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Maisie Richardson-Sellers (Nine Perfect Strangers, DC's Legends of Tomorrow) has joined the cast of AMC Network's Anne Rice’s The Talamasca.
Posted in: NBC, Peacock, Review, TV | Tagged: Billie Eilish, Kate McKinnon, nbc, Review, saturday night live, snl
SNL Team, Kate McKinnon & Billie Eilish End Year on Holiday High Note
Host Kate McKinnon, musical guest Billie Eilish & the SNL team ended the year on a high note with a holiday episode overflowing with cheer.
We had high hopes when we learned that Saturday Night Live alum, actor & comedian Kate McKinnon and musical guest Billie Eilish would be taking the stages of Studio 8H to help the SNL fam end the year on a strong note before shuffling off to their midseason break (returning on January 20th). And what we ended up with was a warm, fuzzy, funny, and slightly twisted stocking filled with some sketches representing some of the best work of the season so far. Here's a rundown of why this weekend's show worked and the sketches/moments that made my personal highlight reel.
So What Worked? The "Christmas Awards" cold open was a fun opener that hit on a ton of personal levels – and I'm not surprised SNL stayed away from topical stuff this week after the bullet they dodged with last week's opening. "ABBA Christmas" took a hot second to work for me, but once it did? How can you not love Bowen Yang joining McKinnon, Kristen Wiig & Maya Rudolph in the Swedish supergroup? "North Pole News: Killer Whale Attack" worked because Mikey Day is great as any kind of "live reporter" while McKinnon got a chance to channel some Robert Shaw from Jaws in this one.
"Weekend Update" continues to do no wrong while setting a new bar when it comes to bringing the comedic pain (more on that in a minute), while Ego Nwodim's Rich Auntie with No Kids offered some wonderfully spot-on commentary on the holiday season (while jockeying for Michael Che's job). "Gifts from Mom" gave us way too many holiday PTSD flashbacks to guilt-ridden relatives, while "Cinema Classics" missed the mark in its messaging, relying way too much on McKinnon and Chloe Troast to carry the writing across the finish line. And as someone who's run and been part of more than his fair share of "Secret Santas" holiday exchanges, "Yankee Swap" worked because it played upon the idea that we're more looking for a present that will make us feel like a kid than actually help us in our adult lives. That's just a fancy way of saying that I would go with the dancing Santa Claus, too.
Highlights: There was a mix of five sketches that ranged all over the thematic map – ranging from the sweet to the twisted and just about every rung on the ladder in between. But the one thing that they all have in common is that they were my personal highlights from an episode that was strong from top to bottom – here's why:
Monologue: From seeing McKinnon get teary-eyed on the livestream just before taking the stage to McKinnon's performance with Rudolph & Wiig, the monologue was funny, touching, and heartfelt.
"Tampon Farm": In terms of SNL sketch "music videos," this McKinnon, Eilish, Wiig, Rudolph & Paula Pell-starring sketch worked on a whole number of levels – you could turn the sketch into a very dangerous drinking game trying to match up all the point being hit in less than three minutes. And bonus props for yet another reminder of what a great voice McKinnon has (and how easily she sounds like Melissa Ethridge).
"Whiskers R We": We were hoping for another McKinnon/Eilish sketch team-up, and this was exactly the kind of oddly sweet holiday heartstring-tugger we wanted. I especially appreciated how the cats and a slew of great name puns didn't overshadow the personal story between Barbara DeDrew (McKinnon) and Paw-bree Hep-Purrn (Eilish). I thought they might go in the direction of them having crushes on each other, but the mother/daughter implication was a much better call.
"Pongo": Whether it was a Sarah Sherman-penned sketch or not, it has the comedian's brand of humor all over it – and I loved it. Parents (Day & Sherman) buy a special kind of "pet" for the family (McKinnon, Chloe Fineman & Andrew Dismukes) that addresses their concerns that maybe the family isn't ready for a real pet. So there's Pongo – the pet that has no openings, so there's no feeding or cleaning to worry about, and barking isn't an issue. Also? Pongo can't die. Pongo really likes being a part of your family. Pongo doesn't appreciate anyone trying to get rid of Pongo. I think you can appreciate what a nasty turn something like can take – and bonus props to Sherman, who does as excellent of a job playing the role of the person being victimized by the "horror" as she does playing the "horror" in past sketches.
"Weekend Update: Christmas Joke Swap 2023": How the f**k will Weekend Update duo Colin Jost & Che raise the bar next year after this year's "Christmas Joke Swap"? If you haven't seen it, then I won't even attempt to summarize the righteously awkward joke punches the two threw at each other this year. From Che bringing out a "special guest" to "assist" Jost with his jokes to Che being made to stop a joke that has him suggesting that the Israel/Palestine conflict just needs more Jesus Christ in it, this year's edition was a masterclass in quality cringe humor.
Thank You, Billie Eilish: I was going to love whatever it was that Eilish offered us on Saturday Night – but I was really hoping for a Christmas cover. Eilish didn't disappoint – reminding us all of the beauty & grace in her voice. The cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" should be a permanent fixture in every holiday playlist (unless you don't celebrate Christmas – which is understandable):
Saturday Night Live Episode 1852: Kate McKinnon, Billie Eilish
8/10
We had high hopes when we learned that Saturday Night Live alum, actor & comedian Kate McKinnon and musical guest Billie Eilish would be taking the stages of Studio 8H to help the SNL fam end the year on a strong note before shuffling off to their midseason break (returning on January 20th). And what we ended up with was a warm, fuzzy, funny, and slightly twisted stocking filled with some sketches representing some of the best work of the season so far. Here's a rundown of why this weekend's show worked and the sketches/moments that made my personal highlight reel.
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