Minding the P’s and Q’s of SNL
PROBLEMATIC: When a special guest comes on the show, and
over shadows anything you do on the night (well, almost)… then that doesn’t
bode well for your show. Then again it is noted comedian Leonardo DiCaprio
making his first SNL appearance. Thumbs up.
PROBLEMATIC: It WAS a distinctly Jonah Hill-led episode, a
rare thing in the modern SNL era, especially with a cast this large and hungry. So what seemed lacking this week where any sketches that allowed the cast to
stretch out, admittedly a go too style of sketch this season. Instead Jonah Hill was allowed to take point. Especially with the
Hill’s own reoccurring character in the Benihana sketch (this time minus Bill
Hader to its detriment), as well as the later in the show “You’re Blowing It!”
sketch, among others. Though Hill was game, he didn’t have charm of last week’s host Drake, and thus
it feels like a down week in comparison, to no fault of the sporadic cast.
QUALITY: Let’s wrap-up this truncated P’s and Q’s today on a
HIGH note though. Now, I saw Spike Jonze’s new film “her” just yesterday, and
not only did I really love it… you can tell the SNL production staff did too,
sufficiently NAILING the wonderfully stylized look of the film, almost as
impressive a turn around as the Wes Anderson/Halloween spoof. An amazing parody, going after the details.
QUALITY: The night’s OTHER surprise appearance was
especially on point, and bums me out that Michael Cera doesn’t look to be
hosting SNL any time soon, not on NBC at least. And by that I mean his first and only time hosting (so far), a Writers
Strike-timed UBC appearance as host was more then serviceable (oh, and to draw
a connection to Cera as the surrogate, shout out to his Youth in Revolt
co-star Portia Doubleday).
QUALITY: And I would be remissed without talking about the most subversly funny Good Neighbor-run Digital Short to date, taking the bro-style semi-familiar from the earlier season's beer pong and doing there award best at a news show. It's... it's magic. And so uncomfortably familiar. hah
QUALITY: And I would be remissed without talking about the most subversly funny Good Neighbor-run Digital Short to date, taking the bro-style semi-familiar from the earlier season's beer pong and doing there award best at a news show. It's... it's magic. And so uncomfortably familiar. hah
QUALITY: Otherwise, let’s slot Jonah Hill just below Miley
Cyrus in this season’s unofficial power ranking of hosts (able, though not
spectacular, with a few memorable sketches of the video variety)… and leave the
Deep Thoughts to the podcast. GO, LISTEN TO IT! Press play! You can poke at the points
totals, while you do.
REPARATORY CAST
Taran Killam, 82 points
- 5 points - promo
- 15 points - cold open
- 20 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”
- 10 points - monologue
- 5 points - reoccurring (Brad Pitt)
- 10 points - Digital Short (The Hit)
- 2 points – swearing (“Tapestry’s my SH*T!”)
- 5 points - sketch (Couples Quiz)
- 10 points - Digital Short (Inside SoCal)
Cecily Strong, 62 points
- 15 points - cold open
- 20 points – “LIVE FROM NEW YORK…!”
