SNL Season Finale Video Recap May 18, 2013: Ben Affleck/Kanye West

SNL Season Finale Recap May 18, 2013: Ben Affleck/Kanye West

Cold Opening – Politics Nation
As far as I know, Al Sharpton has had only one recent major verbal gaffe, but that one gaffe has been enough to inspire a steady stream of malapropisms from Kenan Thompson’s Al Sharpton.  That graph (or “grapha”) was ridiculous, but it was also kind of meaningful.  Also, that Tea Party fellow deserved to be called out that way – the Founding Fathers don’t need people to dress up like them to honor them. B

Ben Affleck’s Monologue
The five-timers bit was essentially clever, but rather disappointing (for Ben’s sake).  Ben and Jen really seem to love each other. B-

HBO First Look: Bengo F#*@ Yourself
“Pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd” – this is all so silly. B

Xanax for Gay Summer Weddings
This wasn’t very Xanax-y. B-

New York 1933
Was Ben doing a Jimmy Stewart impression? C+

New Beginnings
Gay conversion camps are surely a good topic for satire.  But instead this sketch focused on gay stereotypes and Ben Affleck almost kissing another man, which isn’t offensive so much as tired. C+

Kanye West performs “Black Skinhead”
“This is terrifying.” – my sister A-

Weekend Update
-The Jokes: It’s so nice to have Amy around since her delivery is so strong, which helps when the punchlines aren’t all that much.  Case in point: This Week’s Story That Was Funnier Than The Punchline: the senior center prostitution – not much of a joke, but then Amy put her elbow on the desk and her chin on her hand and smiled.  She also seemed to inspire better delivery from Seth. B+
-The Segments: -Really!?!: Not the best Really!?!, or maybe I just feel that way because I don’t think the IRS’s actions were so bad as to be deserving of a Really!?! B
-Stefon: With Bill Hader leaving, it was mandatory that Stefon would appear, and it seemed like it was going to be like any other sort of Stefon appearance, which would have been fine because, miraculously, Stefon has remained hilarious over the course of nearly 20 appearances.  But then we were treated to Stefon’s wedding, and this segment became as emotionally satisfying as the best season finales, because this wedding had everything: human traffic cone groomsmen, furkels, ALF in a trenchcoat, Menorah the Explorer, Germfs, Wario Batali, hobocops, Gizblo the coked-up Mogwai, Jewish vampire Sydney Applebaum, DJ Baby Bok Choy, and even Stefon’s brother David (Ben Affleck)! A

Greg Pulino’s Funeral
Some jerk attending his own funeral: clever-cool concept.  It always works for me when a scheme unwinds due to obviously sloppy lies – “My dad’s not dead.  When I call his cell phone, he picks up and says, ‘Oops.’” B

Hermès Handbags
I still love Brooky and the one in Witness Protection, and they provide memorable stories and malapropisms during all of their appearances, but they’ve got to mix it up if they want to remain relevant. B

Kanye West performs “New Slaves”
Yikes. B+

Engagement Party
I especially liked grandpa’s speech. B-

Ian Rubbish and the Bizarros
What a delightfully idiosyncratic farewell sketch for Fred. B+

Overall
This episode featured two delightful cast goodbyes – and a bunch of other stuff.  Nothing was horrible, and there were a few other memorable moments, but nothing to write home about.  Kanye was great, though, in ways I don’t fully understand yet.  Ben is certainly likeable, and it would have been nice to see him getting more five-timer love, but alas this was not the best episode for that.

STEFON! STEFON!

SNL Video Recap May 11, 2013: Kristen Wiig/Vampire Weekend

SNL Recap May 11, 2013: Kristen Wiig/Vampire Weekend

Who the hell this Chinese dude?

