Well, Season Thirty-Eight of NBC's “Saturday Night Live” has come to an end. On May 18th, 2013, Ben Affleck celebrated his fifth hosting stint on the long-running variety show as well as the end of the season. It was a bittersweet finale though. Despite some not-so-great writing in certain areas, the episode was more highlighted by the fact that it was the last for long-time castmembers Fred Armisen and Bill Hader; the latter of whom will leave a significant void after making viewers laugh for eight years through hilarious impersonations and characters. As previously reported, however, it has been stated in reports that fellow longtime castmember Jason Sudeikis has not yet decided whether or not he'll be departing the show. Henceforth, there is a chance he could be back for the new season. This would be very beneficial to the long-running sketch comedy show; seeing that Sudeikis has been a reliable performer who has been able to improve the quality of sketches through his charismatic delivery and penchant for playing any kind of role; whether it be a comical character or even a likable straightman. Surely this episode would be important to watch. Nevertheless, the season finale of this season needed to be memorable; considering the departing castmembers. Fortunately, despite weak writing, we got just that.
Cold Opening- “Politic Nation with Al Sharpton”
I've never been a big fan if these reoccurring sketches; mainly because the primary joke always revolves around Al Sharpton's, played by longtime castmember Kenan Thompson, mispronunciation of words. Tonight's installment was basically the same thing as previous installments. Thompson did the best he could with the material, however, and his delivery helped improve the quality of the sketch. Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis gave humorous performances as their characters, though they didn't have much to work with. In addition, I was a little disappointed to see that neither Sudeikis or Hader got to open the show by saying “Live From New York...”; considering that the latter had publicly announced that tonight's show would be his last. Despite the good performances by Thompson. Hader, and Sudeikis, this opening turned out, unfortunately, nothing special.
Monologue- Ben Affleck
I always enjoy it when Ben Affleck hosts the long-running sketch comedy show, and I was glad to see him acknowledge the '5-Timers Club'; considering that he is now a member. However, I was wondering if they would be doing the whole '5- Timers Club' monologue again; considering that we just saw Justin Timberlake get the royal treatment this past March. Bobby Moynihan was pretty funny here; with him being the one to bare the news that they couldn't do the whole star-studded affair; seeing that everyone was there for Timberlake. I got a laugh out of Moynihan wearing the 5-Timers shirt and faintly tossing confetti into the air. The second half of the monologue was alright; with Affleck's real-life wife Jennifer Garner showing up to prove that there are no problems in their marriage; as people thought that the pair were experiencing marital problems when Affleck failed to mention her when accepting the Academy Award for “Argo.” The bit went on a bit too long; though I have to commend Affleck and Garner for going along with the bit.
Image of Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck taken from http://snltranscripts.jt.org/12/12umono.phtml
Sketch-- “Bengo F@@k Yourself”
This wasn't a bad sketch. Fred Armisen gave a good performance as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; who was presenting Iran's answer to Ben Affleck's “Argo”; which happened to be of the Iranian President portraying the actor pitching the idea for the film to a studio. Armisen's over-the-top fake Boston accent was very funny; as was Bill Hader's Iranian character impersonating a Hollywood executive. Ben Affleck was also very funny, with him saying that he wanted to help out so he could make a film worse than “Gigli.” Watching Affleck portray a crewmember interacting with Armisen's “impersonation” was humorous and it just goes to show just how the Hollywood actor is able to make fun of himself in completely good fun. “Saturday Night Live” needs more hosts like Ben Affleck who have no problem cutting loose in sketches.
Image of Ben Affleck playing Himself as a Cameraman and Fred Armisen as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad playing Ben Affleck taken from http://snltranscripts.jt.org/12/12ubengo.phtml
Sketch- Depression Scene
This was a creative sketch that Bill Hader carried very well. He is always able to pull off that old timey matter of speaking of the 1930s-1950s. All the performances in this sketch were very good; including Ben Affleck playing a businessman offering a “desperate” 'Edward Bing', played by Hader, a job at a construction company-- despite the latter not wanting to come in to work before 10:00am. The back and forth between
Hader and Affleck was great and they possessed good chemistry. In addition, Catsmember Kate McKinnon was good as 'Prima Donna',; a woman that was preseumed by Affleck's character to be the wife of Hader's character. The sketch played out well and the end was very good. Overall, a very creative and well-written sketch.
