Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
HALLELUJAH
Ivanka (Scarlett Johansson) & the rest of team Trump sing “Hallelujah”
— SNL spoofs their own serious Hallelujah cold opening from earlier this season.
— So far, this spoof is doing absolutely nothing for me, and neither are the walk-ons from Trump cabinet members throughout the song.
— Blah, cue the applause break for Scarlett Johansson’s walk-on as Ivanka.
— Okay, I did kinda laugh just now at the brief gag with Trumpwin doing the “Look, no hands” gesture while still “playing” the piano.
STARS: *½
MONOLOGUE
Five-Timers host & Tom Hanks [real] are running for president; Alec Baldwin cameo
— Quite a lot of hosts becoming Five-Timers in these last few months of this season (Scarlett Johansson, Melissa McCarthy, and Dwayne Johnson).
— Random casting of Alex, briefly showing up just to get the “honor” of placing the Five-Timers jacket on Dwayne.
— A funny fake-out with the Five-Timer who Dwayne says will be his presidential running mate turning out to be Tom Hanks instead of Alec.
— A nice charm to this monologue, and a good way to get mileage out of Dwayne and Tom’s beloved public images.
— A decent laugh from Dwayne and Tom each demonstrating how they would handle a national crisis as president/vice president.
STARS: ***
CARTIER FIDGET SPINNER
Cartier’s diamond-encrusted fidget spinner occupies annoying babe (VAB)
— Wonderful to see a new Vanessa Bayer-starring commercial in her final episode.
— This commercial is initially bringing the Kristen Wiig “Red Flag Perfume” commercial to mind, as well as (to a lesser extent) the Ivanka Trump “Complicit” commercial, but this Vanessa ad ends up taking its own turn.
— A very funny and inspired way to spoof the fidget spinner craze from this time.
— As expected, Vanessa is excellent in her performance here, and it’s great to see her play against type once again in these last two seasons of her tenure.
— Beck-as-the-voice-over’s various descriptions of Vanessa are hilarious.
— A great “Because, GOD, the sex is good” punchline.
— Overall, a Vanessa Bayer gem that I had surprisingly forgotten all about until now.
STARS: *****
WRESTLEMANIA PROMO
Koko WatchOut psychologically wrecks Trashyard Mutt again in Wrestlemania promo
— It’s gonna be hard to top the first installment of this, but I can’t complain about this second installment being part of Bobby’s swan song tonight.
— Beck replaces Taran Killam as the announcer from the first installment of this sketch, and they repeat the same running gag of the announcer always being preoccupied with his phone before he suddenly goes into “professional announcer mode”. Just like last time, I don’t care for that running gag, and don’t see why it’s necessary (though it’s certainly not hurting the sketch or anything).
— I love Bobby’s “Ohhhh, nooooooo” when Dwayne brings up Bobby being a Katy Perry fan (even if this whole “Katy Perry fan” portion of this sketch feels to me like SNL pandering to this episode’s musical guest).
— While this installment isn’t quite measuring up to the first installment for me, this is still very funny, and Dwayne’s overly-personal trash talk about Bobby is providing big laughs. I especially love Dwayne’s “You’re the DeVito!” line during the reveal of Dwayne and Bobby being twins.
STARS: ****
ONE VOICE
eighteen additional artists are featured on Big Chris’ (KET) rap song
— Very funny how out-of-hand the increasing number of additional rappers is getting, much to Kenan’s frustration.
— Ha, not only are Colin and Michael involved in this, but they’re playing a rap duo hilariously given the incongruous name “2 Black Guyz”. Colin making a non-Weekend Update appearance rarely fails to be inherently funny.
— This is fun as hell, and I love the very different personality and style each performer gives to their rapper character. This short is also a great way to get the entire cast involved. As I always say, I love seeing a full-cast piece in a season finale (even if, as I also always say, I prefer those full-cast season finale pieces to air at the end of the episode).
— Tom Hanks’ famous David S. Pumpkins character from earlier this season returns in the form of David S. Pimpkins.
STARS: ****½
SCORPIO
(host)’s self-made costume gets more attention than his superhero status
— Meh, the big comedic turn this sketch has taken isn’t doing much for me, despite the likability of Cecily’s performance when she first starts fawning over Dwayne’s sewing skills. This sketch’s type of humor usually isn’t my bag, kinda like I said about that The Boy Is Mine sketch from the Chris Pine episode.
— I do kinda like Dwayne explaining why he prefers not to have a scorpion label on the chest of his costume.
STARS: **
JURASSIC RIVER RAPIDS
Gemma is part of unplanned double date on splashy Universal Studios ride
— Blah. However, at least it makes sense to do this in this episode, given how solid Dwayne was as the boyfriend in the first installment of this sketch. I guess they also realized this is their last opportunity to do this sketch when Vanessa’s in the cast.
— I did get a chuckle from the new addition of Gemma having a pet pig.
— Like last time, Dwayne is fun and natural in this role.
— All of the water that Vanessa keeps getting splashed with throughout this sketch must be a good-natured case of “reverse hazing” for Vanessa’s last show.
STARS: **
XENTREX
(host) uses sketchy male enhancement drug despite side effects
— Dwayne’s various “And he said…” “And I said…”s when relaying the conversation he and his doctor had about the dangerous Xentrex drug are increasingly hilarious.
— A great background visual of Dwayne roughing up Kyle while a long list of the medication’s side effects are shown onscreen.
— I love Dwayne’s very straitlaced, deadpan “Hail Satan” at the end when showing various bad effects of the medication.
STARS: ****½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest performs “Swish Swish”
WEEKEND UPDATE
“Bad Day” accompanies photos of departed Trump administration members
high-strung Dawn Lazarus delivers more meteorological gobbledygook
Drunk Uncle lists things in America that need to be made great again
— Great to see Dawn Lazarus already return after only two episodes, as part of Vanessa’s swan song tonight.
— Like last time, Vanessa is absolutely fantastic at this character’s nonsense-speaking routine. I particularly got a laugh from her smiley, affable delivery of “Hopefully, no goddamn rain.” And, of course, her legendary utterances of “Hap” never fail to kill.
— A good callback to Michael’s Dwayne “The Scissors” Johnson joke from a previous Update.
— As part of Bobby’s swan song, we get our final Drunk Uncle commentary, which is this character’s first appearance since the notorious Donald Trump-hosted episode from a year and a half prior. I’m glad that episode didn’t end up being Drunk Uncle’s final appearance.
— (*groan*) There goes Colin ONCE AGAIN responding to Drunk Uncle’s usual “That’s not me” line with “That’s not anyone.” I’m sure most of you readers know how much that gets on my nerves. Well, this is the last chance for Colin to say that, so…
— Ah, we get an acknowledgment of this being Drunk Uncle’s final appearance, with him asking Colin to do one shot with him “for the road”. However, I wish they did something far more noteworthy than that to make his final appearance special.
