Original Airdate - 12/10/2016
I think it is safe to say that John Cena has followed in the career path of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. He has successfully turned a WWE wrestling career into a pop culture phenomenon. Earlier this year, he hosted the ESPY's, and now he is hosting Saturday Night Live. He actually has a pretty decent talent for comedy too.
Cold Opening
Once again, the Cold Opening is reserved for attacking our soon-to-be president. Many people have been very critical of Trump's strange cabinet selections, so SNL has decided to try and make the ridiculous even more ridiculous. The setting is an episode of The Lead With Jake Tapper. The guests are Kellyanne Conway, tragically played by Kate McKinnon, and Trump's new head of the DEA, the one and only Walter White. If he wasn't fictional, Mr. White might actually be in the running...
Monologue
You have a wrestler hosting SNL. So, of course, the cast is going to try and challenge him to a fight. Each castmember is trying to come up with a great wrestling persona, but nothing beats the last one. Nothing is scarier than Leslie Jones. It was silly, but still entertaining.
Best Sketch
When you have a physical specimen like John Cena hosting, you take advantage of it by talking sports. I really enjoyed one sketch where they had Cena portraying the larger than life Rob Gronkowski, however the best sketch took a shot at the Alabama football program. In the presentation of final projects in a science class, two science majors get disappointing grades on very solid projects. However, Cena, portraying a Bama football player, aces his project on bananas nailed to a board. It's a beautiful sketch, especially since it is Alabama they are making fun of.
Weekend Update
I have never been a huge fan of Kate McKinnon's portrayal of Angela Merkel, Germany's Prime Minister. With that said, they keep going back to it as it is continually relevant with our political climate. She is the first guest to the Update desk in this episode. The other guest is another I have not been fond of in the past. Cecily Strong's Cathy Anne character I have found more annoying than anything in the past. However, she is hilarious in this appearance as she discusses everything going on in our country.
Worst Sketch
There were several sketches that weren't necessarily great. The worst of these was this strange sketch about a TV talent show, a pair of brothers, and an owl. It was just weird and strange and not worth the payoff.
Dark Horse Sketch
There were also several sketches that could have qualified for the Dark Horse Sketch. This was my favorite, as John Cena portrays a Fabio-type character in a romance bookstore. It is completely ridiculous but pretty funny at the same time.
Grade
***B-***
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