Minding the P’s and Q’s of SNL

QUALITY: Join us LIVE at HITCH in Toronto, as we celebrate another successful year for the Saturday Night Live Fantasy League and it’s continued growth in this the 40^th Season of SNL! Yes, we’re having a viewing party of the finale episode, starting at 11pm on May 16^th! We’ll tape some things for the Deep Thoughts on SNL podcast, we’ll keep track of points during the show, AND we’ll hand out some awards to those in attendance! Watch it all unfold, with us!

PROBLEMATIC: You aren’t IN the Fantasy League, but dang it we want you to be! So, sign up and we’ll be glad to have you! Leave your name on our Facebook page, on the blog, and we’ll make sure to contact you for next season!

QUALITY: You really can’t go wrong when it comes to bringing moms on stage or showing old home movies, ya just can’t! This was hands down the best monologue of the year thanks to that, and also thanks to the complete lack of a musical number. Also, 13 year old Cecily jonesing for more cocaine.

QUALITY: Aside from some missteps in the latter half of the episode (and “be scene in L.A.” as the first live sketch), it was a solid show hosted by Reese Witherspoon, with a lot of the best sketches so far this season being brought back (Whiskers, and the High School Theatre sketch), which boosted a game Reese Witherspoon into being one of the better hosts of this season, akin to Woody Harrelson in the overall Unofficial Host Power Rankings (which I don’t even remember the order of either, so there’s that).

PROBLEMATIC: That Weekend Update wasn’t THIS GOOD sooner, after last week and especially this week I’m now actively looking forward to watching Weekend Update… and there is only one more episode to go this season. Whhhhhhy Jost, WHY?!

REPERTORY CAST

Cecily Strong, 65 points

Kenan Thompson, 57 points

Kate McKinnon, 53 points

Bobby Moynihan, 50 points

Taran Killam, 48 points

Aidy Bryant, 35 points

Vanessa Bayer, 23 points

Jay Pharoah, 15 points

FEATURED CAST

Beck Bennett, 55 points

Kyle Mooney, 48 points

Leslie Jones, 33 points

Pete Davidson, 22 points

Sasheer Zamata, 15 points

HOST

Reese Witherspoon, 52 points

REPERTORY LEAGUE

PARDO GROUP

BILLION DOLLAR MURRAYS - Russel

Cecily Strong - 65

Kenan Thompson - 57

Leslie Jones - 33

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 159

THE FUTURE MRS. RANDY GOLDMAN - Leah

Taran Killam - 48

Sasheer Zamata - 15

Aidy Bryant - 35

Reese Witherspoon - 52

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: No songs chosen.

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 150

THE NOT READY FOR FIRST PLACE PLAYERS - Kevin M

Jay Pharoah - 15

Cecily Strong - 65

Beck Bennett - 55

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 139

THE IGNORANT SLUTS - Matt

Kate McKinnon - 53

Vanessa Bayer - 23

Beck Bennett - 55

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 135

ISOLATED ARCHIPELAGO - Rob

Taran Killam - 48

Kenan Thompson - 57

Pete Davidson - 22

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 131

KEYROCK, KHAN, & ASSOCIATES - Saad

Vanessa Bayer - 23

Aidy Bryant - 35

Kyle Mooney  - 48

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: No songs chosen.

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 106

THE TEAM YOU WISH YOU HADN'T STARTED A CONVERSATION WITH AT A PARTY - Brian

Jay Pharoah - 15

Bobby Moynihan - 50

Pete Davidson - 22

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: No songs chosen.

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 87

FEATURED LEAGUE

MCKAY GROUP

DAMIAN AND THE FELINE SOCIOPATHS - Andrew

Kate McKinnon - 53

Vanessa Bayer - 23

Kenan Thompson - 57

Reese Witherspoon - 52

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 189

DAN AKROYD RAGE - Mark

Kate McKinnon - 53

Bobby Moynihan - 50

Beck Bennett - 55

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: No songs chosen.