— The Russian Roulette bit at the end of Drunk Uncle’s commentary is hilarious.
— Drunk Uncle’s overall commentary was the usual great stuff.
— Surprised this season finale Weekend Update didn’t contain either Colin and Michael’s joke-swapping routine or their “favorite cut-after-dress-rehearsal jokes” routine.
STARS: ****
IN MEMORIAM
a photo of Brad Grey marks his passing
— Not included in the copy I’m reviewing of this episode
RKO MOVIE SET
in 1948, star actress (VAB) can’t stop farting while shooting film noir
— The “Solomon and Klein – Detectives” window sign in the background (seen in the second above screencap for this sketch) is presumably a reference to SNL writers John Solomon and Rob Klein.
— Hooooooooo, boy. While I’m so happy to see SNL give Vanessa so many showcases in her final episode, and while it’s certainly a novelty seeing Vanessa do a fart sketch, that sure as hell doesn’t mean her doing a fart sketch is a GOOD novelty. I had no desire to ever see Vanessa do a fart sketch, especially not one that feels like a complete rehash of that notoriously horrible Rear Window sketch with January Jones back in season 35. Not to mention this is our second fart sketch of the second half of this season alone (the sit-ups sketch from the Alec Baldwin episode being the first), and the first one was bad enough.
— Speaking of the sit-ups sketch, I’m assuming Steve Higgins is the one providing the fart vocalizations in this RKO sketch, like he did in that sit-ups sketch.
— Well, Higgins is at least managing to get some rare breaks out of Vanessa, which is actually charming in her case, and also a special note to mark her final episode with. My goodwill towards that is the only thing keeping me from completely hating this sketch.
— Lame ending.
STARS: **
INTERNATIONAL MAD SCIENTIST SOCIETY
(host)’s child-molesting robot wins mad scientist evil invention contest
— Ah, yes, here we go…
— An absolutely PRICELESS very dark reveal of Dwayne’s evil invention: a child-molesting robot. Holy hell.
— I love that combination scream/gasp/laughter reaction from SNL’s audience in response to the initial reveal of the child-molesting robot.
— I love Dwayne’s “Robo-ChoMo” name for his child-molesting robot.
— Sasheer’s facial reactions are making me laugh a lot. Our final display of Sasheer’s good straight man skills (which are much better than I had remembered before reviewing these past few seasons).
— Dwayne, on how to build a child-molesting robot: “What you do is, you start by building a regular robot, uh, then you molest it and hope that it continues the cycle.”
— This sketch is easily one of the ballsiest things SNL has ever put on the air, and it absolutely pays off.
— Dwayne, on evilness: “Benito Mussolini used to force-feed people castor oil until they literally died of diarrhea. (pause) I mean, that’s gotta be where the goal posts are, right?”
— At many points in this sketch, Dwayne’s voice and inflections sound VERY Barack Obama-esque (even moreso than his voice usually does).
— Yikes, the random White Castle turn this sketch takes towards the end is freakin’ TERRIBLE. Thankfully, the rest of this sketch is classic enough to not be hurt by that. But still – damn, that was the best way they could end this sketch???
STARS: *****
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest & Migos [real] perform “Bon Appétit”
WINGMAN
while being (host)’s wingman, bartender (BEB) adds himself to hookups
— A big laugh from the first threesome reveal.
— Beck is solid in this lead role and has a pretty good amount of funny lines.
— A very funny sudden appearance from Bobby as “Carlos”, our final display of Bobby’s great ability to steal a sketch with a simple walk-on.
STARS: ***½
SENIOR SKIT
high school seniors (BEB), (KYM), (BOM), (VAB) perform valedictory sketch
— (*sigh*) Welp, this is it, folks. Bobby and Vanessa’s final sketch as cast members.
— Man, when Bobby says, in a sad, emotional manner, “Now it’s coming to an end” in regards to the crazy ride that his and his classmates’ four years of high school have been, you can tell that 1) there’s a lot of reality subtext in that line, given his and Vanessa’s SNL departures, and 2) his sad, emotional delivery of that line was NOT acting. His delivery of that line is heart-breaking.
— A very good running gag with a deadpan Leslie as the lunchlady whenever her cooking gets slammed.
— This sketch probably isn’t anything special on paper, but there’s a nice charm to it when seeing it played out, obviously helped by the fact that this is Bobby and Vanessa’s sendoff. Too bad SNL didn’t put Sasheer in this as one of the students performing this play. She and SNL apparently knew at this time that she was leaving, as an SNL fan once mentioned back at this time that there were photos online (can’t remember where) of Bobby, Vanessa, and Sasheer each being lifted in the air by their castmates at the end of this episode’s goodnights (not seen in the televised version of this episode’s goodnights, unfortunately).
— The ending of this sketch seemed like it got cut a little short due to the show running long. That also probably explains why this sketch in general had a rushed vibe.
STARS: ***½
GOODNIGHTS
— Interesting seeing the audience actually give a standing ovation in these season finale goodnights.
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A fitting end to such a good, memorable season. Much like this season itself, while this episode certainly had some lowlights, they were far outnumbered by some great highlights, including two five-star pieces (Cartier Fidget Spinner and International Mad Scientist Society). Dwayne Johnson did his usual fantastic hosting job, and his hosting skills & comforting presence were particularly welcome in a season finale.
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
International Mad Scientist Society
Cartier Fidget Spinner
One Voice / Xentrex (tie)
Wrestlemania Promo
Weekend Update
Wingman
Senior Skit
Monologue
Jurassic River Rapids
Scorpio
RKO Movie Set
Hallelujah
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Melissa McCarthy)
a slight step up
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS ENTIRE SEASON, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER
HOW THIS OVERALL SEASON STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING SEASON (2015-16)
a slight step up
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Season 43 begins, with host Ryan Gosling, and three new additions to the cast
Here are the average ratings for Season 42:
*may not represent review’s perception*
4201: 7.7 (Margot Robbie)
4202: 6.5 (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
4203: 7.2 (Emily Blunt)
4204: 8.1 (Tom Hanks)
4205: 6.8 (Benedict Cumberbatch)
4206: 9.0 (Dave Chappelle)
4207: 6.5 (Kristen Wiig)
4208: 7.3 (Emma Stone)
4209: 6.7 (John Cena)
4210: 5.3 (Casey Affleck)
4211: 6.2 (Felicity Jones)
4212: 7.9 (Aziz Ansari)
4213: 7.3 (Kristen Stewart)
4214: 6.5 (Alec Baldwin)
4215: 5.9 (Octavia Spencer)
4216: 6.3 (Scarlett Johansson)
4217: 7.2 (Louis C.K.)
