SNL Season 42: Dwayne Johnson

SNL closed out its 42nd season with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson (who joined the five timer's club). Onto the review.

Hallelujah Cold Open: In a flip from the post election cold open, Donald Trump (Baldwin) showed up on the piano to perform "Hallelujah" with other members from his white house (with Scarlett Johansson returning as Ivanka). In such a busy week of news, it seems SNL went with a safe bet here. If this was the last time for Baldwin portraying Trump, then what a run he had this season. (7.4) 

Monologue: Johnson recently made some noise on a 2020 Presidential run (which joke or not, you know what, why not). Anyway, he played it up here, rolling out Tom Hanks as his VP. (8.0)

Cartier (ad): (7.1)

WWE Promo Shoot 2: I wasn't expecting to get a callback with this sketch, but it was a memorable one in a prior Rock-hosted episode with Moynihan (who's departing SNL). They took on the mantras of Koko and Trashyard Mutt, following the same pattern as the first time around, with "Koko" spilling more secrets of Trashyard Mutt. It didn't hit as hard the 2nd time out, but still enjoyable. (7.4)

Rap Song (short): Kenan introduces the features of this rap track....and boy are there plenty of featured artists. While "David S. Pimpkins" got everyone talking, I want to know more about Essentially Simon (Beck Bennett) and "Kathleen Bell" (Aidy Bryant). (8.0)

Scorpio: (6.5)

Gemma: Another return sketch, this time Vanessa Bayer playing Kenan's wife, who runs into his old pals Gemma (Cecily Strong) with Johnson. While the focus here may be on 'Gemma', Vanessa (also leaving SNL), made this work, just seeing how left out she is and how miserable she looks getting wet on the amusement park ride. She plays this kind of character so well, always with a kind heart. (7.5)

Enhancement Drug (ad): In this ad for "Xentrex", Johnson demands his doctor (Kyle Mooney) for a prescription in this ad. It turns out there are some interesting and troubling side-effects.....such as both an increase and decrease in semen. Johnson's deadpan delivery makes this work so well. (8.7)

(Katy Perry): (6.5)

Weekend Update: Jost & Che had a lot to unpack with this hectic week in news, from Comey's memo and leaked classified information, to a special counsel. 

Vanessa returned as meteorologist Dawn Lazarus, giving a look at the upcoming memorial day weekend in her own special way. Its a shame this character is so new, because Vanessa really hit it out of the park.

Also making his Update sign-off was Moynihan's Drunk Uncle. It'd been a while since we saw him, so this was a good appearance, recapping a wild couple of months. (8.6)

RKO Movie Set: (7.0)

World's Most Evil Invention: What tops a "shrink and freeze ray" as the most evil invention? Well, "The Rock" was able to easily top them....going above and beyond the definition of 'evil'. This really was a jaw-dropper. All I'll say is, this certainly was some dark humor, but Johnson's delivery is so perfect that it works.And I'm sure White Castle loved the publicity... (9.0)

(Katy Perry): (6.8)

Wingman: (6.7)

Senior Video: (7.0)

SNL certainly wasn't afraid to extend thew boundaries in this finale. Overall, what a needed season (given the current political climate). It'll be interesting to see how things progress next season. Does Alec Baldwin return as Trump? If so, will they bring in someone new? And how will they cope without Bobby Moynihan and Vanessa Bayer, who were able to take any role and fill out a sketch. We'll have to wait and see. (7.48)

Dave Chappelle: 8.83
Kristen Stewart: 8.13

Tom Hanks: 8.03

Scarlett Johansson: 7.98

Melissa McCarthy: 7.85

Aziz Ansari: 7.82

Lin Manuel Miranda: 7.74

Louis C.K: 7.65

Felicity Jones: 7.62

Alec Baldwin: 7.58

Jimmy Fallon: 7.57

Emma Stone: 7.56

Dwayne Johnson: 7.48

Casey Affleck: 7.40

Margot Robbie: 7.38

Chris Pine: 7.31

John Cena: 7.19

Kristen Wiig: 7.09

Emily Blunt: 7.07

Benedict Cumberbatch: 6.60

Octavia Spencer: 6.49

SNL Season 42: Melissa McCarthy

SNL aired it penultimate episode of the season with Melissa McCarthy, who joined the Five-Timer's Club. So how did it go? Onto the review

Lester Hold Cold Open: Michael Che as Lester Holt was all of us in this NBC interview cold open. As Trump (Baldwin) admits that he had Russia on his mind when firing James Comey, Holt says to his producers "Is that it? Did I get him? No? Nothing Matters?". How true that seems to be. (7.6)

Monologue: What a clever Mother's Day monologue. Melissa picks a mom out of the audience (seems to be legit, as reports say she picked someone different who was at dress), and takes them on a door of backstage, running into Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. It was something different. (8.5)

Game Show: In a Press Your Luck parody "Just Desserts", Melissa showed that she's willing to do anything in terms of physical comedy. Playing a contestant, she doesn't fare well, getting an endless amount of pies and cakes smashed in her face. She just sold this so well. Also, Kenan was low-key brilliant just saying "pie" over and over again. (8.0)

Amazon Echo (ad): An Amazon Echo made for the AARP generation, you just know Amazon is going to start green lighting this. (7.3)

Sean Spicer Returns: We knew this was coming. First, we see Aidy Bryant as Sarah Huckabee Sanders, with the press praising her for being nicer. Spicer (McCarthy) hiding in the bushes, is not pleased, and barges in. Suffice it to say, hilarity ensues, with Spicer making a demonstration with Russian nestling dolls. When aware that Trump might fire him, Spicer takes his Podium off to NYC and a NJ golf course where Trump actually is. This was the first (and likely last) meeting between Spicer and Trump, as he doesn't seem long for the job in reality. If this is the last time we see Spicer on SNL, then what a way to go out (makeout session and all). (8.7)

(Haim): (9.0)

Weekend Update: Pete Davidson made his return as an Update guest, talking about his new-found sobriety, and discussing the perils of rehab.

Then Cecily Strong showed up as "everywoman" Cathy Anne, who just says it as it is. This character in the past has been pretty "meh", but this was the best iteration of it yet. She was really speaking the truth about Comey's dismissal, and Trump's conflicts of interest. (7.7)

Film Panel: (5.8)

Kyle & Leslie (short): I like how they're making this Kyle/Leslie relationship canon for this season, along with Leslie's interactions with Colin Jost, that drives Kyle incredibly jealous leading up to the building moment of this short. Trust me, it's worth it. (8.5)

Haim: (9.1)

First Birthday: (6.5)

Production Logo: Beck Bennett tries to sell a logo idea for "Lighthouse Features" starring Melissa McCarthy as a down on her luck woman. This made me want to know more about this character "Donna". (7.5)

Melissa McCarthy, like Louis C.K just knows how to host a solid show. She can make seemingly any character work. When you know Melissa is hosting, you can just sit back, and not worry about if the show is going to click that night or not. (7.85)

Dave Chappelle: 8.83
Kristen Stewart: 8.13

Tom Hanks: 8.03

Scarlett Johansson: 7.98

Melissa McCarthy: 7.85

Aziz Ansari: 7.82

Lin Manuel Miranda: 7.74

Louis C.K: 7.65

Felicity Jones: 7.62

Alec Baldwin: 7.58

Jimmy Fallon: 7.57

Emma Stone: 7.56

Casey Affleck: 7.40

Margot Robbie: 7.38

Chris Pine: 7.31

John Cena: 7.19

Kristen Wiig: 7.09

Emily Blunt: 7.07

Benedict Cumberbatch: 6.60

Octavia Spencer: 6.49

SNL Season 42: Chris Pine

SNL started off its season ending run with Wonder Woman's Chris Pine. Was it a start of a solid run? Onto the review

Morning Joe Cold Open: Coming on the wake of the engagement announcement of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, SNL played off of it, with Alex Moffat and Kate McKinnon playing the duo, blatanly flirting with each other, making the fellow correspondents feel awkward. A phone-call cameo from Trump (Baldwin) added to it, calling as a spokesman. The main element though was the relationship with Joe and Mika. (7.5)  

Monologue: Just remember, Chris Pine, Hemsworth, Evans and Pratt are all different people. Never forget. (6.4)

Where In The World Is Kellyanne Conway: The nostalgia was there with this one, with the classic Carmen Sandiego theme. Maybe a bit too brief, but it made its point and didn't linger, with the kids not really wanting to find Kellyanne. Its true though, over the last month, she's only appeared on Fox News programs. (7.6)

World Peace Rap (short): It took me a while to process this, but after a couple listens I found myself cracking up at this. Its parodying a fairly obscure Hungarian Rapper. Its not really necessary to know the original though. Also, as good as Beck Bennett is, I'm just mesmerized by Pine's character. (8.0)

SWAT Recon: (7.4)

H.R "The Boy Is Mine": (6.4)

