SNL 39.21 Review - Andy Samberg, St. Vincent

Original Airdate - 5/17/14

This has been a season unlike many others in recent memory for Saturday Night Live.  Most of the cast members considered the show's "stars" have left in the last few seasons, and the show went scrambling to discover its next set of leaders.  As always, the season finale is a star-studded event, and this time it seemed like most of the stars were the ones that created this season of newbies.  You start with first-time host Andy Samberg, whose digital shorts introduced a new generation to SNL during his time as a cast member.  Added to the mix were recent departures Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, and Fred Armisen among several other surprises.  They obviously decided to make this season finale a sort of family reunion.  It led to a funny episode at times, and in a strange way, showed that the show's new cast is handling this landmark American franchise well.

Cold Opening

As always, the cold opening addresses a recent bit of current events.  This time around we have a recent bit of security footage released of Jay-Z getting in a little spat with sister-in-law Solange Knowles.  Any excuse for Jay Pharaoh to give one of his signature impressions makes the sketch worth it, but it also once again showed off a bright spot of the second half of the season in Sasheer Zamata.  Just when you thought the sketch had run its course, in comes the first surprise of the night in the woman whose shoes Zamata is trying to fill, Maya Rudolph as Beyonce.  This took the sketch to a whole new level as Rudolph shows once again why she is one of the greatest cast members of all time.

Monologue

My question coming into this episode is how Andy Samberg would do being the focal point for an episode.  As a cast member, he shined in little bit parts and his digital shorts.  He rarely was ever featured in a live sketch.  How would he do?  Well, apparently this was Andy Samberg's concern as well as he made light of that fact during his monologue.  How will he carry the show?  We truly start to understand that the answer to this question will be ... with a little help from his friends.  Cameo #2 came from Seth Meyers, who moved on earlier in the season but just moved down the hall to his Late Night set.  He comes on to help Samberg try to break a record for impressions currently held by his buddy Bill Hader.  He needs 23 impressions to set the record so in a lightning speed round, he rattles off enough to eclipse the record.  Well you knew Bill Hader would have something to say about that, which he did as he made his first appearance on the show since leaving last season.  This sure set the stage for the finale and also informed us of one piece of depressing news.  Justin Timberlake was on tour in Russia and wouldn't be showing up.  Sad, but he did leave Andy a message of encouragement.

Weekend Update

For some reason, seeing Colin and Cecily wrap up the season at the Weekend Update desk validated their roles as anchors.  They had arrived and officially etched their place in the show's history.  For this final episode, there were two repeat guests coming to the Update desk, one was an obvious choice and one was an odd one.  Both worked perfectly though.  The first guest was one that showed up for the first time in the first episode of the season: Kyle Mooney's New York comic Bruce Chandling.  The crux of the sketch is Chandling is a failed comedian for a reason: he's not funny.  The first time around, nobody got it.  The audience didn't know how to take it, and I didn't know how to take it either.  An entire season has passed since that first failed bit, and more importantly we have had a season to get to know Kyle's different style of humor.  I believe this was the main thing that changed this time around.  Everything that didn't work the first time was hilarious this time.  This character is just ridiculously awkward, and now that we get that this is the point of most of Mooney's comedy, this sketch was very well received.

The second guest was an obvious choice.  With Samberg hosting, we had to go "In the Cage" as Andy busts out his iconic Nicolas Cage impression.  His guest was yet another cameo, this time from Paul Rudd.  These sketches are almost all the same as they mock Cage's bizarre mannerisms, choice of films, and just different way of going about life.  Samberg is silly enough to highlight these quirks perfectly which makes them work every time.

Best Sketch

The sketches on the whole were fairly average, but there were two that really shined above the rest.  First came a sketch about summer camp that featured Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant as kid troublemakers at Camp Wicawabe.  Samberg plays an older camper that wreaks havoc on the camp at a level that the girls don't even understand.  Then comes Kyle Mooney as their 6 year old assistant with a xylophone and a great spot on little kid speech impediment.  Maybe it's being a teacher, but there was something about this sketch that just made me laugh.

The second sketch was one of the more anticipated sketches of the season.  What kind of digital short (or shorts) would Andy Samberg and the Lonely Island crew bring to his debut hosting gig?  He brought two shorts, the first of which was the better of the two.  Samberg plays a world famous DJ leading a concert by hitting buttons on his panel.  The suspense builds as the song asks the question, "When will the bass drop?"  No one quite expected the craziness that commenced when it finally did drop.  This wasn't the best the Lonely Island crew has produced, but it was a welcome return.

Worst Sketch

Like I said, one of the questions coming into the episode was how well will Andy Samberg carry the average sketches on his own.  The answer was, when he wasn't helped by his buddies, not well.  This is the perfect example.  Here he plays a confident hunchback as he wanders the bars hitting on women.  That's really all there is to it.  Doesn't sound that funny?  There's a reason, it wasn't.

Dark Horse Sketch

Some of the best dark horse sketches of the season came from classic dark horse sketches coming back from past seasons with former cast members returning.  This is a perfect example as we got to see the return of the Vogelchecks.  All the former cast members on set popped out with Taran Killam, the closest thing to a star left on the cast, to display the over-affectionate family that loves to kiss each other.  It's a classic sketch of waiting for the cast members to break.  The out-of-practice cast alums broke a lot which added to the hilarity.

Grade

What was needed to make Andy Samberg a successful host made this a great season finale.  The cameos are a welcome sight, but seeing this many former cast members show up add the nostalgia that make for a great final episode of the year.  (It seemed like the only non-star was the musical guest who I had never heard of before.)  However, also seeing the former cast members mingle with the current cast members really validated, in my mind, everything the current cast has accomplished this season.  Many people have criticized this season as not being as funny as the past seasons or the so-called "glory days" of SNL.  I think people confuse different for funny.  This cast, 8 of which made their debuts this season, has some great potential moving forward.  This wasn't the best episode of the season, but it was a fitting finish.

***B+***

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SNL 39.20 Review - Charlize Theron, The Black Keys

Original Airdate - 5/10/14

I find it interesting when hosts take 10 years or so to make it back to Saturday Night Live to host again.  What takes them so long?  Are they too busy?  Are they not as popular as before?  Were they not a good host but are too popular and famous to not give another shot eventually?  I don't know.  This has happened a few times during this season.  Bruce Willis hosted for the first time in 24 years this season, and John Goodman took 12 years to get in his 13th hosting gig.  This brought another former host out of the archives.  Charlize Theron had not hosted since her debut in 2000.  I don't know how that first time went, but I really don't think of comedy when I think of the woman who won an Oscar for Monster.  However, recently there have been some signs of comedy in her career with Young Adult and this year's A Million Ways to Die in the West.  If you want to improve your standing in comedies, Seth MacFarlane isn't a bad way to accomplish that.  Anyways, this episode seemed justified, however she also shows that comedy does not necessarily come naturally to her.

