Showing posts with label Chance the Rapper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chance the Rapper. Show all posts

Sunday, January 1, 2017

SNL 42.10 Review - Casey Affleck, Chance the Rapper

Original Airdate - 12/17/2016

It's rare that a host makes his SNL debut on the Christmas episode, but alas, this is what Casey Affleck does.  His family does have a track record with the show, as his brother Ben is one of the more recent inductees into the "5-Timers Club."  That makes the Afflecks the first set of brothers to host SNL since Peyton and Eli Manning.  Also, experts say Casey will be an Oscar winner in just a few short months for his new film Manchester by the Sea.  So I guess he is a worthy candidate to host such a big show.  But can he do comedy?

Cold Opening
The last Cold Open of 2016 was the most scathing when it comes to the show's criticism of President-Elect Donald Trump.  As more and more information comes out about the Russians hacking our presidential election, SNL decided to connect the dots by having Putin visit Trump for Christmas.  The sketch also included John Goodman as Rex Tillerson, Exxon CEO and Trump's choice for Secretary of State, acting like BFF's with Putin while Trump cluelessly watches on.  Once they referred to Trump as Putin's Manchurian Candidate, you realize that the SNL writers are not pulling any punches.

Monologue
It really felt like  they didn't know what to do for Casey Affleck's monologue.  He made it very clear throughout the monologue that he wasn't going to sing.  However, he really didn't have anything else to do either.  He talked about his career, and had some good one-liners along the way.  Baldwin and Goodman came out to fulfill the star-studded cameo checkbox.  That was about it.  It was one of the most confusing monologues I can remember.

Best Sketch
This was an easy one.  Casey Affleck is at his best when he is able to be a stereotypical Bostonian.  So here we see him at his best in this commercial for Dunkin' Donuts.  They are trying to brand themselves as a competitor for upscale coffee places like Starbucks, but it will always be the choice for average Joes.

Weekend Update
What would a Christmas episode be without more cameos?  Among the many great jokes from Jost and Che, you also have the not-that-rare cameo of Fred Armisen.  He and Vanessa Bayer reprise their bit as Putin's Best Friends from Growing Up.  It's a great bit, but it didn't quite have the zing it did when it first debuted.

Worst Sketch
There were several mediocre (at best) sketches in this episode.  This was definitely the lowest on the totem poll.  It tells the story of a New York local theater group doing a nativity comedy.  The show is terrible, and so is the sketch.  Making fun of bad comedy doesn't really make good comedy.

Dark Horse Sketch
Like I said, most of the episode was mediocre.  This sketch was clever although not necessarily a "Dark Horse."  The week after this episode aired, the electors were set to cast their votes making Donald Trump's election as president official.  This sketch had Hillary Clinton begging electors for votes in the vein of Christmas film Love Actually.  It was a clever and smart way to show the last ditch effort Hillary had to try and pull off the election win.

Grade

The question coming into the episode was whether Casey Affleck could handle the comedy.  Although he seemed to do an okay job as host, the episode overall seemed to underwhelm.  In fact, several of the sketches were simply less funny retreads of sketches used when Ryan Gosling hosted this time last year.  I find it interesting they put Ryan Gosling and Casey Affleck in the same category of host, but that's a conversation for another time.  Anyways, this episode reminds me of another episode in the last few seasons.  A few years ago, SNL decided their season finale would be hosted by Ben Affleck as he was inducted into the "5 Timers Club."  The episode in general was disappointing and nothing special.  I feel the same about this episode, and it is a complete coincidence that it is another Affleck that was hosting.  However, it holds true.  Honestly, my biggest disappointment was the lack of a Ben Affleck cameo.  It just made too much sense, yet never happened.  So sad...

