Amy Adams/One Direction (12.20.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This has to be the most frustrating SNL episode of this season, but we have seen worse. For a Christmas episode especially, it was very inconsistent. This show started off showing some flickering promise here and there, but it started to take a serious nosedive right in the middle of Update. Amy Adams was completely overshadowed as a host by the frequently returning cast members as well as the musical guests, of course (but I guess this is to be expected whenever they still inexplicably book One Direction). It somehow managed to make last years’ big Christmas show with Fallon and Timberlake look less dreary and depressing. Anyway, let’s get on with it.

A Very Somber Xmas With Sam Smith/Message From Dr. Evil - This cold open was possibly the best one this season. Seeing Taran's Sam Smith again was a nice touch. Using Mike Meyers as Dr. Evil was a clever way for SNL to comment on the Sony hacking scandal. Meyers performance was a real return to form for him and his laserdisc joke and jabs at Franco/Walkman/The Love Guru were great but his GOP joke could be seen from two miles away. B+

Monologue – This started out charming until Kristen Wiig came in and bought it to a screeching halt. D-

Asian American Doll - This was another commercial mostly done in a similar vein to "The Dudleys" from Woody Harrelsons's show but lacking most of the bite of that one. It could've benefitted from being shortened a little. The chef/dog bit at the end was a true highlight. C-

Tenderfield Christmas 2014 – This was funnier than I expected it to be. I liked how such a seemingly innocuous premise took so many dark turns. The highlights were the description of the Today show interview, the Iron Man 4/HPV ad bit, Kyle thinking he was a dog and Kate being a sociopath. Kenan's part was fine even if it seemed a little tacked on. B+

Serial Christmas - This was a clever bit of parody. However, I'm sure it would be much funnier had I actually listened to the Serial podcast (and I honestly can’t decide whether or not this parody made me want check it out but some light YouTube/Google browsing indicates no evidence that it is a video podcast as SNL seems to suggest so I really don't know what the visuals here are based off of). My only familiarity with it comes from jokes about it on Twitter, Sarah Koenig's Colbert interview and Tom Scharpling talking about it on the return of "The Best Show on WMFU" (which from what I’ve heard is a little too dry for me). I can't really vouch for the verisimilitude of this but it looked like a labored yet well-constructed parody. I liked the courtroom artists' depictions of Aidy and Jay, Cecily and Kate building a sleigh, and Kyle as Kris Kringle (did anyone else think he slightly resembled Samberg in that hair and makeup?). I can't judge the accuracy of Cecily's Koening impression but she had the rhythms of a typical NPR host down pat. B-

Girlfriends Talk Show VII - I have to give SNL credit for holding off on this until now this whole season. I guess I should've expected it with Adams as host. I feel like her role was kind of wasted here but if 1D had to cameo in a sketch, this would be the safest one for them to appear in. They were pretty stiff and awkward here. Cecily was just kinda there, but as usual her “boyfriend” rant was the most interesting contribution. Aidy's performance was a strong and interesting choice. D+

Office Christmas Party – As much as this seemed heavily stylized after the Lonely Island, this was very fun. Jay and Pete carried this well. Leslie’s role seemed pretty awkward and Amy, Aidy, Beck/Kyle and Taran were funny in their roles. I also liked the increasingly wild and destructive tone it took toward the end. B-

Update started out fairly strong despite a couple of things weighing it down toward the end. Che was on another roll (especially with his Korea rants) and Jost even got a few good jokes in. Bobby's Kim Jong-Un commentary was possibly my favorite thing he has done on SNL all season. Kenan's commentary was nothing we haven't seen from him before. Garth and Kat was only worth sitting through to hear Che interact with them. C+

A Very Cuban Christmas - This special was something I don't quite know what to make of. I can't tell if it was poorly rushed together on purpose or if that was the "joke" behind it. Still, it felt like a premise that didn't quite reach its full potential. Taran's Pitbull was funny, while not particularly accurate. Cecily kinda went in and out with her Gloria Estefan and her timing seemed way off. Pete as Elian Gonzales was good stunt casting and Kate's Diana Nyad was the real highlight. We could've done without Kyle and Amy doing Scarface and Bobby doing Hurley, though. Kenan's Cuba Gooding Jr. was serviceable here seeing as Jay was being used well as Obama. Fred and Beck as the Castros were appropriate here. For once, a Fred cameo was actually welcome and relevant in a sketch. C-

