Well, it was a night of cameos on the season finale of SNL tonight, as the show brought back several of their most recent former cast members. Unfortunately, it only made for a better show in that it made us actually nostalgic for a cast that in itself wasn't necessarily one of the classic ensembles.
COLD OPEN: We open on the whole Jay-Z/Solange elevator fight, but the best part of this skit is the doctored footage where Jay and Sasheer make it seem like the two were really trying to shake off a spider attack. Maya Rudolph is the first cameo of the night, when she shows up to do her Beyonce, but I've never found her particularly funny, so this was only so-so.
MONOLOGUE: Andy comes out to make fun of his lack of appearances in the live sketches when he was on SNL, but actually, his Digital Short revolution really had a major influence on the comedy that the show has done ever since he started. The online viral video bits are the dominant force in various sketch shows and late night now. But he goes on to challenge Bill Hader (who immediately makes me want him back) to an series of impressions, and also welcomes appearances by Seth Meyers (who's odd not to see at the Weekend Update desk) and even Martin Short. It's ok, I guess.
CAMP WICAWABE: Ugh. Terribly unfunny bit with Kate and Aidy as camp kids in 1990 who show off activities and other campers. It's really not funny, although the talented Kate is at least doing a character, as usual, while the same-in-every-sketch Aidy is, well...the same. Boring.
WILL THE BALL EVER DROP?: So, having Andy back means that they can title the pre-taped bits "An SNL Digital Short" again, although really, they've been doing this ever since he left, and frequently. This is a weird one (as most of his were, in case anybody forgot), and starts with him as a crazy DJ, and ends with exploding heads. Yeah, I didn't like it.
CONFIDENT HUNCHBACK: A really short spoof on Hunchback of Notre Dame with Andy as an arrogant hunchback hitting on people in a bar. It's harmless, and slightly better than the others- but I'll admit, even though he didn't have many characters, I've always kinda found Andy Samberg charming in a weird way. So maybe this is only ok for me because of him.
WEEKEND UPDATE: God, a horrible update this week with some really badly formulated jokes that couldn't possibly have come from actual comedy writers. Sadly, they did. And then Kyle Mooney shows up to try out a character named Bruce, New York's veteran stand-up comic, and boy does it fall flat. Almost embarrassing. Thankfully, Andy comes in to bring one of the only good things in the episode, his classic Nic Cage impression for "In the Cage" with another celebrity, this time Paul Rudd. It's as good as it used to be, but once again, a veteran sketch with a former cast member has to save the subpar newbies.
VOGELCHECKS: Speaking of former sketches, they bring back the Vogelchecks with everyone from Kristen Wiig to Bill Hader and Fred Armisen, plus Andy of course. And in a really obvious tell for who could possibly fit in with this class reunion, it's their best current cast members who effortlessly join in- you got it, it's Taran and Kate. What this sketch does (aside from being actually funny) is remind you of the importance of cast chemistry. These guys like and know how to do this together, and that is something that is really, REALLY lacking among these current cast members. It suddenly becomes so clear that they need to gut this cast by half at least and give them a chance to form some cohesiveness.
KIMYE TALK SHOW: A good one they should be doing more of, but tonight it's only kinda funny. Should have been funnier, because this is an easy set-up they ought to hit out of the park every time. If they can't even do this one what the hell's going on in the writer's room? Luckily Taran brings a funny Bruce Jenner.
HUGS: Another digital short (let's take advantage of Andy while we can I guess), this time with all the Lonely Island guys, plus cameos from Tatiana Maslany (a split second one), Maya Rudolph and full participation from Pharell. This is also a song one and it's better than the first.
LEGOLAS: A short bit with Andy as Legolas ordering from Taco Bell. The only time this was funny was when Jason Segel did Andre the Giant. The randomness of that joke probably can't be repeated.
BLIZZARD MAN: One of Andy's old sketches with him as the terrible rapper, plus a cameo from 2 Chainz (the more random celebrities the better, they seem to think tonight, although it doesn't make it funnier). This one is good though, the way it used to be. But again, it's sad that the back half of the show is their recurring former sketches, which are only good because they were back when the old cast could do them.
PORN STARS: Yet another recurring sketch, a favorite with an appearance from Kristen Wiig as a former conjoined twin with Andy. This one is always better than the usual stuff they do at the end of the show, so be grateful for that.
So, that was it. SNL ends the season in a blaze of middling glory, as befits the entire year. I give tonight a C, but here's what I think they need to do when they regroup before next fall:
1) Fire half the cast. Definitely get rid of people who've done nothing and/or are falling away, like Nasim, Noel Wells, John Milhiser (that guy has been so absent I had to look up his name) and Brooks Whelan. Sorry guys, it just didn't work out. Of course, I really don't know how it seemed to work out for Kyle, Mike O'Brien, or Aidy, because they're all terrible too, but my guess is they're friendly with the other cast members. So...maybe that shouldn't always be the marker for a person's screen time? Just a thought.
2) Give Taran and Kate more to do, since they really are the talented bright spots of these people.
3) PLEASE try Beck Bennett out for Weekend Update. I know this is very unlikely to happen, because I don't think they've ever just dumped their Update anchors unless they leave the show, and Cecily clearly likes the attention she's getting there (although she's not that great in the position), but it really should happen. Colin Jost is dismal.
4) And finally, just please for the love of God, get some new writers. The skits are so badly written, there's no sharpness or relevance to the material they're doing, and they're so, SO DULL. Man.
I'll be back next season, folks, although after this year I can understand if you won't be. But hopefully these guys can get it together, since they've done it before, after all, and for decades at that. We'll find out. Have a great summer, SNL watchers!