Sketch: New Beginnings Summer Camp
I am not a fan of sketches that rely on jokes aimed at homosexuality, To me, it's a crutch the writers use to get easy laughs out of the audience. That being said, this wasn't terrible. Ben Affleck gave a solid performance as the camp counselor working at a Christian summer camp. Affleck dis what he could with the weak material; though the writing wasn't very funny. Castmember Taran Killam provided a couple chuckles with his sudden fan dance. However, this sketch just wasn't that reat.
Sketch: "Weekend Update with Seth Meyers"
Well, here we go. The final “Weekend Update” of Season Thirty-Eight of “Saturday Night Live.” Where to begin? First, I was happy to see Amy Poehler return for the season finale and engage in a new “Really??” segment with Seth Meyers; who going to be hosting “Late Night” starting next February when Jimmy Fallon goes on to host “The Tonight Show.” The “Really??” segment for this episode wasn't great, but I can't deny the fact that Meyers and Poehler have good chemistry. Their little exchanges between jokes were amusing and a good reminder of how enjoyabletheir years anchoring “Weekend Update” were.
And now we came to Bill Hader's final appearance on “Weekend Update” as his popular reoccurring character “Stefon” before leaving the “Saturday Night Live”. First, I must say that I liked the leering response Hader's character made when meeting Amy Poehler for the first time. It's interesting to note this, because Hader never played “Stefon” when she was anchoring “Weekend Update” with Seth Meyers. I enjoyed seeing Hader's character give one more bizarre nightclub description; particularly when he said that the club in question (which the character referred to as “Pants”) had, among the attractions listed, sling and mesh bladder implants as well as the table from “Charlie Rose.” Hader's performance as the character was still hilarious as usual; though I was unprepared for the surprises that followed.
First of all, I knew things were going to take an interesting turn when Hader's “Stefon” left in a huff after having enough of Seth Meyers wanting to hear more appropriate locations for families to visit in the city. And I then had a feeling we were in for something bit when Hader's “Stefon” said he was getting married. Things got even more intriguing when Meyers, in a clearly humorous manner, started crying at the possible thought of losing “Stefon” forever; leading to Amy Poehler to encourage him to go after him.
What followed now, with credit to the “Saturday Night Live” writing staff, was a humorous parody of Dustin Hoffman's 1967 film “The Graduate”; as Seth Meyers chases after “Stefon” to a lavish church where, in a pre-taped segment, Bill Hader's character was about to be married to Television Personality Anderson Cooper; in a surprise cameo. But what was even more hilarious was that most people in attendance were various characters that Hader's “Stefon” has identified as attending the various nightclubs he's described over the past few years!!! Among the outrageously-hilarious characters included “Human Traffic Cones”, “Fat Urkles,” “Gerfs” (aka “German Smurfs”), and “Puppets in Disguise” (in the form of “Alf” in a trench coat and sunglasses). The bit got even more hilarious as Seth Meyers called after “Stefon”; who responded by screaming “Seth!!!” in an extremely feminine voice). The whole thing got me laughing out loud in my chair; as I saw even more bizarre characters; including “Menorah the Explorer” and “DJ Baby Bok Choy”; who blocked off an angry mob as Seth Meyers and “Stefon” escaped together. The whole thing led up to the pair returning live to the studio; where Amy Poehler and all the “Weekend Update” characters from Seth Meyers' tenure as anchor stood throwing rice at the happy couple. The whole thing was a hilarious and beautiful way to bid farewell to Bill Hader; who, as I stated before, will be greatly missed from “Saturday night Live.”
