Minding the P’s and Q’s of SNL

PROBLEMATIC: Are you in the conversation? Trivia Club would LOVE to hear feedback on the Saturday Night Live Fantasy League and how we could even improve on it all! Comment in the blog's comment section, on Trivia Club's facebook page or in our twitter feed. We want to hear from you, as we make our way through Season 40! LISTEN TO THE PODCAST! Subscribe to us on iTUNES! Do the same on YouTube!
QUALITY: Weird is the word for this episode of SNL, it’s as if they took last season’s Halloween episode with Edward Norton and took the post-songs sketch and stretched it out to make an entire episode to be hosted by Jim Carrey. And, now, weird isn’t bad.

PROBLEMATIC: Though the usage of cast is still oddly uneven, which is the danger of having a cast this size. You either do large crowd sketches and get everyone involved though in the mean time potentially watering down a performance and not allow someone to break out.

QUALITY: Or you put Kate McKinnon in a Sia-approved flesh colored body suit and let her do the kind of balls to the wall commitment and funnery that snagged her an Emmy nomination.

PROBLEMATIC: Though it was a deeply uneven episode, what hit... definitely hit.

QUALITY: Jim Carrey is likely the weakest host so far this year, though that’s more a positive note on the hosting jobs so far this year (no matter what the ratings say, and one of the things they do so is Carrey had an even better night then the season premiere and that shouldn’t stop next week). Wow that was a long bracketed aside. Carrey came to New York especially game to play.
QUALITY: And of course, big ups for Jim Carrey repping Toronto even harder then Drake did! From the shout out to Scarborough to the Maple Leafs jersey, I say well played from our Fantasy League situated smack dab in Hogtown!

REPERTORY CAST

Bobby Moynihan, 64 points

Kenan Thompson, 59 points

Taran Killam, 54 points

Cecily Strong, 45 points

Jay Pharoah, 42 points

Vanessa Bayer, 32 points

Kate McKinnon, 30 points

Aidy Bryant, 17 points

FEATURED CAST

Sasheer Zamata, 32 points

Beck Bennett, 30 points

Kyle Mooney, 27 points

Pete Davidson, 17 points

Leslie Jones, 14 points

HOST

Jim Carrey, 82 points

Jeff Daniels, 5 points

REPERTORY LEAGUE

PARDO GROUP

THE IGNORANT SLUTS - Matt

Kate McKinnon - 30

Vanessa Bayer - 32

Beck Bennett - 30

Jim Carrey - 82

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Black Widow & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 189

ISOLATED ARCHIPELAGO - Rob

Taran Killam - 54

Kenan Thompson - 59

Pete Davidson - 17

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Fancy & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 145

THE NOT READY FOR FIRST PLACE PLAYERS - Kevin M

Jay Pharoah - 42

Cecily Strong - 45

Beck Bennett - 30

Jeff Daniels - 5

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Fancy & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 137

BILLION DOLLAR MURRAYS - Russel

Cecily Strong - 45

Kenan Thompson - 59

Leslie Jones - 14

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Fancy & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 133

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

Jay Pharoah - 42

Bobby Moynihan - 64

Pete Davidson - 17

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Beg For It & 2) Black Widow

2 points - song

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 127

NATALIE PORTMAN'S DRY CLEANING - Sarah R

Kate McKinnon - 30

Bobby Moynihan - 64

Kyle Mooney - 27

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Work & 2) Fancy

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 123

KEYROCK, KHAN, & ASSOCIATES - Saad

Vanessa Bayer - 32

Aidy Bryant - 17

Kyle Mooney - 27

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: No songs chosen.

6 points - Matthew McConaughey impersonation

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 82

THE FUTURE MRS. RANDY GOLDMAN - Leah

Taran Killam - 54

Sasheer Zamata - 32

Aidy Bryant - 17

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Fancy & 2) Black Widow

5 points - first song

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 110

FEATURED LEAGUE

MCKAY GROUP

FALLON IN LOVE - Johnny

Kenan Thompson - 59

Bobby Moynihan - 64

Pete Davidson - 17

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Black Widow & 2) Fancy

5 points - first song

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 147

DAN AKROYD RAGE - Mark

Kate McKinnon - 30

Bobby Moynihan - 64

Beck Bennett - 30

Jeff Daniels - 5

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Fancy & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 144

DAMIAN AND THE FELINE SOCIOPATHS - Andrew

Kate McKinnon - 30

Vanessa Bayer - 32

Kenan Thompson - 59

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Black Widow & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 136

THE NIGHT CRAWLERZ - Kevin K

Taran Killam - 54

Jay Pharoah - 42

Beck Bennett - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Beg For It & 2) Black Widow

2 points - song

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 130

THE VONDRUKES - Samantha

Jay Pharoah - 42

Leslie Jones - 14

Cecily Strong - 45

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Black Widow & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song
10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 116

