After a particularly rough episode last week, Saturday Night Live bounced back nicely with host Lena Dunham last night. For someone who doesn't necessarily have much range, Dunham was better than expected, mostly playing variations on herself and her character from Girls (the only exception: her Liza Minnelli impression late in the episode). The surprise cameos by Liam Neeson, Fred Armisen and Jon Hamm were pretty hilarious, the Girls and Scandal parodies were just right, and we got a couple of the best sketches of the season (Ooh Child, What Are You Even Doing). Hell, even the cold open was better than normal!
In recent weeks, SNL has gotten smarter about inserting some of the stranger sketches early on in the night—sketches that once would have been relegated to the ten-to-1 slot are getting a chance before midnight, and they've been some of the best of the season. This week, we got two that fit that bill, including Ooh Child, in which frustrations over a car singalong leads to a surprise ending, and What's Poppin, which focused on an all-white "rap" group. SNL is always better when they go weird (writer/performer Mike O'Brien has stood out this season thanks to his surreal sensibilities), and nothing screams weird like flute amps, Sprite chugging, and "my rap name is Tim."
Taran Killam had a particularly good night filled with impressions, as Adam Driver in the Girls parody, Harrison Ford in Katt Williams Talk Show, and his killer Matthew McConaughey on Weekend Update, which required a couple rewinds to catch all the hilarious lines. What Are You Even Doing with Nasim Pedrad was a cousin of Girlfriends Talk Show, but the performances by Bobby Moynihan, Kyle Bennett, and especially a bewildered Jon Hamm, added a lot of laughs. Obama's tough guy video and Neeson livened up the political cold open, Brooks Wheelan had a couple nice moments as Jared Leto and a kidnapped person, and The National knocked it out of the park with "Graceless" and a lovely "I Need My Girl."
There were some weaker sketches of course, including the overstuffed MRA-referencing Jewelry Party and the overlong Katt Williams one. Colin Jost is still getting comfortable behind the desk on Weekend Update, and there were the usual problems with the featured players: Noel Wells, John Milhiser and Beck Bennett got almost nothing to do. Well, Wells did get to break out her Dunham impression at the very end of the Katt Williams sketch, but still.
It was inevitable that some of the newbies would be shuffled to the side with such a huge cast this season, but it'd be nice to see them get a few more featured roles before the season is done. SNL is off the air for the next couple weeks, but will return on March 29th with host Louis C.K. (!) and musical guest Pharrell Williams.
