Welcome back toSNL in Review, fellow Coneheads!Saturday Night Liveseason 45 continues onto its third week.
This weekends episode features hostDavid Harbour(Stranger Things) and musical guestCamila Cabello.
Three years ago, Harbour was impersonated by Beck Bennett during the shows stellarStranger Thingsspoof.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — “David Harbour” Episode 1770 — Pictured: Host David Harbour during the monologue on Saturday, October 12, 2019 — (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC).Will Heath/NBC
If nothing else, this is a great opportunity forSNLto get spooky, amirite?
So hes no stranger to play-by-play work, or being a color man.
You may also remember Laurance fromEddie and the Cruisers, and portraying David Silvers father onBeverly Hills, 90210.
Welcome to the Thunderdome!
at the CNN LGBTQ town hall from earlier this week.
Kate McKinnon also returns with her incisive take on Elizabeth Warren.
She even drops in some RBG energy before removing her wig.
Laurance says Kate is an absolute genius… and I dont use that word very often.
Totally committed and range thats unbelievable.
Men, women does not matter.
So… cameo alert no.
Wild to see turmoil bubble up online, and for the show to respond, huh?
Clearly, theyre aware its time to put Alec Baldwin in a box for good.
Woof, cameo alert no.
IsWoody Harrelsonlocked in as Joe Biden for the foreseeable future?
Not a great impression, and not a great take on the character.
As long as these cameo impressions generate YouTube clips/ad revenue for NBC, I suppose thats what matters.
(Bowen Yang kills with his sure, however.)
I do like the positive woos from the audience when Harrelsons Biden asserts hes our guy.
Just bring back Jason Sudeikis, maybe.
Harbour stumbled into aStranger Thingsspoof, which hed initially resisted.
This is mostly sharp I like the Barb references and, of course, the return of Pete Davidson.
And the return of Lorne Michaels!
Its been a while in both cases.
So his exchange with Michaels is cute in that sense.
Overall, this is promising and fun.
Teachers pets were a very specific and contemptible bang out of student growing up.
This captures them well, and utilizes the cast in a good way in the process.
The appearance of Guy Smiley is some hilarious attention to detail.
Everyone is perfectly cast, and really captures the self-serious weirdness of Todd Phillips newJokermovie.
I suspect this will get a rewatch down the road.
Soul Cycle Auditions
A half-hour in, Cecily Strong pops up!
Yang who would totally have saved Lincoln kills his moment, as does Heidi Gardner.
Is Bowen the best new cast member in a minute or what?
Certainly the most distinct new male featured player if you think about it.
Overall, this is very on-brand for anyone who has gone to Soul Cycle-style spin studios before.
Its well-produced pop, and great set design, even if Cabellos vocals sound a bit off.
On Friday, when they did sound checks, some of them would do a couple songs.
Some just did a few notes… it was magical.
There wasPrincebefore he was the mega superstar.
All of us laughed, especially Eddie [Murphy], that loud laugh hes famous for.
After playing several clips of President Trump, Jost lands a dig at Bidens memory.
When Secretary Castro attempted something similar during the last debate, he was roundly criticized for ageism.
We also saw the return of Bailey Gismert, the teenage film critic, played by Gardner.
Shes one of the best original Update characters since Stefon.
Is that over-the-top to say?
Like the Teachers Friend sketch, Bailey really nails a very specific teenager.
This is her fourth Update appearance, and her first since theEmma Thompson episodelast season.
Comedy is too woke!
as Che looked on, approvingly.
Finally, on the subject of STDs, Davidson returns to the Update desk.
Does everything in my generation have to be a reboot, he asks as Jost giggles.
I may be alone here, but it might be time for Davidson to move on fromSNL.
He has multiple film projects in the works, he tours.
Heres what Laurance had to say: I know how hard Weekend Update is to do.
PBS Folk of the Past
This has been a good episode for Moffat tonight.
Father-Son Podcast Microphone
Kyle Mooney and his dad issues!
Very strange, and Im here for it.
Funny, I was just thinking about all the excellentSNLpodcasts that are out there.
(See below.)
Grandmas Sauce
Wow, this episode is full of throwback vibes, including cross-dressing.
Some of you will remember Chris Farley and Adam Sandler in theZagatssketch.
This is like that crossed withIl CantoreorHubs Gyros.
Harbour and McKinnon are having a time here to the point where this does not feel entirely scripted.
Maybe a studio executive is watching this sketch and realizing they could be the next buddy comedy.
Camila Cabello Easy
Easy is the fourth song released from Cabellos new project.
HerSNLperformance is competent, elegant.
The show complements the songs poppy R&B motif with moody blue backdrop lighting.
Naturally, the pug causes Strong to struggle.
Who are those people?
Nothing unsettles me more.
We saw a lot of McKinnon, Bryant, and, later, Strong.
It makes me wonder if at some point this season, we will see one of them eventually depart.
But what did you think?Vote hereor tell me below, pals.
-Thank you to Matthew Laurance for his insights tonight!
We did not see too much of new featured player Chloe Fineman this episode.
Laurance says: For me, as a featured player, I always wanted to do more.
But I was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do something live as big as that was.
SNLreturns on October 26 with checks notes Chance the Rapper pulling dual duty.
This week Id like to highlight the good people over at theSNL Standby Linepodcast.
Have questions about the logistics and etiquette involved in obtaining tickets to a show?
Amanda and Jill are your people.
