SNL Season 43: Will Ferrell

Will Ferrell returned for a much anticipated hosting gig. Did it live up to the hype? Onto the review


George W. Bush Returns Cold Open: They could have easily just slapped a Ferrell Bush piece together, but this cold open was well done. Remarking on his rising approval numbers, Bush here reminds us just how bad of a president he was; from entering into two wars, to crashing the economy. This was a nice reminder that while those times may seem quaint now, things were still quite bad...just in different ways. (8.7)
 
Monologue: (8.4)

Fighter Pilots: Who knew you could create a sketch centered around one phrase......"clown penis". The sketch lost its edge after a while, but Ferrell's calm demeanor kept it afloat. (7.2)

The House (short): Kyle and Beck returned with their recurring "The House", an MTV styled reality show. These just never get old. (7.5)
Commercial Shoot: For a sketch based on an old viral video (in terms of how fast they spread), who knew that we needed a parody of it. Kate McKinnon and Will Ferrell felt totally natural working together, almost like when Will would frequently team up with Ana Gasteyer. (8.0)
Flight Attendants: This sketch really played up Will's character acting. While Aidy and Chris are trying to perform a fun pre-flight routine, Will makes sure his atheist ideas are included. He just played it up perfectly. (8.5)
Next: For Men (ad): SNL continued to react to the #MeToo movement with this deodorant ad, for men who are about to be found out. (8.1)
(Chris Stapleton): (9.1)

 Weekend Update: Besides Bush, the only other character Will brought back was "Jacob Silj", an economic adviser with "voice modulation syndrome". In my book, this character of Will's is really underrated.
Heidi Gardner brought it again with a new character, teen YouTube star Bailey, to talk about the Oscar nominations. Her mannerisms really make this character shine. Heidi could quickly become a breakout star. (8.5)
Reality Stars: (7.0)

Dinner Discussion: Its cliche to call a sketch "important"....but that's what this was. A group during dinner starts discussing about Aziz Ansari and the intricacies of abuse/consent. It really hits home how the awkward the conversation turns out to be, with each person not wanting to cross that line, and just wanting to move on to something else. But to really build on this current movement, these are the tough conversations that are needed. (9.2)

 (Chris Stapleton): (8.5)
Office Breakroom: (6.7)

Chucky Lee Byrd: (6.9)


Will Ferrell brought it this week, showing why he's among the best of the best among former SNL cast-members. While I like his established characters, he was able to roll out the new material he was given. (8.02)


Will Ferrell: 8.02
Chance The Rapper: 7.83
Ryan Gosling: 7.63
Sam Rockwell: 7.55
Kumali Nanjiani: 7.48
James Franco: 7.28
Kevin Hart: 7.20
Saoirse Ronan: 7.16
Tiffany Haddish: 7.15
Larry David: 7.14
Jessica Chastain: 7.11
Gal Gadot: 7.08          

2018 Grammy's Predictions

 

With the Grammy's coming up, I thought I'd take a crack at some predictions. Now usually when it comes to the Grammy awards, I go by my own preference, so I'm just going to be open about that. If you're looking for totally accurate calls, then this post probably isn't for you. With that being said, here's what I think/hope happens.

Best Pop Solo Performance:

"Love So Soft" - Kelly Clarkson

"Praying" - Kesha

"Million Reasons" - Lady Gaga

"What About Us" - Pink

"Shape Of You" - Ed Sheeran

Talk about a loaded field. As much as I'd love a Kelly Clarkson win, I'm going with "Praying" by Kesha. Its just such a powerful song, especially in context of this current environment.

Best Country Solo Performance:

"Body Like A Back Road" - Sam Hunt

"Losing You" - Alison Krauss

"Tin Man" - Miranda Lambert

"I Could Use A Love Song" - Maren Morris

"Either Way" - Chris Stapleton

One of those categories where I'm not familiar with most of these tracks, but I'd like to see a Chris Stapleton win.

Best Pop Vocal Album:

Kaleidoscope EP - Coldplay

Lust For Life - Lana Del Rey

Evolve - Imagine Dragons

Rainbow - Kesha

Joanne - Lady Gaga

 ÷ - Ed Sheeran

Much was made about Ed Sheeran not appearing in the album of the year field, so I think he takes this award.

