S44.E12: Halsey

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Halsey does double duty as host and musical guest.

Airing Saturday, February 9, 2019

[Phishbulb]

Promo

[opus]

So after two weeks of "Halsey?!?" I'm hoping for some "Better then I expected"s  tonight

[Shawshanked]

I'm getting an early feeling this one is going to be a dud. 

[GoldenGirl90]

Weak opening...

[SoMuchTV]

As a Virginian, just happy we got this far unscathed. Not looking forward to WU. 

[formerlyfreedom]

Well, she's certainly energetic. Anyone else getting a faintly Scarlett Johanssen vibe?

[GoldenGirl90]

.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Alexis2291

[Galileo908]

Cold Open: We begin with Chuck Todd and other journalists talking about what Jeff Bezos's penis looks like. Okay. Loved the fake NY Post headlines (yes, that first front page was real), and Kate as Wilbur Ross. It was just such a delightfully weird visual, but is she just gonna play EVERYONE? Aidy as Matt Whittaker was probably even better.

Monologue: Yeah, I have zero expectations for Halsey hosting. I mean, it's SNL, they couldn't find anyone to host this week? Back in the old days they kept calling up Candace Bergen or Elliot Gould, they can still do it again. It's a blank slate, so show me what you got, Halsey.

Them Trumps: YES! It's back! This was great, but you know that Darius Trump would be long gone long before he made it to 2019. I love just how short it is, and how the credits play twice on the same car ride.

Virginia: Nope, Virginia is getting a sketch all to itself. I imagine there was a meeting EXACTLY like this. 

"Why'd you ask that?"
"For next time."

The most real thing said tonight.

I Don't Want to Think of You: Yeah, it's really weird that there's Valentines Day stuff for people that aren't in couples. Just...no. I really liked Kyle's look in this.

Parents: This was weird. The dad's legs shattered, the mom was shot and broke her hands through a hole in the house? I feel like we're gonna see a sketch that got cut for time instead of this and we'll all get mad.

Women of Congress: I loved this. Short, though, and I feel like they just wanted to do that intro and I wish they did more than the Charlie's Angels bit. But with Trump as their Charlie, it wasn't gonna last long anyway. I want this to be a recurring sketch. I like that there's enough women in the cast to pull this off.

WU: Boy, this week has been a long year, hasn't it? "Sambo Sweater" is the line of the night, and for some reason it cost $890. I loved that Melissa bit. Man they were just HAMMERING at Northam tonight. Man,  I knew people like that annoying Instagram couple.

Karaoke: Sorority girls at karaoke. Boy, I've been there. And oh man, they're pledges. Yep, been there. Loved that bit with the bird (and it didn't cooperate!)

Black History Month: Of course Kyle was the perfect Whitesplainer for this one. This is a sketch that they would've done in the old days, and I like that.

Halsey Performance 2: Wow, that one was actually pretty cool. Live painting is a new one. Now THAT'S how you take advantage of using the stage. 

Maurice: Wow, was not expecting Kenan to be a camgirl (that presses his butt into cakes) AT ALL, but man I loved this. Did anyone else find it weird that he had fans that casually go up to him? Leslie was great in this. Sketch of the night.

Riverdale: I was expecting Pete to be Jughead and not the dignified actor playing the corpse. That alone made me laugh. And Pete did a great job here!

I was gonna say this show was just "okay" (not bad, but not good, either) but wow did this pick up steam after update. I thought Halsey did a pretty good job here. Don Cheadle hosts next week and I'm hyped for that.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Galileo908

[vb68]

Melissa FTW this episode!  I thought her Gaga was awesome. I have long wondered why she wasn't doing impressions on Update.

Rest of the show was fairly weak, IMO.  Probably the most boring cold open in awhile. I ended up thinking, "That's all they could come up with?"  The best part was just the visual of Aidy as Matt Whitaker.

As a life long Virginian, I was also gritting my teeth waiting for what was to come. It was pretty mild, all things considered. It was probably wise not to dwell on the LT. Governor. The Northam jokes on Update were funny.

