for both hosts whenever they appear as it’s obvious they both bring the same drive, energy and work ethic to the show. Still, let’s hope we’re not let down as hard next week as we were after this Saturday. See you then!

Chris Pine/LCD Soundsystem (5.6.2017)

Okay, here’s my review. From what I’ve seen in the promos for this weeks’ shows and SNLs most recent social media feeds, Chris Pine seemed like he was going to be a fun host who would be game for anything. He certainly tried to engage the shows audience as well as he engaged the shows’ cast and brand throughout the week. He also gave off the impression that he loved being at SNL the whole week and a lot of the cast had fun with him. I can see them inviting him back and I would not mind if they did in a few years’ time. Yes, Chris Pine had some impressive sketch comedy chops after all. Unfortunately, he couldn’t translate his skills into making the show all that memorable. He was a fine host who I could eventually see becoming a five timer (if hosts Scarlett Johansson, Melissa McCarthy and Louis CK can join the club) but he didn’t exactly blow us away with his first time performance as hosts like Timberlake, Hamm, Baldwin and Hathaway have in the past. One other thing this show had going for it is that much like CKs’ recent episode, the writers and cast seemed to be willing to take more creative risks (although not to the extent that CK was willing to). At the same time, this show felt seriously lacking in topical material given what was in the news this week. I would’ve liked to see something on the Fyre festival but I understand why that would’ve seemed like old news by Thursday when news broke of the ACA repeal/house passing of AHCA but even that seemed like it was barely touched. Still, I am quite grateful that the WGA and AMPTP were able to make a deal to avoid the writers’ strike so these last three shows could even happen. Good to see the cast is pretty evenly balanced (aside from Pete and Melissa) and that they are using plenty of Bobby and Vanessa in what may be their third to last episode.

Morning Joe - I liked this cold open despite its minor flaws. I can't really gauge the accuracy of the Joe and Mika impressions but I did like how Alex and Kate played off each other. Kudos to Alex on scoring another political impression in a cold open and getting his first LFNY. Bobby, Beck and Mikeys' uncomfortable reactions were all right. It seems like they captured the vibe of this show well enough from what little I've seen of it. Overall, it reminded me a little too much of the sketch from Eric McCormacks' 2002 episode where he and Tina were CNN anchors who were falling in love with each other right on air to Parnells' and Dratchs’ delights and Poehlers' disgust at their unprofessionalism. Also, I saw Baldwin on Ellen and Conan this week* and wondered if he would be able to fly back out to 30 Rock in time for this weeks' show. His literally phone in cameo this week makes in abundantly clear that he wasn't. I did like how they worked in a reference to Trump posing as his own publicist over the phone years ago even if it seems very dated now. I also liked how they worked in the LFNY line. C+

*Speaking of which, Baldwin mentioned on Ellen that they actually asked Trump to make a cameo in the episode he hosted in February. Quite frankly, I was stunned to hear that they apparently learned nothing from having him host while he was actively campaigning for president. Thankfully, he didn't agree to be on the show again so I'may grateful we at least dodged that bullet.

Monologue - This was okay despite its weak spots. I'm glad they addressed the Pratt/Evans/Hemsworth confusion right off the bat. Pine has a decent voice but the singing wasn't totally necessary. I did like, Kate, Pete and Leslies' walkons but this could've been cut down a bit. C+

Where In The World Is Kellyanne Conway? - This seemed pretty dated (seeing as Conway has made far fewer public/TV appearances in recent weeks) until they revealed that was the entire point and cut right to the end. Good to see Pine got over his singing jitters right away. Overall, as brief as this was it was a strong choice to lead off the post-monologue/pre-Update portion of the show. B+

Slavic World Peace Rap – This was pretty funny considering I was very familiar with the real life video they were parodying. If you haven’t seen it, do yourself a favor and Google “Speak Stop The War” and prepare to be blown away. Beck nailed the guys' voice and it was nice to see Kyle got to sneak in his real Dutch hip hop character. Pines' singing didn't hurt one bit. It didn't seem to go anywhere and they leaned a little heavily on the porn addiction jokes, but that didn't bother me too much. B-

SWAT Recon Party - This sketch was just as gleefully, stupidly silly as all get out but strangely that was what made it work. Kenan and Beck seriously commenting on Mikey, Chris and Leslies' activities seems to be what was selling this even before they and Bobby joined them. It was pretty obvious that Mikey wrote this. B+

