I had to check twice that there hasn’t been a new SNL episode since Justin Timberlake because that seriously seems like eons ago, but alas, there were not which made this week’s turn with Melissa McCarthy a bit disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, it was still funny, but you’d think with someone as good as McCarthy and well over a month to prepare, it would be a bit better than it was.
The cold open was lazy. Really. Disappointing given that there’s been quite a few episodes in a row where they’ve had great cold opens and I was getting quite used to that. Plus it was Bobby Moynihan who I usually really enjoy no matter what he’s doing. However the real crime was this man.
Now I understand that someone like Dennis Rodman might have gotten tongue tied due to not being in front of an audience before – that’s scary, I get it – but come on man! The line is, and has been for a very long time, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” How you mess that up, I do not know. Again, perhaps is was stage fright, entirely possible for a man not used to people watching him.
The monologue was great though. Melissa McCarthy does physical and ridiculous humor so well that it was fun to see her get the chance. I will say though, just looking at those shoes made my feet hurt! Her mention of crocs made me immediately think of this.
Oh Sookie St. James how I loved you. You and your love of sensible shoes. Although the monologue did have a musical number, it didn’t have that “oh my lord not another musical monologue!!” feel to it. Actually watching McCarthy try to keep up with Taran Killam while fumbling around was hysterical.
However it wasn’t nearly as funny as the ESPN “Outside the Lines” sketch with McCarthy as Coach Shelia Kelly who, it turns out, is even more awful of a coach than the now fired Rutgers coach Mike Rice. Even though it was long (is is just me or have the last few episodes been really bad about long sketches?), it didn’t really get old. Jay Pharoah as the whistle-blowing Assistant Coach who then get’s the the crap beat out of him? Delightful. Bill Hader with a black eye? Yes please. I loved this sketch, so much. I particularly enjoyed the inset of the toaster laying on the ground after it’d been thrown. That’s just funny.
I’m beginning to wonder if NBC has asked SNL to promote The Voice because is it really that great/awful of a show that it warrants two sketches in a season? Outside of a few lines like “I like your misplaced enthusiasm”, it wasn’t much to write home about, especially since they’d done it before.
I’d be okay with them replaying the “Honeybaked Ham” sketch every week. I’m sure after awhile it might get old, but that would be a long while. It is a little embarrassing how loud I laughed when the “presentation” started. Then when she pulled the ham out of the pig costume? I was damn near in tears.
Not only was the sketch funny, but it made me really want ham; from Bobby Moynihan’s footie pajamas or not is optional.
When the “Bathroom Businessman” started, it was sort of amusing. When Kenan Thompson crapped his pants, it was mildly funny. When it popped up as a “Decency” PSA? Perfect. I imagine we’ll see this again at a later date when they need something to fill time.
Weekend Update was on fire this week! Not only that but it got a pretty good chunk of airtime which seems like that hasn’t happened in recent episodes. Three guests? That’s pretty good. I do wish however, that they’d do this when it’s a weaker guest and not someone like Melissa McCarthy. Recent Bar Mitzvah boy is growing on me and that’s only because Vanessa Bayer sells it so well. How she captures the awkwardness of a young teenage boy is beyond me but she does, so well. Kenan Thompson’s Charles Barkley is scary good. I felt guilty for laughing about Kevin Ware’s injury, but I did it anyway.
This was, without a doubt, the highlight of Weekend Update. Perhaps the only thing better was when Peter Dinklage, I’m sorry, Peter Drunklage, said that the IRS stood for “Immigrant Return Services” and Seth Meyers’ reaction to the audience. Fantastic. Shameless plug – if you are a Game of Thrones fan, make sure you check out our reviews each week.
Million Dollar Wheel and Dating in the 90’s each weren’t horrible but they certainly could have been better. But Pizza Plan? That was awesome. Instead of bringing back a specific character from McCarthy’s first time hosting (which is very often the case), they did a sketch that was reminiscent of McCarthy’s “taste tester” character.
Between the repeating of her name and constantly giving Jason Sudeikis a new pen, this was fun to watch. Add in the ridiculous, but almost brilliant, idea of a business solely comprising of being paid to eat leftover pizza, and this was a fantastic sketch. Not only was it funny but it clearly illustrated how good Melissa McCarthy is. This was not really a great sketch on paper. Much like the majority of the episode, the writing was a little lackluster, but McCarthy is so dedicated and puts so much effort and energy into selling those sketches, that they work. I’m always amazed at how little she looks at cue cards. I mean she has a improv background (Groundlings) so it makes sense but even the people who still do improv for a living, the SNL cast, are reading off cue cards on the regular so it’s refreshing to see. It does make me wonder how much better the episode would have been had she been given better material. Oh well, we’ll just have to wait until she hosts again to see!
Next week it’s the tall man himself, Vince Vaughn!
Until then SNL fans!
Grizzly Bomb 