SNL Scorecard: Amy Schumer/Kacey Musgraves
What a difference a couple of years make. When Amy Schumer last hosted Saturday Night Live, she was one of the most en vogue comedians out there. Her Comedy Central show Inside Amy Schumer had an ardent fanbase, her stand-up was starting to sell out arenas, and she was about to be nominated for a Golden Globe for starring in the critically-acclaimed film Trainwreck.
Now, in May of 2018, it's safe to say that many people have, uh, lost the love for her. She is one of the more vilified celebrities on social media, from my extremely unscientific estimation. And her current film, I Feel Pretty, is getting panned by critics.
I point this out not to heap on (though I'm not saying I disagree with the criticism), but rather to point out that tabbing Schumer to host again was an interesting choice, and you'd be forgiven if you had low expectations going into last night. That being said, if you did have low expectations, the good news is you may have been pleasantly surprised! I know I was. Last night didn't hit the highs that Donald Glover's hosting turn did last week, but was a very solid show overall, with no glaring weaknesses to speak of.
Sketch of the Night
“Mother Knows Best": 8.5/10
I know most everyone loves Kate McKinnon for her renowned impressions of political figures (namely, Hillary Clinton and Jeff Sessions in particular), but I love her for characters like these. So bizarre, so unnerving, that your laughter is as much in disbelief as anything else. She and Mikey Day were perfect in this sketch, committing wholly to their disturbing relationship, and Schumer and the rest of the cast (who could barely keep it together) played their parts expertly as well.
The Good
“Graduation Commercial”: 8/10
SO. REAL. Also, the sequel to "Christmas Mass Spectacular" was well worth the 4-year wait.
‘“New Hulu Show”: 8/10
SNL's had a recent comedic trend that involve women sarcastically laughing off their (what I'm assuming are) very real feelings towards present society. That's led to some dynamite sketches, and this is among the most effective. Good gracious, this was dark, but everyone played into the premise so convincingly that it seemed believable as a sitcom.
“Weekend Update”: 7.5/10
After an inconsistent segment last week, Che and Jost were back and firing on all cylinders this week. Che, who's quickly becoming the Zinger King, again had the best one-liner of the night: "sure, this has been a 'good' week for Trump, the same way a 'good' date with R. Kelly is going home dry." But this time, it was the guests that ruled the segment, with Heidi Gardner's weirdly spot-on teenage YouTube film critic, and of course, comedic genius Melissa McCarthy in a delightful appearance as Michael Che's stepmom.
“Mother's Day Cold Open”: 7/10
This wasn't laugh-out-loud funny, but it sure was sweet. And, amidst the sentimentality of cast members recognizing their mothers, there were some good jokes in there, too! And some of those moms had good comedic timing! Sign them up! (One final thought: Beck Bennett looks EXACTLY like his mom. Terrifyingly so, actually.)
“The Day You Were Born”: 7/10
There was nothing terribly novel about the joke or the reveal here, but it was pretty dead-on. I laughed the hardest when Mikey Day assured his wife (Schumer) she was not pooping, only for Dr. Aidy Bryant to mouth that she, in fact, is.
The…Less-Good
“Last Call”: 5.5/10
This sketch was so, so funny the first few times it was done, but just has been done so much now. I'm kind of surprised they don't just whip out a new installment each week at 12:50 A.M. That doesn't mean it's without its funny moments, and delightful/skin-crawling figurative speech from McKinnon, but just that the shock of it all, as well as Kenan's reactions to the proceedings, has long worn off.
“Li'l Rent”: 5/10
A really funny premise guaranteed a few good laughs, but the skit never really took off. It was fun to see Schumer's "little Republican girl" character again, though.
“Gospel Brunch”: 5/10
Again, it was a premise that ended up funnier than the skit itself. I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning, thanks to intercessions from Chris Redd and the Gospel Choir, but the sketch just never really got to be as great as it could have been, I think. Though it was fun to see them stumble over the blender not working. (I'm guessing it was because Schumer didn't fasten the lid all the way on. Come on, Amy!!)
“Monologue”: 5/10
Perhaps no moment in last night's episode better represented the stark contrast of 2015 Amy Schumer and 2018 Amy Schumer than the monologue. Usually, I love when stand-up comedians host SNL, as the monologue is typically a dynamite mini-set. In 2015, that was the case, as Schumer's wickedly R-rated monologue brought the house down, and was one of the best of the year. This time around, she seemed a little nervous, and a little rambling. The monologue was fine, don't get me wrong; just never really got the gut-busters that most comedian monologues (including her own) have in the past.
Musical Performances
Kacey Musgraves: 5.5/10
I will admit, I'm not a Country fan but a. I like to think I'm flexible and gracious sometimes, and b. I have heard good things about Musgraves. Last night, the moment seemed a little big for her (understandable for a still relatively young star making her first SNL appearance), as her voice wavered and her body language screamed nerves. That being said, both songs had a really good sound! Enough to make me interested to hear more, which is no small feat for Country music.
OVERALL SCORE: 6.56 (Comedy Only score: 6.65)