SNL Review October 6, 2018: Awkwafina/Travis Scott

October 7, 2018

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CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

This post was originally published on News Cult in October 2018.

Love It

Ted Cruz Rally – This little filmed piece is my pick for best of the episode, primarily by dint of some impressively squishy sound design. The plop of confetti, the thud of a bounceless basketball, the distortion of an unruly microphone: all are delightful auditory punchlines. Beck’s take on Ted Cruz is fairly unique (is the senator’s nose really that pointy?), but his string of bad luck as a live performer definitely captures his noted lack of charisma.

Pete Davidson is here to share some thoughts on Kanye, and he can offer the right sort of wisdom for the moment, what with his experience being crazy.

Keep It

Dance Battle – It is quite the delightful surprise when the crew made up of Awkwafina, Kenan, and Leslie starts breaking it down to the tune of The Price is Right theme. Alas, it takes away any surprise from the rest of the sketch, as we know for sure that their remaining routines will also be set to game show music. But I cannot complain too much when the soundtrack is this charmingly familiar. Plus, the Family Feud wrong answer buzzer is ideal punctuation.

The Brett Kavanaugh Post-Game is an interesting enough concept to tackle the big news of the moment, but why does just about every political cold open need to be part of some news broadcast?…Awkwafina’s Monologue is pretty short and uneventful, save for her shoutout to first female Asian SNL host Lucy Liu (what an opportunity it would have been for Lucy to suddenly make a surprise appearance!)…The Presidential Alert commercial is just as crazy as, well, life in America currently is. Ergo, the jokes about a cheap phone company actually hit harder, in light of their unexpectedness…Michael and Colin are adequate enough, with the most notable Update moment coming in the form of a few audience members audibly booing Brett Kavanaugh…Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. have some more invective and nonsense to spew, particularly their new zinger of “Saturday Night Liberals”…So You’re Willing to Date a Magician gets a decent amount of mileage out of lampooning a certain profession’s stereotypes…The Pumpkin Patch benefits greatly from Beck and Kyle’s commitment to guilelessness…The New York Film Festival Women’s Roundtable (or Actress Roundtable, depending on if you go by the title card or the dialogue) is another chance for Kate to shine as Debette Goldry. You know the drill at this point, although her experience doing yellowface is a new, fairly hard-hitting reveal.

Leave It

Baby Shower – Here’s a sketch that is quite messy in execution that I feel could have been quite uproarious if it were more focused. Is the main joke that Awkwafina’s dog walker is an interloper, or that Cecily’s lonely friend of the expectant mom is shallow and superficial? There’s some fine character work, but also too many joke approaches coming from too many different angles.

The Hidden Tales of Egypt is here to remind us that Cleopatra had interesting hair.

Awkwafina

On a scale of Lucy Liu to Awkwafina, it is clear that there haven’t been too many Asian SNL hosts. But regardless of ethnicity, Awkwafina brings an offbeat comedic presence that is unprecedented in the entire annals of guests at 30 Rock. Unfortunately that doesn’t quite translate in her first SNL hosting gig, though she is plenty dedicated. Weirdly, she also appears to be the victim of multiple directing and sound mixing miscues.

Travis Scott

On a scale of music from artists I have heard of but have never really heard, Travis Scott holds my attention well enough. His stage design is decently mesmerizing, and he has acuity with laying out his words over a groove. Other than that, all I have to say is, did I hear him correctly when he said “just a goose”?

Letter Grades:

Brett Kavanaugh Post-Game – B-

Awkwafina’s Monologue – B-

Dance Battle – B

Presidential Alert – B-

The Hidden Tales of Egypt – C-

Ted Cruz (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – B+

Travis Scott performs “Skeletons”/”Astrothunder”

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B-
Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. – B-
Pete Davidson – B+

So You’re Willing to Date a Magician – B-

Baby Shower – C

The Pumpkin Patch – B

Travis Scott performs “Sicko Mode” – B

New York Film Festival Women’s Roundtable – B

SNL Review September 29, 2018: Adam Driver/Kanye West

September 30, 2018

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CREDIT: Rosalind O’Connor/NBC

This post was originally published on News Cult in September 2018.

Love It

Kyle’s New Look – Considering who was in the building, it looked like we were about to get a sequel to the landmark Kyle vs. Kanye as the latest short from Mr. Mooney began. But while the behind-the-scenes saga takes a different route this time, it is no less welcome. In an episode all about Pete Davidson’s summer, the high point comes via Kyle’s copycat tactic. Wendy Williams as his choice of celebrity boo is inspired, and small details like the way Heidi Gardner eats a banana fill in the scenery nicely. But I am left to wonder how this sketch might have been different if original musical guest choice Ariana Grande had been around to provide her reaction.

Domenico’s Coffee – Burger King disguising its cup of joe as the upscale “Domenico’s” to fool unsuspecting customers obviously calls to mind the classic Colombian coffee crystals filmed piece in which Chris Farley completely loses his mind. But this time around it’s a somewhat different tack, instead targeting faux-upscale coffee snob arrogance. It’s right up Cecily Strong’s grotesque character alley, and Adam Driver’s intensity matches up quite well. Their threats once they realize the ruse are awfully silly, but also scary in their sincerity.

In an Update dominated up top by the Kavanaugh hearings, Michael and Colin are more straightforward than they have ever been, and we are the better for it…Kate McKinnon’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg is enough to brighten up any day.

Keep It

Kavanaugh Senate Hearing – The typical SNL cold open tackles the major political news of the week, which can grow tiresome, so I always enjoy when the show switches up the routine. But there was no avoiding the major development this time, but luckily (for comedy’s sake), the alarming Brett Kavanaugh hearings allow for a somewhat different cast of characters than the usual recent political insanity we’ve had to endure. It doesn’t necessarily make for a great sketch, but it’s a decent one, and I’ll take the “Lindsey Graham auditioning for regional production of The Crucible” joke to the bank.

Adam Driver’s Monologue is a small idea about small talk, but Driver is amusing when he’s angry. And also Pete Davidson had an interesting summer…The “adults don’t know how to play video games” shtick is as old as video games, but at least the Fortnite sketch adds some backstory involving a real dad/stepdad rivalry…I would guess Rad Times at Frat U was inspired by Brett Kavanaugh’s schooltime secrets, although the focus is a bit wayward. But it still works as a solid takedown of blowout party movies…Leslie Jones’ “impression” of Serena Williams is actually sort of impressive in a verbatim sort of way, and Colin’s insistence that it won’t work actually fits as a dramatic counterpoint…I hope that Pete Davidson talked to his fiancee before he discussed how his summer was (he probably did)…Once we meet old school oil baron Abraham H. Parnassus, the Career Day sketch hits exactly the beats we expect, but it’s committed character work from Driver…The League of the South Meeting‘s premise that Vermont is some kind of white people paradise is kind of clever, but I’m most amused by the ruling that they CAN pick black players for their fantasy football teams.

Leave It

No Leave It sketches in a solid premiere episode.

Adam Driver

On a scale of “omnipresent host” to “host getting lost in the background,” Adam Driver is not really either extreme. He has some lead characters, and he wholly commits in a way that justifies his booking despite not being an obvious choice for a season premiere. But it kind of feels like the actual host of this episode was Pete Davidson’s birthday.

Kanye West

On a scale of Kanye the Visionary to Kanye the Inexplicable, we definitely leaned toward the latter this episode. Seriously, does anyone understand why he and Lil Pump chose to dress as Perrier and Fiji, respectively? Although, hey, I can’t say I wasn’t amused. But besides the wacky artistic choices, there’s also the MAGA of it all, which I don’t think there will ever be a satisfying answer for, so we might as well seek serenity for something that’s beyond our control.

Letter Grades:

Kavanaugh Senate Hearing – B-

Adam Driver’s Monologue – B-

Fortnite – B-

Kyle’s New Look – B+

Domenico’s Coffee (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – A-

Rad Times at Frat U – B

Kanye West ft. Lil Pump performs “I Love It” – B

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B+
Ruth Bader Ginsburg – B
Leslie Jones as “Serena Williams” – B-
Pete Davidson – B-

Career Day – B-

Kanye West ft. Teyana Taylor performs “We Got Love” – B

League of the South Meeting – B-

Kanye West ft. Kid Cudi and 070 Shake performs “Ghost Town” – ???

SNL Review May 19, 2018: Tina Fey/Nicki Minaj

May 20, 2018

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CREDIT: Gianny Matias/NBC

My letter grades for each sketch and segment is below. My in-depth review is on NewsCult: http://newscult.com/snl-love-itkeep-itleave-tina-feynicki-minaj/

Holsten’s Restaurant – C+

Tina Fey’s Monologue – B

Royal Wedding Reception – C-

Morning Joe – C

Mean Girls – B

Nicki Minaj performs “Chun-Li” – B

Weekend Update
The Jokes (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – B/B+
Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. – B
Bishop Michael Curry – C

Dateline: Pervert Hunters – C+

Sarah Plain – C

Nicki Minaj ft. Playboi Carti performs “Poke It Out” – B-

Livingston High Talent Show – C

Dick Wolf’s Chicago Improv – B

SNL Review May 12, 2018: Amy Schumer/Kacey Musgraves

May 13, 2018

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CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