Cold Opening

One of the reasons everyone was excited for Sasheer Zamata to join the Saturday Night Live cast is they could now have a Michelle Obama impersonator in house without having to wait for a black woman (like Kerry Washington) to host or Maya Rudolph to visit.  This was finally the time to debut her impression, along with the debut of Vanessa Bayer's Hilary Clinton, who apparently won the audition that took place live earlier in the season.  This sketch was fairly funny as the awkwardness between these two strong women was apparent.  You could tell there is a lot more exploring that needs to be done with these characters that, it appears, they will have a chance to do over the next few seasons leading up to the end of Obama's presidency and a possible Hilary Clinton presidential campaign.  Either way, it was a successful debut for both of them.

Monologue

This was one of my least favorite monologues of the year.  It was just kind of painful.  You know when you have to start out your premise by saying, "Remember back 14 years ago when I was here last..." it's not a strong bit.  On top of that, the premise is looking at the fact that she thought she could sing, but she can't.  So they sing a song about it.  It was fairly stupid and not a strong start for Charlize.

Weekend Update

Just because the episode started off slow doesn't mean it didn't have some high points.  On Weekend Update, history was made.  Since the first season of SNL, a favorite target for the show has been Barbara Walters.  From Gilda Radner's "Baba Wawa" to Cheri Oteri's hilarious caricature, Walters has been as much of a fixture on the show as she has been in American culture over the last 40 years.  Her recent announcement that she would soon be retiring led to Barbara Walters's first actual appearance on the show.  Her sketch wasn't extremely funny as you started to see why it is time for her to walk away from public life, but the historical significance of the appearance was not lost on me and made it one of the greatest moments of this season.

Coming down the home stretch of the season, it is important to see the favorites make one last appearance before the summer.  Enter Drunk Uncle in his first appearance with Colin instead of Seth.  Donning a graduation cap, Drunk Uncle rants on the problems with schools, as well as his usual babble.  What can I say?  It's funny every time.

Best Sketch

This was one of the funniest sketches of the season that wasn't a retread or a digital short.  Airing the night before Mother's Day, we have a Mother's Day game show featuring a mom asking her kids questions like, "Who's that guy I like?"  Each question is great, with each answer greater.  Everyone plays their parts perfect as everyone knows a mom that would say that, or the dad that avoids feelings, or the troubled neighbor that is always hanging around.  I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Worst Sketch

There were some fun sketches, but there were definitely our fair share of clunkers too.  Like I said, there were moments when you realized Charlize Theron wasn't in her natural element.  One of those moments was combined with one of my least favorite characters of the season inexplicably getting a second chance.  Heshy is a Middle Eastern ineffective motivational speaker that gives low budget productions that are supposed to be funny with the help of her son and an assistant.  Once again, the funniest part of the sketch is the guest assistant (last time it was Kerry Washington).  The problem is Heshy just isn't funny.  More times than not Nasim Pedrad creates characters that just don't work, and this is the perfect example.

Dark Horse Sketch

There were some weird sketches in this episode that really worked in a lot of ways.  Two of them are sharing this title.  First, we have a very bizarre sketch about two women helping get some kitties adopted.  The characters in this sketch are what make it awkwardly hilarious as Kate McKinnon and Charlize Theron have fun with this one.

The second Dark Horse Sketch is the latest Kyle Mooney creation.  He has such a bizarre and original brand of comedy that comes out in these closing time sketches.  This time Kyle, along with some friends, hit the streets disguised as foreigners asking random people on the street for help.  Every time he has been able to take advantage of unsuspecting bystanders, it has led to some great sketches.  This is no different.  The highlight is Charlize Theron in a fat suit asking for someone to take a picture.

Grade

This was a very interesting episode with great peaks and valleys.  When it was good, it was some of the best the season had to offer.  When it was bad, it was some of the worst of the season.  Like I have said, there were some moments Charlize Theron really seemed to be out of her element, but her overall acting talent is still able to shine through at times and show she could really do anything (except Heshy ... no one can make Heshy work...).

***B-***

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SNL 39.19 Review - Andrew Garfield, Coldplay

Original Airdate - 5/3/14

There have been some impressive debuts for SNL hosts this season, the most notable of which have been Lena Dunham and Anna Kendrick.  The latest to be added to the top-notch rookies this season is Peter Parker himself, Andrew Garfield (I still think of The Social Network when I think of him, but I digress).  For those who haven't followed Garfield's career, a successful turn on Saturday Night Live may have come as a surprise from the latest pretty boy to get a big franchise.  However, anyone who has seen films like The Social Network and Never Let Me Go and others knows that this is one of the most versatile and talented young actors in Hollywood today.  Oh yeah, and he's British!

Cold Opening

The biggest news story that week (that hasn't really gone away) was Donald Sterling and his unbelievable comments that ended up costing him his NBA team.  As is the case with anything this noteworthy, SNL has to give it's commentary.  Bobby Moynihan gives terrible impressions when it comes to voice and demeanor, but his lines definitely always capture the essence.  Here is no different as Bobby channels Donald Sterling to deliver some of the best one-liners of the season that are so blatantly offensive (yet you could hear it come out of Sterling's mouth) you just have to laugh.

Monologue

Like I said, this was Andrew Garfield's first hosting gig.  Some of the popular tactics for a rookie monologue are a song and dance, blatant references to what has made them famous, or guest cameos.  This one employed the last two of these, having one of the funniest women around (who happens to be his Spider-Man co-star), Emma Stone, come out and give him some tips on how to have a great show.  There wasn't much special from this, but it didn't suck as it got the show started in a solid way.

Weekend Update

This was a solid turn for Weekend Update as three guests stopped by the desk.  The first of these guests is becoming one of Kate McKinnon's best recurring characters, Olya Povlatsky.  This Russian stereotype stopped by to talk about the conflict in Ukraine and how miserable it is to be Russian.  It is so completely ridiculous that I think even the hardest Russians would find it comical.

The second guest was a first for this season, a writer made an appearance.  With the cast as big as it is, screen time has been quite competitive, however Leslie Jones, a recent writing addition, popped up to give her commentary on pop culture.  It was funny, however it was just odd to see a non-cast member, non-host, non-celebrity cameo make a featured appearance in a sketch.

The last guest of the episode has taken Stefon's place as the most popular Weekend Update guest, Jebidiah Atkinson.  This is his fourth appearance of the season, which is more than any other character or sketch.  There's a reason he keeps coming back though, he's hilarious.  Taran Killam is one of the best at keeping a straight face on the show, and his own lines consistently crack him up as Jebidiah takes on Broadway and the Tonys this time around.

Best Sketch

There were some great sketches in this episode.  An honorable mention for best sketch is Celebrity Family Feud where Andrew Garfield gives a brilliant impression of his Social Network co-star Justin Timberlake.  With that said, there are two sketches that are sharing this title.  First is one of the most original ideas of the season as Garfield is hunted down for uttering an unthinkable un-American statement: he doesn't like Beyonce.  Enter the Beygency, and a Jack Bauer cameo.