- 5 points - sketch (Couples Quiz)
- 10 points – Weekend Update
- 5 points - sketch (Sweetland Ranch)
- 2 points – post-second song sketch (Lamborghini)
- 5 points - reoccurring (Porn Stars)
Kate McKinnon, 45 points
- 15 points - cold open
- 5 points - dancing
- 5 points - sketch (Benihana)
- 10 points – Weekend Update
- 5 points - recur (Olya Povlatsky)
- 5 points - sketch (You’re Blowing It)
Kenan Thompson, 30 points
- 10 points - Digital Short (The Hit)
- 5 points - sketch (Couples Quiz)
- 10 points – Weekend Update
- 5 points - sketch (You’re Blowing It)
Bobby Moynihan, 30 points
- 15 points - cold open
- 5 points - dancing
- 10 points - Digital Short (Inside SoCal)
Vanessa Bayer, 27 points
- 5 points - sketch (Benihana)
- 10 points - movie parody (Me)
- 2 points - post-second song sketch (Lamborghini)
- 5 points - reoccurring (Porn Stars)
- 5 points – first hugged by host during goodnights
Jay Pharoah, 25 points
- 15 points - cold open
- 10 points - Digital Short (The Hit)
Nasim Pedrad, 10 points
- 5 points - sketch (Benihana)
- 5 points - sketch (Sweetland Ranch)
Aidy Bryant, 5 points
- 5 points - sketch (You’re Blowing It)
FEATURED CAST
Beck Bennett, 40 points
- 15 points - cold open
- 5 points - dancing
- 5 points - kissing
- 5 points - sketch (You’re Blowing It)
- 10 points - Digital Short (Inside SoCal)
Noel Wells, 15 points
- 10 points - monologue
- 5 points - sketch (Benihana)
Kyle Mooney, 14 points
- 10 points - Digital Short (Inside SoCal)
- 4 points - “F*ckin’ Oscars” & “F*ckin’ family”
John Milhiser, 10 points
- 10 points - monologue
Sasheer Zamata, 10 points
- 5 points - sketch (Benihana)
- 5 points - sketch (Couples Quiz)
Mike O'Brien, 10 points
- 10 points - Digital Short (Inside SoCal)
Brooks Wheelan, 10 points
- 10 points - Digital Short (Inside SoCal)
HOST
Jonah Hill, 57 points
- 2 points - sketch (Benihana)
- 10 points - reoccurring (Adam Grossman)
- 2 points - sketch (Couples Quiz)
- 2 points - sketch (Sweetland Ranch)
- 10 points - movie parody (Me)
- 10 points – sketch with former SNL host (Michael Cera)
- 2 points - sketch (You’re Blowing It)
- 10 points - Digital Short (Inside SoCal)
- 5 points – swearing “F*ckin’”
- 2 points – post-second song sketch (Lamborghini)
- 2 points – hugs non-cast member first (LEEEEEO~!)
EBERSOL GROUP
THE IGNORANT SLUTS
- Matt
Kate McKinnon - 45
Cecily Strong - 62
Beck Bennett - 40
John Mihiser - 10
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Pompeii & 2) Bad
Blood
5 points - first song correct
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 162
FIVE TIMERS CLUB
- Leah
Kenan Thompson - 30
Nasim Pedrad - 10
Mike O'Brien - 10
Beck Bennet - 40
Jonah Hill - 57
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Pompeii & 2) the
Poet
5 points - first song correct
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 152
RECLUSIVE PENINSULA
- Rob
Taran Killam - 82
Aidy Bryant - 5
Mike O' Brien - 10
Kyle Mooney - 14
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Of the Night & 2)
Pompeii
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 111
DAN AYKROYD RAGE
- Mark
Vanessa Bayer - 27
Bobby Moynihan - 30
Kyle Mooney - 14
Noel Wells - 15
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Of The Night & 2)
Pompeii
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 86
EXTREME CLOSE-UP!
- Jack
Jay Pharoah - 25
Brooks Wheelan - 10
Noel Wells - 15
John Mihiser - 10
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: No songs chosen.
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 60
DOUMANIAN GROUP
THE TEAM YOU WISH YOU
HADN'T STARTED A CONVERSATION WITH AT A PARTY - Brian
Kate McKinnon - 45
Cecily Strong - 62
Mike O' Brien - 10
Noel Wells - 15
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Of The Night & 2)
Pompeii
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 132
MILLION DOLLAR BILL
MURRAYS - Russel
Bobby Moynihan - 30
Jay Pharoah - 25
Kyle Mooney - 14
Beck Bennett - 40
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Pompeii & 2) Of The
Night
5 points - first song correct
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 114
BILL BRASKY -
Saad
Taran Killam - 82
Aidy Bryant - 5
Mike O'Brien - 10
John Mihiser - 10
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Pompeii & 2) Of The
Night
5 points - first song correct
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 112
