When a fan favorite cast member returns to host Saturday Night Live, the expectations are very high. Watchers expect to see their recurring characters and impressions that they loved, and they also expect an episode that will make them laugh.
Bill Hader raises those expectations even higher because after eight seasons, Hader left SNL as one of its all-time great cast members. Thankfully he didn’t disappoint, and SNL had another solid episode.
Each week, the pieces seem to falling into place with the cast and writers bringing better ideas and acting to the show. While the fans will always be there, it is going to take some time to regain the casual viewers who were used to cast members like Hader, Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg getting laughs on a consistent basis.
Saturday night’s episode shows that SNL is moving forward after the major cast changes from the past three seasons. Hopefully they can keep this momentum going through the break when the show returns in two weeks.
Cold Open: Kim Jong-Un
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has not been seen publicly for over a month, and SNL this week decided to clear the air about the rumors surrounding his absence. Bobby Moynihan once again portrays the “Dear Leader,” but without an accent this time around. In fact, no one in this sketch speaks with a fake Korean accent.
Could SNL be doing away with the fake accent? Moynihan’s previous portrayals of Kim Jong-un had him speaking with the fake accent, or fake Korean with translation. Both of these portrayals, and the loads of other fake languages and accents used on SNL, are insensitive to the people and cultures being depicted.
By not using a Korean accent, this cold open relied on Moynihan’s abilities as a comedic actor, and not cheap laughs from a “funny” accent. It worked and once again supported my idea that SNL needs to use Moynihan more. The cold open was only one of three appearances he made Saturday night.
Best Sketch: 39 Cents
To further back up the “no accents” theory is the best sketch of the night, a parody of the various commercials asking for pennies to help the unfortunate. Hader is Charles Daniels, and he is only asking for 39 cents a day to help impoverished African villagers. This is the type of sketch that makes SNL great. While it’s sure to upset some viewers, most of us laugh at the absurdity of asking for only 39 cents a day to help people with nothing.
For those wondering why the man was wearing a Buffalo Bills 1993 World Champions t-shirt, check out this article, and now you get why that was a great joke.
Worst Sketch: The Group Hopper
Whether it’s the fact that I’m not a reader of Young Adult novels, or that I haven’t seen any of the movie adaptations, this sketch fell flat to me. It seemed long and incoherent, which may be what reading Young Adult novels is like, and therefore I may have totally missed the joke.
So maybe this sketch is actually brilliant? If so, my back-up “worst sketch” is “Hollywood Game Night,” and only because I am tired of SNL cramming as many impressions as it can into one sketch. Especially if one of those impressions is Wiig’s Kathie Lee Gifford.
Weekend Update Moment: Stefon
Stefon co-writer John Mulaney teased the return of the “Weekend Update” City Correspondent when he tweeted a picture of himself on Skype with Hader. The return of Hader without Stefon would have been a huge letdown not only for his fans, but also Dan Cortese, who probably found himself trending on Twitter for the first time ever.
Michael Che and Colin Jost had another decent week, and while they were overshadowed by Stefon, they continue to improve. Pete Davidson returned to talk about his gold chain, but this segment was not as good as his earlier appearance.
Standout Performer: Jan Hooks
SNL’s tribute to the late Jan Hooks was the great “Love Is a Dream” sketch with Phil Hartman from 1988. SNL has moved away from the short films produced not necessarily for the laughs. It would be nice to see these films return occasionally, but with rise of “viral” videos this seems very unlikely.
Other Notes:
Writer Leslie Jones appeared in the “39 Cents” sketch, and on-stage during the goodbyes. Jones has appeared a few times already this season, so maybe she’ll soon be joining the cast full-time.
Harvey Fierstein made his first appearance on SNL, but Jon Lovitz portrayed the Broadway star during the late 1980’s in a recurring sketch titled, “Plug Away With Harvey Fierstein.”
Saturday night’s episode tied with the Charlize Theron hosted episode from last season as the lowest rated episode in the show’s history.
Here’s a sketch cut after dress rehearsal: “The Gossipy Coal Miner.”
Saturday Night Live returns in two weeks with host Jim Carrey with musical guest Iggy Azalea.