A Magical Christmas - This sketch seemed like another premise with wasted potential. Every performer in this sketch tried their damndest despite sailing on weak material here. The raccoon ending was endearing at least. This seems like another Anderlette collabo to me. D-

Whiskers R’ We II - This retread isn't unwelcome at all. It was charming and unique enough the first time. I liked the string of British short hair/Sex And The City/Cat Stevens/textbook narcissist/alien gags at the beginning. I still have to wonder how much of this sketch was recycled from the edition of this sketch that was cut from Sarah Silverman’s dress rehearsal in October. C+

Now, for my updated rankings for this season so far…

1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar

2. Martin Freeman/Charli XCX

3. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

4. James Franco/Nicki Minaj

5. Bill Hader/Hozier

6. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

7. Amy Adams/One Direction

8. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

9. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

10. Chris Rock/Prince

Well, that was largely disappointing but there was some fun to be had in this episode if you were willing to look hard enough for it. Kevin Hart will be SNL’s first host of 2015. I like his acting more than I do his standup and his 2013 stint as host was rather fun, so I guess I could look forward to this one. I’m curious as to who the first musical guest will be (and when they will be announced). Happy holidays! See you in 2015! Until then, I would invite any Scharpling and Wurster/Best Show WMFU fans to discuss their appeal with me since I shared my views on them earlier in this review.

Martin Freeman/Charli XCX (12.13.14)

Okay, here’s my review. This show was rather quiet in most spots yet still thoroughly enjoyable. It is definitely in the top five of this season so far. Only two things stood out as being really bad among a string of mostly original writing and non-recurring premises. Martin Freeman proved a pleasant and capable host, if not a little underused. I wouldn’t mind seeing him return. I would just hope the writers knew how to play to his strengths a little more. Anyway, let’s get to it.

Charlie Rose - The Torture report was a nice topic for the cold open. Bobby and Kyle performed well in it. The jabs at Time Warner/see cashier/autocorrect were all right. Taran's Charlie Rose was pretty weak. Even though this felt like it was missing something, it was a better cold open than last week. C+

Monologue - Freeman delivered a charming monologue. I did like the self-deprecating tone to it. I have a good feeling about him as a host. Kate’s' Maggie Smith and Taran's throaty Alan Rickman were also welcome additions. B+

Sump'n Claus - This turned out to be more entertaining (and longer) than it had any right to be. I did like how Kenan turned in a rather subdued performance here and Cecily and Sasheer served the sketch well as backup singers. C-

Wedding Objections - This sketch was very fun. I did like how there were several different elements to it that built up and paid off at the end. Taran, Kate, Cecily, Aidy, Leslie and Martin were very funny in it. I especially like Taran’s “shattered penis/Jenga tower” lines. Also, did anyone else think Freeman resembled Martin Short in that wig? B+

The Office: Middle Earth – This was a fun taped piece. It did capture the aesthetic of the Office better than it did the Tolkien films. Taran was great as Gollum (much better than Kattan used to be) but Bobby did a rather weak Gandalf Gervais. He had Gervais's David Brent movements and facial expressions down pat and did a convincing accent but the voice was a little off. Kate did well in this, too. Also, who was that in the orc makeup. This was a clever way for the SNL writers to combine the two things American audiences will most easily recognize Martin Freeman from, but I can't help but think how it might have been improved if this sketch was done when Sudekis was still in the cast and he had played the Gervais role instead of Bobby. B+

Right Side Of The Bed – This sketch was possibly the worst segment of the night. It could've been better had the shifted more focus to Aidy's character. Martin's awkwardness was the best part of this sketch. Kate as Keith Urban was worth a chuckle. Otherwise, Cecily and Taran were trying too hard and this just SCREAMED "An Anderson/Sublette Joint". Did anyone else get flashbacks to that “Pageant Talk” sketch from the Zach Galifinakis 09-10 episode w/Slate, Hader and Wiig? I’ll bet they wrote THAT one, too! Also, what does it say about me that I saw some resemblance to “Chrisley Knows Best” without ever actually watching that show? C-

Christmas Mass Spectacular - This seemed a little dated and unfocused, but it was funny. Beck, Kyle, Jay and Kate were great in it. It did seem like it didn’t know what it was satirizing or who it wanted it’s audience to be, but I liked it nonetheless. I just think this was an odd outlet for Good Neighbors ‘90s slacker humor. C+

