A cold open set in the past? I’m positive we are getting JAJ-as-Trump interrupting this one then. I forgot to mention this point during last week’s (terrible) cold open, but I just cannot buy a lot of these performers playing such roles. They are far too young and look as if they are playing dress-up in some school play. (Besides Mikey and Ashley in this cold open, to be precise.) And yeah, I know this is SNL, but having female cast members as founding fathers? Nice seeing Ashley & Emil right from the get-go, at least.
January 18, 2025 – Dave Chappelle / GloRilla (S50 E11)
Mid-Season Thoughts on the show: As usual, I’m going to list here a few of my thoughts regarding this season and some of the cast members. The cast member who’s been standing out to me the most this year has to be Andrew Dismukes, who’s been having an absolutely fantastic season - one so consistently …
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December 21, 2024 – Martin Short / Hozier (S50 E10)
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.
December 14, 2024 – Chris Rock / Gracie Abrams (S50 E9)
Wait, Sarah as Nancy Grace? Had no idea that woman is still relevant. Sarah is giving a fun performance as her, surprising no one. This has been an interesting season for Sarah. On one hand, outside of a few desk pieces and one sketch, she is seemingly no longer pushed as a “star” cast member and seems to be getting tons of airtime in utility work. I imagine due to the impending departure of Heidi/Ego/Chloe. I guess that also explains the recent upswing in airtime Ashley Padilla been (rightfully) getting. Sarah’s been good in these roles, which is the better use of her instead of the often-poor material she was performing and at times given on the show.
December 7, 2024 – Paul Mescal / Shaboozey (S50 E8)
Ah, Phil’s voice. I just get both emotional and wistful hearing his voice in more recent decades of the show. Nice seeing a Church Lady cold open in 2024, even when I was expecting one earlier in the season, with Dana being basically a part-time cast member and all. I see Dana is still got it, as he is cracking me up per usual as the Church Lady - his talk about Wicked having tigers, lions and sluts is very funny.
November 16, 2024 – Charli XCX (S50 E7)
I am a bit surprised we are getting another JAJ-as-Trump appearance, and, for the fifth episode in a row that is. While I know the show would parody the President-elect before and during his upcoming administration, I expected them to go light covering him till post-inauguration. Still, considering that I love JAJ’s Trump take, I’m not really mad.
November 9, 2024 – Bill Burr / Mk.gee (S50 E6)
Already from the start of this, I can tell this could be a “somber” cold opening, about how “we’re all in this together” and such. I sure hope it is a fakeout at the start. As that tone is so patronizing, out-of-touch with the rest of the country and just plain unfunny. I got a big laugh from the turn, after an intentionally-somber start about President-elect Trump’s return to the White House, with the revelation they’ve always been supportive of him. The lines from the cast are good, though the audience is not as much into the cold open as I expected. I am laughing though.
November 2, 2024 – John Mulaney / Chappell Roan (S50 E5)
With the surprisingly good-and-funny prior cold open, with how dire the cold opens preceding it were, I am hoping this cold open keeps it up. I have no idea why Chloe’s “impression” of Kaitlin Collins has appeared in 3 out of 5 episodes so far this season. It sounds (like a Twitter user accurately put it) like Chloe heard about how said person sounds like and winged an impression, which sadly represents so much of these so-called “master of impressions” takes of hers with various celebs. Compare that to JAJ’s lived-in, layered vocal and personal impersonation of people he did on and outside of SNL.
October 19, 2024 – Michael Keaton / Billie Eilish (S50 E4)
Random Alec Baldwin as Bret Baier? Why not have a cast member playing this generic anchor? Does anybody really miss the era of frequent Alec Baldwin cameos or is this for the millions who watch the cold open this election season and turn off the how after it? Alec is an SNL legend, but if he should be back, it should be in a hosting stint, in my opinion.
October 12, 2024 – Ariana Grande / Stevie Nicks (S50 E3)
Knowing this is our first delayed episode since the season 46 Dave Chappelle episode already makes this episode different than the prior two, before it even began. I see this cold opening is moving into a “new” direction compared to the horrible first two, with us getting the “fresh” setting of a Family Feud sketch, complete with the seemingly-retired Steve Harvey impression from Kenan coming back.