Sometimes I really want to like an episode of Saturday Night Live solely because of the host, and that usually gets me into trouble because my expectations are rarely reached in those instances. This week was no exception with Scarlett Johansson hosting. I will admit to a slight crush on Johansson, and my wife will tell you it’s not that slight, but I will do my best to be objective in this week’s recap.
I didn’t really like this episode. It had its moments, but whether it was worrying about going toe-to-toe with the Floyd Mayweather/Manny Pacquiao fight or the long layoff, it just didn’t click. There were a lot of moments that never seemed to reach their full potential which could lead to some better sketches into the future, but maybe weren’t fully realized during Saturday night’s episode.
Cold Open: Mayweather/Pacquiao Fight
As I wrote in the introduction, Saturday night’s episode was airing at the same time as the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight which surely would lead to fewer viewers, so SNL decided to preempt their show with the “fight.”
Mayweather (Jay Pharoah) and Pacquiao (Aidy Bryant) fought until Pharoah and the referee (Kenan Thompson) left to watch the actual fight in musical guest Wiz Khalifa’s dressing room. This was a pretty simple cold open that was kind of short on laughs, but Bryant as Pacquiao, and a great voice over by SNL writer and Tonight Show announcer Steve Higgins, helped saved it from being a complete dud.
Best Sketch: Blazer
At first, this sketch seems to be in the same vein as “Dyke and Fats” and “Kanish” until you realize Blazer (Taran Killam) is only punching the African-American men he encounters. Of the two sketches — the other was “Orioles” — addressing ongoing tensions not only in Baltimore but across the country, “Blazer” was funnier and not a re-hash of the unaired Ferguson sketch from earlier this season.
Second Best Sketch: Dino Bones
This sketch itself was pretty “random,” but it reminded me of other awkward, weird duos in SNL history like the Girl Watchers (Tom Hanks and Jon Lovitz), and Willie and Frankie (Billy Crystal and Christopher Guest). Also, be sure to keep an eye on the museum tour guide played by Killam.
Weekend Update Moment: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Kate McKinnon returned to “Weekend Update” as Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg, this time to discuss recent arguments about marriage equality. McKinnon’s peppy, joke-cracking, dancing version of the 82-year-old justice on the surface seems about as far removed from the actual Ginsburg as you can get, until you scroll through this blog dedicated to the Supreme Court justice.
Standout Performers: Taran Killam
Killam appeared in eight of the nine sketches that aired Saturday night, also appeared during the monologue, and seems to heading towards another season as the cast member with the most airtime. Killam and McKinnon are easily the two most important cast members currently on SNL, and the most reliable. It is clearly their show now, which means we might see cast members like Bobby Moynihan or Vanessa Bayer move on before next season.
Other Notes:
Jay Pharoah appeared as Mayweather, Manny Machado, and Shaquille O’Neal, completing an athlete trifecta Saturday night.
Johansson may have spoiled the fight for Pharoah during the good-byes. Oops. Also, I was glad to help Jay:
S/O to the 10 people that watched tonight we appreciate that , everybody else hope you liked the fight, heard it was a let down
— Jay Pharoah (@JayPharoah) May 3, 2015
Ratings for Saturday’s episode were the worst of the season with a 3.4 rating and a 9 share. Which means only about 3.4 percent of the 115 million television sets in the United States were tuned to SNL. The show usually has a rating right around 4.
Unofficial SNL Hulk rankings: Chris Farley, John Belushi, and Bobby Moynihan. I’ll take body paint over the bodysuit every time.
Saturday Night Live returns on May 9 with host Reese Witherspoon and musical guest Florence and the Machine.
