Cold Opening – Five-Timers Club
MAS is welcomed to the Five-Timers Club
- Tom Hanks! What a way to start an episode with me, SNL…
- With this cold opening starting this way, I already have a better feeling about this episode than the prior one.
- Eh at the whole cast bit between Tina & Martin. Didn’t need reminders of her shitting on them each time she comes back.
- Guess Alec will be cameoing every few episodes at this rate. His whole part did really nothing for me (especially the whole “daddy” talk), but his delivery was reliable per usual.
- Boy, not to be that guy, but Colin Jost sure looks weird to me each time he does that smile of his.
- I liked the whole WW2/outer space book gift exchange between Tom & Scarlett.
- The cameos are getting more and more out of hand, though it makes sense having Kristen in this as she was inducted into the Club last season. Still, I cannot take too much of the audience’s screaming and applauding every 10 seconds.
- Kristen Wiig is so damn good, and I love her whole part in this, especially referencing not being “that girl anymore.”
- Genuinely shocked to see Melissa McCarthy back for the first time since season 43. At this rate, I imagine no Steve nor Candice in this cold open. A shame, as I loved their cameos the past few times.
- I imagine those are the SNL stans in the audience going crazy over the Mulaney cameo. Nice to see him again so soon.
- Did we seriously need a Jimmy Fallon cameo?
- An overall fun cold opening, and a better piece than most of the material in several episodes in the season prior to this one. I’d still rank this one below the one from season 47, which I’d admit underrating now.
Rating: ***1/2
Monologue
MAS sings a Christmas Carol for the holidays
- The opening jokes with Martin are the typical standard these writers seem to think are hilarious, but he is making them work for me. I especially like his Lorne impression.
- Fits to have a backstage/musical monologue with Martin hosting, even when these types of monologues have been overdone in recent years of the show.
- A very fun song and I’d let the cheesy way some of the cast are used as backup dancers slide this time around, as I am enjoying the feel-good vibes this monologue is having me in.
- This ends up being JAJ’s only appearance tonight (excluding a VO he does). Lately, it feels we’ve been hearing his voice more than actually seeing him.
- While expected, I freakin’ howled at the part where Martin throws away a kid from Santa’s lap to sit instead of him.
- Ugh at the hacky gay joke between Jimmy & Martin. SNL seems to slowly return back to the well of “he’s playing gay! LOL!” with Marcello and Michael cornering that market.
- Such a fun monologue and a catchy song. I especially loved when we got back to the homebase stage to do the final number.
Rating: ****
Parking Lot Altercation
drivers (MID) & (MAS) argue in parking lot
- Rehash already? After a strong start to the episode, this is making me worried. This is also a further evidence Mikey Day absolutely has nothing left to give by this point.
- The first sketch is a near-classic to me and one of my favorites from its season, but it just cannot work a second time. The unique & surprising structure was one of the biggest reasons why it worked so well the first time, and you cannot replicate that this time.
- Wow, a clever “change” with us getting a retread in a parking lot instead of a traffic scene. Get that pay rise ready, Lorne.
- Mikey doesn’t even have “it” like he did the first time, in what was an amazing season for him. He is coming off here tired and somewhat phoning it in. Guess they want him back “where he belongs” as an ultimate blanket instead of the refreshing approach earlier in the season of phasing him and others out.
- This sketch, like so much of this season, is so hollow and lethargic that it is leaving me not saying almost anything about what is happening in it.
- I’ll admit the Melissa McCarthy part surprised me and gave me a big laugh. My only one is an otherwise unnecessary, sad retread.
Rating: **
An Act of Kindness
woman (HEG) takes homeless man in (KET) for Christmas
- Considering that fucking horrible car short last week, I am understandably cautious going into this one. Doesn’t help that this one has the same dark lighting that one had.
- This short seems to be a nice display of Heidi’s skills as an actress, which have been woefully underused in these latter seasons of her tenure.
- After being cut last week playing a gay couple, we now get Emil & Michael separately playing gay characters? What’s with the show’s new focus on straights playing gay stereotypes this season?
- This short is so clearly “inspired” by that great one from season 43 with James Franco and Cecily Strong. Making this our second overfamiliar piece in a row tonight. Not a good start.
- I cracked up at the Mikey turn asking Heidi where the fuck she’s been.
- Kenan is solid, but I am not caring at all for this short and its direction, outside of liking the performances. These types of shorts with the sudden mood change feel so old hat for me, but then again, pretapes in general of late feel that way.