The other best sketch took the post-monologue commercial slot and became SNL's best commercial of the season.  Call me immature, but there is something wonderfully laughable about a good fart joke.  This is one giant fart commercial as they promote Stanx, an air-tight sealed underwear that hold in the unfortunate odors your body may produce.  Not only is the commercial perfect, but it also shows once again that Beck Bennett is the new Chris Parnell.

Worst Sketch

This sketch started out with potential.  Andrew Garfield was Oliver Twist getting up the courage to ask for some more food.  I was excited to see where this sketch could go, and then Cecily Strong came in with another stupidly annoying character much like she did in the previous episode.  These characters aren't funny and have ruined both sketches they have appeared in.  Cecily is one of the most talented women in that cast, but this does not showcase that talent at all.

Dark Horse Sketch

Well, if Emma Stone is going to drop by, why not use her in a sketch?  They decide to recreate a Spider-Man scene that ends with a dramatic kiss, but there is one problem.  Neither of them know how to kiss.  They come up with some ridiculous ideas of what kissing is until the expert comes to show them how it's done.  That expert is Coldplay's Chris Martin.  If the sketch wasn't silly enough, this set it over the edge.

Grade

Like Dunham and Kendrick before him, Andrew Garfield took his first turn as host and showed that he should be asked back soon.  He immediately fit right in and added a breath of fresh air to the episode.  Also, one of the things that makes him such a great movie star made him a great host: you can't take your eyes off him.  He is definitely a presence on screen that attracts the attention of the viewers.  Combine that with some of the most original writing of the season, and you have one of the top episodes of the year.

***A-***

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SNL 39.18 Review - Seth Rogen, Ed Sheeran

Original Airdate - 4/12/14

One of the trends that has developed throughout this season of Saturday Night Live is giving some of the industry's top comedic talents their third chance to host.  So far this year, we have had Paul Rudd, Jonah Hill, and Melissa McCarthy.  Now joining the party is Seth Rogen.  When Rogen is involved, there are two things that are sure to come: gross-out humor and marijuana jokes.  Both appeared several times throughout the night.  However, just because it was expected didn't make it any less funny.

Cold Opening

In just a couple years, there will be another presidential election upon us.  One of the big questions leading up to that time is how will the Republicans make themselves more appealing to pop culture.  SNL has an answer to that question: send your party leaders to one of the biggest music festivals of the year.  This is what puts Jeb Bush, Paul Ryan, and Rand Paul at Coachella.  In the ultimate fish out of water scenario, about as much awkwardness that you are imagining can be found in this sketch.  I wouldn't call it a great sketch, but it is definitely a strong opening to the show.

Monologue

Seth Rogen comes out addressing a couple elephants in the room.  Would there be any pot jokes? Yes.  Would any of his crazy buddies show up?  Yes, and more.  He started by reading his diary entries from the week after saying that his first two turns as host were such a blur he wanted to remember this one.  Throughout his reading, as he is saying that he doesn't want any help with his monologue, slowly Zooey Deschanel, James Franco, and (quite randomly) Taylor Swift come out to assist.  Swift does have a great one-liner to cap off the bit.

Weekend Update

I am really starting to enjoy Weekend Update with Colin and Cecily.  There is an edge there that Seth Meyers had lost over his last couple years.  With their first featured guest, they bring out Big Papi, David Ortiz from the Boston Red Sox.  Kenan doesn't give great impressions, but more shoots for the essence of the character (or caricature many times).  This is a perfect example of that.

Next came one of my favorite characters they bring out.  Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy is always a welcome sight as he explains Jewish holidays in a half-speech, half-family roast.  This was the first time Jacob worked with Cecily instead of Seth, which was a seamless transition.

Best Sketch

There weren't really many sketches that soared above average in this episode.  This was one of them.  Two best friends are discussing whether or not to get a life-changing surgery ... because their monsters.  The surgery makes them look like humans.  The sketch was pretty hilarious as you discover who is behind those monsters.

Worst Sketch

There were definitely a few clunkers.  This sketch I just did not get, as it featured one of the few characters brought to us by Cecily Strong that disappointed.  At an engagement party for Seth Rogen and Vanessa Bayer, Cecily shows up as Seth's cousin and crudely brings up embarrassing moments in his past.  It just doesn't work, and you can kind of tell the stars know it too.

Dark Horse Sketch

I am really starting to fall in love with the Kyle Mooney random nightcap of the week.  It is really giving him a niche to make him memorable.  With 8 featured players this year, you know not all of them can make it to next year.  They aren't getting rid of Shasheer Zamata after the flack they got that led to her hiring, and Colin Jost and Mike O'Brien aren't going anywhere after they pulled them out of the writing room into the cast.  It's sketches like this that will keep Kyle Mooney and his best bud Beck Bennett around.  (Beck isn't featured here, but often is.)  This latest digital short celebrates Seth Rogen's favorite holiday: 4/20.  Kyle is a little too convincing as a stoner telling of the legends behind Pot Day.  This sketch was just beautifully weird.

Grade

I love Seth Rogen, but this episode really ended up a little too bland to be up to par for Seth.  Of the 3-timers, this episode is near the bottom of the list.  The best episode of the night didn't even involve your host.  With that said, there was still enough there to make this an enjoyable episode.  There were a lot of fun moments, but a year from now, this is one of the episodes from this season I don't remember existing.

***C+***

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SNL 39.17 Review - Anna Kendrick, Pharrell Williams

Original Airdate - 4/5/14

There have been a lot of hosting debuts this year with mixed results.  There have been some good ones (Edward Norton, Lena Dunham, Lady Gaga), some not so good ones (Josh Hutcherson and ... yeah mainly just Josh Hutcherson), and a bunch in between.  Which category would Anna Kendrick fall into?  She has proven to be a successful actress in many different genres, but could she handle the live comedy show?  SNL has been on quite a run recently with some great hosts turning in some outstanding shows.  The streak has to end sometime.  These were my expectations going into the episode.  Immediately I realized that not only was Anna Kendrick a good first-timer, but she may have had the best debut of the season.

Cold Opening

As someone who doesn't keep very close tabs on the daily news, this episode's cold open seemed a little obscure.  It focuses on a Congressional hearing being held investigating a GM recall.  Kate McKinnon plays their newly appointed CEO who needs to do further research to remember anything.  The question dodging gets funnier the more you realize what is going on.  Then, just when you think you've reached that magic end to the opening sketch, the show pulls a rarity: a fake-out.  It's one of those moments where SNL realizes it not only needs to make fun of our society, but itself as well.

Monologue

What would Anna Kendrick, known more for a being the straight character if she's in a comedy at all, do for a monologue?  Well, one of SNL's favorite things to do is get their first-time hosts to sing.  Well this became the obvious course of action when you realize just how good she is.  They take the song "Belle" from Beauty and the Beast and adapt it for Anna.  It is at this point that your jaw drops as you realize, "Holy crap!  They need to make a live-action movie version of this musical because Anna Kendrick IS BELLE!"  It was a perfect monologue to show off her skill set.  I'll admit when they started Jim Parsons's SNL debut with a song and dance, it seemed more like hazing than comedy.  This really set the tone for the great show that was to come.

Weekend Update

As if to make up for the short Weekend Update with only one guest last episode, Colin and Cecily went all out this episode.  Their jokes were sharp, they had some funny co-anchor banter for the first time, and they had three guests participate in the set.  First came Kate McKinnon's Angela Merkel who has popped up several times.  I'll be honest, I don't find this character to do one of her better ones, but it is still fun in its own way.  Next came Bobby Moynihan channeling George R. R. Martin, the author and creator of Game of Thrones talking about the difficulties of writing books to keep up with the show.  I couldn't really tell you much else about the bit because I was too distracted by the fact that Bobby's beard started to fall off the second he got on camera.  Batting third on Weekend Update was Brooks Wheelan giving a public service announcement of sorts.  He has done this one other time this season as he discussed the dangers of spur-of-the-moment tattoos.  This one he talked about the dangers of drinking.  Both times he's done this, it's been pretty funny.  It is one of the few times Brooks has had a chance to be featured in any way throughout this season.  Hopefully, we get to hear a little more of Brooks being Brooks in the future, or else I can see Brooks being booted instead.  They can't keep all 8 featured players going into next season, can they?

Best Sketch

At this point of the show, I decided that Anna Kendrick just needs to star as every Disney princess.  This time around, she shows why she is the perfect Ariel, and Aidy Bryant is the perfect Ursula.  In this twist of The Little Mermaid, Ariel shows just how much she has been paying attention to what happens on the surface.  When Ursula asks her to sing for her, she instead sings Kesha and Britney Spears among others claiming, "This is how everyone is singing nowadays."  It was a beautiful sketch with Jay Pharaoh showing he really can do anything as he becomes Sabastian the Crab (who apparently can sing like Pitbull).  The only bad part about this sketch is since it has so much music in it, licensing prevented SNL from putting the sketch online.  (Here's a link to the video.)  You will just have to take my word for it.  It was awesome.  To make up for it, here is a close second.  Enjoy the latest installment of "Fox & Friends."

Worst Sketch

No sketch was bad in this episode, however there was one that shone a little less bright than the others.  These two apartment neighbors obviously like each other, but neither can really find a way to tell the other.  It's kind of sweet and cute and all.  The payoff is pretty funny at the end, but the sketch just drags on a little too long getting to that payoff.  Like I said, it's not bad, but it was the worst this episode had to offer.

Dark Horse Sketch

I'm highlighting two sketches as my dark horses this episode because both are repeat sketches that are the definition of dark horse, post-midnight, quirky bits.  First, we have the French cafe.  I have no idea what is going on.  I don't really care what is going on.  All I know is they pretend to speak French, they dance, and give way to some of the weirdest, most random cameos you can think of.  The best turn of this sketch featured Jean Dujardin right around the time he won his Oscar.  This sketch is worthy of the rest though.

Our second sketch is a personal favorite of mine.  Maybe it's because I'm a teacher, but seeing a group of high school teachers try to be cool as they run the latest lame event at their school just gives me joy.  Pharaoh's Principal Frye is always funny warning the students to stop whatever their latest prank was.  Anna Kendrick fills the role of out-of-touch teacher with an announcement.  The sketch is not a sketch though until Kenan Thompson gets on stage and tells everyone to "SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Grade

Like I said, SNL has been on a little roll recently with having a string of really good episodes.  This was definitely the best of the run so far.  Anna Kendrick is one of those that is mesmerizing when she is on screen, and she is really funny too.  It seems the writers are finally starting to figure out what to do with the cast they have now.  There's no more Seth Meyers, no more Bill Hader, no more Fred Armisen.  Those are some big holes in what had been done on the show over the last 10 years.  It was going to take awhile the writing to adjust to the new group of talent.  It seems now they are finally finding what works with this group.  Also, having an overall talent like Anna Kendrick as your host makes your job that much easier.  Oh, it doesn't hurt to have Pharrell as your musical guest singing one of the biggest songs out there either.

***A***

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SNL 39.16 Review - Louis CK, Sam Smith

Original Airdate - 3/29/14

One of the highlights of the last season of Saturday Night Live was Louis CK's turn as host amid the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.  He was an obvious choice to bring back as soon as possible.  The decision definitely paid off too.  Having a guy like Louis in the writing room helping develop sketches definitely gives the episode an overall boost.  The show may not have always been funny, but it was definitely interesting from start to finish.  Let's take a look.

Cold Opening

This was one of the weirder cold openings of the year.  For the second straight show, we open with President Obama, this time he is fretting about how many people are signing up for the healthcare.gov services.  The solution is to involve the government's new social media expert who wants the president to go viral.  We then see a parade of e-cigarettes, Pharrell's hat, Kim Kardashian, Harry Stiles, the Pope, and Justin Bieber.  This was probably the most questionable sketch of the night, as well as one of the more disappointing cold opens of the year.  It just wasn't that good.

Monologue

Whatever happened in the cold open was immediately forgotten as soon as Louis CK took the stage for his monologue.  Having a guy like Louis host makes for great monologues because they can simply get up there and give some of their stand-up routine.  This is what Louis did.  It was magical.  Enjoy.

Weekend Update

This was probably the shortest Weekend Update of the season.  Colin Jost is slowly getting more and more comfortable in his new role with the show, and it makes this the type of highlight in the show it should be.  I think with Louis in town they wanted as much sketch time as possible.  The one guest of the show was Stephen A. Smith, who Jay Pharaoh absolutely nails but the bit he does with that character is starting to get a little old.

Best Sketch

It was hard to pick a favorite sketch from this show.  The surprising part is which sketch I picked as my favorite.  This first time the "Office Boss Baby" came around, I hated it.  It was just stupid.  For some reason, everything about the sketch that didn't work the first time around worked this time.  Beck Bennett is a little too good at being a baby, and adding Louis to the sketch can only help.  This went from the worst sketch the first time around to the best in its second installment.

Worst Sketch

For this episode, the worst sketch should really be renamed the weirdest sketch.  Some of them worked great, and some were just weird.  This one was just weird.  Two cops just completed a stressful case and agreed to go on a romantic rendezvous ... in their pajamas.  Then they started talking about cutting holes in them because they didn't want to take them off and ... just watch it.  I can't really explain.

Dark Horse Sketch

Like I said, the beauty of this episode was its quirks.  There were so many laughs packed in so many random places, I could just decide on one dark horse sketch.  They were all kind of dark horse sketches.  The first one features Louis playing himself at the doctor's office getting a check-up.  On his way out the door, he stops to ask one last question that really confuses the doctor.  Apparently, he wasn't the only one with that question as two others (who somehow know each other) ask the doctor to check the same thing ... just in case (as if they wouldn't already know).  I can't give the punchline away.  You just have to watch it.

The second dark horse sketch involves Kyle Mooney's latest installment of "Let's end the show with whatever I feel like doing."  This was one of his funnier pre-recorded shorts as he plays a stoner high school student running for student body president.  This is his campaign video as he makes some pretty random campaign promises as you watch high-speed car accidents.  That's about it.  It's sounds stupid, but all of us knew that kid in high school and can see their face superimposed on Kyle's face during the sketch.  One you do that, it is pure bliss.

Grade

This may have only been Louis's second time hosting, but I predict he will be in the 5-Timers Club within the next five years.  Louis is a writer that brings fresh ideas to the sketches, and he is perfect as the straight man to the goofiness that the SNL cast is so good at.  He kicks the show up to a new level of funny.  It's different than when a guy like Justin Timberlake hosts, but he definitely has added his name to the select group of guest hosts that you want to make sure you catch when it's their turn to be on the show.

***B+***

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SNL 39.15 Review - Lena Dunham, The National

Original Airdate - 3/8/14

Coming into this episode, I'm not sure how many people in the general public knew who Lena Dunham was.  I'll be honest, I knew Lena Dunham as the weird girl that randomly won a Golden Globe last year.  However, Dunham is becoming a household name as her hit HBO series Girls continues to rise in popularity.  SNL even parodied this show in one of the first sketches of the season.  How well would she perform on the live stage though.  Well, it turned out she did pretty well.  The material seemed to be fresher than it had been in recent episodes, which may have something to do with Lena Dunham being a writer as well.  Here's how the episode went.

Cold Opening

There's a lot of stuff going on in the world around us.  One of the biggest controversies out there right now is the situation in the Ukraine and the reaction of Russian president Vladimir Putin.  You know it's an important news story because SNL decided to use their cold opening to talk about it.  President Obama has tried everything to get Putin under control, so he had to bring in some outside help: a man with a particular set of skills.  It was a perfect cameo for the perfect moment.

Monologue

Much like Kerry Washington's monologue earlier in the year, they decided to use Lena Dunham's monologue to explain to the average viewer why their host is culturally relevant.  In the show Girls, Dunham is naked a lot (apparently ... I've personally never seen the show ... However, when they take two different opportunities to make light of this fact, it must be true.).  Since she is naked so much, many people ask her advice about their own sex lives like cast members and her grandmother.  It's not a particularly funny bit (until Kate McKinnon opens her mouth), but it is effective in letting people know who she is.

Weekend Update

This was a fun Weekend Update.  With Colin Jost's sophomore turn at the desk, you can tell he is settling in nicely.  In fact, the fresh blood has infused some new life into the segment.  Jost is willing to be a little edgier than Seth Myers was, which will be a great breath of fresh air moving forward.  The two groups of guests to come to the Update desk made this one of the stronger Weekend Updates of the season.  First was Matthew McConaughey brought to you by Taran Killam.  The recent Oscar winner that was also starring in the new hit show True Detective is an easy target for SNL with his southern drawl, many eloquent acceptance speeches, and a character on True Detective that makes a habit of speaking in a way that makes you unsure whether he is the smartest man or dumbest man in the world (mainly because you can't figure out what he's saying half the time).  Killam does a great caricature of Mr. McConaughey.  Following him was a comeback of Fred Armisen, now working just down the hall with Seth Meyers, teaming up with Vanessa Bayer as Vladimir Putin's friends from growing up.  It's a bit that really never gets old.

Best Sketch

The tone for the show was set with the first sketch following the monologue as it became the best sketch of the show.  Four friends got into the car and were singing along with a song playing through someone's cell phone.  However, that phone was also giving directions to their destination, and the directions would always come whenever Lena Dunham tried to sing along.  It was a funny premise and a solid sketch, however it's twist ending no one saw coming took this one over the top.

Worst Sketch

You know you have a solid show when the hardest thing to do is pick a bad sketch.  For shows like this, the category turns into the least good sketch because none of them were really bad.  The closest thing to a bad sketch was Mike O'Brien going to his girlfriend's women's group where it is revealed that he is an men's rights activist.  As you can imagine, this news does not go over well.  The sketch still has its moments, but it just didn't deliver quite like some of the other sketches did.

Dark Horse Sketch

I have to be honest, I don't know who Katt Williams is.  I've heard about him, I've seen some video clips of him, but I really have no idea what is significant about him.  However, Jay Pharaoh hosting the Katt Williams Show "Pimpin, Pimpin, Pimpin" showed me what he was all about.  This sketch was great because of the impressions that were brought to it.  First, Pharaoh's Katt Williams is scary good.  Next came Brooks Wheelen's Jared Leto accepting his Oscar.  It wasn't a great impression, but he said what everyone had on their minds, "I'd like to thank me band 30 Seconds to Mars for not being good enough to keep me away from acting."  Lena Dunham's take on Liza Minelli was just fun, but my favorite came last: Taran Killam's Harrison Ford.  If you haven't heard, Harrison Ford has become quite old and senile in his public appearances recently, and Killam brings this to life to perfection.  This is the type of sketch in past episodes that they would try to feature as one of their first sketches of the show and be disappointing.  Putting this sketch at the back end puts a sketch like this in the perfect spot to succeed, and it shows the strength of this episode.

Grade

This show surprised me.  I did not expect it to be this fresh and funny, especially considering some of the lack of originality that had been coming out through the recent episodes.  However, with Shasheer Zumata now firmly apart of the cast, Colin Jost settling into his new role, the show finally has stopped worrying about transitioning and adjusting and started with this episode to focus on being funny.  That's what this episode did.  Let's hope this is a trend and not an anomaly.

***A-***

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SNL 39.14 Review - Jim Parsons, Beck

Original Airdate - 3/1/14

The show took a month off from filming thanks to the Olympics.  When it came back, SNL was starting a new era.  (By the way, I have never seen a show make so many significant changes in the middle of a season.)  Seth Meyers had moved on, and head writer Colin Jost had moved into the Update desk to take his place.  This now makes 7 featured players in the cast.  I know Weekend Update is just a small part of the show, but it has been the backbone of the show since the first episode.  This was a big deal.  Add to that the first hosting gig for Sheldon, I mean Jim Parsons, you have quite the episode of firsts to start a new era in Saturday Night Live.

Cold Opening

How do you start the show airing the night before the Oscars?  Well, when you have possibly the best impersonator of the host on the cast, it only makes sense to start with the Ellen Show.  Kate McKinnon, as always, gives a haunting impression of the Oscar host (it's actually like a strange mix between Ellen and McConaughey, but whatever).  Her guest was Johnny Weir, played by Jim Parsons, making the fourth time in five shows the once-rare occurrence of the host appearing in the cold open has happened.  What makes this sketch work though is McKinnon.  She has definitely emerged as the new leader of the ladies with some of the best characters since Wiig was around.

Monologue

One of the time-honored traditions of Saturday Night Live is making a host (especially a first-time host) give a little song and dance number in his opening monologue.  I'll admit, I never thought I'd see Jim Parsons sing a song, and I don't really care if I see it again, but it was a fun way to start the show.  The best part of the song was seeing everyone's impressions of other actors who are known more for their characters than their actual personalities.  I would really like to see some more of Bobby's George Kost ... I mean Jason Alexander.

Weekend Update

The big question going into this episode was how would Colin Jost's debut as Weekend Update co-anchor go.  The verdict turned out to be a solid effort for a first-timer.  He definitely has some potential, but you can tell he's been stuck in the writer's room for a few years.  He needs to get used to being in front of the camera, which shouldn't take long.  Outside of Colin's debut, this turned out to be one of the strongest Updates of the season.  It featured another appearance from SNL's favorite basketball commentators, Charles Barkley and the absolutely ridiculous Shaquille O'Neal.  The best part of this bit is how much Kenan and Jay just make each other crack up.  It also featured what has the potential of being the new Stefon, Taran Killam's 19th century critic Jebidiah Atkinson.  With the Oscars the next day, the obvious topic of Jebidiah's disgust was the Oscar nominees.  You know it's funny when Killam, possibly the actor with the straightest face SNL has ever seen, cracks himself up with something new every time Atkinson pops up.

Best Sketch

Parsons's song in his monologue was entitled "I'm Not That Guy" as he tried to prove Jim Parsons is not Sheldon Cooper.  The sketch that best proved this was the hunt for the Dance Floor Killer.  Parsons makes a pretty convincing sociopath as he plays a serial killer that hides in plain sight.  It's stupid I know, but it's pretty hilarious at the same time.

Worst Sketch

As has been the case with most episodes recently, for every great sketch that comes along there have been some real clunkers.  More times than not, these clunkers have been placed at the beginning of the show where they normally place their strongest sketches.  This episode, the sketch right after the monologue turned out to be the weakest of the night.  The sketch showed Parsons being cast all too perfectly as Peter Pan, coming back to take the children back to Neverland.  However, Tinkerbell was not available so her crude sister showed up instead, Tonkerbell.  The idea was original, but the sketch just wasn't funny.

Dark Horse Sketch

There is something in the hearts of every boy and man in America that makes us laugh every time at poop jokes.  I don't know what it is, they're just funny.  Here is the latest one.  I have nothing else to say ... just enjoy.

Grade

Every time something happens on SNL where a star moves on to bigger and brighter things, everyone freaks out and thinks the show is coming to an end.  However, that's the great thing about Saturday Night Live.  It creates stars, and lets them move on and become the bigger stars they are meant to be.  When they leave, the next man steps up and becomes the next star.  Seth Meyers moved on, but the show will be fine; a little different, but just fine.  On the other side of things, Jim Parsons proved his point he set out to prove in his monologue, he is much more than the nerd from The Big Bang Theory.  None of the sketches were landmark in any way, but it was a solid episode that was still entertaining.

***B-***

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SNL 39.13 Review - Melissa McCarthy, Imagine Dragons

Original Airdate - 2/1/14

Melissa McCarthy is the first repeat host from last season to come back for Season 39, and it is one of the last ones I wanted to come back.  McCarthy's turn hosting in Season 38 was possibly the biggest disappointment of the season.  Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this episode.  Then she goes and does something like this ... and TOTALLY REDEEMS HERSELF!!!  Everything that came off as stupid and juvenile last time around worked for the most part this time around.

Cold Opening

This episode originally aired on the eve of the Super Bowl, the first New York City Super Bowl in fact.  SNL couldn't resist commenting.  In their hypothetical situation, Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers got caught in traffic on the way to the Super Bowl and couldn't perform at the halftime show.  So they brought in some Broadway talent that didn't quite understand the essence of football.  What follows is a Super Bowl themed Broadway number that causes one to drop their jaw in utter shock.  It also includes a rare appearance by the host in the cold open (something that has been happening more and more recently).

Monologue

Although this episode was a lot of fun, the monologue was pretty stupid.  Bobby calls Melissa out on a disagreement they had the last time she hosted, and they fight to the death Japanese style while suspended from the ceiling.  It was pretty pointless, but at least it's interesting.

Weekend Update

This was it.  This episode marked the end of Seth Meyers's run on SNL.  They tried to play it off as just another Weekend Update until the end.  Several people came by to bid Seth farewell and good luck on Late Night.  Cecily was moved almost to tears.  It was a great moment for one of the show's standards over the last decade.

Best Sketch

February is Black History Month so SNL decided to take advantage of their latest push for diversity on the show.  The show's three black cast members play three students in a high school history class that are asked to give a special report of their ancestry.  They sing a song called "28 Reasons," giving 28 reasons why African Americans should be celebrated during the 28 days of February.  Believe or not, the list was easier to come up with than you might think.

Honorable Mention: Kyle Mooney hits the streets to interview people about the upcoming Super Bowl.  You couldn't write this stuff.

Worst Sketch

The worst sketch from this episode was the one repeat offender from her last turn as host.  This time around, the abusive Sheila Kelly has become a US Senator as she terrorizes reporters passers-by and cops.  I didn't particularly find it funny when she did it the first time as a basketball coach, and it wasn't funny this time either.

Dark Horse Sketch

There are few hosts that can come in and be truly featured like one of the cast members.  This sketch shows that Melissa McCarthy is one of those hosts.  A women's group is meeting to talk about their passions and dreams.  Well, there's one that doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the group, and she really doesn't fit in.

Grade

Melissa McCarthy really shows why she is such a popular comic personality in this episode.  Not every sketch hit perfectly, but like I said, it went so much better than her last effort.  Add to that the end of the Seth Meyers era, and this really turned out to be a pretty solid effort.

***B***

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SNL 39.12 Review - Jonah Hill, Bastille

Original Airdate - 1/25/14

I have fallen a little behind in my reviews, but it's time to catch up.  2014 has gotten off to a mediocre start with some top flight stars doing their thing, but the writing has been inconsistent keeping up.  A perfect example of this was the Jonah Hill episode.  I love Jonah Hill.  He is turning into one of the most well-rounded and versatile actors out there.  I mean, he was able to get an Oscar nomination the same year he was in This is the End.  That's impressive.  This was his third time hosting the show, and if one thing has been proven in those three shows, it's that Jonah will be consistently funny no matter what he's doing.

Cold Opening

In preparation of the upcoming Olympics, SNL had to take as many shots at Russia as it could.  Here was the first.  One of the biggest issues going into these Olympics (which turned out to be a non-issue) was Russia's ban on homosexuality when some sports in the Winter Olympics are predominantly (or at least stereotypically) done by homosexuals.  So in case there was an issue, SNL decided to hold a heterosexual figure skating competition.  So you have dude in football jersey playing air guitar, black gangster realizing black people done't skate, and more.  As silly and stupid and demeaning all the reinforcements of stereotypes are, it's actually pretty funny.

Monologue

Jonah Hill has made it tradition to make fun of himself and how he's a silly slapstick comedian now with two Oscar nominations in his monologues.  A guy like that has to be getting a big head.  Well, there's nothing that can keep you humble quite like your buddy Leonardo diCaprio (notorious for being full of himself) coming out and treating you like a 10 year old.  This all leads to a top 3 moment of the season so far.  (By the way, when is Leo going to host his own SNL?  I think it's a little long overdue.)

Weekend Update

As the countdown to Seth Meyers's departure continued, there didn't seem to be any signs of change in the near future.  There were two featured guests on Weekend Update.  The first, the cop who arrested Justin Bieber, was less than groundbreaking but topically funny.  The second featured the latest shot at Sochi society as Kate McKinnon portrayed a desperate Russian woman wondering why anyone would ever choose to come to Russia.  She has had characters like this before, and they keep coming back back simply because they are absolutely hilarious.

Best Sketch

You know you can be considered an SNL regular when you have a recurring sketch as a host.  It's even better when your recurring sketch is the first sketch of the show every time and is consistently the funniest sketch of the episode.  That's the case with Jonah Hill's Adam Grossman, a 6 year old Jewish boy chatting it up with those sharing a table with him and his parent at Benihana.  It's hilarious, even though he's always "JUST KIDDING!  I'M SIX!!!"

Worst Sketch

With as hilarious as Jonah Hill can be, there were definitely some duds.  In fact, there may have been more duds than hits this episode.  Here is the biggest dud of them all, possibly the biggest dud of the season.  Jonah and Cecily are taking care of a horse who kicks them and punches them.  That's the sketch!  That's it!  And yes, it's as stupid as it sounds.  Even the last bad joke gets ruined.  It's just bad (so bad it's not available online, but this one was bad too).

Dark Horse Sketch

Almost immediately following this crappy sketch came this gem.  Jonah is trying to impress his boss at a dinner at his house.  He is so nervous that he keeps making silly little mistakes in casual conversation.  Every time he does that, he goes to the bathroom for a pep talk the whole party can hear.  Jonah yelling at himself.  Priceless.

Grade

This seems to be a common theme of SNL recently.  They have some amazing talent, top-notch hosts.  The problem is the writing is just no good.  More times than not, no matter how good the acting is, the writing just hasn't been able to keep up.  This episode is a perfect example.  Jonah Hill, when he was allowed to be Jonah Hill, made the sketches work.  However, too often the sketches couldn't get out of their own way.  It's almost like they try to be too creative.  Either way, Jonah Hill (with some help from Leo) made this episode better than average.

***B-***

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SNL 39.11 Review - Drake

It's the first episode of 2014 after Saturday Night Live took their Christmas break, and there are many things of note here.  Coming off what is as close to a perfect episode as you can get, this episode was going to feel slightly anticlimactic no matter what it held.  Some automatic excitement around this episode surrounded the newest cast member Shasheer Zamata who was hired to fill the "minority female" role on the cast.  Drake brought some excitement too, serving as the third host this season to serve double duty as host and musical guest (3.5 if you consider Timberlake's role in the Fallon episode).  I was wondering how well a guy like Drake could do in this setting.  Although the episode turned out to be pretty vanilla, Drake proved that he was worthy of the honor.

Cold Opening

With a month between episodes, they had to do something that allowed for a crash course in current events to start the show.  Enter Piers Morgan via Taran Killam.  They were able to cover Chris Christie's Bridge-Gate scandal, the A-Rod circus (which allowed for the rare appearance of the host in the Cold Open), and Justin Bieber.  It was quite a fun way to start the show immediately allowed for the audience to see some of the things that Drake was going to bring to the table.

Monologue

This was one of the best monologues of the season so far.  Drake explored the fact that he is a Black Jewish Canadian and flashed back to his Bar-Mitzvah.  All of a sudden, his Bar-Mitzvah recitations turned into a self-deprecating rap.  This was definitely the highlight of the show.  It also showed the first appearance of Zamata who instantly just became part of the gang.

Weekend Update

Seth Meyers only has a couple episodes left, and this episode continued the tour of his favorite Weekend Update guests with Nasim Pedrad's Arianna Huffington (one of her few characters that doesn't annoy me).  She was solid as usual, but the best part of this week's Weekend Update was their commentary on this year's Golden Globes featuring a silly and delirious Jacqueline Bisset brought to us by Vanessa Bayer.  It was a dead on impression of a very awkward moment during the yearly broadcast.

Best Sketch

Drake was great all night.  His monologue was outstanding.  He gave it 100% every time he was out there.  However, the material just wasn't there.  It was hard to pick a best sketch from all the very average sketches there were.  However, the one that had the best moments was probably the sleep over.  Having Zamata in the cast allowed for this sketch to be possible as Drake plays her dorky dad hosting the sleepover.  Every time the dad popped into the room of girls, one of the guests (Aidy Bryant) became more and more attracted to her friend's dad.  What starts as a slightly awkwardly funny sketch goes completely haywire by the end with Bryant showing why she is one of the most naturally funny cast members on the show right now.

Worst Sketch

This decision was easy, however it had nothing to do with the host.  As has been the case for several of my least favorite sketches this season, this sketch revolves around Nasim Pedrad producing yet another quirky Middle Eastern character that is supposed to be funny and really isn't.  This scenario puts her in Disney World experiencing what it was like to be Indiana Jones.  Drake was great trying to hold Rahat's attention and in turn, trying to hold the sketch together, but it ultimately failed.

Dark Horse Sketch

There really wasn't a dark horse sketch this episode.  None of the sketches after the Weekend Update halftime marker were really any good.  So instead I am going to talk about another one of my favorite sketches from earlier in the episode.  One of the interesting bits of trivia surrounding Drake was that he used to star on the TV show Degrassi.  This sketch explores other possibilities of rappers appearing in classic TV shows.  The highlight was Drake impersonating Lil' Wayne impersonating Urkel.  Pretty surreal.  Here is another highlight.  How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions?  Hopefully better than these people...

Grade

This was a successful episode in the sense that it showcased a star in Drake displaying his comedic talent in a very effective way.  He really surprised me here.  I had a lot of fun watching his natural ability for entertaining in more ways than one.  However, it is starting to become a trend that the creative team of Saturday Night Live is not consistently producing material worth the talent the show is showcasing.  With head writer Colin Jost moving into the Update desk to replace Seth Meyers in a couple weeks, hopefully it will jump start the creative juices.  Either way, the show is still so much fun to watch because of the immense talent that is brought every week by the cast and the great run of hosts they have had.

***C+***

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SNL 39.10 Review - Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake

For the last month, everything that has been happening on Saturday Night Live has been leading up to this episode.  Ever since they announced that this combination of host and musical guest would be its last episode before the Holiday Break, every new episode was more anticipated because it meant we were one week closer to what could only be described as a dream lineup.  With as high as the expectations were, it was bound to disappoint, right?  Fortunately, it did not.  This might be one of those episodes where you just skip all the little clips I put in here and just skip to the end when you can watch the whole show.

Cold Opening

One of the things that made the idea of this episode so awesome was the fact that the musical guest is a member of the "5-Timers Club" and possibly the most popular host of the last 10 years.  With the great relationship between Fallon and Timberlake (see the Late Night Show and classic SNL sketches), you basically had a co-hosting gig set up with a well-loved host and a well-loved former cast member.  Everyone hoped this would be what would happen, and it was confirmed with the opening sketch being one of Timberlake's classics that Jimmy joined him for.  A perfect start to what was set up to be the best episode since Timberlake's last appearance.  "Bring It On Down to Wrappin-ville!"

Monologue

One of the things that made Jimmy Fallon such a popular cast member back in the day was his endless impressions.  He shows them off in the monologue as he sets up to sing some Christmas classics with music icons David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and Sir Paul McCartney.  However, they are stuck in traffic which leaves him to sing all the parts by himself until one of them shows up for a special guest appearance.

Weekend Update

Weekend Update used one of their guests to make one of their few political statements of the night by bringing out Billie Jean King, played by Kate McKinnon (who else).  King was recently named to the US delegation to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia next year.  The controversy is King is openly gay going to a nation that has basically made it illegal to be gay.  McKinnon turned Billie Jean King into a grand instigator that tells Russia and Valdimir Putin to "Bring it!"  The second guest spot was, as predicted, Jimmy Fallon to pass the torch onto Seth Meyers who will be taking over Late Night after Fallon moves up to The Tonight Show.  Along with Fallon was New York mayor Michael Bloomberg as each of them talked about leaving their current jobs in the next month.  Apparently, Bloomberg is really excited to enjoy his small soda on the beach.  One small tidbit we picked up out of this bit is a little insight into the eventual departure of Seth Meyers from the Weekend Update desk.  Many people thought this would be his last show, however it was stated that he has a few shows left before he leaves Cecily at the desk by herself.  I predict Bill Hader's first post-SNL appearance will come on Seth's last show as Stefon needs to send Seth off right.  I will say that Cecily has proven the Weekend Update desk is going to be left in good hands.

Best Sketch

It was impossible to pick one sketch that was the best.  With Jimmy and Justin taking over the first half of the show together (Timberlake didn't appear in a sketch after his first musical performance), the first handful of sketches were near perfect.  I'll mention two of them here.  First came Celebrity Family Feud hosted by Kenan's Steve Harvey.  It put CBS vs. NBC in the classic game show giving cast members another chance to show off their impressions.  For the CBS team, you had Jim Parsons (Jimmy Fallon), Ashton Kutcher (Taran Killam), Jon Cryer (John Milhiser), and Alyson Hannigan (Noel Wells).  All of these were spot-on (as long as Ashton Kutcher doesn't have to do anything but yell).  I love how SNL loves to make fun of the network that writes their checks.  They do that again here in a couple ways.  First, the contestants are Jimmy Fallon by way of Justin Timberlake (yeah, that happens), Kate McKinnon's Jane Lynch (who apparently now hosts a game show on NBC no one watches), Jay Pharaoh showing once again he can impersonate any black man in pop culture with Ice-T, and Brooks Wheelan ... playing Brooks Wheelan.  It was a good joke having a little used featured player represent SNL in the NBC lineup.  It also showed that NBC doesn't have enough stars to have another regular impression.  The NBC dagger came when it was announced that the charity the NBC team would be playing for is NBC itself.  Although all this was funny, the magic comes when Timberlake goes face-to-face with the man he is impersonating (who, by the way, is well known as the worst SNL cast member at keeping a straight face in the history of the show).  At one point, Jimmy had to hide behind his podium because he was laughing too hard to control it.

The other sketch tied with Family Feud brings back an old classic from when Fallon was a cast member and Timberlake was hosting for the first time.  It's the Barry Gibb Talk Show starring the brothers that started the Bee-Gees, Barry and Robin Gibb, interviewing their political guests.  This sketch is so silly that you just have to laugh.  It brings one of the great tragedies of the last presidential election back to the forefront, and that is we don't get to see Taran Killam's Paul Ryan on a regular basis.  It's so good.  We also get to see a couple more Christmas cameos from the one and only Madonna and the real Barry Gibb.  My guess is they asked his permission to do the show since Robin Gibb passed away recently, and he wanted to show his support by appearing in the sketch.  It worked beautifully.

Worst Sketch

Finding the worst sketch of this episode was actually pretty easy because only one of the sketches from the night fell flat.  It was a take on A Christmas Carol as Scrooge is shown a scene from his past that is quite revealing.  It is quickly discovered what is being revealed as Jimmy Fallon plays young Scrooge channeling Richard Simmons.  Oh I get it, Scrooge is gay.  Why was that supposed to be funny?  Oh well, this sketch can be forgiven looking at the rest of the show.

Dark Horse Sketch

I couldn't pick again for the Dark Horse so we have another tie.  First comes another showcase of impersonations which always seems to be a favorite of mine.  Here we have a highlight of Christmas music done by a variety of random artists.  My favorites out of here are Noel Wells's Zooey Dechanel (which was actually one of her claims to fame on youtube pre-SNL) and three Jimmy Fallon impressions: One Direction's Harry Styles, Professor Snape played by Alan Rickman, and Pitbull.  Oh how I love good impressions!

The second Dark Horse Sketch involves the holiday favorite song "Baby It's Cold Outside" sung by Jimmy Fallon and Cecily Strong.  They act out and sing through the first verse beautifully.  Then it skips ahead to what happens after the girl has been convinced.  The roles are now reversed as the man tries to kick her out while the girl just wants to stay and cuddle all day.  It was a perfect way to finish Christmas according to Saturday Night Live.

Grade

If you couldn't tell, I loved this episode.  This not only is the best episode of the year so far, but it is one of the best I have seen.  It really can't get much better than this.  There were only a few sketches I didn't mention already, one of which was a music video about how awkward it can be to take your significant other home for the holidays.  However, this sketch would have won the best sketch award in any of the last three or four episodes.  The quality was just so high from start to finish.  It really seemed to be true that the writers mailed it in the last couple weeks to make sure this episode was as great as it could possibly be.  It had the potential to be an instant classic, and it definitely proved that it was.

***A+***

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