Update was a little inconsistent, but strong. Che had a long string of great jokes and even Jost got in a couple of good jabs. The commentaries were what weighed this down a bit, though. It was nice of them to give Sasheer a chance to be herself on Update. Her commentary was funny even if it took a while to get going and emoji narrative humor has kind of been done before. Che really added sommething to it. Cecily's "one dimensional female character in a male driven comedy" seems like something she had a hand in writing but it also seemed a little unfocused and meandering. It was different at least, but it didn't seem like a fully thought out idea. Jacob the Bar Mitvah Boy has really run its course and Che's interaction w/Vanessa was pretty much a carbon copy of Seth's script but at least Che managed to make it endearing. B-

Heinz Assembly Line - This sketch didn't seem to go anywhere, but it was still enjoyable. I was just expecting more from seeing an assembly line set with a Caution sign being put up during the commercial, I guess. Taran and Martin did the best they could with the material. The "blue light" ending was worth a chuckle. C+

Holiday Gig - This sketch seems like the most one note thing that has aired this season so far. It's a little interesting how Kenan's voice seemed to change at least twice through this sketch. Taran's brief appearance was worth a chuckle. D+

Waterbeds Are The Best - This was a decent piece to go out on. Aidy clearly gave it her all as did Martin. Taran and Jay's brief appearances were funny, too. I chuckled at the mattress with her face on it, but the joke of plastering Aidy's giant face everywhere got kinda old. For some reason, it felt like something that has been cut from several previous dress rehearsals. Martins’ accent was an interesting choice. Did he remind anyone else of Buck Henry in this sketch? B-

Here are my updated rankings for this season…

1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar
2. Martin Freeman/Charli XCX
3. James Franco/Nicki Minaj
4. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea
5. Bill Hader/Hozier
6. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars
7. Chris Pratt/Arianna Grande
8. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5
9. Chris Rock/Prince

Next week, Amy Adams returns to host with One Direction as the musical guest. So far, I think this show has the potential to go either way. Amy Adams has the potential to really deliver as a host. Let’s hope the writing continues on the upswing its’ been on this month. See you then!

James Franco/Nicki Minaj (12.6.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. Good or bad, this episode delivered exactly what I was expecting given the lineup. It started off pretty slow but picked up some steam after Update. Franco gelled well with this cast and seems to have improved somewhat form his last two hosting stints (at least in terms of not squinting and spitting as much). Even the well placed Nicki Minaj sketch cameos worked (well, they better than her performances anyway) and I honestly enjoyed this episode more than the Diaz one two weeks ago even though they were both on the same level of inconsistency. Anyway, here we go.

Politics Nation - This isn't even a good cold open let alone a good way for SNL to address the Eric Garner story. Bobby was all right, but not even he could save it. D-

Monologue - I'd say it wasn't as good as his '08 college monologue w/Sudekis but better than his '09 Christmas monologue. Addressing the Sony hack was clever at least. The Rogen cameo was totally expected as was his using his physique to get laughs, but he breathed some life into this monologue. C-

Peter Pan Live - This parody worked on the whole. I never expected them to make Aidy's "Tonkerbell" recurring but using her to comment on the Peter Pan performance was clever on the writers' part. She and Cecily were the strongest parts of this sketch. Franco's Walken was pretty weak but I do appreciate his effort. Still, I would've preferred Kilam or another cast member doing their take on Walken and this sketch was much better than the Sound Of Music parody from the Paul Rudd episode last year. C+

Star Wars Trailer – This trailer was pretty weak. Taran, Leslie and Bobby were okay in it but the "elderly heroes returning for a sequel" comedy trope is beyond tired by now and wasn't even that relevant to the trailer it was supposedly parodying. D+

MTV’s Jingle Ballerz - The Hip-hop nativity was pretty inconsistent, but one of the more entertaining live pieces of the night. Pete was funny and seeing Taran's Eminem, Kate's Beiber and Jay's Kanye again was nice. Sasheer's Rhianna was way off and Franco's Riff Raff added nothing. Kenan's Rick Ross was okay. Nicki Minaj actually did a passable Beyonce. Her singing was off but she got Beyonce’s general speaking voice down. At least it was nice to see a different portrayal of Beyonce than Maya Rudolph's. C+

Mike O'Brien: Grow-A-Guy - This film was one of the stronger pieces of the night. It was great to see that level of surreal humor on SNL again. Mike, Beck, James and Pete turned in fine performances here. B-

Magic Bridge - This was pretty awkward. It was another showcase for Cecily to do an odd accent. In fact, her character sounded just like a cross between Molly Shannon and Amy Poehler's character from the Appalachain Emergency room sketches. Kyle and Aidy were just kinda there. D-

