S47.E19: Benedict Cumberbatch / Arcade Fire

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Hosted by Benedict Cumberbatch with musical guest Arcade Fire

Airing Saturday, May 7, 2022.

[Pete Martell]

 

[Pete Martell]

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CdO8HKjAd_J/

Another promo.

Edited May 7, 2022 by Pete Martell

[vb68]

I thought the Cold Open was scathing.  I liked that it had a point of view without it getting too carried away. one of my favorites of the season and fairly creative for a cold open. Interesting that Benedict was in it. That's a sign that they like the host.

Speaking of Benedict, he's doing really well so far. The Monologue was really good, and he and Heidi sold the Blue Bunny sketch.

All the Mother's Day stuff seems like variations on stuff they have done in prior years, though.

[formerlyfreedom]

Holy crap, the faux Chuck E Cheese sketch was incredible. I had no clue how much I needed BC doing an 80’s emo band sketch until tonight.

[vb68]

10 minutes ago, saoirse said:

Holy crap, the faux Chuck E Cheese sketch was incredible.

That was pretty surreal.

The toilet sketch really cracked me up. Pretty decent Dead Poets parody, too.

I love how Benedict is really throwing himself into the show.

Elisabeth Olsen cameo!  

Edited May 8, 2022 by vb68

[Galileo908]

Cold Open: The host in a cold open?! Madness. Now, explaining how dumb abortion laws are by way of medieval England is one of the most clever things this show's done in ages. It kind of went on after the vote, but I still liked this.

"An ogre!"
"No, just a woman in her thirties."

Monologue: "I was beat by Will Smith." Okay, that was great. Benedict Cumberbatch was still great and charming as ever.

Mother's Day: Oh, it's the "wine signs" sketch again! I love how mean and passive-aggressive they were. AND THEN THEY BROUGHT IN THE WINE SIGNS. That part I loved.

Blue Bunny: Wasn't expecting Benedict Cumberbatch playing a Sam Elliott type eating ice cream. Really weird sketch.

Just Like You: Ah, the yearly Mother's Day sketch with the flashbacks. This was a great one. The parents listening to Chumbawumba as teens (and the grandma seeing Ziggy Stardust-era Bowie) made me feel old.

Prison Snitch: Benedict Cumberbatch is doing a lot of accent work tonight. Now he's a Southern prison snitch. This was a fun, silly one.

WU: Colin and Che were just brutal tonight, I loved it. Loved the 21 year old Chihuahua being Timothee Chalamet.

"Not everyone has the same access I do. Not everyone can text Lorne in the middle of the night 'it happened again.'"

Landsdowne House: Oh good, a chance for everyone else to do dumb accents! This was silly. Cecily was so great in this. Loved when Benedict started stumbling, too.

ReKhline: And now pantsless Benedict Cumberbatch sitting on a toilet. This was gloriously silly. 

Chuck E Cheese: Bowen and Benedict Cumberbatch as weird performance artists centered around Chuck E Cheese. Yes. I have to give a shoutout to the prop department, who pretty much nailed the Chuck E Cheese animatronics. I'll admit, I grew up with the Rock-a-Fire Explosion, so these characters don't do that much for me.

The Understudy: And now Chloe imitates the other castmembers. Which were all scarily accurate. Love that Benedict Cumberbatch didn't see through her Elisabeth Olsen impression (especially when the real one showed up!)

All in all, fun show. We get Selena Gomez next week.

Edited May 8, 2022 by Galileo908

[MrWhyt]

really good show. Cold open was great, prison snitch was best sketch of the night IMO. WU continues to kill.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Oh boy, this episode is really not my humour.  So far I'm not liking anything except Weekend Update.

I think the only other thing I liked is Chloe Fineman imitating everyone else with the 12:55 sketch.

Edited May 8, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[vb68]

I know it was a good show when I even enjoyed Arcade Fire. That hasn't always been the case.

Loved the matching t shirts in the goodbyes.

Edited May 8, 2022 by vb68

[possibilities]

I loved the Cold Open, WU, reclining toilet, Check E. Cheese, and Understudy.

