Saturday Night Live
Ana de Armas & Karol G
April 16, 2023
I’ll admit it: I’ve seen Ana de Armas in exactly dos peliculas, and while I knew she was of Hispanic origin, my bias assumed that she was American putting on an accent … or something. I don’t know, as an admittedly stupid American, I guess I didn’t think about it at all. But nope! She’s Cuban and the accent is genuine (and lovely), and when de Armas leaned into her accent and heritage it produced delightful results. Otherwise, this week’s episode was rather mediocre — it certainly didn’t offend, but I won’t remember it this time next year, either.
Our cold open is a red carpet report for “The First Warm Day of the Year” from Central Park. (Having lived in New York City for a minute myself, my advice is DO NOT BE FOOLED, IT’S NOT ACTUALLY SPRING YET. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU PUT YOUR SWEATERS AWAY.) Reporters interview a number of cliches enjoying the park, including Older Guy in Exercise Clothes, Perverts, Woman Learning to Rollerblade, and Guy With a Clipboard Asking for Money. It’s specific to Central Park, and … yet not. Points added for no politics nor Trump; points deducted for going on entirely too long.
Grade: A-
Ana de Armas’ monologue is fine. It’s fine! She’s adorable, obviously, and clearly excited to be hosting, but aside from a sweet story about Robert De Niro and learning Engling from Friends, it’s not a particularly memorable monologue. And that’s OK!*
Grade: B
It’s a game show, but we never get to the competition part because Kenan’s host is too distracted by the fact that gorgeous Ana de Armas’ character is married to the dorky Matt Schatt, played by Mikey Day. Fun fact: Matt Schatt is a recurring character that SNL dusts off for particularly hot female hosts: he first appeared in 2016 when Margot Robie hosted, and then again in 2019 when Jennifer Lopez hosted.
Grade: B-
Like Barbie, the American Girls dolls are getting their own feature film, focusing on their devastating backstories of being Victorian orphans, dying of cholera, and being discriminated against. It’s dark, not that I mind, but the audience seems to be cringing throughout.
Grade: B
De Armas and Ego Nwodim play backup vocalists on a rap track by Devon Walker’s rapper, Young Spicy, except that everything they say in their sexy voices is deeply insulting to Young Spicy. Funnier than it has any business being?
Grade: A-
A gringo Spanish teacher played by Mikey Day is derailed when his new exchange students, Marcello Hernandez and de Armas arrive, speaking rapid, fluent Spanish. A unny and clever use of the host’s skills, and the spiritual opposite of the classic “EN-CHIL-A-DA” SNL sketch.
Grade: A-
The SNL afterparties are the stuff of legend, though the Please Don’t Destroy boys are experiencing some “hangxiety” (hangover + anxiety over what they can’t remember from the night before) a couple of days later.
Having experienced my share of hangxiety in my 20s: 10/10.
Grade: A
“Weekend Update” takes on the classified document leak, President Biden in Ireland, and, brilliantly, Former President Pathological Liar’s claims that the cops who booked him were crying the entire time. Solid outing.
Grade: A
Kenan Thompson is the lesser Mario character, Funky Kong, who is upset that he was cut from The Super Mario Bros. Movie for being a huge sexist.
Grade: B
Sarah Sherman returns to the “Weekend Update” desk to insult Colin Jost, this time as Guru Genesis Fry. I love their whole dynamic and chemistry; will take it in any form I can get it.
Grade: A++
Finally visiting the Weekend Update desk is Molly Kearney who, dangling from a harness from the ceiling, delivers a great monologue on the attack on trans kids. It’s sweet, inspiring, and heartbreaking all at the same time.
Grade: A
Lisa from Temecula first appeared on Pedro Pascal’s episode a few weeks back, fending off non-existent come-ons and violently tossing her salad while the cast were unable to contain their laughter. She’s back, this time at a wedding, fending off non-existent advances from Ana de Armas, and throwing salmon on the bride’s mom while tossing her salad. It is nearly not as unexpected or funny as the first time around.
Grade: B-
In this bit, de Armas and Chloe Fineman hawk an acting school for dogs in this commercial. The dogs, they refuse to cooperate, which, of course, is the point.
Grade: B+
Finally, Bowen Yang holds the world’s record for longest fingernails and is reluctant to get a manicure, not even to do “hand stuff” to his wife, played by de Armas. I don’t know … did someone get their hands on a copy of the 1978 Guinness Book of World Records and get inspired or something? When will we get a sketch based on the World’s Heaviest Motorcycle-Riding Identical Twins?
Grade: C
*Bonus Monologue: Norm Macdonald, who was fired from Saturday Night Live for telling O.J. Simpson jokes after he had been forbidden to do so, returns to host the show 18 months later:
A Monologue so phenomenal it even had the writers booing. The Amazing Norm Macdonald
by u/No-Plan-1902 in LiveFromNewYork
And that’s a monologue, friends.
Saturday Night Live airs at 10:30/11:30 p.m. Saturdays on NBC and streams on Peacock.
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