SNL Scorecard: Matt Damon/Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus
Maybe it's the lack of snow in Michigan, or the fact that there have only been 8 episodes of Saturday Night Live this year, but it's hard for me to fathom we're already past the Christmas episode. Yet, here we are.
Anyways, the Christmas episodes of SNL are hit-and-miss on how funny they are, but they're always at least fun. Fortunately, this last episode had a healthy dose of both. Matt Damon's such an 'everyman' type actor, I suppose we shouldn't be surprised that his manner translated well to relatable comedy. But still, I was very impressed with how comfortable he was in just about every role he played on the night.
Credit can't be reserved for Damon, though. Many of the cast members had their finest episodes of the season, and the writing and energy throughout was terrific as well. It all conspired to create, at the midway point, Season 44's best episode. In the spirit of Christmas (and because of how good the show was), there are no "Less-Good" skits tonight. Only Good ones! No Naughty, just Nice! Although if you got somethin' naughty, I'll take it. Can't turn it off!
Here's the sketch-by-sketch breakdown of the 9th episode of the season:
Sketch of the Night
“Best Christmas Ever”: 8/10
Hilarious, realistic, and a little touching. One of the best skits of the year. 'Nuff said.
The Good
“Weezer": 7/10
This was similar in style to the "Shrek" skit from last season with Sterling K. Brown, but I enjoyed the banter more this time, between Damon and Leslie Jones. The energy they brought to this skit was infectious, and I'm definitely going to start using, "Okay no offense, but drink my blood." I dunno, maybe I'm just partial to this because it played out in eerily similar fashion to many less-than-civil conversations I've had about Beyoncé/Coldplay/Kendrick Lamar/Bob Dylan/U2/Florence + The Machine/The Killers/everyone I've ever listened to....
“Monologue": 7/10
This monologue had to be among the shortest of the year, but it sure packed a punch. It was funny, for one, especially with the "reveal" that this was to be Beck Bennett's last show. It's been a trend this season to include a serious, poignant side to monologues, though (Awkwafina's and Liev Schreiber's come to mind), and none felt as deeply personal as Matt Damon's. The actor discusses memories of watching SNL with his late father, and it was so earnest and heartfelt, that he was far from the only getting choked up.
"Weekend Update": 7/10
Weekend Update was, once again, solid. The jokes themselves weren't the most memorable, but by and large, were quite good. Heidi Gardner's "Boxer's wife" is always great, and I especially loved the introduction of Damon as her titular husband. But the real reason WU is rated so high this week is for its closing segment, wherein Che and Jost read jokes written for each other for the first time on air. I kind of assumed I knew which direction Che was going to head in, and I was so delighted to be right.
“Oscar Host Auditions": 7/10
These celebrity impression montages are hit-and-miss, but this was a hit, through-and-through. Most every impression was impeccable, and more importantly, they were ones we weren't used to seeing from this cast. I feel bad singling out just one, but holy cow, I can't get over how good Kate McKinnon's Michelle Wolf is.
“Jingle Bells": 7/10
Damon and Cecily Strong had such good comedic chemistry throughout the night, and it was a joy to see. This skit exemplified that in the best way; Strong at her brilliant, obscure, Broadway-emulating best, and Damon happy to just pipe in with sly remarks from time to time. This felt old-school, and it was a treat.
“Westminster Daddy Show": 6/10
It's like the Westminster Dog Show, but for divorced dads! The premise itself doesn't seem destined for a great skit, but everyone actually managed to pull this one together in a funny way. This gets an extra half-point bounce for how delightful Damon's skit-ending prance is.
“Christmas Ornaments": 6/10
I saw someone describe this as "Darren Aronofsky reimagines your Christmas tree." I think the show fits. I just know that we definitely have our 'back of the tree' ornaments in our family (looking at you, weird octopus ornament), and I can only imagine the conversations they have back there. I enjoyed Strong's deformed angel, and appreciated Damon's Good Will Hunting reprise (and a semi-self-deprecating nod to his Weinstein connection).
“Cop Christmas”: 5.5/10
This never really ended up going the direction I thought it was going. And I still don't really get the point. But what the hell, I enjoyed it. The guys looked like they were having a blast, and Kyle Mooney's stupid "Hey!..... Merry Christmas" got me every single time.
"It's A Wonderful Trump Cold Open": 5.5/10
I groaned when I saw it was yet another Baldwin as Trump Cold Open. And sure, De Niro's Mueller kind of ruined the momentum yet again (they really need to retire these appearances; De Niro's a joy to see, but his comedic timing is off, and as my little brother texted me Saturday night, the Mueller stuff is low-hanging fruit). But they actually were able to formulate a pretty clever skit out of it this time, tying it to an all-time Christmas classic. That Trump completely missed the lesson he was being taught made it even better.
“Happy Christmas, Britain": 5/10
If you've never seen the video of actual Theresa May dancing, you need to. A. Because it's hilarious, and B. because McKinnon's herky-jerky impersonation is spot on. Anyways, this skit was the epitome of a 10-to-1 sketch. Kind of a mess (did they straight up just cut it off for time purposes halfway through? It sounds like Mikey Day was about to launch into more dialogue), but pretty enjoyable, especially Theresa May's reactions to Damon's sniveling David Cameron.
Musical Performances
Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus: 8/10
This just in: Miley Cyrus can SANG. She and Ronson's first song, a performance of their collab "Nothing Breaks Like A Heart," felt like a vintage Dolly Parton performance. It's a really catchy song, and suits her style well. Their 2nd, a take on John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" , felt less like a Christmas classic and more like another opportunity for Cyrus to belt her vocals. But still, it's always nice to close the last show on a Christmas song, and it was particularly cool to see them alongside Sean Lennon, son of John and Yoko. Really solid performances all around.
OVERALL SCORE: 6.58 (Comedy Only score: 6.45)
Heading into Christmas Break, here are the standings for Season 44:
1. Matt Damon/Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus - 6.58
2. Liev Schreiber/Li'l Wayne - 6.54
3. Claire Foy/Anderson.Paak - 6.46
4. Seth Meyers/Paul Simon - 6.08
5. Awkwafina/Travis Scott - 5.92
6. Jason Momoa/Mumford And Sons - 5.91
7. Jonah Hill/Maggie Rogers - 5.86
8. Steve Carell/Ella Mai - 5.81
9. Adam Driver/Kanye West - 5.55