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance:

"Something Just Like This" - The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

"Despacito" - Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft/ Justin Bieber

"Thunder" - Imagine Dragons

"Feel It Still" - Portugal. The Man

"Stay" - Zedd & Alessia Cara

It was such a huge global hit, I'm going with "Despacito". 

Best Rock Album:

Emperor Of Sand - Mastodon

Hardwired... to Self-Destruct - Metallica

The Stories We Tell Ourselves - Nothing More

Villains - Queens of the Stone Age

A Deeper Understanding - The War on Drugs

Now this is pure guesswork on my part, but I'm going with The War on Drugs.

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

Free 6lack - 6lack

Awaken, My Love! - Childish Gambino

American Teen - Khalid

Ctrl - Sza

Starboy - The Weeknd

I went back and forth between Khalid or Sza....but I'm going with Sza.

Best Rap Album:

4:44 - Jay-Z

Damn  - Kendrick Lamar

Culture - Migos

Laila's Wisdom - Rapsody

Flower Boy - Tyler, the Creator

Call it hedging my bets for later on, but I'm going with Jay Z's 4:44.

Best Country Album:

Cosmic Hallelujah - Kenny Chesney

Heart Break - Lady Antebellum

The Breaker - Little Big Town

Life Changes - Thomas Rhett

From A Room: Volume 1 - Chris Stapleton

As I stated earlier, I'm a big Chris Stapleton fan, so I'm going with From A Room: Volume 1.

Best New Artist:

Alessia Cara

Khalid

Lil Uzi Vert

Julia Michaels

Sza

I'd love for Alessia Cara to take this, but I'm leaning towards Sza. She broke out in a big way this past year.

Song Of The Year:

"Despacito" - (Luis Fonsi & daddy Yankee ft/ Justin Bieber)

"4:44" - (Jay-Z)

"Issues" - (Julia Michaels)

"1-800-273-8255" - (Logic ft/ Alessia Cara & Khalid)

"That's What I Like" - (Bruno Mars)

A tough field to choose from. I'd be good with any of these winning, but for the message that it conveys, I'm picking "1-800-273-8255".

Record Of The Year:

"Redbone" - Childish Gambino

"Despacito" - Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee ft/ Justin Bieber

"The Story of O.J." - Jay-Z

"Humble" - Kendrick Lamar

"24K Magic" - Bruno Mars

I'm going with Kendrick Lamar's "Humble". Words can't really describe just how good that track was.

Album Of The Year:

Awaken, My Love! - Childish Gambino

4:44 - Jay-Z

Damn - Kendrick Lamar

Melodrama - Lorde

24K Magic - Bruno Mars

In years past, I've reviewed all the album of the year nominees. Now while I didn't do that, I did listen to a majority of them. It could be anyone's game, but I'm going with Damn by Kendrick Lamar. Its just such a complete album top to bottom.

 

SNL Season 43: Jessica Chastain

SNL kept on running in what turned out to be a busy news cycle. Onto the review

Trump Doctor Press Conference: We finally got Aidy Bryant's Sarah Huckabee Sanders, along with Beck Bennett playing the white house doctor in a press briefing. This cold open just fell kind of flat. The writing just seemed too predictable (and old by this point, given how fast jokes can travel on social media). (5.8)


Monologue: (7.4)


Car Hunk: I get that they do these Bachelor sketches as an ensemble role for the female cast members, but the material just isn't there. I don't know why they keep coming back to this recurring sketch. (4.9)

Fresh Prince (short): A parody/dark reboot of Fresh Prince, I wasn't expecting this to get as dark as it did. This kind of reboot would actually fit in perfectly with The CW, given their Riverdale series. (8.0)
Google Talk: Mikey Day was great in this, really selling his role. But Chastain's character kept this from being as good as it could have been. (7.4)

What Even Matter Anymore: This "gameshow" sketch spoke to a lot of people. I do at times find myself wondering, in regards to Trump's actions "what even matters". Unlike Google Talk, this did go above and beyond, being more than just a gameshow. It broke the 4th wall, with Cecily, Kate and Kenan breaking character to see if Jessica was okay. That sort of meta aspect really made this work. (8.5)

 (Troy Sivan): (5.4)

Weekend Update: The first guest saw Cecily taking on the role of Stormy Daniels. She made the perfect point that in the age of Trump, she's the sort of figure we deserve now.