One way you can tell they have no idea what to do with a host is Update is super long with three guests.

Random Ellen Cleghorne shoutout! I always thought she was underrated. 

[Pete Martell]

1 minute ago, Galileo908 said:

WU: Boy, this week has been a long year, hasn't it? "Sambo Sweater" is the line of the night, and for some reason it cost $890. I loved that Melissa bit. Man they were just HAMMERING at Northam tonight. Man,  I knew people like that annoying Instagram couple.

After having to half-heartedly criticize Republicans (while reminding us of how weak and craven Democrats are) I'm not surprised they ate up the chance to go after a Democrat. It must be a party every day.

Anyway, I wish SNL would just drop impressions if they only amount to makeup. Alex Moffat did pretty much nothing to sound like Chuck Todd (who has such a quavering, whiny voice). He relied on the hairline, and even that didn't look much like Todd. Maybe they didn't want to be too hard since he is, inexplicably, a big name at NBC News.

[Galileo908]

1 minute ago, Pete Martell said:

Anyway, I wish SNL would just drop impressions if they only amount to makeup. Alex Moffat did pretty much nothing to sound like Chuck Todd (who has such a quavering, whiny voice). He relied on the hairline, and even that didn't look much like Todd. Maybe they didn't want to be too hard since he is, inexplicably, a big name at NBC News.

This is when I get reminded that all Chevy Chase had to do to impersonate Ford was to fall down a lot.

[Pete Martell]

2 minutes ago, vb68 said:

Random Ellen Cleghorne shoutout! I always thought she was underrated. 

I always liked her when she was on SNL. She had such energy and fun. I still remember her Jocelynn Elders bit. It's weird this came up as I was just thinking of her this week for the first time in a long time (Steve Bean, one of the men who starred on her very short-lived sitcom passed away).

Here's an interview she did last year.

https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/ellen-cleghorne-saturday-night-lives-race-problem.html

[vb68]

1 minute ago, Pete Martell said:

Alex Moffat did pretty much nothing to sound like Chuck Todd (who has such a quavering, whiny voice). He relied on the hairline, and even that didn't look much like Todd. Maybe they didn't want to be too hard since he is, inexplicably, a big name at NBC News.

Not to quibble, but that was Kyle, wasn't it?   I actually thought he was better than Cecily's Peggy Noonan, whose voice was way off. And that surprised me from Cecily. She usually one of the better ones with voices. 

[MVFrostsMyPie]

4 minutes ago, Pete Martell said:

Anyway, I wish SNL would just drop impressions if they only amount to makeup. Alex Moffat did pretty much nothing to sound like Chuck Todd 

That was Kyle Mooney, not Alex Moffat. 

[ebk57]

6 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Maurice: Wow, was not expecting Kenan to be a camgirl (that presses his butt into cakes) AT ALL, but man I loved this. Did anyone else find it weird that he had fans that casually go up to him? Leslie was great in this. Sketch of the night.

This was, indeed, the best sketch of the night.  Also liked Them Trumps and all the Northam jokes during Update.  Otherwise, while I thought Halsey was totally into it, the show wasn't very good. 

6 minutes ago, vb68 said:

Melissa FTW this episode!  I thought her Gaga was awesome. I have long wondered why she wasn't doing impressions on Update.

Mr. ebk agrees with this, in that while he didn't think this sketch was good, he thought she was fantastic. 

[Pete Martell]

Just now, Galileo908 said:

This is when I get reminded that all Chevy Chase had to do to impersonate Ford was to fall down a lot.

True, but the thing with Chevy is he wasn't even really trying to impersonate Ford, other than making a joke of the tripping. That was part of what made the sketches work - they were just easy laughs, with no real thought behind them. SNL saved the more savage political humor for WU, or started it after Chevy left. 

These days they spend so much time and effort on makeup to try to give the impression they want to take it seriously (when no one even asked them to do so) yet they completely give up on every other aspect of the impression. 