- I didn’t care at all about the ending “revelation” which I saw from a mile. That Fox News tagline wasn’t needed and made this short even lazier than it is. I also didn’t get it. Is this implying Heidi shouldn’t have taken Kenan in because he’s black? And that her not taking him in was the right thing to do? Did Che have a hand in writing this?
Rating: **1/2 (the final 1/2 for Heidi’s performance)
Christmas Airport Parade
Christmas passengers offer relatable scenarios
- Another rehash? And in a Martin Short-hosted episode? Even more evidence the writing this season is creatively bankrupt. And boy, is this episode tanking after that promising start with its cold open and monologue.
- Jane Wickline continues to not do it for me, after a surprisingly decent episode last week. Guess nepo ties do get you this far in the business.
- Wow, even more cameos? Listen, I let it pass for the cold open and Melissa killed me in the parking lot sketch, but here? As if the cast wasn’t overstuffed enough and many of them being lucky to get even some lines this season.
- Ugh at the whole Paul Rudd part, and did we need loud “whoo!”-s when he mentioned being voted Sexiest Man Alive? As if the show didn’t already make a reference to that before.
- The Ashley/Devon/Michael part with them pleading to let them touch us is genuinely funny and one of my only real laughs in this.
- Melissa is fun in this role, but why not a cast member? Gasp! I know we are supposed to lap this all up and be “lucky” all these stars are here for our entertainment. I am sure JAJ has yet to utter more than two lines these past two episodes combined.
- Not even Tom Hanks in a sketch is doing anything for me. His warmth and likability are still shining through, at least.
- Look, a cast member!
- Fucking ugh at the whole Marcello portion. Shaking your ass with fake cheeks….. Jesus. Is there a more degraded cast member in recent SNL history than Marcello? I think not. Hey, at least he is getting his “moment” of the night with this booty shaking.
Rating: **1/2
Musical Performance – “Too Sweet”
Weekend Update
drone (BOY) talks about New Jersey drones
Scarlett Johansson watches as COJ tells jokes about her
- Not caring for those Luigi jokes, as I am not only sick of that story, but even more sick by how much the show is hyperfocusing on him as of late. The whole Diddy raping him “punchline” was pathetic, and another evidence of the show trying to more and more come back to hacky homoerotic humor for cheap laughs.
- The audience eating up this joke, despite its “punchline,” because it centered around “babygirl” is further evidence of the type of SNL audience the show is aiming for: the lowest common denominator who would gladly eat up shit as long as their comfort food and blankets are readily available for them.
- Speaking of blankets and comfort food: we now get Bowen wearing a goofy outfit. Like we didn’t see him doing this 3,73773 times before this episode. Again, this episode and increasingly this season, doesn’t seem for me.
- Great range with Bowen playing a gay drone, like he played various gay inanimate objects in the past. I have to wonder when this guy will ever grow up and start to actually act his age. It reminds me of Jimmy Fallon’s shitty Tonight Show with him still pretending to be 22 years-old.
- (*Blood watches as Bowen, dressed up as a fucking drone, sings Defying Gravity as a wink wink reference to Wicked – a movie he has a fucking bit part in, and explodes into a million pieces*)
- Joke Swap? A few seasons before, I would’ve been excited, but seeing these two telling “edgy” jokes they wrote for each other in their 11th fucking season makes them come off expected, tired and to me, just not funny.
- The cutting to Scarlett reacting backstage is cute, and even that is an overdone fourth wall breaking bit this SNL “era” had been doing endlessly.
Rating: **
Sabado Gigante Christmas Special
Christmas special of the Spanish variety program weirds out American (Paul Rudd)
- The return of this overrated sketch. And wow, is this the laziest episode in recent SNL history? Why so many retreads & recurring material tonight?
- I love Emil & Ashley in these sketches, even when playing silent roles; they’re fun, funny and adding energy. Not “energy” like the one with Marcello where he screeches at me randomly.
- More blankets tonight, as we get a “star” showcase with Marcello screaming his lungs at me for 5 minutes. I do not “get” why some think this is empowering, as shouting in Spanish every few sentences and doing “funny” accents, as Marcello’s work often is, is not my idea of empowerment or “representation.”
- The “new” approach this time around with this: we now have a Christmas-themed show (get it? It is the Christmas show! Surely just having the holiday theme shoehorned in would suffice!), and instead of the host, we get even more cameos and starfucking, with Paul Rudd in the role Nate Bargatze played the first time.
