May 23, 2016
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Courtney Barnett, Fred Armisen, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4121, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Courtney Barnett, Fred Armisen, Bobby Moynihan (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.
It hardly feels like Fred Armisen, one of the longest-tenured “SNL” cast members of all time (11 seasons), has ever left 30 Rockefeller Plaza. He has returned to cameo 7 times in the 3 years since departing, and he regularly collaborates with other “SNL” vets on his current regular gigs, “Late Night” and “Portlandia” (both produced by Lorne Michaels). But he has shown restraint this season, only appearing once before (to memorialize David Bowie). So while his first time as host is in no way long overdue, it is also not overkill. Speaking of cameos, several other alums also stop by, as befitting a season finale. This means that there is some squeezing out of the regular cast, but not of the good ideas. Year 41 ends on a high note.
Bernie and Hillary – “SNL” wraps up one of its wackiest political years with its two all-star impressions: one that broke big exactly as expected and the other a delightful surprise. The dance between Kate McKinnon’s Hillary and Larry David’s Bernie is as testy as the real deal. As they really explore the studio, there is a celebratory air that the show reserves only for times when it knows it has something special to celebrate. But wisely, it is not all just kissing and making up, because there is plenty of tension in this primary that the last call setting brings into focus. This is a summary of the fictionalized version of a slice of this campaign that “SNL” has managed to have its pulse on. B
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May 16, 2016
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Black Jeopardy, Drake, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4120, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Drake, Leslie Jones (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.
Drake now finds himself in a select crowd of entertainers who have not just pulled “SNL” double duty as both host and musical guest, but done so multiple times. His first double threat gig was a highlight of Season 39, so in terms of potential hosting quality, he is a fine selection. But what about timeliness? He certainly remains big in the music world, but he is not quite as huge in the culture at large the way other repeat double dippers (Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus) have been. But he has the acting chops, so when it gets down to it, who cares? As for the material he is given, it represents a whole range of ideas, some of which work quite well, and others that only work sporadically. All in all, the expansive effort is appreciated.
Donald Trump Vice President Selection – There is not much to make fun of Donald Trump this week (at least, not much new), although the “Joey Pepperoni” quip points to a goofy path that could hold up for the future. So instead, the focus is on the mogul’s VP selection, which could offer new targets for humor, save for the fact that most of the candidates floated are casualties of this election cycle and thus have already been mocked. But sneaking George Zimmerman’s name in there is sharp and the right sort of dangerous. Otherwise, this is just putting down Chris Christie for being nakedly opportunistic, which is way too obvious and not pathetic enough to really make an impact. C+
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May 15, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, Jeopardy!, Last Week Tonight, New Girl, Nick x Jess, Orphan Black, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The Goldbergs, The Grinder, The Middle
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 – Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Tuesday – New Girl closed out Season 5 with hella urgency. (An Honorable Mention of course goes to the dearly departed Grinder … but what if it weren’t dearly departed?)
Wednesday – TIE: The Middle/The Goldbergs
Thursday – Orphan Black is on the Orphan ATTACK!
Friday – Jeopardy!
Saturday – SNL, with the Black Jeopardy and the Drake as a professional chaperone
May 9, 2016
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Alicia Keys, Brie Larson, Church Chat, Church Lady, Dana Carvey, Dead Bopz, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4119, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Alicia Keys, Brie Larson, Taran Killam (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in May 2016.
“SNL” has a tendency to book recently anointed Oscar winners and nominees as hosts. Last year, it was J.K. Simmons a few weeks before the ceremony, and Michael Keaton a couple months after. This season, it is Brie Larson’s turn, with the holiday serving as a tie-in to her award-winning role. It is a sound strategy, as that Academy recognition generally guarantees that these people can act. They do not necessarily have to be funny, so long as they fulfill their roles just as the writing asks them to. Brie proves herself perfectly capable, and the writing lives up to her level.
Church Chat – As Trump Judgment Day has finally come to pass, the cold opening for this episode would of course be political. But it is not the normal cable news parody. In a fit of inspiration, and a wink to the past, Dana Carvey drops by to revive his most prolific and iconic (solo) character. Church Lady’s tsk-tsking of the Donald makes perfect sense (she’s done it before), but her hectoring of Ted Cruz feels a little like kicking an ally while he’s down. Not that Enid Strict wouldn’t do that – it is just a slightly different mode for her. Anyway, it is nice to see an old favorite, but it is tricky for her to find some really good putdowns, as Trump is too cartoonish and Cruz is too pathetic. Not all is lost, though, as Trump’s mangling of Bible facts is chuckle-worthy (though standard issue) and Cruz’s resurrection as a demon – though it may not hit as hard as it might like – is a worthwhile experiment. B-
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May 9, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
American Dad!, Dead Bopz, Inside Amy Schumer, Mr. Pickles, Saturday Night Live, Silicon Valley, SNL, The Grinder, The Middle, VICE
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 – Silicon Valley at its sharpest (but Mr. Pickles wins Scene of the Week for its dinner with a cannibal)
Monday – American Dad!