Cold Opening – Benghazi Hearing
This may have been the most esoteric SNL sketch ever.  Definitely the most esoteric in a good long while. B-

Kristen Wiig’s Monologue
I got the jokes, but I didn’t get the point. B-

1-800 Flowers
There was no need for this to be a commercial for 1-800 Flowers, or a commercial for anything, really.  That’s not to say the funny didn’t work, just, you know. B-

The Californians
This was my brother’s first time seeing a Californians sketch, and he reacted much the same way I did to the first one, enjoying the SoCal accents and propensity to give directions to everywhere.  That was nice to hear, in a way, but it’s gotten to the point where it’s just the same thing over and over for me.  I used to love The Californians! C-

Aw Nuts! Mom’s a Ghost!
Before the reveal of this sketch’s premise, I was enjoying the kids’ continued insistence about how normal they are.  I would have been happy with an entire sketch about a Disney Channel family constantly reminding the viewers how normal they are.  Thankfully, this premise was ingenious, so the rest of the sketch was good as well.  This felt EXACTLY like a Disney Channel sitcom and EXACTLY like J-horror/K-horror. B+

The Lawrence Welk Show
The finger gags are funny, I guess, but come on, we know exactly where this sketch is going to go.  At least we have Fred as Lawrence Welk – perhaps his most underrated recurring role – with choice lines like the “melted Barbara doll” and a girl not needing a man if she has a favorite finger. C

Vampire Weekend perform “Diane Young”
Voice-deepening effects FTW.  Or, wait, was that actually Ezra hitting those low notes? B+

Weekend Update
-The Jokes: Okay, Seth, you survive another week.  The Clinton photo negative, women retrieving something from their purse, and tuba jokes were all silly but clever.  And then he whipped out a totally killer paraprosdokian with the stressful number of kids joke. B
-The Segments: -Secondhand News: The Ben Gazzara story was indeed clever.  The Reese’s Witherspoon Peanut Butter Cup was almost too much.  I would obviously rush out to see The Great Gonzo directed by Boz Scaggs. B
-Garth and Kat: Maybe I’ll like this bit more when I can actually make out what Garth and Kat said, but for now, it’s one of their middling appearances.  I did enjoy them jamming out, though. B-

Target Greatland
I never hated the Target Lady sketches, and I still don’t, but wow is this the definition of SNL mediocrity. C+

Acupuncture
Lovely.  Bobby “Yo, whose blood is this” Moynihan was the stealth MVP. B

Vampire Weekend perform “The Unbelievers”
How appropriate that Vampire Weekend would play this song on SNL, what with its organ riff that is reminiscent of Elvis Costello’s “Radio Radio.” B+

6th Graders Double Date
This was great in that it wasn’t played as creepy at all.  Bobby Moynihan is simply an expert at playing child roles.  The line about drinking root beer and then burping was one of the best deliveries in the history of delivering lines. B+

Classy Sexy Elegnace
The premise sounded funny, but when you get down to it, it was just as gaudy as what it was making fun of. C+

Overall
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, don’t you know.  And being as it’s been only a year since Kristen left the show, we haven’t had much time of absence to allow that fondness to grow.  So the return of her recurring bits just wasn’t going to work by coasting on familiarity alone.  But there was no need to rely on those, because the original sketches were almost uniformly strong.  I love Kristen, but I can understand why some people get sick of her, and this episode didn’t do much to change that.  But it also showed that she is versatile enough to branch out away from the bits that annoy people.  Oh, well. Could have been worse.  But it also could have been better!

The best sketch of the night was the best because it was an ORIGINAL, clever idea:

SNL Video Recap May 4, 2013: Zach Galifianakis/Of Monsters and Men

SNL Recap May 4, 2013: Zach Galifianakis/Of Monster and Men

I can barely hear you.  This is an Altoids box.

