January 19, 2015
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Kevin Hart, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, Sia, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Sia, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in January 2015.
The recurring sketch-lite Season 40 had its most original episode yet for the first show of 2015, with not a single repeat bit or character, save for Kate McKinnon’s Justin Bieber impression. The best seasons tend to have a decent mix of recurring and original material, so while it is nice to see the “SNL” team coming up with plenty of fresh ideas, they might be wearing themselves too much. Luckily, Kevin Hart was on hand to host for the second time, and there are not too many other comedians who can keep the energy level up like he can, and he did not disappoint in that department. Meanwhile, Sia provided the music, and as is her m.o., she brought out some guest accompaniment while she kept her face covered.
Martin Luther King – This visit from a ghostly MLK was a clever idea for running down how decades of progress or lack thereof may not have been exactly what the civil rights leader envisioned. Unfortunately, Kenan Thompson’s portrayal was not exactly as inspirational as the person he was playing. It is hard to say if a different actor could have pulled this off much better, as the problems lay mainly in the writing. This Dr. King, unlike the real deal, was not very imaginative about how the future might be different from his time. He could have been any random black guy from the 60’s. Pointing out how times have changed is usually good for a few solid chuckles, as this was, but it could have been more specific. B-
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December 22, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Amy Adams, One Direction, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Amy Adams, One Direction (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2014.
The 2014 Christmas episode of “Saturday Night Live” took most of its inspiration from the holiday season, as “SNL” Christmas episodes are wont to do. Sometimes that resulted in sticking too close to tradition, while other times that tradition was rebelled against, resulting in memorably experimental Christmas sketches. It was one of those episodes where you take the good and you take the bad. In her second outing, Amy Adams was the sort of host who slotted in naturally to whatever role she was given without overshadowing the cast. Musical guest One Direction did what they do, surely pleasing their fans but not making any new ones. And it would not have been a Christmas episode without cameos, some of which were surprising and welcome and others which were welcome enough but a little too predictable.
A Very Somber Christmas with Sam Smith – Bringing in Mike Myers to reprise Dr. Evil, perhaps the most intrinsically ridiculous villain of all time, allowed for “SNL” to really get at what North Korea is all about: Kim Jong-un and his cronies categorically have no idea how to take a joke. Evil’s Lorne Michaels-inspired “Throw me a frickin’ bone here” attitude was exactly the sort of mediation that this situation needed. B+
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December 15, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Charli XCX, Martin Freeman, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Charli XCX, Martin Freeman, Kenan Thompson (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2014.
It was the British invasion on the penultimate 2014 episode of “SNL,” with first-time host Martin Freeman and first-time musical guest Charli XCX. It is not every week that “SNL” has the perfect actor to play nebbishy scamps, so this episode took every opportunity it could to fit Freeman into his wheelhouse. Indeed, at least regarding the host, this was one of the most well-cast episodes of “SNL” in a while. Meanwhile, the show in general continued its Season 40 pattern of focusing on original material, with a single character on Weekend Update serving as the lone recurring bit of the night.
Charlie Rose – It is not often that “SNL” extrapolates a broader social point from its timely political skethces, which is why this examination of a couple of architects of torture felt as fresh as it did. Bobby Moynihan and Kyle Mooney were keyed in perfectly to the roles of two men who love being great at their jobs, morals be damned. It was not clear, though, why this was presented in a “Charlie Rose” parody, other than for the joke about how it is torture to be stuck in a dark room for years. B
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December 8, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
James Franco, Nicki Minaj, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Nicki Minaj, James Franco (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in December 2014.
With a crisis in policing in America, and a movie studio being hacked, possibly in retaliation to the upcoming film starring tonight’s host, this week’s “SNL” was not struggling for topicality. Surprisingly enough, one of the most uncomfortable issues of the year shocked the show out of its politically tepid default, resulting in some legitimately funny material on a difficult subject. However, what this episode was most notable for was a bizarrely naturalistic pace. It was not slow and sleepy so much as it was that many of the sketches took their time to find a joke. Rhythmically, this did not feel like a typical 2014 episode of “SNL,” for better, for worse, and for neutral.
Politics Nation – The Ferguson and Eric Garner decisions were impossible for “SNL” to ignore, though it was a little odd that the show chose to initially take them on with Kenan Thompson’s malapropism-prone Al Sharpton. While this rendition of the MSNBC spoof did keep that goofy element, the reverend came off smarter than usual, with his gaffes seeming more like the result of frustration than incompetence. The conclusion of him eagerly hugging an uncomfortable police officer firmly established this as a genuine, albeit silly, call for solidarity. B
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November 24, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Bruno Mars, Cameron Diaz, Mark Ronson, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Mark Ronson, Cameron Diaz, Bruno Mars (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in November 2014.
When people look back through the annals of “SNL,” this episode may go down as the one when the Season 40 cast fully discovered its confidence. But since episodes are usually cataloged by the guests, this one might be hard to identify, because the guests did not do anything spectacular. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars came in and performed a couple of songs, while host Cameron Diaz did not have any showcase performances. She gamely slotted in to whatever role she was needed in, but this episode was about the likes of Leslie Jones, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant, and Beck Bennett asserting themselves in an ideal mix of original and recurring material. The energy was high, with everyone coming in hard, making their comedic point, and moving on to the next sketch before wearing out their welcome. The show may have petered out a little bit at the end, but it was still strong enough to set a new high watermark for the season.
Schoolhouse Rock – After a seasons-long rut of unimaginative, cookie-cutter political cold opens, “SNL” went silly and retro. The result was a “Schoolhouse Rock” parody that was the show’s most pointed take on the current state of affairs in D.C. in years. All it took to make it happen was Bobby Moynihan’s matter-of-fact delivery of “I’m an executive order, and I pretty much just happen.” Then it ended abruptly when it seemed like it had plenty more to say, though its point was a simple one, and no more needed to be said. B+
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November 17, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Kendrick Lamar, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40, Woody Harrelson
SNL: Kendrick Lamar, Woody Harrelson, Kate McKinnon (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in November 2014.
Season 40 of “Saturday Night Live” has been notably light on recurring material; this episode, with the exception of one sketch and one Weekend Update segment, was completely devoid of anything recurring. While it is nice to have a tendency towards original material, the best “SNL” seasons have always had a decent mix of new and repeating characters. It is time for the cast and writers to really figure out what they do best and focus on that. If the show was relying on the host to kick itself into gear in this way, then Woody Harrelson was never going to be the man for that job. Instead, he was happy to ride along with whatever he was asked to do, a style that worked just fine but would have worked better if this season had a better sense of its identity. Kendrick Lamar definitely brought it, though.
Barack Obama and Mitch McConnell – It can work comedically to have politicians appear laid-back in an atypical setting, but it requires playing off or playing against their known personas. This sketch did play off Obama’s enmity with the GOP Congress, but it was not specific enough to have anything to do with Mitch McConnell. Overall, this felt like an impression of the format of this type of gradual time-lapse sketch, but there was hardly any rhyme or reason to its pacing (the subtitles of what number drink the guys were on were meaningless). C
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November 3, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Chris Rock, Prince, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Chris Rock Monologue (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in November 2014.
In the past year, “SNL” was widely criticized for its lack of diversity, hired a new black cast member following that public pressure, debuted its first black Weekend Update cast member, and from the writer’s room brought on another black cast member. So an episode hosted by Chris Rock seemed poised to be the most head-on examination of race on “SNL” in years, or even decades. While that element was present, it was not really any more so than it has been in the past couple of years. Overall, in fact, this edition ended up like most episodes of the past couple of years: consisting of mostly new material that was mostly more interesting than fully successful and at its best when it got weird. Let’s take a closer look at each of the sketches.
The Kelly File – There was no particular need for “SNL” to parody this particular Fox News talk show to cover the Kaci Hickox Ebola story. This sketch did not break apart the form of “The Kelly File,” nor did Cecily Strong offer that strong of an impression. Thus, the whole thing was rather formless. Bobby Moynihan continued to play Chris Christie as loud and obnoxious, which is fine, while Kate McKinnon played Kaci Hickox as a typical Kate McKinnon character who won’t take any guff from someone like Chris Christie, which is also fine. But ultimately, this sketch didn’t really say anything. C
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October 13, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Bill Hader, Hozier, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Hozier, Bill Hader, Cecily Strong (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in October 2014.
Recent alumni returning to host “SNL” has lately served as an excuse to fill the episode with cameos, with last season’s finale hosted by Andy Samberg serving as a particularly egregious example. That tendency is not a good fit for a show with a large repertory cast including several rookies and sophomores fighting to make themselves known. Luckily, this episode only featured two cameos, only one of whom was a former cast member, and neither of whom overwhelmed the show. Hader did resurrect a few of his most memorable characters, but he did not get in the way of what the current cast is doing. The bottom line is, it is pretty much impossible to have a bad episode hosted by Bill Hader. He was in a lot of sketches while a cast member, because he could take on the lead and the utility roles just as easily. Thus, putting him in the entire episode, as is the norm with the hosts, served to guarantee at least one good performance per sketch. Let’s take a closer look at each segment of the show:
Kim Jong-Un – The running time of this sketch was about 3 minutes, a speed that is practically unheard of for “SNL” cold openings in 2014. It harked back to a time when the first sketch could get in there with a familiar routine, make it point, and get right to the “Live from New York!” But the weird thing about this sketch was that Bobby Moynihan’s Kim Jong-Un impression is not particularly popular, nor has North Korea really been dominating headlines. This sketch did not really focus on being timely anyway, instead making bizarre observational points about the Korean leader, such as how he fancies himself the world’s greatest athlete and that his haircut resembles Brad Pitt in his current movie. Ultimately, this was admirable for being stranger than most openings, but disappointing for being too slight to do something with that strangeness. B-
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October 4, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Maroon 5, Sarah Silverman, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Sarah Silverman, Maroon 5 (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in October 2014.
It has been 20 years since Sarah Silverman was an “SNL” featured player for a single season. In the past year, she had a stand-up special on HBO and guest starred on a few episodes of “Masters of Sex.” This is all to say, she does not have any major projects at the moment, nor does she have that strong a connection to “SNL,” so there was no obvious reason for her to be hosting at this time. The episode she hosted ended up having a similar vibe, insofar as most of the sketches did not have an immediate reason for existing. That is not necessarily a bad thing, and it points to the show’s willingness so far in Season 40 to avoid relying on recurring material. Ultimately, this episode was not cohesive enough to have any truly classic moments, but it was quietly encouraging, if you allow yourself to view the show with a generous spirit. Let’s take a closer look at each of the sketches:
60 Minutes – There is a certain concept in improv and sketch comedy known as “game.” It is the unusual thing about the scene that is built upon and explored as the scene progresses. In this interview with the president courtesy of Steve Kroft, the game appeared to be ISIS members tweeting a series of tweets that inexplicably combined plans of jihad with more secular sentiments, such as an emoji of a ghost with an eyepatch or the hashtag #TheVoiceIsBack. But that gag lasted only about a minute, while the rest of the sketch was a bunch of less fully-formed ideas. C+
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September 29, 2014
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Ariana Grande, Chris Pratt, Saturday Night Live Season 40, SNL, SNL Season 40
SNL: Ariana Grande, Chris Pratt (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in September 2014.
To kick off its milestone 40th season, “SNL” entrusted the premiere to first-time guests Chris Pratt and Ariana Grande. Pratt proved to be the perfect utility player host, comfortably slotting into all his roles without overshadowing the cast. His trademark goofy energy could have been put to greater use, but this was an episode of “SNL” that wanted to try out new material and cover some of the most pressing news stories. New cast members Michael Che and Pete Davidson looked perfectly comfortable as they made auspicious debuts. Overall, this was an episode that was not entirely focused but was overall more interesting and more experimental than “SNL” usually allows itself to be. Let’s take a closer look at each of the sketches:
State of the Union with Candy Crowley – This is one of those typical “SNL” cold openings: a news talk show parody that allows multiple stories to be covered with minimal connective tissue. At least in this case, the various stories were all under the same umbrella of “NFL in Crisis.” While Roger Goodell and former Baltimore Ravens Ray Lewis and Shannon Sharpe all had their funny moments, this sketch did not make much of a point beyond “Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson are not the only NFL players who have had legal troubles.” Lewis’s hook of constantly changing the subject to kids going to school made up for the fact that this was yet another non-impression from Kenan Thompson, while Sharpe continued to be one of Jay Pharoah’s best impressions, with a particularly Eddie Murphy-esque laugh. B-
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