The House (short): Its been a while since we've seen this Real House/Reality show parody with Beck and Kyle, but it returned with Chris Pine as a house guest. The cutaways and confessionals are so great and spot on, creating the drama. (7.7)

LCD Soundsystem: (7.2)

Weekend Update: Leslie Jones appeared to talk about meeting a man while on vacation, but the top Update guest was a new character by Vanessa Bayer, meteorologist Dawn Lazarus. She just sells it, mumbling through. I hope we see this character return. (7.4) 

Auto Shop: As a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race myself, I was excited to see this take on it. We see employees of an auto shop (Pine, Kenan, Beck, Alex & Bobby) sitting around, casually talking about Drag Race as the conversation gradually builds to evolve that they're all huge fans. It results in a pretty great lip synch battle between Chris and Bobby. You could see elements of this conversation being true, with some guys being reluctant that they watch it. (8.0)

The Handmaid's Tale (short): (7.0)

Star Trek Lost Episode: Whoever knew that we needed Spock's brother "Spocko" in our lives. (7.5)

LCD Soundsystem: (6.5)

Couples Game Night: (7.8)

This was quite a music filled episode. Seems to be the year for musical episodes, with the Supergirl/Flash crossover and Once Upon A Time. You could tell there was some rust, but overall this was a perfectly fine episode, getting more into original material and giving a bit of reprieve to political satire. (7.31)

Dave Chappelle: 8.83
Kristen Stewart: 8.13

Tom Hanks: 8.03

Scarlett Johansson: 7.98

Aziz Ansari: 7.82

Lin Manuel Miranda: 7.74

Louis C.K: 7.65

Felicity Jones: 7.62

Alec Baldwin: 7.58

Jimmy Fallon: 7.57

Emma Stone: 7.56

Casey Affleck: 7.40

Margot Robbie: 7.38

Chris Pine: 7.31

John Cena: 7.19

Kristen Wiig: 7.09

Emily Blunt: 7.07

Benedict Cumberbatch: 6.60

Octavia Spencer: 6.49

2017 Steelers Draft Review

With the Draft wrapped up, its time to review the actual selections the Steelers made. Like with the preview, all summaries are from nfl.com, but added with my brief take on how I think they will fit and produce with Pittsburgh.

1st Rd: OLB T.J Watt - Wisconsin (6'4", 252lbs)

2016: 2nd All-American, 1st All-B10, 63tckls/15.5TFL, 11.5scks

Combine: 4.69 40, 21reps, 37in vert jump

Strengths: Attacks blockers with early arm extension and utilizes push-pull technique. Has outstanding hand play. Always ready to leap into passing lanes & deflect. Strikes fast and early to create leverage points. Functional in space when asked to cover. Consistent, wrap-up finisher as a tackler.

Weaknesses: Short strider who lacks explosion out of stance. Foot quickness is average. Plays with narrow base. Needs to play with more consistent bend to play through redirection by O-Line. Pass rush menu will need more options.

Comp: Paul Kruger

Grade: 5.88 (Could become an early starter)

My Take: The Steelers needed a pass rusher, along with secondary help, and they tackled the former with this 1st round choice. James Harrison/Ryan Shazier/Bud Dupree and T.J Watt could become quite a force if all are healthy. T.J is striving to be his own man, and create an identity beyond his brother J.J, so that could be a positive driving force. He's fairly new to the position, so there will be some growth needed, but the tools are all there as he showed in his breakout final year with Wisconsin.

2nd Rd: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster - USC (6'1", 215lbs)

2016: 2nd All-P12, 70rec/914yds/10TDs

Combine: 4.54 40, 15reps, 32.5in vert jump

Strengths: No concerns working over the middle. Works back to the ball as aggressively as he needs to when defenders attempt to ball-hawk. Searches & sinks into optimal openings. Effective use of frame to shield CBs from contested catches. Has confident hands. Tremendous ball tracker. Body control to twist & contort in mid-air. Plays with sideline awareness. Aggressive runner after the catch, a reliable blocker.

Weaknesses: Missing sudden acceleration out of his cuts. Rarely shows a second gear to run under deep throws. Coasts when turning to find the deep ball rather than maintaining play speed. Can be slow to release against press coverage. Plays with a delayed open to the QB on comeback routes.

Comp: Anquan Boldin

Grade: 5.89 (Could become an early starter)

My Take: A bit of a surprise to go with a WR early with Bryant reinstated, but he did miss last year, so rust is certainly possible. Throughout the back-half of last season AB was the only true reliable WR, so JuJu should be able to step in as a #3, and provide more opportunities.