Pretty much hated everything else.

[eskimo]

What was the second song by Arcade Fire?

[Such A Flirt]

Now I can't get that pizza song out of my head. That was insane (in a good way).

[Pete Martell]

Cut sketches:

The prison sketch was originally from Harry Styles' episode and the  fainting couch sketch was from Kieran Culkin's (Kieran played Alex's role).

On paper I would probably say this episode had a few too many repeats and retread ideas, but Benedict was such a charismatic and committed host (and seemed more involved than he was last time), I was able to have a much more positive frame of mind. I was particularly impressed with the Chuck E Cheese sketch as not only could Benedict sing, he also  got the synth pop motif just right, as did Bowen. (I  also loved  Alex's dancing) He was also terrific in the prison gang sketch, he and Heidi were great in the ice cream sketch (let me see more of  Heidi's uber-dramatic characters please, SNL), and he stole that Carol Burnett Show-esque fainting couch sketch for me. I'd love to see him host again.

I thought the Roe v Wade material was somewhat clumsily handled, but to be fair I do think it was better than what they might have done a few years ago. 

I  feel like Weekend Update has been on less and less time - I wonder if Colin and Michael will be on another season. 

Speaking of that, Pete has missed five out of six episodes and was barely in the sixth. I don't think the show misses him, but I do feel sorry for the cast members who actually have to show up to get paid. 

 

[BC4ME]

I pretty much enjoyed all of this. The writing was decent and Benedict elevated whatever he was given. He's such a consummate performer of many talents.

[DXD526]

Do your nine.

[theredhead77]

Loved everything, especially the cold open, Blue Bunny, and WU. I always fall asleep after WU and finish the episode in the AM. I'm super glad I missed the CEC sketch right before bed, those animatronics would have haunted my dreams. Even as a grown ass adult they are terrifying. Especially Chuck E. Re-watch the skit, he's clearly evil! I can imagine them teaming up with Chucky to murder.

Edited May 8, 2022 by theredhead77

[Thumper]

I liked Benedict Cumberbatch.  He really showed her versatility!

My favorite sketches were the mom one “Just like you” and Chloe doing cast impersonations.  I must be too old for the Chuck Cheese segment (although I hated taking my kids there — major headache!), didn’t know the music,  and it just went on forever.

[peeayebee]

Good show. I enjoyed just about everything.

The CO was really well done. 

Loved the Blue Bunny sketch. For one thing, I love Blue Bunny ice cream. But mainly, Benedict's and Heidi's characters were great. I also got a kick out of Kenan saying, "Hey, I just taste ice cream. Am I doing it wrong?"

The prisoners sketch was pretty good. I liked that Chloe was wearing a cherry-print dress.

Good stuff in WU.
"Tomorrow is Mother's Day, whether you wanted it to be so or not."
Re Putin: "I never thought I'd say this, but, Good luck, cancer."
"Our Congress allows full penetrations." 

I'll have to google to find out what kind of street signs are supposed to scare drivers.

The Landsdowne House sketch was pure silliness and lots of fun. Like Pete Martell posted, it was like a Carol Burnett sketch.

Toilet sketch, fun. 

Chuck E Cheese sketch, lots of fun. I esp enjoyed Benedict's falsetto singing. Shout out to Dippin' Dots. I always remember the first time I saw them. "The ice cream of the future." And then the salad bar: "An untouched place where hope goes to die."

Chloe the Understudy was ok. I didn't care for all her impressions. My favorites were Aidy, Melissa, and Sarah.

[Peace 47]

10 hours ago, eskimo said:

What was the second song by Arcade Fire?

“The Lightning” (a song in two parts:  so it’s called “The Lightning I” and “The Lightning II,” I guess).  I have a true love/ hate relationship with their catalogue, but that one may be a new favorite.

I was a massive “Sherlock” fan in the first part of the 2010s, so I thought I was generally acquainted with the range of Benedict’s talents, but I had no idea he could sing:  that Chuck E. Cheese sketch was so weirdly hilarious to start with, but it was undoubtedly elevated by Benedict’s singing talents.

I have to say that I had kind of soured a little bit on Cumberbatch a few years ago, just because he seemed so thirsty for an Oscar and always weirdly “on” in an off-putting way in interviews, but he won me over again last night.  Being in the cold open was very impressive.  Can you believe how fast his quick change was?  @PeteMartell posted the backstage footage of Cumberbatch dancing before going out for his monologue, and he was there and ready to go through almost all of the opening credits! 

It was personally hilarious to me that they did another toilet sketch with Benedict.  I was just posting in the media thread about my journey to acceptance of the toilet sketch from his first appearance, and they did another one to truly test me. :-)  It was fine.

Edited May 8, 2022 by Peace 47

[potatoradio]

I stand in awe of the composers/writers who can mimic any music style so well that I start to wonder whether the song is actually real. I still have the "I like-a pizza pizza....I like a pizza pie..." and "space pants" jingles in my head. The 80s style from the Chuck E. Cheese sketch last night wasn't an earworm, but still was really well done. BC and BY sold that and AM's dancing cracked me up.

CF's impressions will never fail to amaze me. I loved the moment where EW said "PASS" and CF replied "And I thank you for that." Also, SS, "Do I sound like a Jewish parrot?" Bwah. 

Toilet was awesome. I actually kind of want one in a bidet model. 

In the cold open, I thought KM just came across as tired or flat or resigned somehow, which was unfortunate because I think she was supposed to kind of uplift or end the sketch on a more powerful note. I was hoping for something more along the lines of CS's WU "clown abortion" character - at the time, that struck me as more uncomfortably dark than humorous, but last night I really wanted to see something stronger. I know SS is not the most popular cast member, but she strikes me as someone who could do really sharp political humor well if her energy is channeled in the right script. 

Punkie still underused. :( 

 

[Tachi Rocinante]

Benedict was good.

Chloe was good.  "Do I really sound like a Jewish parrot?"

Besides that, it's not a good show when a goofy Chuck E. Cheese song is better than the musical guest.

[possibilities]

6 hours ago, peeayebee said:

I'll have to google to find out what kind of street signs are supposed to scare drivers.

"Entering New Jersey"

[Avabelle]

I really enjoyed this episode. Chloe is brilliant at impersonations - so accurate. 
 

agree that punky is underused and did Aristotle get left out again? I don’t recall seeing him.

[Ceindreadh]

11 minutes ago, Avabelle said:

I really enjoyed this episode. Chloe is brilliant at impersonations - so accurate. 
 

agree that punky is underused and did Aristotle get left out again? I don’t recall seeing him.

I think Aristotle was the pizza chef in the Chuck E Cheese sketch?

[Avabelle]

Nothing more substantial though. Poor guy. I can’t see how he’ll be back next year.

[Joimiaroxeu]

Blue Bunny Ice Cream: Let me nap with your hurt.

Re the prison sketch, can you not say "cuck" or "cuckold" on broadcast TV? I heard someone get called a dick on Law & Order recently and that was in primetime on NBC.

I didn't get the Timothée Chalamet chihuahua joke on WU.

A tiny bout of inbreeding for 500 years.

Charles Entertainment Cheese. I had no idea he actually had a middle name.

[Milburn Stone]

Seemed like Arcade Fire was totally unprepared to go on at the end of the show. Like the show ran short, and they got a panicky instruction to "go out there and play something!" Anyone else get that feeling?

[Peace 47]

2 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Charles Entertainment Cheese. I had no idea he actually had a middle name.

I loved the way Bowen grandly pronounced the name, too, saying he was a “vessel for the eponymous rodent.”  That sketch had so many good lines:  “existing in the liminal space between the mall and the highway” and “a soundscape of pizza, games and soulful longing.”  Also “To the Indian Ridge Little League team, your coach says pizza is for winners, so tonight you starve.”  Lol.

The cold open, Chuck E. Cheese and The Understudy were all sketches I went back and rewatched tonight because I enjoyed them that much the first time.

[Irlandesa]

16 minutes ago, Milburn Stone said:

Seemed like Arcade Fire was totally unprepared to go on at the end of the show. Like the show ran short, and they got a panicky instruction to "go out there and play something!" Anyone else get that feeling?

No. I  think they always intended to play a third song.  I don't think they were on longer than a full credits sequence would have been so they could have done that if they were running short.

I just think the running to their places wasn't smooth and the band leader didn't like how they began so he had them start again.

[Jody]

1 hour ago, Milburn Stone said:

Seemed like Arcade Fire was totally unprepared to go on at the end of the show. Like the show ran short, and they got a panicky instruction to "go out there and play something!" Anyone else get that feeling?

 

         IF Week End Up Date Wasn't So Short, Then, That Wouldn't Have Happened ! Week End Up Date Was EIGHT MINUTES LONG ! Maybe, They Should Have Had Punky On After Kate's Commentary ! 

[Tachi Rocinante]

8 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I just think the running to their places wasn't smooth and the band leader didn't like how they began so he had them start again.

Yeah, it looked like a simple count/timing flub.  They rolled with it.

[Pete Martell]

57 minutes ago, Avabelle said:

Nothing more substantial though. Poor guy. I can’t see how he’ll be back next year.

I think it depends on whether Pete and Kyle leave, but even then, considering how rarely he gets on it doesn't look great. 

Writing credits:

 

[absnow54]

On 5/8/2022 at 3:28 AM, Such A Flirt said:

Now I can't get that pizza song out of my head. That was insane (in a good way).

The sketch didn't have much of an impact as I watched it, but I've had the song in my head all morning.

[peeayebee]

17 hours ago, possibilities said:

"Entering New Jersey"

Yeah, I meant the real ones. The only one I found is "Speeding ruins lives. Slow down."

 

[vb68]

13 hours ago, Milburn Stone said:

Seemed like Arcade Fire was totally unprepared to go on at the end of the show. Like the show ran short, and they got a panicky instruction to "go out there and play something!" Anyone else get that feeling?

I can't imagine Lorne ever springing that on any musical guest at the last second.  I'm sure they have planned contingencies if time really is an issue like re-airing a taped piece from 10 episodes ago or something.

On 5/8/2022 at 8:33 AM, Pete Martell said:

On paper I would probably say this episode had a few too many repeats and retread ideas, but Benedict was such a charismatic and committed host (and seemed more involved than he was last time)

Not  that there's any excuse for laziness or just repeating the same stuff over and over, but that's probably to be expected this late into the season to some degree. There's only a few episodes left and everybody's tired and running on fumes. None of repeated bits bothered me here, and I agree Benedict came into this super sharp and ready to go. He was like a long term veteran out there.

On 5/8/2022 at 8:33 AM, Pete Martell said:

Speaking of that, Pete has missed five out of six episodes and was barely in the sixth. I don't think the show misses him, but I do feel sorry for the cast members who actually have to show up to get paid. 

The show doesn't miss Pete because there's way too many castmembers still there. That was apparently the deal Lorne made with the vets this season. They could come and go work on other projects. Kate missed the first half of the season.  But some, like Punkie and Melissa and hell even Alex, still have to fight and claw for time. I think it will take a miracle to save Aristotle at this point.

 

On 5/8/2022 at 8:33 AM, Pete Martell said:

I  feel like Weekend Update has been on less and less time - I wonder if Colin and Michael will be on another season. 

I posted in the current castmember thread about how Che told a crowd at a comedy club that he is leaving, and in typical Michael Che fashion, got a bit huffy when some of the crowd started talking about it in public.     

Edited May 9, 2022 by vb68

[Avabelle]

Did Che ever act in sketches before WU? I’m not sure if he writes but it seems like an easy enough Gig if not..

[Ceindreadh]

2 hours ago, Avabelle said:

Did Che ever act in sketches before WU? I’m not sure if he writes but it seems like an easy enough Gig if not..

He's one of the head writers for the show.  Not all that easy. 

