Top 15 SNL Sketches of 2015

15) "The Impossible Hulk"

In this short, Idris Elba transforms to an angry white woman who would like to speak to your manager.


14) "The Actress"

There was a lot of depth in this short. Emma Stone plays an actress who is very committed to her character's backstory.....that happens to be a bystander at lets just say a "raunchy" film.


13) "Opera Man Returns" (Weekend Update)

Before Eddie Murphy's hosting gig, the last big-time hosting event was last season's Adam Sandler. It was a pleasant surprise to see Sandler bring back this weekend update character.


12) "Future Self"

Mikey Day and Sandra Oh bounced off of each other so well in this sketch. This was one of those timeless sketches that could have fit into any era.

11) "That's The Game"

We saw a lot of great work from Chris Redd this year, and this was one of the best as he plays an aspiring gang leader.

10) "Tasty Toaster Tarts"

SNL excels at "ad-parodies". This was like a movie's worth of material in this aprox 2-minute bit. Chance The Rapper really makes this work.

9) "Home For The Holidays"

This was like a sequel to "Best Christmas Ever" during the Matt Damon episode last year. That dealt with Christmas morning with an immediate family, while this dealt with Christmas dinner with extended family.

8) "The Corporal"

What this sketch showed was just how spot on Jennifer Lopez's comedic timing is. Along with the comedic SNL duo of Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant, these three brought a shine to this sketch.

7) "Children's Clothing Ad"

Like I mentioned with "Tasty Toaster Tarts", there were a few short movies/storylines within this piece, with the top one being Mikey Day & Heidi Gardner playing a pair of struggling parents getting boots on their child.

6) "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood 2019"

You knew we were getting a 'Mister Robinson's' sketch when Eddie Murphy hosted, but it was clever how the writers set it up. This was akin to "Bushwick Brooklyn 2015", where we saw how gentrification had impacted the neighborhood.

5) "The Duel"

This sketch was just so out there, I'm not sure it can be practically summed up. The closest thing I can say is, think of "Farewell Mr. Bunting".

4) "Gumby Returns" (Weekend Update)

Eddie Murphy brought back a trove of characters, but I wasn't sure we would see 'Gumby'. Murphy made this work though, as he ranted and roasted at Colin Jost and Michael Che.

3) "Toilet Death Ejector"

The pure visualization of this alone was enough to put it this high on the list.


2) "Grouch (Joker Parody)"

Talk around "The Joker" was a plenty throughout the fall, but SNL had a perfect angle on it with this parody featuring David Harbour as 'The Grouch'.


1) "Cha Cha Slide"

This sketch was just so pleasant, featuring John Mulaney and Ego Nwodim at a wedding. Along with being timeless, it just gradually built on itself while never dragging.

NFL Recap - Week 17

The Steelers flame out, the Patriots lose out on a bye, and by a mere few inches the 49ers get homefield advantage. That and more in this week's NFL recap

Grammy's Album of The Year Review: "Thank U, Next" - Ariana Grande

With the Grammy nominations out, its time for my "album of the year" reviews.  I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 100.

(All Rights To Republic Records)

1) "imagine"

With smooth vocals, this track has an old-school feel. She's imagining a world with an untenable relationship.

2) "needy"

Ariana is craving support and attention while trying to keep it together; "I admit that I'm a lil' messed up, but I can hide it when I'm all dressed up". There's also a really strong outro.

3) "NASA"

She's looking for space; "You can say 'I Love You' through the phone tonight". "NASA" lacks a catchy chorus, that tends to get annoying.

4) "bloodline"

There's a nice brass backing that starts off "bloodline". With a 'Tove-Lo' style in the pre-chorus, this is about a friends with benefit situation that she doesn't want to change.

5) "fake smile"

This is about feeling unsatisfied in life; "I can't fake another smile, I can't fake like I'm alright......fuck a fake smile". She's feeling hounded by gossip.

6) "bad idea"

This track starts off with an immediately catchy backing. Ariana is trying to keep it all together and wants to numb it all away.

7) "makeup"

This is a light-sounding track, but could use something extra.

8) "ghostin"

With an ethereal backing, this is about how Ariana is still hooked on someone else despite being in a relationship; "every tear's a rain parade from hell". 

9) "In My Head"

She's in love with an image of her partner that she's created in her head. The chorus is catchy, but the pre-chorus is kind of clunky.