Cold Opening – Fox & Friends
Fox & Friends are reliably funny, though rarely excellent.  But, hey, that’s a winning formula when it comes to SNL cold opens these days.  The Fox crew generally needs a reliable “friend” to play the role of straight man, which Fred’s Mike Bloomberg dutifully provided.  His retort that you might as well leave your cars unlocked if you’re not going to have background checks was not too laugh-too-loud, but I did like the logic.  My favorite correction was “Croquettes are not female crocodiles.” B

Zach Galifianakis’s Monologue
Shouldn’t this have been longer?  I’ve heard the deaf couple charades joke before – it’s a keeper.  Stumping Google by asking how many Mexicans live in North Korea – that’s Zach Galifianakis, the one and only.  He is also of course great with setting the tone with the comments he slips in to start off, like “Don’t get your hopes up” and hoping that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. B+

Game of Game of Thrones
I don’t like the implication that GoT nerds (or any nerds, for that matter) are automatically socially awkward, but I’ll excuse this sketch because it did not explicitly say that any nerds besides these three are socially awkward.  Besides that, this sketch was a little by-the-numbers, though well-done, thanks especially to Zach’s performance (of course) and the weird details snuck in (Bill Hader’s character is “O.J. Sampson,” Zach guesses that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is “some old pilgrim”). B

Match.com
There were some funny lines, but that was not a particularly accurate Martha Stewart impression. C+

Jennifer Aniston Lookalike Contest
The Helen Keller jokes were incredible.  I thought calling the judges “Mr. Magoo and Helen Keller” was something else, and then all the other Helen Keller burns just kept on coming, and I kept laughing more and more.  I figured, here’s the ONE sketch we’ll get tonight that will play perfectly to Zach’s sensibility.  Little did I know… B+

Of Monsters and Men perform “Little Talks”
This performance put me in a really good mood.  Not just because I love this song, but also because I got to behold just how adorable Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir is.  (She looks to me like Isabella Rossellini.)  I was in so good a mood that I didn’t register the details of how good exactly the instrumentation was, but it sure sounded good. B+

Weekend Update
-The Jokes: I guessed I laughed a few times, but overall I had a feeling of “nothing special.”  The mention of Clitoris Awareness Week certainly perked me up, though (those ladies in the audience were also happy to hear about it).  Seth’s joke about it was hacky, but solid. C
-The Segments: -James Carville: Bill’s James Carville has gone so far beyond what James Carville is actually like that he is essentially Bill’s own character at this point.  Unless Carville actually is like that.  I don’t know.  He doesn’t appear in the news that often.  Certainly not as often as Seth appears as him. B
-Randall Meeks: The head-whipping was a little headache-inducing for this viewer. B
-The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party: The language of The Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party is the New Jazz. B+

M&M Store
What I loved about this sketch was that there was no reason for it to take place at the M&M Store.  The story of a bizarre, hopeless racist could have taken place at just about any workplace, and it’s not like M&M Stores are common enough to be just any workplace.  Apparently the only reason it was at the M&M Store was for the sake of the joke about confusing a brown M&M with Black Joe.  Got to love these bizarre little details that show up when Zach is around. B+

Darrell’s House
Zach Galifianakis hosting his own show – of course, of course.  Vanessa appearing only to have something thrown at her was delightful.  Kenan’s pretend eating reminded me of his All That days.  His whole performance was goofy and enthusiastic.  But Zach owned it, with his fits of rage, persnickety specifications, and disturbing laughter. A-

Of Monsters and Men perform “Mountain Sound”
I was hoping “Dirty Paws” or “Love Love Love” would be the second song.  This song’s all right, but certainly not the classic that “Little Talks” is. B

Michael Jordan Wedding
This sketch looked like it was going to be all about the jugglers, which would have been fine, but it turned out (like much of the episode) that that was just a weird little detail that was part of a bigger sketch.  The stereotype about black women having large penises and Jay’s Dikembe Mutombo were incredible. B+

New Balance
The line about the shoes helping Zach’s character “just stand here” was worth a laugh.  The sketch could have ended right at that point. B-

Darrell’s House (Edited)
Darrell’s House provided the best argument in a while for why it’s worth it to watch SNL live (or at least on the DVR, in the order everything aired). If you’re watching the clips online, you immediately see that there are two editions of Darrell’s House. It’s still funny, but it ruins the surprise. I had more or less forgotten about Darrell by the time the 10-to-1 slot rolled around, so the mere fact of it returning brought me plenty of delight, and there really is a lot to be said for delayed gratification.  This iteration was brilliant in following up on all the specifications from the initial version.  It was incredible to see everything edited in the way Darrell wanted, even though other, simple ways would have made more sense.  The Al Jolson mention cracked me up enough to have to pause and rewind a bit. A

Overall
In Zach’s previous hosting stints, the show was good for a monologue and about one sketch that really showed off Zach’s sensibilities, while the rest of the episode couldn’t figure out how to integrate them with the rest of SNL.  But this episode finally figured out that the way to make him work is by making him the focal point of just about every sketch, and the result was a classic.

