This is where I usually criticize "SNL" for lazy writing or an underwhelming guest host or bad musical guest (MY OPINIONS MATTER). But not this week. Maya Rudolph returned to Studio 8H as a host after departing in 2007, and "SNL" had its best episode in years. There were no bad sketches (I know, right?), and even the two least funny ones featured Paul Simon chilling with Stefon and Bill Hader losing his sh*t over a segment gone awry.
Rudolph hosting brought out an energy among the cast members that isn't always present. Maybe it's comfort factor or because the cast doesn't have to worry about C-Tates screwing up their delivery, but this episode seemed lively and effortless — just like when Jimmy Fallon hosted last year. BUT BETTER because this one had Justin Timberlake as Bon Iver, Kate Upton, and Fred Armisen as Prince.
But don't worry: Lindsey Lohan hosts the next new episode, on March 3 (followed by Justin Bieber two weeks later, if rumors prove true), so we'll have plenty to complain about soon enough.
Things got off to a strong start when "SNL" DIDN'T DO ANOTHER POLITICAL COLD OPEN. That, and because the writers found a clever, "linteresting" angle on Linsanity that hasn't been done to death.
There's no reason why "Bronx Beat" had to be eight minutes long, but “We’re going to go to a Panera Bread and talk about you" is a pretty good line. (Amy's off-the-cuff mug-flipping was great, too.) The Poehler/Rudolph pairing is one that doesn't exact in the current cast, and that's a damn shame. As much as I like Abby Elliot and Vanessa Bayer, they don't have the same sense of rhythm that these two do.
My favorite sketch of the episode. I rarely LOL IRL, but I did during "Prank Show": “Sister Maya, was this an act of malice?” “No, Brother West. It was an act of whimsy.” Rudolph's slowed-down delivery was what really sold it for me, and the whole thing was so bizarre that I didn't mind the show never getting around to the seemingly-inevitable Whitney Houston In Heaven sketch.
"SNL" really needs two "Weekend Update" anchors. There's a certain zip to the jokes when they're being delivered by multiple people that doesn't exist when they're coming from Seth Meyers only. My picks: John Mulaney and Nasim Pedrad. Just step aside, Seth.
Another reason why this episode worked so well: the humor was different, more "black," and you rarely see that with "SNL." Rudolph hosting allowed the show to do "Blue Ivy," "Obama Cosby," "Maya Rudolph," and "What's He Doing?" without the awkward fear of running out of non-white people. (Nasim played a fine Nicki Minaj, but still...) Lorne, please hire a black female. PLEASE. And then hire Justin Timberlake to a one-year contract.
Will "What's Up with That?" ever get old to me? Nope. I can't hate on Lindsey Buckingham. I do wish Bill O'Reilly — sitting WAY too close to Kate Upton for anyone's comfort — hadn't been in on the joke, though; it would have been a lot funnier if Kenan could have made fun of the doddering, old racist. Plus:
A terrible sketch made funny by four likable people realizing it was awful halfway through, and deciding to have fun with it. Props to Vanessa Bayer for never breaking character, though.
Fred Armisen should always impersonate Obama by way of Cosby.
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I just want it on the record that Fred Armisen’s version of Prince brings me a bottomless amount of glee.
Seriously, not a single bad sketch. That just doesn’t happen.
SNL being funny, edgy and provocative? The world really is coming to an end this year
Honestly, “What’s up with that?” works for me 95% thanks to this Jason Sudeikis dance.
Also, you know what was really good about this episode? A lot of Jay Pharoah impressions! He’s really good at it, they really need to use him more.
His Morgan Freeman was perfect, but it was way too short (what something was short in SNL??).
I demand some kind of sketch with Hader’s Eastwood and Pharoah’s Freeman!!
Wow, Josh, you really just ripped off the AV Club’s entire review, didn’t you?
Wow. I wish I had been able to catch the whole episode based on this review.
I tuned in and caught “What’s up with that?” which I thought was one of the most unfunny things I’ve ever witnessed. Thank god for Kate Upton’s cleavage.
There were no jokes in that sketch, It was a premise that dragged out far too long, and it was one fat grandma away from a Tyler Perry musical.
The next sketch was only tolerable because of Wiig’s charm and physical comedy as she trounced around in a golf cart. In those two sketches, there wasn’t a single phrase of inspired comedic writing.
After that I tuned out. Based on this post though, I wish I had caught the rest!
I don’t like to throw around charges of plagiarism lightly, BUT I happened to read the Onion’s AV Club write-up of this episode yesterday and noticed a NUMBER of comments from your post that seem straight ripped-off. I could buy you sharing a few of these same thoughts, but the sheer number of them – comeon?
Both the Bronx Beat and Maya Angelou quotes you used were among the few featured on the AV Club.
“it’s how she uses that slowed-down cadence to make a good line great.”