I am also wondering if this particular installment of “Weekend Update” was meant to serve as Seth Meyers' last; considering that he's going to be assuming hosting “Late Night”. I mean, Amy Poehler was back and we got all the characters from Meyers' time on Update. This edition could clearly serve as Seth Meyers' departure from “Weekend Update”; which leaves the question.... “Who will be the next 'Weekend Update' anchor?” I guess we'll just have to wait and see. All in all, a great way to end “Weekend Update” for the season as well as a great send-off for Bill Hader!
Image of (from left to right) Cecily Strong as "Girl at a Party", Nasim Pedrad as Arianna Huffington, Kenan Thompson as "Jean K. Jean", Kate McKinnon as Ann Romney, Vanessa Bayer as "Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy", Amy Poehler, Bobby Moynihan as "Drunk Uncle", Jason Sudeikis as "The Devil", Seth Meyers, and Bill Hader as "Stefon" taken from http://snltranscripts.jt.org/12/12uupdate.phtml
Sketch: Greg's Funeral
Now this was a sketch that was quite funny. Ben Affleck gave a very humorous performance as the “uncle” of the deceased Greg; a man greatly disliked by members of his family-- played by members of the cast. Affleck's character kept on defending his nephew, who he kept insisting he was dead, despite the fact that he was indeed Greg and that he faked his death. All the castmembers gave humorous performances the members of Greg's family; particularly Kate McKinnon, who played his angry ex-wife, and Castmember Taran Killam; whp portrayed his father's son-- going on a rant on why he clearly knows that his father his alive and faked his death. In addition, Jason Sudeikis gave a good performance as the funeral director; who earnestly tried to keep the event moving along and give everyone in attendance a chance to talk. Affleck was hilarious throughout the sketch with his over-the-top fake Mexican accent-- as he claimed he was from Mexico-- and that was why noone has heard of him before. This was a very humorous sketch.
Sketch: Hermes Handbags
I have grown tired of these sketches that feature Castmembers Vanessa Bayer and Cecily Strong as two porn stars advertising different products. Despite the decent performances from Strong and Bayer, their dialogue just came off as very ridiculous and very forced. Ben Affleck's character was the only part of this I laughed at, and the actor was funny; especially when he kept swinging into frame. Simply put, this was basically just a rehash of the first two installments.
Sketch: Shana's Engagement
This was basically just a one-note sketch that, despite good performances, it just dragged on a bit too long. That being said, Ben Affleck, Bill Hader, and Fred Armisen were funny as their tough-guy police officers getting emotional at a daughter's engagement party. Affleck, Armisen, and Hader did well with their New Jersey accents, though the obvious joke got old quick. Bobby Moynihan was humorous as well as the grandfather; though I wish his bit went on a bit longer. Jason Sudeikis' appearance at eh end as the police Sergent was humorous as well; but his inclusion felt a bit rushed as well. Good performances by all, even though the joke of all them getting more emotional as things went on went on a bit too long.
Sketch: Ian Rubbish and The Bizarros
Now this was a classy send-off for Fred Armisen. First of all, I was happy to see Armisen reprise his “Ian Rubbish” character from the “History of Punk” short film from the Vince Vaughn show from this past April. It's clear that Fred Armisen is a fan of British Punk Rock, and he and Bill Hader do well with their English accents. The song they performed (“It's a Lovely Day”) along with Jason Sudeikis on drums and Taran Killam on guitar was very catchy as well as very sentimental. You could tell that Fred Armisen is going to miss being on the show; and with all do respect, he was a good sketch comedy performers-- despite his lackluster impression of Barack Obama; which he did on the show from February 2008 to May 2012 as well as starring in the overused reoccurring sketch “The Californians.” The appearances of musicians Steve Jones, J Mascis, Kim Gordon, Aimee Mann, and Michael Penn as well as Armisen's “Portlandia” co-star Carrie Brownstein were nice touches and the whole performance was very enjoyable. Lastly, it was nice to see Bill Hader and Fred Armisen perform together on stage one last time before they go their separate ways. All in all, a good farewell for Armisen and even Hader as well as a nice way to close the 2012-2013 season of “Saturday Night Live.”