Update was pretty strong tonight. Che delivered some fine joke and even Jost is starting to show some personality. It seems like the only thing that didn't land with the audience was the opening grand jury commentaries. While they may not have gotten enough laughs, they were thoughtful commentaries and I did like how they broke up the usual Update format. Seeing Leslie Jones again was great but again, her previous commentaries were better. This one was allright, but seemed a little awkward. The only thing that felt out of place was bringing Anthony Crispino out of mothballs. I thought it would be worth seeing how Che would react to him but he just kind of phoned it in there. I did like the Drew Carey/Bing Crosby jokes though. Nicki Minaj pretty much just played Kim Kardashian as herself but the bit about the nude photos being placed against different backgrounds was clever enough. B-

Brain Space - This sketch worked pretty well. Franco didn't really need to shout all his lines, though. Having Nicki do the first two verses of Anaconda was a clever way to sneak that song onto the show without having to devote an entire MG slot to that ridiculous song (although her actual second performance still came off pretty awkward, though). All the brief walk ons by the cast were good, too. I especially liked Beck and Bobby in this. B+

Kid Mayor – This sketch was pretty funny in its mild immaturity. Even though Franco could have dialed it back, this was the one sketch where his shouting all his lines actually worked. B-

Sunseeker Yachts - I have to hand it to SNL for holding off on bringing back the former porn models until this point in the season. I did like Rogen and Franco's performances in this as well as the sit/stand on it and pull out lines. C+

Here are my updated rankings for this season…

1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar

2. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

3. Bill Hader/Hozier

4. James Franco/Nicki Minaj

5. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

6. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

7. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

8. Chris Rock/Prince

Next week, Martin Freeman hosts with musical guest Charli XCX. Anyway you look at it, this has to be the most promising SNL lineup this month. See you then!

Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars (11.22.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This was a real middle of the road show for this season. It was wildly

uneven, but far from the absolute worst for this season we’ve seen so far. Still, it was more

enjoyable than a lot of Thanksgiving shows lately. The show wasn’t too heavy on recurring bits outside of just a few. Cameron Diaz proved to be a competent host. Fortunately, she wasn’t featured in sketches as heavily as she was in her first three episodes thus

leaving her less room to overact. Seeing lots of Bobby, Beck and Kyle was nice. Anyway, Let’s

get right to it.

School House Rock - This sketch has to be the best cold open of the season so far. Bobby was very funny in it and it was probably the strongest political satire the show has done in years. It would’ve been even better if they didn’t just lazily tack on an LFNY at the end. A-

Monologue - This was possibly the lamest audience questions sketch ever but at least Bobby, Kyle and Beck were okay in it. D+

Back Home Ballers – In terms of post-Samberg era SNL music videos, this wasn’t quite as bad as "Dongs All Over The World" but not quite as good as "Twin Bed" either. Leslie and Kate were good but Vanessa seemed quite out of place. Here's a question: if they knew Nicki Minaj was booked on the show in two weeks, why didn't they wait until then to do this? It would be just as timely and Nicki was actually pretty good in the Lonely Island "Do The Creep" video. Seems like a big missed opportunity for me. C-

Black Annie - This sketch was all over the place but it was a great centerpiece for Leslie, so it was fine for what it was. Vanessa had a pretty funny part and Jay did a serviceable Jamie Foxx. The "Black Betty" ending was funny just for how it came completely out of left field. C+

Nest-Spresso - This sketch was another unfocused piece with a strange premise. I don't quite know what to make of it and I have no idea who they thought it would appeal to. D+

High School Theater - This sketch seemed to go nowhere. Kenan and Vanessa's parts seemed really underdeveloped but I did chuckle at the "doctor/nurse" bit. Did this remind anyone else of the sketch from Dane Cooks first episode where the high school drama department read the morning announcements? That sketch was much more fun than this. C-

Update was a little inconsistent, but it was a high point of this episode. Kate turned in her most animated performance as Angela Merkel (and managed to pull some personality out of Jost) and Tarans' gleefully deranged Charles Manson was probably this show's funniest moment. Jost's jokes were serviceable but Che was really on point. His Cosby/Huxtable/Kramer and Ferguson rants was good (although sadly, that's probably the edgiest Cosby material we can expect from SNL right now) and the "pull up YOUR pants" line would've been funnier had I not already seen it on Twitter from some other comedian (and I'm sure Che will catch hell for it soon). Speaking of Twitter, his KKK joke was his only joke that really fell flat. B+

