SNL Scorecard: Did Jeff Bridges Host the Best Show of the Year, Son?
Perhaps I'm in the holiday spirit (maybe), perhaps it's the amount of wine consumed from back-to-back holiday parties (more likely), but last night's Jeff Bridges-hosted installment of Saturday Night Live was, well, quite great. Not the laugh-out-loud funniest show of the season, but, from top to bottom, there wasn't a whole lot of "bad." I mean, it was so good that the best sketch of the night was the third to last of the show. Bridges, who last co-hosted in 1983 with his brother Beau, did an admirable job as host but, more importantly, did an admirable job of not getting in the way of a cast that was obviously on a mission before they took a break for the holidays.
Also, a side note, for anyone out there who wants to take 20 years off his appearance: Seriously, just shave your beard. Bridges went from "grizzled coot" to "Hey, isn't that the guy from Starman?" with one shave. Honestly, Tron: Legacy, you could have saved a lot of money on that young, CGI enhanced Jeff Bridges if you would have just given the guy a razor and a can of Gillette Foamy. Having said that, on to the scorecard!
Sketch of the Night
"Jeff's Prank Show" (Bridges): Jeff Bridges, as he admits, loves pranks! So he stars in a new show where he pranks the likes of Sam Elliott, Billy Bob Thornton, Forest Whitaker and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Sample prank: Gyllenhall is expecting a telegram, roses show up instead. You've been Jeff'd! The only thing that I don't understand, how could this sketch air so late in the show?
Score: 9.0
The Good
"Underground Holiday Event" (Sudeikis, Pedrad, Moynihan): We finally get our sequel to Kickspit. This time featuring more bands with those crazy names, like Scrotum Fire and Third Eye Blind. Also, finally, the return of Ass Dan!
Score: 8.0
"Digital Short: I Just Had Sex" (Samberg, Taccone, Akon): Two solid weeks in a row for the crew from The Lonely Island. Jorma Taccone returns to the screen, along with Samberg and Akon, for this ode to having sex. Samberg has been a quite a run recently with his Digital Shorts; it seems the holidays always do bring out the best in this series, for whatever reason. In tone, this was more, "I'm on a Boat," though, than "D*ck in a box."
Score: 8.0
"Message from Mark Zuckerbeg" (Hader, Samberg): Mark Zuckerberg was named Time Magazine's person of the year, and now he has some things to say about that. Well, that is if Julian Assange didn't, for the third week in a row, hack the transmission to deliver another message. And the sketch has a good point: Why, in 2010, is Zuckerberg the person of the year? If _The Social Network _ was never released, would this have happened? Love him or hate him, at least Assange is currently making his mark. I mean, seriously, three sketches in three weeks based on Assange!
Score: 7.0
"Weekend Update" (Meyers, Killam, Thompson, Hader, Armisen, Moynihan): "Weekend Update" has hired a new weatherman and his name is Brad Pitt. Honestly, I can't tell is this is an accurate Brad Pitt impression or not, but, for some reason, I couldn't stop laughing. Also, even in a limited role, no "Update" is complete without Stefon. Kenan's Michael Steele, unfortunately, fell flat but... did I mention Killam's strange but funny Brad Pitt impression?
Score: 7.0
"Jeff Bridges Monologue" (Bridges): Played surprisingly straight, yes, Jeff Bridges sang a duet of "Silver Bells" with Cookie Monster. And surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. Again, it may have been the lasting effects of last night's wine, but the fact that Bridges looked like he was having the time of his life won me over. I mean, seriously, did you see that charming, unbearded fellow?
Score: 6.5
"White House Christmas Cold Open" (Armisen, Sudeikis, Wiig, Samberg, Bayer) When did it become a prerequisite that every single cold open has to be political? Regardless, this week's installment of "Fred Armisen's serviceable-at-best impression of Obama" was a fairly funny installment. Obama, Clinton, Emanuel, Pelosi and Biden all stare out of the window, imagining the the headlines they would like to see in the upcoming year. It's funny because -- including Biden's "Live Gorilla Runs on Basketball Court, Dunks" -- they are all pretty much true.
Score: 6.5
"General Store" (Bridges, Hader, Moynihan, Wiig, Sudeikis): I am an absolute sucker for the weirder last sketches of the night. And the weird has unfortunately been missing since, it seems, Will Forte's departure. I mean, when was the last time we saw something like Forte's showdown with Sudeikis over a potato chip during an interview for NASA? Regardless, this come really close: An Old West general store with a gift-wrapping department. I loved Moynihan's honest, " I do not know what that means."
Score: 6.0
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Comments
Man, do I hear you on the Kardashians thing.
Are you serious? This episode was one of the season's worst, not best.
Are you kidding me? You probably think Two and a Half Men is funny too. That was by far, one of the worst episodes this season, if not ever. Wow.
It's funny that you'd say that, because I was just talking to someone about how it was, without a doubt, the worst episode of the year and quite possibly the worst episode I've ever seen. I love Jeff Bridges and didn't smile once for the duration of the show.
It's possible we don't share an identical sense of humor, no harm there, but I'm concerned that there's actually something wrong with you, son.
