SNL Review: the best and worst of hosting for the second time by Daniel Craig

Even though the latest 007 movie was pushed back to a fall release date, James Bond himself, Daniel Craig, still hosted "Saturday Night Live" last night. It's actually been eight years since the last time Craig hosted "SNL", and you know what? After this second time, although he no longer plays James Bond, he can host at any time.

Host: Daniel Craig

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If there is one thing that Daniel Craig highlights in his opening monologue, it is this: "I am not a nerd." You are a nerd. "Alright, even though he may not be a nerd, he is certainly not afraid to go all out on a joke or, better yet, to being one’s ass. That’s the key to this episode, and it’s really amazing to realize by watching that this man has only been accommodated twice, despite his quality.

It's always nice to see a "SNL" monologue off the beaten track, and this one does, with pre-tape "sequences" from the next James Bond film. (It seems like it takes the audience a moment to realize what's going on, as the first "SNL" actress to appear in the sketch is Chloe Fineman, who still fits in as well, as well as # 39; she is.) Craig & # 39; s "Favorite Scene" in the movie is apparently one where Bond ends up becoming a craps guy and he is filled to the brim with the most different characters from Bond, in addition to Bond girl gradually frustrated with Bond. You have Heidi Gardner and Beck Bennett as messy gamers, old lady Kate McKinnon, bachelor Kenan Thompson ("THIS GUY! HIM!"), And Mikey Day as a craps merchant turned bad.

It's just a fun sketch to open things up, with Bond getting too into craps and becoming "Simba" because he's the "king of the jungle". In fact, Craig singing the opening music for "The Lion King" is arguably the best thing that any James Bond film has ever given us, even tangentially. Thompson shows up to do the "HIM!" bites both at Bond's entrance and on stage, then pulls it all together. "SNL" also knows how good it is, because it provided a version of the scene without the monologue.

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You can't go wrong with a pre-tape (rap or otherwise) by Kenan Thompson and Chris Redd, and the audience – who are pretty good this episode, except the moment in the cold with the "WOO!" for white chocolate – realizes that even before it really starts. It is disturbing at first that it is a hacky sketch of being "on the couch", but luckily it takes its first interesting turn when The Weeknd arrives. "We make dinner like lovers / I pour wine / And I'm sleeping on the couch tonight. "It is at this point that the sketch enters the strange territory where it remains ("It doesn't seem too fair this time") for the duration. The Weeknd, surprisingly, ends up being the MVP of the sketch, because his moments of sleep on the sofa are particularly strange ("I say hello / And I'm sleeping on the couch tonight")… And then comes the twist, with the real indiscretions of Thompson and Redd and the revelation that The Weeknd is Gardner's ex (and Craig is her new husband):

"We broke up five years ago"
"And?"
"I got married to another guy"
"And?"
"He's tired of you crashing here"
"And?"
"You really have to stop coming here"
"What?"

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The main humor of "Daytime Show" comes from Ego Nwodim who goes all Patti LaBelle on Craig's "celebrity" chef (this is how the episode uses his quotes to introduce him) for telling him not to eat paper ("Legends don't eat paper, boo . "), But Airdy Deirdre's loop host honestly makes the case for this sketch to happen in some way. Especially his statement of fact that the hors d'oeuvres are French "for the doves", which has no answer at all. There are also audience characters from Kenan Thompson and Heidi Gardner who allow the Nwodim singer every step of the way, making it such an interesting world for the brief period that "SNL" is in it.

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"Knives Out" is a great movie for many reasons, but one of the most obvious is the southern fried accent from Craig. It has surely been on the minds of the writers of "SNL" since the film's release, so ultimately they were able to investigate with the man himself. Yosemite Sam and Beck Bennett's Foghorn Leghorn-inspired accent coach Foghorn Leghorn invite Craig to rock out in this episode, which is exactly what you want to see from a "serious" actor .

At the same time, Bennett and Craig's commitment to action – "Can you just throw up on command?!?" – most likely confused anyone who is watching and who has not yet watched "Knives Out". And that makes the sketch even funnier.

Best Sketches of the Night: "The Sands of Modesto" & "Deep Quote Game Night"

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Yes, "The Sands of Modesto" is somewhat distracting because of its use of what must be the ensemble of "The Californians", but apart from that, it's a very funny sketch. "SNL" is such a refined sight that it rarely goes on purposefully looking cheap and makeshift (apart from a sketch of Kyle Mooney), so when it does, it tends to really work. The holding b-roll, the fake hand, the combat dolls, the glass and then the saran – everything is so good, and the live audience is there with them. This is also due to the fact that everyone involved is so fully engaged in the intentionally bad soap opera that they are creating, especially Craig. This sketch and "Accent Coach" really shows that in terms of "SNL" hosting, Craig is perhaps the most comparable to Adam Driver: both in terms of engagement and in terms of Writers serving this commitment well.

Plus, the most understated part of the humor in this skit – because everyone is focusing so much on the obvious – is the fact that everyone's names on this soap opera are absolutely wild. "Unbridled." "Blace." "Victalia." The name picks scream that the writers knew no one would pay attention to this aspect, so they simply chose anything.

