SNL Season 41: Ep.21

SNL closed out its 41st season with alumni Fred Armisen (and a few other former cast members). Did the season end on a high note? Onto the review

Hillary & Bernie (Cold Open) : SNL has struggled this season dealing with the 2016 election (which they'll have to figure out come the fall), but they did well with it here. We see Hillary (Kate McKinnon), and Bernie (Larry David) at a bar during last call. They have some good banter back and forth, but what made this cold open was the 4th wall breaking as the 2 dance across the SNL stage. This was one of those classic finale cold opens. (8.9)

Monologue: Over the 2nd half of this season, the monologues have either been abridged, or just randomly slap-dashed together. That wasn't the case here, as Fred Armisen brought back his "Tommy Palmese" one-man show character and put a mock one on. The pacing and timing (especially when Fred played with a random audience member) was just perfect. You could tell the crowd was just eating it up and loving every minute. (9.4)






Expedition: This was a random sketch. Three local actors (Armisen, Cecily Strong, Kyle Mooney) act out the journeys of Louis & Clark for a high school class....but in an interesting fashion. On what would turn out to be a strong night, this could be classified as a throwaway sketch, but the crowd seemed to love it, and that added some energy to it. (6.4)



"Finest Girl (Bin Laden)" (Short): We got a bit of a surprise as Andy Samberg and Lonely Island returned with a song that'll appear in the upcoming movie "Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping". It was humorous enough (and Vanessa Bayer was brilliant), but the censorship of it sort of watered it down a bit. (7.1)



New Girlfriend: Fred brought back his "Regine" character, with Regine's new partner Jason Sudeikis. I'll admit, Regine has never been my favorite Armisen character, but I really think this was the best iteration of it. That was in part due to Armisen's physical comedy here, just letting loose. Aidy Bryant couldn't even look at him without breaking, and for one of the first times I can remember, Bayer just absolutely lost it. (8.3)






Farewell Mr. Bunting (short): Oh boy, Farewell Mr. Bunting. This was just fantastic. It was a takeoff of "Dead Poets Society", and we see this build-up, knowing something is going to happen. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that the build-up is absolutely worth it. This could very well become an instant classic for SNL. It was just a perfect set-up that didn't overstay its welcome. (10)




(Courtney Barnett): (8.0)



Weekend Update: Colin Jost and Michael Che have had a very consistently solid season at the Update desk. They've built up a nice rhythm and have generally interacted with each other more, showing that chemistry that they reportedly have. They've also been the best source this season in covering the election (hopefully we see more of in the fall with the Thursday Update specials SNL usually does).

Maya Rudolph made an appearance as recently impeached Brazilian President Dilma Roussef. It was nice seeing a new character/impression for Maya. She was her usual self though, just letting it flow.

Brazil President

Kenan Thompson revived his "Willie" character. I haven't been a big fan of this character, but this time around Kenan just brought a different energy to it. In a way, it felt sort of like Stefon.(8.4)

Willie 

Escape Pod: In this sketch, Armisen goes on an escape pod away from a crew headed by Taran Killam. While saying their goodbyes, Armisen is forced to choose an in-flight meal and a movie, among other amenities. On such a strong night, this was a pretty forgettable sketch. Sure, it had its moments, but it felt like it was just sort of there. (5.3)

Theater Showcase: Quickly becoming a favorite among recurring sketches, we got another Theater Showcase. These sketches just keep on hitting all the right points. What makes it work is just how much the ensemble sells it (Mooney, Killam and Bryant especially). These are becoming a staple with this current cast. (8.4)

Theater Showcase

(Courtney Barnett): (8.5)

Harkin Brothers: This was by no means spectacular, but it was nice seeing the whole cast in this closing 10 to 1 sketch. Armisen fronted an old-fashioned band, and that was pretty much all there was to it. (6.6)

You could make the case that this was one of the best season finales in recent memory for SNL. It was one of those episodes where everything just hit more or less. Fred Armisen brought his own energy to the show, and it showed throughout. This season didn't quite reach the heights of Season 40, but it had its moments and surprises. As I mentioned earlier in this review, they have to figure out how to cover the general election come the fall though.

Overall Score - 7.94

Ariana Grande - 7.95

Fred Armisen - 7.94
Tracy Morgan - 7.94

Larry David - 7.73
Elizabeth Banks - 7.53

Adam Driver - 7.22

Chris Hemsworth - 7.20
Amy Schumer - 7.18

Matthew McConaughey - 7.13

Brie Larson - 7.08

Tina Fey/Amy Poehler - 7.03
Ryan Gosling - 6.92

Peter Dinklage - 6.80

Melissa McCarthy - 6.78

Julia Louis Dreyfus - 6.51

Russell Crowe - 6.38

Drake - 6.24
Miley Cyrus - 6.07

Ronda Rousey - 5.78

Jonah Hill - 5.13
Donald Trump - 4.92