Fred Armisen/Courtney Barnett (5.21.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. I don’t know what else to say about this episode except that it was not nearly as bad as I expected it to be but it was just as strange and overall it was rather uneven. They seemed to have bought back all the recurring material it would have made sense for them to do given which of Freds’ previous castmates were actually available for a cameo and Fred put the exact style of comedy on display that we have all come to expect from him. It made for an odd show as he didn’t bring back his most overrated or obnoxious bits and this show had plenty of fun moments for those willing to look for them. Still, Freds’ brand of humor seems to clash with the stylings of this cast and he looked more and more like a product of his own time as the show went on. You’ll see what I mean.

Bernie And Hillary At The Bar - Glad to see Larry reprise his Bernie once more before the season ends. Most of the actual lines in the sketch seemed pretty ham fisted but I did enjoy the sprawling dance number that ended with Larry being thrown in the elevator. Also, it was nice to see Jon get in one at least one LFNY before his inevitable departure.  B+

Monologue - I like that Fred tried to get this off to a sincere start but the rest of the monolog seemed way too derivative of his later period pieces such as Tommy Palmese, Danish playhouse and his part in the high school theater announcements sketch from the Dane Cook/James Blunt episode. Plus it seemed to go on way too long. I did, however like his "impression" of Lorne and the audience interaction bit as one note as it was. C-

Lewis and Clark  - This sketch felt too much like a bad 13-14 sketch to really enjoy but Kyle was Allright in it and the Jon/Sasheer/especially Pete reactions made the sketch for me. D+

Digital Short: Finest Girl - It was nice to see Samberg return with another musical Digital Short and I liked that he was promoting "Popstar" (which genuinely looks funny) in character as Conner4Real, but this was something I didn't quite know what to make of. He really got all the mileage he could out of the premise and it only got funnier as Vanessa got more intensely into her Bin Laden assassination fetish. Plus, it reminded me quite a bit of Iran So Far. It was catchy as hell though. Still, I hope it's not actually featured in the movie. C+

Regine III - I'm real glad to see Jason Sudekis get some genuine applause for his second ever live cameo after leaving and I love how physically comitted he is as a performer, but I really wish he would'be come back for something, ANYTHING, besides Regine. That role, hell...that entire sketch in general was never right for him. Also, what does it say that Aidy did the most to utterly derail this sketch in terms of breaking? C-

Farewell Mr Bunting - This may actually be my all time favorite thing that made it to air in season 41. I loved the dry, dead serious, overly dramatic buildup to a well drawn out and we'll executed extreme gross out gag. This would've been right at home in the Paul Rudd/Beyonce episode from '08...but I mean that in a good way. A-

Update made a strong comeback from last week. Jost and Che had several strong jokes and I liked that they pretty much went all out with the audience. They really found a clever way to sneak Maya onto the show. Her bit was strange in that while it reminded me a lot of her previous characters such as Charo and Rebecca, it felt like she took a new (or at least slightly different approach) to doing those exact same characters. I don't think we need to see Willie again but I did appreciate how this installment took a darker, more insane turn. B+

Escape Pod - This sketch also had a big buildup but it didn't come close to paying off as well as Mr Bunting. Thankfully, it had a competent ending. C-

Theater Showcase IV - This had its moments. I normally don't have any problem with this sketch, but Fred is far too old to be playing the role of the high school drama student. I like how they worked Larry David into this but they could've got more mileage out of him here. Vanessa and Kenan had good reactions. I also liked the MJ/Prince jab, Becks' "nature-ology" line and Aidys' malaria bit. B-

Harkin Brothers Band - There was the obligatory Armisen fronted band sketch. I do like how they worked in Samberg, David, Sudekis, Rudolph and Brownstien along with literally the ENTIRE current cast but this ultimately went nowhere. There was nothing even resembling a joke anywhere here and felt like a much, much, much, MUCH inferior version of the Goodnight Saigon sketch from the Will Ferrell/Green Day finale. I actually liked Freds' band sketches from when he was actually in the cast than this. Hell, this didn't even look like it was that much fun for the live audience. It looked like they were running real short on time and had to cut way too much material from this. D-

