SNL Scorecard: Chance The Rapper
I don't know if there's been a major shift in the writing talent, or something in the water at 30 Rockefeller, or if I'm just generally being more of an optimist these days. But for my money, Saturday Night Live has gotten off to a terrific start in Season 45. Based off of how absurd much of the material has been this year, I think "something in the water" might be the correct response.
If you've been reading the scorecards so far this season, you've seen for yourself how generally positive I've felt about the episodes to date, and what's striking to me is that the solid start hasn't come on the back of sharpened political critique or the influx of new acting talent-- though I have enjoyed newcomers Bowen Yang and Chloe Fineman's screen time. Rather, it's largely been a result of leaning wholly into the writers'/actors' weirder sides, resulting in a high volume of delightfully zany sketches.
That was exemplified in last night's episode, in which Chance The Rapper brilliantly pulled double duty as host and musical guest. I saw someone online refer to last night's episodes as "a full episode of 10-to-1 sketches," and I could not put it better myself. This was the third episode in a row without any real clunkers; and, perhaps not by coincidence, it was thoroughly, wonderfully, hilariously weird.
Here's the sketch-by-sketch breakdown of the 4th episode of the season:
Sketch of the Night
“E-Sports Reporter”: 7.5/10
If they were going to do a redux of one of the sketches aired in Chance’s last hosting gig, I’m glad it was this one. Sure, it wasn’t as fresh as last time (and fizzled out a bit more at the end this time), but Chance just plays this character so well. Call me a jock who’s behind the times, but a bewildered “that’s what’s up” is exactly how I respond to people who try to explain any sort of video gaming achievement to me.
The Good
“Monologue": 7/10
This song went harder than anything on The Big Day if we're being honest, but I really wish there was more involvement from Kyle Mooney- I mean, the guy destroyed Kanye in a rap battle! In all seriousness, this was only mildly funny, but very fresh and very endearing, true to form for the night's host. Also, between this monologue, the setting for multiple skits, and the commercials for other NBC programs, it was a big night for Chicago!
“Spooky Song": 7/10
This felt like it could have amounted to more as a sketch, but sheesh, Chance’s entire character arc was golden. Who even thinks of that kind of a death? Also, I’m so impressed by the cloud animation in the background. The details, man.
"Tasty Toaster Tarts": 7/10
I’m worried about where the idea for this fake ad came from, but it was a short, sweet hoot. Again, the host was the star, effortlessly playing up the innocent attitude while the backstory gets darker and darker.
“Judge Barry": 6.5/10
The joke became obvious pretty quickly, but it was enjoyable seeing what kinds of characters they kept coming up with. I don’t know whose failed attempt to hold it together was more funny, Chance’s or Jason Momoa’s.
“Love At First Sight": 6/10
I just...I...I'm speechless. I have no clue how to rate this. I don’t think it would have been very funny without everyone breaking, and it feels cheap to rate it as a good skit simply for how much the cast laughed. And yet, it was far and away the hardest I laughed all night. Strangely enough, this isn't the first time this young season that I've been faced with this conundrum; the season premiere had a skit that presented essentially the same scenario. I think this one is a little more funny (and just downright bizarre) than that first one, so I'll give it a decent rating. (Note: for whatever reason, SNL appears to have uploaded the dress rehearsal version. This is still crazy and full of breaks, but trust me when I say the live version was this x 10. I think at one point they were having a pretty serious mechanical issue with the harnesses.)
“Weekend Update": 6/10
This was weird. For one, it was weirdly short. Che and Jost started very well, and Alex and Mikey as the Trump sons always kill, but then after Che’s ill-fated Bruce Jenner joke, it felt like it lost steam and then next thing we knew, it was done. Still, it feels like the anchor's banter is showing no signs of slowing down.
“Dance Rehearsal”: 6/10
In a show full of 10-to-1 skits, this actually was the 10-to-1 skit. Most episodes, it would have been obvious, but last night it felt like just another sketch. Still, as weird as it was, I couldn't get enough of Kenan's ridiculous reactions to the moon, and Chance's "I have a secret" smugness.
“Choir Fashion”: 6/10
This wasn't often laugh-out-loud funny, but full of great (and accurate) one-liners. "An ill-advised African tune"...."The buttons let you know it's Velcro"..."They're made for dancing, and by dancing, I mean a terrified [awkward shuffle]." Chris Redd was subtly hilarious in this one.
“Space Mistakes”: 5.5/10
The mock trailer made a very good point about this genre of films, but it's a shame it didn't really develop the joke any further. The end result was funny, but a little tedious.
“Trump Rally Cold Open”: 5.5/10
This took a while to get going, but it had some memorable moments. My Baldwin fatigue and dislike of McKinnon’s Lindsay Graham impression are both well-documented, but Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant are so much fun. And returns of Darrell Hammond and Fred Armisen are always welcome. I probably won’t be rewatching this any time soon, but I at least appreciated a new setting for their obligatory Trump skit.
Musical Performances
Chance The Rapper: 7/10
Critics and fans alike were divided on the quality of Chance the Rapper's latest release, but most everyone accepted that it was his weakest to date. So you'd be forgiven if you, like I did, forgot how much of a talent he truly is.
His first performance of "Zanies and Fools" was absolutely electric, from start to finish. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the musical guest introduce himself before, but Chance pulled it off perfectly, with a home video of his daughter singing providing a natural intro/segue. As a standalone performance, "Zanies and Fools" was the best live song we've seen this year. Unfortunately, his second performance of "Handsome," with Megan Thee Stallion, was quite a bit sloppier; though the energy was still good, the vocals weren't as forceful in comparison to his prior song. Still, a very good set on the whole.
OVERALL SCORE: 6.42 (Comedy Only score: 6.38)