It doesn't help that when they put the female cast members in drag it feels less like trying to be funny and more like just trying to get publicity because of all the hoopla and hype over Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer and how daring it was to send a message to Trump by having women dressed as men and everyone pretending it was 1920 and this was actually something risky.

2 minutes ago, vb68 said:

Not to quibble, but that was Kyle, wasn't it?   I actually thought he was better than Cecily's Peggy Noonan, whose voice was way off. And that surprised me from Cecily. She usually one of the better ones with voices. 

You're right. I was thinking of Moffat as I think he played Tucker Carlson a few weeks ago.

None of the impressions were really worthwhile. It was mostly a fun idea for a sketch that, as always, went on too long.

[opus]

22 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Maurice: Wow, was not expecting Kenan to be a camgirl (that presses his butt into cakes) AT ALL, but man I loved this. Did anyone else find it weird that he had fans that casually go up to him? Leslie was great in this. Sketch of the night.

Cue cards made an appearance in that one (behind Leslie)

[Peace 47]

18 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

Halsey Performance 2: Wow, that one was actually pretty cool. Live painting is a new one. Now THAT'S how you take advantage of using the stage. 

I thought that was really original and creative.  

I was impressed with Halsey’s charisma and stage presence in sketches—like as the injured mom or the sorority pledge.  But the writing wasn’t fantastic.

I thought Weekend Update was better than it had been in recent weeks.  Mikey really had that “hiding in his hat tunnel” maneuver down.  Such a young guy thing to do.

I could see the cue cards in the web cam sketch.  I wonder if the cue card team got big heads after that “creating SNL” short about cue cards went trending on YouTube.  🙂

[rhys]

I loved all the Virginia nonsense. Oy! The room full of people who Kenan was addressing about blackface was probably my next favorite. Aidy sure looked like Whitaker. Wow. I don't know the host but I got tickled at her real last name as it reminds me of an ingredient on the Great British Bake Off: frangipane.

[Peace 47]

2 hours ago, saoirse said:

Well, she's certainly energetic. Anyone else getting a faintly Scarlett Johanssen vibe?

I actually didn’t get that vibe, but it was driving me crazy as to whom Halsey did remind me of, but it just hit me when I saw a still of her from the Valentine song performance—she kind of looks like Evangeline Lilly during her “Lost” days.

[rmontro]

54 minutes ago, Peace 47 said:

it was driving me crazy as to whom Halsey did remind me of, but it just hit me when I saw a still of her from the Valentine song performance—she kind of looks like Evangeline Lilly during her “Lost” days.

Funny, I kept thinking that she reminded me of someone too, I think you're right about Evangeline Lilly.

I guess I'm old and out of touch, but I couldn't figure out why this person "Halsey" rated being both a host and musical guest.  I have to say she did a good job though, even though I thought the episode overall was weak.

I came here specifically to comment that I liked how she did the painting and singing at the same time.  I don't think I've ever seen that before.  And I see several other people liked that segment also.

I could be wrong, but I thought at the end there, it sounded like there was a bit of second vocal track there that she forgot to sing with.  Supposedly this is what happened with Ashley Simpson that everyone made such a huge fuss over.  But this sort of thing is becoming increasingly common, having a prerecorded vocal track to sing with - makes the vocal sound thicker and can create some alternate effects.  I know some people don't like it, but that's the way modern music is done these days, there's a lot of technology at play.  To be honest, even though I prefer older music, it doesn't bother me.

Now maybe there was no extra vocal track, it could have been a backup singer - we couldn't see the band (if there was one) during the performance.

Weekend Update made me laugh a few times, but I can't remember which jokes they were.  Usually it's not my favorite part of the show, because it follows such a predictable routine.  I like to watch Riverdale as a guilty pleasure, so I kind of enjoyed that sketch, even though it didn't really have anything to do with the show.  Other than that, nothing really memorable.

[Mystery]

3 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

It doesn't help that when they put the female cast members in drag it feels less like trying to be funny and more like just trying to get publicity because of all the hoopla and hype over Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer and how daring it was to send a message to Trump by having women dressed as men and everyone pretending it was 1920 and this was actually something risky.

