Welcome back, dearest Coneheads, toSNL in Review: 2020 edition.
Its a new year, and a new decade.
The world has moved on, despite Driver being great as Kylo Ren.)
NBC
Driver has already appeared in (at least!)
Lets see what our capable comedy overlords and dedicated writing staff give him tonight!
I am joined tonight by formerSNLalum, andpioneering FaceSwap comedian, Jeff Richards.
Jeff claims to have enjoyedRise of Skywalker more than most: Easily the best Star Wars yet.
Loved the stars in this one.
Super bright, nighttime-like.
Adam Driver displayed awesome emotion throughout.
Caitlyn Jenner was extraordinary.
Live from [wherever you watching, yall], lets get into it!
Cold Open
And we jump right in cue applause toSNLsglimpse at the impeachment hearings.
Beck Bennett is the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Cecily Strongs Susan Collins returns.
hissesJon Lovitz, cameoing as Trump attorney Alan Dershowitz.
Dershowitz is summoned to Hell, where Kate McKinnons podcast host Devil is a major fan.
I used to let nobodies into Hell, now its just influencers!
I like the goofy setting pivot.
(Fact check: their cast was the best.)
His brand of characters keptSNLafloat as it entered a second Golden Age props.
Tonights host, Adam Driver, pops up in Hell as Jeffrey Epstein.
Whats he doing there?
Bowen Yang, the subject of an excellentMaureen Dowd profile today, plays the creator of Baby Shark.
Other Hell residents: Flo from Progressive (Heidi Gardner),Mr. Peanut(Mikey Day.)
Lots of topical digs.
Bennett returns: Mitch McConnell uses Hell as a sauna, and takes political advice from Satan.
Final gag: soulless Mark Zuckerberg, like Dershowitz, is very eager to do the Devils work.
Monologue
Driver opens the monologue proving his chill, a reference to his intense reputation.
Ive acted so much and so hard!
Im not an intense guy, Im very chill!
Driver always feels just a smidge condescending to be here.
Hes game, no question, but it comes with a serious actorly air.
Theres not a ton of people with his chops who play inSNLsplayground these days so Im not complaining.
Driver asserts he hates red carpet PR, as hes bad at smiling.
He riffs about kissing Johansson inMarriage Storymeaning hes basically kissed Colin Jost very chummy joke.
I wish the show would resist such easy moments.
Thats how I arrived at my impression of him.
Tonights musical guest isHalsey, who previously appeared on January 13, 2018 as the musical guest.
She also pulled double duty as thehost and musical guest last February.
So we know she can do sketches.
Will she appear tonight?
Get your popcorn ready.
Sleepover
Driver is a polite dad entering his daughters basement sleepover.
It seems one of the girls clogged the toilet with their sanitary pad, before escalating the situation severely.
McKinnons Megan doused in toilet water is the culprit.
She refuses to fess up, and loves Mark Harmon.
The sketch turns into a Spartacus situation.
Note: an audience member reacts immediately to the sight of Adam Driver in a blond hot dad hairdo.
Just like in church but worse.
Undercover Boss Kylo Ren Part 2
Lets intern!
OK, Boomer right?
This is a fine sequel, but pales to, say, whatRobot Chickendid during the prequel era.
Some diminishing returns, especially given Ben Solos arc in the last movie.
Serious question: will this be we last see Driver as Kyle Ren, ever?!
It easily could be!
Del Taco Commercial
Kyle Mooney and Chloe Fineman are actors in a taco commercial.
Ah man, Im all out of cash!
Beck Bennett and Driver deliver bizarre line readings.
Great to see Mooney in the center of a sketch, playing off Bennett.
Put your shirt over your hed like Cornholio, demands Driver, which is a great reference.
This is so specific and character-based, its hard to resist.
The Science Room
Driver is Professor Zachary Adams.
Cecily Strong and Mikey Day are Lonnie and Josh, todays young and inappropriate participants.
That is an awful conversation we just had!
cries a confused and upset Driver, disturbed by their stupidity.
This is a good use of Drivers tendency to express explosive rage shout out his role on Girls.
Itd be nice if this called out John Mulaneys Sack Lunch Bunch, now on Netflix, here.
Similar homage, despite this having a familiar premise.
Mikey Day tends to repeat concepts.
You will remember Sam Rockwellcursed during a very similar sketchagain opposite Strong and Day nearly two years ago.
This feels very Dick in a Box, very Lonely Island vibe.
These guys are slow, slow, says a disgruntled Heidi Gardner.
So glad I never had a baby with you is a seething lyric.
This has a distinct Taylor Swift vibe, peppered with early Avril Lavigne.
Ill be listening again on Spotify.
They land a joke about Hunter Biden, quietly sowing an unfair narrative.
Seventh-grade travel expert Carrie Krum (Aidy Bryant) pops up to discuss winter vacations.
Bryant last portrayed the boy-obsessed Krumlast April, when she commented on Spring Break.
Everyone called me Slimer!
To discuss the recent Oscar nominations, Melissa Villasenor pops up with some original songs.
This is reminiscent of early Adam Sandler on Update, very fun.
And Jost claims to have watchedJokerevery day as he works out, which tracks.
(And he watchedThe Irishmanalone on Christmas Day, which is a hilarious image.
Hes a good sport.)
The audience hollers during the Greta Gerwig callout too herOscars snubcaused a stir online.
In other news: Che lands a great joke about Mr. Peanut being cremated.
The audience was all over Jost tonight.
Cameron is racially insensitive, insulting Bowen Yang and Chris Redd as his fellow actors.
This has several great lines, really captures the shows dynamic.
Halsey shows up near the end of the proceedings and then.
This wouldve worked a lot better with a mini-plot to thread the otherwise solid parody.
Marrying Ketchups
Gardner comes back as a waitress closing up at a restaurant.
She envisions Driver and Cecily Strong are the star-crossed Ketchup/Catsup bottles.
You dirty Hunt, winks an embittered Strong.
This is melodramatic, punny and a little embarrassing.
I guessSNLlearned no lessons fromKanye Wests bottle-centric appearancelast season (when Driver last hosted).
(Like: goofiness aside, I want to know about Gardners waitress.
Theres a sadness there, a real character.
Explore that outright sometime!)
Halsey Finally // beautiful stranger
Another strong, country-flavored love ballad!
This one reminds me of You and I from Gaga a tad.
Halsey has such a strong presence, she totally captivates the audience.
Final Thoughts
-Soo… what did you all think?
If you have a free moment, weigh in below orvote here!
-Feels good to see Lovitz back in the fold.
I cant criticize his inclusion, even if its out of the cameo cold open playbook.
-It always feels likeSNLis behind the eight ball in terms of the musical acts they book, doesnt it?
This is especially true with their recent selection of hip hop acts.
How can they do better to capture the so-called zeitgeist?
It would be fun to see him joining Young M.A on Unaccomodating.
-Thanks to Jeff Richards check out his new videos.
-Join me next week for JJ Watt!
