The Saturday Night Live Christmas show is usually one of the more anticipated episodes of the season. It marks the halfway point of the season, typically has a few guest stars, and is the final episode before a long break for the cast.
This year, Amy Adams was given the hosting duties, and while she didn’t chew up the scenery every time she appeared in a sketch, she was a more than capable host. Unfortunately, after a few really solid weeks, SNL felt a little off this week.
Cold Open: A Very Somber Christmas with Sam Smith/Dr. Evil
I think we were all confused that SNL was going with a cold open featuring English singer Sam Smith (Taran Killam), so it was a nice surprise when Dr. Evil (Mike Myers) took over the airwaves. It may have felt a bit dated, and I was surprised by the reaction from the crowd, but it was a great way to address the North Korean hack of Sony with something that was a bit more exciting than a Kim Jong-un sketch.
Myers hasn’t hosted SNL since 1997 to promote the first Austin Powers movie, but did appear with Dana Carvey in a “Wayne’s World” cold open in 2011. Seeing an older former cast member return to SNL is always enjoyable, and as the 40th season progresses, I hope we will see more.
Best Sketch: A Magical Christmas
If you’ve been reading these since the beginning of the season, you should realize by now that I enjoy the weirder sketches that air on SNL. “A Magical Christmas” was the weirdest sketch of the night, and was very funny on a second viewing once you know the “twist” ending. Especially lines like, “Yeah, mister. What do we look like?”
Second Best Sketch: Girlfriends Talk Show
This is the seventh time that “Girlfriends Talk Show” has appeared on SNL. Normally after this many appearances, a recurring sketch becomes a bit boring, but Aidy Bryant kills in this sketch every single time. The way she delivers lines like “I do myself a few different ways” and “I am blasting out of my pants right now” are perfect.
Bringing this sketch down a bit was an appearance by One Direction. Nice try guys, good effort. Especially you, ZAYN.
Weekend Update Moment: Willie, Michael Che’s Neighbor
Appearances by Kim Jong-un (Bobby Moynihan) and Garth and Kat (Fred Armisen and Kristen Wiig) were quick in the case of the “Supreme Leader,” and boring in the case of Garth and Kat.
Thankfully, Michael Che’s neighbor Willie (Kenan Thompson) was there to lift everyone’s holiday spirits with tales of his own medical and financial woes. Thompson has a way of making things very funny with his delivery and his appearance as Willie did not disappoint.
Standout Performers: The cats in “Whiskers R We”
Awwww. Look at the kitties! They’re so cute. I can’t decide if I want to adopt Cat Stevens or Toby.
Other Notes:
Pete Davidson addressed some questions about his hug with Harry Styles at the end of the show:
He smells exactly the way you would think he smells. WONDERFUL “@Leigh_Catherine: @petedavidson i just want to know what he smells like.”
— Pete Davidson (@petedavidson) December 21, 2014
Sasheer Zamata, Leslie Jones, Vanessa Bayer, and Beck Bennett all had limited airtime this week. Jones only appeared in the “Office Christmas Party” sketch, but had no lines.
Saturday Night Live returns on Jan. 17 with host Kevin Hart and a musical guest to be determined.
Happy Holidays everyone!