The Boy Is Mine - This seemed to be the most one note sketch of the show so far but it was fun to watch as Aidy and Vanessa did their damndest to sell this. Pine played well off them and he sold the ending as well, but by this point it was starting to look like they were leaning a little too heavily on having him sing to the point where this show was eerily reminiscent of Forrest Whitakers' episode from ten years ago (which, IIRC, was one of the few large weak spots of that largely great season). I have a feeling that Aidy and Vanessa collaborated to write this. C+

The House: Seattle: Season 6,000 - I liked seeing Beck and Kyles' Good Neighbor style humor after what felt like an interminable long drought of their filmed pieces on the show. Chris' acting really added to this and I liked the cameos from Pete as the robber and the random Asian guy who wasn't even in their house. I liked how the interviews/confessionals were meant to hype up the inane, nonexistent “drama” on the show. Still, there wasn't a lot besides that that stood out here from the last time they did these reality elimination show parodies but this one does hold up better on repeat viewings. C+

Update was serviceable. It's obvious Che continues to get the Lion’s share of better jokes but this week the only ones that stood out were the ones near the end that got near unanimous hate groans from the audience. I'm not sure if Vanessas' meteorologist was based on any real newscasters but it's pretty much exactly what we've come to expect as a bare minimum from Vanessa. Leslie's commentary was nice if not a little subdued given what we've seen from her as recently as this season but I am glad to see she apparently found her Mr. Right. C+

Auto Shops’ Drag Race - This was fun to watch. Bobby, Beck and Chris walked away with it but it reminded me a bit too much of a similar mechanic sketch with Bill Hader and Paul Rudd from the end of Rudds' first episode in '08. B-

The Handmaids' Tale - This was unfortunately the biggest bomb of the night. Even the live studio audience had no idea what to make of this and their resulting silence was deafening. This had to have been a female written sketch and while I can kind of see what they were going for (kudos to Chris, Mikey, Alex and Kyle for holding their own) it felt way too underdeveloped and underwritten for something that was supposed to have that much substance to it. D-

Star Trek: Spocko Lives – This was much funnier than it had any right to be. Kenan' Neil Degrasse Tyson seems to be an atrophy in impression but plays him so gleefully smug and geeky you can't help but laugh. Chris Pine, Beck Bennett and Alex Moffat do fine impressions of young Shatner, Doohan and Koenig respectively. Kudos to the staff for keeping the "Akira-Yoshimura-as-Sulu" running gag going 41 years strong! Bobby clearly stole this whole sketch and really made the most out of a very simple and straightforward premise. If I had to guess who wrote this, I would say Kent Sublette and possibly Colin Jost. B-

Couples Game Night - This sketch had the hammy showtune stink of Anderlette all over it. Strangely, it was the second sketch of the night that reminded me of something else from Eric McCormacks’ episode. This was clearly a rewrite of a group singing sketch they did last Christmas with Chris Hemsworth. Just when you thought you had enough of Chris Pine singing, he gives us one final encode (although I will say his singing voice suited this particular sketch just fine). Well, at least this was buried at the end of the show and the ladies all looked damn fine here. C-

Now, for my updated rankings of this 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. Jimmy Fallon/Harry Styles

7. Aziz Ansari/Big Sean

8. Chris Pine/LCD Soundsystem

9. Alec Baldwin/Ed Sheeran

10. John Cena/Maren Morris

11. Scarlett Johansson/Lorde

12. Felicity Jones/Sturgil Simpson

13. Casey Affleck/Chance The Rapper

14. Octavia Spencer/Father John Misty

15. Margot Robbie/The Weeknd

16. Emily Blunt/Bruno Mars

17. Emma Stone/Shawn Mendes

18. Kristen Wiig/The xx

19. Benedict Cumberbatch/Solange

Well, everyone gave it their all to put on one heckuva show. Still, I think it’s safe to say at this point that the novelty of SNL going out live coast to coast to close out a historic season has officially worn off before the second of four shows where they planned to do this even started. That’s really no fault of the staff, though. Let’s hope the next two hosts can turn that around. Melissa McCarthy will be in studio 8H next week followed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to finish the season proper. While you can easily point to what the latter has to promote, the same may not be able to be said for the former but she is a welcome presence and a friend of the show. Plus, she is another game host and talented physical comedienne who the cast loves working with. Her performances seem to age well and she certainly has a valid reason to be on the show THIS season. I’m curious as to how they will work that into the show with her hosting. See you then!