SNL Scorecard: Third Time is Almost the Charm For Host Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm returned to Saturday Night Live last night for his third -- count 'em, third -- hosting gig in the last three years. The guy is now a pro on the level of Timberlake and Hanks (not quite Alec Baldwin or Steve Martin), and he absolutely sold what is probably the weakest material he's had in any of his gigs. That enthusiasm trickled down to the SNL veterans, who were out in force to get their screen time with Hamm for better or worse -- probably worse, to be honest, considering the relegation of last week's terrific featured players to missing-in-action status.
Sketch of the Night
"Back to the Future Screen-tests" (Ensemble): Perhaps the longest time period between an initial sketch and its follow-up, the "Back to the Future Screen-tests" pick up right where "Star Wars Screen-tests" -- from a Kevin Spacey-hosted episode in 1997 -- left off. Jennifer Tilly, Nicolas Cage, Prince, Bill Cosby, Gilbert Gottfried, Joan Cusack and Pee-Wee Herman apparently all tried out for Back to the Future. The standouts: Bill Hader as Al Pacino (Great, Scott. Three cheers for Scott!), Jay Pharoah as Eddie Murphy, Jon Hamm as Robin Williams, Bobby Moynihan as Sam Kinison (Doc, you're telling me that YOU BUILT A TIME MACHINE ... OUT OF A DELOREAN! YOU IDIOT! OHH! OHHHHHHH!) and Bill Hader as Alan Alda auditioning for Biff. I never dreamed an Alan Alda impression could be that funny.
Score: 9.0
The Good
"Vincent Price's Halloween Special" (Hader, Wiig, Hamm, Armisen, Pedrad): My favorite recurring part of any recent SNL Halloween episode. All poor Vincent Price wants to do is put on a decent Halloween special, but John F. Kennedy and Judy Garland are too busy popping pills, and Liberace twists everything into a sexual innuendo. It's no different than any of the others in this series, but any sketch that can take stars of the late '50s and make them relevant in 2010 is doing its job.
Score: 8.5
"I Didn't Ask For This" (Moynihan, Brittain, Hamm, Wiig): A talk show featuring the poor bastards who find themselves unwillingly part of an Internet meme. You have "Fat Guy Gets Owned," "Bee Sting Fail," and Hamm absolutely bringing it in the infamous "Best Cry Ever." Though Hamm may have only had to think of his (and my) alma mater, Missouri, being crushed by Nebraska earlier in the afternoon to produce that cry. (You win, Rachelle.)
Score: 7.5
"Digital Short: Ronnie and Clyde" (Rihanna, Samberg): The return of Rihanna and Shy Ronnie in what I believe is the first digital short sequel not involving Laser Cats or Justin Timberlake. This time the two are robbing a bank and, because Ronnie is shy, no one can hear what his instructions are -- at least until Rihanna takes off with Jon Hamm.
Score: 7.0
"Highway Cops" (Sudeikis, Hamm): Makeout session between Hamm and Sudeikis aside, I wanted to hate "Highway Cops." Other than the payoff at the end with the smooch, there was really nothing here except two guys riding a motorcycle commenting on the leaves changing colors. But they just looked so darn happy riding that motorcycle together, commenting on the leaves changing colors! It's impossible to not like them -- even though they are terrible cops.
Score: 6.5
"Jon Hamm Monologue" (ensemble): Not the most inspired of monologues, to be honest. (Again, the "let's take questions from the audience" strategy is never very inspired.) But Hamm always looks like he's having the time of his live when hosting SNL and watching him smile his way through some impromptu ad pitches -- purse: a tiny lady suitcase; diapers: we got your butt -- was worthy of a "Wham, bam, thank you, Hamm."
Score: 6.0
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Comments
This was the most I've enjoyed an episode all season. The material may not have been the strongest but I laughed out loud numerous times during the airing. And, on a Saturday night, that's all I'm asking for.
I thought this ep was far better than last week's with Emma Stone(i felt so bad for her) but they need NEW writers...
There were some really great sketches last week late in the episode. Hamm is the best pure host so far this season -- he was front and center while other hosts played bit parts and supporting roles.
If you're gonna sequel-ize a digital short you need to reimagine it (like they masterfully did with Mother Lover). RONNIE & CLYDE is a clever concept but it was almost beat-for-beat the same music as the original SHY RAH-NAY. Fail. ...and the BACK TO THE FUTURE auditions don't hold a candle to the STAR WARS ones of '97. The key to that one's success was that ALL the impressions were solid - and they actually utilized a host that could pull many of them off. Maybe they should stay away from that bit until Kevin Pollack hosts again. Pacino - great. Alda - great. Murphy - great. Herman - great. But guess what, they're all cast members. They're supposed to be able to do that... Showcase the host more and really throw the audience for a loop.
The 'I Didn't Ask For This' sketch was my favorite so far this season. I was wondering when Bobby was going to have the lead in a sketch and man did he deliver. I could watch 'Fat Guy Get's Owned' a million times.
The host from 97 that you're thinking of was Kevin Spacey.
I could have done without Kinnison and Pee Wee in the Back to the Future screen tests. Impersonations of those two have been beaten into the ground for 25 years. They didn't really add anything to the bit. "I know you are, but what am I!?" Seriously?
Kenan made me very, very happy this past weekend for two reasons: (1) His asides to his dead wife in "Highway Cops" were hilarious. (2) I think this was the first time he's been allowed to do Cosby since the Fat Albert movie! Granted, it was a bit rusty, but now that the gag order is apparently lifted, I'm looking forward to seeing him re-discover what was once his signature impression.
SNL needs to be scrapped. Most of the cast and writers should be fired. The show is just a glorified high school improv group with sketches that only crack up the cast and a few viewers that can appreciate that SNL manages to keep from being edgy enough to offend or test any boundaries. Any attempts at edge results in what amounts to fart jokes or elementary school dirty words.
Can you imagine college students and twenty somethingers quoting lines from the show or getting together to watch the show now? There was a time when that was the case and you don't have to go back to the days of the original '70s cast to find it. SNL has become the establishment that others rail against; it's an establishment that exists solely on it's storied "hallowed" past.
Sedeikis and Wiig are one note, one trick ponies. SNL was lazy and didn't seek out a decent Obama impersonator Sedikis's impersonation is as bad as Chevy Chase's Ford's impression and we all know that the only thing funny about that was his prat fall (same vein as farts and dirty words).
Lord help SNL if another major network develops decent counter programming.
I forgot to mention that 30 Rock, which is pretty much a spin off of SNL, is fantastic. I could watch 30 Rock for an hour and a half and laugh all the way through.
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