Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
TRUMP INTERVIEW
Lester Holt (MIC) questions Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin) about James Comey
— Ugh.
— Not only do I dislike whenever SNL has Trumpwin deliver uncharacteristic pop culture-centric lines, such as the Beyonce-playing-her-hits-at-a-concert one in this cold opening, but Alec butchered that Beyonce one with his stumbly delivery.
— After having Trumpwin admit to obstruction of justice, I like Michael’s Lester Holt looking around in surprise and asking, “So, wait – did I get ‘im???”, and then, after being told something over his earpiece, responding “So…absolutely NOTHING matters anymore? Okay.”
— Feels a little odd seeing Mikey doing a Paul Ryan impression, given the fact that it was a role that the then-recently-fired Taran Killam used to regularly play.
— The Anderson Cooper eye-roll bit gave me a laugh.
— While the running gag with Trumpwin always referring to Michael’s Holt as other famous black people isn’t doing anything for me for the most part, I did laugh at the meta bit with him referring to Michael’s Holt as “Kenan” at one point.
— Overall, not as awful as some of the last few Trumpwin cold openings, but still blah as a whole, mainly Trumpwin’s lines.
STARS: **
MONOLOGUE
host shows backstage SNL to a mom; Ryan Reynolds & Blake Lively cameos
— A sweet bit with Melissa McCarthy making every mother in the audience stand up to receive applause, in honor of Mother’s Day.
— I recall hearing that Joan, the audience member who McCarthy is giving a tour of the studio to, is writer Sarah Schneider’s mother. Joan does mention the name Sarah here when telling McCarthy the names of her two kids.
— A fun, charming, and different approach to the usual “around-the-studio monologue” trope.
— A rare instance of someone calling attention to the traditional backstage llama. Coincidentally, one of the only other occurrences I can remember of the llama being acknowledged by someone happens to be in another Melissa McCarthy monologue: her season 39 one.
— As I sorta mentioned in my review of Emily Blunt’s monologue from earlier this season, McCarthy calls Kyle “Mike Mooney” here in a genuine accident, and doesn’t seem to realize her mistake.
— At one point, right before McCarthy introduces Joan to HAIM, McCarthy’s mic cuts off for a few seconds while she’s in the middle of a sentence.
— It’s fascinating seeing some portions of SNL’s backstage that we usually never see, including the area behind the entrance door of the home base stage. The only other two times I remember seeing the latter in an actual episode (meaning I’m not counting behind-the-scenes videos) is the cold opening of Bruce Dern’s season 7 episode and, most memorably, the monologue from Danny DeVito’s season 14 episode.
— Interestingly, when Joan’s name is announced right before she enters the home base stage like a host, not only is that not Darrell Hammond’s voice doing the announcing (because he didn’t do his announcements live for most of [if not all of] this season, and thus, I guess SNL didn’t have enough time between the writing of this monologue and the airing of this episode to get Darrell to tape an announcement of Joan’s name), but whoever that is doing the announcing is doing a Don Pardo impression.
— I like how the SNL Band replays the opening theme music when Joan enters the home base stage.
STARS: ***½
JUST DESSERTS!
unlucky contestant (host) gets pies & cakes in the face
— I love Kenan’s voice-over cheesily exclaiming “PIE!” whenever McCarthy gets hit with a pie. By the way, for the longest time, I had remembered that voice-over shockingly being Kenan’s ONLY involvement in this entire episode, before I recently remembered that he also appears in a pre-taped commercial later in this episode.
— I haven’t been caring for where this sketch has been going.
— McCarthy’s starting to worry me with that unscripted(?) coughing and hacking sound she keeps doing off-camera, which seems genuine. When she got sprayed with sprinkles earlier, did some of them go down her throat and get stuck in it?
— The extended clean-up sequence is kinda funny, at least.
STARS: *½
AMAZON ECHO SILVER
Amazon Echo Silver is tailored to respond to old folks’ verbal inquiries
— Very relatable humor here, and it’s being executed perfectly.
— Excellent use of Cecily’s always-reliable voice-over work.
— Feels rare seeing Kyle play this type of role.
— The “black jazz” bit is particularly hilarious.
STARS: *****
PRESS CONFERENCE
Sean Spicer (host) explains Russia investigation with matryoshka dolls
Sean Spicer (host) drives podium to confront Donald Trump (Alec Baldwin)
— The debut of Aidy’s Sarah Huckabee Sanders impression.
— Our obligatory Sean Spicer sketch of the night.
— What in the world does McCarthy say after using a fire extinguisher on Mikey’s pants? I could make out a lot of that line, but most of the last third of it completely lost me. Here’s a quote of the line: “You know why I had to put your pants out? ‘Cause your (something something) lyin’ in there!” The “(something something)” part is the words that I can’t make out. Back when this sketch originally aired, I remember rewinding this part over and over again trying to understand the “(something something)”, to no avail. And in my current viewing four years later, I still can’t understand the “(something something)”. She seemed to mess something up in that line, as she half-heartedly adds “Pants lyin’” afterwards in what appears to be an ad-lib, as if she’s correcting herself. If anyone reading this review can help me figure out what the “(something something)” part of the afore-quoted line that I’m confused about is, thanks in advance.