“Justin Timberlake, meanwhile, obviously wants to be a cast member. Secretly. Come on, Justin. Sign a one-year deal. You’d have fun”
“it’s time to either get rid of Seth Meyers or find him a partner.”
“I wanted Bill O’Reilly to be less in on the joke”
“I must applaud Vanessa Bayer for keeping her cool when her more-senior castmates couldn’t”
“He should probably just always do his Obama with a Cosby voice”
I actually haven’t even read the AV Club review yet, so my apologies if there are similarities. I’ll go through them point-by-point:
-Those were the two funniest quotes from those two respective sketches, and it’s not unlike multiple recaps to highlight them.
-I’ve always thought that JT should be signed on as a cast member, but this is the first time since I’ve started recapping that he’s been on the show. I specified a “one-year deal” because he would never sign on for more than that.
-I’ve said the Seth Meyers thing repeatedly. As has everyone.
-It’s true about O’Reilly — he’s someone that I hate, and I wish SNL could have made fun of him, instead of telling this terrible, terrible human what the joke was and have him playing along with it.
-Bayer was the only one who kept her cool in a sketch that people only didn’t hate because everyone broke character. There was literally nothing else to talk about with it.
-As for Armisen’s Obama, I’ve also stated in the past that too many SNL cast members aren’t really impersonating politicians, so much as they are vaguely sounding like them. This was a different way of doing it, and really, really funny.
I’m sorry again about the similarities. I think it has to more to do with “there’s only so much that can be said about specific SNL sketches” than “PLAGIARISM,” but I do apologize for any similarities.
Thanks for responding, Josh – I know you wouldn’t have even bothered with that if you were at all guilty, so I apologize. Clicking through the pages here for me was just like how QueeferSutherland described, with this growing feeling of “where have I heard this before”; I also took special note at the Panera Bread line, because, again just like QS, I thought it was weird when AV Club mentioned it since it fell flat for me, and then to see it here too?
I guess there really is only so much you can say about SNL, and if your thoughts are in-sync with the guys at the AV Club, then that should be a compliment.
Am I the only person in the world who likes Seth Myers? Sometimes I feel that way.
Great episode, though! I will forever cherish scared Prince.
Damn, this was almost word for word what the AVClub wrote.
I can’t believe someone else could have thought the Maya Angelo skit was the funniest of the night, but when I read the “timberlake should sign a one year deal” part and two news anchors idea, it all clicked. Shit, both reviews even called out the same (incorrect) most funny line from Bronx Beat (“I’m going to slide off my chair” was easily the winner), which probably doesnt mean much in and of itself. But couple that with the rest and….yeah.
See below. And just to clarify with the JT thing again: this is the first episode of SNL I’ve recapped for WG with a Timberlake appearance, and I’ve always thought that he should join the cast (particularly with the news of a major cast turnover next season). The specificity of the “one-year contract” is because I know he’d never agree to do more than that, as anyone who’s waiting for the follow-up to FutureSex/LoveSounds knows all too well.
Poor Josh, everyone is hating on him when usually everyone is just hating on SNL.
Here is a cute puppy with a flower to cheer you up, buddy.
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Josh, it’s impossible for you to have the same opinion about the same hour of comedy as someone else. Simply impossible. Like, when Dustin Tweeted that it was an inspired episode and I also Tweeted that it was inspired… I mean, I totally ripped Dustin off. Anywho, just admit that there’s no way that two people could have thought that Maya Angelou’s prank show was the best.
Hey everyone! Josh is a great, big phoney!!
Timberlake as Bon Iver = Best
Yeah she was pretty good. Miley Cyrus, surprisingly wasn’t bad either last season.
I keep hoping that one of these days when they do “What’s Up With That” they’ll bring out Jason Sudeikis to do his dance, and Blake Griffin is going to be right next to him dancing up a storm. Please make this happen internet.
Paul Simon? I thought that was Mel Brooks!
I guess the writers had been saving it up for this episode.
I don’t know why, but the P-word argument below made me think of this:
“Do you even know what an idiom is?”
“a colloquial metaphor”
This was a very good episode. Rudolph was on point and I’m pretty sure I squee’d with delight when Amy Poehler came out during WU to join Meyers for another “Really?!?” segment. And sure, this was a great episode, but I still think Zooey D wins the season b/c I don’t remember seeing Kenan Thompson in a single sketch that week.
OBAMA/JAMAL-BIDEN 2012!
It was a very good episode… the most intriguing thing… I didn’t realize how huge Maya Rudolph’s boobs were! Pleasant surprise and my initial reward for tuning in…
Wait a minute… “The Obama Show”? Airing THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 8?!?!?! WHAT ABOUT COMMUNITY?!?!? DAMN YOU NBC!
Yo missed the best one – The “How is he Doing” sketch at the end was quite possibly the funniest thing I have seen on SNL since I was a kid
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