4218: 6.7 (Jimmy Fallon)
4219: 6.4 (Chris Pine)
4220: 7.0 (Melissa McCarthy)
4221: 6.8 (Dwayne Johnson)
Best Episode: 4206 (Dave Chappelle)- 9.0
Worst Episode: 4210 (Casey Affleck)- 5.3
Season Average: 6.9
Season Averages Ranked:
#14 – 7.2
#15 – 7.1
#18 – 7.1
#17 – 7.0
#21 – 7.0
#22 – 7.0
#24 – 7.0
#16 – 6.9
#23 – 6.9
—> #42 – 6.9 <—
#26 – 6.8
#41 – 6.8
#13 – 6.7
#25 – 6.7
#34 – 6.7
#3 – 6.6
#4 – 6.6
#27 – 6.6
#2 – 6.5
#12 – 6.5
#33 – 6.5
#38 – 6.5
#40 – 6.4
#1 – 6.3
#10 – 6.3
#32 – 6.3
#37 – 6.3
#5 – 6.2
#39 – 6.2
#9 – 6.1
#28 – 6.1
#31 – 6.1
#35 – 6.1
#8 – 6.0
#19 – 6.0
#36 – 6.0
#7 – 5.8
#11 – 5.7
#29 – 5.7
#20 – 5.6
#6 – 5.3
#30 – 5.3
Best and Worst Episode Ranking
—> 9.0 – Dave Chappelle (42.06)
8.9 – Jerry Seinfeld (17.18)
8.8 – Alec Baldwin (15.18)
8.8 – Christopher Walken (18.04)
8.5 – Tom Hanks (14.01)
8.5 – Elizabeth Banks (41.05)
8.4 – Tom Hanks (16.08)
8.3 – Christopher Walken (15.11)
8.2 –Tracy Morgan (41.03)
8.1 – David Alan Grier (21.08)
8.1 – Jim Carrey (21.20)
—> 8.1 – Tom Hanks (42.04)
8.0 – Steve Martin (3.18)
8.0 – Chris Evert (15.05)
8.0 – Robert Wagner (15.08)
8.0 – Kyle MacLachlan (16.01)
8.0 – Ray Romano (24.15)
8.0 – Christopher Walken (25.16)
8.0 – Jon Hamm (34.06)
8.0 – Martin Short (38.10)
8.0 – Woody Harrelson (40.06)
7.9 – Tom Hanks (17.19)
7.9 – Sinbad (18.07)
7.9 – Kevin Spacey (22.10)
7.9 – Steve Buscemi (23.17)
7.9 – Christopher Walken (28.13)
7.9 – Jamie Foxx (38.09)
7.9 – Peter Dinklage (41.16)
—> 7.9 – Aziz Ansari (42.12)
7.8 – Candice Bergen (2.10)
7.8 – Gary Busey (4.14)
7.8 – Paul Simon (13.08)
7.8 – John Larroquette (14.03)
7.8 – Rick Moranis (15.02)
7.8 – Patrick Swayze (16.04)
7.8 – Miranda Richardson (18.16)
7.8 – John Goodman (21.15)
7.8 – Martin Short (22.08)
7.8 – Alec Baldwin (24.09)
7.8 – Calista Flockhart (26.05)
7.8 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus (31.18)
7.8 – Anne Hathaway (34.04)
7.8 – John Malkovich (34.10)
7.8 – Michael Keaton (40.17)
7.8 – Adam Driver (41.10)
7.8 – Larry David (41.12)
7.7 – Robin Williams (12.05)
7.7 – William Shatner (12.08)
7.7 – Steve Martin (14.20)
7.7 – Michael Jordan (17.01)
7.7 – Kirstie Alley (17.03)
7.7 – Kiefer Sutherland (17.05)
7.7 – Joe Pesci (18.03)
7.7 – Harvey Keitel (18.11)
7.7 – Alec Baldwin (18.13)
7.7 – Christopher Walken (21.10)
7.7 – Rob Lowe (22.17)
7.7 – John Goodman (23.12)
7.7 – Garth Brooks (23.14)
7.7 – Conan O’Brien (26.14)
7.7 – Christopher Walken (26.20)
7.7 – Jon Stewart (27.14)
7.7 – Louis C.K. (38.06)
7.7 – Julia Louis-Dreyfus (41.18)
—> 7.7 – Margot Robbie (42.01)
–
4.9 – Steven Seagal (16.18)
4.9 – Steve Martin (20.01)
4.9 – Colin Farrell (30.07)
4.9 – Cameron Diaz (30.16)
4.9 – Eva Longoria (31.06)
4.9 – Taylor Lautner (35.09)
4.9 – Justin Bieber (38.13)
4.9 – Andy Samberg (39.21)
4.8 – Frank Zappa (4.03)
4.8 – Jamie Lee Curtis (6.04)
4.8 – Robert Culp (7.18)
4.8 – Jerry Hall (11.10)
4.8 – Christian Slater (19.05)
4.8 – Jennifer Aniston (29.09)
4.8 – Lance Armstrong (31.04)
4.8 – Gabourey Sidibe (35.20)
4.8 – Scarlett Johansson (36.06)
4.7 – Sally Kellerman (6.09)
4.7 – Teri Garr (11.06)
4.7 – Johnny Knoxville (30.18)
4.7 – Lindsay Lohan (30.20)
4.7 – Scarlett Johansson (32.18)
4.6 – Malcolm McDowell (6.02)
4.6 – Charlene Tilton (6.11)
4.6 – Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey (29.10)
4.6 – Ashton Kutcher (30.15)
4.6 – Donald Trump (41.04)
4.5 – Nancy Kerrigan (19.15)
4.5 – Bob Saget (20.19)
4.5 – Halle Berry (29.03)
4.4 – Tom Green (26.06)
4.3 – Robert Hays (6.08)
4.3 – Kate Winslet (30.04)
4.2 – Milton Berle (4.17)
4.2 – Deborah Harry (6.10)
4.2 – Matthew McConaughey (28.11)
4.1 – George Foreman (20.09)
4.1 – John C. Reilly (32.03)
3.7 – Donald Trump (29.16)
3.6 – Deion Sanders (20.13)
3.6 – Hilary Swank (30.13)
3.4 – Sarah Jessica Parker (20.05)
2.9 – Paul Reiser (20.15)
I just want to write about my thoughts on Bobby on here. Considering I first found this site right before Bobby’s first episode, I thought I should share how I feel (sorry, it’s long):
In my opinion, Bobby Moynihan is the best cast member. I know there’s Belushi and Eddie and Ferrell, but I look at the 9 years he was on the show, and it’s plain to see that he is the performer that the show could rely on.