Tuesday – The Grinder
Wednesday – The MiddleThursday – Inside Amy Schumer gets the edge for taking the nanny sketch as far as it can stretch.
Friday – VICE
Saturday – SNL, esp. Dead Bopz
April 24, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
Better Call Saul, Broad City, Last Week Tonight, Orphan Black, Prince, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The Grinder, VICE
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 – Better Call Saul, with Clea DuVall stopping by to ensure that Season 2 ended on a high.
Tuesday – The Grinder cannot stop grinding.
Wednesday – Broad City
Thursday – Orphan Black
Friday – VICE
Saturday – SNL remembering Prince
April 18, 2016
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nick Jonas, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4118, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Nick Jonas, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Aidy Bryant
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in April 2016.
This episode marks Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ third time returning to “SNL” as host, but in a way it feels like her first. She never hosted while “Seinfeld” was on the air, and this is the first to coincide with her run on “Veep.” Her last two times were during the age of the decidedly less heralded “New Adventures of Old Christine.” This is all to say, she has never more been one of the undisputed reigning queens of comedy. The writing had better not fail her.
Democratic Presidential Debate – The time in between Democratic primary debates is long enough such that Larry David’s cameo appearances can be spaced out enough to not feel like overkill. By multiple accounts, this round was more contentious than most, which this parody makes sure to confirm. But overall, there is not really an overriding theme to this sketch. The most prominent moment is JLD’s appearance as Elaine Benes, which allows Larry’s Bernie to go full George Costanza (“you break em up!”). This bit becomes increasingly untethered from reality, but “Seinfeld”-inspired bits still hold up so well. Vanessa’s Rachel Green, meanwhile, while clever, is so irrelevant to everything else. B-
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April 17, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
Better Call Saul, black-ish, Childrens Hospital, Jeopardy!, Last Week Tonight, Margaret Miles, Margaret the Librarian, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The Grinder
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 – Better Call Saul
Tuesday – The Grinder
Wednesday – black-ish
Thursday – Margaret the “hopelessly stereotypical” librarian on Jeopardy!
Friday – A Tournament of Champions-level brawl on Jeopardy! (Honorable Mention: Childrens Hospital‘s revelatory series finale)
Saturday – SNL, with Kate McKinnon and JLD as aliens
April 10, 2016
jmunney
Saturday Night Live, SNL Weekly Recaps, Television
Disenfrenchfries, Margo Price, Russell Crowe, Saturday Night Live, Saturday Night Live 4117, Saturday Night Live Season 41, SNL, SNL Season 41
SNL: Margo Price, Russell Crowe, Kenan Thompson (CREDIT: YouTube Screenshot)
This review was originally posted on Starpulse in April 2016.
It has been a while since Russell Crowe has been making headlines for throwing phones at people, so his personal life does not provide much fodder for his “SNL” debut. Instead, he has to rely on how well he can fit into the show’s routine, which he seems pretty confident about after seeing his “Nice Guys” co-star Ryan Gosling pull it off. It is hard to say how hosts who do not have much live performing experience will do, but Russell can follow the precedent of Alec Baldwin, Christopher Walken, and Jon Hamm, who repurpose their intensity from drama to comedy. In this episode, he ultimately does know how to deploy his acting chops as needed, but he could be utilized more frequently.
A Message from Hillary Clinton – Hillary’s recent stretch of primary losses allows Kate McKinnon’s impression to be even more desperate than usual, though it is worth questioning the soundness of this premise. With her delegate lead remaining quite high, do these losses matter all that much? That is the nature of a comedy show covering each bump in the election cycle instead of just the overarching narrative. Besides, this skid is enough fodder to ramp up Hillary’s freakouts, and the upcoming New York primary provides enough culture (New York “Meats,” “tumblr parties”) that she can use to struggle to connect with voters. B
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April 10, 2016
jmunney
Television, What Won TV?
Adult Swim Golf Classic, Archer, Bob's Burgers, Broad City, March Madness, Saturday Night Live, SNL, The Chris Gethard Show, The People vs. O.J. Simpson
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 – Bob’s Burgers
Monday – One of the best NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships of all time
Tuesday – The People vs. OJ Simpson, nailing the finale
Wednesday – The best episode of Broad City is the only thing that could beat Honorable Mention Diddy on The Chris Gethard Show
Thursday – Archer
Friday – The Adult Swim Golf Classic
Saturday – SNL Vintage for the Nirvana and Daily Affirmation and new SNL for the Match Finders and Mike O’Brien as Oprah Winfrey
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