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GRAVITY: It isn’t surprising that SNL would parody the number one movie in the country, and it’s a solid cold open. The premise is flimsy and the sketch is a bit empty, but Thompson and McKinnon are extremely entertaining as the janitors back in Houston. I enjoyed Thompson’s Willy Wonka suggestion, but another government shutdown joke? Sigh. GRADE: B
MONOLOGUE: I like Bruce Willis, but I couldn’t care less about his harmonica-playing or his daughters. There really isn’t anything funny here, and Moynihan isn’t terrible enough at the harmonica to be funny. GRADE: C
24 HOUR ENERGY: This is mainly an excuse for everyone to scream and exaggerate, and it’s alright. I’m not exactly sure about the accuracy of the scenarios depicted here, but it’s a creative enough premise. I just wish they had gone further with this, maybe exploring the 24-Hour Energy For Dating Actors? GRADE: B-
BLACK OPS: This plays off of Willis’ action background, but it ends up being disappointing; it could’ve been so much better if Willis was stronger. Moynihan’s excited reactions to the proceedings are priceless, but Willis seems a little too nonchalant for his own good. I couldn’t even understand half of what he was saying. GRADE: B-
BARBER SHOP: Once again, Willis is the weak link here, which sadly drags down the grade of the sketch a bit. He gets in some funny lines, but what really makes it work are Thompson’s and Pharoah’s reactions to everything. Their interactions with each other are comedy gold, and I’d watch a whole episode of that. GRADE: B-
BOY DANCE PARTY: Now this is some well-produced fun. It’s reminiscent of those fantastic digital shorts, and it’s catchy and silly. The freeze-frame of Taran Killam spraying silly string is priceless, and it’s the best sketch of the night so far. GRADE: B+
LADY GAGA TALK SHOW: Nothing here really works; Willis is awkward, and…that’s it. Bayer’s Gaga isn’t really anything special, McKinnon’s Cruz isn’t up to her other impressions, and Killam’s DJ gets old after a while. The premise is bad in and of itself, so you’ll enjoy it if you’re not expecting much. GRADE: C
WEEKEND UPDATE: Strong seems to be getting better every week. She has tons of chemistry with Meyers, and the news jokes are pretty strong this week; the Jenner jokes are fantastic. Thompson is great as Chaplain Barry Black, and his rants are a thing of beauty. As for Wheelan, I’m glad he’s getting more screen time, but his turn as the tattoo guy here doesn’t work for me. GRADE: B
KIRBY: Yeah, this is love or hate, but I’m on the “hate” side. I just don’t get it. Yeah, he loves cats and he’s annoying as hell, but he steals the sketch without actually stealing the sketch. It’s overlong and unfunny, and they need to scrap this. GRADE: C-
CENTAURI VODKA: Well, this isn’t much. All the sketch contains is Willis in an awful centaur costume with Milhiser suffocating behind him, and it gets unfunny in a hurry, even though it’s an extremely short sketch. GRADE: C+
CHON, or CHUN, or whatever: This is an annoying sketch. Yes, it’s entertaining at first to watch Killam ham it up over a mix-up of two words, but this gets old fast. Also, Killam’s screaming becomes almost like nails on a chalkboard. I said they need to scrap Kirby, but this one needs to go first. No, it is not funny. Glice was not funny, either. GRADE: D+
SIGMA: This is a good, low key sketch that allows a couple of newcomers to shine. Their deadpan delivery makes everything all the more hilarious, and what they’re actually talking about is as well. It’s short, sweet, and a nice way to round out the evening. GRADE: B
KATY PERRY: I like Katy Perry’s personality and her voice at times, and these two songs are good enough for her. There’s a generic-ness to both of them, but they’re entertaining and deliver catchy beats. Like last week, we have two perfectly good pop songs. GRADE: B
Oh come on, repeat sketch already?
OVERALL GRADE: C
BEST SKETCH: BOY DANCE PARTY
WORST SKETCH: CHON/KIRBY
FINAL THOUGHTS: This episode ends up being as unmemorable as I was expecting. Willis is a mediocre host, Perry is a fine musical guest, and there are some truly awful sketches in there. The good sketches never cross over into great, though, but there are still some truly funny moments: Thompson/Pharoah in the barbershop, the new guys in Sigma (still can’t remember their names), and everyone in “Boy Dance Party.” In two weeks, Edward Norton/Janelle Monáe.
Credit to NBC and Saturday Night Live for all pictures. I own nothing.
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