— Another odd gaffe, this time when McCarthy is showing the various Russian dolls. The wrong doll seemed to be included at one point when McCarthy meant to show the Slimer-from-Ghostbusters doll, resulting in initial awkwardness from McCarthy when realizing the error, but she recovers well by humorously blaming Bobby’s Glenn Thrush in an ad-lib, which is followed by the camera doing a hilarious brief cutaway to Bobby slyly shrugging his eyebrows repeatedly in an ad-lib of his own.
— Good bit with the pillar that McCarthy’s Spicer throws at Vanessa.
— A fun and well-filmed outdoors sequence with McCarthy’s Spicer driving his motorized podium across the city.
— Feels a little odd seeing Trumpwin in this sketch.
— Somebody seemed to forget a line just now during the Trumpwin/Spicer conversation, resulting in a stretch of awkward silence.
— A very weak ending with the Trumpwin/Spicer kiss.
STARS: ***
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Want You Back”
WEEKEND UPDATE
rehab got PED sober & also revealed that he’s allergic to horses
Cathy Anne recognizes evidence of junkie-grade paranoia in Donald Trump
— Michael has a very distracting smudge of light makeup on his forehead (seen in the second, fifth, and sixth above screencaps for this Weekend Update), left over from his portrayal of Lester Holt earlier tonight. The smudge almost looks like a band-aid.
— I’m kinda surprised Michael’s not doing his usual “Trump voice” when reading all of those Trump tweets.
— I like how the running gag with a record-scratch sound effect and James Brown’s “I Feel Good” playing whenever Michael points out how a crazy thing Trump has done sounds like something from a wacky movie trailer is bringing to mind that fantastic Loews Theater sketch from the season 23 Garth Brooks episode.
— I couldn’t find anything to say about Pete’s overall commentary while watching it just now, but it was okay as a whole, and had some decent lines and interesting anecdotes.
— The makeup smudge on Michael’s forehead is finally gone. Somebody at the show must’ve noticed and had somebody come over and remove the smudge while Pete’s commentary was going on.
— Lots of very strong jokes from Colin and Michael tonight.
— Nice recovery from Michael when stumbling during his introduction of the next guest commentary.
— Good to see another Cathy Anne commentary.
— Meh, I could’ve done without Cathy Anne’s preachy, clapter-bait non-comedic lines during one portion of her commentary.
— Lots of good interplay between Cathy Anne and Michael here.
— This overall Cathy Anne commentary was good, though not quite as strong as usual.
STARS: ****
FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
Debette Goldry & fellow veteran actress (host) describe sacrifices made
— Oh, I forgot until now that there’s a Debette Goldry sketch with Melissa McCarthy playing a similar character to Kate’s.
— I’m not too crazy about the voice that McCarthy’s using here.
— The usual hilarious lines from Kate’s Debette (even if there’s nothing here that I’m bothering to quote in this review). McCarthy’s character, on the other hand, feels unnecessary.
STARS: ****
KYLE AND LESLIE
relationship of KYM & LEJ grows more complex via marriage & parenthood
— Ah, our second entry in the great Leslie/Kyle saga.
— I love the footage of Leslie and Kyle’s wedding inside the SNL studio.
— A great reveal that Leslie and Kyle now have a son, and that they named him after Lorne (even if SNL already used that joke years prior in a cameo that Jimmy Fallon made during a Fey/Poehler-era Weekend Update, where it was revealed that Jimmy and Tina Fey are the parents of a young boy named Lorne.)
— I like the usage of various TV/movie clips of Leslie and Kyle, respectively, to show how the past year of their careers have been.
— Love the mock-dramatic depths that the Leslie/Kyle relationship is being taken in this short, such as them speaking to a marriage counselor, only for us to eventually see that the “marriage counselor” is an unwitting Melissa McCarthy, who’s just trying to read a script.
— An absolutely hilarious part with Kyle angrily shooting Colin in the leg.
— When everybody in the studio is running away in a panic after Kyle fires the gun, I got a huge laugh from the camera zooming in past those running people to show Lorne just standing there in a deadpan manner, followed by a very funny confessional of him where he explains that Kyle’s shooting of Colin was justified because “Colin can be annoying”.
STARS: *****
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Little of Your Love”
FIRST BIRTHDAY
fellow moms usher in (MEV)’s requisite selection of a theme animal
— I believe this is the first big role Villasenor has gotten in months.
— A variation of the Baby Shower sketch from the previous Mother’s Day, when Brie Larson hosted.
— Much like in the aforementioned Baby Shower sketch, Sasheer is coming off very natural here, presumably because she co-wrote this (and the Baby Shower) sketch, which I recall someone online once claiming.
— Also much like in the Baby Shower sketch, Vanessa’s delivery of her disclosure of how she received her calling is particularly strong.
— When the ladies are making aggressive animal sounds in unison, I laughed at Leslie’s very calm, spiritual delivery of “I’m an angel.”