As Colin Jost said in his memoir, “It really is a testament to Bobby as an actor to play a character as broad as Drunk Uncle, and still get away with some of the stuff he’s saying.” He’s able to play people who are horrible, yet still remain likable. To this day, I have yet to hear negative thoughts about him as a cast member. He is able to pull off overused tropes like the usual “men in drag” and make it funny. When a sketch is bombing, he can somehow save it with an ad-lib or a facial expression. For the most part, without breaking. How many cast members can you name who can do that in this era, let alone the history of the show?
Most comedians view SNL, while in a positive manner, as a stepping off point. It’s a remarkable achievement to get the show, but usually everyone has their eye on the movies or standup. But Bobby is one of the few who just wanted SNL. If he were my age in today’s age, I’m sure he’d be on this site. He’s said in interviews how he would pretend to be the host and imitate Don Pardo in his bathroom. He remembers taking a picture with Kenan near the standby line six months before he got the show. And you can genuinely tell, it was never about the money or fame. He just wanted to make people laugh in 8H. He aspired to be Farley. All of that, while being respectful of fans and fellow colleagues. A rarity in today’s entertainment industry.
Lastly, I want to talk about my personal history and viewpoint of Bobby. When I first started watching SNL back in 2014, my favorite cast member was Bobby. He was the nerdy, chubby guy that I could look up to. He was the modern Farley for me. Bobby has mentioned that he watched the Mother’s Day special with his mother as a child. She remarked how he was going to do that with her one day. And he did. Unbeknownst to me at the time, while watching Reese Witherspoon’s monologue in 2015 live, as Bobby and his mother came up to do their part, my mom turned to me and said, “We’re going to do that someday, on that stage.” Years later, I met Bobby when he came to speak at a museum in Chicago. He was kinder and nicer than you would expect him to be. I wish I would’ve told him how much he’s meant to me, but instead referenced how cool it was his fellow 2008 newbie, Mulaney, was hosting that night. I’ve never wanted to do anything else other than SNL. I want to be the fearless performer Bobby was on that show. The performer who throughout playing a variety of characters, is able to remain likable. If I even come close to be an inch of the performer he was, I consider that a success for me.
As I finish writing this while wiping away tears, I just want to say that I believe Bobby Moynihan is at the top of the list when it comes to ranking Saturday Night Live cast members. I’d like to imagine that one day, I’m in a co-starring role with him in a sketch. Maybe get to do a supporting character in a Drunk Uncle segment. But if I never get to do, I would at least like to tell him “thanks,” one more time.
Bobby was always a cast member I took for granted, like one of those solid, non-flashy role players on a great sports team that when your team suddenly goes into the tank, you realize that his great defense/solid scoring is now missing. Aside from perhaps a few polarizing performances when he was first starting out (which I can’t blame him, you have to do SOMETHING), Bobby had a remarkably consistent, great tenure on the show–always good as a straight man, could carry some sketches and material, generally could pull laughs even out of a few short lines. I don’t fully see him as the Dan Aykroyd/Phil Hartman “glue guy,” but he’s like the tier just below that for me–the “secondary glue guy” or whatever…for me, anyway, that’s like Jane Curtin, (pre-decline) Kevin Nealon, Chris Parnell, (sort of) Jason Sudeikis style performers. People who aren’t megastars or MVPs but are invaluable to the show (Vanessa Bayer actually falls in that same category).
@Curly Joe, that was beautifully written. Bobby made his run on the show look so effortless that it’s easy to forget just what a difficult time he had joining the show when it had a well-established, close-knit cast, and in the midst of one of their highest-profile election seasons. He immediately made himself a unique presence, and those often very dull years would have suffered without him.
I have seen interviews where he talked about the wakeup call he had when his CBS sitcom was canned so soon after he left SNL. I’m glad Mr. Mayor seems to be going better for him. The man is just an incredible talent, and also seems so nice – on a show that often gets a reputation for only shitty or extremely difficult people thriving, seeing success happen for a nice guy, who just happens to also be such a brilliant comedian, feels good.
The Thing Is That Bobby Had A Character Named Mark Peppa OR He Was Sniffing Pepper And People Would Actually Say Fire Him Fire Him ! IF They Had Fired Bobby, Nobody Would Have Ever Known Drunk Uncle OR See What A Funny And Fabulous Person Bobby Turned Out To Be !
I also hate the ending to the molesting robot sketch, but I suspect that’s the ending to avoid having the sketch seem too dark or ballsy (which is unfortunate, but…). The crutch of having a sketch turn out to be an advertisement for something also pops up way too much during this period. Dwayne Johnson is indeed fantastic in this sketch–it’s something I would not have projected him to be good at, but he turns out to be perfect casting.
I enjoy the Trump Hallelujah sketch way more than you. I think I like the inversion of having (most) of the cast show up as a season-ending song but in their roles as Trump associates and lackeys. I definitely understand why some folks don’t enjoy this, but I think more so than the Hillary one, it spoke to the vibes I was feeling about the Trump presidency at this time.
There’s something hilariously stupid about that rap short. Bobby’s Skiffle for me, despite being a throwaway character in his final episode, has always stuck in my mind.
I remember clips of Perry’s performance with Migos going viral the next day, as she DID look pretty lame mom dancing next to them.
Wasn’t there an accusation that right before the show, Migos refused to appear with drag queens during the performance?
That wouldn’t surprise me, I know they’ve been openly homophobic dipshits before (BEFORE!)
This episode was actually the last to air before i graduated high school. To a certain extent, the graduation sketch hits a nostalgic note for me. Sure, that was absolute coincidence, but i would naturally be looking back in a fond light at the better memories of that time.
Also, this is when the “backpack kid” singlehandedly started that dumbass floss dance- it was merely an obscure meme before that, but after appearing on a national TV show, that dance fucking EXPLODED. That said, Perry couldn’t sing “Chained To The Rhythm”? I’d at least remember that better, i don’t remember EVER hearing those 2 songs outside of the episode. I understand if she didn’t feel like it, but still- season finale, insanely popular songs, and THOSE two are what she chose to play?
Holy shit, that’s exactly what I thought when I saw this at age 13! Seriously, Chained to the Rhythm was the only song I was looking forward to her performing. What the hell happened?!
Wow this was your last episode to air before graduation from high school? This was the last episode to air before my freshman year in high school came to an end. Yeah, this season aired during my freshman year in high school.
Those songs were recent singles for Perry. Swish Swish had been a part of a truly embarrassing publicity campaign on her part about a feud with Taylor Swift. It’s one of those songs that is so stupid (with hilariously bad lyrics) it almost becomes entertaining, and I kind of found Bon Appetit to be catchy, but neither went anywhere on the charts and these performances certainly weren’t going to change that. There’s a real sense of desperation and tackiness in her performances – it is at least interesting, but can be tough to watch. It feels like someone won a contest to be the MG for the finale.
