Saturday Night Live seems to have a bit of “senioritis” as we near the end of season 40. Last week featured several sketches that seemed like ideas which weren’t fully formed, or just extremely rough ideas that somehow were given the green light, and this week was no different.
Host Reese Witherspoon was actually very good throughout this episode, but she couldn’t save it from a lot of weak material. SNL has had a pretty good run with hosts this season, but it seems that they’re still working to find that same consistency with their sketches.
Cold Open: Southern Republican Leadership Conference
It appears that SNL has already moved on from President Obama and is clearly focused on the 2016 presidential election. So much so that they’ve decided to cover the SRLC which is taking place in Oklahoma City two weeks from now.
What this cold open also does is give us a hint of who might be portraying certain candidates next season when these candidates hit the campaign trail. Here’s hoping we get to see a lot more of Kyle Mooney’s skateboarding Rand Paul in the future.
Best Sketch: High School Theater Show
The first appearance of the Woodbridge High School Student Showcase was one of my favorite sketches from the Cameron Diaz episode in November, and with a weak show this time around, their second appearance easily wins the top spot. Serious teenagers will always be funny to me. “It is now time for a brief intermission, during which we will all be laying on stage asleep, like our Congress.”
Second Best Sketch: Whiskers R’ We
Why this sketch continues to be buried so late in episodes is strange to me. It stars a whole bunch of kittens, features SNL’s best performer in Kate McKinnon, and for a 10-to-1 sketch, it’s not too goofy for earlier in the night. If “Whiskers R’ We” makes another appearance next season, I hope we will see it before “Weekend Update.”
Standout Performers: The SNL Moms
It’s usually not a good sign when the monologue is the highlight of the evening, but I’m OK with it this week because this was cute and funny. SNL has had a few Mother’s Day specials in the past with the moms from that season’s cast, but I believe this was the first time SNL mothers appeared during a live telecast.
Weekend Update Moment: Mom Jokes
We’ll keep the “mom-entum” going with these unsolicited jokes submitted to Colin Jost and Michael Che by their mothers. While I could actually see the joke from Jost’s mom making it on air, Che’s mom wins for weirdness and wanting to look like 1970’s era Diana Ross.
This week also featured three guests: Leslie Jones discussing letters, The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Run Into… featuring Cecily Strong and Reese Witherspoon, and Che’s neighbor and all-around happy fellow Willie (Kenan Thompson).
Other Notes:
Here is a digital exclusive sketch, “Inner White Girl,” starring Leslie Jones and Witherspoon.
Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine performed while sitting on a stool after breaking her foot during a performance at Coachella last month. It was still one of the best musical performances of the season.
The sketch “Picture Perfect” featured Thompson as Family Matters star Reginald Veljohnson, which gives me a reason to include this link to the amazing Family Matters sketch from Key and Peele.
To quote my wife, “That might be the worst sketch ever written.” This was in regards to the “Water Slide” sketch. It was pretty bad.
The “Be Scene in L.A.” sketch had a different title at the end, “The Scene in L.A.”
Saturday Night Live returns for its season finale on May 16, with host Louis C.K. and musical guest Rihanna.