— The ending felt rushed.
— Overall, not as strong as the aforementioned Baby Shower sketch, but still good.
STARS: ***½
PRODUCTION LOGO
production company logos proposed by designer (BEB) are all unpleasant
— Oddly, this sketch opens with a disclaimer stating “Promotional consideration for SNL furnished by Apple”. This is a serious, non-comedic disclaimer, but you can tell the audience is unsure, as two(?) female audience members are heard laughing out loud during it.
— Well, I guess that Apple laptop Beck’s using explains the Apple disclaimer at the beginning.
— Funny running bit with Beck’s “Feast your ass on this” lines.
— A good, different approach to the usual “Melissa McCarthy plays a weirdo who other characters react in confusion to” trope, which is more than I can say for McCarthy’s previous episodes, as those episodes had a number of “Melissa McCarthy plays a weirdo who other characters react in confusion to” sketches that left me cold.
— The McCarthy-holding-a-knife-while-screaming-at-the-camera production logo gave me a particularly good laugh.
— A technical error, as the screen is stuck on the final shot of the previous production logo (the aforementioned McCarthy-holding-a-knife one) when the next production logo is supposed to be shown. Bobby, who’s mic is turned off during this moment, can faintly be heard off-camera ad-libbing “No, that was the one before”, which made me chuckle. Another example tonight of Bobby smoothly ad-libbing his way out of somebody else’s gaffe. Man, this is just one of the MANY reasons why I’m going to miss him after his upcoming departure.
— Good ending.
STARS: ***½
GOODNIGHTS
Steve Martin [real] presents Five-Timers jacket to host
— A great callback to the Leslie/Kyle short from earlier tonight, by having Colin in a leg cast & crutches during these goodnights. Numerous examples of continuity like that is just one of the things that makes this season so fun. I also like how Colin’s leg cast is never pointed out in these goodnights, just keeping it a nice background gag.
— Ah, we get a special moment right now, with Steve Martin showing up to give McCarthy her Five-Timers jacket. McCarthy and one of the members of HAIM both looked genuinely surprised when Steve first showed up, as if they truly didn’t expect him, but after a while, I’m feeling more and more that they were probably just acting.
— I love how this Five-Timers induction for McCarthy even works in the Steve Martin/Alec Baldwin rivalry storyline. How often do you see this type of “scene” being performed during the goodnights of recent eras like this one? I like how the vibe of this “scene” feels like a throwback to some of the goodnights from the 70s and 80s.
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— I feel like I’m running out of things to say in this portion of my reviews lately, given how consistently good (for the most part) the quality of this season’s episodes as a whole have been, but yeah, this was yet another good season 42 episode. There was especially a nice consecutive string of great segments from Amazon Echo Silver to the Leslie/Kyle short, minus the Sean Spicer sketch (which I still liked).
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
Kyle and Leslie
Amazon Echo Silver
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Weekend Update
First Birthday
Production Logo
Monologue
Press Conference
Trump Interview
Just Desserts!
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Chris Pine)
about the same
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Season 42 comes to an end, with host Dwayne Johnson, another host who is entering Five-Timer status. It’s the final episode for Vanessa Bayer, Bobby Moynihan, and Sasheer Zamata.
Saturday Night Taped (Episodes from S39 on where the top 2 or more highest ranked sketches are pre-taped): 21
One of my all time favorite sketches tomorrow.
screw it, I enjoy Just Desserts. I know what it is, how light it is, and how repetitive it is, but I still like it. That Kenan soundbite just WORKS.
I still find it surprising (though understandable, considering his schedule) that Reynolds has only hosted once. He’d seem like such a natural on this show.
And I do like the Production Logo sketch- though I remember Family Guy doing a similar joke of ridiculous logos a few years earlier (culminating in Panting Man’s Wounded Shoulder Films- exactly what the name says.)
I think the media hype around Reynolds is a biiit Timberlake-y (“this handsome man knows what a joke is??” Hamm in funnier and better looking than both them anyway IMO). Particularly the Deadpool movies, which I really don’t care for. But yea, he’s been incredibly popular for a long time and IS funny enough (I really liked him when he played Guy Who Knows the Owner on Update a couple seasons ago), I’m also definitely surprised he hasn’t been on more.
There’s a niche subculture on YouTube that really loves production logos and making different edits and variations of them, so the Production Logos sketch is probably right up their alley.
Well tomorrow is going to be a good one. It’s the final episode for two of the remaining cast members who have ties to the digital short era (Vanessa Bayer and Bobby Moynihan) leaving only Kenan as the last remaining cast member who was hired in the 2000s and was part of the digital short era. It’s also the farewell for an underrated cast member of the current era (Sasheer Zamata). I cannot wait for Heidi Gardner and Chris Redd to see what they have for us in store for the remainder of the seasons you’re going to review.
I definitely remember the “Trumpwin/Spicer kiss” which was a definite “WTF?” moment!