As long as it annoys Trump to see people in his administration (and let's face it, they're mostly men) portrayed by women on SNL, we're going to see it. A thin-skinned person is easy to poke, and SNL will do that poking every time. 

I don't know Halsey from Adam, but I thought she did a good job. I definitely had low expectations, though. 

[Pete Martell]

4 minutes ago, Mystery said:

As long as it annoys Trump to see people in his administration (and let's face it, they're mostly men) portrayed by women on SNL, we're going to see it. A thin-skinned person is easy to poke, and SNL will do that poking every time. 

To me it's less about poking Trump to them and more about trying to cut corners on actually writing anything funny. I've never felt like those at SNL, at least up high, care that much about being anti-Trump. This is a way to get some attention so they do it, even though all it really does is misuse poor Kate McKinnon.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Pete Martell

[Joimiaroxeu]

Halsey didn't seem to know what to do with her hands during her opening monologue. Someone should've worked with her on that.

I think they relied too much on her ability to do a Jersey girl/New Yawk accent but I appreciated how game she was to let herself look silly.

Without a doubt she has a unique singing voice and is still riding her flavor of the month wave a few years in. I don't know though about any ambitions she may have of moving into acting, even in the comedy genre. There doesn't seem to be much depth in her ability, IMO.

[Ottis]

Maybe one of the least  funny episodes in years. Except for WU. But not that couple sketch. 

Never watched Empire and assume Them Trumps is riffing off whatever the show is about, but it’s clearly not about humor. 

The Virginia skit was funny. Blackface was never OK. Also, I think the mocking in the 80s comments was off base. Eddie Murphy has a cut on an early 80s album titled a gay slur:  “Fa—it.” That wasn’t OK either. But Murphy was 30-plus years ago in a context that is not the same as today. It was never right, and also, the show shouldn’t dismiss that it was more than three decades ago. Unless it wants to do a skit on Eddie Murphy, too.

Enjoyed Halsey. She sounds a lot like Adele to me. 

We need more Melissa. 

[marketdoctor]

I liked Halsey as an actress.  My expectations weren't that high (I'd only seen her "act" in some of her live performances, which were more dancing and singing rather than conventional acting), and she did better than I expected, especially in the parent's sketch.  Putting her hands in casts gave her something to do with her hands. 

She was also great in the group singing bits, and that was a clever way to bring in more vocal performances within the show's format.

It wasn't consistently extremely funny, but Halsey having fun with it was contagious.

[absnow54]

The blackface sketch just made me think of all the times SNL has done blackface. I remember Jimmy Fallon doing it for a Chris Rock impression in 1999 and Darrel Hammond was doing Jessie Jackson well through the 00’s. It just felt very pot calling the kettle. 

[helenamonster]

Have fortunately never gotten a Valentine's Day card from a boss and don't have kids yet, but there will definitely be one from my mom in my mailbox on Thursday, so that sketch spoke to me. I love you too, Mom, but we don't have to do this!

Melissa's whole justification for being on this show is her impressions, right? Then how come here Gaga sounds like me when I'm three margaritas deep and "Shallow" comes on at the bar? And there weren't really any other jokes to the segment so the whole thing was just a set up with some deeply mediocre payoff.

MVP of the night: the bird in the karaoke sketch. It was Halsey who was holding it, right? She and Pete looked terrified. For good reason too--birds are unpredictable and that thing was humongous!

Ngl, I was expecting Halsey to completely crash and burn but she was actually ok. The episode was kind of all over the place, much like this season. Looking forward to Don Cheadle rising above the material next week--I have seen him in some dire things but he always manages to come out unscathed.

8 hours ago, rmontro said:

I could be wrong, but I thought at the end there, it sounded like there was a bit of second vocal track there that she forgot to sing with.  Supposedly this is what happened with Ashley Simpson that everyone made such a huge fuss over.  But this sort of thing is becoming increasingly common, having a prerecorded vocal track to sing with - makes the vocal sound thicker and can create some alternate effects.  I know some people don't like it, but that's the way modern music is done these days, there's a lot of technology at play.  To be honest, even though I prefer older music, it doesn't bother me.