Baby Boss III – The fact that this sketch took place in a dining room really made me appreciate when they put recurring characters in different settings as it rarely happens now. Cameron as the wife was possibly the funniest role she's pulled off all night and Beck it still as physically committed to his role as ever. Thankfully, the kept it short. Also, didn't this get cut from Silverman's dress rehearsal? C+

Dr Dave and Buggle - This talk show sketch was probably the funniest thing Kenan has done on the show so far (and that's REALLY saying something). I'm glad they kept it from being a total Brian Fellow rip off. Sure, it was a little repetitive and one note but I can't even remember the last time SNL wrote a sketch that deranged. A-

Chris Fitzpatrick vs Andy Rydell - The return of this character was certainly welcome. This was certainly funnier than the short from the Louis CK show in March. The fighting with Beck was hilarious as was the random stock footage, factoids and the “lil’ bitch” line at the very end. I also liked how Kyles’ performance more closely resembled the angst, dysfunctional and outrageous version of this character we saw in Kyles’ pre-SNL YouTube videos. A-

Poetry Class III - I really don't think Vanessa's poetry teacher needed to be recurred again, but I did like how they changed the format up a bit with Diaz's character. Pete and Kenans' reactions to her were funny but Aidy's part kinda fell flat. C-

Night Murmurs - That phone sex sketch seemed to have some pretty ambitious writing to it, but it didn't quite land with me. There seemed to be a big miscue at the beginning. I wonder if they were really running long and had to cut one of Cecily's lines at the last second? C+

Now, for my update rankings of this season…

1. Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar

2. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

3. Bill Hader/Hozier

4. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

5. Cameron Diaz/Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars

6. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

7. Chris Rock/Prince

Well, that was that. In two weeks, James Franco returns to host. He managed to helm two pretty forgettable episodes. One back in the already awful 09-10 season (although we did see much worse that year) and another back during the election season in 08-09 (and the show actually had GOOD writing that year). All I really remember was his constant squinting at cue cards and inexplicably drooling. Nicki Minaj was inevitable, I guess. She seems like a person who has been all over the place promoting random things for the last couple of years. I’m surprised it took SNL took this long to get her again. She might actually work in one sketch cameo like she did in her first show. Still, this isn’t exactly a lineup I have tremendous faith in. See you soon!

Woody Harrellson/Kendrick Lamar (11.15.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This episode really showed some promise for the rest of this season of SNL. It may honestly rival Carrey’s episode for best of the season so far. They recovered nicely from the mostly disastrous Chris Rock episode two weeks ago and Woody proved to be a fine host and connected effortlessly with this cast. Most of the cast got a fair amount of screen time tonight, but a little more Bobby, Jay and Aidy wouldn’t have hurt. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

Obama And McConnell Have Drinks - This cold open was a little forgettable but it sure was fun while it lasted. I was expecting Beck to play Mitch McConnell, but Taran did a fine job and really added something to the character rather than just doing a straight impression. The Hillary prank call, "black president" and Michelle bits were funny. B-

Monologue – Woody was fun, but this kinda dragged a little and seemed sloppy and under rehearsed). His singing a parody of Taylor Swift's 1989 came completely out of left field (hell, for a whole minute I thought he was singing a parody of Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ‘69”) but his lyrics were pretty funny. After this and the “Swiftamine” piece in the last show, I’d be genuinely surprised if Taylor Swift doesn’t host by the end of this season. The cameos from his Hunger Games costars felt a little gratuitous but Lawrence was the only one that made me wonder why she wasn't hosting in Woody's place. Also, Woody kissing her legs looked quite bizarre. She was probably still dealing with the nude photo scandal fall out when they (might have) asked her, but between this and her recent Colbert appearance promoting the new “Hunger Games” flick it's nice to see her start to move away from it. B-

The Dudleys - This was a clever filmed piece. It was a decent way for SNL to poke fun at the overly PC attitudes of today's social media and show them as taken to their extremes (even as it may or may not apply to criticisms of their show). The “Crazy Eyes” cameo was a little tacked on but Woody played his role quite well and the bit about the little girl being in the army was funny. B+

MTV’s Match'd - This was actually a well written dating show parody. Beck, Taran, Kyle and Woody all played their parts very well and had plenty of hilarious lines. I especially liked Woody's reveal that Cecily is his daughter, Taran's bit about the panties and Beck's poem. A-

