This week’s host Martin Freeman may be better known for his roles in more dramatic fare like The Hobbit and Sherlock, but fans who also know of Freeman’s work in Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy,” and the UK version of The Office know the actor has great comedic timing as well.
Freeman did not disappoint, and neither did this episode. The first-time host blended in with the cast spectacularly, and the writing continued its streak of solid sketches. With their confidence continuing to build, and a host with comedic chops, the cast and writers produced their best episode of the season so far.
Cold Open: Charlie Rose
Between 2002 and 2009, the CIA paid two psychologists $80 million to create torture methods, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report. The two psychologists Bruce Jessen (Kyle Mooney) and James Mitchell (Bobby Moynihan) spoke with Charlie Rose (Taran Killam) about other methods of torture created by the two men, which included Time Warner Cable customer service, one-man shows, and self-scanners at grocery stores.
Charlie Rose has never sounded Southern to me, so Killam’s impression kind of threw me off from the very beginning of this sketch. Rose was born in North Carolina and attended Duke, so maybe Killam has picked up on something I have missed. Even with the odd accent, this was one of the better cold opens of the season.
Best Sketch: Waterbed Warehouse
Aidy Bryant is quickly becoming the go-to cast member to bring some weirdness to the show, and her jingle-loving Jeanine did not disappoint in this week’s 10-to-1 sketch. That’s why this sketch is the beeeest.
Second-Best Sketch: Heinz Assembly Line
On a night when almost everything hit, this sketch will be considered one of the worst of the night by a lot of fans and critics, but both Freeman and Killam did a great job in this simple sketch about an assembly line lever. With a lesser host, this sketch may not have worked. But Freeman was amazing all night, and this sketch reinforced the need to bring him back in the future.
Weekend Update Moment: One Dimensional Female Character
It was tough not to go with Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy, but that kid has had a lot of Bar Mitzvahs. This segment benefited from the dumbfounded look on Colin Jost’s face as the One-Dimensional Female Character (Cecily Strong) went through the many facets of a female character’s role in a male-driven comedy.
Standout Performer: Kenan Thompson
There have been some rumors that Kenan Thompson will be leaving SNL at the end of this season, and while it may be time — Thompson has been at SNL since 2003 — he will sorely be missed if he does decide to leave.
“Holiday Gig” may not have been the best sketch of the night, but it showed how Thompson can take something as simple as the word “boots” and make it hilarious. This sketch also had me hoping that “What Up With That?” will make an appearance before the end of the season if Thompson does decide to leave.
Other Notes:
Underneath all that orc make-up in the very good “The Office: Middle Earth” sketch was staff writer Streeter Seidel, who co-wrote the sketch with Bobby Moynihan and Mikey Day.
A minor mistake at the end of the “Right Side of the Bed” sketch that aired Saturday night showed the hosts as Gracelynn and Grayson. Killam’s character was named Cory.
Anyone else notice that the wardrobe was heavy on the purple this week? Just me? OK.
An unaired sketch, “Santa Traps,” has been posted on the SNL website.
Saturday Night Live returns this Saturday with host Amy Adams and musical guest One Direction.