10) "7 rings"

This is loaded with imagery as Ariana boasts of her wealth. This also ties back to "bloodline" about not wanting a serious relationship; "rather be tied up with calls and not strings".

11) "thank u, next"

This is an "ode" to her past loves while discussing her own self-empowerment; "one taught me love, one taught me patience, and one taught me pain, Now I'm so amazing". She's getting to know herself better.

12) "break up with your girlfriend, i'm so bored"

This track opens with a heavy bass. It could use some more lyrically wise.

This is a strong showing from Ariana Grande, displaying a more serious side at times. There are a few throwaway tracks, or ones that could use an extra push, but you can definitely see her growth as an artist. (75)

"When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go" - Billie Eilish (100)

"Cuz I Love You" (Deluxe) - Lizzo (96.5)

"I Used To Know Her" - H.E.R (84.2)

"Father Of The Bride" - Vampire Weekend (80.5)

"Thank U, Next" - Ariana Grande (75)

"Norman Fucking Rockwell" - Lana Del Rey (64.3)

NFL Recap - Week 16(pod)

The Steelers come off the rails, the Patriots and Packers clinch division titles, and the return of Beast Mode? That and more in this week's NFL recap.

SNL Recap: Eddie Murphy

Monologue: I'm featuring this less for the content (though it was solid, with Eddie Murphy now claiming to be "America's Dad"), and more just for the image of seeing Eddie Murphy on stage with Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle and Kenan Thompson.

Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood 2010: Eddie Murphy was game for bringing back a plethora of characters this week, but Mr. Robinson was a given. There was a unique take on this, dealing with gentrification of his neighborhood (as he's squatting in his apartment). That gentrification angle reminded me of "Bushwick,Brooklyn 2015" with Kevin Hart. Overall, this was a fresh take on a classic character.

Home For The Holidays: This was similar to "Best Christmas Ever" with Matt Damon last season. That dealt with the "perfect Christmas" with a singular family, while this dealt with an extended family over for Christmas dinner. While it hit the similar themes, it still provided something new to that style of short.

Weekend Update: Gumby & Jeanine Pirro: Weekend Update followed and built onto the energy of this show, and these two update appearances really stood out.

First, Gumby (Eddie Murphy) popped up, and basically just went on to rant on why he wasn't featured in the show. I really enjoyed how he basically just roasted Colin Jost and Micheal Che.

Next, Cecily Strong's Jeanine Pirro discussed Trump's impeachment. She has really mastered this character. The physical humor of Pirro spewing up wine all over Jost really made this work.


There was plenty of hype leading up to this week, but Eddie Murphy and SNL delivered. It was nice to see that Eddie was game for bringing back any character, whether it was Mr. Robinson, Gumby or even Velvet Jones. That energy spread throughout the rest of the show (a poor political cold open notwithstanding). A solid way for SNL to close out the year. (8.08)

Eddie Murphy: 8.08

David Harbour: 7.78

Phoebe Waller-Bridge: 7.52

Jennifer Lopez: 7.49

Kristen Stewart: 7.45

Harry Styles: 7.38
Woody Harrelson: 7.34

Will Ferrell: 7.21

Chance The Rapper: 6.98

Scarlett Johansson: 6.97

Grammy's Album Of the Year Review: "When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?" - Billie Eilish

With the Grammy nominations out, its time for my "album of the year" reviews.  I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 100.

(All Rights To Darkroom/Interscope Records)

1) "!!!!!!!!!!"

This serves as a brief introductory.

2) "Bad Guy"

This is a bass-heavy track, with a cool feel. Billie is mocking her partner. The bridge is rather interesting as well; "My mommy likes to sing along with me, But she won't sing this song, if she reads all the lyrics, She'll pity the men I know". 

3) "Xanny"

This is about Billie being around drug use, declining to take part; "They just keep doin' nothing, too intoxicated to be scared". She's mentioning how her friends are just so drugged up that they've lost themselves. 

4) "You Should See Me With A Crown"

The title is a reference to "Sherlock". This track is very lyrical; "Tell me which one is worse, living or dying first".  The chorus goes hard dealing with her sense of superiority.

5) "All the good girls go to hell"

With a quick beat, this track features a lot of religious imagery; "man is such a fool, why are we saving him?". Mainly, Billie is talking about climate change; "hills burn in California, my turn to ignore ya".

