Fellow Coneheads, as the clock strikes 11:30 p.m.
ET on this merry Saturday night, you know what that means: anotherSNLin Review.
After Luccis monologue and credits, the show properly kicked off before the nine-minute mark.
It was glorious!)
Still, last weeks episode had glimmers of hope, largely courtesy of Bill Burr and his acerbic sensibility.
That begs the question: Will quality oscillate week to week, depending on the host?
Tonights host,Issa Rae, may be a good case study.
Rae is a singularly brilliant talent, one of the few in comedy to capture the zeitgeist.
However, we saw a somewhat analogous host last season,Phoebe Waller-Bridge, underwhelm in her episode.
How much can the show adapt to a hosts sensibility while still maintaining its own voice?
Chicken or, as they say, the egg…
I am joined tonight by one of my favoriteSNLcast members ever,Ellen Cleghorne.
I love Issa Rae.
Shes the voice of a generation, says Cleghorne, saluting, The Black Ivy League girl magic!
Michelle, Shonda, Issa: the Ivy League Destinys Child!
Lets dive right in, shall we?
Cold Open
NBC laid a thirst trap for President Trump, the narration explains.
I have a question: Why doesJim Carreydo the finger gun?
(Mike Myersplayed Stephanopoulos back in the ’90s.)
In case you didn’t get it, they literally present it as a Wrestlemania match.
While answering a question about Amy Conan OBrien, Trump is upstaged by the plant behind him.
She recommends Harris appear onSNLalongside Rudolph and do that famousLucy Ball sketch with Harpo Marx.
They sing man in the mirror.
Or Kamala looking in the mirror debriefing herself after the ACB cross-examination.
Biden is spoofed as a Mister Rogers and a Bob Ross-style figure.
I mean, I know this attracts eyeballs on YouTube, but can anyone say this is working?
She is very happy and scared to be at Studio 8H.
Im the first Black person to hostSNLyall, she lies.
If the show goes badly, she says to blame her Mary J. Blige.
Now, her only projects are puzzles.
She discusses her show premiering during fall 2016, and how its been like high school.SNLis her prom.
Cleghorne is a fan of both RaesThe Misadventures of Awkward Black GirlandInsecure.
Canadian News Show: BonjourHi!
Its a French-Canadian talk show!
The best parts of Canada, and the worst parts of France.
It’s nice to see him not being pigeonholed as just sassy or Asian in every role.
Mikey Day is Jean-Fred, I mean Fred.
Hes an American trapped in quarantine.
How is this a news show?
Rae plays a correspondent on Drake Watch.
(Which leads to a funny reference to Wheelchair Jimmy onDegrassi: The Next Generation.)
Drake is not at the CN Tower, sadly.
Jean-Fred/Fred gets frustrated, which is classic Mikey Day, isnt it folks?
The sketch ends with a solid Celine Dion duet.
5-Hour Empathy
Beck Bennettis back, concerned, and wondering how he can understand oppression and racism.
He wants to understand, but doesn’t know how.
Kenan Thompson is the commercial’s narrator, explaining Bennett can take Five-Hour Empathy and learn.
Beck considers it, but he doesn’t want to.
Heidi Gardner, a woman, also refuses to take it.
First Date Exes
At an outdoor fancy restaurant, Rae andChris Reddare on a first date.
Shes had bad experiences with dating.
Apparently, they dated.
Then Karate Man (Pete Davidson) strolls by.
“Sharon!?”
“He just ghosted me!
Then a silver-painted street performer Bowen Yang (“Robot”) and his dog, Astro, appear.
They decide to let her past be the past.
Then Redd receives a surprise-run: Who is this bitch?
asks the woman walking by, which closes out the date… and the sketch!
(you’re free to check out theofficial music video for the song here.)
PreviousSNLhost Chance the Rapper pops up to contribute a verse, name-checking another previousSNLhost, Joe Pesci.
the niece of Alec Baldwin).
It has a gospel vibe, which is very consistent for Chance.
Cleghorne says of Bieber: Hes making Crocs cool!
Hes the pied piper of Madison Avenue.
He has the Beatles factor.
Kate McKinnon has also played the Biebs three times.
He likens it to the networks previous affiliations with the disgraced Bill Cosby and Matt Lauer.
Che is very giggly tonight.
She has never officially met her brother Eric before.
Days Don Jr. is way sunnier and more charismatic/polished than the real Don.
Is something wrong with Moffats microphone?
Aidy Bryantpops up with a new segment, Aidy in America.
Shes filmingShrillseason 3 in Portland, so this is the shows way to incorporate her.
This was short but reminded me of the old Al Franken-taped segments on Update.
Carla, the famous ’80s cocaine wife, shows up too.
She asks about Kate McKinnon and Kenan Thompson, who make her laugh.
The NYC nightlife scene has been closed for seven months, and Carla wants to dance.
Directed by David O. Russell!
the bit ends, which is cute.
Randomly, Update also includes digs at Paul Newman and Michael Jackson.
Your Voice Chicago
Its Sunday at 7:30 a.m. before a two-hour pot commercial.
Rae and Ego Nwodim join Kenan Thompson to discuss local candidates in Chicago.
Im voting for everybody Black, says Rae.
Rae advocates for Charlotte Raines, who has no experience.
In District 10, they choose the Libertarian entrepreneur.
They are both Black but on opposite ends.
Chris Redd plays Reverend DAngelo Banks, who owns a chain of strip clubs.
Hes a mess and has committed tax fraud.
Still, Rae supports him.
Punkie Johnson and a returning Maya Rudolph play Crystal and Caviar, a Diamond and Silk takeoff.
These ladies… are passionate, Rae rationalizes.
Rae is unimpressed; but secretly, she wants to be Bieber’s backup dancer as well.
Bieber and Benny Blanco perform Lonely
This is interesting.
Poignantly, he describes how he sacrificed his privacy and adolescence for fame and wealth.
Jack Flatts
Jack Flatts is a take on Johnny Rockets, offering curbside service.
I miss the wacko fries, cries Dismukes.
He does really well here strange, committed.
They threaten to kidnap the governor unless their demands are met.
Thirteen people were charged last week in a domestic terrorism plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Clearly, this is a devastating riff on that.
(If you like this sketch, I recommend also checking out Indiana comedianBrent Terhuneand his redneck caricature.
He would work well in this cinematic universe.)
Is this like, a porno?
asks a Jack Flatts waitress (played by Lauren Holt).
But instead, they did stuff like binge-watchSelling Sunset.
Well done and smart.
Final thoughts:
What did everyone think?!
Weigh in below orvote here!
Speaking of voting, Issa Rae ends her first hosting gig encouraging everyone to get out there and vote.
(If you want.)
Thank you to Ellen Cleghorne for her contributions!
Want to hear more from me waxing poetic on the shows foibles?
Check out this weeks episode of thenewSNL Statspodcast.
