SNL Season 42 - Margot Robbie

SNL returned for Season 42 in a time where you could argue its needed most, with the 2016 Presidential election in full swing. Saturday Night Live has long provided excellent sketches and pieces during election season, but it could be tougher this time around; both with how wild the campaign has been, along with SNL's controversial decision to invite Trump to host last year. So how did SNL do in its premiere? Onto the review.

Debate Cold Open: Starting right off the bat with the first debate, we saw Kate McKinnon's emmy winning Clinton, along with another new Trump, Alec Baldwin. Coming off last year where we saw a brief attempt with Taran Killam, followed by Darrell Hammond take on Trump, it seems they've finally found their guy (more on that in the end). They were pretty much able to just use Trump's lines verbatim, though with a nice added whiff on the microphone. And Kate's Clinton remains to be the best impersonation of her SNL has done yet. Sometimes these debate sketches can feel bogged down, but even with the added expectations, SNL was able to make this land. (8.7)

Monologue: These were a big problem throughout last season, with either abbreviated, or half-thought out ideas. But they opened up with a fairly clever one, as Margot Robbie fact-checked her own monologue. It did drag on though, as various cast members got the spotlight and did the same thing, that was a bit much. (7.0)

Live Report: Felt a bit odd having the first post-monologue sketch being non-political, but this sort of timeless ('non promo', heh) sketch is one that could work in any year. Its a simple premise, as we see an average looking guy with Margot Robbie's character during a news report on a sink hole. Its the kind of sketch that hits one note, but is able to build on it. (8.0)

Celebrity Family Feud - Political Edition: I think these are the kind of sketches that could breakthrough for SNL's coverage of the 2016 race. Yes, it went a bit long and was packed, but there was a lot of good bits here. From Kate's portrayal of Kellyanne Conway, to Margot as Ivanka and new castmembers Mikey Day and Alex Moffat as Trump's sons playing the "children of the corn". Beck Bennett did a really good Putin, and we even got Larry David back as a more free-wheeling Bernie Sanders. (8.5)

The Librarian (short): So this was a thing. At first, you weren't really sure where this was going, as a group of eyes admire Margot as a librarian. But then things get weird. She almost takes on a Harley Quinn persona (with added acid spit.....). One of those things where it seems they just threw a lot of things out there to see if it would stick, granted it was so out there that it sort of worked. (7.2)

(The Weeknd): (7.5)

Weekend Update: Update got its first take on the election, post convention. They seemed to take a more even-handed "both sides" take, bringing up old stories (with how fast the cycle goes) like Clinton's post pneumonia rally and the James Brown song used. There was surprisingly little about Trump and Alicia Machado, or his last night tweets, which was a fresh story for the week.However, Jost and Che did show a nice amount of chemistry for the premiere, riffing on each other.

The first guest saw Cecily Strong playing an undecided voter "Cathy Ann". She sort of played a bubbling idiot of a character. It was tough to understand what she was saying. While I don't hold high opinions on the so-called "undecided voter", even this stereotype was a bit much.

Kenan Thompson then came on and played David Ortiz. This is becoming a good recurring role for Kenan (hopefully they keep him on, even when Big Papi retires after this season wraps up). (7.0)

David Ortiz

Hunch Bunch: This was a Scooby Doo parody, where Margot plays someone whose slow to piece the clues together. Kyle Mooney played a good Shaggy, and while there were some funny bits (like the conclusion where Margot can't 'go back to jail'), this was merely just okay. (6.4)

Melania Moments (short): This was sort of like "deep thoughts". It was tough to judge, given his brevity, but hopefully this becomes a recurring bit throughout this election. (7.0)

Actress Round Table: Taking place at the NY Film Festival, this was used as a vehicle for another Kate McKinnon role, an old actress whose had to make her way through the industry. Unlike previous oddball characters by Kate, this just didn't really hit for me. (6.0)

(The Weeknd): (7.7)

Mr Robot (short): Here, Leslie Jones recruits Elliot (Pete Davidson) to find out who hacked her. I thought this was a fairly clever way to deal with this issue that really took off this summer (along with all the online harassment she's faced). It'll be interesting to see if she'll address it during Weekend Update, but I thought Leslie and Pete really worked well in this short. (8.0)

We got a first look at how SNL will cover this '16 race. While they'll have to parody debates, pieces like Family Feud and Melania thoughts could be more effective. This is an election season where to really make a point, they'll have to go out of the box besides just the debates.

First impressions on Alec Baldwin as Trump, I think he was perfect for this role. His portrayal was more biting and accurate to the present day than Hammond's was. Hammond's impression was still stuck in the 90s/Apprentice era. It'll be interesting to see how Alec evolves through October. (7.38)

Margot Robbie: 7.38

NFL Season Preview

Finally, a new season is upon us, and one that could see some significant changes, with Peyton Manning's retirement and Tom Brady's 4 week suspension. Like always, I'll try my best and throw out my own predictions. I actually got last season's superbowl matchup, so lets see how these all pan out.

AFC East:

Patriots: 11-5

Jets: 9-6

Bills: 8-8

Dolphins: 6-10

Brady may be sitting out the first 4 games, but I don't think the Patriots will see too many bumps in the season's opening with Jimmy Garoppolo. They may drop a game or two, but then get back on track one Brady returns. As for the rest of the division, the Jets could be contenders, but its just tough to rely on them to rise to the occasion when they're expected too. The Bills will be the Bills. Maybe they have their QB of the future in Tyrod Taylor, but there have been a number of distractions for them, along with Rob Ryan now joining his brother in the coaching ranks. And I may be totally off for the Dolphins, but its the same with the Jets, its just tough to count on them.

AFC North:

Steelers: 12-4

Bengals: 10-6

Ravens: 6-10

Browns: 6-10

The Steelers have run into some defensive injuries (specifically Bud Dupree), along with questions on TE, but Big Ben and AB (coming off a recently signed restructured contract) are coming off healthy, along with a solid O-Line for the time being. They'll be without Le'Veon Bell, but they still have Deangelo Williams who played like a top starter last year when asked. The sky's the limit for Pittsburgh as long as they stay healthy on offense and get the defensive line to step up. The Bengals should be right with them the whole way, but come up short in the end. As for the Ravens, they've declined in recent years, and I don't see much difference. Finally, with RG3 at the helm with a second chance, I think he may see some rough patches, but the Browns won't be a complete embarrassment as they've been.

AFC South:

Jaguars: 11-5

Colts: 10-6

Texans: 7-9

Titans: 4-12

Yes, you read that right, and no, I'm not high. I could see this being a breakout year for a young Jaguars team. They've had some stellar drafts over the past couple years and I see it paying off here. Yes, the Colts and Texans could be contenders (though I have some questions about Brock Osweiler and the Texans offense), but I'm going out on a limb here. Blake Bortles has shown the capabilities of a top young QB. Meanwhile, the Colts are coming off a rough season that saw them go through a plethora of QB injuries. Their O-Line will make or break them. And the Titans are still growing, hoping for a full year with Marcus Mariota, along with a new running attack.

AFC West:

Raiders: 12-4

Chiefs: 10-6

Broncos: 9-7

Chargers: 5-11

Again, yes, you aren't seeing things. A 12 win season for the Raiders. They've been rising and actually drafting intelligently recently, leading to weapons for Derek Carr and a young defense with play-makers. They proved to be tough last year, and that'll continue this year. The Chiefs have a good home atmosphere to deal with, and hopefully a healthy Jamaal Charles at RB. The Broncos could deal with some turmoil on offense, without Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. Instead, it'll be Trevor Siemian getting the week 1 start.....so yeah. They'll really have to rely on their defense to be the best and  go above and beyond last year. As for the Chargers, it feels like they're wasting Philip Rivers.

AFC Playoff Picture:

1) Steelers

2) Raiders

---------------

3) Patriots

4) Jaguars

5) Bengals

6) Colts

AFC Wildcard:

Colts vs. Patriots

Oh the story-lines this would make. I think the Colts and their whining would still be on the Pats' minds.

Bengals vs. Jaguars

Good for the Jags getting a winning season, but the Bengals would want a re-do on their collapse during last year's collapse against the Steelers.

AFC Division:

Bengals vs Steelers

Hopefully with a healthy defense by this point, I see this going down to the wire, but with a win...fair and square this time.

Patriots vs. Raiders

The Tuck game...likely still sends chills through Raiders' fans. That may be ancient history in NFL terms, but I see Carr prevailing here. 

AFC Championship:

Raiders vs. Steelers

An old rivalry potentially being renewed with a young Carr and the vet Big Ben. This could be a fun and high flying match, but the home edge pushing the Steelers over the top.