- Has Dana Carvey now taken the spot previously occupied by Fred Armisen as the former alum living secretly under the homebase stage?
- I love Ashley’s expressions in these sketches and hers were the closest to me getting a laugh.
- Wow, this is even more tepid and cartoonish than the forgettable first installment. Marcello’s bug-eyed reactions feel more fitting in a shitty, foreign kids show than SNL. Guess that’s a good career path for him eventually.
- Where the hell is Martin? Did we really need 5 fucking minutes of Marcello and Paul Rudd (who half-assed his moments through the night) annoying the hell out of me for a whole sketch?
Rating: *1/2
Musical Performance – “Fairytale of New York”
Peanuts Christmas
acting teacher (MAS) is unbearable during Peanuts Christmas rehearsals
- Look, an original sketch!
- A cute visual of most of the cast playing the Peanuts characters. They are nailing their memorable dance moves as well.
- Martin Short playing a diva acting teacher is comedy gold on paper, but the writing giving to him isn’t anything special so far. The whole “dead…. to me” part with him was especially tepid.
- Yet another episode with Michael Longfellow given the bare minimum to do. Why does the show keep underusing this performer to this degree, especially after a great rookie season? I said it in a prior review, but if Michael somehow survives a potential firing after this season and goes on to have fantastic 4-5 seasons and becomes an SNL legend, then it’ll be absolutely surreal in hindsight to watch his early seasons with how frustratingly underused he is.
- I had my fill with Bowen Yang tonight. There’s been too much of him in this episode, often being in his worst elements.
- Andrew Dismukes is great in his reactions in this, as few as they are. One of the few highlights here, besides Mikey looking adorable and Ashley as Frieda.
- This sketch is so clunky in its structure and presentation, like all the others this episode and most of the season. Why can’t the show properly construct sketches anymore? Guess partying all the time backstage took its toll on the writing staff. Guess that also explains the abundance of “moments” and overfamiliar concepts being brought back from the mothballs both tonight and this season in general.
- Not at all caring for Kenan as Snoopy.
- You know, it hurts me to grade something Peanuts-related the rating I am about to give, but I guess I should go with my instinct:
Rating: **
Cut For Time: How The Grinch Stole Christmas
The Grinch (MAS) causes carnage by accident; Lucy Liu cameo
- Sigh. It feels we’ve been hearing JAJ’s voice more than actually seeing him as of late. Boggles my mind how underused this brilliant performer has been in a lot of this season thus far.
- Martin is absolutely great as the Grinch and his performance style fits Dr. Seuss’ classics.
- This now turns into one of those death sequences? Trying to recreate the classic A Christmas Carol the last time Martin hosted I see.
- The whole “shocking” death sequence is leaving me cold as the visuals aren’t anything special nor am I finding these deaths creative or outrageous. Guess tonight’s episode needed even more retreads and overfamiliar concepts front-and-center. If the audience didn’t laugh and fucking applaud every 10 seconds we probably would’ve had two more sketches on the air, as tepid as they might have been.
- The Lucy Liu cameo reprising her classic role from Kill Bill is cute, as random as it was. Love Lucy, so I ain’t mad seeing her on the show, even when she was cut eventually.
Rating: **1/2 (the ending with Lucy helped raise the rating by 1/2 a star)
Goodnights
- Quite the fitting image to end not only this episode on, but this first half as a whole with: cameos front-and-center with barely any from the cast being visible at all.
Segments Ranked From Best to Worst
Monologue
Five-Timers Club
An Act of Kindness
Airport Christmas Parade
CFT: How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Parking Lot Altercation
Peanuts Christmas
Weekend Update
Sabado Gigante Christmas Special
Final Thoughts:
- A very weak, hollow episode. A fitting end to a rough first half. While expectations are usually high when Martin Short hosts, I understandably didn’t have any, with how rough a season this has been, but I was still let down here. An episode that started off fun enough went downhill as soon as that S48 retread was our post-monologue piece, and it got worse from there, with very tired vets taking over the airtime (looking at you Mikey), and refreshing, solid cast members with eons of potential, particularly JAJ, were given the extra treatment. In what world would Mikey reacting, Marcello screaming and Bowen vamping in a goofy costume for the billionth time are given priority over someone as versatile, brilliant as JAJ but such a chronically online, tired, and so, so old a show as this current season of SNL proves itself to be. Martin Short himself was fun when actually given something to do, but he was utterly wasted in this episode, with endless empty retreads having him in them instead of giving him something different or unique to do. His roles could’ve been played by any other host this season. To say something remotely positive about the episode, I thought the musical performance from Hozier were outstanding, especially the second performance.
- This overall first half has certainly been rough. Only four episodes worked for me (Mescal, Burr, Keaton, Grande), and two of those (Mescal & Keaton) barely even rose above “just OK.” Now, fellow SNL reviewer and frequent commenter Carson made a comparison to S36 with this current season, which is one I agree in part with. There are definitely steady episodes with a good number of strong sketches, but so much of the show at its best doesn’t get above “just OK” or “pretty solid” judging by the endless amount of segments I rated *** and ***1/2. It doesn’t also help how this season, despite it being an anniversary season and all the cameos, doesn’t seem to be getting any real buzz. Barely anything from it went viral or is considered a true classic, outside of probably the Dan Bulla shorts, which I absolutely loved. Yet, in a season when highlights are the exception to the rule, you have to wonder if it is worth it.
- At this point, 50% done with the season, I think I am now comfortable enough to go ahead and say it: I am done with this season. Lousy, starfucking, refusing-to-let-go-of-the-past SNL is not for me. This episode and a lot of this season reeked of that, and the whole “their turn” with supposed stars vamping and taking over while newer, fresher players get scraps. I had an eerie feeling, right before this season began, that it would feature some of my most consistently negative reviews yet. I hate the pessimistic side of me (and those who read my blog for years now I am not usually this way), but halfway through a season that’s been so disappointing, rife with bland, hollow nostalgia and writing (where the writers seem to put more effort partying in those Instagram shorts backstage) lazy beyond comprehension, it makes me wonder why I should bother. I mean, I hate to say what I am about to say about my favorite show, but: how low should I keep my standards?!
My Favorite Moments of the Episode, Represented with Screencaps:
Up Next:
- N/A. For now, have a Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
My full set of screencaps from this episode is here
dress stuff also cut IRVING COHEN: Martin’s old “give me a bouncy C” character. Sarah and Martin keep smashing each other with glass bottles and asking to give a C, a bouncy C. Also featured JAJ, Ashley, Heidi, Devon, Andrew.
POP THE BALLOON (REAL LOVE): Ego hosts a show where Andrew, Martin, Devon and Marcello try to find love. Ashley, Chloe, Heidi and Sarah pop the balloon if they’re incomparitable or if it’s real love. Martin keeps saying he’s a 27 year old Twitch streamer with 35 years of experience at his real job.
MINKY: The season 48 character returns. Heidi (who is pregnant in the sketch), Chloe, Sarah, Ego.
TREECE HENDERSON: The return of…this character. A donkey, lamb and chicken also appeared.
Sarah discussed that CFT Chanukah sketch in a Seth Meyers interview, about how it went downhill when she introduced the Anora Menorah. It’s the second time this season Anora went over SNL viewers’ heads, though that should change after Oscars season.
As always, excellent review from you Blood!
You know how I’ve been a cautious defender of this season up till now, politely disagreeing with your criticisms by saying “hey, it’s not THAT bad”. Sadly…I can no longer defend this season or this show.
I’m legit shocked at how lazy, half-assed, and just plain tired this episode was. After a promising start with the cold open and monologue, I was let down again and again with poor retread after poor retread and absolutely starving for something original, no matter how poor. The writers must have spent the entire week just partying with Martin, drinking eggnog, and groveling to the celebrity cameos.
Speaking of, this episode really epitomizes how out of control the celebrity cameos have become and how seemingly terrified this show is to actually use its cast outside of our resident “stars” in Bowen and Marcello. I give the cold open a pass (despite the lengthy applause breaks), since Martin’s a Five Timer, it’s the Christmas episode, and it’s the 50th season. Circumstances like that essentially are begging for a cameo orgyfest. But then the cameos slowly took over the episode, to the point Martin essentially became a cameo himself. Why can’t we get cast members like JAJ or Andrew in roles occupied by Melissa, Hanks, or Rudd? Why has Lorne become so content with calling in cushy celebrity favors instead of actually using the cast that he hired? It’s aggravating how much this man just refuses to let go of the past and trust the cast he’s actually paying.
As for the cast that was used tonight, we had to make way for the two most divisive, indulgent, and (at their worst) insufferable cast members of this era: Bowen Yang and Marcello Hernandez. How many times am I supposed to laugh at Bowen going on Update as an animal or inanimate object and the joke is he’s a sassy gay character? It’s pathetic, played out, and the opposite of empowering. The very definition of a one trick pony. As for Marcello, screaming in Spanish isn’t my idea of funny nor is shaking your booty for thirsty stans. I’ll admit that my dislike of him last season got really OTT, but seeing just how much he’s been misused and debased lately, can you really blame me? The bug eyes and overacting in Sabado Gigante felt like something out of Nickelodeon as opposed to SNL.