6) "wish you were gay"

Billie is dealing with the feeling of rejection. The 2nd verse is fascinating, as she goes through a metaphorical "12 step" program. She feels selfish for wishing (as mentioned in the title), that the reason she was being rejected was that the guy was gay.

7) "when the party's over"

With a tranquil backing, Billie deals with loss & a sense of distance from her partner.

8) "8"

This track features some interesting vocal effects. There's a folk/indie feel. "8" is sung from the perspective of someone she hurt. The soft vocals enhance this track.

9) "my strange addiction"

This track features samples from "The Office"...yes the TV show. She can't explain why she's so addicted to her partner (with some interesting grammatical metaphors); "should take a break, not an oxford comma".

10) "Bury A Friend"

This track starts off from the perspective of a "monster"; "why aren't you scared of me? Why do you care for me?". It's revealed that Billie herself is the monster; "Like I wanna drown, like I wanna end me."

11) "Ilomilo"

"Ilomilo" deals with Billie's fear of separation; "Where did you go? I should know, but it's cold. And I don't wanna be lonely. So show me the way home, I can't lose another life". Combined with a calming backing, this track really leaves an impact.

12) "listen before I go"

Thus track deals with Billie's suicidal thoughts; "Take me to the rooftop, I wanna see the world when I stop breathing, Turnin' Blue, Tell me love is endless, don't be so pretentious. Leave me like you do". With an emotional punch, you can really sense the angst and pain of this track; "sorry can't save me now, Sorry I don't know her".

13) "I love you"

This is a ballad dealing with a complicated relationship; "never been the type to let someone see right through". "I love you" is just perfectly produced.

14) "goodbye"

The title of this track completes a message from the prior three songs; "Listen before I go....I Love You....Goodbye". This track is like a wrap-up/summary of the album, that ingeniously clips lyrics from the album.

"When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go" is simply put a perfect album. From top to bottom, every track delivers a poignant and deep message. However, with bass-heavy and catchy tracks like "bad guy" and "you should see me with a crown", there's still variety. I can't wait to see what Billie Eilish does next. (100)

"When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go" - Billie Eilish (100)

"Cuz I Love You" (Deluxe) - Lizzo (96.5)

"I Used To Know Her" - H.E.R (84.2)

"Father Of The Bride" - Vampire Weekend (80.5)

"Norman Fucking Rockwell" - Lana Del Rey (64.3)

NFL Recap - Week 15 (pod)

The Bills clinch a playoff spot as Devlin Hodges and the Steelers come up short; The Cowboys get a big win and the Texans get a key victory to remain in 1st. That and more in this week's NFL recap

SNL Recap: Scarlett Johansson

American Households (Cold Open): A rarity this week with a solid political cold open. As we've seen over the years, a solid political cold open usually comes when it goes outside the box. We get a look at 3 families, one pro-trump, one anti-trump, and a household led by Kenan that was ground down into realism and skepticism that anything will fundamentally change in this current political climate. It's certainly a 180 turn from SNL's 2016 coverage where they made it seem like it was a given that Clinton would win.

Children's Clothing Ad: I could certainly envision this segment being in future SNL christmas specials. It's just so relatable, about the struggles of trying to dress children for the holiday season, and just the winter in general. There were so many small moments in this 2 or so minute piece that could have easily been drawn out into their own sketches.

Hot Tub Christmas: This sketch was just so bizarre, but I enjoyed it. A couple interacts with "christmas ghosts" (who happened to be strippers) in a hot tub. Cecily Strong and Scarlett had a lot of chemistry in this piece.

This was an episode where most of the live pieces never really hit. The taped shorts, from "Children's Clothing Ad" (as mentioned), to "A Conway Marriage Story" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa". We were bound for a sort of average show like this, and we should certainly see an uptick next week with Eddie Murphy. (6.97)

David Harbour: 7.78

Phoebe Waller-Bridge: 7.52

Jennifer Lopez: 7.49

Kristen Stewart: 7.45

Harry Styles: 7.38
Woody Harrelson: 7.34

Will Ferrell: 7.21

Chance The Rapper: 6.98

Scarlett Johansson: 6.97

Grammy's Album Of The Year Review: "Father Of The Bride" - Vampire Weekend

With the Grammy nominations out, its time for my "album of the year" reviews.  I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 100.