NFC East:

Giants: 10-6

Cowboys: 9-7

Washington: 7-9

Eagles: 5-11

This is a division in flux, with Philly moving on from Chip Kelly, and the Cowboys being without Tony Romo for an unknown period of time with another back injury. With that being said, I see the Giants emerging from the East. The Giants are certainly a roller coaster type of team, but I think they persevere. Factoring in rookie Dak Prescott starting for Dallas, and counting on Romo coming back sometime around week 6 possibly, the Cowboys could definitely be a contender. I think improvements from New York and Dallas will bring Washington back down, and I don't quite know what Philly is right now. They traded Sam Bradford and appear to be riding with rookie Carson Wentz, who didn't have much time in preseason with the starters

NFC North:

Packers: 12-4

Lions: 8-8

Vikings: 7-9

Bears: 4-12

A few weeks ago, this looked like it could be a tight division between the Vikings and Packers, but then Teddy Bridgewater went down for the year with a knee injury. They regrouped and dealt a top draft pick for Sam Bradford, but I think they could see some twists and turns in their opening weeks before getting it together, and with Green Bay, it could be too late by then. The Lions will be looking for a new go-to receiver with Calvin Johnson's sudden retirement, and the Bears are the Bears...lost.

NFC South:

Panthers: 12-4

Buccaneers: 8-8

Falcons: 6-10

Saints: 5-11

This has the makings of another runaway division. The Panthers just seem above and beyond everyone else here. The Bucs are on the rise, but its not their time quite yet, and Matt Ryan and the Falcons have been trying to find themselves for a while now. The Saints may have Drew Brees, but with serious deficiencies on  defense. 

NFC West:

Seahawks: 13-3

Cardinals: 11-5

49ers: 7-9

Rams: 6-10

A potential battle to the end with Seattle and Arizona. That relies on the Seahawks running attack, and whether Carson Palmer will have a healthy complete season for the Cardinals. The 49ers had seemed to be disorganized, but the Colin Kaepernick anthem protest has seemed to bring the team together. He'll start as the back-up, but I mean, how long are they really going to go with Blaine Gabbert. I could see Kaepernick regaining some of his form in the back-half of the season. And the Rams, now in Los Angeles, look like they'll have more problems at QB, with 1st round pick Jared Goff really struggling in the pre-season. He'll be inactive for week 1. They have some nice weapons on offense, including Todd Gurley, but that'll only take them so far.

NFC Playoff Picture:

1) Seahawks

2) Panthers

-----------------

3) Packers

4) Giants

5) Cardinals

6) Cowboys

NFC Wildcard:

Cowboys vs. Packers

Counting on Prescott or Romo here, it may be even a slight miracle for Dallas to make the playoffs. But here facing Green Bay, that's where their road ends.

Cardinals vs. Giants

Relying on a healthy Carson Palmer, the Cardinals have the potential to go on a deep run.

NFC Division:

Cardinals vs. Seahawks

This could be a fun one with this divisional rivalry. But I give the edge to Seattle.

Packers vs. Panthers

This one could be one on defense, and with that, the edge goes to Luke Kuechly and the Panthers.

NFC Championship:

Panthers vs. Seahawks

A rematch of last year's divisional game, where Carolina ran it up early, but Seattle clawed back to make it a game. I think, being at home, Seattle will be more prepared.

In a playoff of rematches and rivalries, we see a Super Bowl 40 rematch. Seahawks fans very much still hold a grudge on Big Ben's TD in that game. I think this game is close early, but Seattle pulls ahead late, and Russell Wilson gets his 2nd ring. 

.  

Remembering Christina Grimmie

On the evening of June 10th, singer Christina Grimmie was tragically shot during an autograph session at a concert in Orlando. 

Christina was a young rising star, starting with Youtube covers, before setting out on The Voice and releasing original music. Personally, I was first introduced to her during the summer of 2011 with a cover she did with Kurt Hugo Schneider and Sam Tsui of "Just A Dream".

I remember being amazed at her mature voice. She seemed like such a natural. That video then lead me to her channel, where I discovered her own youtube channel and her covers.

There's something about when you first come about a new artist. Its like a new world is opened up to you, if that makes any sense. You go through their early material, and you wonder how you didn't know about them sooner.

It was around this time that Christina was making it towards the mainstream, doing interviews for the American Idol 2012 Tour, along with making connections with artists like Selena Gomez. But through it all, it didn't change her. She still seemed to be that down to Earth girl who loved music.

I remember how excited I got when I found out that she would be competing on the 6th season of The Voice. Those kind of shows (The Voice, American Idol), have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. This was something different though, already being a fan of someone coming in, and watching their growth throughout the season. Christina quickly found her voice on the show, putting some interesting and creative twists on songs you wouldn't have expected.

Following her season, she was able to launch more of her original music, and begin regularly touring.

Christina Grimmie was on her way, doing what she loved to do. Fame and exposure seemingly never changed her, still just as connected to her fans as her earlier days, uploading cover requests on Youtube. 

Following this tragic incident, petitions   have been launched to improve security around concert venues. I could go on about changes that have to be made, both with this and in-light of the shooting that followed just days after in Orlando at the Pulse club, but I wanted this post to just be a remembrance and a look-back at Christina's great talent. While taken away far too soon, she still left us with a great showcase of her talent. We can think of what could be, but lets just appreciate and be thankful for what she gave us and how committed she was to her friends and fans.

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

SNL Season 41: Ep.20

SNL had its penultimate episode of the season this week, hosted by Drake. So how was it? Onto the review

Cold Open: Donald Trump/Chris Christie: This would have been a perfect way for SNL to jump on the "John Miller spokesperson" story, but while briefly touching it, they went with a more basic Trump/Christie veepstakes open. There were a few decent lines (including one on George Zimmerman), but all in all this was just really basic (despite getting Jay Pharoah making a brief appearance as Ben Carson). (4.9)

Monologue: It was nice getting a fully fleshed out monologue for once. Drake started rapping about all the memes revolved around him and how he's more than just a meme. The timing may have been a bit off, but at least this was an actual full idea. (6.5)

Rental Car: Beck Bennett and Vanessa Bayer played a couple looking to rent a car for their honeymoon, but Drake and his boss Jay had some problems. There didn't seem to be any real punchline or premise here, but Drake and Jay just had a lot of chemistry. If not for Jay and his mannerisms, this sketch would have been a disaster, but the pairing of these two saved it. (7.0)

American Ninja Warrior (short): Bobby Moynihan looked to compete on American Ninja Warrior for his friends and town, destroyed by a tornado. However, on the actual course, it went just as well as it would for you or me. It may have been a one-note joke, but Bobby just sold it with his determination on his 2nd and 3rd attempts, even trying to literally run across water. (8.0)

Dennis Walls & The Cookies: A supposed retro PBS show, Walls (Drake) had irritated the director, leading the director to sabotage the show with a tiny saxophone, a spinning bed, and other inconveniences. The premise was there, but it just didn't play out. And the spinning bed portion felt too much like Will Ferrell's "Mark Jensen Family Christmas" sketch. (4.5)



Office Boss With Drake: Paul Ryan (Taram Killam) looks for a 3rd party candidate to run, so of course he goes to Baby Boss (Bennett). It was a bit out there that Ryan would want a Baby Boss presidential run, but it was just nice to see this character again. Beck really goes all out to sell this, from his movements to dialogue. (8.0)

Office Boss

(Drake): (5.5)

Weekend Update: Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che continues to be consistently solid this season. Jost and Che have found a nice rhythm where they riff on a topic. 

The first guest saw Kate McKinnon's "Olya" return. Olya talked about the connections between Putin and Trump, mocking America for what could happen with a Trump presidency. In my opinion, this was one of the best iterations of Olya.

olya

Leslie Jones made an appearance, discussing why its never too late to find your calling. This wasn't one of her best, as it felt really abridged.

Finally, Jay Pharoah showed up to discuss another "secret rap meeting" about Jay-Z's response to "Lemonade". Drake showed up, debate Jay's impression of him (which was pretty spot on). (7.3)   

Jay

Black Jeopardy: Black Jeopardy made a return, with Drake basically playing himself (a Black Canadian) who isn't aware of some sayings. This was more or less used as a jumping off point for Canada jokes. Probably the weakest version of this sketch. (6.2)

Drake's Beef (short): This short saw Drake throughout his week on SNL imagining responses to various beefs, whether from Aidy Bryant taking a chair, to Leslie Jones not paying him mind in a hallway. It was a good thought out idea, but it made its point and ran a bit long. (6.7)

(Drake): (6.8)

Chaperon: Talk about a 10 to 1 sketch, I have no idea what this was. Drake played some Hulk Hogan like school dance chaperon, and then Taran showed up as Drake's character from 15 years in the future. There's weird, bizarre sketches with something of a premise, and then there's whatever the heck this was. (3.5)

A bit of an odd up and down episode. SNL continues to struggle politically, as they still don't know how to cover Trump properly. The one bright spot was the chemistry that Drake and Jay Pharoah had. Here's hoping the finale closes the season on a high note.

