Welcome back, my fellow Coneheads, toSNLin Review.
Tonight’s host is the defensive end for the Houston Texans, J.J. Watt.
I am curious whether that will be a potential sketch hook!
Credit: NBC
Episodes hosted by athletes tend to be a mixed bag for the show, historically.
(Cough,paging Deion Sanders.)
(No one wants to relive aYankee Wives-jot down sketch premise again, after all.)
Some of my favorite shows, as a viewer, were athletes.Peyton ManningandMichael Jordancome to mind."
Watt is the first NFL star to hostSNLsince Eli Manning in 2012.
So, buckle up sports fans here’s the kickoff.
Live from [wherever you watching, ya’ll], let’s DO THIS!
Cold Open
SNLreturns to the impeachment!
“The trial you wish had happened” speaks to how anti-climatic proceedings have been.
The show like some Americans view this as half wish fulfillment half entertainment.
First off, Mikey Day’s John Roberts is immediately replaced with Kenan Thompson’s Judge Mathis.
(And the less we talk about Kyle Mooney mugging as Joe Pesci, the better.
Justbring back Jim Breuer FFS.
Pete Davidson pops up after being noticeably MIA last week as Hunter Biden.
Cecily Strong as John Bolton; Strong was announced as the star of a new Amazon show this week.
How much longer will she be on the show?
She could pull a Shrill and stick around, given it’s an election year.
#HM
And of course, Alec Baldwin returns as his hacky Trump.
Lots of bad stuff to parse here, friends.
I can’t it’s like an MSNBC Mad Lib.
Monologue
Watt comes out with one-liners about his upbringing, and football family.
I guess it’s refreshing to see a low concept monologue once in a while.
Makes you wonder: Why did the show tap him to host?
Watt only seems slightly embarrassed to sing something called “Big and Woke.”
Day pops in as an inappropriate Olaf.
It is funny to see the song call out Thompson’s shoehorned diversity hire, though.
“He sucks at football!”
This is a well-observed commentary on that kind of movie.
Ability matters at that level!
Jack Daniels meets gasoline!
“Rip it and stick it!”
Luke Combs Lovin on You
Luke Combsis a burly, throwback 90s-style country star.
His appearance onSNLthis week comes as the genre is at an inflection point.
Several days earlier, living legend Loretta Lynn evenclaimed country music was “dead.
“So the stakes may be a tad high.
This has a great vibe though the musicvideo for “Lovin' on You"came out last summer!
Little surprised he opened with it.
I could see this song being featured on theRoadhousesoundtrack.
Weekend Update
Colin Jost kicks off a relatively subdued Update.
Michael Che claims he’s a Republican now he can’t be a Democrat and a Knicks fan.
He can’t always lose!
He also says Congress should have never pursued impeachment.
(Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.)
This is his third appearance at the Update desk a breath of fresh air.
(“Wash your hands, our phones are covered in poop,” he advises.)
Ego Nwodim also appears as Dr. Angie Hynes.
Instead of celebrating black American heroes, she calls out those who have wronged her.
They’re “black and history to me.”
Danitra Vance would’ve killed at this back in the day.
There’s something here, definitely.
I hope they let her grow maybe give her a talk show segment likeNat X?
Two sperm jokes on Update tonight.
This segment was abrupt tonight.
“Sorry, can I steal him for a sec?”
For someone with Watt’s range, he’s well cast here.
“Hehe, I love that,” he deadpans, multiple times.
Chloe Fineman’s twin is a strange highlight.
The video game version of JJ Watt makes a lot of mistakes!
He increasingly says embarrassing and self-effacing things.
His avatar is quite goofy.
This feels like a Mikey Day script!
And Ego is getting decent airtime tonight.
The crowd is not on board, seemingly, but this is smart and silly.
Luke Combs Beer Never Broke My Heart
Another jam and also an older track.
This was Combs’s first single from his second studio albumWhat You See Is What You Get.
2 of the US Country chart.
Combs looks like Action Bronson, but he’s got a fun presence.
My Fair Bigfoot
It’s London in the 19th century.
A reformed Bigfoot (Watt) joins a high society dinner party.
Watt looks like a close relative to Phil Hartman’s classic Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer.
The setting shifts to what happens next: Watt is reprimanded by his boss, Thompson.
This has a good energy to it: a real story, but a lot of one-liners too.
Hate to say it: this might be tonight’s highlight!
“Ya damn sicko!”
“Damn phone!”
-Soo… what did you all think?
If you have a free moment, weigh in below orvote here!
-Thank you to Gary Kroeger for his time!
-Join me next week for RUPAUL!
Should be a lot more fun!