2017 was a full career crash for Katy Perry that felt almost unheard of, although it had probably been building for a while. Fascinating to look back on (especially that ill-advised livestream she did Big Brother style), but…oof.
This aired at the end of my sophomore year.
To be honest, the quality of this episode gets overshadowed by this being Vanessa, Bobby, and Sasheer’s final episode, much like the Season 38 finale hosted by Ben Affleck.
If it were still 2017, I’d say that Bobby’s departure was a good thing, given how much I disliked him back then. (I’ve come around on him more often.) I do feel like it was the best time for him to leave, given how long he had been on the show (I was 4 when he joined). However, I felt a little sad back then that Vanessa was leaving. (As I mentioned in a previous comment, I think it was right for her to leave.) When Sasheer’s departure was confirmed, I was disappointed that her final role was non-comedic.
I remember during Weekend Update, I was disappointed that there were no celebrity cameos, given it was the season finale. Of course, I now realize that they wanted to give their best departure to Vanessa and Bobby, so I respect that.
As for Season 43’s newbies, it’ll be interesting to hear your thoughts on them as you go along. My personal favorite is Luke Null, which is weird given that he was barely on the show and was fired after one season. Maybe I’m too biased because he strikes me as a talented guy based on other videos of him that I’ve seen.
Good luck on the next season!
I would like to add your comments on the newbies for season 43. Luke Null should have had more screen time on the show. He was underused a lot in my opinion and he did not even appear in the first episode. His first appearance came the following episode. I understand why he was fired and had Ego Nwodim take his place but he should have had more time to shine. Had that happen, he might have gotten a second season. We also have 7 new writers for this 43rd season: Steven Castillo, Andrew Dismukes, Gary Richardson, Sam Jay, Claire Friedman, Erik Marino, and Nimesh Patel. Out of the 7, only two writers remain on the writing staff; Richardson and Castillo. Patel, Friedman, and Marino left after one season, Jay presumably left to work on her HBO show, and Dismukes is now a part of the cast. Time changes. Cannot wait to see you review these four remaining seasons.
Well, this season is split for me. I never cared for it when it aired, and I still don’t now. It’s much better than other seasons, but I’ve never understood the hype. I’ve never found it be worthy of the reviews it’s received. It’s a good season, but just not as great as people make it out to be. Heck, even the Chappelle episode just seems fine. I can see how a lot of people view it as one of the best shows of all time, but there are some sketches in there (Last Call, that “milk” sketch) that I haven’t cared for. That being said, I’d rather take it than the next few years we’re about to get. Sorry you’re not going to end your project on a positive note, Stooge. It’s downhill from here.
Below are the ratings I’ve given to each episode, as well as the season’s average. Each percentage is the quotient of the # of sketches that were my highlights / the total # of sketches:
C.K. (82%)
HANKS (73%)
ANSARI (64%)
STONE/FALLON – tie (58%)
CHAPPELLE (56%)
ROBBIE/STEWART/JOHNSON – tie (50%)
PINE (46%)
CUMBERBATCH/MCCARTHY – tie (45%)
MIRANDA/BALDWIN – tie (38%)
WIIG (33%)
CENA/SPENCER/JOHANSSON – tie (31%)
AFFLECK (18%)
BLUNT (14%)
JONES (9%)
_________________________
AVG = 44%
One minor thing I always found kind of unintentionally funny during “One Voice” is when Kenan says “you ain’t never heard this many rappers on one song” when only 5 rappers have shown up, which really isn’t a crazy amount of people for a rap song.
This season was memorable. It renewed attention to show after a few dismal seasons following the departures of cast members such as Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudekis, Kristen Wiig, Will Forte, Fred Armisen, and Seth Meyers the past few years prior to this season which was Phil Hartman’s last year on the sow. The show had its highest ratings since the 1993-94 season. The season premiere was the most-watched since 2008 and the season finale was the most-watched season finale since 2011 which itself was the highest since 2004. if counted, SNL was the second most-watched comedy of the 2016-17 tv season only behind the big bang theory. This of course was an election year after all just like 2008. That season 34 premiere had the highest ratings for the show since 2002. Season 42 also had the best performance in the key demographic of 18-34 since season 35 in 2009-10.
This was the only time I watched a live airing with my family. The fidget spinner ad, Xentrex, and the initial reveal of the Hallelujah cold open were the only parts that got any laughs from them. Uncomfortably long stretches of silence during Update and “Robo ChoMo” ? I definitely enjoyed the episode more than they did.
Even with the bad ending, World’s Most Evil Invention is one of my all time favorite SNL sketches. Every single part before that is perfect. Everyone gives great performances (especially love Beck’s disgusted facial expression and Sasheer’s straightman work) and the single audience member going “Oh…” after Dwayne gives the Mussolini line is so good. I remember someone on Reddit who was at the show said that Dwayne was paraphrasing what was on the cue cards rather than reading them exactly, and that helps the understated and nonplussed tone his character’s supposed to give off.
If anyone has ANY idea who plays Grim Reaper Bannon in the cold open, I have been trying to figure that out for years.
I think it’s Mikey Day
Mikey was already playing DT Jr.
I don’t know for sure, but Stooge said a couple reviews back he heard Pete would fill in for Mikey as Bannon when Mikey was in the sketch.
NO, ALL OF You Are Wrong ! IT Probably IS Okay To Reveal Who Steve Bannon Is And I Think IT Will Be The Same Person Since Steve Bannon Is The Grim Reaper ! BILL MURRAY IS Steve Bannon ! Rosie ODonell Wanted To Play Steve Bannon, But She Did NOT Get Her Wish !
No, You Are All Wrong ! IT Turned Out That BILL MURRAY Was Steve Bannon ! Rosie O’Donnell Wanted To Be Steve Bannon, But She Did Not Get Her Wish !
So many parallels between this season and season 34. Big ratings bump because of the political material, though all the regular sketches are also operating at a pretty strong level (and in 42’s case, significantly stronger than the political material.) And a lot of people view both seasons as those era’s respective peaks, with the show going downhill afterwards. You also see the “star” of the show (Wiig/McKinnon) start to become a little too much and box themselves into their shtick.
Though I don’t think things immediately go downhill with season 43. It has a rocky first few episodes and a rocky finish (the absolute worst season finale the show has ever had imo) but a lot of the shows in the middle are on par with this season.
As much as I missed Vanessa, I agree. Season 43 has its moments and some decent overall shows. There is an old saying about baseball teams with bad, selfish chemistry–’25 guys, 25 taxis.’ Granted, it’s not an exact corollary, because with SNL you have your ‘teams’–Kate/Aidy, Beck/Kyle, Che/Jost, and later Pete/Chris on the hip-hop pretapes to some extent, but I think it’s instructive. It begins to feel like less of an ensemble, to my anyway, after S43.
