‘SNL’ Recap: A Hosting First For Simu Liu, With A Side Of Saweetie

NBC will air a primetime Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving special on Wednesday, but this week’s episode gets the jump on the holiday with some holiday-themed sketches and short films…is the episode on the whole a bit of a turkey, though? Let’s gobble gobble and find out!

What’s The Deal For The SNL Cold Open For Last Night (11/20/21)?

The show still likes to get political but much prefers to look at it from the right than the left, as we’re seeing more of James Austin Johnson’s Trump than his Biden this month, and for the second time, as part of a cold open based in the FOX News universe of Jeanine Pirro (Cecily Strong). After calling Kyle Rittenhouse a “lovable scamp” and briefly entertaining the politically-unopposed-but-definitely-biased judge from that case, Bruce Schroeder (Mikey Day), the show doesn’t so much go after him as it does remind us that in real life, Pirro didn’t quite solve the Kathie Durst murder some three decades before Robert Durst finally was found guilty for it. Oops? There’s also a funny-because-it’s-true appearance from what Pirro calls the “looney left” in an NPR analyst (Chloe Fineman) and a professor (Chris Redd). One is shocked by the Rittenhouse case; the other, not so much. Can you guess who reacted which way? Of course you can. They also throw a bone at GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (no relation!) and his eight-hour overnight rant on the House floor Thursday night, played by Alex Moffat.

But it’s all set-up to the return of JAJ’s Trump. And wow. They even upped the ante on his hair and makeup this time around, and also gave him more time to vamp and riff, courtesy of a “Word Search” puzzle displayed on the screen next to him. SNL almost misses Trump as much as the Republicans do!

How Did The SNL Guest Host Simu Liu Do?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2W1oY0giZA

Somehow I didn’t know Simu Liu was born in China but grew up in Canada, but as soon as he told us in his monologue, everything else began to make a metric ton more sense. Nice guy. Hard worker. Fits right into whatever material the writing staff threw at him.

He slipped right into the shoes of “Finance Bro Trying To Get Laid” by singing “I Want It That Way” in a karaoke “all-stars” sketch that mainly served to provide screen time for the still way-too-big cast of SNL players.

Or take this game-show sketch, “Republican Or Not.” Kenan Thompson played the host, Benson DuBois. No, not that Benson! But we see what you did there, and so did the ghost of Robert Guillaume, whose TV sitcom butler worked for plenty of Republicans. Probably. The game show itself reminded us that plenty of political statements could go to either extreme, depending upon the context. They also wanted to remind us that the Wyoming Republican establishment doesn’t think Liz Cheney, “THE DAUGHTER OF LIZ CHENEY” as Kenan emphasized, is Republican any longer.

He was game for the show’s recurring baking competition sketch where most of the bakers have zero to negative baking skills. This time around, Simu’s cakes came alive to scream and vomit, thanks to his ineptitude in the kitchen opening up a portal to Hell. I don’t remember why Pete Davidson’s judge character decides to stuff his face with cake during the sketch, but I’m sure one of his loyal fans or celebrity ex-girlfriends will remind me?

But we are all kinda waiting for a moment that Simu could share with Bowen Yang. And they did not disappoint, attempt to one-up each other with their “First Asian To…” trophies. Earlier in the show, SNL used the word “titties” in two different segments. But I’m fairly certain that’s nothing compared to Simu correctly guessing that Bowen is a “bottom”?!?

Somehow in all this, I almost forgot to mention “Dog Head Man.” Simu’s Pentagon official introduces the character to Madame Secretary (Cecily) and an old U.S. Senator (JAJ), and it’s not quite as jaw-dropping as watching the new movie, Lamb, although that movie didn’t make its co-stars almost break like the titular super-soldier with a dog’s head did to Cecily and Mikey Day.

How Relevant Was The Musical Guest Saweetie?

Saweetie is up for an American Music Award tonight, nominated for Favorite Female Hip-Hop Artist. Though she has yet to drop her first full album, she did get her own McDonald’s meal this summer, and performed a medley of her two early hits, “Tap In” and “Best Friend” to start things off.

At the end of the night, Saweetie performed “Icy Chain,” her newest single that she only just released on Friday.

Which Sketch(es) Will We Be Sharing: “Walking In Staten” and “Target Thanksgiving Ad”

Look. I put two different short films here, because Pete Davidson could make any music video right now and go viral. He’s leveled up like nobody might have guessed. And his ode to Staten Island based on the music and melody of Marc Cohn’s 1991 hit, “Walking in Memphis,” did include Cohn himself. And SI native Method Man! And perhaps even bigger news? Big ups to Big Wet! The country rapper not only made his second appearance on the show this season, but also landed his name in the end credits as a member of the show’s writing staff. Just when you thought the show’s cast couldn’t get any bigger, here comes Big Wet?!

And yet. No offense to Big Wet and Staten Island, but that’s not nearly as relatable to as many people as this Target Thanksgiving ad, which covers all of the holiday hosting bases, whether you’re expecting to hang with relatives, friends, co-workers or even strangers. Something in here for everyone to dread and/or point to and go, oh yeah, I’ve felt that before!

Who Stopped By Weekend Update?

Baby Yoda (Kyle Mooney) is back, and this time he’s punk. Sorta? I’m too close to Yoda to see this Update character with clear eyes, because my heart is full and this portrayal breaks my heart, so it definitely can lose.

Mother Earth, meanwhile, finds Aidy Bryant giving us all a stern maternal talking-to.

What Sketch Filled The “10-to-1” Slot?

Something must’ve gone awry, because the sketch that began at 12:55 a.m. Eastern only had a paper-thin premise and wasn’t anywhere in the same cinematic universes as the bonkers ideas that usually go here at the end of the show. You know, like the new “please don’t destroy” video called “touch up.” That should’ve aired but somehow did not. Instead, you may have felt as annoyed as the 911 dispatcher (Ego) who had to field calls from college professors who don’t know how to handle modern-day marijuana.

 

Who Was The Episode’s MVP?

Again, we have to tip our caps to Cecily Strong. She dominated the first half-hour of the episode, opening the show as “Judge” Jeanine, headlining the next live sketch of karaoke all-stars, immediately thereafter providing voiceover for that free Target ad, then showing up again in the following live sketch to provide the only honest reactions to how the dog behaved in the Dog Head Man sketch. We’ll also throw some praise JAJ’s way, along with his hair and makeup team, for serving up four different looks.

We’re off for the holiday weekend, and the week after that. Next new SNL comes Dec. 11, 2021, with Billie Eilish as host AND musical guest!

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.

Watch Season 47, Episode 7 of Saturday Night Live on Peacock