(All Rights to Spring Snow/Columbia Records)

1) "Hold You Now" (ft/ Danielle Haim)

This track deals with instability in love; "Promises of future glory don't make a case for me", "Turning this June morning into some dark judgement night (Haim)". The chorus is based off of a Melanesian choral song.

2) "Harmony Hall"

Starting off with an energetic guitar intro, "harmony hall" is about change & power; "Within the halls of power lies a nervous heart that beats like a young pretender's".

3) "Bambina"

This track is interesting, but lyrically scattered.

4) "This Life"

There's a ska-like feel in "this life". This track deals with a rocky relationship; "I know dreams tend to crumble at extremes. I just thought our dream would last a little bit longer".

5) "Big Blue"

There isn't much to this track.

6) "How Long?"

There's some really interesting imagery; "You broke my heart at midnight mass, now I'm the ghost of Christmas past".

7) "Unbearably White"

We hear a funk groove. This track deals with a fading relationship, with mentions of it being 'unbearably buff....unbearably cold...unbearably white'.

8) "Rich Man"

There's a jaunty feel, but the track itself seems a bit jumbled.

9) "Married In A Gold Rush" (ft/ Danielle Haim)

This track deals with a fresh marriage that's starting to wither; "We got married in a gold rush, and the rush has never felt the same", "wedding bells were ringing out our fate".

10) "My Mistake"

"My Mistake" is a ballad, with a sort of old-school/retro feel. Ezra Koenig shows his regrets on the current state of affairs; "hoping for kindness, was my greatest mistake".

11) "Sympathy"

This starts off with a quick flamenco style. "Sympathy" is centrally about Judaism, Christianity & Islam.

12) "Sunflower" (ft/ Steve Lacy)

"Sunflower" really flows with a Red Hot Chili Peppers kind of feel.

13) "Flower Man" (ft/ Steve Lacy)

There's an Imogen Heap style to "Flower Man". We see some interesting contrasts mentioned; "Coca-Cola & red wine".

14) "2021"

Ezra is pondering the future, wondering if he'll be remembered; "copper goes green, steel beams go rust".

15) "We Belong Together" (ft/ Danielle Haim)

More of a basic love song, "We Belong Together" is a little bit basic.

16) "Stranger"

In this track, Ezra has finally found the one; "I used to look for an answer, I used to knock on every door, but you got the wave on, music playing". 

17) "Spring Snow"

This track is brought down by some awkward backing vocals.

18) "Jerusalem, New York, Berlin"

The title is about religion/money/culture. The song also reflects on Israel-Palestine relations.

"Father Of The Bride" is rich in imagery. It shines lyrically. The vocals between Ezra and Danielle Haim mesh perfectly.   (80.5)

"Cuz I Love You" (Deluxe) - Lizzo (96.5)

"I Used To Know Her" - H.E.R (84.2)

"Father Of The Bride" - Vampire Weekend (80.5)

"Norman Fucking Rockwell" - Lana Del Rey (64.3)

NFL Recap - Week 14 (pod)

The Steelers stay in a playoff position, the 49ers & Saints play a wild game, and the Patriots offense remains stagnant. That and more in this week's NFL Recap

SNL Recap: Jennifer Lopez

Monologue: There wasn't anything specific to point out about this week's monologue. It was mainly Jennifer Lopez celebrating Jennifer Lopez, dress reveal and all. However, there's something about JLO that made this entertaining.

Chad & JLO: Another entry into Pete Davidson's "Chad" series, this one actually clicked for me. Chad is a roadie with JLO, and as usual she's starting to fall for him. With a cameo by Alex Rodriguez, he sees them together. Pete and Jennifer had good timing back and forth.

The Corporal: Early on, a lot of the sketches were about JLO's looks ("Surprise Makeover") but her natural comedic timing makes it work. Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon play two sisters trying to hide their 3rd (JLO) from the corporal who will marry one of them. The banter between Aidy and Kate is just everything in this sketch. The three of them together interacted perfectly, from JLO "moaning like a toad", followed by Aidy saying "No, men hate that...even I hate that a little". 

Jules on Weekend Update: Beck Bennett's 'Jules' is starting to become one of my top Update characters. Cecily Strong's "Girl you don't want to talk to at a party" walked so 'Jules' could run.

Jennifer Lopez is one of those hosts who dives in headfirst, willing to do practically anything. There are times where you could envision her as part of the cast. With similarly themed sketches "Surprise Home makeover" and "The corporal", it would be easy for them to run into each other, but JLO gives them a level of energy that makes them work. (7.49)

David Harbour: 7.78

Phoebe Waller-Bridge: 7.52

Jennifer Lopez: 7.49

Kristen Stewart: 7.45

Harry Styles: 7.38
Woody Harrelson: 7.34

Will Ferrell: 7.21

Chance The Rapper: 6.98

Grammy's Album of The Year Review: : "I Used To Know Her" - H.E.R

With the Grammy nominations out, its time for my "album of the year" reviews.  I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 100.

(All Rights To RCA Records)

1) "Lost Souls" ft/ DJ Scratch

This is a bit of an homage to Lauryn Hill. Lyrically, H.E.R is on her game; "A lost soul can't lead the people", "confusing the celebrity with your integrity". But there are times when the track falls off.

2) "Fate"

H.E.R's feeling lost in a relationship, wondering whose fault it is; "If you walked a mile using my feet, you would go a little easy on me". 

3) "Carried Away"

This has a different feeling intro, with a beautiful chorus. She's struggling looking for love while feeling guarded.

4) "Going (Full)"

The chorus really clicks. In this track, H.E.R is feeling limited with what she can give in a relationship.

5) "Be On My Way (Full)"

She's looking to move on; "But we both had our own motives, never told him that mine was to stay alone". It just feels that this track is lacking something, whether its in the instrumental backing or somewhere else.

6) "Can't Help Me"

Starting off with a folksy intro, H.E.R is struggling to love her partner, which she admits is her problem.

7) "Something Keeps Pulling Me Back"

She's struggling to leave a relationship; "I see the truth, but I stay blind". Her pride won't let her admit her own faults.

8) "Feel A Way"

This track has a nice flow. She's blaming her partner for making her play a part in this relationship conflict.

9) "21"

"21" is dealing with H.E.R's maturity. Lyrically, this track feels jumbled and all over the place in the verses.

10) "Racks" ft/ YBN Cordae

This has a different world feel. "Racks" deals with fortune not being able to buy happiness; "they don't relax your pain", "The cash and shit is a catalyst, to cover up the pain, that's hazardous".

11) "I'm Not OK"

She's admitting her uneasiness and wants to be comforted.

12) "Against Me"

H.E.R is blaming herself for remaining in a relationship. This track ends with a fantastic poetic outro dealing with neglecting intuition and seeing the signs.

13) "Could've Been" (ft/ Bryson Tiller)

Two partners are dealing on what could've been, but find themselves drifting; "The part of me that cared inside is gone". Tiller's verse is really smooth.

14) "Good To Me"

There's a really cool groove. She doesn't want to just go through the motions; "Don't know what I'm chasin', I can't erase what I'm feeling deep inside". There's a unique spoken word-kind of outro, featuring studio recording of H.E.R breaking down the song.

15) "Take You There"

This track is very tranquil, with a light airy feel. "Take You There" acts as an ode to her partner.

16) "As I Am"

We see H.E.R feeling good with her partner. While the chorus is good, instrumentally it feels like this track is lacking.

17) "Hard Place (Single Version)"

This really grooves with a percussion backing. Lyrically this is spot on; "I'm caught between your love and a hard place".

18) "Uninvited (Live)"

Starting off with a nice guitar intro, H.E.R feels like her partner is icing her out. Overall, the instrumentals and vocals mesh really well.

19) "Lord Is Coming (remix)" (ft/ YBN Cordae)

This starts off with a spoken word intro dealing with mental health and the current state of things. H.E.R references children being separated at the border. This track features really powerful imagery; "We reach for saving hands, no help will come from men, the Lord is coming". That imagery includes some pointed political remarks, with YBN Cordae saying how we "voted for the antichrist (Trump)". 

During my review for her self-titled album, I mentioned how H.E.R had more that she was capable of doing, and I think she captures that with "I Used To Know Her". This album has a theme surrounding that flows from track to track. (84.2)

"Cuz I Love You" (Deluxe) - Lizzo (96.5)

"I Used To Know Her" - H.E.R (84.2)

"Norman Fucking Rockwell" - Lana Del Rey (64.3)