[LaylaGirl]

On 5/8/2022 at 10:50 AM, Peace 47 said:

Can you believe how fast his quick change was?

For whatever reason, I have noticed the blond woman who appears to act as a "host wrangler" in several episodes lately. She often runs up and physically grabs the hand of the host and hurries them off the stage. The must be really good at her job!

[Avabelle]

13 minutes ago, Ceindreadh said:

He's one of the head writers for the show.  Not all that easy. 

Well I did say if he wasn’t a writer it would be an easy gig. If he is a writer then obviously it’s not that easy.

[Peace 47]

37 minutes ago, LaylaGirl said:

For whatever reason, I have noticed the blond woman who appears to act as a "host wrangler" in several episodes lately. She often runs up and physically grabs the hand of the host and hurries them off the stage. The must be really good at her job!

They did a “Creating SNL” featur-ette a few years ago where she was interviewed and talked about grabbing the host’s hand and dragging them to quick-change areas (she’s part of the wardrobe department).  It’s always so interesting to see how the behind the scenes actually stuff works.

 

[Pete Martell]

SNL uploaded the final Arcade Fire performance onto Youtube.

 

[JZL]

It was worth having Cumberbatch host if nothing else so they could do the "beaten by Will Smith" joke.

The abortion stuff was funny.  I was afraid they would over-do it but they didn't.  It was also nice to see Kate play some characters that weren't 80+ years old.  The Understudy sketch was progressively funnier as it went on.

Finally a little knock on Putin, too.

[LuvMyShows]

On 5/8/2022 at 8:33 AM, Pete Martell said:

 

 

Absolutely loved this so much.  To see a host backstage before they come out is something I have never seen.

[Pete Martell]

1 hour ago, LuvMyShows said:

Absolutely loved this so much.  To see a host backstage before they come out is something I have never seen.

Me too. It seems they started doing this for tiktok this season as I think one or two other hosts have also been shown. 

Here's an older backstage video, with Ashton Kutcher. 

 

[Jody]

On 5/8/2022 at 12:31 AM, vb68 said:

I know it was a good show when I even enjoyed Arcade Fire. That hasn't always been the case.

Loved the matching t shirts in the goodbyes.

      I Thought Arcade Fire Was Really Good When Mick Jagger Was The Host ! I Don't Know What Happened With Arcade Fire When The Woman That Plays The Accordion Was Standing At The Front OF The Stage Way Over AT The Left And I Hated Them In That Show ! I Don't Remember Who The Host Was On That Show ! Now, Arcade Fire Was Really Enjoying Them Selves Again ! Maybe, They Knew How Bad They Were In That Show So They Tried To Enjoy Them Selves In This Show Tonight ! ! !

On 5/8/2022 at 7:33 AM, Pete Martell said:

Cut sketches:

The prison sketch was originally from Harry Styles' episode and the  fainting couch sketch was from Kieran Culkin's (Kieran played Alex's role).

On paper I would probably say this episode had a few too many repeats and retread ideas, but Benedict was such a charismatic and committed host (and seemed more involved than he was last time), I was able to have a much more positive frame of mind. I was particularly impressed with the Chuck E Cheese sketch as not only could Benedict sing, he also  got the synth pop motif just right, as did Bowen. (I  also loved  Alex's dancing) He was also terrific in the prison gang sketch, he and Heidi were great in the ice cream sketch (let me see more of  Heidi's uber-dramatic characters please, SNL), and he stole that Carol Burnett Show-esque fainting couch sketch for me. I'd love to see him host again.

I thought the Roe v Wade material was somewhat clumsily handled, but to be fair I do think it was better than what they might have done a few years ago. 

I  feel like Weekend Update has been on less and less time - I wonder if Colin and Michael will be on another season. 

Speaking of that, Pete has missed five out of six episodes and was barely in the sixth. I don't think the show misses him, but I do feel sorry for the cast members who actually have to show up to get paid. 

      Michael Signed on For Another FIVE Years ! I Don't Know About Colin ! I Can NOT Remember Who Was On Week End Update ! Was That Kate ?