Overall Score - 7.08

Ariana Grande - 7.95
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

SNL Season 41: Ep.19

SNL began its final stretch of the season with Brie Larson. How did it go? Onto the review.

Cold Open: Church Chat - This was a pleasant surprise, as Dana Carvey appeared as the "Church Lady". The Church Lady went on to discuss some topical events (such as "Lemonade"), and then interviewed Ted Cruz (Taran Killam) and Trump (Darrell Hammond). The actual interview portion of this cold open could have been better, but it was just nice seeing Church Chat make a return (plus we got to see a possessed demonic Ted Cruz). (7.0)

Monologue: Being Mother's Day weekend, this monologue was like an abridged version of the Reese Witherspoon episode where we saw pretty much all of the cast members' mothers. The monologues have been pretty shoddy recently, so this was alright in comparison. (6.3)

New Barbie (ad): This was one of SNL's better political takes recently. It was one of those Mattel ads, introducing "President Barbie", and trying to tell the kids that they could be anything they wanted. It turns out the new barbie isn't as much of a hit to the kids. This could be painted as some people no longer thinking its a big deal to get a female president, especially coming off of the heights reached with Obama. But that's just one potential view on it. (8.4)  

Near-Death Experience: The Ryan Gosling abduction skit made a return, this time dealing with near-death experiences. Brie Larson was able to hold it more together than Gosling did, but of course its Kate McKinnon who just makes this work. She's able to get to Bobby Moynihan and Aidy Bryant, who can't seem to even look at her without breaking. You could make the case that this version was better than the original. (8.2)




Baby Shower: The women of SNL were featured in this sketch about Brie Larson's baby shower, but more importantly, about "the cut" (the short, up-do that a lot of mothers have). The premise was that you don't know when, or where, but eventually you'll get it. It really played off like a Twlight Zone episode. It may have run long, but it was a pretty good premise for a sketch. (7.0)


(Alicia Keys): (6.4)


Weekend Update: Colin Jost and Michael Che got into some pretty edgy material this week.
The first guest saw fan favorite "Laura Parsons" (Vanessa Bayer). Just her inflection in saying the worst things as a kid actor is hilarious.

Laura Parsons

Sasheer Zamata made an appearance, talking about Larry Wilmore's WHCD address and the "n"-word. She was making some good points, but it felt like the timing was off with her lines.

Pete Davidson was also on, discussing Mother's Day, and how his mother got on twitter to defend him from online trolls. (7.7)

Game Of Thrones: Jon Snow: SNL lampooned Game Of Thrones and the total non-surprise that were the events surrounding Jon Snow. Now, I don't watch Game Of Thrones, but I pretty much got the idea, via social media responses. Probably dumb given what was in the sketch, but lets just say it was about how it took them forever to get around to the obvious. (8.0)

Quiz Whiz 2018: This was another good political sketch. It didn't mock any moment in particular, but was set in 2018, asking the question to a pair of contestants (Taran, Brie) on who the GOP runner-up was, and no one could get Ted Cruz's name despite a number of lifelines. The turning point came towards the end where it was revealed that Brie was actually playing Heidi Cruz, and then they sang a song dedicated to President Trump. SNL is going to need more political sketches like this with the way the election is going. Its tough to lampoon anything particular right now. (8.5)

Quiz Whiz 2018

Kickstarter (short): This saw Kyle Mooney and Beck Bennett return with a kickstarter ad based on a prior Kyle character. In terms of mocking kickstarters, I guess this was on point, but it just wasn't my thing. (4.9)

(Alicia Keys): (6.5)

Dead Bopz Ad: Another impressions sketch, but with old-school musical artists. This was interesting at times, as artists like Leslie Gore and Tupac tried to take on current songs.(6.0)

SNL had a fairly strong return for its season end stretch. I'd been worried that this season was going to end on a bad note given the fairly poor April stretch, but this show revived the season. Brie Larson really brought it, she really seemed like a natural.

Overall Score - 7.08

Ariana Grande - 7.95
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
Miley Cyrus - 6.07

Ronda Rousey - 5.78

Jonah Hill - 5.13
Donald Trump - 4.92