There’s one minor thing I slightly disagree with you on: joke swap. Yes, it’s played out. Yes, Che and Jost have been on the show too long. Yes it’s become overly gimmicky. But…it was at least an improvement over the previous joke swap imho. The jokes were pretty savage (even if we’ve seen this kind of thing before) and having Scarlett Johansson react to her husband say that going down on her was gay in a black voice is at least daring and something new. Though I guess you could chalk up my defense of that to being starved for SOMETHING fresh and new with passion behind it.
Martin was completely wasted as host tonight. He did the best he could with what he was given, even though it was basically just leftover table scraps. But the fact that he was barely even in his own episode and barely given anything to do was just criminal. He deserved better, especially for his Five Timer episode.
Even by this season’s iffy standards, this episode was a new low. As much as I utterly despise the TikTok pandering that the show has been doing of late, at least it’s something NEW. Having a retread or two is fine and even somewhat expected for SNL, especially over its 50 year history. But when the 10-to-1 is the only thing in your show (cold open, monologue, and Update excluded) that’s new and original, there’s a huge problem. The fact that even many of the sketches that were cut for time were retreads speaks doubly to this problem. The writer’s room for this show needs to be drastically overhauled because this episode right here is the epitome of phoning it in.
You miss JAJ, Why do I fear SNL will do his Trump Monologues every 5-6 episodes like his last time?
I really appreciated the cameos in the CO because it felt like the kickoff of the 50th Celebration, but the rest of the show I agree on just was a tired of doing the show and knew they could float by all the special guests.
And I muted the tv when Bowen came on as the drone and questioned why we couldn’t just skip to the joke swap; and once he got to the end with the singing it made sense…..
Yeah, I didn’t like this episode myself, outside of The Cold Open, Monologue, and Update Joke Swap.
I agree, the Writer’s Room should be overhauled. There are also plenty of writers who have been there for 7-10+ years who need to go.
Also, veteran cast members like Jost, Che, Mikey, Heidi, Ego, Chloe and/or Bowen, etc. Just need to go. Somewhat overhaul both the cast AND the writing staff. The second cast exodus in three seasons, but it’s needed.
I assume Mikey was gone for most of the first-half of the season, because he was busy with Nate Bargatze’s special. But I agree, he should leave at season’s end, too.
I’m surprised at how many retreats there were, and that Martin wasn’t even in the Sabado Gigante sketch (which I thought was just fine).
Maybe someone from the NY Magazine should pay another trip to SNL, and sacrificial, get the job done…? Maybe, lol, Chris Smith again (the guy whonwrote the infamous article in 1995)? Yeah, I’m just ready for change, myself.
@Zach (me) *sacrifically. I meant to type. Also forgot to space another paragraph near the end, too. Whoops
Ok so…
The 2 biggest complaints I’ve seen from this episode are the rehashes, and Martin Short being underused.
Let’s talk about the rehashes.
I think rehashes depend on how you felt about the original.
The first Car Altercation sketch was great, and easily one of the best sketches of S48. But bringing this back, like all the other rehashes tonight, wasn’t necessary. And the first 2/3rds of the sketch was a definite step down from the first. But to be honest, I still thought it wasn’t bad. The argument was still ok enough and Chloe had some good moments. Then Melissa McCarthy came and STOLE the sketch. Her part was unexpected and hilarious and I think why it was so good this time is that we haven’t seen Melissa on the show in a while.
Christmas Airport Parade.
I think the reason why I didn’t have an issue with this one is that SNL has done a LOT of sketches like this over the past 3-4 seasons. They all have the same format, and they all have similar jokes and it’s harmless. There was some stuff in here I had issues with, Marcello’s part was annoying, and I didn’t care for Bowen’s character. But the jokes were still ok, and Martin was great here.
Sabado Gigante. Unlike Blood, I actually loved the first installment of this sketch. So that’s probably why I didn’t hate this one. I thought the antics in this installment were decent enough, and Paul committed as expected. Also wow a hostess sketch! I can’t even remember the last time that happened.
To be honest, I’ve been reading the reviews of this season on the website and have been wondering “why don’t I hate this season???” And I think I’ve realized it.
