Minding the P's & Q's of SNL

QUALITY: I called it, but so did most others, as Vanessa Bayer had potentially her show of the season along-side one of her longest running impersonations. Though it didn’t earn any “Sneaker” points (actually, SHE snuck up on Miley), she really didn’t need them in the end. And Cyrus ended up only being one of her returning reoccurring characters, as the little Jewish kid Jacob also made an appearance on Weekend Update.
QUALITY: Above everyone else though Kyle Mooney's big brother, and Miley Cyrus' spirit animal Taran Killam had the kind of season best show that you could sense coming from the promo spots onwards. And might I remind you, the man is married to a Canadian.

QUALITY: Speaking of a spate of impressions, Jay Pharoah had a chance to be busy, whipping out (by my count) five impressions including two appearances for Obama during the show.

PROBLEMATIC: Aside from the Girlfriends Talk Show, a segment that showed the real nuance behind her talent as an overly sweat sketch comedian, Aidy Bryant showed a definite hole in her game as Rebel Wilson. See what you did there SNL. Not impressed. Especially if the only way she can add to an otherwise purely visual gag is quietly saying “Yeeeah.”

PROBLEMATIC: The scary side of having Cecily Strong is starting to show, in the second week. Busy with Weekend Update, Strong’s appearance in taped segments are little to none and any other segments she might otherwise be in are well-covered by a super strong female cast.

QUALITY: Speaking of which, holy crap, this is a REALLY good female cast we’ve got on our hands. Not since the Molly Shannon/Ana Gasteyer/Cherry Oteri days in the late 90’s have there been a stronger collection of female comedians on SNL. And yes, that means I’m putting them above Rudolph/Fey/Poehler/Wiig.

QUALITY: Speaking of which, HEY NASIM PEDRAD IS BACK! For now…

PROBLEMATIC: Mike O’Brien’s spot in the fourth quarter of the show continues! And now, with diminishing returns! *cough* Though as a Featured Player, with his established history with the show, at least he HAS what seems like a defined spot.

QUALITY: Game as a host, even if she lacked subtlety at times (what, WHO, HER?!), Mily Cyrus absolutely killed it as a Musical Guest, forgoing theatrics and instead deciding to simply belt “Wrecking Ball” and “We Won’t Stop”. With “Wrecking Ball” being especially, gasp, memorable for it’s musicality.

PROBLEMATIC: Welcome back to earth Brooks Wheelan. After an especially good first week, the Featured Player didn’t show up in a live sketch until the final bow, and even then it was one line in a classroom. Hopefully his mean mugging, way in the back of the crowd, during the go home was just his “resting bitch face”.
QUALITY: He may not have appeared on the show this week, but Lorne Michaels DID write about the early years of SNL for Vanity Fair. A first-hand account from the man usually quoted for historical looks at the show? It deserves a read.
QUALITY: Speaking of a historical perspective on SNL, while being even more entertaining then Lorne himself, is Robert Smigel (creator of TV Funhouse, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, long-time SNL writer in the 80's and 90's) who was interviewed by Bill Simmons on Grantland about the generation of SNL that I cut my teeth on. Listen to it.

QUALITY: Is the last segment of the night the first of more things to come, “Digital Short”-wise, from the Good Neighbors crew? I hope so.

Vanessa Bayer, 92 points

• 15 points - cold open
• 5 points - reoccurring (Miley Cyrus)
• 5 points - sings
• 20 points - "LIVE FROM NEW YORK!"
• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 5 points - sketch (Pierce Morgan Live)
• 10 points - Weekend Update
• 5 points - Jacob
• 5 points - sketch (Cheerleaders)
• 5 points - sketch (Mornin' Miami)
• 2 points - Sketch Post-Second Song (High School Poetry)
• 5 points - First cast member hugged by the Host

Taran Killam, 80 points

• 5 points - Promo
• 15 points - cold open
• 5 points - sings/dances
• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 10 points - Parody (We Did Stop)
• 5 points - Sings/Dances
• 5 points - kissing
• 5 points - sketch (Pierce Morgan Live)
• 5 points - reoccurring (Pierce Morgan)
• 5 points - sketch (Cheerleaders)
• 5 points - digital short post-second song
• 5 points - kissing

Bobby Moynihan, 62 points

• 15 points - cold open
• 5 points - crying
• 10 points - opening monologue
• 10 points - Nudity (wrecking ball)
• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 5 points - sketch (Mornin' Miami)
• 2 points - swearing (And I'm Bitch Fantastic!)
• 5 points - digital short post-second song

Nasim Pedrad, 25 points

• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 5 points- sketch (Pierce Morgan Live)
• 5 points- reoccurring (Arianna Huffington)
• 5 points - sketch (Cheerleaders)

Jay Pharoah, 72 points

• 15 points - cold open
• 5 points - reoccurring (Will Smith)
• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 10 points - Parody (We Did Stop)
• 5 points - reoccurring (Obama)
• 5 points- sketch (Pierce Morgan Live)
• 5 points - reoccurring (Obama)
• 10 points - Weekend Update
• 5 points - reoccurring (Shannon Sharpe)
• 2 points - Sketch Post-Second Song (High Schoo Poetry)

Cecily Strong, 25 points

• 5 points - sketch (Girlfriends Talk Show)
• 5 points - reoccuring (Kiera)
• 10 points - Weekend Update
• 5 points - sketch (Cheerleaders)

