Posted in: Peacock, Review, TV | Tagged: chris stapleton, nbc, Review, ryan gosling, saturday night live, season 49, snl

Saturday Night Live Sees SNL Cast, Ryan Gosling Breaking Big: Review

Here's how SNL, Ryan Gosling & Chris Stapleton pulled off a show so infectiously funny that even they couldn't help but get caught up in it.

By the time I got done laughing along with host Ryan Gosling, musical guest Chris Stapleton, and SNL's writers & cast for 90 minutes, I knew that there were folks out there who hated what they just watched. Why? Because this weekend's edition of NBC's Saturday Night Live was a "break-fest" of epic proportions. Imagine an entire show cast with "Jimmy Fallons" – except 90% less annoying. To me, it felt like there was a collective group effort to "break" Gosling early and often, but it ended up backfiring on all of them – to our benefit, for sure. I'm not sure I can remember the last time Heidi Gardner ("Beavis and Butt-head") or Chloe Fineman ("Erin Brockovich") "broke" as hard as they did this weekend.

This was a fun, goofy show in all of the best ways possible, where the "breaks" made sense because the sketches themselves were strong in their own right – none of them needed to be saved by the cast "breaking." It was also an interesting look at just how much things have changed at SNL – with the history books showing that Saturday Night Live EP Lorne Michaels didn't use to be a big fan of the cast "breaking" character, feeling that it takes viewers out of the "reality" that the sketch was trying to convey. In general, I tend to agree with him – and if this had just been Gosling "breaking," it would've gotten pretty old, pretty fast. But seeing everyone appreciating each other's comedic work through laughter reminded me of just how much of a family/community effort SNL truly is.

What Worked? What Didn't Work? "The Engagement" was a fun sketch that gave Andrew Dismukes another opportunity to spotlight his ability to grab hold of a sketch (like during last weekend's "Jumanji" sketch with Kristen Wiig). "Can't Tonight" demonstrated some smooth, natural chemistry between Gosling, Marcello Hernández & Kenan Thompson – though I was expecting an Eva Mendes guest appearance. "Erin Brockovich" was the sketch that came the closest to needing to be saved by "breaking" – but for fans of the film, I know the sketch hit harder. That said, a rare Fineman break at that level is something I wouldn't want to miss. As for "Doctor"? Honestly? I'm still not sure. Gosling & Bowen Yang make a fascinating pair – but for what? Still, I'm sure I'm not the only one who left that sketch really wanting some "Cookie Crumbles."

With "Weekend Update," Colin Jost & Michael Che continued to be in fine form, blowing past any of the audience's moans & groans – and rightfully so because they hit hard this weekend. Michael Longfellow really has something with his "resident boyfriend" character, and I hope we get more from him. As for the Caitlin Clark appearance, it felt a bit awkward & forced. Was this supposed to be some kind of "revenge" against Che for his past jokes aimed at women's basketball and the WNBA? Was this something Jost formulated as the next round in the Jost/Che on-air embarrassment battle? It was confusing – and Che came across less like someone who's embarrassed about being called out and more like someone who's biting his lip because he has three more jokes he would like to drop at that very moment. As for our musical guest, Stapleton owned that stage with powerful performances of "White Horse" and "Mountains of My Mind," continuing the season's run of some truly amazing musical performances that win me over as a new fan. Now, here's a look at some of our special highlights:

"Close Encounter Cold Open": There is no way you can convince me that SNL didn't have it in for Gosling by kicking off the show with the return of Kate McKinnon's Colleen Rafferty (and joined by Sarah Sherman). Once McKinnon started wearing Gosling's crotch as a hat, Gosling's night was already over when it came to being able to run his lines straight for too long – but we should've seen McKinnon breaking as a foreshadowing of what was to come.

"Ryan Gosling Monologue": Easily the best opening monologue of the season. It was funny, heartwarming, and emotionally telling. Bonus point to Emily Blunt for putting in the work as the two officially bid their farewells to the "Barbenheimer Summer of 2023." Gosling & Blunt's cover take on Taylor Swift's "All Too Well" had no right to be as meaningful as it was, but damn did it work.

"Get That Boy Back ft. Chris Stapleton": Hey, if Beyoncé can go country, than so can SNL! What begins as a song where three women (Fineman, Ego Nwodim, and Chloe Troast) sing about getting revenge on their men after getting screwed over by them quickly turns into a dark & disturbing example of "psy-ops" of the worst kind. Troast and Gosling make this sketch work in so many ways – but it's Stapleton as Troast's boyfriend who steals this one.

"Beavis and Butt-Head": Otherwise known as "The Sketch That Broke Heidi Gardner" – and how could it not? A NewsNation livestream event on AI between Gardner's interviewer and Thompson's expert takes a sharp left turn, hits the gas peddle, and never looks back. Why? Because Gosling and Mikey Day make for an excellent Beavis and Butt-Head – and that's why it works. Sure, the absurdity of the premise gets you halfway there – but it is Gosling's & Day's ability to seem generally sincere when they say they've never heard of the animated characters that bring it home. This was one of those sketches that gets funnier with each rewatch (I'm up to three so far).

Saturday Night Live S49E17: Ryan Gosling & Chris Stapleton

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Review by Ray Flook

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8.5/10

By the time I got done laughing along with host Ryan Gosling, musical guest Chris Stapleton, and SNL's writers & cast for 90 minutes, I knew that there were folks out there who hated what they just watched. Why? Because this weekend's edition of NBC's Saturday Night Live was a "break-fest" of epic proportions. Imagine an entire show cast with "Jimmy Fallons" - except 90% less annoying. To me, it felt like there was a collective group effort to "break" Gosling early and often, but it ended up backfiring on all of them - to our benefit, for sure. I'm not sure I can remember the last time Heidi Gardner ("Beavis and Butt-head") or Chloe Fineman ("Erin Brockovich") "broke" as hard as they did this weekend. This was a fun, goofy show in all of the best ways possible, where the "breaks" made sense because the sketches themselves were strong in their own right - none of them needed to be saved by the cast "breaking." It was also an interesting look at just how much things have changed at SNL - with the history books showing that Saturday Night Live EP Lorne Michaels didn't use to be a big fan of the cast "breaking" character, feeling that it takes viewers out of the "reality" that the sketch was trying to convey. In general, I tend to agree with him - and if this had just been Gosling "breaking," it would've gotten pretty old, pretty fast. But seeing everyone appreciating each other's comedic work through laughter reminded me of just how much of a family/community effort SNL truly is.

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