With SNL on its winter break (returning January 16th), I thought I'd do a top 15 for 2015 (including Season 40 & 41). I ended up just selecting from sketches and digital shorts, excluding any Update appearances. So with that being said, lets get to the Top 15.
15) "First Got Horny 2 U" (Elizabeth Banks - S41)
Featuring Banks, Cecily Strong, Vanessa Bayer, Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon, this music video was both great and nostalgic. With references to Carson Daly, The Nanny and that "Dinosaurs" TV Show (seriously, remember that?), this was just incredibly creative.
14) "Santa Baby" (Ryan Gosling - S41)
This digital short was really out there, but being 'out there' is what SNL does best. Ryan and Vanessa really play this up well, as does Beck Bennett (especially when he's in his Santa outfit...sobbing). I don't know what the writers were on when they came up with this, but here's hoping they keep on doing it.
13) Black Widow Trailer (Scarlett Johansson - S40)
This Marvel parody was great, but it also made a statement. As a standalone movie, Black Widow looks to balance out work, friendships and relationships in this "rom-com". While there have been strong female characters in Marvel movies (and superhero movies in general), there haven't been many standalone films headed by women (Marvel especially).
12) "Close Encounters" (Ryan Gosling - S41)
This was one of those sketches that was just filled with energy....because everyone broke. Kate displayed her talent here, as she explained her alien abduction. She just owned this character in every sense. Without that, this would have been just an average sketch, but the break made this one special.
11) "Family Feud: Extended Family" (Tracy Morgan - S41)
Game show sketches can get pretty mundane, but when they shine, they really shine. This Family Feud sketch played off of an actual idea, instead of just using it as a vehicle for celebrity impersonations. One family is headed by the single Leslie Jones.....the other by her ex Tracy Morgan and his new wife Cecily Strong. Kenan Thompson worked flawlessly here, allowing his Steve Harvey impression to really pop.
10) "Casablanca" (J.K. Simmons - S40)
An "alternate ending" to Casablanca, once again Kate displayed why she's among the best right now on SNL. In this ending, Ilsa isn't so conflicted about getting on that plane, despite the long speech by Rick (Simmons). Just a brilliant sketch.
9) "Spaceship" (Chris Hemsworth - S40)
Never has a host had such chemistry with a chicken. A spaceship captained by a chicken........that was the actual plot of the sketch, was fantastic. Hemsworth was able to play off and quickly react to whatever the chicken did. This could have gone very wrong, but luckily for us, everything clicked.
8) "WWE Promo Shoot" (Dwayne Johnson - S40)
This was a sketch where you weren't quite sure where it was heading or what to expect. Johnson plays a wrestler who gets extra personal when attacking his opponent (Bobby Moynihan). This shouldn't have worked, but "The Rock" Johnson put this all together to make it work.
7) "Guns" (Amy Schumer - S41)
It took a while this season, but SNL finally waded into the waters of gun control with this digital short. You have to imagine, given her advocacy, that Amy pushed for this, and it worked really well. Yes, its over the top, but there are just so many great scenes, from Kate McKinnon firing a gun in the air while on a jog, to Vanessa and Bobby wielding guns as she gets wheeled in to a hospital to deliver a baby. Its nice to see when SNL gets into the political field with something humorous like this.
6) "Star Wars Toy Commercial" (Chris Hemsworth - S41)
Arguable the best parody commercial of the year, this was a good addition to the list of "Star Wars" bits over the last year or so. This commercial features probably one of the greatest lines of the season, where a kid tells Taran Killam "Does your wife like toys too?", followed by a close-up to his solemn face.
5) "Bushwick, Brooklyn 2015" (Kevin Hart - S40)
A great digital short with Jay Pharoah, Kenan and Kevin, there were just so many great moments here. The premise seems simple enough, but this short has a pretty high re-watchability factor. Very well produced digital short.
4) "Neurotology Music Video" (Michael Keaton - S40)
Another great digital short, this music video is a take off of the Scientology music video that went viral with the release of a Scientology documentary over the last year. Some may say it looks too much like the original, but there are just so many great little moments. This is a perfect takedown, yet also kind of sad to think that some actually follow a practice similar to this.
3) "Thanksgiving Miracle" (Matthew McConaughey - S41)
This was a perfect vehicle for Adele's "Hello". In this digital short, a family sits around the table during thanksgiving dinner, and start to bicker about politics. That's where Adele comes in, as "Hello" is a universal symbol for all. The production value was fantastic, as everyone (even Matthew and Jay) start turning into Adele. But Aidy Bryant's transformation may be the best of all...wind-machine and all.
2) "Listening Party" (Kevin Hart - S40)
This was the best host-led sketch of the year. Kevin Hart's energy solely made this work, as he bounced around, firing off lines and gun noises, as he reveals secrets of his crew. A sketch that needed a lot of energy to work, and it had just that.
1) "Picture Perfect" (Reese Witherspoon - S40)
SNL has been a little timid over the past year in dealing with edgy material, but this certainly wasn't one of them. A pictionary like game-show, Bobby is asked to draw the prophet Muhammad by host Taran Killam. Bobby and Kenan's facial expressions alone made this (in my opinion), the best sketch of 2015.
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