S42.E06: Dave Chappelle / A Tribe Called Quest

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Dave Chappelle hosts; musical guest is A Tribe Called Quest

[87penguins]

At the risk of sounding political, I've been in a state of shock since the election and the cold open finally made me cry. 

[ebk57]

2 minutes ago, 87penguins said:

At the risk of sounding political, I've been in a state of shock since the election and the cold open finally made me cry. 

Me too!  I've been numb, but I teared up there.

[Spartan Girl]

Damn that cold opening. I'm glad they didn't try to make this funny, but it feels like another poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Words cannot express how much I love Kate McKinnon. I heard she's been broken up too, and yet she's holding her head high.

"We've elected an internet troll as our president." Perfectly summed up by Dave Chapelle. But he threw it some good jokes about Trump hotel.

[bmoore4026]

Ok, so far Chappelle forgot he was on network TV and has said nigger, goddamn, and pussy.  This is Martin Lawrence level bad.  Someone's getting their legs broke for this.

[Valny]

That open was awesome. I really was expecting another Hillary/Donald skit, but that

was a nice surprise. I thought for a second Kate was going to lose it but she held it together.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Valny

[Fostersmom]

Kate's cold open was beautifully done, a lovely tribute to Cohen and summing up what so many of us feel. 

 

ETA... thanks to Trump, it seems pussy is now fair game. Don't know about the n word, but NBC is most likely fielding a shit storm right now. 

Edited November 13, 2016 by Fostersmom

[djsunyc]

that was a tough cold open.  my g/f lost it while kate was signing.

it sucks that we are still a me first country when folks couldn't see the forest in the trees.  we had a chance to vote the first women as president...nevermind that she was the most qualified person too...and we blew it.

[kib]

Did NBC drop the audio on entire passages of Chappelle's monologue or was it just those of us watching WRAL in Raleigh NC?

[formerlyfreedom]

A reminder; discuss the show. Not the election. Yes, the election will be discussed in the show, but it's not open season to discuss the election.

[Fostersmom]

So, by the end of the show they'll literally be saying fuck it, right? 

[VCRTracking]

I'm on the West Coast but I heard about the cold open on Twitter and saw the video on YouTube and was just...

I needed that. God bless you, Kate McKinnon.

[Stuffy]

56 minutes ago, kib said:

Did NBC drop the audio on entire passages of Chappelle's monologue or was it just those of us watching WRAL in Raleigh NC?

I heard it all here in Oklahoma, but surprisingly they don't censor tv shows much for how conservative it is here. Or at least I can't remember any other incidents. 

Edited November 13, 2016 by Stuffy

[Galileo908]

I missed the first half hour, but thankfully I DVR'd it. I'll update once I see the rest of it.

Walking Dead: Holy shit was this amazing. Every major Chappelle's Show character in one place? Spoofing the premiere with Negan offing someone? Tyrone's headless, cracked-out body running off into the night? This is what I tuned in to when I got home, I feel like I didn't need to see the rest of the show.

WU: Pfft, "United." America is like Leslie Jones: addicted to white guys. And well, Che fucked up that hispanic joke. Hillary with a David Letterman-esque retirement beard was a laugh I desperately needed right now. And the return of RBG was much welcomed.

Inside SNL: Genius idea, everyone has a conference explaining what went wrong in a sketch. We actually need more of these. "Any questions for ME, Mikey Day?" "...No." There was even a David Pumpkins shout out!

Kids Talk Politics: This was good. Of course Dave Chappelle is the one who named the black cat Pussy. This would've been right at home in Chappelle's Show.

Sheila Savage: A sleazy Dave Chappelle character meeting Sheila Savage was something that needed to happen. There was an actual White Castle burger in that Gin & Sonic. It made KENAN break, and that never happens.

Leslie Jones Dating: Kyle Mooney? I was wondering what Colin thought...and then Kyle brought that up! Even Lorne is on board with Kyle losing his virginity, that was great. Dave coming in was the perfect punchline.

Panthers: Like I said back during Tom Hanks's episode, this sketch only worked because Dave Chappelle was the only person who could pull this off.

This was a show for the history books. Even the goodnights were stellar. Can't wait to take three steps back with Kristen Wiig next week. She's got mighty big shoes to fill after two killer episodes & Benedict Cumberbatch's in a row.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Galileo908
Forgot that Benedict Cumberbatch's episode was between Tom Hanks and this one.

[Thinbalina]

I loved Dave's opening dialogue it was funny and introspective. I was sad the show ended, I wanted more.

The skit showing Hilary supporters rationalization throughout the night and the comments with him and Chris laughing was great!

The Leslie looking for love skit was funny and cute. 

Overall, I really liked this show and wish Dave could come around more often.

[Dancingjaneway]

I didn't actually watch the show tonight but I saw the video of Kate singing "Hallelujah". It was beautiful, heartbreaking & inspiring. I will remember this cold open for a LONG time. 

[Jaded]

This is the first time in a LONG time I've enjoyed a SNL episode pretty much from beginning to end.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Jaded

[ebk57]

2 minutes ago, Jaded said:

This is the first time in a LONG time I've enjoyed a SNL episode pretty much from beginning to end.

Agree.  The open had me in tears. The monologue was excellent.  And the rest of the show actually made me laugh (mostly).  I thought WU was great.  And I love Sheila Sovage.  And Leslie and Kyle.  And... a pretty good show, all in all.

[Fostersmom]

I fully was expecting to not really like this one. I never watched Dave's show and only know him as being a jackass in the media, but this was one of the best SNLs in a long time. Somehow, it all worked and worked well. See show, you can do it! I LOVED the RBG Pence half chub joke. And they got Kenan to break twice! 

Edited November 13, 2016 by Fostersmom

[Mumbles]

I'll never quite understand the comic joy this show derives from the idea of Leslie Jones as a sexual being and how sooooo funny the idea of her and the white guys hooking up is.

Quote

The skit showing Hilary supporters rationalization throughout the night and the comments with him and Chris laughing was great!

The last line - "This is the worst thing this country has done!" with Chris and Dave's response - was the best.

[Sesquipedalia]

I had been crying all night (finally popped my election night champagne and watched the concession speech), but I was not expecting to cry through the SNL cold open. It was perfect. So beautifully done. Kate McKinnon has my heart forever and ever.

[vb68]

Well this one is a keeper for sure.

Damn Kate made me cry.  I had a very strong feeling that Kate would insist on her Hillary leaving on a dignified and graceful note.  I have never loved Kate more. She's a national treasure and worth her weight in gold.

And Dave Chappelle brought it and then some in the monologue. Sure, there might be fines or whatever, but it was exhilarating watching it live and wondering how far he was going to go.  (My big fear is Lorne might ban him like he did Martin Lawrence all those years ago.)

Loved the Election Night and Walking Dead sketch, and boy Jost and Che (and Kate again) were on fire tonight.  Probably the best Update those two have done yet.  "America is like Leslie Jones--addicted to white guys."  That line is even more notable for the Leslie and Kyle sketch coming up.

"The wig was funny.  I  thought I was going to be the next David S Pumpkins."

I was wondering if I missed some wild press conference that they were parodying.

And I kinda do ship Leslie and Kyle.  I mean, odd but yet really sweet pairing.  They would get each other in a lot of ways, I bet.

And again it makes the last sketch funnier that Kyle is the one friend who is into the milk.

Great show.  It was kinda cathartic for me after this week.    " 

Edited November 13, 2016 by vb68

[Pete Martell]

I'll give Kate McKinnon a lot of credit for her performance (sincere, full of appropriate pathos, with genuine comfort at the end), but it felt jarringly out of place for a show that painfully, painfully tries to not take a political position, a show that actively enabled Trump, and whose creator and executive producer is involved with a talk show (Fallon) that enabled Trump. He's tried to have it both ways, at a great cost to many, and the only thing I could think of during the otherwise tasteful and powerful opening was - too little, too late.

[Galileo908]

Ok, here's my take on the rest of the show:

Cold Open: Beautiful. Hillary playing "Hallelujah" was perfect.

Monologue: Monologues are usually the best when pure standups do them, and Dave's was no different. This was fantastic. I love Dave, but I think I made that clear.

Election Night: Damn, this summed up Tuesday too well. "Hey guys, what'd I miss?" Understatement of the year, Chris Rock cameo I got spoiled about. And Dave & Chris Rock in the same sketch is one of the best things that we've needed to happen. 

And yep, I came in right as the Walking Dead sketch started. This episode was the SNL/Chappelle's Show mashup we've been waiting to see for a decade. Can they just hire Dave Chappelle as a permanent writer, at least?

[TDT]

I think the cold open w/ McKinnon was also a tribute of sorts to Leonard Cohen,who passed away last week (R.I.P)

It also looks like Alec Baldwin wont be doing anymore Trump impressions for the forseeable future

as for the show itself.. if Comedy Central were to call up Dave offering to bring back his show he'd probably hang up on them lol

ATCQ's performance was meh,just isnt the same without Phife..heard this performance will be their "grand send off"

[Dev F]

15 minutes ago, vb68 said:

And Dave Chappelle brought it and then some in the monologue. Sure, there might be fines or whatever, but it was exhilarating watching it live and wondering how far he was going to go.  (My big fear is Lorne might ban him like he did Martin Lawrence all those years ago.)

I doubt Chappelle will get in any trouble. He did something edgy, heartfelt, and topical that will get the show a lot of positive notice, whereas Lawrence randomly lapsed into a shitty bit from his act about going down on a woman with a yeast infection.

Edited November 13, 2016 by Dev F

[ebk57]

14 minutes ago, vb68 said:

I was wondering if I missed some wild press conference that they were parodying.

I think it was just a send-up of a typical post-game sports team press conference.  A great idea that I'm surprised never came up before.

[fastiller]

13 minutes ago, vb68 said:

Well this one is a keeper for sure.

Damn Kate made me cry.  I had a very strong feeling that Kate would insist on her Hillary leaving on a dignified and graceful note.  I have never loved Kate more. She's a national treasure and worth her weight in gold.

And Dave Chappelle brought it and then some in the monologue. Sure, there might be fines or whatever, but it was exhilarating watching it live and wondering how far he was going to go.  (My big fear is Lorne might ban him like he did Martin Lawrence all those years ago.)

Loved the Election Night and Walking Dead sketch, and boy Jost and Che (and Kate again) were on fire tonight.  Probably the best Update those two have done yet.  "America is like Leslie Jones--addicted to white guys."  That line is even more notable for the Leslie and Kyle sketch coming up.

Cold open was great, as was WU.

I think the TV landscape  (indeed the non-TV landscape) has changed so much that there may not be any fines and Lorne may not hold the language against Chappelle.  Also, if there are fines I would not be surprised if DC paid them himself.

[Brn2bwild]

17 minutes ago, vb68 said:

Well this one is a keeper for sure.

Damn Kate made me cry.  I had a very strong feeling that Kate would insist on her Hillary leaving on a dignified and graceful note.  I have never loved Kate more. She's a national treasure and worth her weight in gold.

Among the many reasons I'm broken up about this election, the smallest, though not insignificant, one is that I don't get to see Kate McKinnon play Hillary Clinton for the next four years.  I imagine, though, they'll bring her Hillary back for cameos.

[Bees]

Cold Open: The cynical side of me was nagging at the back of my head at the beginning of this thinking "Dude, this is a song about sex" (I have a weird aversion to "Hallelujah" used in morose events. I've seen it only done right three times and this turned out to be one of them) and "okay when is Alec's Trump going to come out now?" but as it went on, that side shut up pretty quick. And I realized this was a cathartic release of all the awfulness and ugliness of the Election and its results. I didn't really cry though but I was touched.

Monologue: So nice to see Dave Chappelle back again. It looked he was getting a bit emotional at the beginning. He was funny and biting as always. I feel like he knows just how to do racial humor right (i.e. not just doing the  "White/Black People, AMIRITE?!" stuff which is lazy and uninspired). Loved the bit about how Trump is white men's Beyonce. It's kind of true. Anyways, the monologue really set the tone for the night.