Now, for my updated review for this season…

1. Larry David/The 1975

2. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

3. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith

4. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

5. Brie Larson/Alicia Keys

6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Nick Jonas

7. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges

8. Ariana Grande

9. Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani

10. Drake

11. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West

12. Fred Armisen/Courtney Barnett

12. Jonah Hill/Future

13. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper

14. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton

15. Donald Drumpf/Sia

16. Miley Cyrus

17. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

18. Russell Crowe/Margo Price

19. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

20. Ronda Rousey/Selena Gomez

Well, this season might have petered out a bit. Still, there’s hope as next season will take place during a presidential election season with no incumbent running. Let’s hope next season turns out more like ’00 or ’08 (or even ’12) rather than ’04 in terms of political material. I realize this election season has been so ridiculous that it is now beyond effective satire but I would still like to see SNL rise to the challenge. See you in September!

Drake (5.14.2016)

\Okay, here’s my review. Drake still has the abilities as host to elevate some of the weaker material and they certainly served him well here. This was a rather strange episode in that it was worse than some of the previous month or so worth of episodes (minus Russell Crowe) but no better or worse than Drakes previous episode. Sure, season 39 had its own multitiude of problems compared to now but I think this episodes biggest problem was that it relied more on repeated premises and unoriginal writing than some of the fresher episodes we’ve seen this season. Still, in both cases I think we can agree that Drake did the least to drag the show down. This show was just as consistent as last week but whereas last week’s show was consistently strong, this weeks was consistently uninspired. Anyway, let’s break it down.

Trump Tower – This cold open was a little awkward and underwhelming. I was expecting more John Barron jokes but I guess that's what update is for. Still, it was a good way to work in Bobbys' Christie and Jays' Carson and I did like the Zimmerman/Lil' Marco/Springstien/Lindsey jabs. C+

Monologue - This wasn't as good as his first one. The idea of an entire song devoted to memes seems lame and derivative but Drake is one of the few performers with the charisma to pull this off. I did chuckle as the memes became increasingly outlandish and I liked how they worked in Aidy and Jon. C+

Rent-A-Car - This sketch seemed strange but it was ultimately enjoyable. Jays' character really made the whole thing for me and Drakes' performance really added to this. Other than that, it seemed like a watered down rewrite of Ferrells' Dr. Beamer and every Maya Rudolph sketch ever. B-

American Ninja Warrior - This really telegraphed the hell out of its' main joke way too early but it was tailor made for a performer like Bobby. His physicality is what this was really all about. B-

Dennis Walls And The Cookies - This sketch was pretty one note but everyone really performed it well even if the central premise wore a bit thin. Still, I can’t entirely be mad at any sketch where Although I liked the Leslie and Kyle interaction, I don't see why this had to be set up as a PBS piece. B-

Baby Boss IV - I liked how they placed Beck's Baby Boss in a new setting (even though the tea party thing felt a little far-fetched) because it felt like a real early '90s throwback and they wrote much better material for Beck this time. B-

Update was really lacking in jokes (except for the Trump material and "Doe Vs Wade" was so stupid I had to chuckle at it). They really found a clever way to sneak Ilya Povlatsky into the show this week but nothing really stood out as new here. Leslie delivered a charming commentary even if it wasn't destined to be her most memorable. I liked Jay's commentary even though I knew exactly where it was going before he even came out. Still, I've seen him impersonate more comedians than rappers at this point so at least it was good to see him do some more impressions he hasn't used on the show yet. I liked his 50 Cent and Nicki Minaj but his T.I. still needs some work. Plus, having Drake come out at the end provided for a better ending. C+

Black Jeopardy III – This felt a little soon to bring back, but it was nice to see one where the third odd-one-out contestant was actually black and not white. Still, while Drake turned in a funny performance in this they could've done better than playing up his overall Canadianness. Plus, the Caitlin Jenner joke was really awkward and the Tyler Perry jab wasn't good enough to save it. C+