Just to chime in- this was a pretty weak show (no fault of the host or cast).
It's kind of scary that you thought this episode was even remotely good. I'm kind of worried. That was the worst episode of the season. Jeff Bridges was excruciatingly unfunny. I can accept that SNL is wildly hit or miss these days but an episode like this just isn't okay.
It was truly a weak episode and an even weaker hosting job by Bridges. You might want to take another crack at this review when you are sober. I would certainly be willing to give you a Christmas mulligan.
The only sketch I really laughed at was "General Store" at the end of the show.
Yes, you're right, this episode was the worst ... ever! Somehow worse than the entire Jean Doumanian era of SNL. If only the likes of Denny Dillon and Tony Rosato were still in on the air. If you disagree, fine (I get it, I'm in the minority) but don't be ridiculous.
I swear, I really liked this show! Perhaps it was because it stayed away from a lot of the tired recurring characters. I dunno, but I enjoyed it. There was an energy that appealed to me.
I'm with you, Mike - I thought this episode was fun. Maybe not the best, but fun.
Although, I don't get what's so special about "I Just Had Sex" . . . kind of funny, but it's basically "I'm On A Boat"/"Jizz In My Pants"/"Mother Lover" stuck in a blender.
I didn't hate this episode, it wasn't great but it was better than the last two episodes at least. Not the best of the season by any means, but hardly the worse. The cold open, Crunkmas, and digital short were all decent.
Another person with apparently questionable taste chiming in to say I thought this was a pretty solid episode with very few missteps. I laughed a lot.
I didn't like the Jeff'd or Larry King Live sketches and the Brad Pitt impression was a bit baffling on first viewing. Someone on another board suggested that Killam might have been doing a riff on Pitt's character from Seven. I watched the clip again with Seven in mind and it became sort of funny.
I really loved the cold open. I don't mind the political cold opens as long as they are funny. This one had several laugh out loud moments for me, especially Sudeikis as Biden.
Ha no worries man. To each his own. I was really just messing with you because I thought it was funny you kept mentioning the wine. Im going to watch the episode again to see if I am missing something youre not.
The episode may not have been the funniest of the season but it was steady throughout. It was strong in its own right and had a specific charm that I enjoyed. You certainly cannot please everyone but I don't think your praise of the episode warrants such a cold response.
I thought the episode was pretty good. Bridges was only okay, although perhaps you are correct, Mike, when you said he let the cast do their thing. But he did look like he was having a blast the whole time, especially in the monologue and Jeff'd.
I would have rated the sketches differently, my favorite being The General Store. Other than that, I agree with most of what you said. There really wasn't 'a whole lot of bad'. It could have just seemed good in relation to other episodes this season, idk. Oh, and I thought the Digital Short was pretty funny, but not as funny as other Lonely Island music videos.
Interesting thread here, Ryan. I'm trying to figure out if you're Hazel, Kristen, Ass Dan or all of the above. Criticisms are not just leveled at your opinion of the episode but at your writing as well. My suggestion would be to cease writing comments under fake commenter names supporting your ego. That time would be better spent honing your craft and improving your writing.
If I'm going to have an Internet enemy, I'm pleased that his/her name is "Sweat Pants Boner."
Interesting that someone questioning you is immediately an enemy. That speaks to self-esteem issues. Regardless, I'm not your enemy.
I've been reading Movieline for a long time, long before you darkened the doorstep, and I expect more from their writers. I've read 8 or 9 posts in the last few months that I thought were sub-par and when I scrolled up to see who the writer, it was you. Step your game up.
"Interesting that someone questioning you is immediately an enemy."
And anyone that leaves a comment that disagrees with the one that you wrote must be me using another commenter name? (Honestly, I have no problem with the first comment that you left in this thread. You lose the point that you're trying to make when you throw around accusations.)
Holy crap, "Sweat Pants Boner" - you need to stop taking yourself so seriously. Particularly if you're going to use that as your name.
Mr. Boner –I can’t help but wonder if by insulting Mike you’re speaking to your own self-esteem issues. Do you need to personally insult someone in order to make yourself feel better? You should reflect on that. I’d hate to see it result in self-destructive tendencies.
Mike’s writing has charisma and humor to it that I appreciate. It is fine to state your opinion regarding the show but it doesn’t give you permission to attack his abilities. Especially when you’re commenting under the name “Sweat Pants Boner.”
Happy Holidays, Mr. Boner! Please say hello to the missus for me!
From the email that Sweat Pants Boner used to leave the comments, it appears to be someone I know who, it seems, has an ax to grind with me. I'm sorry you got caught up in this. Time to move on.
I agree that it was the strongest episode of the season. Kickspit and I Just Had Sex were my favorites, which only proves that you can take the boy out of the seventh grade, but you can't take the seventh grade out of the boy...
Anne Hathaway, right now , is the best SNL host this season and the episode she hosted was the most entertaining. Jeff Bridges didn't even come close to Anne's skills. Hathaway's talent and great impressions even surpassed the SNL veteran Amy Poehler - that is saying a lot.
If it takes them two years to make "Ass Dan: Winner Takes All" then I hope the world ends in 2012....
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