SNL Scorecard: RuPaul / Justin Bieber
This past weekend, Saturday Night Live made history by having its first drag queen-- or as the host himself would prefer, the "queen of drag," --host its show. And who would that queen be but of course RuPaul, perhaps the most recognizable icon in the history of drag.
Beyond the historical precedent, RuPaul was an exciting choice of host because he represented the third different kind of host in as many weeks. 2020 started much the way 2019 ended, with an award-contending actor as host, but followed that up with an active professional athlete, who was then succeeded by a drag entertainer. It's not often that you see so many worlds at play in such a short time in the show, and perhaps predictably, it's led to three wildly different episodes in this young year.
With all respect to all the solid hosts Season 45 has had, it would be tough to pick a host who has been able to come in and completely make the show his own the way RuPaul did Saturday night, in the best way. Though I can't say it's a night that will produce too many contenders for "Sketch of the Year" in 2020, it was one of the most consistently solid of the season, and it's not a stretch to say the host made all the difference.
Here's the sketch-by-sketch breakdown of the 13th episode of the season:
Sketch of the Night
“New Hampshire Debate Cold Open”: 7.5/10
Last week, I talked about how the political writing on the show suffers when it can’t center around a debate. Well, this cold open shows why debates are so much better. Quick hitters from a who’s-who of great political impressions far outweigh a tiresome, low-hanging Trump impression. Other random thoughts: Rachel Dratch is the perfect Amy Klobuchar— consistently great, but always under-appreciated. And the writers sure seem to love giving Colin Jost as few lines as possible when he plays Buttigieg. That’s gonna be real awkward when Mayor Pete becomes president…
The Good
“Weekend Update": 8.5/10
This was easily the strongest Weekend Update in 2020, and I would venture to guess it was the best Update all season. As far as I can remember, there haven’t been any real duds this season, but most of the time, when Che and Jost have been on, they’ve outshone the guest appearances; or vice versa, when the guest spots have been great, it’s usually only served to rescue a fairly pedestrian effort by the co-anchors. This Update, however, had it all. Jost and Che came out dropping bombs in the wake of the Trump acquittal, and stayed sharp throughout their entire set. They had some nice assistance from their guests as well; Cecily Strong’s Cathy Ann is becoming increasingly reliable, and what a debut from Chloe Fineman. The Season 45 newbie got her first solo appearance behind the Update desk, and, while I will admit I didn’t laugh a ton because I recognized most of her entire schtick from her Instagram videos, the audience ate up every minute. I was wondering if she would make a ScarJo reference in front of the actress’ fiancé, and she did, to delicious ends.
“Monologue": 7.5/10
What a great monologue, one that didn’t rely on any (or at least very little) audience or cast member hijinks to be hilarious and wholesome. It’s perhaps no surprise that RuPaul is comfortable on stage, but it’s still striking how in command he was. His delivery of the New York City line was perfect.
"Chad & RuPaul": 7/10
I always think I’m ready for Pete Davidson’s Chad to be retired, but then every appearance he makes I end up loving. I still think this skit won’t ever be as good as its first couple iterations, but I appreciate them continuing to find creative contexts to put the character in.
“Thirsty Cops": 7/10
The only other time this aired, Ego Nwodim got publicly chastised by the police department of her home city. Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for us, Nwodim’s sexually aggressive policewoman was back last night, with the host providing wonderful accompaniment. Special shoutout to Kate McKinnon to her geographically accurate accent.
“The Library": 7/10
By this point in the show, there had already been a number of references to RuPaul’s Drag Race, but this was the first sketch that leaned heavily on inside jokes and quotes from the program. At least, I’ve surmised as much from the crowd reactions. I don’t watch Drag Race, but still found this to be universally comical.
“Family Charades": 7/10
I can’t decide which family reminds me more of my own, because whether we’re the sticklers or the rule-benders, we end up getting in epic board game fights. This was hilarious and perhaps disappointingly relatable.
“Check-Splitting": 6.5/10
This was the first sketch of the night that really felt consistent with the season’s theme of wacky and wonderful. If any of the cast could match RuPaul’s ability to play an absurdly dramatic character, I would have put my money on Cecily.
“Boop-It”: 6/10
I couldn’t tell if it was just the audience’s apparent discomfort with (or dislike of?) the dark direction of this mock ad, but it felt a bit like it didn’t turn out as hilarious as it should have. Still, I will watch anything Beck Bennett does, and I was dying from the moment he first entered with a snarky comment and a stiff drink in his hand.
“Old New York Show”: 5.5/10
This was the only sketch on the night that just didn't land effectively, as it was mostly Aidy Bryant and McKinnon being their loopy selves, with no real punchline. That said, it was made that much better by the host, who salvaged this from being a downright bad one.
Musical Performances
Justin Bieber (featuring Quavo): 7.5/10
The Biebs’ last SNL appearance was in 2013, when he pulled double duty as host and musical guest, an appearance that is now infamously remembered by SNL alums. It’s crazy that since his last time on the show, it looks like he’s aged 25 years. Hopefully, he’s matured some, too. You wouldn’t guess it from his latest single “Yummy,” which is lyrically simplistic. But the fact that it’s dedicated to his new wife shows growth, and his live performance was that of a seasoned pop veteran. I wish he would have just stuck with the stripped-down acoustic version he began with, because that was insanely good, but it was cool to see him bust out the choreography as well.
His 2nd performance was his song "Intentions," which is new as of just last week. It follows "Yummy"'s lead in its unapologetic cheese, but once again, it's a catchy, radio-ready tune. The vocals didn't land quite as well as they did in in the first song, but the choreography and guest appearance from Quavo reminded everyone how he became such a star in the first place.
OVERALL SCORE: 7.00 (Comedy Only score: 6.95)
Heading into the upcoming three-week (?!?!?) break, here's how the episodes stand:
1. Eddie Murphy/Lizzo - 7.17
2. RuPaul/Justin Bieber - 7.00
3. Phoebe Waller-Bridge/Taylor Swift - 6.6
4. Adam Driver/Halsey - 6.46
5. Woody Harrelson/Billie Eilish - 6.45
6. David Harbour/Camila Cabello - 6.44
7. Chance The Rapper - 6.42
8. Kristen Stewart/Coldplay - 6.29
9. Will Ferrell/King Princess - 6.23
10. Scarlett Johansson/Niall Horan - 6.15
11. Harry Styles - 6.13
12. Jennifer Lopez/DaBaby - 5.92
13. J.J. Watt/Luke Combs - 5.81