Drakes' Beef - This was funny. It allowed him to poke fun at his own image and managed to get laughs without be belaboring it's point. B-

Chaperone - This was a mess. Why were Drake and Taran both dressed exactly like Hollywood Hulk Hogan? This felt like it was going in several different direction and yet managed to repeat the same joke four times in the process. Plus David Spade did a much more coherent sketch 18 years ago where he played a chaperone named Shane. D+

Now, for my update rankings for this season…

1. Larry David/The 1975

2. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

3. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith

4. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

5. Brie Larson/Alicia Keys

6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Nick Jonas

7. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges

8. Ariana Grande

9. Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani

10. Drake

11. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West

12. Jonah Hill/Future

13. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper

14. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton

15. Donald Drumpf/Sia

16. Miley Cyrus

17. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

18. Russell Crowe/Margo Price

19. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

20. Ronda Rousey/Selena Gomez

Next week, Fred Armisen returns to host this season finale. This is the booking for this month I can definitely say I’ve been looking forward to the least. Fred is someone I never thought would be asked to host the show (it’s unclear what, if anything, he is promoting and given the lateness of the announcement of this month’s shows he must have been a last minute replacement for a host who dropped out unexpectedly) and I’d be hard pressed to immediately think of any of his recurring bits, characters or impressions that would fit in well with this current season or that the staff would be clamoring to use again. I just hope he decides to draw upon his earlier comedic inspirations than his later ones. As far as obligatory cast cameos, I’m hoping for something in the Forte/Hader/Samberg family than the Wiig/Rudolph/Seth family. Speaking of Samberg, I’m hoping this season doesn’t end up closing the way HIS first hosting gig closed out season 39 two years ago. I’m hoping this season finishes just as strong as it started in October…well, as strong as it REALLY got “started” once Morgan hosted. See you then!

Brie Larson/Alicia Keys (5.7.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. Brie Larson showed herself to be a game host who was up for anything. She blended in the cast maybe a little too well. Either that, or she was just placed in small straight and unmemorable roles that made her see, practically invisible the whole night. I’m going to go with the latter but she was a fine host who did well with what small roles she was given when she was actually put to some use. The show is still pretty consistent as far as writing and cast balance goes

Church Chat XIX - Great to see SNL actually surprise up with an out of nowhere Church Lady appearance (although since Carey has been plugging his "First Impressions" competition show and was just on Seth Meyers it might not be a TOTAL surprise). While the Madonna/Beyonce met gala jabs were weak the Jay-Z/Lemonade joke was Allright just for the reaction it got from the audience. While Tarans' increasingly weak Cruz didn't add much, Darrel as Trump really breathed some life into this and while the Cruz demon transformation was a nice touch, they really should'be done more with it that tacking onto the LFNY. It was nice of them to sneak JR in there even if it had to be his most useless role yet. While Vanessa and Kate got some chuckles, they may not have even needed to be in this. All in all, while this got off to a slow start it was nice to see this season and was much better than the one from Carveys' 2011 hosting gig. Plus, this one seemed to have a real 86-90 feel to it for some reason. Did anyone else get that vibe? B-

Monologue - Brie Larson seems like she is going to have fun as a host so far. Beck and Bobby got some laughs here but I don't see why they had to give us a much more rushed version of last years' Mother's Day monologue from Reese Witherspoons' show. C-

President Barbie  - This ad took a while to get going but as soon as I saw what they were going for, I noticed how dated these criticisms of Hillarys' campaign were. If it weren't for Brie Larsons' appearance as the mom, I would'be assumed this got cut from many earlier dress rehearsals this season. C-

Near Death Experience - I'm surprised they made the alien abduction sketch from Ryan Gosling show recurring, I wouldn't quite say we have another Debbie Downer on our hands just yet. The writing in this version was still up to snuff, but I still prefer the Gosling version at this point. Only Bobby seemed to Crack up mildly at first glance. B-

Baby Shower -This sketch was something I didn't quite know what to make of. It was really one note, but kudos to the hair people for pulling this off. The humor in this was largely lost on me not being a mom or having met the type of personality this sketch is meant to poke fun at. I have to wonder who wrote this. My guess would be any combination of Sublette/Kelly/Schneider. D+

Update has returned to form. Jost and Che had a string of great jokes. It was a little sooner to bring back Laura Parsons (even though I know it has been months) but she had her best material here. I liked Sasheers commentary for what it was. It was a little awkward and directionless but I'm glad to see she and Josh had fun with it and her dropping her own n-bomb really made this for me. I'm sure Lorne will have her back over this. Petes' commentary was also fun although it felt a little strange seeing her make two cameos in the same show. B+

Game Of Thrones - I think SNL may have been making a few too many returns to the Game of Thrones well but kudos to them for doing what may be their first ever LIVE Game Of Thrones parody ever. I do like how you didn't really have to have watched too much of the show to get it. C-

Quiz Show 2018 - This is another one note piece that got dragged on needlessly. I did like the Heidi Cruz reveal at the end but we maybe could've done without the "future" jokes. C+

Kickstarter  - I loved seeing Kyles' Chris character again. Brie and Beck played very well off of him. Besides the film clip and project description but otherwise this didn't have as many stand out moments as the previous installments. B-

Dead Bopz - I'm glad to see Dead Bopz make it to air after getting cut from dress rehearsal months ago. It was nice that they found a way to work Brie Larson into this. Sasheer, Aidy, Taran, Beck and Jay really stood out here.  B+

Now, for my update rankings of this season…

1. Larry David/The 1975

2. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

3. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith

4. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

5. Brie Larson/Alicia Keys

6. Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Nick Jonas

7. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges

8. Ariana Grande

9. Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani

10. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West

11. Jonah Hill/Future

12. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper

13. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton

14. Donald Drumpf/Sia

15. Miley Cyrus

16. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

17. Russell Crowe/Margo Price

18. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

19. Ronda Rousey/Selena Gomez

Well, that was fun. Next week, Drake returns to the SNL stage to pull double duty once again. As Drake had already proved himself to be a great host two seasons ago, I can say with some certainty that this is the May 2016 booking I have been genuinely looking forward to the most. See you then!

Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Nick Jonas (416.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. This show was very enjoyable despite being wildly uneven throughout. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was a welcome presence and proved she still has the comedy chops for a live sketch show. She really bought some life into a show with the material to start off strong, steadily lose steam somewhere in the middle and then experiment quite a lot near the end in a way that paid off. Anyway, let’s get right to it, shall we?

CNN Democratic Debate – This was a great way to open the show. Kate and Larry were great as always and while Becks' Wolf Blitzer isn't dead on, he is immediately funnier, more professional and a more welcome presence in the role than Jon Rudnistky. Kenan was unexpectedly very funny presenting the "black question". Vanessa as Rachel Green wasn't necessary but I did like the Dr. Huxtable/noogie/feel that bern bits. Of course, Julia as Elaine walked away with this and the banks/taxes back and forth were the true standouts. B+

Monologue - This was a lot of fun. It's great to see someone with Julias' comedic talent poke fun at her pre-Seinfeld career in a true monologue. I especially liked the Soul Man/blackface jokes and the Tony Hale cameo really made this. B-

Heroin AM - This really was well executed and felt like an ad they could've s done in any previous era. Unfortunately, it seemed like they didn't quite know where to end this. C+

Huge Jewelry - This was another piece that ran on too long without much of a premise. This seems like they just put Bronx Beat in a blender with Armisen and Johansens' chandelier/marble columns pitchmen. Strangely, Nick Jonas was the only thing that really made me laugh here but that was just at his ridiculously oversized gold necklace. C-

The Pool Boy - This short film reminded me a lot of that student/teacher affair sketch in Annette Benning '06 episode. Still, Pete was funny here with the bags/squirrel bits although the rest of this was pretty one mote. Nick Jonas' cameo felt really telegraphed but Julia played off of him quite well. I think this being a taped piece really helped the timing of it. C+

Cinema Classics IV – This sketch also beat one joke to death (seems to be a theme tonight) but I have to give Andelette credit for almost knowing how to wring even last possible moment of comedy from this. I did like the ridiculous lengthso Julia went to just to retrieve increasingly smaller lines, Kate and Tarans' exasperation with her during their penultimate scene and the lines being read from Tarans' chest. D+

Mercedes - This battery run car ad also felt like something they would do in the early '90s but they really didn't go far enough with this premise. C+

Update was pretty inconsistent tonight. Aside from the Trump/Bernie/Cruz/FBI jabs, every joke fell flat (Ches' Kasich/GOP joke was particularly clumsy) and the punchlines were rather predictable. In fact, I could've sworn Che just straight up reused one of Josts' old jokes. Still, the commentaries were enjoyable. Kenan and Jay played expertly off of each other with their Shaq and Barkley impersonations as usual. Aidys' commentary was like a fun throw back to the commentaries she would do early in her first season. I don't think we needed to see Cecilys' 1D female character again but I did like how she broke the fourth wall and began to describe what sounded like a parody of a raunchy Farrelly Bros type comedy. The thing I liked about the female commentaries in this episode is how they each got increasingly more absurdist as they went along. B-

Who Works Here? – This sounds like the most ambitious game show sketch SNL has ever done but it was executed very well and the increasing absurdity of this made me laugh. Julia wasn't the greatest host here and Vanessa, Taran and Sasheer didn't add much as the contestantsun (even of that was the entire point of there roles) but the rest of the cast was great here. I'm really curious as to who wrote this as I know have to know what kind of experiences in CVS would have inspired this. B+

Match.com Mingle - This was another overly bizarre yet very fun piece. It almost seemed like it was lifted straight from a "Man Seeking Woman" script or something that should be on any other sketch show BESIDES SNL. Kudos to the makeup and sound people on this one. Kate and Julia were excellent in this and Beck played off of everyone really well. B+

God Is A Boob Man grew on me. At first, it was yet another predictable piece. I had a feeling it would just be another faux horror/disaster trailer based on something topical in pop culture but then I saw it was actually going for some traces of social satire and embracing the sheer idiocy of what it poked fun at. While the Kim Davis angle kinda dated this, it was still a well done parody of those Krik Cameron/Gods' Not Dead type of heavily religious films. C-

Now, for my update rankings of this season…

1. Larry David/The 1975

2. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

3. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith

4. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

5. Julia Louis-Dreyfus/Nick Jonas

6. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges

7. Ariana Grande

8. Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani

9. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West

10. Jonah Hill/Future

11. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper

12. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton

13. Donald Trump/Sia

14. Miley Cyrus

15. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

16. Russell Crowe/Margo Price

17. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

18. Ronda Rousey/Selena Gomez

Well, that was a breath of fresh air. In three weeks, Brie Larson makes her hosting debut. Although I can’t remember what I’ve seen her in besides “Trainwreck” right now, I’m sure she has the acting chops to be a fine host. See you then.

Russell Crowe/Margo Price (4.9.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. Russell Crowe delivered exactly what was expected of him as a host. It was more the writers who went above our expectations in the way they used him. This episode reminded me a lot of Lady Gagas’ hosting stint in 2013 in that the both episodes had the writers apparently realizing they needed to use the host sparingly or just as little their lack of acting or comedy chops dictated they should be placed within the show. However, this episode was far more forgettable. The only other thing I can say about it is that Margo Price quietly proved herself to be one of this seasons stronger musical guests.

A Message From Hillary Clinton - That cold open was pretty forgettable. I still like Kate as Hillary but aside from the subway/turnstile bit and the Bernie/Cruz/Sarandon jabs, she wasn't given great material. C+

Monologue – This was much better than I was expecting but that's not saying much. I did appreciate seeing Crowe make fun of himself and the way he delivered his lines was worth a chuckle. Still, it's hard to gage how he will be as host. C+

Preparation H - This commercial was pretty juvenile but it was Tailor-made for a performer like Beck Bennet. He played well off of Taran and really made this more amusing than it had any right to be. C+

Politics Nation V – This should've stayed in mothballs. It's nice to see Sasheer in something more than a "pretty girl" role but she was still wasted here. This was an odd place to have the real Sharpton make a cameo (and he is looking a little TOO thin to be honest). His appearance really just showed how tired "impressionist-meets-their-subject" sketches have become on SNL. I did like the Bill Clinton/Bernie/Cruz/Trump jabs but I didn't like how they sandwiched them between some fumbled fourth wall breaking. Other than that, the best thing I can say about this sketch is that it showed what a competent impressionist Kenan can be if he really tries. C+

Henry VIII - This sketch had a role Crowe was well suited for but beyond that, it was the most one not sketch in recent memory. Kenan had a couple of good lines here, but that's it. D+

Matchmakers  - This was a rather uneven sketch. Crowes' accent was nothing to write home about and Cecilys voice work was just odd. Crowes' vaginal talk was funny at first but got old pretty quick. Pete and Kenan really had the best material here. As cheap as it would'be been for them to just carbon copy the dating game show from Woody Harrelsons' episode last season, I would've actually rather seen that instead of this. C-

Update was enjoyable, but pretty uneven. Jose and Che had good election/subway material but a lot of their other jokes were pretty lackluster. Kates' Deenie commentary was just a pale imitation of the original from the Fey/Poehler Christmas show. Bruce Chandling made a welcome return and while I did get a kick out of seeing Che Crack up at him, it kind of ruined Kyle moment building. B-

100 Days In The Jungle - This was another uneven sketch. Crowe had awkward timing but he did well in a role that I imagined could have been filled by any male host and every joke felt really telegraphed. Pete and Leslie really had the best material here. C+

Pogie Pepperoni - This Good Neighbor short was the strongest thing of the night. Beck and Kyles' gleeful dorkiness was great and they really played well off of Pete and Leslie here. The extremely fake cheesy confetti mannequin headsplosion effects followed by the reveal that they were only working there for fifteen minutes was also really funny.

Shanice Goodwin: Ninja– This sketch was fun. While it went on longer than it should've been it was very funny. While it felt like a true ensemble sketch, Leslie stood out with her ability to get so many laughs with so few lines. Kenan break was covered up nicely and this was the only role that Crowe fit into seamlessly.

Oprah Winfrey: A Life Of Love - The Mike O'Brien Oprah biopic was not as great as his fake Jay-Z biopic but this had its moments such as the car/magazine segments and the celeb interviews. Of course the Sudekis cameo made the whole thing.

Now, for my updated rankings of this season…

1. Larry David/The 1975

2. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

3. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith

4. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

5. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges

6. Ariana Grande

7. Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani

8. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West

9. Jonah Hill/Future

10. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper

11. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton

12. Donald Drumpf/Sia

13. Miley Cyrus

14. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

15. Russell Crowe/Margo Price

16. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

17. Ronda Rousey/Selena Gomez

Next week, Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns for her third time hosting. She should be a welcome change of pace and bring some much needed energy to Studio 8H just as she did when she hosted nearly ten years ago. See you then.

Peter Dinklage/Gwen Stefani (4.2.2016)

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Ariana Grande (3.12.2016)

Okay, here’s my review. This episode somehow felt like a breath of fresh air despite delivering a lot of recurring premises and derivative writing. This might have been because Ariana Grande delivered some charming performances as host (like many pop stars have in the past) and the cast really delivered in their performances as well. It was a very fun and enjoyable show, but still a ways away from the absolute best of the season.

CNN Election Coverage – This cold open was fun and Larry clearly ran away with it. It was nice to see Jays' Ben Carson again and I did like the bit about Trumps' racist supporters. Still, Larry's lines about youth support were the only thing that stood out to me. B+

Monologue – This was all over the place. Having Ariana sing about finally getting caught in her own "adult scandal" was a decent concept but it felt pretty derivative (Mileys' 2011 monologue immediately comes to mind) and while Ariana isn't a terrible singer and this was executed just fine, something still felt missing. I did like Petes' appearance and Kenans' "Where's Kel?" line, though. It's unlikely Ariana will be invited back after her flub, but TV has been a little more lenient on "shit" lately (well, cable at least) and Gaga got to come back two more times so really, who's to say? C-

Feel The Bern For Hillary - This ad was based on a rather tired observation but this was well executed and I liked the way that Kates' transition from Hillary to Bernie was handled. B-

Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Orange Carpet  - This took a little while to prove itself as more than a cheap hodgepodge of references to things teens like but even when it got there something still felt lacking. Bobby role was really the only thing here worth any laughs and the rest of it fell pretty flat. Toward the end it really just turned into a really, really, really lame version of "Wake Up And Smile". This was nowhere near as funny or entertaining as the Kids Choice Awards sketch from Sarah Michelle Gellars' 98-99 show. C-

This Is Not A Feminist Song - This music video was really the first well written piece of the night. It was definitely written in the same vein as "The Dudleys" from Woodys' show last season and is a great companion piece to any "think piece on any pop song released in the past six years. B+

True Tales Of The Sea - This kind of telegraphed each joke but it was still a great Kate piece. The "kiss" with her and Beck was great. Props to the makeup department because I actually thought Kate was Kyle until she got her first line out. B-

If Larry is anything like me he probably flubbed that intro because he was wondering what the hell he was doing in the same building as Ariana Grande.

Update had a lot of strong jokes, but the commentaries left something to be desired. The jokes that stood out the most were the Trump/Carson jabs and the Womens' History Month joke from Che (which he had visible reservations about but he handled like a pro and I'm sure I'm not the only one who got serious Norm flashbacks there). Cecily Bachelor commentary was cute but it seems like either Cecily or Colin just wrote it for themselves and no one else. Since I don't watch The Bachelor, the humor was lost on me. Riblet seems like it was beaten to death but I did like the graphics and this was worth it just to see how well the remote segment was pulled off. B-

Tidal - This sketch just seemed like a blatant rewritten and underperformed version of the Bruno Mars Pandora sketch, but Ariana did all her impressions well and the supporting cast had good lines. C+

Family Feud V – This is another thing that seems done to death but this was also done surprisingly well and the whole cast did great impressions (save for Kyle whose Woody Allen was a little disappointing). Tarans' Tarantino and Bobbys' Kevin Smith were very funny. Kudos to Jon Rudnitsky for finding the one impression (Scorcese) which he could do reasonably well. Ariana Jennifer Lawrence really stood out to me since it seemed to be her only dead on impression that wasn't a singer she hadn't previously done on Fallon. B-

Sound Of Music - This sketch was something that was far more entertaining than it has any right to be. This was a good showcase for Ariana as an actress in a role that, ironically didn't seem to be much of a stretch for her. It worked well as a piece that played off of the diva/bitchiness rumors surrounding her. Sure, this dragged a bit and the Sound Of Music is a tired parody target but this was a good piece to end the show on. C+

Now, for my updated rankings of the season…

1. Larry David/The 1975

2. Tracy Morgan/Demi Lovato

3. Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure with Lorde & Sam Smith

4. Tina Fey & Amy Poehler/Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

5. Ryan Gosling/Leon Bridges

6. Ariana Grande

7. Jonah Hill/Future

8. Melissa McCarthy/Kanye West

9. Chris Hemsworth/Chance The Rapper

10. Adam Driver/Chris Stapleton

11. Donald Trump/Sia

12. Miley Cyrus

13. Matthew McConaughey/Adele

14. Ronda Rousey/Selena Gomez

15. Amy Schumer/The Weeknd

Next month, Peter Dinklage comes to host SNL making Ariana and Jonah look much less like baffling choices for host. I know a lot of people have wanted to see Peter or any of his Game Of Thrones castmates host and I’m sure he’ll be a fine performer in sketches, but I still wonder how they are logistically going to pull off this show with him in a host role. I’m sure they’ll find a way as the writers and staff have really been at the top of their game this season. See you then!