The rating bump could also count for this 46th. This season’s premiere was the most-watched since the 42nd season premiere and the dave Chapelle episode this season was the most-watched since Eddie Murphy’s return the previous season. Plus for the first time ever, SNL is the number 1 comedy on television broadcast or cable according to Nielsen. This season has the best ratings for the show since season 42. it’s averaging a 4.1 rating across linear and digital up 27% from season 45. Full episode viewership is 64% from the previous season across all digital platforms. It is also the number one NBC show on Peacock which is NBCUniversal’s streaming service.
Hmm, outside of the lame monologue I remember shockingly little from that Fey finale.
The 43 finale has a pre-tape I really love (Chicago Improv) and which is one of my favorite things Tina ever did on SNL. I know some also enjoy a sketch she does with Melissa. The worst is about as defensive and passive-aggressive as SNL can get, and along with stuff like that Mean Girls pre-tape, also plays into the vanity project vibes of many of Fey’s ’10s SNL appearances.
I haven’t watched season 43 the whole way through. From what I have seen, you have the continued dregs of the political ‘humor’ (which seems to fully bottom out sometime in season 44), along with what are likely the last hurrahs of a number of hosts (Franco, Hart, Schumer), “moment in time” hosts (like Sterling K Brown, the late Chadwick Boseman, Sam Rockwell), that random as hell Charles Barkley return due to someone dropping out, the Bill Hader episode that has some pieces I love but overall disappointed me, and the debut of some well-regarded recurring hosts like Chance the Rapper and Mulaney (the latter episode is what started my path back into SNL).
I guess we will also see the slow breakdown of sketchwriting and increase in poor episode rundowns that hurt the show, something that I’d say peaks in season 45.
I enjoy the Fey Pervert Hunters sketch from that episode as well, which is an obvious premise but contains fun performances.
Season 43 starts out decent enough (whenever Trumpwin doesn’t appear), it’s the Kevin Hart show when Jost and Che become head writers that things go downhill.
At the time, I was becoming disillusioned with the show due to watching seasons 1-5 for the first time and comparing them to the (then) recent coast-to-coast episodes which I felt were step down in quality. Fortunately, the finale was good enough to renew my interest in the series, making it a significant one in my SNL fandom.
This episode really belongs to Bobby and Vanessa and it’s well deserved. Even Kate and Kenan step away from the spotlight for the night, appearing in one live sketch each. Although they were never leading stars like some of their fellow cast members, the two of them were the ultimate supporting players. They could be put in any sketch and it would improve instantly. So watching it live with the knowledge of them leaving made for an interesting experience since that announcement, in recent years, is usually made during the off-season or not at all. Their departures left a gap show that has surely affected the show’s quality, and although it was upsetting to see them leave, it lets you appreciate their time on the show and look back on the content more fondly.
And farewell to Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider, they played a big role towards the season’s quality. One of the main reasons this season reached the heights that it did is because Kelly/Schneider were able to capture the right blend between timeless comedy and pandering to the political climate. Which is something that no one else seems to have figured out how to really do to this day.
I think I remember Drunk Uncle’s final appearance and Vanessa’s constantly getting splashed the most from this ep. So long to Bobby and Vanessa (though her Dawn Lazarus does return either the following season or after that one) and too bad about Sasheer’s brief term on the show (all I’ve seen of her after this was when she did a stand-up set on Colbert. Not bad but hardly memorable. )
Assessing Sasheer Zamata’s SNL legacy is interesting. Being on for four seasons is a rare thing nowadays. The last person to do so before her was Abby Elliott, and in a way they have some similarities as mid-season hires who never seemed to fit in. They weren’t un-funny or bad at live sketch or anything, but they just never seemed to be on the same wavelength as the rest of the cast. I feel real iffy on the way they treated Sasheer considering they hired her out of PR concerns and then put next to no effort into utilizing her well. I can’t fully diagnose why she didn’t succeed on the show other than that vague descriptor of “not fitting in.” Maybe she was too mellow? Idk. Her comedic strength was being the only sane one in the room but Mikey Day quickly usurped that spot, and I don’t even have an opinion on her Michelle Obama considering they only used that impression three times. Would like to hear other people’s thoughts on Sasheer.
Sasheer had a lot of bad timing thrown her way – she was seen as a diversity hire, then quickly overtaken by Leslie on a show that does not know to write for two black women at the same time. She was brought in when a number of other women were already dominating. She was brought in during a season that was seen as bad or on the wrong path. It’s difficult to find your footing at the best of times, but those weren’t close to the best for her. It didn’t help that she was not great in live sketch, although she improved over time (as you mentioned, her line in the soda shop sketch from Louis CK’s last episode is a classic). I would say she was often used as a straight woman, but generally she didn’t even get that far. Her forte is her work in pre-tapes, and I think that holds up well. I also wish we could have seen more of her with Kyle. Ultimately, she was never going to have much of a chance, and I give her credit for sticking it out as long as she did.
I always thought Sasheer was very underrated and underutilized. Too bad SNL treated her almost as a “quota hire”. They seem to be fixing that currently with their treatment of Ego Nwodim, though, who I think can be a huge breakout star.
Agree for the most part, though I think Ego is definitely better suited for the show overall than Sasheer, which also helps explain why she’s been given so much more to do. Sasheer was an amazing straight man, but never seemed comfortable outside of that zone. Ego seems completely at home (and funny) going all bugged eyed crazy in a sketch.
It was just announced that she’s starring in an ABC comedy called “Home Economics” which is good for her. It’s no doubt she has talents, it’s just that they didn’t fit for her at SNL. I hope she gets a break soon.
I do think Ego is more suited to SNL than Sasheer probably was – at first I didn’t know how she was in the live sketches, but she has gotten better and better. I will say that Leslie leaving helped her a great deal.
And I think Punkie will have the same effect soon. Punkie will have a lot of screen time with and without Ego eventually
i Always Liked Sasheer In Black Jeopardy !
Mikey had to have one of the most dominant debut seasons in recent memory. Just goes to show how important writing your own stuff is to succeed at that show (especially if, like Mikey, you’re not a Murphy/Ferrell level performer). He definitely deserves credit for knowing just how to play the game – he has an impeccable eye for what’s going to make it to air.
I agree with what a lot of people said. I think Sasheer has talent, but came in at the wrong time. Once Leslie was promoted from writer to featured player, she got a lot of the stuff that might have been earmarked for Sasheer otherwise. Also, the show was beginning to transition, as I’ve said, into more showy, individualistic pieces, and that for the most part isn’t where Sasheer shines. (Although she had some rare, but good, Update spots.)