When watching the best sketch of this episode, watch Part 1, wait 10 minutes, then watch Part 2.

SNL Video Recap April 13, 2013: Vince Vaughn/Miguel

SNL Recap April 13, 2013: Vince Vaughn/Miguel

Cold Opening – A Message From the President
Until (or, unless) Jay starts adding some personality to his Obama, these political cold opens are going to remain bland for the foreseeable future, even for sketches that actually have a few funny lines, like this one did.  This time didn’t actually focus on Obama, but it didn’t help that the focus was on a couple of senators that most people are probably unfamiliar with. B-

Vince Vaughn’s Monologue
Yeah, this is where it’s at.  “Vince Vaughn talks to the audience” doesn’t do this monologue anywhere near justice.  It lasted a while, but that was part of the fun of it.  It would have been enjoyable if it had dragged on the whole episode.  And it kind of did, when he gave Eric his phone back during the goodnights. A-

The Al Pacino Accused Murderer Biopic Series
There wasn’t much of a point to this beyond letting Bill go crazy with his Pacino impression, which is certainly agreeable.  He didn’t really do an impression of any of the accused murderers, save for the comically broad accents of the Menendez brothers. B+

Stormy Skies
“With little to no precipitation” was a strong enough turn of phrase to make this sketch somewhat worthwhile.  Can somebody please tell Kenan his Al Roker makes no sense? B-

History of Punk
This didn’t go beyond the oddness of Ian Rubbish’s support of Thatcher, but at least Fred and company committed to their English punk personalities.  Steve Jones didn’t really need to be there, but he did add all to the whole milieu.  B

Short Term Memory Loss Theatre
This could have used more of a point to make up for the only sporadic laughter. B-

Miguel performs “Adorn”
At first, I didn’t even recognize this as “Adorn.”  It felt like an odd choice to emphasize the instruments as much as this performance did, but it wasn’t like Miguel’s vocals were drowned out.  Ultimately, it worked. A-

Weekend Update
-The Jokes: It is an accomplishment that Seth is consistently making me chuckle.  Pointing out that Cookie Monster is indeed “still a monster” was worth a guffaw. B-
-The Segments: -Brad Paisley and LL Cool J: Kenan offered something as LL (“Buh-ring, I’ll do it.”), Jason offered basically nothing as Brad. B-
-Marina Chapman: Kate can indeed play crazy well.  Also there was stuff about monkeys. C+

Northside Junior High Prom
This sketch had the most aggressively awful ending of an SNL sketch in some time.  Not that that mattered all that much, but it mattered somewhat, because it felt like this sketch was leading to some sort of ending.  At least the Vince Vaughn style and energy offered something to the role of enigmatic philanthropist. B-

Tesh Brothers
Well, I’m not going to complain about a bit focused on John Tesh.  But I am going to complain about an SNL sketch that doesn’t do much with its premise.  This wasn’t quite what I’d call a slam dunk. B-

Miguel performs “How Many Drinks?”
I don’t listen to too much R&B, so it takes some calibrating for me to effectively watch a performance by the likes of Miguel.  But I think he hit his marks. B+

Last Call
This sketch was kind of meaningful in the Louis C.K. episode.  This time it was just overkill. C+

Overall
The vibe Vince was bringing with his monologue seemed to augur well.  But then most of the sketches just weren’t doing much.  They all had interesting ideas … to start out with.  They just didn’t go much beyond the beginning.

