SNL Scorecard: Eddie Murphy / Lizzo
Merry almost Christmas, SNL fans! Last Saturday night was the Christmas episode—and thus last episode of 2019—of Saturday Night Live, and in a manner fitting of a festive occasion, the show pulled out all the stops. The big headline, of course, was the return of Eddie Murphy. The legendary comedian, who many have described as nearly singlehandedly saving SNL as a castmember during the show’s inconsistent days in the 80s, had never returned to host until this weekend. In one of the best moves the program has made in years, they paired him with one of 2019’s biggest pop sensations, Lizzo, as the musical guest. Given the host, musical guest, and special time of the year, we perhaps shouldn’t be surprised that this particular episode saw Saturday Night Live’s ratings soar to its highest heights in nearly 3 years.
In case you’re baffled by the lack of hosting gigs for Murphy, know that it was likely not for lack of trying: he of course has gone on to be a popular figure with a lucrative career, but had a famous falling-out with the Lorne Michaels and the show for several years, reportedly because of a Weekend Update dig directed at him by David Spade. However, some time before SNL’s 40th anniversary show in 2015, the hatchet was buried, and we all reap the benefits of that fact. Because this week’s terrific episode wasn’t just the best we’ve seen in Season 45...it was the best we’ve seen in years, arguably since Dave Chappelle’s show in 2016. Essentially a "Greatest Hits of Eddie Murphy" episode, rather than being a tired affair of lazy writing, it reminded us both of what made the host so great in the first place and what makes the show still so enjoyable to watch to date.
Here's the sketch-by-sketch breakdown of the 10th episode of the season:
Sketch of the Night
“Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood”: 9/10
No return of an old Eddie Murphy sketch was more welcome than one of his most iconic characters, Mr. Robinson of the fictional "Mister Robinson's Neighborhood." But the brilliance of this is that it wasn't just leaving Eddie to do his thing; rather, they updated the classic sketch to include contemporary jokes about gentrification and 'well-intentioned' white friends/neighbors. The result was one of the best sketches of the year, if not the best.
The Good
“Monologue": 8/10
For a man whose confidence and ego shines through in just about every character he plays, Eddie Murphy himself seemed pretty subdued in his return to the Studio 30 stage. But terrific, meaningful cameos from Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle, as well as a hilarious interlude from Kenan Thompson and Beck Bennett, made this one of the more memorable monologues this season. And as for that shot at Bill Cosby...wow.
“Weekend Update": 7.5/10
Honestly, if Weekend Update consisted strictly of the always-brilliant 'Colin and Michael swap jokes' bit and Murphy's appearance as Gumby, this would have gotten a 10/10. Gumby's return was the hardest I laughed all night-- I mean, I couldn't breathe after he called Che "black bastard." But unfortunately, the rest of the jokes were fairly mediocre. And though it was nice to finally see Pete Davidson (and good to hear him being open about his apparent upcoming stint at rehab), his mini-set was far from his best.
"Home For The Holidays": 7/10
SNL has now done two Christmas and two Mother's Day versions of this concept, and I think this was the weakest of the four. Thus, I'm also concerned about them running this brilliant sketch concept into the ground. That said, this was still so good, and was especially buoyed by the joke of Mikey Day playing Ego Nwodim's "white boyfriend." The mixture of hilarious and heartwarming gets me every time.
“PBS Democratic Debate Cold Open": 6.5/10
The first skit of the night was neither the best cold open nor the best debate parody SNL has done this year, but it was certainly a good one on the whole. Though I liked Woody Harrelson's Joe Biden, it sure was refreshing to see the O.G. Jason Sudeikis back in that role. That said, the terrific energy this sketch started off with seemed to be sapped as the show tried to scrunch in more and more cameos. As fond as I am of Maya Rudolph's Kamala Harris and Fred Armisen's Michael Bloomberg, their appearances felt unnecessary. And Alec Baldwin's Trump, surprise surprise, proved to be more of a buzzkill than anything else (but I will admit I laughed at his 'riffing nicknames').
“Holiday Baking Show": 6.5/10
One of the few sketches of the night that wasn't specific to Eddie Murphy, this was a reprisal of a sketch from the Don Cheadle episode last season. It didn't feel quite as humorous this time, and definitely a little weirder, but it still was a ton of fun. Man, I just can't get over the deformed cakes and the judges' horrified reactions.
“North Pole News Report": 6.5/10
The only truly original sketch of the night was also the episode's last. In comparison to the high number of wonderful absurd sketches we've seen this season, this one wasn't necessarily a standout, but it was still an enjoyable 10-to-1. A fun, funny end to a delightful episode.
“Black Jeopardy: Velvet Jones”: 6/10
I'm part of the contingent that thinks Black Jeopardy should have ended long, long ago, regardless of how much I have loved its first several iterations. This appearance didn't do much to change my mind on that, but it was still a worthwhile skit, one that made good use of Murphy's old Velvet Jones character.
“Masked Singer”: 6/10
When Eddie Murphy's Buckwheat (arguably his most famous SNL character ever) features in the show's "weakest sketch," you know you've had a hell of an episode. That said, 100% of the humor of this one came from Murphy, and even that ran a little thin after some time.
Musical Performances
Lizzo: 8/10
Unless you live under a rock, hate happiness, or all of the above, you've heard of Lizzo, and you've likely heard at least one of her songs this year. The singer, rapper and flautist is known for giving dynamic live performances, so I was curious to see how her energy would transfer to the oft-troublesome Studio 30 stage. The verdict: ain't no stoppin' Lizzo, as she took over the stage, much as she has at all sorts of venues in 2019, from awards shows to NPR's tiny desk. Her setlist was a bit curious: though "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell" are undeniable bangers, and among her biggest songs, they also were released in 2017 and 2016, respectively. That said, there's no question the audience was on board with the set, and her vocals and dance moves were as terrific as advertised. There even was an interpolation of twerking to a trap version of "Carol of the Bells"! God bless us, everyone.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.17 (Comedy Only score: 7.06)
Heading into Christmas Break, here's how the episodes stand:
1. Eddie Murphy/Lizzo - 7.17
2. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift - 6.6
3. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish - 6.45
4. David Harbour/Camila Cabello - 6.44
5. Chance The Rapper - 6.42
6. Kristen Stewart/Coldplay - 6.29
7. Will Ferrell/King Princess - 6.23
8. Scarlett Johansson/Niall Horan - 6.15
9. Harry Styles - 6.13
10. Jennifer Lopez/DaBaby - 5.92