It is definitely common these days for singers to use a prerecorded backing track to help round out their vocals and mimic the mix that you hear on the studio version, especially somebody like Halsey who has a very airy voice.

It's been a minute, but Ashlee Simpson was straight-up lip-syncing, wasn't she? The band played the wrong pre-recorded vocal and then we were launched into the most deeply uncomfy moment of 2004.

[Steph J]

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

The blackface sketch just made me think of all the times SNL has done blackface. I remember Jimmy Fallon doing it for a Chris Rock impression in 1999 and Darrel Hammond was doing Jessie Jackson well through the 00’s. It just felt very pot calling the kettle. 

What?  I remember Darrel Hammond as Jesse Jackson, but cannot for the life of me recall Jimmy Fallon as Chris Rock.  That's crazy.

I find it... odd that they did a whole sketch about black face being wrong and then a few sketches later bronzed Halsey up to play Rashida Tlaib.  Seems like mixed messaging.

[rhys]

Crikey, that ridiculous Gucci sweater was $890?! 

[MerBearHou]

2 hours ago, absnow54 said:

The blackface sketch just made me think of all the times SNL has done blackface. I remember Jimmy Fallon doing it for a Chris Rock impression in 1999 and Darrel Hammond was doing Jessie Jackson well through the 00’s. It just felt very pot calling the kettle. 

And Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis Jr.  

[TiredMe]

Maurice was the skit of the night, I laughed like hell at it. Keenan’s facial expressions are everything.

i love Halsey’s voice and she did not disappoint in the two performances. 

[opus]

7 minutes ago, TiredMe said:

i love Halsey’s voice and she did not disappoint in the two performances.

It got pointed out to me today that a song I like from a few years ago, that I didn't know who did it, is a Halsey song (New Americana)

[ItCouldBeWorse]

13 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

And Billy Crystal as Sammy Davis Jr.  

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/billy-crystal-oscars-blackface-criticism-sammy-davis-295558

[oakville]

I loved "them Trumps" & Halsey's painting while singing performance.

[JZL]

The SNL-pats-itself-on-the-back-for-Black-History-Month sketch was a little eyebrow raiser since it hasn't been that long ago it was getting trashed for its lack of women of color and the black guys refused to play drag any longer. 

Halsey has the joie de vivre to pull off hosting.  I wouldn't mind seeing her again.  I had to laugh at her monologue line about singing the music you tell your daughter to turn down.  Oooh kay-- keep tellin' yourself that, I guess. 

I generally liked the sketches but WU stunk up the joint.  The Instagram couple bit was at the Garth & Kat level of prolonged non-comedic agony.  Maybe Heidi needs to move away from the Millennial Valley Girl persona for a while. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by JZL

[kib]

52 minutes ago, oakville said:

I loved "them Trumps" & Halsey's painting while singing performance.

Worth noting, I believe there was a little stagecraft trickery going on with the painting sequence, not that it should diminish the intent or execution which was well done.

I wonder if any disappointment in Halsey's sketch performances might come from her possessing the bona fide looks and appearance of a film actress but not the training or background in that profession?   Not a slam, she did quite well doing something few music artists have been able to circumnavigate.  Seems to me with some work she could be a slam-dunk triple threat.

Edited February 10, 2019 by kib

[JakeyJokes]

2 hours ago, Steph J said:

What?  I remember Darrel Hammond as Jesse Jackson, but cannot for the life of me recall Jimmy Fallon as Chris Rock.  That's crazy.

I find it... odd that they did a whole sketch about black face being wrong and then a few sketches later bronzed Halsey up to play Rashida Tlaib.  Seems like mixed messaging.

Halsey herself is biracial (but very light-skinned, much like Mariah Carey), which I think they were eluding to in the blackface sketch when she asked "What if I'm half black?" 