Kenan Thompson, 44 points

• 15 points - cold open
• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 5 points - reoccurring (Steve Harvey)
• 5 points - sketch (Pierce Morgan Live)
• 2 points - Introduces Musical Guest
• 5 points - sketch (Cheerleaders)
• 2 points - Sketch Post-Second Song (High School Poetry)

Mike O'Brien, 12 points

• 10 points - Parody (We Did Stop)
• 2 points - Sketch Post-Second Song (High School Poetry)

John Milhiser, 11 points

• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 1 points - Sketch NPC Post-Second Song (High School Poetry)

Noel Wells, 30 points

• 15 points - cold open
• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 5 points - sketch (Cheerleaders)

Kyle Mooney, 30 points

• 15 points - cold open
• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 5 points - digital short post-second song

Beck Bennett, 30 points

• 10 points - Parody (50 Shades Audition)
• 10 points - Parody (We Did Stop)
• 5 points - sketch (Pierce Morgan Live)
• 5 points - digital short post-second song

Brooks Wheelan, 19 points

• 10 points - Parody (We Did Stop)
• 5 points - Dances
• 2 points - Sketch NPC (Pierce Morgan Live)
• 2 points - Sketch Post-Second Song (High School Poetry)

And  with our cast points pared out, here are how the points looks for each team per group in the second episode...

EBERSOL GROUP

DAN AYKROYD RAGE - Mark

Vanessa Bayer - 92

Bobby Moynihan - 62

Kyle Mooney - 30

Noel Wells - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Wrecking Ball & 2) We Can't Stop

5 points for First Song

10 points for Second Song

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 229

RECLUSIVE PENINSULA - Rob

Taran Killam - 80

Aidy Bryant - 27

Mike O' Brien - 12

Beck Bennet - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Wrecking Ball & 2) Wrecking Ball

5 points for First Song

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 154

EXTREME CLOSE-UP! - Jack

Jay Pharoah - 72

Brooks Wheelan - 19

Noel Wells - 30

John Mihiser - 11

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Wrecking Ball & 2) Can't Be Tamed

5 points for First Song

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 137

FIVE TIMERS CLUB - Leah

Kenan Thompson - 44

Nasim Pedrad - 25

Mike O'Brien - 12

Kyle Mooney - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Do My Thang & 2) Wrecking Ball

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 111

THE IGNORANT SLUTS - Matt

Kate McKinnon - 35

Cecily Strong - 25

Beck Bennett - 30

John Mihiser - 11

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) We Can't Stop & 2) Wrecking Ball

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 101

DOUMANIAN GROUP

MILLION DOLLAR BILL MURRAYS - Russel

Bobby Moynihan - 62

Jay Pharoah - 72

Kyle Mooney - 30

Beck Bennett - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Wrecking Ball & 2) We Can't Stop

5 points for First Song

10 points for Second Song

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 209

YOU KNOW, IT'S THE TEAM THE HIGH-WASITED MIDGETS THAT HAVE, LIKE, THE RED PANTS AND THE BIG ASS - Kevin

Nasim Pedrad - 25

Vanessa Bayer - 92

Beck Bennett - 30

John Mihiser - 11

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Wrecking Ball & 2) We Can't Stop

5 points for First Song

10 points for Second Song

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 173

SUCK IT TREBEK - Sarah

Kenan Thompson - 44

Brooks Wheelan - 19

Noel Wells - 30

Kyle Mooney - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Wrecking Ball & 2) We Can't Stop

5 points for First Song

10 points for Second Song

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 138

BILL BRASKY - Saad

Taran Killam - 80

Aidy Bryant - 27

Mike O'Brien - 12

John Mihiser - 11

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) NO SONG SELECTIONS!

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 130

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

Kate McKinnon - 35

Cecily Strong - 25

Mike O' Brien - 12

Noel Wells - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Miley Cyrus - SONGS: 1) Wrecking Ball & 2) We Can't Stop

5 points for First Song

10 points for Second Song

EPISODE TWO TOTAL 117

Don't forget to all see how the teams fair versus one another, HEAD-TO-HEAD!

SEASON 39 OVERALL STANDINGS (after Episode 39x02)

1. MILLION DOLLAR BILL MURRAYS - 359
2. DAN AKROYD RAGE - 351
3. SUCK IT TREBEK - 317
4. THE TEAM YOU WISH YOU HADN'T STARTED A CONVERSATION WITH AT A PARTY - 301
5. RECLUSIVE PENINSULA - 300
6. THE IGNORANT SLUTS - 285
7. EXTREME CLOSE-UP - 277
8. YOU KNOW IT'S THE TEAM WITH THE HIGH-WAISTED MIDGETS THAT HAVE, LIKE, THE RED PANTS AND BIG ASS - 257
9. BILL BRASKY - 250
10. FIVE TIMERS CLUB - 242

I am honored to be in the cat bird seat after the second week, but I suspect that it can't last forever (or even longer then a week, so I will savor the Million Dollar Bill Murrays time on top as supported by a strong core). Also, EXCITING TIMES with our first TRADE! Yes, in the waning hours after the second episode RECLUSIVE PENINSULA approached FIVE TIMERS CLUB...

1989?! Didn't Bruno Mars host last season? Oh, wait, wrong Bruno...