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As for "Deep Quote Game Night", this is the type of sketch that recalls why Heidi Gardner should essentially be running this place – and probably will be soon. His approach to awkwardness in comedy is so different from that of others. For example, his clumsiness is so different from Aidy Bryant or Kyle Mooney. It is to the point that she is able to be sexually charged in this weird little sketch that quotes "Captain Phillips" more than any real sketch "Captain Phillips " The strange chemistry of Gardner and Craig in this sketch, coupled with McKinnon's reactions, makes a real winner, which is especially for another night game sketch on "SNL".

Worst Sketch of the Night: "Debbie Downer Wedding Reception"

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On the one hand, "Debbie Downer" is a joy to sketch, and this back version knows exactly what it needs to do: update us all on the state of feline AIDS. On the other hand, "Debbie Downer" has always tried to chase the top of the original and heavy sketch, and this has never happened. This version of the sketch, however, does certain things to at least change it. Craig and Thompson's desire ("Why would you dive in?") To silence Debbie all along allows the characters to have something to do while Rachel Dratch works her magic. (However, due to the premise of the sketch, that doesn't allow them to build to ultimately, really snap it in the end.) The "How do you guys think of Trump?" – with the character Aidy Bryant revealed as Trump's only supporter at the table – bit also works, and "SNL" is smart not to do this sketch for too long.

This is a solid entry into the pantheon of Debbie Downer – especially since she would like be everywhere in the coronavirus, like this whole episode – but again, the sketch can never reproduce the magic of the original. It’s fair can not.

Best Male Performer: Kenan Thompson

The bachelor party ("HIM!"), "On the Couch", his character who finds feathers in "The Sands of Modesto", his half of the enabling duo (with Heidi Gardner) in "Daytime Show". Kenan Thompson remains the most trusted cast member of "SNL", and he laughs at everything he does in this episode, no matter how small.

Best female performer: the female cast of "SNL"

Despite the appearance of Elizabeth Warren and a former cast member in Rachel Dratch, it manages to be a very strong episode for every member of the show's current female cast. Kate McKinnon starts strong as Laura Ingraham (then Elizabeth Warren) in the open cold, then continues to continue as Debranique in "The Sands of Modesto" and the very confused wife of Daniel Craig in "Deep Quote Game Night". Cecily Strong has her Jeanine Pirro and the return of her daughter at a party …, as well as the emblematic line "Salope, c & # 39; est Modesto". Chloe Fineman becomes Bond girl and Debranique's daughter.

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Lil 'Baby Aidy takes a break from the “Accent Coach” sketch, introduces the world to the “Deirdre Show” loop and makes him a salad overnight, the latter being the first true 10 to 1 sketch in a good a long time. Melissa Villasenor reminds Redd of all the reasons for credit card fraud that he sleeps on the couch. Ego Nwodim channels his inner Patti LaBelle in "Daytime Show" and then works as a straight man (with Day and Bryant) in "Accent Coach". And Heidi Gardner has a sexually loaded set of quotes with the current James Bond. This is a very good episode for the ladies of "SNL".

Final thoughts

You have to give credit where credit is due for "SNL" when it comes to actually acknowledging when something is working. No, not the return of "The Weeknd Update" (since The Weeknd is the musical guest) but when it comes to Michael Che. After last week's descent – truly entertaining – into nihilism for Che, which continues this week. And showing a certain restraint, he does not just switch back to the bit again; instead, Che has all his hope lost, catches his drink off screen, and continues the depressing business without a hitch.

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And speaking of something that works, in this episode, Strong finally brings back his star character "SNL" – "The girl you wished you hadn't gotten into a conversation at a party" – for the first time since 2016. Given the current political climate, it is shocking, there has not been more mileage for this character recently, but it is also the rare time that “SNL” hasn’t Hasn't tried too much of a good thing. It's been a while, but Strong hasn't lost a step with this character. She was trying to put her hands in Che's mouth felt good.

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The appearance of Bowen Yang as Bottle Boi is a bit like "Maine Justice", in terms of wondering where the accent comes from (adjacent to Bobby Boucher), but the Possible explanation of the "French Quarter of Times Square" / Bubba Gump is good, although he never expected an explanation in the first place. In a way, it seems a bit like Yang just throwing characters against a wall and hoping that they will stay. But in another way – and not only in terms of accentuation work – it looks like Yang deserves comparisons with "SNL" -era Adam Sandler much more than Pete Davidson. As the comparison would be more than based on age and would rather be based on ridiculous features.

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As it is also quite rare, the episode actually begins with a strong cold opening which does not last long and presents the actual cast well … although it is still strange that White chocolate got a "WOO" from the crowd.

As mentioned before, for an episode starring a great political cameo and a former actor in their own recurring skit, this is an episode where each real actor – along with the host – arrives at shine. Except for an absent Pete Davidson and Kyle Mooney, who are at least in the sketch "Deep Quote Game Night". (Darrell Hammond is also in the open cold, but as a series announcer, he's still fair anyway.) Most importantly, this has been the case since the very beginning of the show. episode, because the open cold highlights McKinnon, Strong and Day and Moffat, which has been strangely underused recently.

And then there is the host Daniel Craig, who is a host who can order a sketch scene, like "The Sands of Modesto" and "Deep Quote Game Night". but it's also good in support, like in "On the Couch" and "Daytime Show". I hope it won't take him another eight years to host again.

Grade: A

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