SNL Scorecard: Did Russell Brand Somehow Just Host the Best Show of the Season?
Never once in my life have I ever uttered the words, "You know what this movie needs? A little more Russell Brand." So when I heard Brand would be hosting an entire episode of Saturday Night Live (with confirmed a-hole Chris Brown as musical guest, to boot), I braced myself for the worst. My mistake: I have no idea how, but Brand just hosted the best SNL of the season.
I've had a theory for a while about nights like this: When SNL has a host who doesn't come with a huge built-in fan base or pre-written material (like Miley Cyrus will on both counts) and has no reservations about possible material -- especially in cases like Brand's, when expectations are already low -- this sparks the writers' creativity. And Lorne Michaels is likelier to let some edgier stuff air because, well, he's got nothing to lose. This was one of those nights. On to the scorecard...
Sketch of the Night
"British Movie " (Hader, Armisen, Brand): It's the new trailer for the new "Extremely British" Cannes award winner, Don' You Go Rounin' Roun to Re Ro, a film that's getting accolades such as "I don't thing I heard a single consonant." I have no idea where this came from -- Christ, it looks real! -- but this is the best thing to air on SNL all season. Our first perfect 10.
Score: 10
The Good
"Spider-Man Lawsuit" (Armisen, Moynihan, Killam): On any other show, this mock TV spot would have been the best sketch of the night. Armisen plays the chief of a sleazy personal-injury law firm that specializes in clients who have either performed in or attended Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark. Even "insulted the legacy of Spider-Man" is reason enough for a suit. Unfortunately, it seems that his awarded compensation usually involves... more tickets to Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. The best part: Armisen swinging by in-between scene changes.
Score: 9.0
"Weekend Update" (Meyers, Armisen, Killam, Pharoah, Hader): Meyers was, as usual of late, on. His best joke of the night involved a riff on congressman Christopher Lee and the need for an app that removes the cell phone from any picture. (Aquaman wasn't bad, either). Armisen was fine as Mubarak; Pharoah and Killam make an eerily good team as Lil Wayne and Eminem ("Knife!"), but of course the big news is that Bill Hader's Stefon is back. Stefon was great as always, but is it just me or did it look like Hader was kind of, let's say, embellishing one of his "breaks" around the 3:18 mark during the "human suitcases" line? I mean, imagine a Stefon without Hader laughing; would it be half as good? That's all I'm saying.
Score: 8.0
"Royal Taster" (Brand, Hader, Killam): This has to rank as one of the most over-the-top sketches in the history of SNL: Brand plays a king who treats his cook terribly -- so bad, in fact, that the cook point blank tells the King that he's going to poison him. Hader and Brand mug their way through and, somehow (I'm giving Hader most of the credit), it's funny. As an added bonus, you can now say that you've seen The King's Speech! (Sure, that line is such a non sequitur to the rest of the sketch but, really, why the hell not?)
Score: 7.0
"Russell Brand Monologue" (Brand): As stated, I'm not a huge Russell Brand fan, but Michaels was wise to just let Brand get on stage and do his thing. It was kind of a nice throwback to the old days of SNL when the host would do a whole routine on stage. Say what you will, but it is refreshing to have a host that can entertain the audience for almost a full eight and half minutes. To put this in perspective, Jesse Eisenberg's monologue was only four and half minutes.
Score: 6.5
"Livin' Single" (Bayer, Brand, Killam): What a week for Vanessa Bayer: Not only will Miley Cyrus be hosting in two weeks, but she gets a brand-new starring sketch. This sketch was fine, but the scene of Bayer riding around on Russell Brand put it over the line to enjoyable.
Score: 6.0
Pages: 1 2
Subscribe to the new Movieline on YouTube
Comments
Why can't Hader get through a sketch without breaking? It kills it for me. Like, I know Meyers will laugh at his own jokes like a smug jackass every... single... time... But that doesn't work for Stefon or Herb Welch or the royal chef or whoever else Hader catches fire with. Am I the only one who expects my sketch comics to actually, like, stay in character? Am I too old-fashioned?