3rd Rd: CB Cameron Sutton - Tennessee (5'11", 188lbs)

2016: 23tckls/2 TFL, 1INT/4PBUs

Combine: 4.52 40/ 11reps/ 34in vert jump

Strengths: Man-cover corner with feet to mirror & match off the line of scrimmage. Desired fluidity of movement with ability to open and run from backpedal. Good acceleration. Soft hands and smart angles to the ball. Punt-return talent.

Weaknesses: Too passive in press coverage. Plays a little tall in backpedal. Issues with his back to the QB, late to turn and find the ball. Unreliable in run support.

Comp: B.W Webb

Grade: 5.65 (Backup/eventual starter)

My Take: A somewhat under-looked CB in this draft, Sutton should get a chance to see regular action. He seems to be a pretty dynamic corner with good acceleration.

3rd Rd: RB James Conner - Pittsburgh (6'1", 233lbs)

2016: 1st All-ACC, 216att/1,092yds/16TDs

Combine: 4.65 40, 20reps, 29in vert jump

Strengths: Carries heavy momentum behind pads at finish. Drops shoulder to punish final tackler. Creates for himself through brute force. Excellent contact balance. Willing to leave feet and sacrifice body near the goal line. Willing blocker in pass protection. Ability to come out of backfield in wheel routes, swing passes & outs.

Weaknesses: Runs with stiff hips and heavy legs. All power, no finesse. Average lateral movement. Can be a little slow to process moving parts in front of him. Hands a little stiff as a pass catcher.

Comp: T.J Duckett

Grade: 5.40 (Backup/eventual starter)

My Take: A determined leader, he fits with the Steelers as a big power back. He has a lot of potential, and should make a nice combo with Bell in the immediate future.

4th Rd: QB Joshua Dobbs - Tennessee (6'3", 216lbs)

2016: 2,946 pass yds, 27TDs/12ints,  831 rush yds. 12TDs

Combine: 4.64 40, 33in vert jump

Strengths: Ball handling and release quickness to get the ball out early. Tight spiral. Eye-catching deep ball accuracy. Good mental toughness. Explosive ability as a runner. 

Weaknesses: Below average delivery balance. Footwork is uneven. Throwing motion causes him to push some throws. Decision making not where it needs to be.

Grade: 5.39 (backup/eventual starter)

My Take: A solid mobile QB who should have a chance to develop behind Big Ben. Given that Ben rarely ever plays a full 16 games, Dobbs has a decent chance to see the field if he can beat out Landry Jones as the back-up.

5th Rd: DB Brian Allen - Utah (6'3", 215lbs)

2016: 4INTs

Combine: 4.48 40, 15reps, 34.5in vert jump

Strengths: Disrupts release of the WR. Comfortable in bump and run coverage. Size casts a tall shadow from trail coverage that makes it challenging to complete the deep touch throw over him. Showed impressive long speed at the combine.

Weaknesses: Ducks head into contact and rarely squares up target. Ball skills aren't where they need to be. Slow to find the deep throw and make adjustments. Hips & feet are clunky when forced to open suddenly in off-coverage and loses balance too often in transitions forward.

Grade: 5.13 (back end of the roster)

My Take: Still raw at the position, moving over from WR. He could be a surprise though as he develops.

6th Rd: LS Colin Holba - Louisville (6'4", 248lbs)

Combine: 5.19 40, 28in vert jump

Strengths: Good velocity on both short & longer snaps, consistent placement. Has a rangy frame.

Weaknesses: Could benefit from added strength. Placement of punt snaps was a little low at times. Gives ground and allows push through his edges on field goals.

Grade: 4.98

My Take: Provides competition for veteran Greg Warren, though I don't why they couldn't have gotten him in the 7th or as an UDFA.

7th Rd: OLB Keion Adams - Western Michigan (6'2", 245lbs)

2016: 2nd All-MAC, 18TFL, 7.5scks

Strengths: Feet are light & bounding. Always works to an edge against blockers. Loose hips to flip around the edge. Inside counter spin is a dangerous weapon. Features big closing burst. Quickness out of his stance to shoot gaps. Diagnoses wide flowing runs quickly.

Weaknesses: Can be engulfed by size and driven off of his position. Lacks consistent hand usage at the point of attack. Missing a go to counter move. Willingness to work around blocks on the edge could create wider running lanes.

Comp: Arthur Moats

Grade: 5.31 (Backup/eventual starter)

My Take: A valuable 7th rd pick, he should provide solid depth. He has a good chance to make the roster.