Cold Open : Funny enough take on the bank stress tests, but maybe a little obvious. I am glad to see the banks get made fun of though, and to see SNL represent the world's general disillusionment with the world's banks.
6/10
Monologue: Being the classy showman that he is, Timberlake was excellent at this song-and-dance routine. While it may not have been hilarious, it left me with a big stupid grin on my face, and got me pumped for the show.
8/10
Celebrity Name Translator – Hilarious concept, as it is exactly what my own mother does, but it wasn't executed as well as I'd have liked it. One thing in particular that stands out is "Breakdance Fountain" - Mom-speak for Brokeback Mountain.
6/10
Target Lady – Oh man, I loved this. Timberlake was characteristically awesome here as Target Lady's friend Peg, and most definitely outshone the titular character. His delivery was just perfect, as was the costuming. I also loved Kenan's character's description of Target Lady's voice : a voice box covered in egg.
8/10
Coming to America - Possibly my favourite of the night. Being Irish, I got to laugh at the accents - Timberlake's was surprisingly the best. It may have just been an excuse to relive some of Justin Timberlake's earlier career, but it was high-larious. My favourite line: "He'll sing a song about bringing sexy back."..." 'Twill be gone & he'll bring it back!" I loved Samberg's ancestor character also - "With him, it'll be more about the charisma." Also, props to the set and costumes crew - nice work!
9/10
Motherlover Digital Short: The D*ck In A Box guys make a welcome return to carry out the "second-best idea" they've ever had. I could tell you what it's about but it wouldn't seem nearly as funny as it actually is. Nice cameos from Susan Sarandon & Patricia Clarkson as the guys' mothers. Best DS in a while.
8/10
Plasticville - To be honest, I never saw the big deal about this one. Amusing - sure, hilarious and meriting a recurring sketch - no. But I appear to be in the minority judging by the audience's response last night. What I did like was JT's take of Poker Face (Mediocre Face). However I did spend a chunk of the sketch looking for split ends in my hair. But it's probably just me.
6/10
Weekend Update - Not as good as some recent Weekend Updates. I can literally remember two jokes that made me laugh out loud - the Manny Ramirez one & the Maggie Gyllenhaal/Peter Sarsgaard (or is that Aaaraa) jokes. Others were just amusing. Regarding Spitzer & Paterson, I've decided I like Paterson better sans Spitzer. Frankly the thought of Eliot Spitzer with a prostitute makes my stomach churn, and I can't muster up laughs for it, so a good chunk of that sketch was spent repressing horrible visual images that wouldn't go away. I loved the cameos of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto & Leonard Nimoy. Also, did Nimoy get away with saying dickheads on air? Nice!
7.5/10
Barry Gibb Show – I love these ones & while I don't think this was as funny as the last one, I still really enjoyed it. Perhaps my favourite part of the sketch was when Barry pleaded with Robin to say something, and pretend that there was nobody there, causing Timberlake to briefly break character. I have also been singing the theme tune all day, so that's gotta count for something.
8/10
Somalian Pirates - One of the most original, imaginative, high concept sketches in a while. It consisted of a mix-up causing Somali pirates to receive a shipment of toy swords and guns, while a Pirates of the Caribbean street performance group received authentic swords and AK-47's (is that right, gun nuts?) I thought it really succeeded in condensing the story to a few minutes. I literally need a list for all the things I loved in this sketch:
- Fred playing with the toy pirate.
- Michaela Watkins' bored and apathetic helpline girl.
- Bill's character proclaiming that being in The Little Mermaid was his dream.
- Justin's gay pirate voice.
- Kristen's character asking for Thursday off.
9/10
Ciara : Enjoyed the first performance, skipped the second one.
Overall:
For me, Timberlake solidified his status as one of the best hosts of SNL. He's a good old-fashioned showman, and to be honest he stole every sketch he was in. However the cast members barely got a look in, and it became The Justin Timberlake Variety Show Special, taking away from the ensemble feel of SNL. However, I do think it was one of the best shows of the season, with Weekend Update being the weak link of the show. I'm eager to see how Will Ferrell fares next week in comparison.
8.5/10
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