Segments are rated on a scale of 1-5 stars
WE STAND WITH PARIS
in wake of Paris terrorism, CES expresses solidarity in English & French
— One of the somber cold openings of this decade, where a recent tragic event gets addressed and is given a tribute, delivered on SNL’s home base stage. This is the shortest and most straightforward of those, with Cecily delivering a brief but heartfelt message about the previous day’s Paris attacks.
— Cecily’s voice is noticeably quivery during this heartfelt message, as if she’s holding back tears.
— Classy touch with Cecily repeating her English message in French.
— A rare instance of the camera not zooming in on the person delivering a LFNY. This time, the camera slowly zooms out during Cecily’s LFNY.
STARS: N/A (not a rateable segment)
MONOLOGUE
actress-director host calls her own shots as she sings “What A Feeling”
— A very funny brief cutaway to Kyle as a cheering Hunger Games fan in the audience.
— A huge rarity, as we actually hear the voice of Don Roy King, SNL’s director, who gets a few lines here. Reminds me of the days when we would often hear director Dave Wilson’s voice, to the degree that his voice would become very familiar to us.
— For what is yet another musical monologue, this is actually damn fun, especially with all of the directions Elizabeth Banks gives and special effects she calls for. We even get some very rare overhead camera angles.
— Speaking of all of the huge rarities in this monologue, we even get a close-up of a gleefully-smiling Lenny Pickett!
— Overall, this monologue alone lets you know that this episode is going to be a complete turnaround from the unspeakable misery of the notorious episode that preceded this.
STARS: ****
ARONS LIST
handymen populate the registry of nonviolent sex offenders
— Hilarious reveal of the “Aron’s” in Aron’s List standing for “American Registry Of Nonviolent Sex offenders”. Vanessa’s facial reaction to that is priceless.
— The list of non-violent sex offenses is quite funny.
— A particularly funny brief cutaway to Jay as a seedy-looking, creepy-voiced character.
— A good laugh from the crude bit at the end with Kenan sneakily using a selfie stick to take a phone snapshot under Vanessa’s dress while she and everyone else are heartily laughing over a “joke” that Beck told.
STARS: ****
BLACK JEOPARDY!
white contestant (host) struggles to get the hang of it
— This sketch has officially become recurring, after two seasons (surprisingly).
— Elizabeth’s Allison character, on why she, of all people, is on Black Jeopardy: “I dated a black guy once, so…I don’t see color. It’s just Jeopardy to me.” Kenan: “……….Okay, we’ll see how THAT goes.”
— Another solid Kenan line, with him responding to Allison’s incorrect first answer by saying, “Might be a long night for you, Allison.”
— Jay and Sasheer’s black-centric answers are all very funny, even moreso than in the first installment of this sketch.
— A huge laugh from Bill Cosby being Allison’s answer to the “After everything he did, he try’na act like he don’t owe us an explanation” question, and Kenan revealing that the answer is actually Tom Brady. (Kenan: “Tired of him winnin’ all the time!” Me: “So are the Chiefs.”)
— I had remembered this installment feeling too much like a carbon copy of the first installment of this sketch, particularly Elizabeth’s character being too similar to Louis C.K.’s character from the first one. Instead, it turns out there are actually enough differences between Louis and Elizabeth’s characters, and I’m actually really enjoying tonight’s installment of this sketch and finding it to be even better than the already-solid first one, even if this still isn’t at the prestigious level of the later Tom Hanks and Chadwick Boseman installments of this sketch.
— Interesting use of Leslie in the Daily Double scene, and I love the fake-out with her question about paintings turning out to be a completely unrelated “Who killed Tupac?”
— Allison: “It’s just, ugh, no matter what I do, I-I can’t win!” (*the “correct answer” sound effect goes off*) Kenan: “Yes! That is the blackest thing you said all day, Allison!”
STARS: ****½
FIRST GOT HORNY 2 U
host, VAB, AIB, KAM, CES reveal teen crushes through song
— Oh, when I went into this episode in my current viewing, I had completely forgotten that it contains this short. I’ve always absolutely loved this short, and it’s tied with Twin Bed as my personal favorite of this era’s female-cast-starring music videos.
— Speaking of this era’s female-cast-starring music videos, this is actually the second consecutive episode with one, after the Bad Girls one in the preceding episode.
— Such a great subject matter, with Elizabeth and several of the female cast members telling us the celebrity they first got horny to during their adolescent years.
