Hi all we’re kicking things off tonight as usual, in the time-bendingSNL in Reviewzone.

(Earlier this season, SNL mocked the controversial Netflix movie whileBrendan Gleeson was hosting.)

I am joined tonight by formerSNLcast member Siobhan Fallon Hogan.

Last week was a rare step back for this season.

Will they recover and continue the positive reception from the past few months?

Thank you climate change.

The cast gets a lot of chances here, a carousel sketch.

Molly Kearney plays a woman learning to rollerblade.

Ego Nwodim is on her cell phone and can’t find her friend.

“Grown man with a drone who’s alone” (Andrew Dismukes) is back too!

These types of people all ring true, even if this is not laugh out loud funny.

Brief, and mostly flat.

No arc but hey, at least it was character-driven and only marginally political.

Opening Monologue

De Armas starts out her monologue speaking in Spanish.

She discusses her arrival in America from Cuba, learning English by watchingFriends.

In three weeks, she will officially become an American citizen.

She tells a poignant story about Robert De Niro and her father.

Understandably clumsy and brief.

“The Dome”

Ted Connell (Kenan Thompson) hosts a Game Show online grid show.

Two teams, one million dollars.

They must be cousins!

He has to be wealthy!

(He isn’t, he volunteers eating dog food for Purina.)

The other participants guess too: Has he given her a kidney?

Is he very well endowed?

“American Girlstrailer”

A new live-action story about historically accurate dolls.

“That’s OK!”

They are all very cheery despite the tragedies defining their back stories.

This is generally fun, playing off the recent hoopla overtheBarbietrailer.

It falls a little flat near the end.

They get the assignment, except the tags become increasingly insulting.

Seductive tags about him being illiterate and sleeping next to his laundry.

He has rings around his toilet.

“Spicy needs to be on a watchlist.”

This is cute, if one-note.

Kenan talking about the food he’s anticipating is funny.

exaggerates Macintosh after hearing Hernandez’s passionate, long description of his favorite food.

Seems even the teacher is overwhelmed by their fluency.

This one is worth watching, especially if you have taken a Spanish class in school before.

We are treated to several flashbacks.

I like seeing segments like this based aroundSNL’s backstage culture.

The escalation here (Chloe with a gun, Mikey Day’s pants) work.

Fun fact: McFerrin himself was the musical guest on the show back in 1988.

1 album on the chart.

Funky Kong(Thompson) shows up to discussbeing snubbed in the recentMario Bros.movie.

This is great and is a little reminiscent of something in Squirm’s stand-up show.

I like that this allows her to mock Jost outside her Sarah News segment.

I am a fan of this!

Over 400 anti-LBGTQ bills have been filed this year in state legislatures.

Unreal.Molly Kearney the first non-binary cast member comes on to discuss.

They have their own intro, flying in from above via a harness.

There’s a great metaphor here, a powerful message about empathy.

Comedically it splits the difference between classic Farley and some of Cecily Strong’s impassioned segments at the desk.

It will be really interesting to note the response to this appearance.

To me, it was great to see Molly shine here.

“Lisa from Temecula: Wedding”

It is the return of Lisa from Temecula!

This time, she is at a wedding.

Duringthe Pedro Pascal episode, this characterwent viral.

A little bit of yawning deja vu this time.

“Toss my salad!”

she says this time.

She accuses host de Armas, not Pascal, of trying to get her box.

A few holdovers from last time: Bowen Yang and Punkie Johnson (AKA sis) return.

“Cook my meat!”

This was so fun the first time.

I think repeat characters need to exist to fresh premises, don’t just remake the first one beat-by-beat.

I mean, de Armas is even trying to laugh here.

“Dog acting school commercial”

Chloe Fineman and de Armas act against several dogs.

This is cheap stuff, and feels like Fineman is trying to fill Cecily Strong’s lane.

Sure it’s cute, but at what cost?!

Karol G performance, “Tus Gafitas”

Love this set/costume design.

We think he is uncomfortable due to conventional gender norms.

Turns out no, it is more grotesque: He has not cut his nails for 12 years.

He now has the Guinness Book of World record for longest nails.

He cannot wipe himself, he can’t do “hand stuff” to Nina.

Screw those gender roles!

Lots of vamping from Yang here.

Final thoughts

Thank you to Siobhan Fallon Hogan!

Check out thisoral history ofHolesfeaturing her from a few days ago.

Some good behind-the-scenes insights into this season here, folks.

“kindly bring me back!”

Ana says to Lorne in the goodnights.