A New Day - This was a good use of Pete, Leslie and Woody but it otherwise dragged and could've benefitted from some editing. I did like the visual of Woody with blonde white dreads and Pete's speech/RugRats bit at the end. C+

Locker Room -This was very funny. Woody and Kenan played their parts very well and I liked the visual of the helmets but it did feel a little dated as South Park and Key & Peele already did football/concussion satire brilliantly. B-

Young Tarts And Old Farts - This was a decent impression showcase, even if the Bennett/Gaga duets album feels like old news by now. Cecily's Arianna was pretty accurate. Kenan wasn't the best choice to play Lionel Richie but he played well off Cecily. Kenan did better as B.B. King, though. Aidy didn't add much as Meghan Trainor but I guess that impression was going to be inevitable. Woody was all right as James Taylor and had some good lines playing off Taran's great Sam Smith. Taran also did a great Manilow tooling on Kendrick Lamar. Bobby’s PSY feels a little too dated in 2014, but Kyle and Taran as Crosby and Stills were okay. Sasheer had a good line playing off of Kyles' passable Macklemore. Leslie had a funny line as Aretha Franklin and Kate did some nice physical humor as Robyn. Kudos to Leslie and the writers who finally found an impression that worked for her. Beck's Elton John was surprisingly accurate and I wouldn't mind seeing more of it in the future. The Lorde/Miley bit at the end was just okay. We honestly could've done without it. B-

Update was fairly strong tonight. Che had several strong jokes and even Jost had a few. They even did the obligatory Kardashian/Paper Magazine jokes well what with Che’s “dat ass doe” and Josts’ “back to real news”. Leslie Jones had another strong commentary and her screaming "look at my breasts" at Colin was great. The True Detective commentary was good and Taran was very animated as McConaghey although I liked his last McConaghey commentary better. B-

Old New York – This was okay. The cast performed it well even though some of the dialogue felt a little bit off, but it seemed pretty one note. The attempted arrest at the beginning was funny, though. C+

Campfire - That guitar/camping sketch felt like the first real bomb of the night. It felt too much like a 10-11 era Armisen sketch to me but the water gags were funny. D+

Sheila Sovage IV - As soon as I saw Kates’ shirt and wig, I knew exactly where this last sketch was headed. I figured I'd give it another chance just to see how Woody would play off her. I liked Woody's "eyebrows" and “dejaculated” lines as well as Kate's "plastering gloryholes". It did get more fun from there with the cling wrap bit as well as Kenan reading a bible and soaking the bar in gasoline. Woody definitely had more fun with this than Vaughn and Goodman seemed to and thankfully they didn't let this one go on too long. This one was second only to the original with Louis C.K. B+

Now, for my rankings of this season so far from best to worst…

1.     Woody Harrelson/Kendrick Lamar

2.     Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

3.     Bill Hader/Hozier

4.     Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

5.     Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

6.     Chris Rock/Prince

Well, that episode was really a breath of fresh air. Next week, Cameron Diaz hosts the Thanksgiving show. I can’t really say I have the same high hopes for her as much as I did for Woody. She’s hosted three previous times already and we already saw what she was capable of. I just don’t know how well the show’s current writing will serve her, but let’s hope it continues on the same upswing its’ been on with this show. See you soon!

Chris Rock/Prince (11.1.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This has to be the most inconsistent show in a long time. While there were bright spots here and there, the bleaker spots made this episode a strong contender for worst episode of this season. Seriously, something about this show made me really hesitate to even bother posting this review.  In fact, I almost considered giving up doing SNL reviews forever. Chris Rock proved to be a strong host. Even though he didn’t seem to be giving it his all, he showed he is still in touch with the show to a degree. At least Jay, Sasheer, Leslie, Beck, Kyle and Taran got plenty of screen time. Anyway, here we are.

The Kelly File - This cold open already seems pretty dated, but there have been less relevant and less topical opens this season. Kate and Bobby were great in it. C+

Monologue - Chris Rock had a better monologue last time he hosted, but this one had funny moments. The jokes about the freedom tower and holiday commercialization were great. I'm just as surprised as you probably are that the Boston Marathon isn't as taboo a comedy subject as it was a mere 18 months ago but I do hope Michael Che is taking notes. He could probably learn a thing or two about finding humor in uncomfortable places. C+

How 2 Dance w/Janelle - It's nice to see Sasheer finally break out with one of her own sketches. She did just fine, but her performance was pretty forgettable aside from the dancing. Jay and Chris were great in it (despite Jay seeming to miss his first mark) but Kyle and his latent creepiness and patented uncomfortable acting was the true highlight for me. Unfortunately, this isn't really the first time SNL has traveled to the "creeps on the internet" well to mine for humor and they've done it more successfully in the past. Still, this was just fine for what it was. C+

GoProbe - The GoPro colonoscopy sketch turned out surprisingly funny despite looking like a legitimate GoPro commercial for about the first full minute. Beck and Taran had quite a few funny lines but Kyle seemed oddly out of place here. I did like the doctors reactions and the "grandpas colonoscopy" clip. Also, with the juxtaposition of "extreme sports" and rectal health themed humor...did this remind anyone else of the Preparation H commercial from 01-02? C+

How's He Doing III? - This is probably a sketch we all should've seen coming given the host. It would've felt too stale and run into the ground if it weren't for the additions of Sasheer and Leslie to the cast. They were welcome additions here and Sasheer managed to contribute more here than she did to a sketch that actually centered around her character. Chris also did well here. B-

Update was pretty inconsistent tonight. Jost had a couple of good jokes and Che had a few. His Prince name drop was a nice save from that disastrous Tim Cook flub. Pete Davidson was funny. Even though it didn't actually get funny until the "allergic to condoms" bit, it may have been his weakest (or second weakest) commentary of the three he's done so far. It was still much funnier than Brooks Wheelan’s commentary on STDs form last season. Kenan turned in a decent performance as Suge Knight but I think the novelty of Katt Williams impressions on SNL has finally wore off. Sorry, Jay. C-

Shark Tank II – Working ISIS into this sketch seemed like a rather misguided attempt to be topical and edgy at the same time. Even the live audience didn't know how to react to it. Seriously, it was like this decade’s "America's Funniest Hate Videos". Still, it was better than the previous Shark Tank sketch they did when Kevin Hart hosted but not nearly as good as the ISIS jokes from the South Park season premiere two months ago. D-

Swiftamine – This seemed pretty underwritten and more like something SNL should've done two years ago when "Red" came out. Beck, Taran and Leslies' performances we're the only highlights but they were really sailing on weak material. Hey, how much do you wanna bet that this was written by either Colin Jost or Anderson/Sublette? D+

Old Couple - This Leslie/Chris old couple sketch feels like a throwback to a bygone era. If it weren't for the tacked on Uber references, this could of been a lost dress cut from the "bad boys" era that had David Spade and Ellen Cleghorne playing Bobby and Leslie's parts. Sadly, the most memorable thing about this sketch was when Leslie missed what appeared to be several cues at once and badly threw off the timing off the whole scene (a rare miss for her). D-

Good Neighbor: Bank Robbers - This sketch was very well done. It was one of tonight's stronger pieces even though I saw every joke coming two miles away since it played out exactly the way it read in FeaturingEmilyPrager's dress rundown. C+

Women in the Workplace: Tape #5: Dealing w/Diversity - This diversity video was the best sketch of the night. This version was much better than the original sketch that aired during Melissa McCarthy's 2013 show. Chris and Vanessa played especially well off each other and Kate and Cecily bought something new to their characters that was missing last time. B+

Well, that was certainly a disappointment. In two weeks, Woody Harrelson hosts. He was a good host in ’89 and ’92, but SNL was such a completely different show back then that I don’t know if Woody will be able to gel with THIS cast at all and this show certainly didn’t do anything to assuage those fears. Oh well. See you then!

Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea (10.25.2014)

Okay, here’s my review. This show, while rather inconsistent, turned out to be the strongest of the season so far and had a lot of things going for it compared to the previous three that aired. While the writers are still relying on certain “tricks” too much, they didn’t rely on any recurring premises from previous sketches tonight…so, I guess that’s a step in the right direction. Carrey added some much needed energy to a lot of sketches even if he didn’t seem to be giving them his all. I also appreciated the abundance of Halloween themed sketches in the final October episode. It seems like everyone got in a lot of airtime tonight, so kudos to Kyle Mooney for finally really breaking out as a sketch performer and to Leslie Jones for making it into the cast after doing the same earlier in this season. Anyway, let’s get right to it.

Ebola Czar - This cold open was pretty forgettable. Taran was fine in his role. Kenan's Sharpton was the only thing that it could've done without. Still, I appreciate SNL making an attempt to mock the hysteria surrounding Ebola and choosing a more topical and relevant cold open than the previous show. C-

Monologue - This was definitely the weakest of Carrey's three hosting stints and had the least substance to it. It was only really memorable for Carrey's bizarre "Helvis" costume. At least he did a serviceable Elvis imitation and Bobby had a funny part. C-

Lincoln - This commercial parody was great. Carrey does a much better McConaughey than Kilam did and was great at poking fun at the pretentiousness of Matt's recent roles. B+

Carrey Family Reunion – This was a very strong performance piece (despite being a blatant retread of the Walken reunion from '08 right down to using the exact same set). Taran, Kyle, Beck were very funny and even Vanessa didn't overact (even in the one sketch where it might have behooved her to). Jay was fine here even if he played it a little too goofy. I appreciated Cecily's Fire Marshal Bill reference and Bobby's reference to the Mask. Jeff Daniels appearance was well timed. I did like how he and Carrey used this opportunity to poke a little fun at themselves. I wonder who that was in the Riddler costume? Was their part cut at dress for time? B+

Lincoln II – This was all right but the first one was funnier. I did like the “whose kids are these?” reveal. C+

Graveyard - This was very bad. I never quite got the point of it. It went on too long and meandered too much. The writing dragged down pretty much every body's performances (even Jim and Bobby who must have been put through the ringer by the makeup department tonight) Jay and Taran tried to liven up their performances but it just wasn't working. There was also a big camera miscue that really blew the sketch.Their explanation of their deaths was all right. Still, at least they didn’t try to revive the Merryville brothers again without Bill Hader. D-

Allstate/Lincoln III – This kind of meandered, but I liked the mislead at the beginning, the visual of Kenan getting hit and the reveal of Carrey being asleep at the wheel. I’m glad they didn’t run these into the ground too much like they did with those Taran/Brad Pitt Chanel ads two years ago. B-

Update was really strong joke wise, but not so much commentary wise. Che had a good Ebola rant. Jost tried something similar but just proved he isn't as strong as Che at stand up (but kudos to Jost anyway for delivering three solid jokes and showing some traces of a personality). Vanessa pretty accurately skewed the well-known tropes of romantic comedies but her piece went on too long and just wasn't too funny when Che wasn’t trying to save it. Drunk Uncle was more of the same but I did like the visual of Bobby casually rolling over to Jost's side of the desk and admitting he says “super racist” things. B+

Georgia Zombie Apocalypse - That zombie sketch was pretty middle of the road. At times, it felt a little repetitive and dragged on a bit. Still, Carrey and Davidson played their roles well (even if this sketch wasn’t the best use of Davidson and still leaves the audience wondering how he could work in most sketches). C-

Secret Billionaire - This was surprisingly funny. Bobby and Jay were good in their supporting roles but Carrey really stole the sketch. I liked the sheer bizarreness of his character. I especially liked his Denis/Bryan speech. It would've even worked in a "Girlfriends Talk Show" sketch with Carrey as Cecily's "boyfriend" but I'm glad we got this instead of that. There were also some noticeable technical gaffes, but they didn’t bring down this sketch. B-

Ghosts: Fact Or Fiction? - This short was a very strong use of Leslie's performance talents and a strong debut for her as an official cast member/featured player. B+

Chandelier Dance Off - This office costume contest sketch felt really labored for what was essentially a rather under choreographed dance number. Still, it was fun to see them sprawl all around the studio. I mean, Jim Carrey/Kate McKinnon aren't exactly Steve Martin/Gilda Radner or even Christopher Walken/Molly Shannon but it still works! It was also a nice use of Lorne and Iggy Azalea in a sketch. Beck, Kyle and Aidy did well in this sketch. Also, I’m sure you’re as surprised as I am that this actually made it online with Sia’s song actually intact. I guess it wasn’t as hard to clear as it was a fairly recent Top 40 hit. B+

Halloween Emporium - This sketch was pretty much screams "ten-to-one" (no pun intended). Carrey played a demonically possessed role suitably well and Cecily and Vanessa played fine off that. Good to see the return of the sleeve concealed vomit hose after a seven year absence. C+

Now, I think I’m finally ready to rank the shows form this season.

1. Jim Carrey/Iggy Azalea

2. Bill Hader/Hozier

3. Sarah Silverman/Maroon 5

4. Chris Pratt/Ariana Grande

Well, that was certainly enjoyable. Next week, Chris Rock returns to host. There’s really no reason to NOT be optimistic about this episode. We can already tell the monologue is going to be one of the best of this season and Rock will most likely gel real well with the likes of Jones, Che, Pharroh and Zamata. That dynamic should produce some strong comedy. See you then!