VMA’s Backstage
Some of the lines were perfectly obvious, but the apocalyptic framing device added cleverness. And, boy oh boy, do Vanessa!Miley and Real Miley have quite a nice rapport. B+

Miley Cyrus’s  Monologue
Thank GOD that promise of no twerking turned out to be false. B-

50 Shades of Grey Screen Tests
It looks like Noël Wells is already well on our way to inheriting the prolific impressionist mantle from Phil Hartman and Bill Hader.  But Taran’s Christoph Waltz won this round.  Not as good as the Back to the Future screen tests, but better than Top Gun. B+

Girlfriends Talk Show
This was a baffling choice for the top sketch after the first commercial break.  Luckily, despite all odds, it kind of works.  Cecily and Aidy have a great antagonistic rapport.  Was G-Dog a reference to Tim Meadows’ old character?  And was that a Rutgers patch on Miley’s jacket? B

We Did Stop (the Government)
It’s incredible (and incredibly telling) how well “We Can’t Stop” lent itself to parodying the GOP, and how much Miley looks like Michele Bachmann.  Taran is the episode MVP and presently the season MVP.  This is currently the strong favorite for sketch of the season. A

Piers Morgan Live
Was Miley!Hilary’s inclusion of “and little people” meant as foreshadowing of the little person who played guitar on “We Can’t Stop”?  The whole bonkers tone of this episode was infecting even the normal sketches. B

Miley Cyrus performs “Wrecking Ball”
She’s still got a funny voice, but she was hitting the high notes. B

Weekend Update
-The Jokes: This Week’s Story That Was Funnier Than The Punchline: Toilet paper shortage.  “Eww, gross. Sprint?” was a nice turn.  Cecily still needs to find a rhythm. C+
-The Segments: -Winners/Losers: Switching back and forth between Seth and Cecily was incredibly unnatural.  Canada and Nic Cage’s winnings were chuckle-worthy, but this whole thing was too awkward to recommend. C
-Pat Lynhart: Way too obvious, despite Kate’s best efforts. C
-Shannon Sharpe: Wildly exaggerated, but delightfully so.  The reference to Donkey Kong was the icing on the cake. B+
-Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy: Jacob is reliable, but he has never quite been a top-tier Update character, so he especially needs to mix it up to remain relevant.  That didn’t happen, except for the introduction of Cecily.  At least Vanessa is as committed as ever. B

Cheerleader Practice
Well, that was an incredible turn.  I mean, how can you say no to weirdness like that? B+

Mornin’ Miami
Reminiscent of Action 8 Newswatch from the last time Jerry Seinfeld hosted, with its quick-hitting promises of bizarre news.  The racist foley artist may have been the highlight. B+

Miley Cyrus performs “We Can’t Stop” (Acoustic)
The year’s best ridiculous song has already gotten a music video and a live performance even more ridiculous, so it looks like the only thing to do was take it down a notch. B+

Poetry Class
The performances were a little strained, but there was some fun going on.  The fist bump in response to “butts” and Kenan’s delivery of “Yeah, me too” were awesome. B-

Sex Tape
Okay, this is what Kyle and Beck were hired for.  Nice to see Kyle in “put-upon, but somehow still awesome” mode. A-

Overall
Well, that should improve everyone’s opinion of Miley.  Or maybe not, but it shouldn’t lessen any opinions.  The great thing about Miley hosting is that she always brings in baggage worth making fun of, but she’s also self-aware enough to be able to legitimately take part in the making fun.  This is a strong contender for episode of the season.

So, la da di da di, Best Sketch of the Episode Party: