Posted in: NBC, Peacock, Review, TV | Tagged: Ariana Grande, josh brolin, nbc, saturday night live, snl

Saturday Night Live Hits Big with Josh Brolin, Ariana Grande (REVIEW)

Saturday Night Live heads into its break on a strong note - with Josh Brolin and Ariana Grande helping SNL raise its comedic game.

Look, it's not like NBC's Saturday Night Live didn't have a lot of pressure heading into this weekend's episode. After course-correcting the season last weekend with host Sydney Sweeny & musical guest Kacey Musgraves, we hoped that Josh Brolin & Ariana Grande would build upon that momentum. Because however this weekend's show went, it would set the tone heading into a break (with SNL returning on March 30th with Ramy Youssef & Travis Scott) – and no one wanted a break like the one heading into the Shane Gillis-hosted episode. If that wasn't enough, the real world added another layer of pop culture peer pressure upon the show. After GOP Sen. Katie Britt (AL) offered up the official Republican response to President Joseph Biden's State of the Union address, a whole lot of folks began beating the drums for SNL to offer a response.

And they did – big time. When CNN's Abby Phillip (Ego Nwodim) cut to Mikey Day's Biden during his speech, we thought that would be the main focus – but that changed in a big way when Scarlett Johansson hit our screens to offer a take on Britt's response. The sketch was everything that it needed to be and that viewers were expecting – a razor-sharp reminder that SNL can still do some of the best political takedowns going. But here's the thing – it didn't end there. The cold open set the tone – and Brolin, Grande, and the SNL cast & writers kept dialing it up from there. Not only aren't there any "misses" this week, but we can also say that we can't remember laughing as much during any other show this season as we did this one.

Saturday Night Live: Now THIS Is How You Head Into Break

Because there was a lot to love about this weekend's episode, we're switching up the format a bit (otherwise, this thing would break past the 2000-word mark) and grouping our thoughts a little differently for this go-around…

Josh Brolin: I'm not sure why it took 12 years to bring back Brolin but maybe we don't wait as long next time? The best compliment I can throw at Brolin is that I could see him being a member of the SNL cast in an alternative universe. Brolin threw himself into each of his sketches, being a strong enough presence to really help sell the writing while still being enough of an ensemble player to give others a chance to shine. It wasn't like the writers didn't challenge him, either – just look at the range of characters Brolin tackled in "Bank Robber," "Wine and Cheese Night," "Shonda Talk Show," and "Sandwich King." But if there was one sketch that showed how Brolin enhances the absurdity around him by whole-heartedly buying into it, look no further than "Shrimp Tower," with the always amazing Sarah Sherman:

Ariana Grande: Between sketches and performances of "Imperfect for You" and "We Can't Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)," Grande proved once again just how much she brings to the game when she hits our screens. Who can forget her turn as "Piccola Grande, the Pickle Fairy of Hope" in Showtime's Jim Carrey-starring Kidding? But it was the "Moulin Rouge" sketch with Bowen Yang as Ewan McGregor and Grande as Nicole Kidman that tops the highlight reel, as Day's PBS host Ken Burnt looks back at the 2001 Baz Luhrmann film. Along with getting an unofficial preview of Wicked (both starring in the film version), we were treated to two pros who deftly blended comedy & song – even when yet another take on "Happy Birthday" would end up breaking them.

The Sketches: If it felt like the SNL cast and writers were swinging for the fences creatively this weekend, you're not alone. Along with the cold open, we had Brolin & Heidi Gardner as the horny couple begging for a "Bank Robbery" to go Cinemax, a "slut cat" situation in "Wine and Cheese Night," and a "Sandwich King" who realizes that he's lost his crown. And don't think for one second that Lisa from Temecula (Nwodim) wasn't going to make an appearance just long enough to wreck holy hell on a sports bar table. It's a wonderful problem to have when there are so many sketches that worked that it's impossible to highlight just a few, and that's the one we faced this week. The next time someone drops that bullshit "SNL isn't funny anymore" line, show any of the sketches from this episode and then bask in the enjoyment of knowing just how wrong they are.

"Weekend Update": For the first time in close to two years, Colin Jost & Michael Che flew solo (meaning no guests) for "Weekend Update" – and they didn't need them. The duo hit their stride early and never looked back, feeding off of those moments when the audience felt the need to mix in some groans with the laughs. Don't these people know it only fuels Jost & Che to go harder? That said, Che's reactions to the audience after every joke were nearly as funny as the jokes they dropped.

Saturday Night Live Season 49: Josh Brolin/Ariana Grande

---

Review by Ray Flook

---

9/10

Look, it's not like NBC's Saturday Night Live didn't have a lot of pressure heading into this weekend's episode. After course-correcting the season last weekend with host Sydney Sweeny & musical guest Kacey Musgraves, we hoped that Josh Brolin & Ariana Grande would build upon that momentum. Because however this weekend's show went, it would set the tone heading into a break (with SNL returning on March 30th with Ramy Youssef & Travis Scott) - and no one wanted a break like the one heading into the Shane Gillis-hosted episode. If that wasn't enough, the real world added another layer of pop culture peer pressure upon the show. After GOP Sen. Katie Britt (AL) offered up the official Republican response to President Joseph Biden's State of the Union address, a whole lot of folks began beating the drums for SNL to offer a response. And they did - big time. When CNN's Abby Phillip (Ego Nwodim) cut to Mikey Day's Biden during his speech, we thought that would be the main focus - but that changed in a big way when Scarlett Johansson hit our screens to offer a take on Britt's response. The sketch was everything that it needed to be and that viewers were expecting - a razor-sharp reminder that SNL can still do some of the best political takedowns going. But here's the thing - it didn't end there. The cold open set the tone - and Brolin, Grande, and the SNL cast & writers kept dialing it up from there. Not only aren't there any "misses" this week, but we can also say that we can't remember laughing as much during any other show this season as we did this one.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!