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.
This post was originally published on News Cult in September 2018.
NewsCult’s 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
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.
This review was originally published on News Cult in May 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
Michael and Colin – With a finale consisting of mostly disappointing sketches, I will take this opportunity to take a deeper dive than usual into Weekend Update. It has been a solid year for Misters Jost and Che, as the two have long settled into an undeniably strong rapport. For their final Season 43 outing, the ostensible centerpiece is their set of jokes that had previously been deemed too sensitive to air, but the real highlight (as usual) is their in-between-joke banter, as when Colin notes that Michael’s take on a racial epithet-based story turned out better than when he gave it a go.
This review was originally published on News Cult in May 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
James Madison High School Graduation – In a spiritual successor to the St. Joseph’s Christmas Mass Spectacular, Beck Bennett gets into the intense voice-over detailing the foibles and high points of a common American ritual. There are the typical goofs: butchering names, falling off the stage, microphone troubles. And then it goes to another, all-time level with the lasers shooting out of the eyes of the kids looking at different cameras.
This review was originally published on News Cult in May 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
Jurassic Park Courtroom – Is this the first time a Jurassic Park parody has ever centered around the titular land of amusement being sued for wrongful death liability? It seems unlikely that it should take this long, but whatever, I’m not complaining. Maybe a lesser-known previous example exists, but the one we have now is simply incredible. I didn’t used to know that Donald Glover needed to adopt a ridiculously over-the-top Southern affectation to play JP’s lawyer, but now I have seen the light. This is the goofy, nerdy Glover so many of us fell in love with during his Community days, and thank heavens he is still willing to deploy it.
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.
This review was originally posted on News Cult in April 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
Black Jeopardy – SNL’s most resilient current recurring sketch is its ghetto take on the answers-and-questions game show, as it just keeps on discovering new spins on the same formula. This time around, the odd man out is Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, the Black Panther himself. As the formula dictates, his answers are way off from what the judges are looking for, but it is hard to outright say no to the utopian world of respecting your elders and police always living up to the requirements of their job. And on top of that, it is a hoot to hear T’Challa give his own erudite spin on zinging a white woman who does not adequately season her potato salad.
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
Stefon – It is rare that an SNL recurring character gets as satisfying a “final” appearance as Stefon did, which would seem to render any subsequent City Correspondent segments sacrosanct. But when Bill Hader returns to host, are you going to not have him revive one of the greatest bits in comedy history? Stefon just continues to epitomize excellent humor writing, doling out new, fascinating information in perfectly timed, rhythmic fashion.
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
Dying Mrs. Gomez – So Nickelback was and remains a punchline for many people as the height of 2000s rock music mediocrity. But while they were the most disproportionately successful of their ilk, they weren’t the worst. They actually have a few decent sing-along stompers, and “How You Remind Me” is the best of the bunch. And thanks to this episode, we now know that is the perfect tune to build a sketch about a dying unlikely superfan around.
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.
