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Posted in: NBC, Peacock, Review, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl
SNL Cast, Domingo Offer Uneven Effort That Saved the Best for Last
SNL heads into its break on an uneven note, a mixed bag of highs and not-so-highs. Here's a rundown of what worked and what seemed off...
While a solid, fun effort, this weekend's edition of NBC's Saturday Night Live suffered from the unevenness that comes from a first-time host who goes all-in on every sketch and sketches that would've benefited from some trimming. It goes without saying that host Colman Domingo is an acting powerhouse, and he's going to have more SNL runs in his future because he fits perfectly in the sketch comedy format. That said, Domingo really gave it his all in every sketch that he was in, but sometimes that was too much. In sketches like "Prep School" and "What If I Told You," it went above and beyond what was needed and contrasted too much with the rest of the cast's offerings, a tone that didn't fit the sketch. But on the flip side, Domingo's approach also helped drive home several sketches (which we will get to in a minute).
As for the sketches themselves, it would be safe to say that a few of them would benefit from a few minutes being dropped here and there. "Grandpa's Wake" is a perfect example of a sketch that hit its joke a little too early, with a little too much time spent driving the point of it home time and time again. But "Weekend Update: Gen Z Sexpert Lindt Greer" with "Weekend Update" anchor Michael Che and Jane Wickline may have been the biggest offender. Not only was the punchline obvious from the start, but it also took way too long for us to get there. And when it finally did get there, that was kinda it. For me, it's the sketch by which any released "Cut For Time" sketches will be judged. One final thought before I offer up my highlights. While Ashley Padilla has been getting a lot of much-deserved attention for her SNL work, Veronika Slowikowska has been bringing it week in and week out this season, too.
"Fashion District Robbery": Padilla plays a NY1 reporter reporting live from the scene of an armed robbery, trying to get details on what went down from Domingo's fashion professor and his students (Wickline, Marcello Hernández, and Chloe Fineman). Domingo was perfectly in character, hitting all of the comedic elements hard, with strong support from Hernandez's intense student. But the back-and-forth between Domingo and Wickline's student as he continues yelling at her to transer when her answers aren't up to speed was what sells the sketch.
"Uneek Kutz Barbershop": Mikey Day, Ben Marshall, and Tommy Brennan are three White guys looking for more confidence and stronger self-esteem – especially when it comes to the women in their lives. That's where Uneek Kutz Barbershop, a new chain of barbershops that puts Sports Clips to shame in so many ways. Domingo, Kenan Thompson, and Kam Patterson are in full-on Black barbershop mode; basically, real-life professors looking to educate Day, Marshall, and Brennan on how to be a man – in some of the most f***ed up funny ways possible. Bonus points to Day for that final scene; the dude's a genuine idiot in all of the best ways possible.
"Weekend Update: Two Kids from the Back of the Bus": Hernández and Patterson are the aforementioned "kids" invited by "Weekend Update" co-anchor Jost to join the show to discuss the rise in inflation. Right off the bat, we either need to see more of these characters outside of "Weekend Update" or more sketches with Hernández and Patterson because they have a fun chemistry together. If you've ever taken a bus to school on a regular basis, then you know these kids. Also, special mention goes out to Jost, who played the perfect straightman – knowing the right moment to step in without taking the focus away from Hernández and Patterson.
"Beastomorphs": A teen team of heroes (Hernández, Brennan, Slowikowska, and Sarah Sherman) takes on an evil alien (Domingo) – but that's only the beginning. After running off the evildoer to another dimension, the foursome revert back to their human selves – and that's where things went wrong. Sherman's character learns the hard way that there's one thing that can have a devastating impact on their powers: farting and sneezing at the same time, mid-transformation will not end well. From how Sherman's half-human, half-frog persona looked, to the team's reactions to it, to Sherman's efforts to reverse the process, I was nearly peeing myself laughing as the 1 am hour approached. It was the perfect example of how applying day-to-day realities to the absurd can pay off big-time. Also, bonus points go to Hernández for putting in the effort and taking one for the team – and how he handled having to excuse himself for having "muddied up" the situation (loved Domingo's character referencing how it smelled like shit when he returned).
Saturday Night Live Season 51: Colman Domingo & Anitta
7.5/10
While a solid, fun effort, this weekend's edition of NBC's Saturday Night Live suffered from the unevenness that comes from a first-time host (in this case, Colman Domingo) who goes all-in on every sketch and sketches that would've benefited from some trimming.
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