— A particularly funny and memorable part with Kate revealing that her feelings for Taylor Hanson are what made her realize that she’s gay.
— The only complaint I’ve ever had about this short is that I didn’t really need that intentionally-pointless interlude with Elizabeth pulling out her phone to find out the name of the actor from The Nanny. However, it’s not enough to hurt this short.
— Hilarious how Vanessa’s “first got horny to” disclosure is about the Menendez Brothers.
— Another great Vanessa moment in which she, while admiring a photo of the Menendez Brothers, looks up at a removable shower head and then gives a sly smile into the camera.
— Aidy’s whole part is great, especially the visual of her scooting on the floor.
— Love the part with Taran as Cecily’s dad walking into the living room, instantly catching Cecily sexually rolling back and forth against a pillow on the ground, and IMMEDIATELY walking back out.
STARS: *****
THEATER SHOWCASE
Student Theater Showcase performers continue to wage social justice wars
— I got such a big laugh from Leslie reacting to the first act in this showcase by just saying a deadpan “Hell naw” and immediately walking off.
— Kenan, in response to the “Whites run the world” act in this showcase: “Wh-why would they do that scene when they’re all white? Just sounded like bragging.”
— Kyle, to the audience, during the Sea World act in this showcase: “Would YOU…like to be jacked off for your sperm?” I also love Vanessa and Kenan’s dismayed reaction to that.
— Kenan: “(looking down at his pamphlet) It says…the proceeds from tonight’s show go to Neil Patrick Harris. (looks up from his pamphlet confusedly)………He doesn’t need that.”
— A priceless reveal from an appalled Vanessa that she’s Aidy’s mom, right after Aidy’s speech claiming her mom is dead.
— Overall, my favorite installment of this recurring sketch that has aired up to this point.
STARS: ****½
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest & Lorde [real] perform “Magnets”
WEEKEND UPDATE
PED doesn’t get the controversy regarding access to women’s bathrooms
per his stand-up & underage girlfriend, Bruce Chandling doesn’t get women
wretched Olya Povlatsky is unfamiliar with the concept of Thanksgiving
— Our very first of many instances over the years of Weekend Update showing a real clip of Donald Trump saying stupid shit. And right after he hosted this show to boot.
— Love Colin’s comment about how Bernie Sanders looks like if the post office became a person.
— Colin, after Pete reveals he’s been using the ladies bathroom at SNL for the last two months: “Yeah, we’ve actually gotten a lot of complaints.” Pete: “Yeah – from me! It’s filthy in there!”
— I like Pete’s little “That was my favorite line!” ad-lib after saying he uses the ladies bathroom at SNL because Cecily Strong has a beautiful singing voice.
— Another great long-form news story breakdown from Colin and Michael, this time about the Yale protests.
— Michael’s nerdy-sounding vocal impression of Colin has me absolutely HOWLING.
— Our first Bruce Chandling appearance in two seasons. Good to see this character back.
— Ha, Bruce Chandling’s jokes are even MORE hacky than usual, thus making them even funnier than usual.
— A very funny out-of-nowhere line from Chandling implying that his girlfriend fooled around with his close friends, leading to a great shocking realization from Chandling that his girlfriend is still in high school. This also leads into him going into his usual depressed self-reflection that I always love.
— This has been my favorite Bruce Chandling commentary that has aired up to this point.
— Colin makes another self-deprecating joke about that particular childhood photo of himself.
— Michael, on caffeinated peanut butter: “Perfect for that creep who wants the dog to just GO TO TOWN down there!”
— Always very nice to see Kate’s Olya Povlatsky character.
— I know I can’t be the only person who initially thought Kate’s thick-accented delivery of the word “fox” was her saying “fucks”. I think the audience thought so, too, because you can hear a few of them gasping in surprise while laughing.
— Olya Povlatsky, on her idea of a pick-up line: “I walk up to a guy and say, ‘Did you fall from heaven? If so, please tell me my babies are up there!’”
— I love Povlatsky’s imitation of an American accent.
— Another overall Jost/Che Update that was on FIRE.
STARS: ****½
THE ADVENTURES OF YOUNG BEN CARSON
adventures from Ben Carson’s (JAP) youth are unlikely formative events
— The debut of Jay’s Ben Carson impression.
— I really like the idea of this sketch. I even love the detail of the late 1960s look to each character.
— Jay’s Ben Carson impression is both accurate and funny, and this sketch is getting good humor from Ben Carson’s low-energy, monotone demeanor.