I’m a more casual fan of the show than a lot of the hardcore fans here.
A lot of you guys have SEEN that the show is capable of great comedy without all of this seasons issues, and since they aren’t doing that, you guys are rightfully disappointed.
But me, I started watching this show in 2022 and I just watch it to laugh.
I wanted to agree with you guys about this season, but realizing now that we just simply have different thoughts about the show, and that we simply watch the show with different expectations, I realize it’s fine.
That’s what’s great about this shows fandom, almost everyone has different thoughts on an episode.
Ok maybe I thought too deep about this, but I just wanted to dump my thoughts.
In case you couldn’t tell by my book I just wrote, I really liked this episode. Every single segment worked for me and I thought the show overall had a fun vibe to it. Martin did his best with what little he was given. And to be completely honest, I thought that this was not only better than last years Christmas show (which i found to be unmemorable), but also better than him and Steve’s episode in S48 (which I also found in memorable).
Ok the books almost over…
The first half of the season was enjoyable as a whole, despite some issues. There were strong episodes, good episodes, some y memorable episodes, a weak episode, and the Jean Smart episode.
While I definitely see the issues with this season, I can brush them aside. I’m hoping the second half can lower those issues.
Also, while I would complain about JAJ being underused as ALL HELL these past few episodes, I realized that Tree Stump is gonna be in office next year, so…
At least he’ll have something.
Ok, I’m done.
Cold Open: ****
Monologue: ****
Car Argument 2: ***1/2
An Act of Kindness: ****
Christmas Airport Parade 2: ***
Weekend Update: ****
Sabado Gigante 2: ***
Charlie Brown Christmas: ***
7.1/10
Wait I’m not done yet.
My Personal Half-Season Ratings:
Jean Smart | Jelly Roll: 5.7
Nate Bargatze | Coldplay: 7.6
Ariana Grande | Stevie Nicks: 6.3
Michael Keaton | Billie Eilish: 6.2
John Mulaney | Chappell Roan: 7.6
Bill Burr | mk.gee: 6.2
Charli XCX | Charli XCX: 5.0
Paul Mescal | Shaboozey: 6.2
Chris Rock | Gracie Abrams: 6.7
Martin Short | Hozier: 7.1
Ok now I am.
Everyone here have a good Holidays with your families, see you next year.
@Nylan h The last time we had a hostless sketch in an episode was when Dave Chappelle hosted the show, back in 2020. He was absent from at least two sketches.
I don’t think anyone expect a Martin Short-hosted Christmas episode to be innovative comedy, but this was shockingly lazy and inept. Like if the whole show had been sketches like the Peanuts one, I wouldn’t have minded–there was a germ of a good concept there, and the cast members at least had something to do. Not top shelf comedy by any means, but fine.
But wholesale retreading sketches that weren’t Christmas-related at all and not intended to be recurring? I enjoyed the traffic altercation sketch a lot the first time, but it’s not meant to be recurring (or if it is, perhaps just use different performers to shake things up). Sabado Gigante was a guilty pleasure of mine the first time, but it’s completely unnecessary here and Paul Rudd delivered his usual bland, listless sketch performance in a nothing role that any cast member could have played (I think Emil would have been hilarious).
I also find it baffling that a short that obviously required some time and effort AND had a Lucy Liu cameo got cut in favor of that ghastly Heidi/Kenan short. Heidi worked her ass off in that short, as she always does, but that’s a comedic premise a 4th grader could come up with.
I think Bowen and Marcello can be funny, but they are obviously more niche performers. They should not be leading multiple sketches and doing constant Update appearances. They can be very funny when used correctly (and Bowen makes an underrated straight man–pun intended). But I think it’s not surprising that Emil and Ashley have immediately jumped into the types of glue, niche roles we’d expect veterans to play.
It’s a testament to how underwhelming and bad this season can be that you, a Gen-Z’er, SNL’s target audience, who started watching the show a little later than me (another Gen-Z’er) that you can point out the valid reasons why this show has been lacking without anything having an “it was better in my day” vibe to it. And for that, I give you props!
You said all that could be said about this episode. I especially appreciate that you pointed out how unpleasant it is to see Tina once again returning to trash the current cast. It becomes very difficult to enjoy a show, even when allowing so many excuses and justifications as I do with modern SNL, that has such contempt for its cast, outside of “stars” like Kenan, Bowen, Mikey, or Marcello (the latter still not seeming anywhere near as popular as the show believes he is).