Regarding the best of the night, the monologue was money, baby:

SNL Video Recap April 6, 2013: Melissa McCarthy/Phoenix

SNL Recap April 6, 2013: Melissa McCarthy/Phoenix

You know what I’m writing off this year? The next generation.

Cold Opening – Kim Jong-Un
I laughed the most when he said “Wichita State.”  Everything about Dennis Rodman screamed that he had just walked out of a time warp. B

Melissa McCarthy’s Monologue
This – THIS – is the sort of the offbeat, but so perfect, concept every monologue should aspire to. B+

Outside the Lines
This sketch took basically all the concerns of college athletics and took them to the comedic nth degree.  That is a formula for success. A-

The Voice
The impressions of the judges were technically proficient, but a little perfunctory.  Good thing Melissa had come up with an actual character. B-

Honey Baked Ham Bake-Off
Ham. B

Bathroom Businessman
This would have worked better if it had just committed to being a commercial for the Bathroom Businessman, seeing as it established that so well.  Three minutes is not enough time to effectively commit to promoting something indecent AND speak out against that indecency.  The protestation of “I’m wasting my career in the bathroom!” definitely landed though. B

Phoenix perform “Entertainment”
I was just about asleep during this performance, but it was just so fun, I had to move my feet even a little bit.  Sounded like Japan. A-

Weekend Update
-The Jokes: Seth, you’re on something resembling a roll.  The Eric Holder burn and the warning to the middle of the ocean about North Korea both really stuck the landing.  This Week’s Story That Was Funnier Than the Punchline: Naked and Afraid. B
-The Segments: -Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy: Basically the same as last time, but it’s shtick that sticks.  David Ben Purrion for the win!  Also, I liked how Jacob’s pronunciation of “rock music” sounded like “reck music.” B
-Charles Barkley: Charles isn’t quite as confused as Kenan makes him out to be (he’s actually quite intelligent), but he talks a lot, often without fully listening to what he’s saying.  Plus, he’s never lost that accent.  And he does have a history of gambling.  So that’s how you get quips like not knowing that Wichita’s a state or that it doesn’t have witches and betting $5 million on himself to win the Masters. B+
-Drunk Uncle: Drunk Uncle is one of the best modern philosophers.  His observations are so spot-on.  I’m sure a lot of people would like to deduct Luna Bars.  I mean, I know I would.  And writing off the next generation?  How damning and affecting.  I’ve also got to agree with Drunk Uncle that Peter Drunklage was a little too drunk.  He was drunk-drunk more than funny-drunk.  You know, cause the thing is, Drunk Uncle works so well because he has a personality beyond just “drunk.”  I did appreciate, though, Peter Drunklage mentioning that there’s regret in his Tumblr.  I’m sure everyone would like Peter Dinklage to just go ahead and host.  (What was up with the groans over the Immigration Return Service?) B+

Million Dollar Wheel
Once again, Melissa McCarthy uses a character with some depth to conquer a one-joke sketch.  I also liked the fact that Suzanne had to resign because of a alcohol problem – the host’s! B

Loan Application
“Do what you love, and the money will follow.”  Hey, I love to watch comedy! B+

Phoenix perform “Trying to Be Cool”
A nice tune to wind down the night.  The outro reminded me of “Changes” by Yes. B+

The Art of the the Encounter
Some things that are never not funny: retro dating advice, generic comments about sports scores, telling someone “you bore me”, confused and inconsistent gender politics. A-

Overall
I am not sure how well some of these sketches could have worked without Melissa McCarthy, because not only is she a supreme comedic actress, she seems to have written her characters’ entire backstories with her performances.  There were some sketches – The Voice, Honey Baked Ham Bake-Off, Million Dollar Wheel – in which I wasn’t too confident about them working, but Melissa just killed it.  And then there were some sketches I knew couldn’t possibly go wrong – The Art of the Encounter, Outside the Lines – and I wasn’t disappointed.  On top of that, the writing was sharp.

You’re welcome, Chief Pays No Bills.

This episode’s best sketch couldn’t possibly not be funny: