Anna Kendrick is a talented lady. She’s an Oscar-nominated film actress, a trained singer and was on Broadway before her 13th birthday. Besides, if you follow her on Twitter, you know she’s also a very funny lady with a surprisingly sarcastic and crass sense of humor. Given all that, there’s no reason why she won’t be a killer Saturday Night Live host. So let’s not waste any time and get right to the recapping!
Unlike always, due to extenuating circumstances (and by “extenuating circumstances” I mean family Bar Mitzvah in Philly), I was unable to recap SNL in my usual way. So excuse my tardiness in this recap. I also watched a bit of this SNL episode before I went to bed, so some of the earlier sketches I’ve seen twice before this writing. But like always, for each segment I’ll rate it on a scale of 0-5 stars. At the end of the piece, I’ll share some quick overall thoughts and the best/worst sketch of the night.
GM Hearing: * *
Tonight on C-Span is the congressional hearing for the General Motors ignition switch recall. That sounds pretty dull, right? Problem is, so is this cold open. The joke, GM’s CEO Mary Barra won’t answer any questions the senators ask her. Ha. Ha. Except for a truly funny bit involving the famous “Live from New York!” line, the sketch didn’t contain many laughs, unless Kate McKinnon saying variations of “we’re looking into it” is your cup of comedic tea.
Opening Monologue: * * * * ½
Kendrick is in the house! And it’s not long before the Pitch Perfect and future Into The Woods star breaks into song with a revamped version of a Beauty & The Beast tune. Kendrick has a killer voice and is very excited to be taking over hosting duties. Very excited. Sure, this is your standard issue musical monologue (bits with cast members, walking around the studio, obligatory Lorne Michaels cameo) but it was executed extremely well, had great energy and involved the entire cast. We’re off to a great start.
Fox & Friends: * * * ½
The Fox & Friends skits have always been a mixed bag. Yes, the corrections are 100 percent comedic gold as is Moynihan’s gleeful portrayal of Brian Kilmeade (who wants to join the NAACP because he loves college basketball), but the sketches themselves are generally hit or miss. This one has great moments, my favorite of which involves Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s husband and the Obamacare website, but the whole thing is too disjointed with Obamacare and global warming themes fighting for attention. On the plus side, Kendrick is good in her first sketch as an Obamacare user who may be a victim of the shoddy website or may just be a blackout drunk. She does a good job; so much so that I wish the sketch has stuck with her and not brought on Thompson’s Neil DeGrasse Tyson. But seriously, go watch it below and pause on the corrections: each one is ten times funnier than the stuff in this sketch and the cold open combined.
Dongs Around The World: ½
Remember how great (Do It On My) Twin Bed was? Seriously, one of the best things SNL has produced all year. Dongs Around The World wants to be Twin Bed so badly. Problem is, it’s dumb, repetitive and just not funny. I didn’t enjoy hearing the ladies of SNL repeat the word “dong” to a hip-hop beat reminiscent of “Talk Dirty” or the multiple close-ups of men in speedos. Perhaps if there was a clever or funny payoff but…You know what, let’s just forget this ever happened and rewatch Twin Bed, OK?
The Little Mermaid: * * * ½
The Little Mermaid skit should have been an instant classic, the kind plastered across social media by ‘90s kids (like myself) all around the country, a five star-er. But it’s not and I’m not fully sure why. The production value is very good and the performances, especially from Bryant, are top-notch. Even the set-up (Ariel tries to sell her voice to Ursula but, when she shows off her pipes, she sounds like Kesha and Brittney) shows a lot of promise. But yet it doesn’t quite work. I don’t know if it’s that the idea feels about 10 years too late or maybe it’s the musical choices that throw the skit off balance, I don’t know. It’s not a bomb by any means, but it didn’t come together fully coherently either.
Flirty: * * * *
What a simple and wonderfully timeless sketch. It’s two neighbors, Bayer and Mooney, badly flirting with each other in short, nicely shot vignettes. Simple premise but it has a great build and crescendos hilariously with Bennett as a more straightforward bedfellow for Bayer. Not quite Sad Mouse or Beer Pong, but a really solid effort.