Zamata strikes me, with her good straight-man work and outstanding reax shots as someone who works best in an ensemble, and outside of Kenan reax and the pieces, as Anthony Peter noted, that Mikey and Streeter write for Mikey, I don’t see as much of it as there used to be. So much of it is now in the Kate mode of pitch it to the cheap seats, even if it’s a two-hander. That’s not Sasheer’s game. Never was.
Maybe she could’ve gotten some traction in that brief period post-Wiig before it became Kate McKinnon Live.
Since we’ve talked about Bobby and Sasheer, I will also add how much I respect Vanessa’s tenure on the show, even moreso now that I’ve seen her post-SNL work and it isn’t a case of, “Wow, she’s totally different, why didn’t they know how to use her???” the way it is for a number of the people who were there when she joined the cast. Not only did she manage to survive a period of time where every other woman was being fired, or lucky to have lines that week, she was able to keep her comic voice with the rapid shifts that started in her third season, and again in her fourth, and again in her fifth, and seventh. A part of me wishes we had gotten more with Vanessa, but I credit her for wanting to give other people a chance, and for having the clarity to know when it was time to move on. Vanessa may have had the textbook arc a cast member should have, from first episode to last.
Dwayne Johnson is another five-timer who doesn’t appeal to me personally, but I can appreciate how much he grew in ability with each hosting stint, not just coasting on his considerable presence. I also have to give him some praise for being willing to do the supervillain league sketch, as it was a big risk for a star of his level to take (probably even more now than in 2017). He helped make this a very grounded episode and a way for Vanessa and Bobby to get the spotlight.
16-17 is one of the ultimate “you had to be there” seasons for me – it’s probably a good thing that I was not watching live as that means I don’t feel the big disappointment many fans do, but I tend to feel like I missed something key about this season by only going back 4 years later. Still, I do appreciate many aspects of season 42, I do feel it is better than much of what came before or since in the decade, and I have been enjoying the positive reviews and commentaries for so many segments. I know that is much less likely to continue as the project winds down, although there are still good things in most episodes, so we’ll see…
One of the things I always forget until I go back is how quickly Melissa and to a lesser degree Alex were already on the outside by the time this season ended. Once you get in those patterns they are so difficult to break.
Promo:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eD0zK8sCZg
Such a fun promo. I hope when we get back to normal, whatever that even means, we can get these again.
Such a weird obscure detail in the One Voice pretape: I think the woman Aidy is playing was a witness in the O.J. Simpson trial who testified that the detective who found the bloody glove at the crime scene had a history of racist behavior. I don’t think anyone got that reference without looking it up.
OK folks, here are the five star sketches from the 16-17 season:
Diego Calls His Mom (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Chonk (Emily Blunt)
The Sink (Emily Blunt)
Black Jeopardy (Tom Hanks)
Haunted Elevator (Tom Hanks)
A Girl’s Halloween (Tom Hanks)
Monologue (Dave Chappelle)
Election Night (Dave Chappelle)
Jheri’s Place/Inside SNL (Dave Chappelle)
Love and Leslie (Dave Chappelle)
The Bubble (Kristen Wiig)
Wells For Boys (Emma Stone)
Through Donald’s Eyes (John Cena)
Dirty Talk (Aziz Ansari)
Totino (Kristen Stewart)
Press Conference (Kristen Stewart)
Leslie Wants To Play Trump (Alec Baldwin)
Sectional Sofa Emporium (Louis CK)
Amazon Echo Silver (Melissa McCarthy)
Kyle and Leslie (Melissa McCarthy)
Cartier Fidget Spinner (Dwayne Johnson)
International Mad Scientist Society (Dwayne Johnson)
22 Sketches, which ties with 92-93 for second in most five star pieces in a single season. Eight of these are live sketches, not counting the Chappelle monologue. That’s not a bad total for live sketches and I could probably think of a couple more I’d have at that level. While I agree with John’s assessment of it being a bit of a “you had to be there” season, it’s hard to argue with the degree of quality found here.
And now the ****½ sketches:
The Librarian (Margot Robbie)
Weekend Update (Margot Robbie)
Melania Moments (Lin-Manuel Miranda)
Melania Moments (Emily Blunt)
Broken (Tom Hanks)
America’s Funniest Pets (Tom Hanks)
Walking Dead Chappelle’s Show (Dave Chappelle)
Weekend Update (Dave Chappelle)
The Christmas Candle (Emma Stone)
Erotic Bookstore (John Cena)
Dunkin’ Donuts (Casey Affleck)
Interrogation (Aziz Ansari)
Broderick & Ganz (Aziz Ansari)
Five Stars (Aziz Ansari)
U.S. Customs Welcome Video (Kristen Stewart)
Weekend Update (Kristen Stewart)
A Sketch For The Women (Scarlett Johansson)
Monologue (Louis C.K.)
Pepsi Commercial (Louis C.K.)
Weekend Update (Louis C.K.)
Tenement Museum (Louis C.K.)
Take Me Back (Jimmy Fallon)
Song For Peace (Chris Pine)
Swat Recon (Chris Pine)
The House (Chris Pine)
One Voice (Dwayne Johnson)
Xentrex (Dwayne Johnson)
Combined with the five star list, this makes for a total of 49 “great” sketches from this season, beating the record of 46 great segments in Season 18.
And here are your sketches under 2 stars:
*1/2:
Pine Ridge Campground (Lin Manuel Miranda)
Gemma & Ricky (Benedict Cumberbatch)
Secret Word (Kristen Wiig)
United States of Talent (Jon Cena)
Robot Presentation (Casey Affleck)
Bar Centrale (Octavia Spencer)
Trump’s People (Louis C.K.)
Just Desserts (Melissa McCarthy)
Hallelujah (Dwayne Johnson)
*:
Halloween Show (Tom Hanks)
New York Now (Casey Affleck)
Mrs. Claus and the Christmas Feast (Casey Affleck)
Gym Class (Alec Baldwin)
Birthday Clown* (Louis C.K.)
Oval Office (Jimmy Fallon)
The Handmaid’s Tale (Chris Pine)
Couples Game Night (Chris Pine)
17 pieces, 8 of them being one star (one of those one stars being a technicality), the lowest since the 07-08 season. Surprisingly only 3 of them were Trumpwin pieces, but I’m sure he’ll be making plenty more appearances here in our final 4 seasons.
Season 42 would win the Outstanding Variety Sketch Emmy beginning a four consecutive season win for the show:https://www.indiewire.com/2020/09/saturday-night-live-emmys-oustanding-variety-sketch-series-1234586321/
For the 2021 Emmys, the Outstanding Variety Sketch and Outstanding Variety Talk categories recombined: https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/emmy-television-academy-rule-changes-2021-1234846887/
They reversed the decision.
https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/television-academy-emmys-variety-talk-sketch-category-1234911035/
Five-Timers Individual Rankings:
7.5 – Dwayne Johnson (40.16)
7.4 – Dwayne Johnson (34.17)
6.9 – Dwayne Johnson (25.15)
6.8 – Dwayne Johnson (42.21)
6.5 – Dwayne Johnson (27.17)
Here is a ranking of the season ending sketches.
*****
– Backstage Fire (S11)
– So Long, Farewell (S19)
– Jimmy Tango (S21)
– Summer Break (S29)
– Goodnight Saigon (S34)
**** ½
– The Polar Bear Cage (S20)
****
– O’Donoghue Performance (S2)
– Karate School (S9)
– The Pirates (S13)
– Have A Bitchin’ Summer (S14)
– The Sunrise Show (S16)
– Bad Expectant Mother (S17)
– Criminal Encounter (S18)
– Larry King (S22)
– Memorial Day Greetings (S26)
– Bear City (S30)
– Bless This Child (S33)
– It’s A Lovely Day (S38)
– The Harkin Brothers (S41)
*** ½
– The Franken And Davis Show (S3)
– Mommy Beer (S5)
– ^The Clams (S7)
– The Sweeney Sisters (S12)
– Brian Fellow’s Safari Planet (S24)
– The Diggers (S25)
– Senior Skit (S42)
***
– Not For Transsexuals Only (S4)
– The Red Guys (S10)
– The Boss (S15)
– Dr. Deacon’s Haunch Crack Powder (S28)
**½
– The Birthday (S8)
– Forgotten TV Gems with Reese De’What (S40)
**
– Waiting For Pardo (S1)
– Neil Young’s New Album (S31)
– The Barry Gibb Talk Show (S36)
– The Ex-Porn Stars (S39)
*½
– The Bag Lady (S6)
– Snipers (S35)
*
– The Receptionist (S32)
N/A Rating
– The Lost Deep Thoughts of Jack Handey (S23)
– Will’s Last Show (S27)
– She’s A Rainbow (S37)
^ Repeat Airing
Was curious how the first and last episodes rank. Thank you Vax! Here’s the ranking:
Season Premiere:
8.5 – Tom Hanks (S14)
8.0 – Kyle McLachlan (S16)
7.7 – Michael Jordan (S17)
—> 7.7 – Margot Robbie (S42)
7.6 – Rob Lowe (S26)
7.4 – Alec Baldwin (S37)
7.3 – Steve Martin (S3)
7.3 – Cameron Diaz (S24)
7.3 – Jerry Seinfeld (S25)
7.3 – Dane Cook (S32)
7.3 – Seth MacFarlane (S38)
7.1 – Sylvester Stallone (S23)
7.0 – Steve Martin (S13)
7.0 – Nicholas Cage (S18)
7.0 – Mariel Hemingway (S21)
7.0 – LeBron James (S33)
7.0 – Tina Fey (S39)
6.8 – Rolling Stones (S4)
6.8 – Chevy Chase (S8)
6.7 – George Carlin (S1)
6.7 – (no host) (S10)
6.6 – Tom Hanks (S22)
6.6 – Matt Damon (S28)
6.5 – Lily Tomlin (S2)
6.5 – Steve Martin (S5)
6.5 – Bruce Willis (S15)
6.5 – Michael Phelps (S34)
6.4 – (no host) (S7)
6.4 – Sigourney Weaver (S12)
6.3 – Steve Carell (S31)
6.3 – Miley Cyrus (S41)
6.1 – Brandon Tartikoff (S9)
6.1 – Amy Poehler (S36)
6.0 – Charles Barkley (S19)
5.8 – Madonna (S11)
5.8 – Reese Witherspoon (S27)
5.8 – Jack Black (S29)
5.5 – Elliott Gould (S6)
5.3 – Ben Affleck (S30)
5.3 – Megan Fox (S35)
5.3 – Chris Pratt (S40)
4.9 – Steve Martin (S20)
Season Finale:
8.1 – Jim Carrey (S21)
7.7 – Steve Martin (S14)
7.7 – Christopher Walken (S26)
7.5 – George Wendt (S16)
7.4 – Fred Armisen (S41)
7.3 – Will Ferrell (S34)
7.1 – Ben Affleck (S38)
7.1 – Louis C.K. (S40)
6.9 – Buck Henry (S2)
6.9 – Buck Henry (S5)
6.9 – Heather Locklear (S19)
6.9 – Sarah Michelle Gellar (S24)
6.9 – Dan Aykroyd (S28)
6.8 – Jeff Goldblum (S22)
—> 6.8 – Dwayne Johnson (S42)
6.7 – Billy Crystal & Others (S9)
6.6 – Woody Harrelson (S17)
6.6 – David Duchovny (S23)
6.6 – Winona Ryder (S27)
6.5 – Howard Cosell (S10)
6.5 – Kevin Kline (S18)
6.4 – Buck Henry (S4)
6.4 – Judge Reinhold (S13)
6.4 – Candice Bergen (S15)
6.1 – David Duchovny (S20)
6.1 – Kevin Spacey (S31)
6.1 – Steve Carell (S33)
6.1 – Justin Timberlake (S36)
5.9 – Kris Kristofferson (S1)
5.9 – Olivia Newton-John (S7)
5.9 – Dennis Hopper (S12)
5.9 – Alec Baldwin (S35)
5.8 – Olsen Twins (S29)
5.7 – Mick Jagger (S37)
5.6 – (no host) (S6)
5.5 – Jackie Chan (S25)
5.5 – Zach Braff (S32)
5.3 – Buck Henry (S3)
5.3 – Ed Koch (S8)
5.3 – Anjelica Huston (S11)
4.9 – Andy Samberg (S39)
4.7 – Lindsay Lohan (S30)
Stooge,
Farewell Kate, Pete, Aidy, Kyle, Melissa, Aristotle, Melissa, Alex and Chris. All of us at SNL will miss you eight.
Hope they will come back later this season,
Aiden
Wow, I need to give this season a rewatch. Looks like the best one since…2008, maybe? The cameo oversaturation turned me off around this time, but I do remember Chapelle and Hanks being excellent episodes.
I love the highs of this episode, especially the One Voice video. One of my all time favorite full cast sketches. Everyone really nails the respective archetype they’re parodying, partcularly Beck and Cecily. I love the Two Black Guys gag.
Agreed that the Evil Scientist sketch ends miserably, but other than that, my god. What a brilliant, ballsy sketch. The only other person who could make it work would likely be Forte (who wouldn’t have done such a corny ending, but I digress).
Fidget Spinner and Xentrix are just great fake ads.
Finally, wanted to belatedly add to the Bobby praise. Him and Tim Meadows are the only cast members to stay on longer than eight years who were useful to the show their entire tenure. Never flashy or indulgent, they were excellent support players who could also convincingly command a big showcase for themselves. Consistency squared.