Mikey Day and Alex Moffat have taken on Don Jr and Eric, this week they took on Prince Henry & William. It seems no matter what they're doing, they always have great chemistry together.

And in a bit of a surprise, we got Kate McKinnon adding to her repertoire of government figures when she played none other than Robert Mueller. (8.0)


Amazon New Headquarters: (6.3)

Taco Math: This sketch revolved around a simple concept, a 2 for 1 deal at a restaurant. But Heidi Gardner, Jessica and Mikey sold it completely. It even made me a bit confused on what they were ordering. (8.4)


 Doctor's Orders (short): It seems we've got a recurring character here with Pete Davidson as 'chad'. Chad's simplicity/nonchalant nature just seems to work in any environment. (8.2)
(Troy Sivan): (7.0)

Movie Set: (7.1)


All in all this was an uneven episode. It started off weak, but did pick up post Update. Lets hope the writers are fully prepared for Will Ferrell next week. (7.11)

Chance The Rapper: 7.83

Ryan Gosling: 7.63

Sam Rockwell: 7.55

Kumali Nanjiani: 7.48 

James Franco: 7.28 

Kevin Hart: 7.20

Saoirse Ronan: 7.16

Tiffany Haddish: 7.15

Larry David: 7.14 

Jessica Chastain: 7.11

Gal Gadot: 7.08  

SNL Season 43: Sam Rockwell

SNL returned with its first show of the new year. Onto the review

Morning Joe Michael Wolff Cold Open: Ever since "Fire & Fury" dropped, everyone has been saying how Wolff seems like a Fred Armisen character. Well that's exactly what we got, with a guest appearance by none other than Armisen himself. But as an added bonus, we got Bill Murray as Bannon revealed, pitching his future plans. And let me just say, Kate McKinnon and Alex Moffat play up Mika and Joe pretty perfectly. (7.3)

Monologue: (8.0)

Science Show: A sketch that was decent on its own got a bit of an added bonus when Rockwell let an f-bomb drop live. The thing is, it actually fit in with the sketch, so it took me a moment to realize what had actually been said. Cecily Strong and Mikey Day's reactions were pretty priceless. (7.4)

Tucci Gang (short): Who knew we needed a rap song about Stanley Tucci? This was so out of left-field, but the song itself was actually pretty catchy. (8.3)

Fashion Panel: SNL took on the Golden Globes amidst the #MeToo/#TimesUp movement with this fashion review show, parodying how unprepared E! personalities were in addressing it on the red carpet. (7.5)

My Drunk Boyfriend (ad): (5.9)

(Halsey): (7.2)

Weekend Update: Being off for a few weeks can feel like nearly a year in Trump time, but Colin Jost and Michael Che didn't miss a beat. Jost played up how some stations are censoring the President's own "shit-hole" words.
Leslie Jones and Chris Redd appeared as Oprah and Stedman, addressing 2020 rumors. I have a feeling this isn't the last time we'll see Leslie on Oprah on Update.

Aidy Bryant spoke about the pay disparity with Michelle Williams during the "All The Money In the World" re-shoots. I hope we see more of Aidy on Update.

Finally, Kenan appeared as Lavar Ball. He seems to have the same cadence as his David Ortiz character, but his Lavar Ball is quickly becoming a favorite. You can tell he just loves being this character. (7.7)

Captain Hook: (6.3)

ATM (short): While not the funniest part of the night, I think this short was really well written. Sam and Kenan are at an atm at night, and we see Sam a little cautious. However, they go on to bond, but then Kenan is the one that runs into trouble. With its twists and turns, this short was pretty well made. (8.4)

(Halsey): (7.4)