I absolutely love, cherish, and adore the Amazon Silver pre-tape. It hits every single beat 100%, without breaking a sweat. It puts a big smile on my face – Kenan’s “Odessa!” is honestly one of my all time favorite SNL moments. So is the brilliant work from Cecily with Kyle’s grandpa character. “Play black jazz.” “Playing…um….jazz.” That’s just fucking priceless, it really is.
I also love the Kyle and Leslie pre-tape. Yes, Colin’s shooting is hilarious, along with Lorne’s deadpan (probably the last, and one of the best, uses of said deadpan), but it’s the sweet little moment of their “wedding” near the start that I remember most. So good to see that slice of memory with people like Vanessa who were about to go, and that family feel, real or fake.
(this pre-tape ends with a heavy implication that Leslie is carrying Colin’s child – that is dropped in the last few Leslie and Kyle shorts)
One of the biggest strengths of SNL in season 42 is how they manage the hosts. That’s put to good use here, as Melissa McCarthy, whose shtick was very played out through dominating 5 episodes (and several huge cameos) in 6 seasons, is given more of a backseat outside of the expected Spicer mugfest and the expected game show routine. I do enjoy some of her earlier appearances (even derided sketches like Lulu Diamonds I take as guilty pleasures), but Spicer really tips me over the edge of seeing enough. I’m glad we didn’t get anything here like the seemingly endless cameo she has in the Amy Schumer episode for season 43. This episode would have been a more suitable way for her to end her run…I’d still rather just see this as the end, as it’s a fitting, if not overly memorable, farewell for a host who burned very bright but didn’t leave that much of an impact for me as a host.
The spirit animal sketch is one I want to like more than I do – the execution is very off, especially in the back half. Cecily also goes into the chanting part well before everyone else, showing how tired the cast must have been by this point. Melissa’s cute delivery of the reveal makes this a little better.
Melissa reminds me of Shelley Winters on Roseanne in the actress sketch, at least in how she’s styled. This is mostly a Kate showcase, but it’s probably one of the better Debette sketches, with so many killer lines – the best for me being the mention of her “sister” AKA her daughter, and the part about Melissa being the first woman to shoot a gun oncamera (“that wasn’t scripted…some people just have their limits”).
Promo:
https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/862403836182441984
I meant Melissa Villasenor with the cute ending of the animal sketch.
(and I know Melissa McCarthy had only hosted 4 times up to this point; that part was poorly worded)
Five-Timers Individual Rankings:
7.0 – Melissa McCarthy (41.13)
7.0 – Melissa McCarthy (42.20)
6.0 – Melissa McCarthy (39.13)
5.7 – Melissa McCarthy (38.17)
5.5 – Melissa McCarthy (37.02)
“I believe this is the first big role Villasenor has gotten in months.”
Well, get ready to say that a lot. By season 46, I’m glad if I at least see her during the goodnights.
It looked like things were turning around for her for a sec too, with her getting a good amount of stuff to do in the December episodes 🙁
She’s such a talent, I don’t know why the writers don’t give her more to do. I know part of the problem is she’s apparently not very strong at writing for herself, unlike, say, Mikey, Heidi, Ego & Chris, who from what I can tell help write most of their material and have been rewarded pretty greatly for that (getting not only their own sketches on but also now getting increasingly picked for supporting roles in other people’s sketches as well). But even that’s not enough of an excuse to me. Speaking from a place of pure talent and charisma, I’d put Melissa in the top 5 of this current cast, and yet the writers still refuse to use her. That’s on them.
Thank you for saying that. Seriously, why is Aidy still on the show?! She used to be so great, but this current season has really soured me on her, with her dreadful Ted Cruz “impression” and the self-indulgent Smokery Farms bit from this week’s episode. Given the fact that both the Daniel Kaluuya episode and the Rege-Jean Page episode have no sight of Melissa or Lauren, the writing’s clearly on the wall for both of them. If Melissa gets fired this season instead of Aidy, I might kill someone. (Sorry, that last sentence seemed threatening.)
I still have faith in both Alex and Melissa pulling a Timmy Meadows and having a great second life on the show, but if it doesn’t happen soon (like, first half of next season soon) it sadly just ain’t gonna happen.
I think the comparisons of current Kate/Aidy to 94/95 Sandler/Farley are not that far off. Probably less obnoxious and less offensive material but def. “senioritis” vibes.
I don’t think Melissa is going to have a second life on the show. I think if she stays we are likely to keep getting more of what we have gotten these 5 seasons – a lot of self-doubt, a lot of episodes being shut out, struggles to find people to write with her, technically good but somewhat empty impressions, great singing, and a very appealing, unique vibe that is never properly tapped into. This has been a maddening season with her as she has had bright spots for several weeks, then completely disappears the next week. You think they are close to getting it, then we hurtle backwards. It’s not as clearcut as last season, where aside from a few Update appearances she was just about completely cut off from the show most of the time.
I do think Alex will have a better chance once Beck leaves (and his presence on the show has improved this season after he was so invisible last season), but he can do and be a lot more. He’s another that has problems getting on and finding the right placement that will puzzle me for a long time to come.