Election Results: This was great. This is how I felt throughout the night on Twitter when things were popping up (as in the way Chapelle was feeling). And the sanctimonious stuff from the white folks really reflects some of the stuff my friends were saying. I could go on a rant here about how it all went down, but I'm going to respect the rules of this thread.

Walking Dead: I figured we'd see a character or two, not like everybody. Not that I'm complaining. It's nice to see them again. Also, i think I'd probably enjoy this a lot more if I watched The Walking Dead.  Unfortunately, I do not. Zombies aren't really my thing. 

Weekend Update: Even with the flubbed joke, Weekend Update was great. It really gave a lot of insight and was pretty damn funny as well. Actually the fact that he was so focused that he ended up getting it wrong did make it a bit funnier. And loved the gag about how Leslie Jones is addicted to white guys...gets even funnier later in the night. Also, this was a night we REALLY needed Drunk Uncle. Speaking of which, who on earth did Bobby Moynihan piss off because he's hardly been on the show.

Inside SNL: This was inspired. At first I was like "Oh god...is Chris Rock some sort of kryptonite for Leslie Jones where in his mere presence she just loses it?" but then seeing that it was actually a sketch within a sketch really brought it home. Was this a Mikey Day sketch? It feels like it.  Anyways, really enjoyed this. 

Kids Talk Politics: This was cute. Reminds me of those ads that Beck Bennett starred in with the Sprint phones (was it them? I don't member) where he talked to kids about what's better. Also the fact that the cat's name was Pussy was funny. And how Vanessa was reassuring them.

Sheila Savage: Kenan is the real star of this sketch, IMO. He's the one that really makes it for me, at least. I mean not that Kate isn't awesome. I do enjoy the self-deprecation and I enjoy how her and whatever guy are going to go all up ons are like "Mehh...I guess you'll do" but yet playing it almost as if it's something magical. Anyways, I guess they finally got to Kenan since he broke pretty hard.

Leslie Jones Dating: I was almost expecting Colin Jost, but that would've been too easy, I think. Kyle Mooney is an interesting choice. But I liked how sweet they were and it was just cute. Also how Lorne was very invested in the fact that Kyle needs to lose his virginity. And then the cherry on top with Chappelle. 

Football Game: This sketch was pretty alright. What made it for me was Pete Davidson desperately stuffing his mouth with cookies to keep from breaking and then Kyle's character being strangely okay with everything he's been witnessing. Wasn't anything revolutionary but still quite funny. 

This was a great episode. My favorite is still Tom Hanks, but this is a very close second. Next week....ugh....I'm not looking forward to that at all. My dislike of Kristen Wiig and the fact that I just KNOW it'll turn into a Cast Reunion Episode is going to make me want to skip the episode.

[oakville]

2 hours ago, Valny said:

That open was awesome. I really was expecting another Hillary/Donald skit, but that

was a nice surprise. I thought for a second Kate was going to lose it but she held it together.

Apparently Baldwin quit the show without notice and refused to appear as Trump. That was a missed opportunity.

[MakeMeLaugh]

I didn't even want to watch this tonight but like many others, I found the Hallelujah open incredibly cathartic--I honestly didn't know how bad I felt about the election until tonight. Kate's little wink in the middle was a nice touch too. She did good.

Yay for open season on foul language when it fits the topic--we heard much worse during the campaign so why not open the door to late night comedy. I was thinking no bleeping might have been in Chappelle's contract anyway. 

Always impressed with the comedians who do not break character and start laughing, and Chappelle was right up there even with the breastfeeding skit. Surprised that so many of the cast members cannot do this. IMO they are funnier when they are able to carry on. 

[WhosThatGirl]

The cold open made me cry (and not for the first time, it's been a week). It was.. kind of perfect.

So Alec quit doing the show now? He's finished doing Trump? What does this mean for the show? 