Marcus Comes To Dinner: Speaking of twists and turns, this one went in a direction I wasn't expecting. Not to spoil it, but lets just say that monologue towards the end by Rockwell was well sold, closing out with a farewell to his family. (8.6)
Genetics Lab: In these troubled times, why not have a sketch about a "dog-head guy". This was a wacky 10 to 1 sketch done right.  (8.2)
Chantix (ad): For a basic concept (an actress in a pharmaceutical ad over-selling it), Cecily and Kate as the voice-over solid this just right to make it work. (7.5)

SNL started off the year fairly strong. The first half of this season has been a bit uneven, but if they can build off of this episode, then they should have a strong second half. I'll admit, I wasn't that familiar with Sam Rockwell, but he was pretty perfect host. (7.55)


Chance The Rapper: 7.83

Ryan Gosling: 7.63

Sam Rockwell: 7.55

Kumali Nanjiani: 7.48 

James Franco: 7.28 

Kevin Hart: 7.20

Saoirse Ronan: 7.16

Tiffany Haddish: 7.15

Larry David: 7.14

Gal Gadot: 7.08  

 

Farewell To The 12th Doctor

An era of Doctor Who has ended, with the 12th doctor regenerating and show-runner Stephen Moffat departing. Before Chris Chibnall takes over, starting fresh, I thought I'd take a look back on Peter Capaldi and the 12th doctor.

The 12th doctor felt very different than his predecessors among new Who. For one, it felt like he had an actual character arc. I'm not talking about a specific arc related to a story or plot, but in terms of the doctor's character evolution.

From his main debut in "Deep Breath", the doctor started thinking about his overall purpose. What were his main missions and goals? And why was he the way he was?

This drastic turn for the Doctor impacted his companion at the time, Clara. She was feeling unsure if this was truly the same person she had known up until this point.  It left her wondering if she wanted to continue on this journey.

The Doctor was facing a similar dilemma though along with Clara and his connection to humanity in general. This was evident throughout the 8th season, with the doctor having difficulty with the ability to read a room and process how others would react to his actions.

The Doctor, throughout his travels, would eventually find his way towards a solution, but often without thorough communication with those surrounding him. While this is common among earlier iterations of the Doctor, it became more apparent with the 12th given his stated character evolution.

A key component to 12th's character arc was his companion, Clara. She was able to act like a teacher in a way, a guide for the Doctor. She provided both a sense of stability, while also challenging 12. The bond between the two would help the Doctor find his way around humanity, and also discovering who he truly was about. 

This bond would become too close however. Throughout their time together, they became much alike (evidenced in the 9th season). In "face the raven", initially dealing with the thought of losing Clara, we see the doctor regressing, not knowing how to respond.

This chapter of the 12th Doctor helped lead him in dealing with loss, that of both Clara and River Song. 

And in terms of Clara and her arc, the doctor ultimately makes the ultimate sacrifice of losing her in his memories.

It's his time with Clara that allows 12 to become a teacher in his own way towards new companion Bill. The Doctor is properly able to show her around the universe.

Beyond just the doctor's connection to humanity though, there is one main point that fuels his character arc.....the question of what makes up a good man?

The doctor finds himself asking and debating with himself this question, and it drives him in the end to define the very qualities of a good man.

All in all, the 12th Doctor was one that gave the viewing public words to live by and how to act, through arc on what makes a good person, and especially his rousing speech on the perils of war in the "Zygon Inversion".

Everyone has their own preference, but I'll always consider Peter Capaldi as my doctor. It has been exhilarating watching Doctor Who give this sort of character evolution to the Doctor that I don't think was as prevalent with 10 or 11. It brought you closer to the show, and opened up your eyes through its connection to the world. 

I'm excited to see what show runner Chris Chibnall will do with the 13th Doctor; Jodie Whittaker in the new season.

But for now, farewell 12th Doctor, we'll never forget you or what you taught us.

2018 Golden Globes Predictions

 

Its that time of the year again, with the awards season starting to get into gear, The Golden Globes. In what has been an unpredictable and wide open Oscars field, this year's Globes really could be a bellwether for the upcoming awards season. Here are my "well thought out" predictions on how I think it'll play out.

TV:

Best Supporting Actress:

Laura Dern - Big Little Lies

Ann Dowd - The Handmaid's Tale

Chrissy Metz - This Is Us

Michelle Pfeiffer - The Wizard Of Lies

Shailene Woodley - Big Little Lies

Tough call on whether to go with a Big Little Lies actress, or Ann Dowd...but I'm going to go with Ann Dowd.