Halsey was an adequate host. Loved the Ashley Nicole accent in her monologue.

Ilhan Omar is my rep, so I love that she is now getting the SNL treatment.

[ottoDbusdriver]

I liked Halsey's energy with the various segments -- writing wasn't the best, but I think she put everything into it.  And I'd like to see her return to host sometime in the future.

Her first performance was mixed badly, the piano was overwhelming the vocals for a lot of the song.  I'd actually like to hear her sing.

Her 2nd performance was really impressive -- and I loved that it was a self-portrait, when she sat down and looked up at the end, complete with the hoop earrings.

The Maurice sketch was funny -- Kenan does such a great job.

[MVFrostsMyPie]

2 hours ago, JZL said:

I generally liked the sketches but WU stunk up the joint.  The Instagram couple bit was at the Garth & Kat level of prolonged non-comedic agony.  Maybe Heidi needs to move away from the Millennial Valley Girl persona for a while. 

Heh, I liked WU the most out of everything last night. The instagram couple bit I found funny because I know couples like that and I guess since I'm an older millennial, it hit the right funny notes for me. Heidi's outfit was so appropriate too. Got to have that super-extra hat and the "stylish" overalls, otherwise, what kind of social media influencer are you? Mikey Day looked like Kevin Bacon. Also loved that "Guy who bought a boat" made an appearance again. I love Melissa's impressions. She's impressed me with her singing since the "Welcome to Hell" music video.

The stage seemed so empty and sparse when Halsey was saying her very short thank you & goodbye. Probably because there were no special guest stars or the band members/random friends who usually accompany the musical guest. When did Colin get so muscle-y? Kate looked under the weather, Aidy looked comfortable and low-key in her sweater and Cecily looked like she was ready to go clubbing. 

Edited February 10, 2019 by MVFrostsMyPie

[SHD]

I thought Halsey was straight up lip syncing on the second song or she was very minimally contributing to a recorded track. I could see the outline already down of what she was painting but it was still an interesting presentation of the song.

A couple of times I at first thought Halsey in a wig was Cecily in a wig.

My favorite part of Them Trumps was when he was asked to get out of the car and said something like, "Yep! Somebody start filming this to put on WorldStar!"

[Ms Blue Jay]

Oh my god this was so good.  This was really good.  I'm impressed.  Colour me predicting this extremely wrong!

I'm on such a high after watching Melissa do "Shallow".  That is already legendary.  The last time I remember liking something this much was the Avatar Papyrus sketch, which feels like 100 years ago.  Although I always like the Chris Redd videos.

I love Them Trumps, and I love the Democratic Congresswomen.  Any show without Alec Baldwin is going to have me intrigued from the jump.  Good job, Halsey

Heidi and Mikey as that annoying couple was really annoying , but now what's his name is doing Man who just bought a Boat and I am CRYING laughing.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[peeayebee]

14 hours ago, Peace 47 said:

 it was driving me crazy as to whom Halsey did remind me of, but it just hit me when I saw a still of her from the Valentine song performance—she kind of looks like Evangeline Lilly during her “Lost” days.

She reminds me of someone too, but I don't think it's E.L. I'll have to dwell on it.

I didn't care for Halsey or her singing. 

I thought the CO had potential but didn't quite pull it off. The media profess to cover important news, but then they can't resist reporting on the trivial, salacious stuff. I liked Kate as Wilbur Ross (better than her previous time) and Aidy as Whitaker.

The sketch about the meeting in Virginia State House re blackface was great. Beck has the best line deliveries.

I didn't think the Valentine's Day song was all that great. Disappointing. Same with Women of Congress.

I cracked up at the graphic of the Delta airplane restroom with the window facing into the cabin. I really liked the Mikey and Heidi couple. They're both so good at creating characters.

The karaoke bar sketch just didn't work. I also thought the Maurice sketch was weak. Same with the last one.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Maybe Amber Rose?  A lot of these young celebrities have the same plastic face to me.  Or maybe, Agyness Deyn?  