The show was okay I guess. Nothing for me will ever beat the Tom Hanks episode ("I'm David S Pumpkins!")

[Brn2bwild]

11 minutes ago, oakville said:

Apparently Baldwin quit the show without notice and refused to appear as Trump. That was a missed opportunity.

Who could blame him?

[MakeMeLaugh]

Imo it was so much better not to have a Trump impersonator tonight. The open was surprising and sweet and perfect as it was.

[Pete Martell]

34 minutes ago, Brn2bwild said:

Who could blame him?

It's the most mature decision he could have made (I don't generally use that word in relation to him or most Baldwins, but it fits). It's time for the joke to die as I don't believe SNL in its current form has any real capability of telling them. There are cable shows that may not get as big an audience but are more suited to the new world that Lorne and co have helped create in the first place. 

[zxy556575]

1 hour ago, Pete Martell said:

I'll give Kate McKinnon a lot of credit for her performance (sincere, full of appropriate pathos, with genuine comfort at the end), but it felt jarringly out of place for a show that painfully, painfully tries to not take a political position, a show that actively enabled Trump, and whose creator and executive producer is involved with a talk show (Fallon) that enabled Trump. He's tried to have it both ways, at a great cost to many, and the only thing I could think of during the otherwise tasteful and powerful opening was - too little, too late.

Agreed. Too late for the show to act sad or be sincere now.

I no longer watch the show because of their promotion of Trump, but I saw the video of Kate and wanted to say how continually impressed I am at how talented the cast are in areas other than comedy. Many of them could (and Blues Brothers did) have musical careers. Do auditions also require singing, I wonder?

[buttersister]

Dave Chappelle and Kate McKinnon. That's all. Except sending off both Hillary as a recurring character and Leonard Cohen (RIP) with one stroke was brilliant. And if Lorne didn't know what Chappelle would do, I'd be very surprised. With respect to Lin-Manual Miranda, who carried so much in his ep, and Tom Hanks, who can rise above meh material like nobody, Chappelle's show is the only one I can remember watching without once touching the remote.

ETA: I mention these episodes because I don't normally keep watching after WU.

Edited November 13, 2016 by buttersister

[Negritude]

When the Inside SNL sketch started I was thinking that I didn't see anyone mention this Jheri's Place sketch lol.

Good to see Donnell Rawlings but no Charlie Murphy! Especially with his SNL connection through Eddie.

Pretty sure that was Dave's actual daughter in that sketch. His wife is Filipino and the little girl looked Blasian. She was too cute, talking about xenophobia and stop and frisk ha!

That first Tribe song was...a song. These guys were among my hip hop heroes growing up and I wanted to see them go hard. Second song was better (Busta!) but Phife Dawg was definitely missed.

Dave sure is looking mighty fit these days. Always had a slight crush and his only drawback was being too skinny, but now...?

Edited November 13, 2016 by Negritude

[VCRTracking]

"I saw all those black faces and Bradley(Cooper)..."

The election sketch was painfully relatable but funny.  I didn't think think Hillary had it in the bag but all the (supposedly) reliable polls said she was the favorite. Then when she started losing state after state I turned off the computer and TV. Seeing Chris Rock and Dave together was awesome. The sketch was so on point:

"What about undocumented immigrants?!" "They ain't going nowhere..... You act like people want to pick their own strawberries."

Dave as Negan from TWD was awesome.

Loved the short film with Leslie and Kyle, especially Lorne's bit.

I'm not blaming SNL for helping Trump win. Especially when early in the election Bernie supporters on the board were accusing the show for being in the bag for Hillary. After everything Trump said and done the past year,  people still voted for him while others voted for third party candidates out of spite. It genuinely shocked me but also made me realize I don't know this country like I thought I did.

Edited November 13, 2016 by VCRTracking

[tomsmom]

Perfect from start to finish! I mean even his goodnight was perfect! 

[Queena]

5 hours ago, Mumbles said:

I'll never quite understand the comic joy this show derives from the idea of Leslie Jones as a sexual being and how sooooo funny the idea of her and the white guys hooking up is. 

