“Picture me eating every single one of those fifty, gross, stinky hotdogs”
Cold Open: Retweets
3 Stars
Trump can’t stop tweeting during a cabinet meeting. See we’re still going with the angle that Kellyanne Conway is exasperated by the whole administration, wonder when that’s gonna end. Some good gags in this one, Trump confusing a plate of mashed potatoes with his portrait, Bobby as a skinhead getting retweeted, and Steve Bannon being played by the Grim Reaper.
Emma Stone Monologue
3 Stars
Emma takes a walk backstage to find Kyle and Leslie making out, Kenan smoking pot, Vanessa as a mean girl, and Bobby who she had a fling with last time she hosted. Nothing too memorable but cute.
Theater Showcase
3 Stars
5th and final appearance of this sketch. A group of high school students think they are relating powerful messages but are just dumb. Vanessa and Kenan get most of the laughs as the confused parents in the audience. Aidy’s misguided views on AIDS was a highlight.
The Christmas Candle
3 Stars
A story told in song about a traveling Christmas candle. I really enjoyed the look of this, filmed in 4:3 with a grainy look that makes it appear like an artifact from 1994. The song’s catchy but doesn’t hit that classic level for me like I think it does for others.
Posters
3 Stars
Here’s another one that I think is more popular with others. I think it’s just okay. Pete dreams that his posters are giving him math advice but his poster of a sexy girl holding a hotdog is only interested in hotdogs and hotdog related topics. Pretty solid performances except for the expected giggling from Pete and Kenan.
The Hunt For Hil
3 Stars
Kyle and Beck are hunting for Hilary Clinton in the woods like she’s Bigfoot. I can’t quite remember what this is based on, something about Hilary being spotted on a hike after the election, but it has some nice moments. Mostly Vanessa doing the re-enactment of spotting Hilary.
Shawn Mendes
"Mercy"
Weekend Update
Leslie Jones talks about penis size and giggles at material she assumingly wrote and rehearsed herself.
And we get the 2nd Update appearance of Rachel From Friends and since Vanessa happens to be in a movie with Jennifer Aniston that is currently in theaters she tags along too so we can get one of those classic impression meets the celebrity things the show loves doing.
Cleaning Crew
3 Stars
It’s the last day in the office before Christmas break and the cleaning crew has prepared a song. Leslie, Emma, and Cecily sing about Santa having his way with them. There’s absolutely no ending to this but the ride was fun.
Paley Center Event
3 Stars
2nd appearance of Debette Goldry after her debut in the season premiere. Leslie, Emma, and Jennifer Aniston all play themselves as they take turns cringing at Debette’s tales of old Hollywood when men treated women like holes and drug mules. My, how things change.
Wells For Boys
4 Stars
For the sensitive little boys, a well to wish upon, confide in, and reflect by. Sold separately are balconies for announcements and shattered mirrors. This is my favorite so far of this season’s films, although I guess it counts as a fake commercial, perfect performance all around especially the sensitive boy.
Shawn Mendes returns with "Treat You Better"
The Nativity
2 Stars
As soon as I saw the manger set I groaned a bit. I feel like there’s no more fresh comedic takes on the birth of Jesus. Emma plays Mary and she’s upset that uninvited guests are visiting because she doesn’t look her best, just giving birth and all. While I admit that’s an angle I haven’t seen before, it wasn’t that funny.
FINAL ANALYSIS
"I wish everyone in the world had AIDS"
Average
3 Stars
MVP
Vanessa Bayer
Retweets, Monologue, Theater Showcase, The Christmas Candle, The Hunt For Hil, Weekend Update, Cleaning Crew
Best Sketch
Wells For Boys
Worst Sketch
The Nativity
How I Would Have Lorne Michaels-ed It
What’s wrong with starting with Wells For Boys? Gimme a fake commercial right after the monologue and start the show off fun. Save Christmas Candle for after Update. This episode flowed pretty well. It helped that all the sketches were good.
Host Analysis
I really liked her. I can’t remember how I felt about her other episodes but she fit right in with the cast without overshadowing, which is the best I can hope for from a host. Since the majority of the sketches were ensemble driven she didn’t stand out but I prefer that over a dominating host.
Final Thoughts
A 3 star rating is basically my average and the sketch average for this episode is a perfect 3. That’s exactly how I feel about it. This is a good episode of SNL. I don’t think there’s anything classic, but there’s nothing terrible. You can watch this and afterwards think, I’m glad I watched that. But I doubt I’ll be thinking about it for too long. I say that but I do remember telling my brother about the Steve Bannon bit in the cold open. For the record, I was still pro Alec Baldwin as Trump at this point. If I’m interested in one thing from this season it’s finding the moment where I stopped enjoying the circus.
Up Next
Pro wrestler turned actor John Cena hosts with musical guest Maren Morris
Love the leather skirt Emma is wearing
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