Image of Fred Armisen as "Ian Rubbish" taken from http://snltranscripts.jt.org/12/12urubbish.phtml
And that's the show. Ben Affleck did a fine job as host; though I'm glad he took a step back to allow Bill Hader and Fred Armisen to have their farewells. And despite the weak writing of some of the sketches, memorable performances of the cast and Affleck made the night enjoyable and memorable. As for Musical Guest Kanye West, I have nothing to say. His songs weren't catchy and all and, in all honesty, he just sounded angry when he was performing; constantly screaming into his microphone when singing.
All in all, an enjoyable season finale and a wonderful fare well for Bill Hader and Fred Armisen.
Well, that concludes the 2012-2013 season of “Saturday night Live”. And what an uneven season this was. True, longtime castmembers Kristen Wiig and Andy Samberg were gone, but veteran performers Bill Hader and Jason Sudeikis were still around. Both performers continued to provide laughs for the audience; with Hader continuously showcasing top-notch impressions of well-known public figures and Sudeikis regularly turning in engaging comedic performances in sketches-- whether it be a humorous straightman to comedic characters played by hosts like Melissa McCarthy and Zach Galifianakis-- or even a humorous character-- such as a laid-back security guard to Guest Host Justin Bieber that introduced a group of body-doubles that bared hardly any resemblance to the popular musician during an episode that aired February 9th of this year. I will also say that, despite the ridiculousness of the reoccurring sketch “The Californians”, longtime castmember Fred Armisen, who will be leaving this year, did manage to turn in memorable performances as fictional British Punk Rock Singer Ian Rubbish; who first appeared this past April in a pre-taped short film that aired on April 13th that featured a profile on the character's fondness for the late Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. All three veteran performers have done what they could with the material they were given; and some of the best moments of the season came from them.
I will say that some of the newer performers have kept my attention throughout the season. For example, Jay Pharoah, who first joined the cast as a featured player back in September 2010, has done quite well taking over the important impression of President Barack Obama from Fred Armisen. Pharoah has managed to mimic the President's manner of speaking; though, unfortunately, the sketch comedy program's writers haven't created very memorable sketches for the three-year- castmember; and I'm hoping he gets better sketches that allow him to showcase his impression. I will also say that three-year castmember Taran Killam has done very well in sketches; particularly in a piece where he played the obnoxious older brother of a young woman, played by castmember Nasim Pedrad, who was dating a shy young man; played by host Justin Bieber. When Bieber's character accidentally combined the words “glad” and “nice” into a single word (“glice”), Killam's character continuously ribbed the young man on his flaw in over-the-top ways. Even though the sketch went on a bit too long, Killam's performance was humorous; mainly due to his the comical tone of his voice and fast-paced body movements. Killam also turned in a comical performance as an audience member who humored a hypnotist, played by guest host Joseph Gordon-Levitt, by pretending to go into a deep trance. Throughout the sketch, Killam's character engaged in activities like pretending to be a dinosaur as well as “revealing” a “personal secret” about his wife, played by castmember Vanessa Bayer. Though the sketch was a little ridiculous at times, Killam's performance was humorous.
Image of Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Hypnotist "Tommy Bergamont" and Taran Killam as "Curtis" taken from http://snltranscripts.jt.org/12/12bhypnotist.phtml
I will also say that some of the female castmembers have provided laughs'; particularly featured player Kate McKinnon; who managed to rise above some of her fellow performers when providing some truly comic performance. One such sketch, which took place on April 3rd, McKinnon played a barfly who kept hitting on a fellow patron; played by guest host and actor-comedian Louis C.K. The two performers had great chemistry entire thing kept escalating until both performers engaged in a prolonged make-out session that went on even after they left the bar they were drinking at. The sketch was very funny due to the performances of McKinnon and Louis C.K.; and even though the sketch was executed on April 13th,the actress' performance and chemistry with guest host Vince Vaughn made the segment humorous once again. I look forward to seeing McKinnon offer more humorous performances next season. In short terms, the cast has done what they could throughout the season; despite the weak writing that is significantly affecting the show.
