Everything we all said when Daniel Craig hosted SNL in October is true about Jeremy Renner, too. Action movie star, never flexed his comedy chops before, etc. The two big differences, though: Craig had something to promote (seriously, why was Renner chosen? His next movie, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, doesn’t come out for another two months), and where Craig’s episode was decent, Renner’s was…not. It was bad.
Renner was nervous and flustered and clearly reading off the cards most of the night, and the technical malfunction with his piano during the monologue didn’t do him any favors; the only real pleasant surprise of the evening was that he can sing, unless I’m misremembering a Cannibal Corpse song in Dahmer. Renner gave it his all, but unfortunately, when it comes to comedy, he doesn’t have much to give.
The Town is still awesome, though.
Cold Open
The first of many David Petraeus-themed bits, none of which really landed. The cold open may have been the worst of the bunch — the joke revealed itself about 30 seconds in, and save for a quick sight gag of Fred Armisen’s creepy smirk, it never progressed beyond its unfunny concept.
Tourism Ad
Funny idea (especially for someone who grew up in a small town), decent execution; I just wish it would have been a little weirder. The specifics were on the nose (the former Kmart that’s now a closed Michaels, the old high school friend working at the local movie theater, etc.), but “Tourism Ad” felt like it could have gone further.
The Californians
That’s my official review.
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Let’s do some Van Damage….
Ehhhhh I’ve seen worse.
I’ll say this much: Jeremy Renner > January Jones
Whoa-o-a Fat Betty, blam ba lam
Josh, that’s like saying eating boiled cabbage is better than eating a stale dog turd.
Boiled cabbage is and always will be way better than stale dog turd, what is wrong with you?
Definitely been worse episodes. Where are they pulling these hosts from? Such a random selection this season…
Didnt see last nights episode, and I’m not gonna bother looking at those clips. I’m just trying to get that sloppy swish badge, you dig?
Yep, gotta get that badge before Lorne runs that Mokiki bit into the ground.
Real Talk.
Fuck yes.
This episode was meant for DVR’ing.
SNL sucked last night. I’m grabbing the badge, then I’m going out for some motha-effin’ eggs benedict and a bloody mary.
The worst part of the avengers bit was the whole thing was just a joke Vince made 9 months ago.
To say nothing of the Internet already having made every Petraeus joke before this episode aired.
I’m from Sao Paulo Brazil, and watched the show over the Net, I thought Jeremy Renner oq brilliant with his hands, if he did not do better. it is the fault of whoever wrote .. only watched because of Jeremy.
HOLY GOD THIS WAS AWFUL. The Avengers bit was so late, so amazingly late.
The writers to the costume department: “Go to Party City and buy the best costumes $40 will buy!”
i was somewhat forced into a dance off at a show the other night. naturally, i sloppy swished.
Literally the only laughs for me came from Weekend Update… This was easily the worst of the season. Here’s hoping Foxx can give a nice bounce back episode
I can see Foxx putting on a good episode. Maybe Ron Howard will stop by and just sit in the background for no apparent reason.
Forrest Whittaker and Jake Gyllenhaal too.
Didn’t even chuckle until Update. Didn’t laugh after it. Loved Katt Williams though.
Same here.
It really speaks to the whiteness of the studio audience that he didn’t get more laughs. That impression was spot on.
That Katt was great. They should use him more. The white people in the audience will just think the writers came up with him.
I guess i’m out of touch. I thought last night’s episode was hilarious, in large part due to Renner. And SNL always sucks and I hate Renner.
His singing was alright. It was too distracting to see him stare at cue cards and his timing was bad for live tv…but his digital short was good.
I agree, arbydarsh.
i’m generally an SNL apologist and pretty forgiving, but god damn last night was terrible.
potential unpopular opinion: Weekend Update is the most reliable part of the show. i thought Seth had some great jokes last night and Pharaoh’s Katt Williams was perfect and hilarious.
Jay Pharoah’s impressions are great. He should be in more sketches.
Pharoah is poised to be the next black comedian who will go on to do great things after he was criminally under-utilized on SNL.
I’m surprised they went with the Williams impression. The news had only broke the night before, I believe, and he’s not exactly a household name. Risky move that paid off.
What, no M:I sketch? Ben Stiller and his horrible impression weren’t available to plug some Focking movie?
Dear God this is the greatest badge ever.
WHAT?! I gotta work for the Sloppy Swish?!
“Action movie star, never flexed his comedy chops before, etc.”
So, you’re one of those people who never heard of Jeremy Renner before Hurt Locker, huh? Check out National Lampoon’s Senior Trip.
that was Devon Sawa, ass.
/kidding
And the short-lived TV series, “The Unusuals.”
I said comedy, not “comedy.”
SWAT
it was painful to watch the Californians with Fred Armisen trying to recapture the greatness of the first time they did it and break…but they should just put that sketch to die!!!
That was pretty bad. Adversely, the Avengers wasn’t terrible, but they milked one good joke too long.
That sketch is the worst.
The Californians sketch was particularly awful last night, but I did think Jeremy Renner as the self-proclaimed mayor of Tampa Bay was awesome.
How, HOW, does the Californians actually make it to air? SO AWFUL.
It was alright at first but it’s pretty bad now. I think the cast members enjoy it as an inside joke.
Yeah, take it around back and shoot it already.
Its on eof the few sketches i laugh at. Its so stupid.
So, does your divorced friend have a number? If she’s making that kind of paper, then get at me! Hey, kids arent a deal breaker for me.
Figures that the one sketch I missed (“Coroner”) is the best one of the night…
Don’t worry…you didn’t miss much.
I didn’t catch an F bomb.
The only f-bombs where mine after realizing I wasted 30 minutes watching these medicore sketches.
The vacation ad would have been funny. However, all I could think of was that the Onion nailed that concept several years ago in this article.
I found it much better than the Craig episode and it probably would have been a middle of the road episode in any of the last 3 years, but things have improved so much with Wiig gone
I think The Californians moved on from being an actual sketch to being a sketch about a sketch. It’s dumb nonsense, they know it and you know it, and they’re going to go out there and make it dumber and more nonsensical and then we all see how it works out this time. I had fun.
More nonsensical than Usain Bolt?
I like the Californians. I dont know why, but i do.
I really enjoyed this episode but I was also really hungover. Everything is comedy gold when I’m hungover.
This. I remember my worst hangover ever being cured by “Meet the Parents” on TV.
Yao Ming really does look different without the jersey.
Commenting in the hopes of getting a badge. I don’t understand this system.
That was the worst sketch I’ve ever seen.
It was terrible.
The cartoon made me miss Ugly Americans
Okay, who actually are these people that like the “Californians” sketch so much that they keep going back to that dried up husk?
Seriously, please tell me where these people live so I can mail them dirty bombs.
Seconded.
It’s never good when your action star is always the shortest guy on the stage.
Another horrible SNL episode.
Im a doin tha Sloppy Swish
It was a pretty stinky episode… my favorites were “The Situation Room” and “The Stand Off.” They did nail the “only one video clip” habit of CNN and I just found myself chuckling throughout the Stand Off.
So painful to watch. Only that Coroner sketch was funny and by then I was already mourning my wasted time.
Because I am just getting into this season (and not watching last season) I have to ask…why did January Jones ever get to host and where is this crapfest proof? Also, I want more badges…
Black guy in Maroon 5 = PJ Morton. On loan from Young $
Second or third worst episode of the season.