I’m also glad you pointed out all the cheap gay humor in this episode, and a number of other recent episodes. It’s lazy and pandering and dispiriting.
Episodes like this are so clearly not meant for me, but in the past the show used to still provide more natural energy, or even unnatural energy, in this atmosphere. They should be concerned that they no longer can.
I didn’t want to come on here and endlessly complain about the episode when you already did a much better job of essaying all the lower lights of this episode, so I just wanted to say thank you and I hope you, and all the kind people who read and post here, have a good Christmas and a Happy New Year. And may we somehow get a better SNL in the back half.
Hoo boy, things are crrraaaanky here in the Blood Meridian corner of SNL fandom. My apologies to everyone for the hardship.
Was it a good episode of SNL? Probably not, I don’t know. It was one of those starfucking episodes where they can be fun if you detach yourself from all of those other starfucking moments. Like, was the cold open REALLY any good or was the heat of the starpower so strong it didn’t matter? I don’t think it really matters.
Let’s talk about rehashes – I think we saw the three types of rehashes here: The return of a sketch you loved, the return of a sketch someone else loved and the return of a sketch no one loved. All three register different levels of antipathy. If you are a typical SNL online critic, you will feel most hurt by the return of the sketch you loved. But there are degrees of cynicism and I am the most cynical of all. On SNL, no good sketch or spontaneous moment goes unsullied. At some point, the surprise and joy of that original discovery will be dulled down in the name of “fan service.” But with few exceptions – everything gets brought back to some degree of diminishing returns – Matt Foley, Buh Bye, Schweddy Balls, Census Taker…OMG, the Betty White episode almost killed me. Some day, they are going to try to make cowbell happen again and it will destroy me.
BUT, sometimes the diminished returns don’t have to diminish so much. We all hated Lisa From Temecula 2, but Lisa From Temecula 3 kind of shifted the formula and a more workable way. I’m not happy that Washington’s Dream 2 exists, but I wouldn’t deny that the second one still worked for me. It’s painful to lose that sense of newness that feels like such a non-renewable resource on SNL, but there can still be pockets of joy in the formula.
So it goes with Traffic Altercation 2. Yes, it stings to have this sketch rehashed, but the sketch itself really doesn’t suffer from any kind of exhaustion. We lost the newness, but the revisions on the old beats still largely work and Melissa McCarthy shows up for an absolutely inspired cameo. It’s bittersweet, but there is still much to salvage in the inevitable.
The original Sabado Gigante was just a less structured version of the Japanese Game Show sketch from 94. If Marcello is going to be given an opportunity to scream into the camera every week (to…someone’s delight, I guess), then I don’t give a fuck one way or another if it’s a rehash or not. I’m not going to enjoy it either way, so go for it, make this shit recurring if we are going to have to put up with his sweat act on a weekly basis.
The return of the airport sketch I’m also not really offended by. The first one almost kind of worked (but didn’t really) and SNL has a long history of OK sketches that got better over time with subtle tweaks. Could this be one of those sketches? Not this week, but maybe some day!
For the more original material (and is SNL ever really original), I was somewhat pleased with the way An Act of Kindness sort of curveballed the inevitability of its turn. Like so much SNL, this was built on the assembly line, but the way they landed the twist was far more interesting than I was anticipating. Yes, it all ended up in the same spot and that’s ultimately the bigger problem, but baby steps I guess.
The Charlie Brown thing was a Martin Short vamp piece, which is at least better than a Bowen Yang vamp piece. I try to see the value in Bowen, but I would have to join the chorus that Bowen in an elaborate costume is a harbinger of doom. I deflect my frustrations by going into a fugue state when they pop up on screen.
Update…well, two things: the joke swap was better than not just the last one, but probably several others as well. It was wild and loose and really really rough and I had fun with it. The other thing…is it not wild that the (especially annoying and stupid this week) SNL crowd actually cheered for this Luigi guy? Like, I get it, but isn’t this one of those things where everyone kind of collectively has a similar thought about it but doesn’t, like, audibly cheer a murderer? Holy shit.
Oh, one other thing: “After being cut last week playing a gay couple, we now get Emil & Michael separately playing gay characters? What’s with the show’s new focus on straights playing gay stereotypes this season?”
Is that what’s happening here? Are these characters specifically gay stereotypes? I did not get that at all from my viewing. To me, they were just filler roles played with a base degree of specificity.
Anyways, SNL is, as always, fascinatingly frustrating. Hope everyone recovers.
I genuinely appreciate how your comments are at times in complete contrast from my own thoughts and many here, Carson. That provides fun contrast and more conversation which I love to see.
Re: that Joke Swap, it might have been better to me had it 1) not been done way too many times before that it lost its edge (how many times should I laugh at “edgy” jokes, especially in the age of Trump?), 2) the fourth wall break with Scarlett was cute, but that’s another thing the show did a billion times before these past few seasons in particular (and just done as well the PREVIOUS EPISODE) and fell flat with me, 3) had Che & Jost not laughed their way through them and derailed the episode by at least 2 full minutes, I might have cracked up, and 4) this Update era is so fucking tired to me that I almost feel nothing most of the time with them – they’re now comfort food, nothing else. You come EXPECTING the same type of tired, overdone, formulaic jokes each time, 11 seasons in. If you still enjoy this and others do, more power to you all, but I am not and gotta be honest in these reviews.
“how many times should I laugh at “edgy” jokes, especially in the age of Trump?”
Good question. I would say, roughly as much as you want. Trump’s existence doesn’t preclude anyone from enjoying things.
“they’re now comfort food, nothing else. You come EXPECTING the same type of tired, overdone, formulaic jokes each time, 11 seasons in.”
Couple things here. SNL is comfort food. SNL is Applebees. Weekend Update it, like, whatever Applebee’s staple dish is. Weekend Update is basically the same type of tired, overdone, formulaic jokes each time, 50 seasons in. There are people who provide variance and I wouldn’t be put out if Che/Jost were replaced by new voices (in fact, the greatest gift to the show would be if the four or five longest-tenured castmembers all left), but everyone is basically doing some version of the same formula. I’ll give Che/Jost credit for keeping things moving despite all the weak patches.
I see the point about rehashed sketches.
I don’t really mind the airport sketch being a rehash–it’s pretty clear that’s the type of template that can work in many formats, although using the *exact* same location and hosts is pretty lazy (why not at a store during Christmas shopping season?).
The Sabado Gigante is like taking an iffy but (to me) enjoyable enough sketch and trying to make it a “thing.” But everything was inferior. You also can’t do the same beats of weirdness. And you need someone stronger than Paul Rudd as the contestant.
I agree that the performances, especially Martin and Melissa, are really strong in the parking lot sketch, and if that was the only rehash of the night, I could tolerate that. But the original wasn’t just funny, it had a quietly enjoyable slice of life aspect plus a funny yet not sledgehammer point about race. Repeating so many jokes just lowers the relatability factor. Also, this should have used a different cast member in the Mikey role–perhaps a female performer? I think Ashley would have been hilarious in this part. It’s one of those sketches that isn’t really rooted in the character, but in the humor, so there’s no reason to keep copying and pasting the same Mikey/Chloe combination.
Good points. With Traffic Altercation – yeah, it’s the format we like. This could be anyone’s sketch. It does not need to be a new “Mikey Day character” or somehow worse yet, a new “Chloe Fineman character.” This new version – which I enjoyed well enough – was robbed of the subtext of the original. But that’s what happens with photocopies – the richness of the details start to fade.
I think Sabado Gigante didn’t truly bother me because I had no real affection for the first. If you did, I could see how it would be an annoyance.
I was mildly apathetic to Sabado Gigante but I got some good laughs out of the original. It’s certainly something I don’t mind returning, but the *whole premise* is that it’s an insane, crazy show–why must we have some of the same basic gags of the masked trumpeter, strange child, and talking thing? I also thought Nate Bargatze worked because he was a nice, sort of game but wary guy, playing his typical Nate style of humor. Paul Rudd, who is a stiff, somewhat half-assed sketch performer at worst, makes a poor straight man. I got *why* Nate’s character didn’t walk off or get mad, but Paul’s character felt like he would have just left. I also get mad because his role is the freakin’ straight man–give that to some poor cast member like Andrew or Emil or try a gender swap (although I’m unsure who could actually have played such a role among the female cast members).
Like Washington’s Dream II was derivative but I still got laughs and it was certainly a distinctive Nate Bargatze-type sketch. They also waited until he hosted again. And they did a variety of non-derivative sketches.
I’m just worried now that even the “original” sketches I liked this season are going to get half-assedly reprised. I’m sure that Bill Burr sketch where he interpreted Rorshach blots as animated sex will get reprised for another host. I wouldn’t be stunned to see that Dismukes cagey lawyer thing reprised–that’s actually something that would be good if reprised, but I bet they’ll just do the same joke again.