Image of Louis C.K. as "Don Pants" and Kate McKinnon as "Sheila Sovage" taken from http://snltranscripts.jt.org/12/12flastcall.phtml
While the performances of the “Saturday Night Live” cast have been greatly important in regards to the season as a whole, I do want to mention that certain hosts have done their fare share to improve the quality of the show as a whole. A good amount of the hosts this have in fact been on the show before; some of which made triumphant returns, while some others didn't. For instance, Justin Timberlake, who celebrated his fifth hosting stint on March 9th, was able to greatly improve the quality of the show through his performances and charisma. For instance, Timberlake managed to salvage his signature reoccurring sketch, which happens to be his well-known “dancing mascot” character, and make it watchable; thanks in large part to his enthusiastic performance. Dressed as a vegan cake, Timberlake engaged in humorous banter with castmember Bobby Moynihan; who was playing the hapless vendor for Sausage Depo. The exchanges between the two performer were humorous; and the segment was also highlighted by a fun spoof of the popular “Harlem Shake” viral videos. It should also be mentioned that Timberlake went on to being one of this season's best musical guests as well; as his performance of his hit song “Suit & Tie” that featured a surprise appearance of well-known rapper Jay-Z. It was also very appropriate for Timberlake to receive the red carpet treatment when commemorating his fifth hosting stint with the resurfacing of the '5-Timers Club'; complete with special appearances from fellow multi-time hosts-- such as Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin, and Former Castmember Chevy Chase. Surely Justin Timberlake's show went on to be possibly the best of the season.
Image of Candance Bergen, Justin Timberlake, Tom Hanks, and Alec Baldwin taken from http://snl.jt.org/detail.php?i=201303092
As for other returning hosts, I was happy to see Fellow Former Castmember Martin Short return to host as well. Emceeing the December 15th episode, provided enthusiastic performances alongside the cast. Particularly with Bill Hader, who, in one sketch, played a British gynecologist who received a visit from a representative for the Royal Family, played by Short, and became ever more confused by the unorthodox requirements for performing Kate Middleton's pregnancy. Martin Short and Bill Hader had great chemistry and the sketch played out flawlessly. Short continued to perform well thoughout the show; including during a piece where he and Fred Armisen played old friends who meet up at Restoration Hardware and reminisced about strange activities they engaged in years ago. The sketch was quite humorous and was also a nice break from the type of over-the-top sketches that take place in the last half hour of various episodes this season. The whole episode was fun and is the second best show of the season.
While Martin Short and Justin Timberlake were among the best returning hosts of the season, some others could be considered not so lucky. Melissa McCarthy, who hosted April 6th, failed to recapture the glory of her previous hosting stint from the previous season. While the sketches from her first show featured a good amount of fun performances from the cast, McCarthy's show this season suffered due to the fact that every character she played was basically the same. Thanks in large part to the weak writing, every one of her characters had the same basic personality; causing them all to blend together. In addition, the castmembers, instead of getting a lot to do, were mainly relegated to simply reacting to the antics of McCarthy's characters. All in all, it was just a poorly written episode. Another returning host who failed to turn in memorable performances was Jamie Foxx; who first hosted back on January 8th, 2000. In his December 8th, 2012 show, Foxx turned in some not-so enjoyable performances; particularly during his monologue, in which he sang a rather unengaging song and went on to ask the question “How black is that?” regarding different topics. For most of the show, Foxx imparted some uninspired acting that wasn't at all funny; particularly during a game show sketch where he played a rather rude emcee who kept referring to his contestant as “Bitches”. The sketch wasn't funny at all and it basically relied on the same joke; a crutch the “Saturday Night Live” writers use all the time when crafting sketches. Despite a humorous performance as the bailiff in the first ever “Maine Justice” sketch, Jamie Foxx just came off as being a rather forgettable host. Hopefully, next season we get hosts who can successfully pull off memorable hosting stints.