This second/ painting performance seems extremely lip synced to me.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Ms Blue Jay]

17 hours ago, Pete Martell said:

It doesn't help that when they put the female cast members in drag it feels less like trying to be funny and more like just trying to get publicity because of all the hoopla and hype over Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer and how daring it was to send a message to Trump by having women dressed as men and everyone pretending it was 1920 and this was actually something risky.

Melissa McCarthy as Sean Spicer was a highlight of SNL for this entire decade.  It wasn't that she was a woman playing a man.  It was that the performance was incredibly shocking and funny.  Melissa really committed to that role and the writing was great.  Normal SNL castmembers are not able to commit the way Melissa was able to do that.  My opinion

9 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Without a doubt she has a unique singing voice 

I don't agree that it is unique.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Ms Blue Jay

[Dejana]

Halsey drawing during the musical performance was different, and kept me watching when I didn't really love the song. I generally like her voice, but she probably had some help with backing tracks.

The blackface sketch really got into all the excuses people try to make, though it would have won more points with me if they'd had the Kenan character call out SNL's history with it.

Melissa's Gaga impression was great but I wish there'd been more of an angle there. Also, the Not Bradley Cooper appearance was wasted, you could have had him "bitter" about losing awards to a guy who lip-synced, or channeled their viral Vegas performance and had them start intensely singing to each other as Che and Josh watched, increasingly uncomfortable, all, "...so, are you guys supposed to be performing in character or what?" But the Weekend Update appearance was probably a test run for an Oscar sketch in the next week or two.

Edited February 11, 2019 by Dejana

[Maverick]

Halsey look like P!nk to me. 

[Fostersmom]

5 hours ago, helenamonster said:

MVP of the night: the bird in the karaoke sketch. It was Halsey who was holding it, right? She and Pete looked terrified. For good reason too--birds are unpredictable and that thing was humongous!

The hand off of the bird was hilarious, it just wasn't moving, and then Pete looked terrified at a later flash of him still having it perched on his arm. 

3 hours ago, JZL said:

I generally liked the sketches but WU stunk up the joint.  The Instagram couple bit was at the Garth & Kat level of prolonged non-comedic agony.  Maybe Heidi needs to move away from the Millennial Valley Girl persona for a while. 

The thing is though, her millennial characters are pretty spot on to so many floating around on IG, it's not like she's too crazy far off the mark. 

1 hour ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

Heh, I liked WU the most out of everything last night. The instagram couple bit I found funny because I know couples like that and I guess since I'm an older millennial, it hit the right funny notes for me. Heidi's outfit was so appropriate too. Got to have that super-extra hat and the "stylish" overalls, otherwise, what kind of social media influencer are you? Mikey Day looked like Kevin Bacon. Also loved that "Guy who bought a boat" made an appearance again. I love Melissa's impressions. She's impressed me with her singing since the "Welcome to Hell" music video.

The stage seemed so empty and sparse when Halsey was saying her very short thank you & goodbye. Probably because there were no special guest stars or the band members/random friends who usually accompany the musical guest. When did Colin get so muscle-y? Kate looked under the weather, Aidy looked comfortable and low-key in her sweater and Cecily looked like she was ready to go clubbing. 

The IG couple was perfect. So many young dumbass couples act exactly like them, I loved them. The hat and overalls and Mikey's whole persona were just exact. 

The stage at the thank yous did seem empty. I didn't see the whole cast though either. I looked for Pete, I wanted to see him in his crazy corpse makeup, but I didn't see him or Che for that matter. 

[vb68]

2 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

and I love the Democratic Congresswomen

I did, too. I thought it was very clever and hope they expand it so it's more of an actual sketch rather than just a long intro.  It kinda reminded me of the "EX-Presidents" cartoon back when they did TV Funhouse.

2 hours ago, SHD said:

I thought Halsey was straight up lip syncing on the second song or she was very minimally contributing to a recorded track.

Yeah, I agree. I wasn't impressed with it.

I also agree that they should have at least acknowledged SNL's own history with blackface.

Edited February 11, 2019 by vb68