My letter grades for each sketch and segment is below. My in-depth review is on NewsCult: http://newscult.com/snl-love-itkeep-itleave-amy-schumerkacey-musgraves/

A Mother’s Day Message From the Cast of SNL – B-

Amy Schumer’s Monologue – B-

Mother Knows Best – B-

Handmaids in the City – C+

The Day You Were Born – C-

Gospel Brunch – C-

Kacey Musgraves performs “High Horse” – B

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B-
Bailey Gismert – B-
Michael Che’s Stepmom – C+

Wake Up Denver – B+

Kacey Musgraves performs “Slow Burn” – B-

Last Call – B-

James Madison High School Graduation (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – B+

SNL Review May 5, 2018: Donald Glover/Childish Gambino

May 6, 2018

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , , 2 Comments

CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

My letter grades for each sketch and segment is below. My in-depth review is on NewsCult: http://newscult.com/snl-love-itkeep-itleave-donald-gloverchildish-gambino/

Michael Cohen Wiretap – B

Donald Glover’s Monologue – B

Jurassic Park Courtroom – A-

Friendos – B+

Raz P. Berry – “The Night I Watched You” – A-

A Kanye Place – B

Dirty Talk – B+

Childish Gambino performs “Saturday” – A-

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B+
Pete Davidson – B+
Leslie Jones – B-

Galactic Summit for All Black Humans – B

Barbie Instagram (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – A

Childish Gambino performs “This Is America” – B+

Prison Customer Service – B

SNL Review April 14, 2018: John Mulaney/Jack White

April 16, 2018

jmunney Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television , , , , , , , , , , 3 Comments

CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

This review was originally published on News Cult in April 2018.

News Cult 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

Hollywood Update – Mulaney finds brilliant inspiration from his very own “Family Flix” (aka “Rocket Dog”), one of the greatest sketches he ever wrote during his SNL tenure. This time around, the objectionable material for supposedly family-friendly entertainment is squarely present both in front of and behind the camera. Simply mentioning the uncomfortable sexual ramifications of a parent-child body switch premise would have been enough to make this sketch a winner, but the disturbing details just keep on coming.

Horn Removal – The second sketch of the night to take obvious and winning inspiration from a previous SNL bit hearkens back to a pre-Mulaney time, namely the Will Ferrell-starring Bad Doctor. This time around, it is the patients who are more the crazy people, although the biggest laughs come from Mulaney’s plastic surgeon calmly explaining to the horned fellow and his fetishistic girlfriend just how idiotic they are.

It always bodes well for the Monologue when you have a stand-up comedian hosting, and I furthermore appreciate that Mulaney delivered jokes I had never heard from him before. Maybe this was material that he had used on stage previously, but it was new to me…I have to give it up to Big Nick’s Greek Diner, or any comedy sketch past or present, that turns into a full-blown Les Miserables homage.

Keep It

Robert Mueller/Michael Cohen Lie Detector – Meet the Parents came out 18 years ago, which was around the time that my SNL fandom was really starting to bloom. So this Mueller investigation homage to the Fockers is like if Steven Spielberg and Drew Barrymore had cameoed in 2000 for an ET-centric parody about the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Anyway, we certainly don’t need Ben Stiller and Robert de Niro to rehash their “you can milk anything with nipples” routine in 2018, but it is a unique enough entryway into the current scandal du jour.

The Drag Brunch is what we can refer to as precision comedy, and the target is hit…Mulaney’s student leader attempts to hide a boner on National School Walkout Day, and we should all know from Big Mouth how masterful he is at humorizing awkward bodily functions…Ah, a parody of Wild Wild Country, that new Netflix documentary series about a cult that a lot of people are obsessing over but that I have not watched (yet?); this isn’t the first time a sketch has revolved around Kenan’s insatiable appetite for booty, nor is it the best, but it is still fairly amusing (and props to the audience for cheering Nasim Pedrad’s cameo without prompting)…Michael and Colin’s most memorable bits this time around involve bringing the Cleveland Browns’ futility into all this and a zinging follow-up about cream soda…I have never subjected myself to Laura Ingraham, so I have no idea how accurate Kate McKinnon’s impression is, but the list of all her disreputable new sponsors is on-point…Kenan’s Lavar Ball routine is a steady, unwavering formula, but damn if I don’t lose it when he claims that his son Lonzo is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes or that he has a long-lost Mexican son named “La Biblioteca.” And “You say ‘tomato,’ I say ‘this tomato costs $500’” might just be the quote of the season…The Real Intros of Reality Hills zeros in on what that genre is all about, doesn’t it?

