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Judging by my own socials, the biggest sad-but-truly-satirical clown show has been going on in Kenosha, Wisc., courtesy of the circuit judge “presiding” over the homicide trial against Kyle Rittenhouse. But Judge Bruce Schroeder remains safe from Saturday Night Live‘s satirical sketch writers for now. SNL granted Schroeder a one-week reprieve, at least. The same cannot be sad for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), however, who couldn’t keep himself out of the punchlines yet again.
What’s The Deal For The SNL Cold Open For Last Night (11/13/21)?
I mean, who doesn’t love Big Bird? Besides Ted Cruz, who blasted the beloved PBS Muppet character for promoting COVID-19 vaccinations to children. So SNL took him to town, or rather placed the conservative senator in his own misguided version of Sesame Street called Cruz Street, which only airs on NewsMax Kids.
After the big kids sang Cruz’s revised lyrics to the theme song, Marjorie Taylor Greene (Cecily Strong) showed up toting an assault rifle. She let us know the show was sponsored by the letter Q. Get it? In case you don’t, or if you’re still trying to figure out if that really was Kyle Mooney in the bird costume, don’t worry, because this cold open proceeded to throw a whole bunch of things into the mix to see if any of them might keep you laughing. I suggested Joe Rogan as comedy fodder last week, only to watch as giant Pete Davidson gummed up the works, and also made it weird with the S and D reference (you’re better off if you missed that news flash), and while I enjoyed seeing Alex Moffat and Mikey Day team up again (this time as Bert and Ernie), it all crumbled into a sad joke about homosexuality. Chris Redd as Oscar the Slouch was used for some misinformation. Aristotle Athari got to play the Recount Count, but they didn’t give him much to do. Then, suddenly, in came Britney Spears (Chloe Fineman). Once again, a cold open that tried to do too much, when they could’ve spread some of these ideas out into their own sketch ideas or even Weekend Update bits.
If only the sketches they did pick instead had more going for them.
How Did The SNL Guest Host Jonathan Majors Do?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zm44y0ccAQ
Jonathan Majors starred in last year’s HBO limited series, Lovecraft Country, but he reminded us of his even more recent breakthroughs, joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe (he’s Kang the Conqueror) as well as co-starring in a new Netflix Western, The Harder They Fall. In a short, sweet monologue, Majors let us know that he’d already gone from rags to riches quite literally, homeless at 17 working at Red Lobster, then studying at Yale.
In his live sketches, Majors sang and danced in a “Broadway Benefit” too racy for the daughter Aidy and Kyle brought with them; got done up like Jake from State Farm in the “Audacity of Audience Awards” that didn’t have much going for it other than the fact that Majors kinda looks like Jake from State Farm while Heidi Gardner kinda looks like Flo from Progressive? He also sidekicked Kenan Thompson in “Strange Kid Tales,” a SyFy talk show premise involving parents and their spooky kids but relying almost solely on Kenan’s reactions to them, and Majors’ reaction to Kenan.
The first sketch after the monologue poked fun at Majors’ Conqueror by taking him down a notch as a wannabe by his wife (Ego Nwodim) and best friend Kenan as he tried to win the hand of Queen Matilda (Chloe). That sketch also floundered a bit while looking for an ending.
That problem also befell the swinging pastor sketch that closed out the episode (see below).
Perhaps his best sketch, or the one most likely to get you to hit replay and share, is when he joined Kenan, Ego and Chris for a pre-taped bit as Bone Thugs-N-Harmony selling “Dog Bones-N-Melodies.”
How Relevant Was The Musical Guest Taylor Swift?
Taylor Swift has appeared on SNL multiple times over the past dozen years, but this time was a bit different. She just released “Red (Taylor’s Version” on Friday, and for SNL, instead of performing two separate live segments, she popped up in the aforementioned “please don’t destroy” vid, then unleashed her 10-minute version of “All Too Well” on us, with the short film playing on a big screen behind her.
Here’s the full film for your viewing pleasure:
Which Sketch Will We Be Sharing: “Three Sad Virgins”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Ki96Lsxhc
The “Please Don’t Destroy” trio have made themselves known on the show, even if they cannot get on the announced cast list just yet. You know they’ve made it when Pete Davidson (talk of the tabloids) wants to get in on their action. And when Taylor Swift jumps in to the sing the bridge on Pete’s rap music video? Well, no matter how much Martin Herlihy, John Higgins, and Ben Marshall allow more famous people to humiliate them in a music video, it’s one of those comedy pivots that only serves to make the trio better known and bigger stars. With four videos in six episodes, they’ve already carved out more screen time than many of their “actual” cast mates this season.
Who Stopped By Weekend Update?
The new kids got some time to shine behind the Update desk.
First up, Sarah Sherman as herself! Colin Jost introduced Sherman as if she would provide some much-needed feedback to the old-timers around 30 Rock now that she’s had six weeks of work to witness how things are done. Sure, she had some basic fundamental questions. Why is it live? Why is it on so late? Why is everyone so good looking? Perhaps some great questions to actually ask in real life, but that was beside the point. Her point? Using Jost’s words against him with some fun “breaking news” graphics and headlines. Imagine if Sarah took over Weekend Update? No, really. Imagine it.
Then came Aristotle Athari, as the stand-up comedian robot, Laughintosh 3000. You might think of Daniel Tosh 2008. A comedy nerd might bring up Ron Lynch’s old bit where he portrayed a futuristic robot telling us about comedy. But only Laughintosh 3000 can do an impersonation of Instagram, or has a bit about trying to date a GPS and getting too many directions during sex.
What Sketch Filled The “10-to-1�� Slot?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecvrMvtk9tk
At 12:54 a.m., we’re about to have a revelation! Inside an unidentified church, with Kenan on the organ playing a rendition of Pink’s “God is a DJ,” we find out that Pastor J.R., Jr. (Majors) and his wife (Ego) have decided after two dozen years of good married life and one not-so-good year to open up their marriage. The congregation eventually warms to the idea of swinging with the couple, especially attendees played by Aidy and Chris.
Who Was The Episode’s MVP?
Tonight’s MVP in terms of screen time and speaking lines goes to Aidy Bryant, as she not only starred in the cold open but also provided vital support to four other live sketches. Unless you want to consider casting your vote for the casting agent responsible for finding kid extras who could put a button on two of those sketches alongside Bryant?!? That’s not nothing.
Speaking of not nothings, SNL returns next week with Simu Liu hosting, and Saweetie as musical guest to bring us into Thanksgiving week.
Sean L. McCarthy works the comedy beat for his own digital newspaper, The Comic’s Comic; before that, for actual newspapers. Based in NYC but will travel anywhere for the scoop: Ice cream or news. He also tweets @thecomicscomic and podcasts half-hour episodes with comedians revealing origin stories: The Comic’s Comic Presents Last Things First.
