SNL Scorecard: Will the Real, Funny Bryan Cranston Please Step Forward?
The Bad
"Basement Karate" (Pedrad, Cranston): This one's right on the border. Love Pedrad's character, Henry, but the execution seemed a tad off. Impressive Pegasus, though.
Score: 5.999
"Bryan Cranston Monologue" (Ensemble): As stated, Cranston is a funny guy but the monologue was merely serviceable, using the recurring joke that no one can remember his name. Really? When did we all forget Bryan Cranston's name? I feel like we've been down this road before when it comes to monologues. At least they didn't resort to taking "questions" from the audience. A bonus half-point, though, for bringing out a picture of Bill Paxton.
Score: 5
"Weekend Update" (Meyers, Moynihan, Samberg): Fairly forgettable "Update" which, after last week, reminds us how much better Meyers is when Poehler is around. Highlight was Moynihan as second-hand-news correspondent, Anthony Crispino, delivering second hand news on the Ground Zero Mosque. "These Muslanic guys want to show that Jim Carrey movie, The Mask. That's why this preacher, he's going to burn all these Koreans. I guess Koreans love Jim Carrey."
Score: 5
The Ugly
"Kid Smartz Game Show" (Bayer, Elliott, Samberg, Thompson): Shades of The Kissing Family, only, instead, Cranston plays a middle-aged game show host whom loves to kiss children. Thompson plays a sassy young girl who knows what he's up to. Better suited as a plot for an afterschool special.
Score: 3
"Shanna: Basketball Game" (Wiig, Cranston, Killam, Samberg, Thompson, Elliott): Christ, this was terrible. I hate admitting this, but the first time I saw a "Shanna" sketch, I did laugh. Now it's a neverending platform for burp and fart jokes. Kill it! Kill "Shanna" now! For the Love of God, kill it! I think I'd prefer to see "Gilly" over "Shanna." (I may regret that now that Forte is gone, the only person whom made "Gilly" sketches even slightly tolerable.)
Score: 1.5
Average Score For This Show: 5.79
Weekly Host Scorecard:
· Amy Poehler 6.04
· Bryan Cranston 5.79
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Comments
That photo in the monologue was of Bill Paxton! Hee.
I was expecting Chris Hansen to walk on during the “Kid Smartz Game Show", that would've made it amusing but probably not enough to counteract the creep factor.
Your 2 favorite sketches were my least favorite. I thought the best was "Basement Karate."
It was a pretty lack luster night overall. I don't think Cranston made me laugh once. Too bad, he is usually really funny.
You're so right. And I knew that, too. Ha. Corrected.
The creepy kissing game show host was a play on this real life creepy kissing game show host.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW9220F7SQc
Oh, god, I think that makes it worse.
Man, Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny since that nostalgic period of my life when I thought it was.
(Which, in actuality, it wasn't funny then either)
hulu.com ... damn.. i'm in canada, it won't stream here. too cold.
Cranston has the chops, just awkward writing, I guess. Loved the incoming texts during the 991, "Dude, I haven't seen you in like, 5 years...Rescue Dogs, really?"
I fail to see anything funny in "What's up with that. It would have been last on my own list. Good recap otherwise.
Since I'm also up here in Lorne Michael's Hulu-free native land of Canada, I'll have to rely on my PVR for a second look at some of these sketches.
LOL Bill Paxton.
I hear there is a swelling Facebook movement in support of Ernest Borgnine hosting SNL...