 

 

Best Supporting Actor:
Alfred Molina - Feud
Alexander Skarsgard - Big Little Lies
David Thewlis - Fargo
David Harbour - Stranger Things
Christian Slater - Mr. Robot

This seems like an easier call, Alexander Skarsgard.

Best Actress - Limited Series/TV Movie:
Jessica Biel - The Sinner
Nicole Kidman - Big Little Lies
Jessica Lange - Feud
Susan Sarandon - Feud
Reese Witherspoon - Big Little Lies

At times the Globes can go against the grain, but I'm playing it safe with Nicole Kidman.

  



Best Actor - Limited Series/TV Movie:
Robert De Niro - The Wizard Of Lies
Jude Law - The Young Pope
Kyle MacLachlan - Twin Peaks
Ewan McGregor - Fargo
Geoffrey Rush - Genius

This category seems fairly wide open. Twin Peaks was acclaimed in its return, so I'm going with Kyle MacLachlan.

  



Best Limited Series or TV Movie:
Big Little Lies
Fargo
Feud
The Sinner
Top Of The Lake: China Girl

Its won big so far over the past year, so I'm going with Big Little Lies.

  



 Best Actress - Musical or Comedy:
Pamela Adlon - Better Things
Alison Brie - Glow
Issa Rae - Insecure
Rachel Brosnahan - The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Frankie Shaw - SMILF

The Globes tend to prefer fresh TV. I could see them going Alison Brie or Issa Rae, but I'm going with Rachel Brosnahan. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel has been a buzzed about show since its release.

Best Actress - Drama:
Caitriona Balfe - Outlander
Claire Foy - The Crown
Maggie Gyllenhaal - The Deuce
Katharine Langford - 13 Reasons Why
Elisabeth Moss - The Handmaid's Tale

Maybe there's an upset here, but the cards seem to pointing towards Elisabeth Moss. 

  



Best Actor - Musical or Comedy:
Anthony Anderson - Black-ish
Aziz Ansari - Master Of None
Kevin Bacon - I Love Dick
William H. Macy - Shameless
Eric McCormack - Will And Grace

This seems like another wide open field. I'd really like to see Anthony Anderson win here, but I'm going with Aziz Ansari.

    



Best Actor - Drama:
Sterling K. Brown - This Is Us
Freddie Highmore - The Good Doctor
Bob Odenkirk - Better Call Saul
Liev Schreiber - Ray Donovan
Jason Bateman - Ozark

Maybe I'm going with my own preference here, but I'm calling it for Sterling K. Brown. Maybe it goes again the "new TV grain" (even though This Is Us is only in its 2nd season), but quite frankly, I don't care.  

Best TV Series - Musical or Comedy:
Black-ish
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Master Of None
SMILF
Will & Grace

A number of ways this could go. I could see The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel winning, but I'm going with Master Of None.

Best TV Series - Drama:
The Crown
Game Of Thrones
The Handmaid's Tale
Stranger Things
This Is Us

This seems like a bit of a safer bet. It cleaned up fairly well at the Emmy's, and I see a similar pattern here with The Handmaid's Tale.

     




Film:

Best Music - Original Song:
"Home" by Nick Jonas, Justin Tranter & Nick Monson, Ferdinand
"Mighty River" by Mary J. Blige, Raphael Saadiq & Taura Stinson, Mudbound
"Remember Me" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, Coco
"The Star" by Mariah Carey & Marc Shalman, The Star
"This Is Me" by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, The Greatest Showman

 I think this comes down to Coco and the musical The Greatest Showman. I'm leaning towards "Remember Me". Its tough to top the great Kristen-Anderson & Robert Lopez.

 



Best Music - Original Score:
Three Billboards - Carter Burwell
The Shape Of Water - Alexandre Desplat
Phantom Thread - Jonny Greenwood
The Post - John Williams
Dunkirk - Hans Zimmer

Certainly some big names up for original score. I'm going with Alexandre Desplat.