The souring feeling from Aidy is alarming when one remembers she was absent from the first half of the season.
Maybe it’s just me, but I kind of do want to see a season 20/21 pushover……?? Like don’t get me wrong, I’d hate to see it get that bad, but it just seems like that the general norm has such a high regard for McKinnon/Bryant/Thompson, that it’d be interesting to see people change their view on them. Just like how people went from adoring Farley and Sandler to when ANYONE said in a talk show that the then-show sucked, it would get huge applause. I don’t hate them, but it would be weird to see people in the public just lose interest in them if they stayed on the show.
But because they’re not, it makes me worry for next season. Season 47 could dignify a (semi-) new cast, a new WU era, a new intro (since things are starting to get better COVID-wise), maybe even a new home base. Or just keep it like it is. Sadly, we’re not going to know anything until probably the second-to-last show, and even then, some will probably want the summer to think about it. If I were Lorne, I’m chopping Beck, Aidy, Che, Jost, Kate, Kyle, Cecily, Melissa, and Lauren. I’d keep Pete, Kenan, and Punkie for maybe one more season, but I’d like to see the former two leave shortly thereafter. And DEFINITELY fire Anna Drezen and Kent Sublette. Again, no hate, but I don’t want to see the Anderlette and “praising politicians” hacks with the new people. Overall, the show needs change soon.
I agree completely. I’m so sick of everyone in the show, I wish Lorne had a backbone and would fire people if they won’t leave.
I do think Kate, Aidy, Cecily, Beck, Kyle, Cecily, Che, and Jost will be leaving after this season no doubt. Pete could be leaving after this season. Lauren should be fired after this year IMO. I do not think Punkie will get another year despite a good last episode. Andrew is the only new cast member who I think will stay. Kenan isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Melissa should stay because she is underrated. She is just overshadowed by Kate, Aidy, and Cecily. Those three like I said should be leaving. The only ones left after these people leave will be Mikey, Chloe, Heidi, Alex, Ego, Chris, Kenan, Melissa, Bowen, and Andrew. Andrew is a lock for next season IMO. This could be the biggest rebuilding year since Season 21, but it’s probably for the best. New cast members who I think should be in Season 47 are Matt Barats, Mona Mira, Gary Richardson, Martin Urbano, Eva Victor and Becca Seferian
If none of these happen, we could be in for another season 6/11/20/30 next season and we do not want to go through that again.
As much as he annoyed me at one point, I’m now genuinely okay if Kenan stays for a while longer–he’s become a very useful supporting player and seems to avoid (too much) getting obnoxious overpushed moments anymore. He adds a nice senior, veteran presence to a lot of sketches that the other veteran cast members don’t always provide. I wouldn’t be sorry if he left, but he seems to have a nice niche now on the show.
I’m not mad at Kenan, but I also don’t need him on the show. He’s rounded into a stalwart, which makes him far more tolerable than the senioritis stars like Kate and Aidy (Cecily’s trajectory is a little different to me), but Kenan doesn’t really do anything so amazing that no one else can do. In fact, I’d really like to see someone else given a shot at a “Kenan role.” Of all the super seniors, Kenan is the one I’m least eager to see leave i. Terms of onscreen damage to the show. But in terms of the offscreen damage…Kenan’s failure to launch is at the heart of SNL’s most troublesome problems.
Kenan’s said the phrase “20’s a nice, round number” in a couple of interviews now, so I’d bet we get 2 more seasons with him.
Carson, that’s a bit how I feel about Beck at this point. He’s still much more committed than some of his fellow seniors, and I’m never annoyed by his presence, but I do feel like we’ve seen just about everything he can do and I wouldn’t be too upset if he leaves.
I think some at SNL might be hesitant for Kenan to leave because they may end up with a Hartman/McKean scenario again. But if they end up going with someone like Leslie Jones, an older, not-yet-known comic instead of an established actor like Michael McKean, it might work. It’s all a matter of finding the right person. When cleaning up the disastrous 94-95 season, they found Darrell and used Timmy in a different way than before and it worked. Just like Carson said, it’d be interesting to see someone else take his role. That being said, he deserves to leave when roughly no one else is so he gets the kind of send-off he deserves.
Kenan has slowly moved away from many of the roles he took that other cast members weren’t able to get to play. For instance, he’s started doing less and less of the host roles in game or talk show sketches, and there have been fewer sketches that amount to “Kenan reacts.” He’s moved more steadily into supporting roles, and unlike Kate/Aidy/Cecily, there seems to be less interest on his part in making sure he gets at least one big showy role every episode or two. The other difference with Kenan is that I do think he has been an important part of the black cast and writing team feeling much more cohesive than they ever have. I think Kenan in general has a presence which helps keep the pieces in place – I remember when Leslie Jones left, she said (even thought she did have positive relationships with other cast members), the only thing she would miss was Kenan.
With that said, nothing lasts forever, and I do think Kenan is in his last few seasons as a cast member.