Vacation Getaway was a re-used sketch. They did it before when Brian Williams hosted only it was Publisher's Clearing House and a stuffed crust pizza (iirc). Exact same premise, exact same beats, exact same punchline.
You are straight up crazy if you thought this was better than the Jim Carrey or Dana Carvey episode...
You have to be kidding me! Did we watch the same episode?? This was by far the worst of the season. Brand was absolutely dreadful. British Movie got a 10! Are you pranking all six readers of this column??
that show totally sucked with the exception of seth meyers.
I know, I'm surprised they even attempted to make that a recurring sketch. It was slightly amusing the first time.
Something tells me you've never actually seen a British movie...
Not sure what show you watched, I didn't crack a smile until the Hader bit on Weekend Update.
seriously? Best episode ever? it was occasionally funny ay random times. I agree more with comments posted above than with review itself.
I actually agree with you, Mike. I wouldn't call it best of the season (that's Anne hathaway for me so far), but it was a very good episode. I even loved the Tea skit and think of all the three times I've seen that Kristen Wiig-sketch, this version was actually the funniest (but now they can really put it to sleep).
What? This was the worst of the season. C'mon, Movieline. Are you pranking us?
Vacation Giveaway deserves less than a two. Why is this a recurring sketch? It wasn't funny to begin with.
Something tells me you didn't watch this episode. Terrible.
I very rarely watch SNL. Every time i do I remember why.
This show isn't just bad. It's horrible. It's beyond horrible. I honestly don't know how it's still on the air, especially in the age of youtube sketch comedians, who routinely blow this stuff out of the water.
If this was the best episode of the year then color me fucking flabbergasted.
Yes, all six readers. So, thank you, Cory, for your support and your brother Dude's support below, who make up a third of the readership. (At least, I can only assume Dude is your brother because you have the same IP address.) Enjoy your Sunday, guys!
It is weird because Fallon and Sanz used to get ripped for doing the same thing.
Haters gonna hate (and hate and hate and hate)...
The only thing I think Mike Ryan is crazy about is the lower score for A Spot of Tea. When Hader breaks out the large shelf of tall glasses, I was dying at how ridiculous it was.
(Mike Ryan is also crazy about a good cheesesteak. But that might just be pure conjecture on my part).
OK, that part was great.
(Also, cheesesteak is yummy.)
WTF? Who wrote this article? Russell Brand?
Collectively I wasn't too impressed with last night's show but "British Movie" and Stefon made it all worthwhile for me.
I laughed probably twice in this whole episode. The british movie trailer, and Weekend Update. Russell Brand sucked all the energy out of every scene he was in and stored it in his rat's nest of a head. He's just plain not funny; I don't know what possessed SNL to have him on.
I read this every week and you are usually far more critical of the episode than I am which is why I was surprised at this glowing review. I'm still sort of in shock.
Also, for the record, I have no idea who Dude is or why we have the same IP address.
I thought this was one of the best SNL episodes I've seen a long while. Russell Brand's monologue was definitely funny (think it should have ranked higher than the Royal Taster skit), and I laughed so hard at the British Movie commercial, that I almost had tears coming out of my eyes. The Weekend Update was funny, especially Armisen and the skit w/Pharoah & Killam (his Eminem was hillarious). The Livin Single and Vacation Giveaway skits would have completely bombed, had Russell not been in them (well Giveaway still bombed.) Livin Single wasn't funny until Russell showed up and just went for broke, and Giveaway was somewhat funny when Russell's character went completely wild over the Pottery Barn magazine subscription, but that was only 10-15 secs out of the entire skit, so he couldn't save that one. Overall, this episode gave me the sense that the writing on the show is improving...hopefully, that's the case.
Pretty sure they trotted out the never-funny "Vacation Giveaway" with Gwyneth Paltrow, too.
Is it even a real TLC show theyre going out of their way to ineffectively spoof?
No, it was me.
Next »