We also got a couple of memorable performances from from some celebrities that went on to be good first-time hosts. For instance, “Family Guy” Creator Seth MacFarlane, got the ball rolling during the season premier; which aired September 15th of this past year. Throughout the show, MacFarlane demonstrated his fine impression skills when performing a musical number for his monologue; which included imitations of Michael J. Fox as “Marty McFly” (from “Back to the Future”), classic cartoon character “Droopy Dog”, and even “Kermit the Frog.” MacFarlane also shined in a particular sketch featuring castmember Nasim Pedrad; which centered on a blind date at a restaurant in a mall. Throughout the sketch, MacFarlane and Pedrad demonstrated their ability to do different voices; and they both had keen chemistry. MacFarlane did very well throughout the show; being able to play characters as well as straightmen in sketches. His overall performance eventually led him to host this past year's Academy Awards, and I wouldn't mind seeing him appear on “Saturday night Live” again.
Another first-time host that did well was actor-comedian Louis C.K.; who was able to portray both straightmen as well as a comical character in a sketch. One such segment saw Louis C.K. Playing a clerk at a hotel who was listing the bizarre charges a visiting businessman, played by Bobby Moynihan, following a short stay. The interactions between Louis C.K. And Moynihan got more humorous as the sketch went on; particularly as the list of charges on more and more bizarre. Just the casual manner that Louis C.K. spoke in was enough to make me laugh; as he basically listed every charge much to the chagrin of Moynihan's character, Like Seth MacFarlane, I would enjoy seeing Louis C.K. Host a second time.
Image of Nasim Pedrad and Seth MacFarlane taken from http://snl.jt.org/detail.php?i=2012091512
But while there were first-time hosts I would enjoy seeing appear on the show again, there are a couple that I wasn't too fond of. For instance, on January 26th of this year, Musician-Television personality Adam Levine hosted for his first time, and throughout the whole night, you could tell he was reading the cue cards. Furthermore, Levine hardly showed any genuine enthusiasm in the sketches, and he did not have good chemistry with the “Saturday Night Live” cast. Some sketches even ended a bit too abruptly as well; including a segment that involved Levine interacting with various musicians, played by members of the cast, at a bar; eventually leading to what was supposed to be a brawl, but instead just fizzled out by the conclusion without any real climax. Another first-time host that failed to impress for the most part was Jeremy Renner; who, for some of the evening's sketches, kept stumbling over his lines. In addition, when playing the piano during his monologue, Renner appeared uncomfortable on stage; even at one point saying the phrase “why am I doing this?” You could tell he was feeling awkward the whole time, and he hardly seemed to be giving it his all; particularly in an installment of the reoccurring sketch “The Californians”-- as he failed to properly speak in the comical manner of speaking his fellow performers were engaging. Aside from the performances of the cast during the show, Jeremy Renner just didn't work out as a comedic performer, and I'm not even sure if I could see him return to the show. Thus, I really hope that next season feature some first-time hosts that deliver sharp comedic performances that truly improve any lackluster sketches.
Image of Fred Armisen and Jeremy Renner in "The Californians" taken from http://snl.jt.org/detail.php?i=201211174
So who knows how the upcoming season will go. With the announced departures of Fred Armisen and Bill Hader; there will be a significant void left on the show; one that will clearly stand out due to the absence of the latter performer. However, it is unknown if Jason Sudeikis will be coming back; as stated before. If he sticks around for the next season, it will be a good thing; mainly because he would obviously get more screentime in sketches. With the rest of the cast hopefully returning, I will give the start of Season Thirty-Nine a fair chance to be funny. However, if the show isn't very memorable or funny at all, I might be thinking twice about live-blogging the entire season. We'll see what happens in September.
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