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While the Epstein Files remain unreleased, Donald Trump and FCC Chair Brendan Carr are looking to distract by targeting Seth Meyers again.
Posted in: Current News, NBC, Peacock, Review, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl
SNL's Epstein Files "Trilogy," Powell, Dean Set High Bar for Season 51
Glen Powell, Olivia Dean, and the "Epstein Files Trilogy" helped fuel last night's SNL, delivering the show's best effort so far this season.
NBC's Saturday Night Live might be heading into a two-week break (returning on December 6th with Melissa McCarthy and Dijon), but it didn't go away quietly. In fact, SNL (hosted by Glen Powell and with musical guest Olivia Dean) felt like it had a chip on its shoulder last night, reminding viewers that one of the reasons why the long-running sketch comedy and music series has been around for so long is that it doesn't shy away from going on at the serious issues (and a whole lot of folks' feet to the fire along the way). Between the "Epstein White House Briefing Cold Open," Will Forte's return for a trio of "MacGruber" sketches, or Colin Jost and Michael Che hitting hard with the headlines during "Weekend Update," SNL made it clear with its "Epstein Files Trilogy" that the controversies surrounding Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Trump being mentioned in the infamous Epstein Files were too big to ignore. However, SNL was able to take a comedic scalpel to the subject matter, keeping the focus on Trump and his administration's efforts to keep the files from being released while maintaining the seriousness of the subject matter intact.
And SNL didn't hold back. Ashley Padilla's take on press secretary Karoline Leavitt was brutally wonderful, while James Austin Johnson offered another take on his Trump impression, giving us the "Unsteady, Insecure Trump" we've been seeing trying to defend himself in real life. At this point, it's clear that Johnson has the best all-around impression of Trump, and it's not even close (sorry, Alec Baldwin). Che and Jost were on fire and didn't hold back, with every joke serving as a hysterical rebuke to the White House's efforts to delay and distract. But Forte's willingness to throw his popular MacGruber under the bus by having him also named in the Epstein Files was a bigger deal than some might think. It's not easy to take a character that you've made popular and tag him as being associated with Epstein, but it proved SNL and Forte's belief in the sketches' satirical message (while flipping the script on the role that the inevitable explosion plays).
SNL 51: Glen Powell & Olivia Dean – The Sketches
There was a whole lot to love about last night's show as SNL heads into its November break that wasn't about Trump, the Epstein Files, or front-page headlines. Right from the jump, Powell won over a lot of fans with a monologue that brought closure to his own SNL backstory. For those who forgot, Powell was set to host SNL several years ago, but the release date of Top Gun: Maverick being moved meant that the hosting offer was pulled. But before the bad news, Powell and his family posed for a celebratory selfie with the UPS delivery person who was at their house when the good news hit. Well, to prove he wasn't a liar, Powell flew out the UPS delivery person and invited him on the stage for a full-circle selfie.
From there, we had a strong run of sketches hit to varying degrees; no misses. "AI Photos" spoke for us when it came to just how creepy and insane those photos that are "brought to life" by AI truly are (seriously, they're creepy as f**k and always come across like they're trying to kill you).
"Norwegian Movie" was an excellent example of the quality sketch work you get when you have strong comedic actors like Powell and Chloe Fineman playing off one another and improving each other's game along the way.
We need Sebastian Maniscalco to remain famous; if for no other reason than Marcello Hernandez will continue to get to impersonate him. This was a great showcase sketch for Hernandez, and props to Powell for holding his own at the end with dueling "Sebastian Maniscalcos."
As far as group sketches go, "Bob Army" was a silly, over-the-top sketch that worked because every single person on that stage believed in it. And yet, you couldn't help but see just how much of a good time everyone was having.
If you're still wondering why Padilla is getting so much media attention as the next breakout SNL star (and you shouldn't be, because she's been killing it from the jump), look no further than the emotional ride she takes us on in "Haircut."
Based on social media reactions to "I Miss My Ex's Dad," Ben Marshall and Tommy Brennan's Country music singers and their ode to their exes' dads (Powell and Kenan Thompson) definitely hit an emotional nerve (in a good way).
And let's sleep on just how much Andrew Dismukes' sketch game has grown by leaps and bounds, dialing up the "d-bag boyfriend" factor while serving as a perfect foil for Powell in "Taken: Airport." Bonus points go to Hernandez for nearly breaking after Dismukes took what appeared to be a harder and louder fall than anyone was expecting.
Saturday Night Live Season 51: Glen Powell & Olivia Dean
9/10
NBC's Saturday Night Live might be heading into a two-week break (returning on December 6th with Melissa McCarthy and Dijon), but it didn't go away quietly. In fact, SNL (hosted by Glen Powell and with musical guest Olivia Dean) felt like it had a chip on its shoulder last night, reminding viewers that one of the reasons why the long-running sketch comedy and music series has been around for so long is that it doesn't shy away from going on at the serious issues (and a whole lot of folks' feet to the fire along the way). Between the "Epstein White House Briefing Cold Open," Will Forte's return for a trio of "MacGruber" sketches, or Colin Jost and Michael Che hitting hard with the headlines during "Weekend Update," SNL made it clear with its "Epstein Files Trilogy" that the controversies surrounding Donald Trump's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein and Trump being mentioned in the infamous Epstein Files were too big to ignore. However, SNL was able to take a comedic scalpel to the subject matter, keeping the focus on Trump and his administration's efforts to keep the files from being released while maintaining the seriousness of the subject matter intact.
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