RATINGS SYSTEM

***** = Excellent, a possible future classic

**** = Great

*** = Average

** = Meh

* = How'd this get past dress?

 

Cold Opening - A Message from Mayor Bloomberg

• Boring doesn’t even begin to describe this poor excuse for a cold opening. The premise was incredibly lame and this just dragged on and on and on. The only real laugh came from the comment about Mexicans delivering food.

• Fred’s weak Bloomberg impression didn’t help, either. He couldn’t have looked less like him and he sounded too much like Fred doing a typical New York voice.

Stars: *½

 

Monologue - Jim Carrey

• Not bad, despite the fact that this was yet ANOTHER interaction-with-audience-members monologue that this season loves relying on and this also felt a little too reminiscent of Jeremy Piven’s monologue from 2007. But Jim was able to make this fairly enjoyable by being his usual funny self, and they managed to make his interaction with the woman feel spontaneous enough.

Stars: ***

 

Commercial - Bosley Hair Restoration

• Rerun

 

Sketch - Black Swan

• This is a sketch that definitely wouldn’t have been nearly as funny if it were any other host besides Jim Carrey playing the role. I do wish, however, that he instead played the female bodybuilder he used to play on In Living Color. In fact, it would’ve been fun if Jim was able to reprise any of his ILC characters on SNL, but maybe they’re not legally allowed. Only Damon Wayans was able to bring ILC characters to SNL when he hosted in 1995, while David Alan Grier, Jamie Foxx, and Jim Carrey didn’t bring any of their ILC characters when each of them hosted.

• My favorite parts of the sketch were the ecstasy bit and Jim flashing his nipples.

Stars: ***

 

Sketch - Finding Your Power

• Was anyone else reminded of the “I Didn’t Ask for This” sketch from earlier this season? This used a similar format and set-up, only that sketch was much funnier than tonight’s.

• This got really one-joke and predictable very fast. There were still a few laughs, however. Vanessa’s breakdown in her clip was funny, as was the whole “We put a hidden camera in your wife’s mouth” bit with Jim’s character.

• I was also amused by Jason’s silent grin throughout the sketch, particularly the drawn-out pause between him and Jim.

Stars: **

 

Sketch - Grady Wilson’s Tantric ‘n Tasty

• No. Just... no.

• Wait, I do have one thing: why was this whole sketch pre-taped, including Kenan’s set-ups to each clip? You could tell this whole sketch was taped by the way it looked. Usually Kenan’s set-ups are done live, and there was no apparent reason for those portions of this installment to be taped.

Stars: *

 

Sketch - The Worst of Soul Train

• I thought this would be funny at first and it did seem like a good showcase for the cast, but this sketch ended up feeling too long and too many parts dragged.

• Has anyone else noticed that for the last several episodes, Jay Pharoah has appeared in only one sketch each week? At least he still manages to make the most out of his appearances, and his arthritis song in this sketch was one of the funnier parts.

• Other funny parts were Jason’s psychotic yelling at the end of his song, and especially Jim Carrey’s “one titty” song.

Stars: **½

 

Weekend Update - Seth Meyers, featuring Rep. Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner, Anthony Crispino, Cameron the Red-Winged Blackbird and Everett the Fish

• Best jokes: Mickey Rourke

• The Pelosi and Boehner commentary was very good. Kristen’s Pelosi is always enjoyable and I’m glad they finally added bronzer to Bill as Boehner this time. The commentary had lots of funny parts, particularly Bill’s crying.

• Anthony Crispino again? No. Just... no. At least they stopped having Seth constantly ask “Who are you looking at?”, however.

• Andy sure likes playing birds on Weekend Update, huh? Anyway, tonight’s commentary with him and Taran was very, very silly but made me laugh for some reason. I especially got some enjoyment from the various sound effects during the dramatic close-ups.

Stars: ***

 

Sketch - Merryville Trolley Ride

• A hilarious bizarre sketch. I got a lot of big laughs from Jim and Taran’s eerily-accurate robotic movements, them trying to attack Kenan, Bill’s character suddenly having a missing head and it later being replaced with a model of Kenan’s head.

• Another positive is that this sketch was surprisingly kept short and ended at the right time. Overall, very well-done.

Stars: ****½

 

Sketch - Psychic Reading

• An excellent showcase for some great Jim Carrey impressions. My favorites were his Jimmy Stewart, Alan Thicke, and Charles Bronson.

• Jason’s reactions to the impressions were funny, especially his gleeful foot-dancing after Jim did Alan Thicke.

• I also liked the running gag of Vanessa’s reluctance to hold Jim’s dirty hands.

Stars: ****

 

Sketch - A Taste of New York

• A weak way to end the show and a complete waste of time. The sketch went nowhere. This also felt too similar to other recent singing sketches Fred has done, particularly the Bottle of Sparkling Apple Juice sketch. Fred’s schtick has really lost its touch.

• After it seemed like Abby was finally getting more airtime in the last few episodes, she makes her only appearance tonight in the 10-to-1 sketch with only one line. And Paul Brittain continues to play nothing but useless straight bit roles with only one line. I’m already getting the feeling that Paul won’t be back for a second season on SNL as it seems like the writers have already given up on him. He’s the most underused new castmember since Rob Riggle.

Stars: *

 

_________________________________________________________

 

Episode Highlights:

• Merryville Trolley Ride

• the Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner commentary on Weekend Update

• Psychic Reading

• Jim Carrey’s “one titty” song in The Worst of Soul Train

 

Episode Lowlights:

• A Taste of New York

• Mayor Bloomberg

• Grady Wilson

• the Anthony Crispino commentary on Weekend Update

 

Best Performer of the Night:

• Jim Carrey

 

CASTMEMBER / HOST COUNT DOWN

ARMISEN: 2 sketches (Mayor Bloomberg, Taste of New York)

ELLIOTT: 1 sketch (Taste of New York)

HADER: 4 sketches (Black Swan, Update, Merryville Trolley, Taste of New York)

MEYERS: 1 sketch (Update)

MOYNIHAN: 3 sketches (Soul Train, Update, Merryville Trolley)

SAMBERG: 4 sketches (Finding Your Power, Soul Train, Update, Taste of New York)

SUDEIKIS: 3 sketches (Finding Your Power, Soul Train, Psychic Reading)

THOMPSON: 3 sketches (Grady Wilson, Soul Train, Merryville Trolley)

WIIG: 5 sketches (Black Swan, Soul Train, Update, Merryville Trolley, Taste of New York)

 

BAYER: 3 sketches (Finding Your Power, Psychic Reading, Taste of New York)

BRITTAIN: 2 sketches (Soul Train, Taste of New York)

KILLAM: 4 sketches (Black Swan, Soul Train, Update, Merryville Trolley)

PEDRAD: 3 sketches (Black Swan, Soul Train, Psychic Reading)

PHAROAH: 1 sketch (Soul Train)

 

JIM CARREY: 8 sketches (Monologue, Black Swan, Finding Your Power, Grady Wilson, Soul Train, Merryville Trolley, Psychic Reading, Taste of New York)

Back to Season 36 (2010-11)