The last line - "This is the worst thing this country has done!" with Chris and Dave's response - was the best.

I find it demeaning and insulting, but thats a conversation for another thread. 

[oakville]

5 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

It's the most mature decision he could have made (I don't generally use that word in relation to him or most Baldwins, but it fits). It's time for the joke to die as I don't believe SNL in its current form has any real capability of telling them. There are cable shows that may not get as big an audience but are more suited to the new world that Lorne and co have helped create in the first place. 

I think it would have been funny for Baldwin as Trump & Hillary to appear together. SNL should be happy with President Trump. There is so much opportunity to mock him. Weren't there Trump skits in 2011 & 2012. They could bring back Darrel Hammond to play Trump.

[Mama No Life]

9 hours ago, kib said:

Did NBC drop the audio on entire passages of Chappelle's monologue or was it just those of us watching WRAL in Raleigh NC?

It was WRAL.  They've actually released a twitter message about it.....I live in Charlotte and all my Raleigh friends are livid.

[Jaded]

[Ottis]

Didn't like the cold open as a cold open. The election night skit should have been first. Kate's performance would have worked better as a tribute to Cohen and not a political statement ... though why Cohen gets that treatment and not others who died, I don't know. Making it a political statesment continues the very differences the rest of the show railed against. 

Chappele was intelligent and interesting and sincere. Loved his commentary. 

The Negan skit was a yawner tho, a ripoff of Detective Head from In Living Color. 

WU was terrific. 

The rest was OK.Did Leslie spike the fake milk? She seemed to be up to something. 

[Indigo Luna]

I live in the WRAL viewing area and I was pissed off as well. They didn't just bleep words but whole sentences at a time and you only heard about half the monologue and the walking dead sketch. I'll try to catch it on hulu tomorrow I guess.

[queenbee9b]

24 minutes ago, Indigo Luna said:

I live in the WRAL viewing area and I was pissed off as well. They didn't just bleep words but whole sentences at a time and you only heard about half the monologue and the walking dead sketch. I'll try to catch it on hulu tomorrow I guess.

 Always watch on Hulu (too old to stay up :)) and it is not censored, so you should be all set. 

I have watched more full episodes of SNL this year than I have in years and I thought tonight was great.  It is also the first musical act that I watched both performances of this season and loved it. 

My favorite sketch was election night and I was so happy to see Chris Rock. 

Edited November 13, 2016 by queenbee9b

[Princess Sparkle]

I was curious as to how SNL would handle the show this week, and I thought they did a great job. That cold open made me cry; it was fitting and beautiful. I hate that Kate is now destined for four years of a KellyAnne Conway impression rather than a Hillary impression, but this was a great sendoff. I thought WU was great as well, though I did think Colin's political jokes had a bit more bite than Che's - and the one thing I didn't like was Che's joke about how both candidates were unlikeable, because I hated that false equivalency narrative (that was perpetuated by more than just SNL) that prevailed throughout the entire election. 

Inside SNL might be one of my favorite sketches in years. I was dying all the way through, and for some reason, it was Kyle's terrible accent that made me laugh the most. His post-sketch attempt at trying to find the accent again and then deciding he couldn't get it just killed me. The writing overall has been very strong this season, which says to me that promoting Sarah Schnieder and Chris Kelly to head writers was a smart move. 

[vb68]

Quote

Didn't like the cold open as a cold open. The election night skit should have been first. Kate's performance would have worked better as a tribute to Cohen and not a political statement

I disagree.  I like the way they did it and again, I have a strong feeling  Kate insisted on it. She wasn't trying to hide how emotional she felt.

 

Quote

though I did think Colin's political jokes had a bit more bite than Che's - and the one thing I didn't like was Che's joke about how both candidates were unlikeable, because I hated that false equivalency narrative (that was perpetuated by more than just SNL) that prevailed throughout the entire election. 

Agreed here for several reasons.  Colin has really grown in the chair, and to me Colin usually does have a sharper take. I believe Michael when he says he could care less either way.  That's fine, but sometimes I think that's a barrier to a more nuanced take.