Best Supporting Actress:
Mary J. Blige - Mudbound
Hong Chau - Downsizing
Alison Janney - I, Tonya
Laurie Metcalf - Lady Bird
Octavia Spencer - Shape Of Water

This is likely down to Alison Janney and Laurie Metcalf. They've been going back and forth early on this awards season, but I'm leaning towards Laurie Metcalf.

  




Best Supporting Actor:
William Dafoe - The Florida Project
Armie Hammer - Call me By Your Name
Richard Jenkins - The Shape Of Water
Christopher Plummer - All The Money In the World
Sam Rockwell - Three Billboards

This is a completely wide open field. Its the one where we could see multiple winners across the Globes, SAG's, etc. I'm going with William Dafoe. 

  




Best Animated Feature:
The Boss Baby
The Breadwinner
Coco
Ferdinand
Loving Vincent

It seems best animated film is always a runaway....and that looks to be the case here with Coco.

  



Best Actress - Musical or Comedy:
Judi Dench - Victoria & Abdul
Margot Robbie - I, Tonya
Saoirse Ronan - Lady Bird
Emma Stone - Battle Of The Sexes
Helen Mirren - The Leisure Seeker

Margot Robbie could take this, but I'm going with Saoirse Ronan in the much acclaimed Lady Bird.

Best Actress- Drama:
Jessica Chastain - Molly's Game
Sally Hawkins - The Shape Of Water
Frances McDormand - Three Billboards
Meryl Streep - The Post
Michelle Williams - Three Billboards

Possibly a 2 person battle with Sally Hawkins and Frances McDormand. I had been leaning towards McDormand, but with something of a late push I'm calling for a Sally Hawkins win.

 Best Actor - Musical or Comedy:
Steve Carell - Battle Of The Sexes
Ansel Elgort - Baby Driver
James Franco - The Disaster Artist
Hugh Jackman - The Greatest Showman
Daniel Kaluuya - Get Out

Signs are pointing towards James Franco, but with Get Out's awards haul thus far, I'm going with Daniel Kaluuya. 

  



Best Actor - Drama:
Timothee Chalamet - Call Me By Your Name
Daniel Day-Lewis - Phantom Thread
Tom Hanks - The Post
Gary Oldman - Darkest Hour
Denzel Washington - Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Gary Oldman seems like a slight favorite, but as stated, in an unpredictable awards season I'm going with Timothee Chalamet. I think he takes this for his breakthrough role.

Best Foreign Language Film:
A Fantastic Woman (Chile)
First They Killed My Father (Cambodia)
In the Fade (Germany, France)
Loveless (Russia)
The Square (Sweden, Germany, France)

Ahh....foreign language film....the one category that I have absolutely no incite on. With a pure guess, I'm going with The Square.

  



Best Screenplay:
The Shape Of Water - Guillermo Del Toro & Vanessa Taylor
Lady Bird - Greta Gerwig
The Post - Liz Hannah & Josh Singer
Three Billboards - Martin McDonagh
Molly's Game - Aaron Sorkin

I'm going with Greta Gerwig for Lady Bird. With how she got snubbed for Best Director, I think she rightfully gets recognized.

Best Director:
Guillermo del Toro - The Shape Of Water
Martin McDonagh - Three Billboards
Christopher Nolan - Dunkirk
Ridley Scott - All The Money In The World
Steven Spielberg - The Post

I sound like a broken record, but again, a fairly wide open field. There were plenty of snubs, but with what we've got with this field, I'm going with Guillermo del Toro for his incredible vision of Shape Of Water.

Best Picture - Musical or Comedy:
The Disaster Artist
Get Out
The Greatest Showman
I, Tonya
Lady Bird

This comes down to Get Out and Lady Bird, both not only contenders here but for the Oscars as well. With its impressive haul already in best picture wins, I'm calling it for Get Out. 

  



Best Picture - Drama:
Call me By Your Name
Dunkirk
The Post
The Shape Of Water
Three Billboards

Even more wide open than comedy/musical, a win here will propel one of these films to the top of the best picture field (along with Get Out/Lady Bird). I'm predicting a win for The Shape Of Water. I wouldn't be shocked if Call me By Your Name or The Post pull it off, but I just have a feeling with Shape Of Water.