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
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