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 158

FALLON IN LOVE - Johnny

Kenan Thompson - 57

Bobby Moynihan - 50

Pete Davidson - 22

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 133

THE NIGHT CRAWLERZ - Kevin K

Taran Killam - 48

Jay Pharoah - 15

Beck Bennett - 55

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) Ship to Wreck & 2) What Kind of Man

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 133

SKANKY LITTLE PROSTITUTES - Mike

Aidy Bryant - 35

Cecily Strong - 65

Sasheer Zamata - 15

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) Ship to Wreck & 2) St. Jude

5 points - first song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 120

THE VONDRUKES - Samantha

Jay Pharoah - 15

Leslie Jones - 33

Cecily Strong - 65

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: No songs chosen.

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 113

FEY GROUP

THREE LEGGED JEANS - Lori

Kate McKinnon - 53

Bobby Moynihan - 50

Kenan Thompson - 57

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) Ship to Wreck & 2) As Far As I Could Get

5 points - first song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 165

SUCK IT TREBEK - Sarah C

Jay Pharoah - 15

Cecily Strong - 65

Beck Bennett - 55

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 139

THE LAND SHARKS - Jason

Kate McKinnon - 53

Kyle Mooney - 48

Aidy Bryant - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: No songs chosen.

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 131

MY DOLL'S NAME IS JENNY - Doug

Vanessa Bayer - 23

Bobby Moynihan - 50

Kyle Mooney - 48

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) Ship to Wreck & 2) As Far As I Could Get

5 points - first song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 126

MARTHA STEWART'S HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: TOPLESS CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - Robb

Taran Killam - 48

Vanessa Bayer - 23

Sasheer Zamata - 15

MUSICAL GUEST - Florence + The Machine - SONGS: 1) What Kind of Man & 2) Ship to Wreck

2 points - song
2 points - song

EPISODE TWENTY TOTAL 90

PHIL HARTMAN TROPHY STANDINGS (after Episode 40x20)

FEATURED LEAGUE STANDINGS for the GILDED RADNER

Bolstered by a strong night across the board the standings didn’t ENTIRELY shift in this penultimate episode of Season 40, and for the Feature League that meant Three Legged Jean’s win of the inaugural Gilded Radner looks more and more secure, while the true race is more second place (what to call that, the Jane Curtain Call?)…

While in the race for the Phil Hartman Trophy, things are more uncertain then ever how everything will shake out once the season finale is said and done.  The Ignorant Sluts REMAIN in first place, but only hold a FIVE point lead on Natalie Portman's Dry Cleaning, an EIGHT point lead on Isolated Archipelago, and a NINETY-FOUR point lead on the Billion Dollar Murrays. Quite an ample lead on the Billion Dollar Murrays of those three, yes, but remember they also have drafted Louis C.K. who will close out the 40^th Season of SNL as host… giving them a dark horse chance to defeat the reigning Phil Hartman Trophy holder, and the two other top challengers…

Though we won't know how it all shakes out until MAY 16th, when Season 40 of Saturday Night Live, and our second Saturday Night Live Fantasy League season comes to a close! And speaking of which, it'll be at a LIVE VIEWING PARTY in TORONTO! We welcome out all of you who are following along with the Fantasy League, and also everyone who enjoys watching SNL, to come out to HITCH (at 1216 Queen St E), and enjoy themed drinks, live scoring, an awards ceremony and after party RIGHT AFTER the show, along with a special recording of the Deep Thoughts podcast and so much more!

Once again it’s happening, May 16^th, LIVE at Hitch, we look forward to seeing you in person for a change, on Saturday Night! And we’ll see you on this blog next week too with the entire official afermath of the Louis C.K. hosted episode with Rihanna as the musical guest!

Russel Harder hosts Trivia Club at Cardinal Rule (5 Roncesvalles Ave) every WEDNESDAY, at Hitch (1216 Queen St East) every other MONDAY of the month, and Lou Dawg's Ryerson (76 Gerrard St E) on every other TUESDAY!