Leave It

No terrible sketches on John Mulaney’s watch!

John Mulaney

How many former SNL writers who were not also cast members have returned to host? The only other one besides John Mulaney that I can think of is Larry David. Mulaney is certainly well-known enough among comedy nerds to justify booking him as host, but is he famous enough among the general public? The correct answer is: who cares? The episode he is in charge of runs smoothly, and it appears that he had a powerful effect on the writers’ room, what with the plethora of concept-driven sketches. Also, Darrell Hammond twice refers to him (on purpose?) as John “Mulvaney.”

Jack White

On a scale of “absolutely essential” to “playing the hits,” this is hardly a landmark performance from Jack White, but of course his chops are as strong as ever. Are “Over and Over and Over” and “Connected by Love” future classics in his oeuvre? I’m not banking on that legacy, as they do not sound terribly different from his typical garage rock numbers, but maybe after a few more listens, I’ll notice some peculiarities.

Letter Grades

Mueller/Cohen Lie Detector – B-

John Mulaney’s Monologue – B+

Drag Brunch – B

National School Walkout Day – B-

Wild Wild Country – B

Big Nick’s Greek Diner – B+

Jack White performs “Over and Over and Over” – B+

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B-
Laura Ingraham – B-
LaVar Ball – B

Hollywood Update (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – A-

Horn Removal – B+

Jack White performs “Connected by Love” – B+

The Real Intros of Reality Hills – B

SNL Review April 7, 2018: Chadwick Boseman/Cardi B

April 9, 2018

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

CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

My letter grades for each sketch and segment is below. My in-depth review is on NewsCult: http://newscult.com/snl-love-itkeep-itleave-chadwick-bosemancardi-b/

Outnumbered – C+

Chadwick Boseman’s Monologue – B-

Nike Pro-Chiller Leggings – C

Black Jeopardy – B+

Fertility Frontier Project – B

Aidy B – B-

Cardi B performs “Bodak Yellow”/”Bartier Cardi” – B

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B-
Mark Zuckerberg – C
Angel, Every Boxer’s Girlfriend From Every Boxing Movie Ever – B

Magic Mirror – B

Warehouse Fire – B

Cardi B performs “Be Careful” – B-

Restaurant Complaint – B-

The Game of Life: DACA Edition – B

Black Panther Screening – C

SNL Review March 17, 2018: Bill Hader/Arcade Fire

March 19, 2018

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CREDIT: Kailey Fellows/NBC

My letter grades for each sketch and segment is below. My in-depth review is on NewsCult: http://newscult.com/snl-love-itkeep-itleave-bill-haderarcade-fire/

Anderson Cooper 360 – B-

Bill Hader’s Monologue – B

The Californians – C+

Kiss Me I’m Irish – C+

Older Husband – B

Jurassic Park Screen Tests – B-

Arcade Fire perform “Creature Comfort” – B+

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B
Betsy DeVos – B-
Pete Davidson – B-
Stefon – A-

Spirit Quest Lodge – C+

CBC News Hour – B-

Arcade Fire perform “Put Your Money on Me” – B+

Undercover Office Potty (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – A-

SNL Review March 10, 2018: Sterling K. Brown/James Bay

March 11, 2018

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CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

My letter grades for each sketch and segment is below. My in-depth review is on NewsCult: http://newscult.com/snl-love-itkeep-itleave-sterling-k-brownjames-bay/

The Bachelor – B

Sterling K. Brown’s Monologue – B

Celebrity Family Feud Oscars Edition – C+

This Is U.S. – B-

Coco vs. Shrek Dinner – B

It Came From the Woods – C

James Bay performs “Pink Lemonade” – B

Weekend Update
The Jokes – B
Eric and Donald Trump, Jr. – B-
Dawn Lazarus – A-

Black Panther Deleted Scene – C

Dr. Love – B

Movie Shoot – B-

Chris Fitzpatrick: Rock or Rap – B+

James Bay performs “Wild Love” – B

Dying Mother (BEST OF THE NIGHT) – A-

SNL Review March 3, 2018: Charles Barkley/Migos

March 5, 2018

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

CREDIT: Will Heath/NBC

This review was originally posted on News Cult in March 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

The Champions – Given all the research available on head trauma, it is no profound observation to note that former professional football players have some cognitive difficulties. But Kenan’s performance as DC Timmons, an NFL veteran of 9 games (over 7 seasons), is so imaginative and so silly in how it renders the full ravages of his career. And it avoids bad taste by anchoring itself with a genuine sense of poignancy.

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