SNL Recap May 16, 2015: Louis C.K./Rihanna

May 17, 2015

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , , , Leave a comment

SNL: Rihanna, Louis C.K., Leslie Jones (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2015.

In recent “SNL” history, the season finale has been reserved for familiar faces. Year 40 was no different, with Louis C.K. hosting for the third time in as many seasons and Rihanna making her fifth appearance as musical guest. Finales often have a celebratory air, with an overabundance of cameos, or an ode to the upcoming summer, or a farewell to departing talent, but there was not much of that this time. Instead, this was a fairly standard Season 40 episode, with a focus on original material that was best when it got weird. Unfortunately, it did not go weird often enough, and what resulted was a show that did not succeed too much as either a finale or as any old episode, especially disappointing considering the talent involved.

It’s Summer (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – The musical monologue is well-known to all, but a lesser-known, but just as durable tradition, is the musical season-ending cold opening. The former often indicates malaise, while the latter is usually a fun bit of form-breaking. This edition took it a step further, with another “SNL” standby – the Clintons – crashing the party. A long-term “SNL” narrative is taking shape here with the Democratic frontrunner leading up to the 2016 election, and it is simultaneously consistent and variegated. B+

More

What Won TV? – May 10-May 16, 2015

May 17, 2015

jmunney Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

Sunday – Mad Men
Monday – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Tuesday – Community
Wednesday – The Middle had everyone crying.
Thursday – Ice cream on Louie!
Friday – Childrens Hospital
Saturday – Orphan Black

VH1’s The 20 – 5/16/15

May 16, 2015

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1's The 20 Leave a comment

Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Jason Derulo – “Want to Want Me”
2. Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”
3. Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance”
4. Nick Jonas – “Chains”
5. Wiz Khalifa ft. Chalie Puth – “See You Again”
6. Tove Lo – “Talking Body”
7. Maroon 5 – “Sugar”
8. Meghan Trainor – “Dear Future Husband”
9. Zedd ft. Selena Gomez – “I Want You to Know”
10. Echosmith – “Bright”
11. Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink – “Worth It”
12. Taylor Swift – “Style”
13. George Ezra – “Budapest”
14. Flo Rida ft. Sage the Gemini and Lookas – “G.D.F.R.”
15. Tori Kelly – “Nobody Love”
16. Andy Grammer – “Honey, I’m Good.”
17. Ryn Weaver – “Octachate”
18. Nate Ruess – “Nothing Without Love”
19. Carly Rae Jepsen – “I Really Like You”
20. Sia – “Elastic Heart”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Style
2. Elastic Heart
3. I Really Like You
4. Talking Body
5. I Want You to Know
6. Nobody Love
7. See You Again
8. Want to Want Me
9. Chains
10. Octahate
11. G.D.F.R.
12. Shut Up and Dance
13. Love Me Like You Do
14. Nothing Without Love
15. Budapest
16. Sugar
17. Worth It
18. Dear Future Husband
19. Bright
20. Honey, I’m Good.

The Middle 6.24: “The Graduate”

May 14, 2015

jmunney Television, The Middle, The Middle Episode Reviews Leave a comment

Something amazing happened. http://www.starpulse.com/news/Jeffrey_Malone/2015/05/14/the-middle-season-6-finale-recap-the-g

Community 6.10: “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry”

May 13, 2015

jmunney Community, Community Episode Reviews, Television , , , Leave a comment

Community_Basic-RV-Repair-and-Palmistry

Community, “Basic RV Repair and Palmistry” (CREDIT: Yahoo! Screen)

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2015.

It is quite the challenge to make a good sitcom episode based around boredom. But that was what Abed – and by extension, “Community” – was attempting to create for this road trip gone awry. He knows the difference between real life and TV, and when he has blended the two, he has done so in a way that felt natural, that is, as natural for someone as odd as him. But imposing explanatory flashbacks onto his actual reality is in physically impossible territory.

More

Bob’s Burgers 5.19: “Housetrap”

May 11, 2015

jmunney Bob's Burgers, Bob's Burgers Episode Reviews, Television , , , Leave a comment

The Belchers are breaking and entering, but as a family, so it’s okay. http://www.starpulse.com/news/Jeffrey_Malone/2015/05/11/bobs-burgers-season-5-episode-19-recap

SNL Recap May 9, 2015: Reese Witherspoon/Florence + the Machine

May 11, 2015

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , , , Leave a comment

SNL: Reese Witherspoon, Florence Welch, Taran Killam (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)

This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2015.

