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For the final show of the year, SNL "Weekend Update's" Colin Jost and Michael Che unleashed a brutal edition of their annual joke swap.
Posted in: NBC, Peacock, Review, TV, YouTube | Tagged: kristen wiig, nbc, raye, Review, saturday night live, snl
SNL, Kristen Wiig Fly High With A Little Help From Their Friends
SNL celebrated Kristen Wiig's fifth time hosting with an effort that felt more like a party than a show - in all of the best ways possible.
I know that most folks pointed to Paul Rudd, Matt Damon, Jon Hamm, Martin Short, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Martin Short, Ryan Gosling, and Paula Pell appearing during the opening monologue as a sign that Saturday Night Live alum & comedic genius Kristen Wiig's "Five-Timers" show was going to be something different. But for us, we knew it the moment we saw how much screen time SNL EP Lorne Michaels endured just to honor Wiig – and did Lorne break at one point? The thing about SNL is that there's nothing on television like it – not even close. That makes it unique in terms of how we review it – with each season almost its own "living thing" in that there's so much that goes on during the season that impacts what we see.
For example, we know going into the holidays or a break that SNL likes to tap a host and musical guest that they're most comfortable with so they don't have to stress beforehand. After a solid return episode last week, the SNL team decided this week to give us, not so much a show as much as a party – one that we were all invited to (and better for it). Except instead of sitting back and enjoying the milestone, Wiig was comedically front-and-center from the jump and didn't let up until the final bow – reminding everyone through her art why she's one of the funniest people walking the planet – with Wiig's famous friends and the SNL cast & writers honoring her the best way possible. By being really, really funny…
What Didn't Work? Only one sketch this time around: "TBS March Madness Cold Open." It was a simple premise – women's college basketball is a hundred times more exciting right now than men's college basketball – that was stretched way too thin for nearly five minutes. That said, Heidi Gardner was seriously on-point as LSU Coach Kim Mulkey.
What Worked? A whole lot – but let me start by making sure that musical guest Raye gets the ton of love & respect deserved for her performances of "Worth It" and "Escapism." Once again, we have another musical artist making the most of Studio 8H by making it their own, with Raye offering an ease on-stage that left a huge impression. As for the rest of the show? Some quick thoughts:
"Jumanji": this sketch took us on a journey where we went from finding the premise funny to feeling it went on far too long to get sick of how many times I had to hear "Jumanji" to totally giving myself over to the absurdity of it all. The two I have to thank the most for that? Wiig and Andrew Dismukes, with the latter's growing anger & frustration matching Wiig's step for step – making each moment that much funnier.
"Pilates": A horror movie trailer parody with Chloe Fineman and Molly Kearney as two women attempting to escape the clutches of a Pilates class. Wiig walks that fine line between humor and horror perfectly, but what impressed me the most was just how much of an ensemble sketch this was for being a filmed parody trailer.
"Retirement Party": Speaking of fun group ensemble sketches, what better occasion than a man's (Kenan Thompson) retirement party to offer a lineup of some great on-mic comedic appearances? If you didn't laugh at least once during this sketch, then you should get yourself checked out because these types of sketches – when done well (like this one was) – have a little something for everyone. But we're still not sure who rocked the best air – Rudd or Forte.
"Secretaries": This has become a recurring sketch that I'm still not quite sure I'm completely getting yet – but that's not become part of its charm. Plus, getting a chance to watch Wiig and Garnder work together will always be a great thing. With strong support from Hamm and Bowen Yang, the sketch was in love with its own goofiness – and it was infectious. Also, in terms of breaking, Wiig & Hamm should be thankful that the sketch ended when it did because they were losing it hard there at one point.
"Go-Karts": Wiig & James Austin Johnson play parents looking to distract their kids (Dismukes, Chloe Troast) from the bad news they have to tell them with a day at an amusement park. But the combination of a break in the action and the parents' wonderfully silly inability to just keep their mouths shut made for some hysterically cringe-worthy moments.
"La Maison Du Bang!": Ego Nwodim's Imani Celeste hosts another edition of Sonic Pioneers – with this week's focus on the faux 70's French music variety show "La Maison Du Bang!" I feel like saying more than that ruins the experience – and I get that this sketch may not be for everyone. But this worked for me on so many levels – with Wiig & Yang leading a lineup of some truly twisted variety show entertainers (Mikey Day's way-too-close mime still haunts us). Did it help that the sketch hit late and that we were high? Oh, sure – but for me, that just earns the sketch even more "stoner absurd" street cred.
"Weekend Update": What more do you need to know about Colin Jost & Michael Che other than they proved once again why they deserve those seats for as long as they want them? And they were supported this week big time by the return of Wiig's Aunt Linda addressing (and dressing down) some recent films like Barbie and (yup) Paw Patrol: The Movie. Meanwhile, Marcello Hernandez continues to impress in roles that he makes work that maybe others couldn't (much like what Yang was able to accomplish portraying an iceberg) – with Thompson doing a great job giving a personality to an eclipse. Yes, you read that right. How's that for impressive comedy?
Saturday Night Live Season 49: Kristen Wiig & Raye
8.5/10
I know that most folks pointed to Paul Rudd, Matt Damon, Jon Hamm, Martin Short, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, Martin Short, Ryan Gosling, and Paula Pell appearing during the opening monologue as a sign that Saturday Night Live alum & comedic genius Kristen Wiig's "Five-Timers" show was going to be something different. But for us, we knew it the moment we saw how much screen time SNL EP Lorne Michaels endured just to honor Wiig - and did Lorne break at one point? The thing about SNL is that there's nothing on television like it - not even close. That makes it unique in terms of how we review it - with each season almost its own "living thing" in that there's so much that goes on during the season that impacts what we see.
For example, we know going into the holidays or a break that SNL likes to tap a host and musical guest that they're most comfortable with so they don't have to stress beforehand. After a solid return episode last week, the SNL team decided this week to give us, not so much a show as much as a party - one that we were all invited to (and better for it). Except instead of sitting back and enjoying the milestone, Wiig was comedically front-and-center from the jump and didn't let up until the final bow - reminding everyone through her art why she's one of the funniest people walking the planet - with Wiig's famous friends and the SNL cast & writers honoring her the best way possible. By being really, really funny...
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