PARDO ME - Hannah

Taran Killam - 54

Aidy Bryant - 17

Kyle Mooney - 27

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Fancy &  2) Black Widow

5 points - first song

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 105

SKANKY LITTLE PROSTITUTES - Mike

Aidy Bryant - 17

Cecily Strong - 45

Sasheer Zamata - 32

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Beg For It & 2) Black Widow

2 points - song

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 98

FEY GROUP

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

Taran Killam - 54

Vanessa Bayer - 32

Sasheer Zamata - 32

Jim Carrey - 82

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Beg For It & 2) Iggy Szn

2 points - song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 202

THREE LEGGED JEANS - Lori

Kate McKinnon - 30

Bobby Moynihan - 64

Kenan Thompson - 59

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Black Widow & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 168

MY DOLL'S NAME IS JENNY - Doug

Vanessa Bayer - 32

Bobby Moynihan - 64

Kyle Mooney - 27

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Black Widow & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 138

SANTA'S MY BOYFRIEND - Megan

Taran Killam - 54

Cecily Strong - 45

Aidy Bryant - 17

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Black Widow & 2) Beg For It

5 points - first song

10 points - second song

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 131

SUCK IT TREBEK - Sarah C

Jay Pharoah - 42

Cecily Strong - 45

Beck Bennett - 30

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: 1) Beg For It & 2) Fancy

2 points - song

2 points - song

6 points - Matthew McConaughey impersonation

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 127

THE LAND SHARKS - Jason

Kate McKinnon - 30

Kyle Mooney - 27

Aidy Bryant - 17

MUSICAL GUEST - Iggy Azalea - SONGS: No songs chosen.

EPISODE FOUR TOTAL 71

PHIL HARTMAN TROPHY STANDINGS (after Episode 40x03)

FEATURED LEAGUE STANDINGS

The landscape, it is a changing! This Jim Carrey episode of SNL brought a number of interesting things. We began retroactively accepting voice-over points in sketches (3 points), though only if the cast member or host didn’t already appear in the same sketch. So the voice over that Carrey did as McConaughey didn’t add any additional points to the cache. By the way, our Deep Thoughts folks asked a very good question… when DID that impression become the new Nicholson? Was it Matt Damon on Letterman? The McConaughcense and a million amazing awards speeches?

Moving on to BIGGER news, and a congratulations to LESLIE JONES as our newest Featured Cast Member! As you can, we’re keeping tracking of her points with this episode and it isn’t just because like Sasheer last year we were curious to see how she would do. Well, we are that too. But ALSO Jones ascension to the cast (laughing with friends in the opening, like a latter-day She-nan Thompson)  means we got to put into action an off-season concept developed just for this occasion! THE ELVIS COSTELLO! Simply enough, every team (in the order in which we drafted) has the ability to pick-up Leslie Jones but in doing so they have to drop a cast member. That dropped cast member is then available to be picked up by the next team in order. All TWENTY-ONE Fantasy League Saturday Night Live teams had the ability to Elvis Costello and, as he said in 1977 “I’m sorry ladies and gentlemen, but there’s really no reason to do this song here tonight…”

But instead of songs, we’re talking about prime comedy performers, because it’s SNL Fantasy League. ANYWAY, two yes TWO teams picked up Jones, so your results from our first…

Like our first trade before episode two of last year, these decisions could mean good OR bad things for both teams involved and ultimately may not win them anything! Still, it proved a successful exercise for everyone involved! Speaking of everyone involved…

Trivia Club had our FIRST Saturday Night Live themed night of trivia in Toronto! It was an incredibly fun night that tested not only the stars past and present but also brought to mind classic sketches from seasons past! Ultimately it came down to the only question not explicity connected to Saturday Night Live, a Trivia Club trap from the past week’s trivia! And our winners of Saturday Night Trivia Club (on a Wednesday)? THE VONDRUKES! So a final congratulations, to our first-year featured league team for representing IRL, and taking home the Golden VHS!

We’ll see you all again next week when Chris Rock hosts Saturday Night Live, with Musical Guest PRINCE! Yes, it has all the ingredients to be an all-time episode of SNL, even if no one chose Rock to host he should have a busy winter ahead with Top Five knocking it out at Festivals and bringing Chris Rock back into the conversation for top five greatest cast members to have had at least a cup of coffee in Studio 8H!

Stay in the conversation! Trivia Club would LOVE to hear feedback on the Saturday Night Live Fantasy League and how we could even improve on it all! Comment in the blog's comment section, on Trivia Club's facebook page or in our twitter feed. We want to hear from you, as we make our way through Season 40! LISTEN TO THE PODCAST! Subscribe to us on iTUNES! Do the same on YouTube!