Reese Witherspoon’s first “SNL” hosting stint was also the first show to air after 9/11. While she did have a few memorable performances then, that appearance was mostly marked by nerves. Freed from any overwhelming existential uncertainty about the place of comedy, Reese was able to demonstrate that she is a natural next to the “SNL” cast, happy to play along in roles that took advantage of her sunny personality. This episode also continued the tradition of dedicating the Mother’s Day weekend show to the holiday, taking that trend about as far as it could possibly go.

Southern Republican Leadership Conference – The conventional wisdom says that Jeb Bush is going to be the next Republican presidential nomination, even though he has not even announced his candidacy. But the conventional wisdom does not always work out. 24 years ago, “SNL” built an entire sketch around the received intelligence that all the Democrats were just fighting to be the one to lose to George Bush. So good call making the joke that all these Republicans are going to lose to the latest Bush the punchline instead of the premise. As for the actual meat of this opening, it was more fun than funny, but still a nice change of pace. It effectively hid the fact that this cast does not really have any impressions of these candidates ready and did it all in a Jock Jams-style scene that was randomly stuck in the 90’s. Perhaps that was the joke, insofar as the GOP is the party of being stuck in the past. B-

More

What Won TV? – May 3-May 9, 2015

May 10, 2015

jmunney Television, What Won TV? Leave a comment

In this feature, I look back at each day of the past week and determine what shows “won TV” for the night. That is, I consider every episode of television I watched that aired on a particular day and declare which was the best.

Sunday – Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Monday – RuPaul’s Drag Race
Tuesday – John Hawkes, Jeff Goldblum, Chris Gethard, et al, Inside Amy Schumer
Wednesday – The Goldbergs
Thursday – Louie‘s got a weird thing in his head.
Friday – Childrens Hospital
Saturday – SNL … where’s Cecily Strong’s cocaine?!

VH1’s The 20 – 5/9/15

May 9, 2015

jmunney Music, Television, VH1 Top 20 Countdown, VH1's The 20 Leave a comment

Each week, I check out VH1′s The 20 (formerly Top 20 countdown), and then I rearrange the songs based on my estimation of their quality.

Original Version
1. Ellie Goulding – “Love Me Like You Do”
2. Jason Derulo – “Want to Want Me”
3. Nick Jonas – “Chains”
4. Walk the Moon – “Shut Up and Dance”
5. Maroon 5 – “Sugar”
6. Zedd ft. Selena Gomez – “I Want You to Know”
7. Tove Lo – “Talking Body”
8. Taylor Swift – “Style”
9. Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth – “See You Again”
10. Meghan Trainor – “Dear Future Husband”
11. Echosmith = “Bright”
12. Tori Kelly – “Nobody Love”
13. George Ezra – “Budapest”
14. Fifth Harmony ft. Kid Ink – “Worth It”
15. Sam Smith – “Lay Me Down”
16. Ryn Weaver – “Octahate”
17. Flo Rida ft. Sage the Gemini and Lookas – “G.D.F.R.”
18. Andy Grammer – “Honey, I’m Good.”
19. Nate Ruess – “Nothing Without Love”
20. Young Rising Suns – “High”

Jmunney’s Revision
1. Style
2. Talking Body
3. I Want You to Know
4. Nobody Love
5. Want to Want Me
6. See You Again
7. Chains
8. Lay Me Down
9. Octahate
10. Shut Up and Dance
11. G.D.F.R.
12. Love Me Like You Do
13. Nothing Without Love
14. Budapest
15. High
16. Worth It
17. Sugar
18. Dear Future Husband
19. Honey, I’m Good.
20. Bright

The Middle 6.23: “Mother’s Day Reservations”

May 7, 2015

jmunney Television, The Middle, The Middle Episode Reviews , , , Leave a comment

Brick knows how old he is. http://www.starpulse.com/news/Jeffrey_Malone/2015/05/07/the-middle-season-6-episode-23-recap-m

Older Entries Newer Entries