CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

This review was originally posted on News Cult in February 2018.

NewsCult Entertainment Editor Jeffrey Malone watches every new episode of Saturday Night Live and then organizes the sketches into the following categories: “Love It” (potentially Best of the Season-worthy), “Keep It” (perfectly adequate), or “Leave It” (in need of a rewrite, to say the least). Then he concludes with assessments of the host and musical guest.

Love It

No “Love It” sketches this week, although there are a few with elements that I love. Most everything is decent and/or perfectly fine, with a few flashes of brilliance.

Keep It

Fox & Friends – Having a new set of cast members for a Fox & Friends sketch is no justification for omitting the “Corrections” scroll. Anyway, it is well-established that SNL’s take on Trump is not particularly biting, but at least focusing on his malaprop-prone nature (e.g., MLK’s “I Dream of Jeannie” speech) is worth some chuckles. Plus, portraying White House Communications Director Hope Hicks as some sort of Gossip Girl is an appropriate out-of-left-field choice.

Natalie’s 2nd Rap – As expected by a good segment of viewers, Ms. Portman delivered the sequel to one of the most famous Digital Shorts of all time, though this time it is in the style of a more current SNL directing style (despite the Andy Samberg cameo). Interviewer Beck Bennett takes the words right out of my mouth when he describes the whole affair as “almost exactly the same, but with current references.” But hey, at least the beat is throbbing, and “you can juggle these nuts” is a perfect response to “Do you find it difficult juggling kids and a career?”

Melania and the First Ladies – Multiple first ladies have had to put up with a lot of shit. This sketch is not saying anything new in that regard, but it is worth pointing out, and it does a fine job of setting up a solid parade of impressions. We get the expected crew, and then Aidy Bryant’s Martha Washington smashes through the window with her ax, and ah, that’s what we were looking for.

Natalie Portman’s Monologue is commented upon like it’s some sort of Olympic figure skating routine, and regarding whether or not that “P” joke was written by a 6-year-old or a 32-year-old Yale graduate: it’s spot-on either way…The Stranger Things 3 Sneak Peek kind of cleverly homes in on Eleven’s nosebleed accompanying her psychic powers, introducing similarly empowered folk with corresponding drawbacks. Some of it is excessive, whereas Cecily Strong’s farting girl is the most well-timed and well-utilized…Regarding Michael and Colin: more crucifixion puns and details about Colin getting squirrely over whether or not his family owned slaves, please…I am amused by Kate and Cecily’s takes on Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve, but mainly because they just palpably enjoy playing French ladies and not so much because they have any strong response to their anti-MeToo stance…Pete Davidson knows how to deliver strong punch line punctuation when asking people if they want to take their pants off…Willie has certainly given me a great idea insofar as referring to the messes on a dirty mattress as “all the little constellations”…The Alien Lover could be the stupidest thing ever, but it is not, because Beck Bennett plays it completely straight, at least as straight as you can play someone whose face is his butt and butt is his face. So this sketch has my respect, though it does not quite transcend its thoroughly lowbrow trappings…Natalie’s Kids’ Choice Awards Awards Orange Carpet correspondent losing her voice does not lead to much humor, but the fake (?) categories (“Coolest Face,” “Favorite Funny Lesbian,” “Best Actor in a Jumanji Movie”) are definitely worth some laughs…Probably my favorite sketch of the night is Bunny at the bar, mostly thanks to Aidy Bryant’s spirited performance as a shamelessly horny catfisher. But it’s a little difficult to fully embrace it when its gender politics are so out-of-whack. Of course, that is kind of the point, so yeah, this sort of go-get-it-girl-ism works in comedy, at least.

Leave It

Patriots vs. Iggles – This year’s Super Bowl opponents have probably the two best obnoxious fan bases in all the land, and what this sketch presupposes is that that has been the case  ever this country’s birth. And so we get some Masshole and Philly stereotypes, and with Rachel Dratch and Tina Fey cameos, obviously we have folks who are capable of pulling that off. But there is just no premise beyond that.

Natalie Portman
On a scale of “what you want, Natalie” to “say something ’bout the motherf***ing prequels, bitch,” Natalie is gonna give it to you. No questions asked. Just look at her talk to that butt. 12 years in between hosting? What’s the deal with that?!

Dua Lipa

On a scale of Lana del Rey to Nicki Minaj, Dua Lipa’s energy is unfortunately too close to the former when we expect her to bring an attitude akin to the latter. “New Rules” is one of my favorite songs of 2017, so I was certainly excited for Dua’s booking. But I think she needs to add a few levels to her repertoire before she can truly become a superstar. In particular, she really needs to expand her stage presence. For “New Rules,” she mostly just walks back and forth. Then “Homesick” is a fairly straightforward pop ballad that does not justify just hanging out on the piano for the whole number.

 

I’ll be back in four weeks (after the Olympics!) to let you know what I’m loving, keeping, and leaving from host Charles Barkley and musical guest Migos!

Letter Grades:
Fox & Friends – C+
Natalie Portman’s Monologue – B-
Patriots vs. Iggles – C
Stranger Things 3 Sneak Peek – B-
Natalie’s Rap 2 – B
Dua Lipa performs “New Rules” – B-

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B
Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve – C+
Pete Davidson – B-
Willie – B-

Alien Lover – B
Kids’ Choice Awards Orange Carpet – C+
Melania and the First Ladies – B-
Dua Lipa performs “Homesick” – C+
Bunny at the Bar (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – B