S41.E19: Brie Larson / Alicia Keys

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Brie Larson hosts; Alicia Keys is the musical guest.

[Bruinsfan]

I'm just wondering who will play Heidi Cruz in the cold open, and how far they'll take Taran knocking her around.

[helenamonster]

I feel like it's a toss-up between Kate and Vanessa, but I'm hoping to go with Kate. I can just picture her using those wide eyes to play a Heidi Cruz trying to communicate via blinking code that she wants to get out of what must be the world's worst marriage.

Also if they could find an awesome kid actor to play Caroline "I'm so fucking over this" Cruz, that would be sublime.

[Princess Sparkle]

It is a toss-up between those two, but I almost give the edge to Vanessa, just because she plays "put-upon wife" so very well.  Kate looks more like her though.

[Bruinsfan]

My assumption was that Kate would be Clinton, perhaps in a stunned reaction shot after seeing Cruz use his wife as a sparring partner. (Cue Hammond's worried Bill Clinton edging out of camera frame behind her...)

[vb68]

Kate will probably also play Carly Fiorina falling off the stage.

[JZL]

My two cents . . . Vanessa should do Carly Fiorina.  I bet she can do schtick with the best of 'em.  Could Brie Larson do Heidi Cruz, leaving Kate for Clinton?

Big goin's on lately-- plenty of fodder for a rip-roaring show if they wanna. 

[Gemma Violet]

I liked that Near Death Experience sketch...last month when it was called Alien Abduction sketch.  Really, writers?  I can understand using the same character, but almost the exact same dialogue?

Loved seeing Dana again as the Church Lady.

The baby shower sketch was lame.

[Galileo908]

Cold Open: CHURCH LADY!! We need her now more than ever. I absolute love that she finally got to meet SATAN, er, Ted Cruz. You know you're an overbearing Christian when the Church Lady thinks you're too much, and getting possessed by a demon was actually better for him.

Monologue: Everyone giving out their Mother's Day messages were sweet and funny. And the moms were funny!

President Barbie: Hmm, I see what you're doing there. "No fun, definitely a president!" I loved this, I always love sketches where characters talk back to the narrator.

Near Death Experience: Of course they brought back Kate as the UFO victim. It was okay, but everyone, especially Kate, were awfully close to breaking.

The Cut: A sketch about Mom Hair. No one really talks about it. Man, they completely nailed the lifestyle of "suburban mom." The bathroom is an ocean, while the kitchen is a farm.

WU: Well...it happened. Sasheer actually got to act as herself in something! And it fell flat. Pete Davidson fared a little better.

Game of Thrones: Spoiler alert, folks. I feel like I'd get more out of this if I actually followed Game of Thrones.

Quiz Whiz 2018: A game show about Ted Cruz's impending irrelevance. First being a lame demon, now this. Loved that it turned out that Brie Larson played Ted's wife. (ETA: JZL, collect your prize! You called it!)

Good Neighbor: They make this look as authentically amateurish as possible. When was the last time an SNL sketch was made entirely in PowerPoint? Vertical video, overexposed pictures, comic sans. This had it all.

Dead Bopz: Hey, a way for the cast to get in impressions of dead people! This was weird. Perfect for the 12:55 spot. Loved Hologram Bing Crosby trying in vain to grab the CD.

Man, totally Meh episode. Half of this show was taped material, anyone else notice that? Drake is pulling double duty next week. Why couldn't Dana Carvey host? He even had something to promote!

Edited May 8, 2016 by Galileo908

[vb68]

I really didn't think this one was very good.  Not that it was Brie's fault.  She tried.

Just a lot of recurring bits that weren't always well thought out.  I'm not sure why they needed to redo the alien abduction sketch, and even the monologue seemed recycled.  I think Reese Witherspoon's last year was very similar.   

The energy felt off through the whole show.  I love Church Chat, but it does feel very dated now.  And I couldn't help thinking my beloved Jan wasn't going to be there to play Marla Maples or another character.

Edited May 8, 2016 by vb68
punctuation is our friend.

[Fiftyninth]

I thought this was actually far better than an average episode of SNL.

[helenamonster]

Cold Open: I don't know what I was expecting with the CO this week but it wasn't the return of Church Chat. Damn, even the Church Lady thinks Ted Cruz and his dumb face are too sanctimonious. I wish they'd done more with Vanessa's Ivanka Trump impression, the second and a half that she got to do it were really funny.

Monologue: Eh, this was funnier last year when it seemed more planned out.

President Barbie: "Don't you want to play with President Barbie?" "No, and we don't have to!" Bless the fourth-wave feminists in the writers' room.

American Medical Association: I mean, Kate is awesome and just letting her ramble on for a whole sketch is awesome, but they really didn't even try to make this different from the alien abduction one.

The Cut: I guffawed. This isn't my mom, but it's all her Main Line mom friends. The bathroom being an ocean (and the kitchen being a farm) were exactly right. And the saving the gift bags, though even my friends and I do that, and we're in our 20s and nowhere near becoming moms (I'm pretty sure my best friend and I have been passing the same gift bag back and forth for five Christmases now).

Weekend Update: Oof, Sasheer's bit was not good. It seemed like she was trying to be loose with it but it just came off like she made the whole thing up on the spot. So did Pete's, actually, but when Sasheer's was over I was wondering if she was feeling nervous about saying the n-word. I felt the same way after Larry Wilmore at the WHCD. Not that either of them have to necessarily, but there is likely going to be backlash from, as she said, white people who definitely use the word when the cameras are off. Idk. They bring Laura Parsons back a little too often, but I still laugh every time.

Game of Thrones: I mean, maybe if I watched GoT I might think this was hilarious but I don't so eh. From what I know it is a notoriously slow-moving series. Seemed weird to spend a whole sketch on that one idea though.

Quiz Whiz 2018: The reveal at the end that Brie was Heidi Cruz made the whole thing worth it, very slick.

Kickstarter: I like this character of Kyle's cuz I went to high school with kids like him. They definitely managed to convey the tone of Kickstarter videos as well as the anti-conformist upper middle class white teenager.

Dead Bopz: Idk who Brie was supposed to be but the way she sang/rapped Nicki Minaj's voice from "A$$" was actually really catchy and I kind of didn't want it to stop lol.

I thought for the most part this was a pretty strong episode, save for Update, GoT, and the first post-monologue sketch (and even that was because it was such a blatant retread; Kate could get up on stage and read the phone book for 90 minutes each week and I'd think it was genius). Brie didn't have much to do but she seemed eager and like she was enjoying herself.

[Bees]

Cold Open: Man, it's so nice to see Dana Carvey again. And I thoroughly enjoyed this but I'm not sure if it's because of nostalgia or if I legitimately enjoyed it. Though I kept wishing that was Phil Hartman as Trump (how nice is it that they use his voiceover still?)

Monologue: This was sort of sweet. Not entirely funny but there were some funny moments. I liked Beck trying to pass Brie off as his girlfriend.

President Barbie: Loved this. I almost expected them to reveal it was Hillary Clinton at the end.

Near Death Experience: I don't get why this was in need of a second sketch. That being said, I actually found this one to be funnier. Not sure why but it just amused me a lot more. Maybe it was because they were able to soldier through even if they were on the verge of cracking up (which makes it kind of funnier to me). It would've been nice if they made it at least a little more different. Yet again, another sketch that I'd absolutely despise if it was Kristen Wiig in McKinnon's role. Instead, I find the sketch to be quite enjoyable. I think I pinpointed why -- McKinnon is Kristen Wiig with restraint and nuance.

The Cut: I loved the sci-fi angle of this. Very Invasion of the Body Snatchers-like. There were some pretty funny bits in this. And as someone who's mom has an ocean-themed bathroom, it's fairly true to life (though our excuse is more that we live in a beach town than anything else). And the folding of the gift bags is a nice touch.

Weekend Update: This was a fun update. And the whole Trump vs Hillary thing is so true. I personally am holding out for the impossible to happen which is Bernie somehow managing to win the nomination. It's really like a battle between a Giant Douche and a Turd Sandwich. Vanessa's character wasn't that great this time around. Not sure how I feel about Sasheer's bit just yet. Not because of her saying the actual "McGriddle" (did like Colin's retort of "Can I say McGridda?") but because I just can't figure out if it was actually funny or my being sleepy made it seem funny.

Game of Thrones: This is how I feel whenever I see any sketch written by Fred Armisen on SNL. Also, I saw Kate on the verge of losing it when Kenan went up to her face and said "ON WITH IT, WOMAN!!" or something to that ilk. As someone else noted, I think this would've probably been funnier if I was a regular fan of the show.

Quiz Whiz 2018: I kind of harken this one to be a bit like that "Blue Light" sketch from the Martin Freeman episode of SNL last year. Where you don't get what they're doing and it seems kind of old and rehashed but then that final twist at the end (this one being that Brie's character was Heidi Cruz) pretty much makes the whole sketch well worth it. I also found the constant "Because it's totally today in 2018" insistence to be pretty funny too. 

Good Neighbor: Honestly, I wish they just stuck with this being taken place in the early 00s or something like that. Because the stylistic suck would make more sense. However when Kickstarter was thrown in, it just kind of felt off to me.

Dead Bopz: Shhh...don't give the makers of Kidz Bop any ideas! I enjoyed some of these impressions. And I'd totally pay good money to see Tupac do "Shake It Off" and I liked the whole "Here, we just made him sing Trap Queen" about Paul Robeson. And then Ethel Merman was great too. Also was pretty funny to see Brie as Lesley Gore (who, btw, was the one who did "It's My Party" and "You Don't Own Me" which was a 60s feminist anthem) just because it's not exactly an impression you'd think of seeing there.

All in all, I actually enjoyed this episode. Probably Top 5 for the season. I wouldn't mind seeing Brie Larson host again. Also, in the goodnights, I really got a kick at how excited Brie Larson's mom was to talk to Dana Carvey. I know I'd be like that myself (even if I'm pretty much around Brie's age...I'm an SNL nerd who grew up watching late 80s-early 90s reruns of SNL on Comedy Central).

Also, next week should be interesting. I'm hoping Drake is as good as he was last time he hosted. That was the year that all the best hosting jobs were done by first-timers, at least in my opinion.

Edited May 8, 2016 by Bees

[Galileo908]

48 minutes ago, helenamonster said:

I wish they'd done more with Vanessa's Ivanka Trump impression, the second and a half that she got to do it were really funny.

I've got a feeling we'll be seeing a LOT more of this in the coming months.

[WendyCR72]

God, seeing Church Chat again, I was 15 once more for a few minutes. Nostalgia or it actually being funny, I was so happy to see Dana Carvey's sanctimonious Church Lady again! Then again, I consider the mid '80s cast the Silver to the original 1970s Gold. Reminded me when the show could be consistently funny, witty, and sardonic.

So I smiled when Church Lady had her diatribe against Madonna and Beyoncé and welcomed her guests. Complete with Satan! Er, Ted Cruz. And Satan's Helper, The Donald.

Quite honestly, it was all downhill from there, but thanks, SNL, for that bit of my youth back. And thanks for still using Phil Hartman's voice over. A nice way to keep him as a part of the show. Sigh.

[giovannif7]

Quote

Dead Bopz: Idk who Brie was supposed to be but the way she sang/rapped Nicki Minaj's voice from "A$$" was actually really catchy and I kind of didn't want it to stop lol.

That would be "It's My Party" girl Lesley Gore:

[VCRTracking]

I was hoping the Church Lady would reference Donald was on her show before back when he was played by Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks as Marla Maples.

Brie Larson and her mom were cute and I thought she did an okay job overall.

Loved the "mom haircut" sketch.

Wasn't expecting Kate's character from the alien sketch to come back. Ryan Gosling breaking up is what made me laugh most last time so I didn't have as big a reaction here.

I do watch Game of Thrones and I thought the I personally didn't think the scene where Jon Snow comes back to life was slow. I was on the edge of my seat waiting until he finally opened his eyes and breathed again.

Quote

That would be "It's My Party" girl Lesley Gore:

I only recently got into Lesley Gore from seeing her in the T.A.M.I. show movie that acts like James Brown, The Beach Boys, and the Rolling Stones performing. She was great. "You Don't Own Me" is a pretty progressive song for it's day. Was also surprised Quincy Jones produced her hits.

It reminded me of one of my favorite 90s sketches where Ellen Cleghorn as Natalie Cole(who had a hit singing "Unforgettable" with a recording of her father Nat). sings duets with other dead singers like Judy Garland and Elvis.

[Spartan Girl]

I screamed so loud at the Cold Opening. Oh Church Lady, never change. Though it did make me think of the other famous Church Chat with Donald Trump...I miss Phil and Jan.

[SFoster21]

Weak tea, start to finish.

[whatsatool]

The Cut was a classic and one that will stand the test of time. Loved Church Lady. As a Hillary supporter I loved the Barbie.

Edited May 8, 2016 by whatsatool

[Mumbles]

I loved seeing Church Lady again and what struck me is what was an extreme character in 1986 sadly would be considered less extreme in the current climate. I also thought that she would be a Ted Cruz fan.  Church Lady is one of my all time faves and Carvey managed to give her some backstory in her day - how she was a suprisingly good drummer, her crush on Minister Bob, etc.

Hammond's Trump impression is superb and what makes it so good is the nonverbal stuff - the smirk, the thing he does with his lower lip, the swagge, the body language.

Every once and a while Brie Larson had a facial expression or a line delivery that was very Amy Poehleresque.

I really liked the dead Bopz sketch only because the use of the old timers emphasized how dumb and often vulgar the lyrics of current-day songs are.

The Cut sketch was great because even though they all had the same wig on before the "reveal", I have been so inured to that wig being used for suburban mommy types that I didn't think twice about it when the sketch opened. 

[Primetimer]

But blink and you'll miss Brie Larson.

View the full article

[Ms Blue Jay]

That song parody sketch SNL did at the end of the show is my favourite type of sketch -- it should have been the first one, not the last.

For once it actually showcased Brie doing something that she could uniquely do as part of the 'cast'.  Instead of just making her the Mom character or whatever.  I don't know why the producers schedule things in these ways but I'm a total sucker for celebrity impressions and the cast is pretty good at them - I don't really have to sing the praises of Jay Pharoah who is some kind of savant at it.  

Posters ahead of me have made the great point that I'm actually all for a sequel of Kate's Alien Abduction character - but write DIFFERENT LINES and a different story.  Doing it the same just to make Kate break is just an inside joke to please the writers - stupid and not rewarding to an audience member like myself, IMO.  I don't care for callbacks and repetition like fans of the later seasons of Arrested Development.  It's lazy and it's smug.  I like new material to laugh at.

One very positive thing is that it was a great episode for Sasheer.  She was great in the Moms Cut sketch -- whatever attitude she was doing was perfect for that sketch.  And then she got to do that bit on WU and it showed her being cute and charming with Jost.  It was almost like they were secretly dating or something.

I've pretty much liked every episode this season, and I appreciate the cast and writers, and that's why I'm disappointed.  They can do better with a fucking OSCAR WINNER who is capable of comedy.  This was a slam dunk, and it was missed.

Edited May 8, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[elle]

2 hours ago, Mumbles said:

I really liked the dead Bopz sketch only because the use of the old timers emphasized how dumb and often vulgar the lyrics of current-day songs are.

This was a great sketch! So there is maybe 10 of us who get this?

Your comment summarized it perfectly. It was painful to watch even knowing that they were impressions (and holograms)!

Edited May 8, 2016 by elle

[fastiller]

I really enjoyed Dead Bopz. If Shake it Off really were a Tupac song, I might really like it.

[teebax]

3 hours ago, Mumbles said:

I really liked the dead Bopz sketch only because the use of the old timers emphasized how dumb and often vulgar the lyrics of current-day songs are.

A thousand times this. It perfectly summed up why I despise so much modern music. I

31 minutes ago, fastiller said:

I really enjoyed Dead Bopz. If Shake it Off really were a Tupac song, I might really like it.

I'd buy the hell out of a Dead Bopz album, just for the hilarity.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I personally love modern music, but I still loved the sketch.

If 2Pac counts as old fogey music, it's just as risque if not a hell of a lot more risque than modern music today.

[peeayebee]

I loved Tupac doing 'Shake It Off.' I want to hear the whole song. I also loved Aidy as Ethel Merman, and Kate & Kyle as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, esp when they danced. 

As for the rest of the show, the Cold Open was pretty good, yet something seemed a bit off. Anyway, Church Lady saying of Madonna's buns being uplifted, "Go to Jesus!" cracked me up. I also liked the part when Trump is still mean to Cruz even when he's actually Lucifer.

The monologue was ok. Brie did just fine and was really good in other sketches, but the show didn't use her enough or give her much of a variety of things to do.

The President Barbie commercial was pretty clever.

I loved seeing Kate in that near-death skit. The lines were not exactly the same, but of course the basic premise was. I found it hilarious the first time and very funny this time. Visualizing 'Kevin' making her run down a steep slope in flip flops made me LOL. Who thought of that line? I think this sketch idea is genius.

I also really liked The Cut/baby shower sketch. When all the women on the show do a sketch or video together, great things happen. 

I like Laura Parsons on WU. Always funny. Sasheer... not so funny.

I LOVED the Game of Thrones sketch. First off, Taran did an outstanding Ser Davos. My only complaint is that I don't know how necessary it was to have Brie and Cecily constantly comment on how slow it was going. Anyway, when Jon Snow was killed last season, it was pretty obvious he was going to be brought back to life. Watching the show present this as suspenseful was tedious. That's why I liked this sketch. Also, Kenan saying, "Whaaaaaat" and then "Pick... up... the... pace... woman!" was great.

I agree with others that in Quiz Whiz learning that Brie was Heidi Cruz was a wonderful surprise. I also liked the final little song/slogan, "Trump our fearless leader, his penis big and true!"

I didn't care for Discrete Annihilation. I usually like Beck and Kyle's videos at least a little, often a lot, but this one didn't tickle me.

Edited May 8, 2016 by peeayebee

[Mumbles]

Quote

I personally love modern music, but I still loved the sketch.

If 2Pac counts as old fogey music, it's just as risque if not a hell of a lot more risque than modern music today.

Agreed but as risqué and explicit as his lyrics could be, he was saying something....and more thoughtful than "haters gonna hate hate hate hate" or "bitch better have my money."

[Irlandesa]

I think Brie Larson was very good as an actress in this episode.  If the funny was there on the page, she nailed it but I don't think she managed to elevate something to super funny.  I'd definitely welcome her back, though. 

I was happy to see Dana and wondered if he wouldn't have been a better finale host than Fred.  It did make me a little sad to hear the audience's reaction to 'well isn't that special?" The delayed reaction made me think that this group didn't know who she was. 

I liked the idea behind bringing out the mom's but I think they could have rehearsed a bit more.  Timing felt a bit off. 

The Mom cut was my favorite sketch of the night. It was just flat out funny for me. I loved each story of how it happened to them.  My second favorite was the game show skit where it was revealed that Brie was playing Ted's wife. 

WU--speak for yourself, Jost, this bitch is happy about Hillary. 

[Bruinsfan]

Was that Jost as John Snow?

I floved Church Lady calling Ted Cruz out for being too self-righteous. That's like Ozzie Osbourne telling you to take it easy on the drugs!

[ratgirlagogo]

6 hours ago, Mumbles said:

I really liked the dead Bopz sketch only because the use of the old timers emphasized how dumb and often vulgar the lyrics of current-day songs are.

I guess that was the point - although yes Virginia they did have dumb and vulgar songs back in Olden Times.

3 hours ago, elle said:

This was a great sketch! So there is maybe 10 of us who get this?

Probably - and although I hate to disagree with one of my fellow TCM board regulars this only half hit for me. A sketch like this depends so heavily on the accuracy of the impressions and I wish all the singers had been impressions the cast could actually do.    Brie looked but did not sound like Leslie Gore, Taran looked but did not sound like Roy Orbison, Kenan did not look or sound like Paul Robeson, and Kate/Kyle did not look or sound like Fred and Ginger.  On the other hand Aidy was a great Ethel Merman, Jay a great Tupac, Beck a great Bing and best of all was Sanjeer as Eartha Kitt - partly because it seemed weirdly like a song I could imagine the real Eartha doing if she'd been able to get away with it at the time.  

Isn't the Discreet Annihilation thing a continuation of some earlier sketch?  This seemed like such a late 90's band to me that I was too confused to find any of it funny.

I also think that Room is a movie that could SO easily have been worked into a sketch - maybe a 12 step group of people who are just addicted to keeping other people prisoners in rooms, or all the neighborhood stores you walk by that secretly have people locked into rooms, or something.  That disappointed me.

Edited May 8, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[helenamonster]

1 hour ago, Bruinsfan said:

Was that Jost as John Snow?

I thought it was Pete, but then I saw somewhere else someone thought it was Jon. So who knows???

38 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Isn't the Discreet Annihilation thing a continuation of some earlier sketch?  This seemed like such a late 90's band to me that I was too confused to find any of it funny.

The character that Kyle plays (Chris Fitzpatrick, I think this name is) has showed up in a couple similar Good Neighbor bits where he's making some kind of video. The first one he was running for class president or something, and then in the second one he was going to fight Beck's character. I thought it was a nice callback and totally made sense as the next step for the character. I wonder if it plays better to certain people over others. If you went to high school with this kind of kid (which I did), the humor is really on-point.

The AV Club review for this episode said something along the lines of "if you're one of the 15 people who still doesn't watch Game of Thrones you probably didn't get that sketch" but honestly it's not like the humor was that subtle. I don't watch GoT and I feel like I got it more than my friend that's really into it. My friend texted me all emotional when Jon Snow came back and my response was basically "I don't watch the show but even I knew that was happening, dude." Actually, that might have made an interesting twist to the sketch: maybe have someone who doesn't really watch the show watching with a superfan. Have the superfan be on pins and needles waiting to see if Jon Snow comes back to life, and have the person who doesn't care just be like "there were pictures of him on set, I couldn't escape that headline for like a week."

[Galileo908]

13 hours ago, VCRTracking said:

It reminded me of one of my favorite 90s sketches where Ellen Cleghorn as Natalie Cole(who had a hit singing "Unforgettable" with a recording of her father Nat). sings duets with other dead singers like Judy Garland and Elvis.

I loved that sketch too so much. The capper being Natalie singing a duet with some singer played by Melanie Hutsell (remember her?) that wasn't dead yet and was furious about it. And it just makes me sad that they could do this with Natlie Cole herself.

[Princess Sparkle]

3 hours ago, Bruinsfan said:

Was that Jost as John Snow?

I floved Church Lady calling Ted Cruz out for being too self-righteous. That's like Ozzie Osbourne telling you to take it easy on the drugs!

 

1 hour ago, helenamonster said:

I thought it was Pete, but then I saw somewhere else someone thought it was Jon. So who knows???

The character that Kyle plays (Chris Fitzpatrick, I think this name is) has showed up in a couple similar Good Neighbor bits where he's making some kind of video. The first one he was running for class president or something, and then in the second one he was going to fight Beck's character. I thought it was a nice callback and totally made sense as the next step for the character. I wonder if it plays better to certain people over others. If you went to high school with this kind of kid (which I did), the humor is really on-point.

 

Jon Snow was definitely Pete; you can tell because they didn't cover up the large tattoo on the inside of his left arm.

And like you Helenamonster, I really liked the Good Neighbor sketch because I absolutely knew that type of kid in highschool, and if Kickstarter was around then, this is totally what they would use it for. I loved that the "personalized rap" was just a generic rap with the persons name thrown in at the end. 

The show was alright for me. The sketches that really hit were REALLY strong - Presidential Barbie (I loved Ciecily's 'Duh, I wanna play with Legos. That's what you sound like!) The Cut, and the Cold Open were all great. But the sketches that were only ok were really meh.  For Sasheer's WU bit, I kept wondering how it would sound coming from Jessica Williams - the content was all there, something was just off on the delivery. I did like that she genuinely laughed when Colin asked if he could say "McGriddla". 

I do think the best laugh I got all episode was from Vanessa's Laura Parsons. "I think it stands for seriously terrible date...BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS HERPES!  Herpes is when your downstairs says 'Ay yi yi'" was so freaking funny, as was "THEY WANT TO KILL EVERYONE WHO ISNT WHITE!"

Edited May 8, 2016 by Princess Sparkle

[elle]

2 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Probably - and although I hate to disagree with one of my fellow TCM board regulars this only half hit for me. A sketch like this depends so heavily on the accuracy of the impressions and I wish all the singers had been impressions the cast could actually do.

Disclaimer - this was on the only clip I watched.  The Ginger/Fred bit brought me out of the whole skit.  While I was not expecting anyone to be on point in their impressions, the Ginger/Fred had me saying out loud that is not how either of them sing!  Points to the costumers though for choosing  the Swing Time dress.   Brie Larson really was the best as Lesley Gore, but she also had the least amount of singing.