***C***

And that has us caught up!  Coming next on the SNL lineup is Rogue One star Felicity Jones in only a couple weeks.
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Thursday, December 31, 2015

SNL 41.8 Review - Chris Hemsworth, Chance the Rapper

Original Airdate - 12/12/15

Return trips to host Saturday Night Live are not handed out very easily.  You have to show that there is something special there that can be expanded on to be asked back.  Rarely does anyone ever get two hosting gigs in one calendar year.  In the last few years, only comedy A-listers Melissa McCarthy and Louis C.K. have had the honor of hosting in consecutive seasons.  This makes the decision to ask back Chris Hemsworth somewhat head scratching.  Hemsworth made his hosting debut only this past March as a part of the publicity tour for Avengers: Age of Ultron.  It was a mediocre show, with nothing that really warranted a return hosting gig, especially with such a quick turnaround.  However, here we are just nine months later, and Chris Hemsworth is back.  However, this episode proved more of the same from the last one he hosted.

Cold Opening

There are certain people you are willing to reshuffle your deck for at SNL.  Will Ferrell is one of them.  One of the biggest conundrums of the 2000's for the SNL cast and writers was what to do with President George W. Bush once Will Ferrell left the show.  In this Cold Opening, he shows why no one was really able to replace him.  The most interesting part of this opening was how obvious it was that this was thrown in at the last minute.  It's like Will Ferrell showed up and said, "Do you want me to do something?"  The reason I say this is because the first sketch after the monologue had Cold Opening written all over it.  It was a political satire done through one of the political talk shows, the host wasn't in it, and it had a slightly underwhelming ending as it was most likely lacking its punchline of "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!"  It seems obvious to me that this sketch got bumped from the Cold Opening when Will showed up, but like I said, there are some people you reshuffle the deck for, and the show was better because they did it for Will Ferrell.

Monologue

The writers decide to make light of the fact that it has not been long since Chris Hemsworth walked the SNL halls by having him wander around in a homecoming of sorts.  It was slightly awkward and forgettable.  Chris Hemsworth might be willing to do anything, but he just doesn't seem to be a naturally funny guy.

Weekend Update




Weekend Update saw a couple fan favorites arrive as the guests this week.  First came Leslie Jones, who I feel is losing some of her charm.  She really only has one gear, and I feel it is starting to get a little old.  She is still funny, but it just isn't as fresh as it was when she first arrived.  The other guest was whoever Kate McKinnon felt like being that particular day.  She seems to make an appearance at the Update desk every week as one character or another.  This week, it was Angela Merkel, one of her best.

Best Sketch

It is never a good sign when the best sketch is one that did not feature the host.  However, that is what happened here.  This fake commercial hit a home run, partially because of how true it actually is.  With the new Star Wars here, it also brings about a whole new generation of toys and action figures for kids to play with ... or adults to collect.  First generation Star Wars nerds try to convince kids that the toys are the most fun left in the box.  It's a slightly sad, very true, and really funny take on the culture.

Worst Sketch

Did someone tell Chris Hemsworth he could sing?  It appears so with this sketch.  At a Holiday get-together, the group decides to gather around the piano and sing Christmas carols.  That's when Hemsworth and Cecily Strong decide to sing a very strange and bizarre Christmas show tune no one else seems to know.  I think it's supposed to be funny, but it turned out to just be awkward and uncomfortable.  My face was the same as the faces of those in the sketch, partially because it was weird, and partially because Chris Hemsworth really can't carry a tune.

Dark Horse Sketch

One thing that has to be said about Chris Hemsworth is he is willing to do pretty much anything.  In this sketch, he takes the plunge many hosts before him have taken and dresses in drag.  The way the play this sketch is what sets it apart though.  A group of ladies is out to lunch talking about the Hollywood hunks they appreciate most, when one very muscular lady in the group keeps bringing up Chris Hemsworth.  Slowly throughout the sketch, all the girlfriends realize their friend is actually Chris Hemsworth just trying to keep himself relevant in women's minds.  The lengths he was willing to go for his own vanity is the type of uncomfortable that brings about great laughs, especially in one of the last sketches of the show.

Grade
For some reason, Lorne Michaels loves Chris Hemsworth.  However, I think he has now proven that in his two hosting gigs, he just isn't that funny.  He definitely tries, but it just doesn't seem to work.  With two hosting credits in nine months, and him being one of the hottest names in Hollywood, I have a feeling that he will get another shot at this.  Hopefully, the writers find some better ways to use him.

***C***

View the full episode here:

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