— Leslie’s panicked delivery of “Oh, damn, he got a hammer!” made me laugh out loud.
— Very funny walk-on from Kenan as Black Jesus.
— I like Kenan’s little “You gonna cut Jesus?!?” line at the very end.
STARS: ***½
WALK-ON ROLE
charity auction winner (BOM) gets crime drama walk-on role as pervy perp
— A great unexpected turn with Bobby being shocked to discover during filming that his walk-on role in this cop show is as a perverted criminal, after all of that lighthearted set-up leading to the filming of this scene.
— After Elizabeth’s line about Bobby’s character in this cop show getting his jollies sniffing one-piece bikinis, I love the very nervous look Bobby gives into the camera in an uncomfortable close-up of his face (the fifth above screencap for this sketch).
— A funny mock-dramatic, over-the-top delivery from Aidy of the line “You are a MONSTER! I HATE YOU!!!”
— Another great reveal, this time Bobby saying he’s a middle school principal while he’s expressing panic over the fact that he told EVERYONE to watch his appearance on this show.
— Some odd gaffes from Jay during the airplane promo, including him mistakenly delivering it into the wrong camera. There’s quite a bit of sloppiness in general throughout this sketch, with several technical miscues. They’re not hurting this sketch for me, though.
— Great reaction from Bobby when hearing that the particularly troubling promo with him that was just filmed is going to air during the Super Bowl.
STARS: ****
MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
musical guest & Sam Smith [real] perform “Omen”
UBER FOR JEN
Uber driver (MOB) takes indirect route to (host)’s destination
— Our first of only two Mike O’Brien films this season, which sadly end up being his last-ever films on SNL.
— A very funny bit with Mike driving off right before Elizabeth can fully grab onto her smoothie that the drive-thru cashier is handing her, causing her to drop it on the ground.
— A solid bank scene.
— Fantastic turn this short takes when Mike and Elizabeth start bonding with each other.
— I’m absolutely loving the montage of crazy activities Elizabeth and Mike get into during their bonding. Not only is this montage hilarious, but it’s also very charming.
— Vanessa’s been cast as a lot of pregnant women this season so far.
— Overall, yet another perfect Mike O’Brien short. The man’s track record in reliably churning out filmed masterpieces has been amazing.
STARS: *****
SO GHETTO
unlike her friends’ first-world problems, (host)’s life is truly ghetto
— Some pretty good laughs from Elizabeth’s descriptions of her literal ghetto life, and how it contrasts to her friends’ very trivial complaints about the alleged “ghetto” aspects of their spoiled lives.
— The constant superficial uses of the term “literally” reminds me of that I Can’t sketch that I hated from the preceding season’s Dakota Johnson episode. The similarity makes sense, as James Anderson and Kent Sublette wrote both that Dakota Johnson sketch and this Elizabeth Banks sketch, I believe. However, I’m finding this Elizabeth Banks sketch of theirs to be FAR superior to that Dakota Johnson sketch. The writing here is good, the lines are funny, and Elizabeth’s performance as the lead character is very strong. Definitely one of the better Anderson/Sublette sketches from around this time.
— The second consecutive segment tonight dealing with an Uber.
STARS: ***½
GOODNIGHTS
IMMEDIATE POST-SHOW THOUGHTS
— A very strong episode. It flowed really well, had a great atmosphere, featured no segments that I disliked (even James Anderson and Kent Sublette had a winner), and contained lots of strong segments (particularly in the first half of this episode, which had an endless string of segments that earned a rating from me in the 4-5-star range). A rare instance of me finding an episode from a recent season to be flawless. The difference between this episode and the notorious preceding episode is like night and day. And, much like Tracy Morgan’s hosting stint from two episodes prior, this Elizabeth Banks episode has definitely got to be on the “Highest rating averages in my SNL project” list.
MY PERSONAL CHOICE OF “BEST OF” MOMENTS FOR THIS EPISODE, REPRESENTED WITH SCREENCAPS
RATED SEGMENTS RANKED FROM BEST TO WORST
First Got Horny 2 U
Uber for Jen
Black Jeopardy!
Theater Showcase
Weekend Update
Monologue
Arons List
Walk-On Role
So Ghetto
The Adventures Of Young Ben Carson
HOW THIS EPISODE STACKS UP AGAINST THE PRECEDING ONE (Donald Trump)
as the inverse of what I said in this section of my preceding episode review, a gargantuan step up of unmeasurable proportions
My full set of screencaps for this episode is here
TOMORROW
Matthew McConaughey