[reggiejax]

7 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

 And then she got to do that bit on WU and it showed her being cute and charming with Jost.  It was almost like they were secretly dating or something.

 

If they are, they had best keep it secret, or Leslie Jones will kill them both. 

[Bruinsfan]

Speaking of, was Leslie in anything except "The Cut"? I don't recall seeing her in any other sketches.

[Ms Blue Jay]

6 hours ago, Mumbles said:

Agreed but as risqué and explicit as his lyrics could be, he was saying something....and more thoughtful than "haters gonna hate hate hate hate" or "bitch better have my money."

"Bitch Betta Have my Money" is a song about Rihanna's (real life) accountant who (real life) ripped her off for millions of dollars, and whom she fantasized about blackmailing and exploiting to get her money back for revenge.  You don't find that creative?  I personally have never heard a song like that before, but sure, the more love / breakup songs the better I guess..... 

Edited May 9, 2016 by Ms Blue Jay

[Mumbles]

Quote

The capper being Natalie singing a duet with some singer played by Melanie Hutsell (remember her?) that wasn't dead yet and was furious about it.

Melanie played Tammy Wynette.  I remember it because I too loved that sketch so much.

[LJonEarth]

I may have like Sasheer's bit better if I hadn't heard it used in a different context recently on This American Life. It just didn't really fit here.

I loved Pete's WU story about his mom. And it seems to be real, which is even funnier.

[Maverick]

 Sasheer's bit was awkward as hell.  If you're going to do something like that, you better make damn sure you want to do it before you go on stage and commit to it 110%.  She was clearly worried about the reaction and keep stalling and flubbing.  It's a moot point, though, because even if she delivered it perfectly I didn't find it funny at all.

 I like Leslie but I don't think sketches are her forte.  She flubs her lines a lot.

 I just can't warm up to Pete.  I'm tired of everything revolving around him being young, a stoner or a flake that relies on him mom too much.   

[kib]

On 5/8/2016 at 9:08 PM, Gemma Violet said:

I liked that Near Death Experience sketch...last month when it was called Alien Abduction sketch.  Really, writers?  I can understand using the same character, but almost the exact same dialogue?

Loved seeing Dana again as the Church Lady.

The baby shower sketch was lame.

I think the entire point of Near Death was to try and play off of the cast breaking on the Abduction skit.  The first time it was lightning in a bottle. Serendipity. Now it's just an excuse to see folks break character. If that's the point, bring back Fallon and Sanchez.

(By the way, don't take this as any criticism whatsoever of McKinnon's performance. She's the freshest thing SNL has going for in the last five years)   

[VCRTracking]

Quote

I loved that sketch too so much. The capper being Natalie singing a duet with some singer played by Melanie Hutsell (remember her?) that wasn't dead yet and was furious about it. And it just makes me sad that they could do this with Natlie Cole herself.

The singer Melanie Hutsell played was country star Tammy Wynette and the song was "Stand by your man". Hutsell was great yelling in a Southern accent: "Hey I am NOT dead! This is how rumors get started! Cut it out, bitch! as Cleghorne as Cole just keeps singing.

The best rated comment on Reddit's live discussion thread of the episode:
 

Quote

Did Brie Larson's mom have her when she was five

I didn't notice when I first watched but Brie Larson's mom does look young. She looks like she's still in her 40s.

Also re-watching the monologue when Pete Davidson's mom says "I'm his ride." it sounds like Pete would say it but feminine, with that gargling type of quality Pete has!

Edited May 9, 2016 by VCRTracking

[peeayebee]

10 hours ago, kib said:

I think the entire point of Near Death was to try and play off of the cast breaking on the Abduction skit.  The first time it was lightning in a bottle. Serendipity. Now it's just an excuse to see folks break character.

Kind of like 'Stefon'?

Actually, I wonder if Kate is reading those lines for the first time, like Bill Hader was. Anyway, in both instances, I like seeing them break, but I also like the funny lines. Another bonus is both Kate and Bill had created such fantastic characters.

[Mumbles]

I'm probably in the minority and just a grouch but I don't like it when the actors break. I think my long-standing annoyance at Fallon began with his constant breaking. 

[JZL]

To me this episode was uneven.  The near-death sketch is a case in point.  The first time, which was only in December, the abduction sketch struck me as maybe the funniest sketch of the year.  It was a great premise and a fantastic vehicle for Kate.  The breaking in that one actually advanced the sketch because of how much they were working to stop it and cover it when it broke through.  It was classic improv when Ryan had to hide his giggles and Cecily said, "Look at him-- he's crying."  I can imagine Brie Larson having asked them to do a version of this sketch since the first one was so good.

The second time around it just didn't work.  Since we knew the gag immediately, there was no build-up.  The activities Kate's character had to endure the first time were soooo over the top that it was hard to, uh, top those the second time around.   And regular viewers were probably, in the back of their minds, going, "Already?"

WU was a letdown.  They need to be careful to watch the balance of fake news and commentary.  Actually, it shouldn't be a "balance."  The focus should be on the fake news, with the commentary serving as both breaks and as kind of a special treat.  

Edited May 9, 2016 by JZL

[AdorkableSars]

I love Brie Larson, so I was super excited for this episode. I think she did great with what she was given, but felt she was kind of underused? 

Quote

Wasn't expecting Kate's character from the alien sketch to come back. Ryan Gosling breaking up is what made me laugh most last time so I didn't have as big a reaction here.

This (although Bobby and Aidy looked like they were trying not to break a few times)...also, the writing for the character was very similar to what it was last time. So it really wasn't that fresh or funny to me like it was last time. I still laughed really hard at "coot coot" though. And "drainer and "strainer". Kate still killed it, I just wish it wasn't so close to when/how the character debuted, because it felt sort of lazy on the part of the writers. 

I don't watch Game of Thrones, so that sketch was a snoozer for me. I really enjoyed the Mom Cut and Dead Bopz sketches. My fave of the night was probably Quiz Whiz 2018.

I thought Weekend Update was really good again night. Loved Colin's Brazillian wax/olympic part. And although she appears often, I freaking love Vanessa's Laura Parsons character. The delivery just gets me every time. And Che reacts to her so perfectly. Loved Jost and Che riffing on Trump's messy office. I didn't hate Sasheer's part. I thought she was charismatic and sure, she fumbled a bit. You could tell she was nervous, but she was amusing enough! And though Pete's bit was not that different from what he usually does, I enjoyed it!

I'm wondering why Taran hasn't played any characters on Update this season? I want Jebediah to make an appearance, dammit! Also I'd love to see a Baby Boss sketch before the season is through. 

Edited: Because grammar...

Edited May 9, 2016 by AdorkableSars

[helenamonster]

20 hours ago, Princess Sparkle said:

And like you Helenamonster, I really liked the Good Neighbor sketch because I absolutely knew that type of kid in highschool, and if Kickstarter was around then, this is totally what they would use it for. I loved that the "personalized rap" was just a generic rap with the persons name thrown in at the end. 

During the "personalized rap" bit, it looked for a second like they were doing a play on that musical.ly app where people lip sync to songs and move the camera back and forth for some reason. Idk it's pointless and I've seen send ups of it in other places (usually Vine, because the apps have some similarities), and it looked like what Brie was trying to do here. But maybe I was just seeing things, that would be a really specific reference to do that I don't think a lot of people would get.

Yeah, I definitely feel like part of Sasheer's problem in her WU bit was that she wasn't committing. When she rolled out she looked like she already wished it was over. The final punchline just came off so weak, like she didn't want to say it. Which is fine, but then like...don't do the bit???

[Princess Sparkle]

1 minute ago, helenamonster said:

Yeah, I definitely feel like part of Sasheer's problem in her WU bit was that she wasn't committing. When she rolled out she looked like she already wished it was over. The final punchline just came off so weak, like she didn't want to say it. Which is fine, but then like...don't do the bit???

You know, I'm actually wondering if Sasheer's bit (and the final punchline) might've worked better if it was a convo between Michael and Colin instead.  Not that I want to take anything away from Sasheer if she did indeed write that bit, but as you say, she looked uncomfortable about it from the get go.  I feel like some of those reactions and beats that they were hoping for (that were missed or awkward between her and Colin) might've hit if it was Michael and Colin instead.  This is the second time that a bit of Sasheer's has fallen flat at the WU desk, so maybe that just isn't her forte.