SNL Scorecard: John Mulaney / David Byrne

Saturday Night Live returned this weekend after a three-week hiatus, and the welcome return was fronted by a familiar face. John Mulaney hosted for the third consecutive season, and was joined by avant-pop icon David Byrne as the musical guest.

Mulaney, the comedian and longtime SNL writer, seems to have a residency on the Studio 30 stage these days. On the one hand, given his sudden rise to enormous success on the standup circuit, it makes sense that he would always be welcomed back to where it all began. On the other hand, his continued appearances beg the question why the likes of Amy Poehler, Seth Meyers, Andy Samberg, Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen have all only hosted the show once since their exit from the show.

That question is increasingly tempting to ask in the wake of another fairly mediocre episode. Maybe I'm just a hater, because just like in 2019, the masses seem to have gone gaga over this Mulaney-driven episode, while I am left wondering what they found particularly memorable. It wasn't a bad episode, mind you, but it lacked a single standout sketch, which feels like an especially big disappointment after the show took such a lengthy break from airing new episodes.

Here's the sketch-by-sketch breakdown of the 14th episode of the season:

Sketch of the Night

“Airport Sushi”: 7/10

At first, I was disappointed that they would again try to replicate the magic of 2018's “Diner Lobster” after the pedestrian “Bodega Bathroom” last year. And the early moments of this installment confirmed that fear, as it felt a little too referential to New York life. But, the more it went on, the better it got, thanks to cameos from Jake Gyllenhaal and David Byrne, as well as a great showing by Bowen Yang. On a night short of memorable sketches, this was the only that felt it had the potential to go viral.

The Good

“Weekend Update": 8/10

Just a few weeks after one of the strongest Weekend Update showings of the year, this was another contender for the best WU yet. In this case, the anchors kept it relatively short but sweet, with the sole guest appearance (an incensed Chris Redd, who I feel like we hardly ever get to see on Update) a high point. The writing for the anchors' punchlines was as good as ever, and Michael Che “letting loose” in acceptance of his coronavirus fate was a hilarious, creative twist.

“Monologue": 7/10

I always look forward to comedians’ monologues, as they function as a mini standup set, usually to terrific effect. This one was a little scattershot, because as Mulaney himself said, he didn’t really have anything to promote at the moment. Still, his usual style worked terrifically well here: witty, self-deprecating, and engaging, with a ballsy Julius Caesar joke for good measure.

"Kyle's Transformation": 6.5/10

The latest in the acclaimed series of Kyle Mooney's meta, self-referential digital shorts was not the strongest installment, as it could have used the energy Leslie Jones used to provide. But tonight, it remained one of the better sketches of the episode, thanks to an unexpected cameo from Justin Theroux, and Mooney and Beck Bennett's always-terrific commitment to their caricatures. Perhaps it’s strictly Kyle's sense of humor, but I find these sketches these hint at real frustration at the show; after all, it seems like these are the only Kyle-driven sketches that don't get cut for time.

“Uncle Meme": 6/10

The joke here really wasn't that impressive, and felt a little bit like SNL saying, "Hey, kids! We understand your humor!" But what made it worthwhile was Mulaney's full-on commitment to his "outraged W.A.S.P. father" character. Plus, it was nice to see Pete Davidson playing a relatively normal role instead of causing drama with his castmates.

“Sound of Music: Rolf and Liesl": 6/10

This certainly was humorous, albeit a little disturbing. To repeat a sentiment that I feel like I've expressed about 10 times this season already, I'm a bit surprised this was the choice for the first post-monologue sketch.

“Coronavirus Cold Open": 6/10

The opener was sort of all over the place, like the writers were trying to fit four different political news stories into one 'politics' sketch, instead of addressing them individually or not at all. Also, as much as I love him, Kenan’s Ben Carson impression made me miss Jay Pharaoh. Still, there were enough laughs between the popular guest appearances to make for a positive sketch. I find it interesting that Mulaney is now the 3rd person to play Joe Biden just this season. Lorne Michaels is in a real pickle if the real-life Biden momentum continues all the way to the White House.

The...Less-Good

“The Admiral": 5/10

I can't really be mad at Aidy Bryant or Kate McKinnon for having as such much fun as they appear to be having. It's just that this is the second time they've tried this sketch, and though this went over a little better than the first attempt with Jennifer Lopez, it's one I'd be okay with not seeing again.

“Jackie Robinson”: 4.5/10

I actually think the premise behind this one was pretty funny. The punchline just ended up having a pretty weak payoff. In a season that's had tremendous 10-to-1 sketches, this one doesn't really stand out.

Musical Performances

David Byrne: 8/10

Despite being a somewhat of a proud music nerd, I'd be lying if I told you I knew much about David Byrne, other than he was the frontman of 80s band Talking Heads. And I'd be lying if I said I knew much Talking Heads, I mostly have just heard that they were pioneers in both music and performance, and had an appropriately strange, devoted fanbase. Based on the performances from the 67-year old Byrne, though, I got a taste of what I'm missing.

Never mind that he's older than both my parents, Byrne was both delightfully agile and remarkably strong in vocals spoken and sung. He and his barefoot backing band didn't rely too much on special effects, just let the music and choreography talk for themselves. The somewhat silly "Toe Jam" didn't have quite the effect as his first performance, of "Once In A Lifetime," but on the whole, I found the entirety of Byrne's set quite good indeed, and I can only imagine how a bona fide fan of his responded.

OVERALL SCORE: 6.45 (Comedy Only score: 6.28)