Weekend Update: * * * *
Besides Jebediah Atkinson, McKinnon’s Angela Merkel might be my favorite new Weekend Update guest. I greatly enjoyed her debut in the Kerry Washington episode and was waiting patiently for her return. And here we are. While the material wasn’t quite as strong as the first time around, Merkel is such a wonderfully specific character that just about anything that passes her lips lands. Next we have Wheelan who does a very funny bit of stand-up (or is it sit-down) about the time he blacked out and his buddies put a stick of butter down his pants. Finally, George R.R. Martin (a fantastic Moynihan with a malfunctioning beard) appears at the desk to talk about Game of Thrones and his case of writers block (“Do you have any idea how hard it is to name 1,000 characters? Sure they start off cool like Daenerys and Sandor Clegane but at some point all I could muster was Jaime and Robb.”) Not the best WU of the season, but three solid segments nevertheless.
Le Jeunes de Paris: * * * * ½
It’s been a few seasons since the last Jeunes de Paris sketch and I’m so, so happy to see it back. These skits are not your typical SNL material and I can see many viewers being confused by them. There are no jokes, no real spoken dialogue even, and a lot of stylish, over-the-top choreography along with callbacks to “Cups” and “Madeline” (of “twelve little girls in two straight lines” fame). So many of you may disagree with me on this one. But I find it incredibly joyful, funny and creative. I hope we see more Le Jeunes de Paris before the end of the season.
Principal Frye - Field Trip: * * ½
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Pharaoh’s Principal Frye character. I’m not sure the character’s all that funny or why he keeps coming back. The best part of this skit? Kendrick as a zoo tour guide overpowered by the rowdy students. The rest? Just ehhh.
Big Joe: * * * ½
I usually hate broad, dumb sketches like Big Joe. Therefore, I should hate Big Joe. But it made me laugh – the repetition, Killam’s monotone line reading, the hokey aesthetics, everything. Not much to say here but, yeah, sometimes stupid things just tickle my funny bone and Big Joe is a prime example.
Pharrell’s Audition: * * ½
What a night for Broadway on SNL! And what a treat to see “Rent” on the show. Unfortunately, this sketch isn’t all that funny. At an audition to be Pharrell’s back-up singer, two sisters (Kendrick and Bayer) sing “Take Me Or Leave Me.” Problem is one is a much better singer than the other. The concept here is fine but it’s pace feels way off and Bayer’s singing isn’t really as terrible a the sketch wants you to believe. Sure it’s screechy and off-key and wouldn’t hold up in a professional audition but it’s also no worse than you’d find at your average high school musical. Besides, I prefer the Hannah/Marnie version of “Take Me Or Leave Me” anyway…
NCAAP Tourney – Best of the White Guys: * * ½
White guys can’t play basketball! How funny (and not dated at all)! This short sketch seemed more padding than a fully formed sketch. Why this
ridiculously zany piece of warped ‘90s nostalgia was cut in favor of White Guys, I have no clue.
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Best Sketch: Le Jeunes de Paris (although I enjoyed the hell out of the monologue)
Worst Sketch: Dongs. Dongs. Dongs. Dongs.
Musical Guest: Pharrell Williams
We all knew Pharrell would sing “Happy” and that he would wear that crazy Mounties hat. He did both in his first SNL slot. “Happy” is about as bouncy and bubble-gum-y as a pop track can get without being obnoxious and here it’s performed with a gaggle of dancing kids. Infectious is a pretty damn good way to describe it. His second “Marilyn Monroe” is less catchy and bouncy than “Happy,” but it is a very solid, disco-esque pop track. Besides Hans Zimmer is there to conduct a small orchestra. That’s pretty cool.
Overall Thoughts: Anna Kendrick was a very good host, as expected, and the episode contained a record number of musical-themed sketches. While there was some duds, there was some wonderfully funny moments too that were well worth watching. I hope Kendrick is back and that, next time, they give her a little more to do. I think she can handle a lot more than they threw at her.
Next Week:Seth Rogen and Ed Sheeran.