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE
TEAM THE HIGH-WASITED MIDGETS THAT HAVE, LIKE, THE RED PANTS AND THE BIG ASS
- Kevin
Nasim Pedrad - 10
Vanessa Bayer - 27
Beck Bennett - 40
John Mihiser - 10
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Pompeii & 2) Of The
Night
5 points - first song correct
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 92
SUCK IT TREBEK -
Sarah
Kenan Thompson - 30
Brooks Wheelan - 10
Noel Wells - 15
Kyle Mooney - 14
MUSICAL GUEST - Bastille - SONGS: 1) Pompeii & 2) Things
We Lost In The Fire
5 points - first song correct
EPISODE TWELVE TOTAL 74
IT’S SAAAATURDAY NIIIGHT QUOTES with the Saturday Night Live
Fantasy League
“Now I just imagine the Roxbury guys yelling
"Leeeeooo!" – RECLUSIVE PENINSULA’s Rob
“I swear Leo being there made Jonah super nervous...” – FIVE-TIMERS CLUB’s Leah
“ha ha Cecily's so good on Update.” – THE TEAM YOU WISH…’s Brian
“How do you score a non-reciprocated kiss?” – RECLUSIVE PENINSULA’s Rob
“Jonah Hill is no Drake. Probably the first such utterance in history.” – THE TEAM YOU WISH…’s Brian
PHIL HARTMAN TROPHY OVERALL STANDINGS (after Episode 39x12)
- THE IGNORANT SLUTS - 1, 762
- THE TEAM YOU WISH YOU HADN'T STARTED A CONVERSATION WITH AT A PARTY - 1, 752
- MILLION DOLLAR BILL MURRAYS - 1, 693
- DAN AKROYD RAGE - 1, 606
- RECLUSIVE PENINSULA - 1, 581
- SUCK IT TREBEK - 1, 578
- BILL BRASKY - 1, 550
- FIVE TIMERS CLUB - 1, 496
- YOU KNOW IT'S THE TEAM WITH THE HIGH-WAISTED MIDGETS THAT HAVE, LIKE, THE RED PANTS AND BIG ASS - 1, 287
- EXTREME CLOSE-UP - 1, 271
Stay in the conversation! Trivia Club would LOVE to hear feedback on Saturday Night Live Fantasy so far, either in the blogs comment section, on Trivia Club's facebook page or in our twitter feed. For now we'll be taking a week away to discuss, debate, and possibly trade amongst ourselves.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST! Have you heard about it, we’re doing a podcast for the SNL Fantasy League now! And by we I mean championed by, and hosted by, the wonderful Rob Moden, alongside Brian Edwards and Leah Sueko. I will be popping in from time-to-time, but Trivia Club’s is a growing empire and I trust Rob, Brian, and Leah, so enjoy your time with THEM most of all.
After last week's show where it seemed a good variety of the cast was allowed to stretch there legs, the Saturday Night Live crew went small ball in the Jonah Hill episode and the resultant reliance on Jonah Hill as a host, with Taran Killam and the one-two punch of Strong and McKinnon, along side Hill, made for quite the disparity in team points for this episode. The Ignorant Sluts also had the strongest performance from a Featured Cast member by far, with Beck Bennett's 40... closing the 20 point gap that once lay between fist and second and opening up a 10 point gap of there own!
It should prove interesting to see how ANOTHER returning host, in Melissa McCarthy (wooo, Million Dollar Bill Murrays HOST PICK), continues to shake up not only the standings but the amount of cast-time is chopped up heading deeper into the second half of the season. Of course, McCarthy isn't even the most notable thing about the next episode (you watch your mouth!), as it's also Seth Myers final episode of SNL before he goes the way of Late Night. So look for a BIG Weekend Update, and look for a lot of returning cast members next week since Myers will be saying good-bye after 24 seasons as part of the show.
Which is how long Imagine Dragons performance at the Grammy's felt... (ooo, sick burn, but seriously less Imagine Dragons and more Kendrick Lamar), but SERIOUSLY, see you NEXT WEEK when we talk SNL, write about SNL, and discover the competitive spirit of SNL, with more Fantasy League!
Which is how long Imagine Dragons performance at the Grammy's felt... (ooo, sick burn, but seriously less Imagine Dragons and more Kendrick Lamar), but SERIOUSLY, see you NEXT WEEK when we talk SNL, write about SNL, and discover the competitive spirit of SNL, with more Fantasy League!
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| I'm... so... happy (what conflict of interest?) |
Russel Harder hosts Trivia Club at Cardinal Rule (5 Roncesvalles Ave) every WEDNESDAY, at Hitch (1216 Queen St East) every SECOND and FOURTH MONDAY of the month, and Handlebar (159 Augusta Ave) on the FIRST TUESDAY of every month!