I don’t think he is going to take over for Lorne. I think because we’ve seen Lorne oncamera all these years, it’s easy to assume his replacement will also be someone we have watched age with us over the years (like Tina or Seth or Kenan) or who fits the idea of what we think an SNL producer is (like Tina or Mulaney), but if SNL does go on without Lorne, I think his replacement will probably be one of his longtime underlings that we read about sometimes but have rarely seen.
Punkie has been reliable and has real presence any time they give her a chance. I think they’ll be foolish if they don’t try one more season for her.
They haven’t even bothered with Lauren, so I am starting to think she will go, but I hope they give her another season too to get out of Aidy’s shadow.
I think Andrew has been good and if he ever gets more of his writing on he could be a real asset.
I think that Lorne will try to get one or two of Beck/Kyle/Aidy/Cecily/Kate to stay, as he doesn’t like mass exits. I could see Kate staying one more season. I could also see Jost and Che staying one last season, or leaving midseason, although I’d rather they go at the end of this season – leave on a high.
I think Pete will also stay one more season.
Thinking about the cast this season and here is where I am at with cast members leaving
I am 90% percent sure that Cecily is leaving after this season. She had the point of SNL career where she is moving that Jason Sudeikis’s role of only popping up in a starring sketch every other episode. Her career as taken off where she can do anything else.
I am 75% percent sure that this will be Micheal Che’s last season. He has other projects on the horizons and I imagine being the head writer on some HBO shows will make him too busy to do SNL. I am 50/50 on if Che leaving means that Jost will be gone.
I imagine that either Aidy or Lauren will be leaving after this season. Lauren seems to be the Aidy replacement but if Aidy isn’t on her way out why would you keep her?
I am 50% sure that Kate and Pete will leave after this season. Kate has been played out but I am not sure if she wants to leave. Pete might stay or he might leave, it depends on how he feels after this season ends.
I think Kenan and Chris will leave if their show gets picked up for another season. I think if Kenan get canned they are here for another 2 seasons.
I imagine that there is good shot that Melissa is let go, because she doesn’t click with the show as well as she could have.
I think the that Chloe, Andrew, Bowen, and Punkie all stay. The show is clicking with all 4 of them, and if there is a mass exodus, the feature players could be stable force.
I also think Ego, Heidi, Mikey, and Alex stay. They fill established cast roles and could be a great base. They still have cards to play. (And if Che and Jost do leave, I hope they try Mikey and Ego has Weekend Update anchors.)
Now, finally, Beck and Kyle. Beck can can go but he is currently the male lead for most of sketches. I imagine the show will try to keep Beck, but he could do other work. I wouldn’t be shocked if Kyle stays. Unlike Beck, I can’t picture where Kyle ends up in other shows or movies. I think that this weirdo will be on SNL for another season.
If I had to guess right now, I would say that Kate, Aidy, Cecily, Colin, and Michael are about to leave for sure. I could also say Beck and Kyle too, but that might be too many at once. Pete may also leave, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he had one more season in him.
As for the post-season 40 players, I hope there won’t be much departure. If enough veterans leave, there’ll be plenty turnaround to make next season’s cast feel fresh. I really don’t want anything to happen to underused players like Melissa and the newbies, but the absence of both Melissa and Lauren from two (rather strong) episodes worries me. I hope they can stick around for season 47 and get more chances to show what they can do.
Also I too have thought of Tim Meadows’ second wind like Anthony Peter Coleman has (such an epic username) and hoped that might happen for someone like Melissa and/or Alex.
Kyle, like Forte and Tim Robinson before him, has a specific enough voice that he will find other outlets for years to come. Not all of SNL’s wine mom fans love him, but he has a pretty loyal fanbase and a distinct style that we’ll ensure a solid career, even if it’s in a Comedy Central/Adult Swim niche vehicle. Like Sudeikis before him, Beck will likely have more mainstream opportunities, but his voice is such a perfect match for Kyle’s that I think their partnership continues. If they leave, I’m not worried.
The awful truth about Kenan is that, while he has only continued to grow as an SNL performer, he’s not a star, he’s just part of the SNL ambiance. If his show continues, wonderful. I hope he rides it out for all it’s worth. But truthfully, Kenan is the quintessential “peaked at SNL” performer. I think he’s just the first (maybe it was Kevin Nealon) who knew to hold on to a good thing for as long as he could, knowing that there was no other upward trajectory for him. Maybe I’m wrong, but if Kenan saw another career-progressing opportunity, you would think he would have taken it by now. SNL is IT for him.
Of the three super senior females, Cecily is the only one I’m not actively sick of and the one whose future career intrigues me the most. She is the richest character actress in the group and I think that will serve her well until she’s old. Her toolbelt is still the strongest on SNL. Yeah, nine seasons is too much of a haul, but she’s even managing her super senior season with some additional wrinkles. Aidy and Kate are more personalities and could enjoy some rich starring roles in the future. Actually scratch that. I think only Aidy has that in her future. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Kate play a normal human. I don’t think she’s been able to tap into her humanity. Maybe that’s why she can’t leave the show. She was unbearable in Ghostbusters. When you leave SNL, there are really no more cheap seats you can shoot your bug eyes to.
