This week’s Saturday Night Live was so boring that I’m actually too bored to write about it. I almost wish it was actively terrible because then I’d be all fired up to talk smack. Unfortunately that was not the case. I kept pulling up YouTube to watch something more interesting, then I’d realize that I HAVE to watch this because it’s kind of my assignment, and I’d groan a little bit, then fall asleep.
In completely unrelated news, I just discovered BatDad.
The Host: Jim CarreyB
"You may as well stop [clapping], it will never be enough." - Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey is an amazing comedic force. He cannot be described in any other manner; he is not a comedic breeze, or a subtle hint of a comic scent. He is a FORCE, GOOD LORD, AND HE WILL NOT BE STOPPED! Which is one of the reasons why he is my favorite. But, I have much more fun watching Jim Carrey in a room surrounded by actors playing the straight man (I use the comedic definition rather than the sexual one) than I do watching others try to match his energy.
But good G-d, Lemon, that monologue was painful. When you find yourself repeatedly smushing your hands into your face and crying aloud “WHY. I JUST. I DON’T. BUT WHY,” then it’s a safe bet that the monologue was a horrible failure. Another musical number. An irrelevant (if accurate) Elvis impression. A seemingly random song about pecan pie that even the live audience couldn’t get into. Bless Carrey for his commitment to the number, but that thing stank. Burn it and bury it in the ground please.
Most Delightful Characters
Lincoln Commercials: Matthew McConaughey A
“I mean, take a BIG step back. Like, go from winning an Oscar to doing a car commercial.”
For those of you who missed the original Matthew McConaughey Lincoln commercials, take a second to check them out. They’re pretty much begging to be torn apart.
This commercial parody was delicious. The writing, acting and directing was completely on point. Jim Carrey did a perfect McConaughey impression (the contant hand rolling nearly killed me) and the writing was hilarious, but what really cinched it for me was the look of it. The lighting, the shots, the vibe were all perfect replicas of the actual commercial. That’s some Key and Peele level directing. Nicely done, parody team.
Carrey Family Reunion: Jay Carrey B+
“ALLLLLL RIGHTY THEN!”
I have an irrational love for the movie Ace Ventura. Like, completely irrational. So when as talented an actor as Taran Killam nails Ace Ventura in a scene with the man who perfected Ace Ventura, you know that’s going to get my attention. Killam clearly watched Carrey’s Inside The Actor’s Studio (or, like, the movies or something). There, Carrey mentions that he used birds to inspire the manner that Ventura moves, and Killam got that to a tee. Between the spastic head movements and the overacting, Killam was the best Carrey of the lot.
Ghosts Chasers: Ronda Banks B
“Really, you gunna ask the spirits to show themselves? That’s just stupid.” - Rhonda
“That’s, like, the WHOLE show.” - Greg
This was Leslie Jones’ first episode as a cast member and I’m totally diggin’ it. I could watch her bust down a door and lock herself in a van for 59 more minutes, and it would probably be better than this episode. Actually, let’s just get an episode where she talks for an hour, I’m sure that would be better. Oh wait, that exists, and it is.
Least Delightful Characters
Secret Billionaire: All players D+
I hated everything about this sketch. Do I really have to talk about it? I don’t want to. Let’s just forget it happened.
Zombie Apocalypse: Haley Miller C
This sketch was a mess. I’m not a fan of easy cracks at southern stupidity not because I think it’s mean, but because I think it’s too easy. It’s like taking candy from me while I’m too distracted eating a different bar of candy. Lazy. Not to mention the dialogue and the ending were predictable. I stopped paying attention halfway through because I knew what was going to happen. This only meant I had to rewatch it so I could talk about why I hated the sketch with a modicum of credibility. So yes, I had to suffer through this sketch 1½ times and it only got worse.
Halloween Emporium: All players C
“BEAR THE DARK LORD’S KING.”
I’m grading this sketch way harsher than the rest because I firmly believe it could’ve (should’ve!) been more than it was. Carrey was given a character tailor-made to his skill set, and Bayer and Strong have played off each other so well as ditzy coworkers in the past. The idea of the owner of a discount Halloween emporium continuing to run his business despite being possessed by a demon while his no-nonsense employees don’t even bat a (glittery) eyelash about it, is wonderful. I love it.
But Carrey, much like that whole box of frozen butternut squash ravioli I just ate, is better in moderation. Had they set the sketch up more like the "Moet and Chandon" one I linked to above, where the host only comes in every once and a while to add a splash of color, I think it would’ve been more successful. All I really wanted to see was Bayer and Strong saying ridiculous things with a straight face while their demon-possessed boss popped up every once and a while, spout nonsense about the dark lord, and then disappear.
But, even committed acting can’t save a poorly structured, clumsily written sketch. Carrey was overused and Bayer and Strong needed better lines. I believe the focus should’ve been on the two employees, since it’s almost weirder that they were totally cool with their boss being a demon. The UCB Handbook (TO ME, FELLOW COMEDY NERDS, TO ME) has a great analogy for this: it’s like painting blue on blue. If there are too many weird things going on in a scene, it’s hard to tell which is the one to laugh at. If the scene had just focused on one character or the other being weird (my money is on the employees), then I think this could’ve been excellent. Why yes, Lorne, I’d be more than happy to assist in the rewrite. I will accept a high five from Kate McKinnon in lieu of monetary compensation.
Jim Carrey D
For a show struggling to define itself, picking a host with as big a personality as Jim Carrey can be a dangerous thing. SNL has had a tendency lately to overuse its hosts and give them the best roles in a scene. Watching Jim Carrey be insane for over an hour helped me figure out why this has been bugging me. It’s easier for the show to define the episode by the personality or past characters of its host than it is to define its own point of view. SNL’s legendary sketches have not come from a place of bland nervousness, hiding behind the skirts of a star, but rather from when it has a strong, defined voice and it allows the host to fit in with its agenda.
Demerits
- Who decided how to spell ‘"McConaughey" because I hate them.
- The sketches I wanted to be longer were too short. "Halloween Emporium" and "Ghost Catchers" both needed a little longer to play around. But, the rest just dragged on seemingly forever, like that monologue. Good Lord, in an alternate universe, that musical number is STILL GOING ON.
- I watched every compilation of the BatDad vine videos before finishing this article. That’s how uninspired this episode was.
- Seriously. The only reason I finished this article is because I promised myself I could binge watch the rest of The Blacklist after.
Extra Credit
- Pete Davidson just keeps getting beaten up by the hosts. First, last week with Bill Hader, then the zombie sketch this week. I know ethically this shouldn’t be in the extra credit section, but it’s really fun to watch. Please make this a recurring thing, writers.
- “A marble? You’re a red marble!” “No, I’m just a woman trying my best.”
- The episode ended, that was nice.
- I still love Ace Ventura.