Cold Open - A nice improvement on last week's but I feel like it just made a series of valid points than actual jokes. Also, it seems Fred kinda dropped the impression and has turned Obama into more of a cariacature, which isn't always a bad thing. I mean Amy Poehler's impression of Hilary Clinton wasn't dead-on but it was still hilarious. Fred needs a little more work if cariacature is what he is hoping to achieve.
6.5/10
Monologue - Jam-packed & I liked it. I didn't love it, but at least Ryan Reynolds displayed a natural comic ability unlike Megan Fox during her monologue last week. Favourite part - the superhero & romantic lead in the rain.
7/10
Mostly Garbage - I really liked the idea of this and I think Jason did a tremendous job. However it would have been even funnier if there was a different title on the dog-food. The premise was definitely funny as was the tagline, "Because he's a dog."
7/10
Family Feud - So initially I was sorta skeptical about a sketch that pokes fun at the incestuous relationship between John Phillips & his daughter Mackenzie Phillips. But thankfully, I laughed at this one and I think SNL broached the topic in a suitable way. MVP of this sketch - Jason Sudeikis. That voice, that delivery - too funny.
"Things you keep for a long time?"
"Potholders."
Kudos to all the Osmonds, Jason Sudeikis & Bill Hader who did a particularly good job here.
8/10
Digital Short -
Kind of a dud unfortunately. The song was pretty catchy but the whole premise (throwing stuff on the ground) was kinda dumb and not something you can get a whole lot of mileage out of. I will admit I howled with laughter at -"It's your dad."
"That's not my dad, it's a cellphone!"
I cannot say I laughed at Andy Samberg getting tasered in the derriere by Elijah Wood & Ryan Reynolds. (Nice seeing you though, Elijah Wood!)
5.5/10
Porcelain Fountains - Just no. Marble Columns ranks as one of my favourite sketches of the last couple of years because I hadn't seen anything like it in a while. When you take something like Porcelain Fountains that doesn't sound half as funny being said as Marble Columns does, it just doesn't work. Even Scar-Jo (yep, Scar-Jo) wasn't feeling it half as much. Her "this one or that one" was so lacklustre in comparison to Marble Columns.
N/A
Deep House Dish -
Here's what I liked. T-Shane's echo-mic - "Holla, holla, holla..". Danny McCooze. "Danny McCooze is Molly Ringwald in the Sixteen Candles quiz." Kristen Wiig's dance queen with mad low self-esteem. This sketch would probably have gotten a higher mark if they had left it at that. But no, they brought on Lady Gaga and Madonna for some totally ill thought-out bit which was poorly executed on the Dance Divas' part and really just stunk. 6/10
Weekend Update - Not so good I'm afraid. The jokes were not as sharp (did they use up the best ones on SNLWUT?) and the guest commentators weren't as funny. Seriously SNL, retire Charles Barkley. Darrell Hammond's Schwarzenegger was pretty funny but the bit as a whole wasn't great. Good start from Nasim Pedrad who got her moment to shine as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's wife - pretty funny on her part, the writing just wasn't there.
Favourite joke -
Eeyore's suicide/weird sex act gone wrong.
6/10
So You Committed a Crime & You Think You Can Dance - Favourite of the night? As a massive SYTYCD fan, I loved this. Kevin Federline - "I'm Kevin Federline and I got really fat."/"Remember when I had an album." - was perfect. Ryan Reynolds was great in this as an Australian choreographer who has to work with criminals, as was Andy Samberg who resurrected his impression of the aforementioned K-Fed. Also, it was totally intentional that Fred Armisen's criminal WAS Bernie Madoff by a different name, right?
8/10
International Masterworks - Great idea that was executed pretty well. Fred Armisen killed in this one - he had the best "Norwegian-desperately-trying-to sound-American-and-use-American-lingo" accent. Wouldn't it have been awesome to have Maya Rudolph in this sketch - remember how high-larious her & Fred were in those German arty couple sketches?
As it goes, this was pretty funny. Note to SNL producers - don't put Andy Samberg in a sketch that requires a foreign accent.
7.5/10
Same Outfit - So while there wasn't much to it, I thought this was a really nice, quirky way to end the show. Didn't have a huge premise but isn't that what you need when it's close to 1 a.m? And it had an appearance from Lorne with a bubbly tie?
8/10
OVERALL -
Ryan Reynolds proved himself as a capable host with a flair for comedy, but I don't feel like he got to show off all his talents. In comparison to Megan Fox, he was very under-utilised which was a shame. Anyone think it was guest appearance overkill? Scar-Jo was enough. Madonna's appearance was pretty pointless in comparison to what it could have been. MVP of the show for me was a tie between Jason Sudeikis (for the two early sketches which he single-handedly saved) & Andy Samberg who was awesome in the last sketch, SYTYCDAYCAC (long acronym, no?) and Deep House Dish.
As far as Lady Gaga goes, she certainly proved to be memorable & I LOVED her second performance which actually sent chills down my spine.
Big improvement on last week's, but still not reaching the heights of last season. Thinking about last season though, Anne Hathaway's episode was the first great episode of the season and that didn't come till episode 4, so maybe the writers are just hitting their strides.
7/10
STRAY OBSERVATIONS -
- Jenny Slate dancing in SYTYCDAYCAC was eerily similar to Gilda Radner!
- Note to Nasim Pedrad - no need to shout!
- "You're watching the Game Show Network. Probably 'cause you're home sick."
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