Che and Jost have had a fabulous run. They’re still not widely respected, which I find both baffling and completely predictable (they both have dicks), but I’d absolutely welcome a change of scenery for them, especially if it shakes up the writing room. They both have standup and I could see them both getting their own shows. They don’t really need SNL anymore.
Pete. Much has been made about Pete’s stark improvement this season. I think it mostly has to do with the fact that a) he did a passable Gov. Cuomo, b) the Pete-heavy Chalamet episode was strong and c) he hasn’t actively fucked up any sketches this year. That said…the music videos are AWFUL and last week’s Matt Gaetz deal carried so much second hand embarrassment that I think I could see Pete’s soul leave his body as he lurched over to his mark to join the group for another deflating “Live From New York…” SNL has had some stars, but Pete feels like the show’s first celebrity. He’s not the distraction he once was, but his presence isn’t really doing anyone any favors either.
Heidi, Ego and Melissa should be the core of the cast – Heidi the Laraineesque character machine, Ego the Janeesque stalwart and sweet Melissa as the Gildaesque personality. Ego and Heidi are safe, obvs, but the mistreatment of Melissa makes me wince, especially the fact that her sidelining has led many to believe that it’s a meritocracy (SNL has never been a meritocracy). I know many feel that Chloe is eating her lunch, but there’s something about Chloe’s robotic presence (and that awful Britney impression) that leaves me feeling icy. Melissa has a warmth that can’t be learned. Melissa also has some ACE impressions in the bag that could give her a huge bump if she found a way to lean into them (her Mulaney, Wiig and Mackinnon), but really her skill is in her personality. Lean into it, bridge Melissa with “Melissa” the way they once did with Leslie. I think she’s completely capable.
Ego is probably the season’s MVP, being handed the lion’s share of utility roles, which has given way to more feature work. She’s killed it through the whole season and the quality of work still appears to be on the rise.
Heidi I’m less enamored with, but she, like Mikey Day, felt like an old pro from her first episode on. That’s a double edged sword. For both Heidi and Mikey, they’ve been well-represented with screen time, but they’ve not really shown tremendous growth. I’m cool if they fulfill their respective seven year contracts, but I’ll get pissy if they stay a second longer.
Chris Redd also hit the ground running, but I feel like I’m still waiting for his big feature. The show has, with the exception of Kate and sometimes Pete and Kyle, really moved to more of an ensemble show. That’s OK, but it kind of makes future highlight reels and Best Of specials impossible. Redd is an excellent performer, but I really want to see his personality shine through even more.
Bowen is Bowen. He is all personality. I actually think he’s a lot of fun in sketches and brings a great energy to ensemble pieces, but the solo Update bits are simultaneously too much and absolutely nothing. His last one as himself was kind of a nightmare – sassy one-liners that sat flat on the page. It was weird seeing Bowen lean in hard and try to get the material over on sheer force of will. The fact that he ultimately failed just shows that he’s not all the way there yet. Let him shine in sketches and do more off-kilter stuff like that 70s Diva sketch from the Regina King episode and I’ll be singing his praises for years.
Alex Moffat is proof that sometimes you can’t rely on the audience. Alex has done wonders with very little and I think a little more room in the cast will serve him best of all.
The newbies – they’re all cool with me. Not their fault the show can only allow five distinct personalities at a time. I just don’t want to have to watch them stand and smile politely while Maya Rudolph approximates humor. I want to see them shine. SNL’s greatest asset is its constant evolution. The needs to let these new members emerge.
Anyone I forgot to mention?
I think there is a lot of discourse around comedy that does tend to break down to “straight white guy bad”, and I DO love Jost & Che, but saying the backlash they’ve gotten is entirely down to them “having dicks” is completely disingenuous.
Also definitely don’t agree with Bowen’s anti Asian violence speech being “just a collection of sassy one liners” but whatevs.
OK, there was some pith in there that maybe overshot how I really think, but I never said “the backlash they’ve gotten is entirely down to them ‘having dicks'” – that’s you putting words in my mouth. Let me try a redo.
Jost was bad and bland when he started. Che was simply bad. They got their act together after about their first half season (Stooge’s reviews attest to this), but anti-Jost sentiments have never really subsided. Granted, I basically only see what’s said at the AVClub, where the reviewer seems to still have it in for them as duo, but the virtues of Fey-Poehler are still freely extolled in spite of *everything*. There are maybe more complex reasons why Jost and Che still don’t get the love they deserve and maybe I’m not properly viewing the landscape, but they certainly do not receive the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it’s just one of those things where the past is always golden, but I think it’s fair to say, that within the post-2000 model of Weekend Update, Che/Jost deserve a stronger rep.
As for the Yang thing…“just a collection of sassy one liners” is not exactly what I said, but you put it in quotes anyway.
OK, so I know he was speaking to a cultural moment and I wouldn’t want to diminish what was being attempted….I just wish I had a better understanding of what he was attempting. Was it some serio-comic standup piece? It was one-liner heavy but I think the audience was confused on what kind of reaction was being solicited. It felt impassioned, but also very much in character. Yeah, I found it muddled and I think the audience did too. But like I said, it’s almost a case of there being too much and not enough at the same time. Yang’s pieces are super verbal and high on performance, but sometimes the two ingredients clash to me.
Anyway, hope that clears things up at least in terms of me being an MRA homophobe.
Fair point about me putting words in your mouth (though, to be fair, I think you’re entering the same territory implying I called you an “MRA homophobe”).
I think Jost & Che, for all their pros, are a little tone deaf (funnily enough in a way that reminds me of Tina, who was unquestionably revered for the longest time but who I’ve seen more and more backlash to lately). They knowingly play into it, with Jost playing the out of touch rich kid and Che playing the boorish provocateur, but based on interviews (not to mention Che’s social media) that seems to reflect their real personalities at least a little. Jost has said quite a few things in interviews that make him sound pompous or in a bubble, and Che has certainly sounded off on social media in ways that make him look like a guy who can dish it out but not take it. I do think they’re in a landscape where guys like them (especially Jost) aren’t going to be cut much slack, but they’ve certainly not helped themselves at times (it also doesn’t help that some see them as the face of an era they’re not too fond of).
As for Bowen’s speech, I agree it was a bit muddled at times (though not to the extent you do). I believe him when he said he didn’t want to be the one to have to make that speech. I did like though how he openly admitted he doesn’t have all the answers and is just trying to look for them in places other than the internet. It felt genuine to me. (Also this is slightly unrelated, but you seem to be painting the general reception to that piece as negative, when I’ve only seen positive responses online).
Glad to hear your responses though. You clearly are thinking deeply about these things, and if my reply came off as antagonist or seemed to be implying that I find you to be genuinely hateful I promise that wasn’t my intent.
OK, I knew what I was doing with the “MRA Homophobe” – no more disingenuous paraphrasing starting…now.
Yeah, I think Jost and Che have some perception issues outside of SNL. Che, in particular, comes from an edgelord corner of the comedy world (remember that Shane Gillis was his guy), so he kind of clashes against the cushy moderate normie fanbase that SNL seems to cultivate. Then again, it’s kind of become the persona now, so you gotta dance with the girl that brung ya (kind of a Bill Burr thing). But even with the minor baggage, Che was the first unique voice in the Update game since Fey changed the face of it in 2000. I like Jost, but Che was the change catalyst and I don’t think that gets much recognition.
Jost, eh, well perception is everything, isn’t it? Whether he’s the pompous white boy or not, that hook has been paydirt for the duo.
When I talk about audience reception to Yang’s piece, I’m mostly talking about the live audience, who have been a moving target all season. But Yang’s stuff generally does well with online fans. I did see some legit critiques on the AVClub forum (might have been our own John who made the point, I can’t remember). I didn’t despise the piece, but I think it struggled to find a tone.
I love these conversations btw. All about some healthy debate.
Good point on Che. Much like his idol Chappelle, he’s a very unique comic voice that has unfortunately spent a little too much time with the “PC culture is ruining comedy” crowd. Jost on the other hand started as a worse version of Meyers, and it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say at his peak he was basically just a better version of Meyers. The big difference is he leaned into an actual persona with the preppy rich kid thing, something Meyers would never do because he’s too afraid of not being liked. So I do respect Jost for that, especially in a time where just about every one hates preppy rich kids. As I’ve said though, he’ll say something every once in a while in an interview or somewhere (like saying Trump wasn’t so bad when he hosted) that doesn’t offend me personally, but I know isn’t going to help him with the crowd that hates him. Plus there was the whole Amazon thing, which I know left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths.
As for Bowen, I don’t follow the AV Club anymore (didn’t like the direction the site was going in/kind of hated Perkins’ reviews) but for the most part I’ve only seen rapturous praise of Bowen’s piece online, to the point where I was actually starting to get a little skeptical, so it nice to see another perspective.
Glad we agree this is healthy debate and all in good fun 🙂
Same. Many of them have been around since I was in middle school, and I’m about to start my sophomore year of college! It’s getting really old seeing the same 8 people every week. There is plenty of new blood (and old blood who haven’t had a chance). An overhaul is long overdue.
Most of the cast members have been on the show for a while. Kenan joined when I was a year old, Kate joined when I was in 4th grade, Aidy Cecily joined when I was in 5th grade which was my last year of elementary school, Beck and Kyle joined when I started middle school, Pete came in when I was in 7th grade, Mikey, Alex, and Melissa joined the cast when I was a freshman in high school, Heidi and Chris joined in my sophomore year, Ego joined during my Junior year and Chloe and Bowen during my Senior Year. I am now a freshman in college and Andrew, Punkie, and Lauren joined this year. Just goes to show how long these cast members have been on the show throughout my life.
Having just watched the press conference sketch, I can say the thing with the Russian Doll was no gaffe. It was a doll with Putin on it (although Melissa didn’t display it very well), indicating Putin’s involvement in helping Trump. I believe blaming that on Bobby, and his reaction, were all scripted.