Welcome back, fellow Coneheads, toSNLin Review!
Tonights host is formerSNLwriter, and already-legendary stand-up comedian,John Mulaney.
Mulaney emceeing things always seems to bring a special energy to our dogged institution.
John Mulaney on ‘Saturday Night Live’.Credit: Will Heath/NBC
Either way, its become a seasonal highlight.
Tonights musical guest is another living legend,David Byrne.
Byrne previously playedSNLway back in season 4 as part of the Talking Heads.
I am joined tonight by formerSNLalum,PatrickWeathers, whose favorite Talking Heads song is Burning Down the House.
The shows break was not devoid of drama, with news percolating on bothColinJostandPeteDavidsons potential departures.
Buckle up, its Leap Day 2020 thefirst-everSNLLeap Day episode and were LIVE, people… lets DO THIS!
Cold open
Ah, theSNLpolitical coverage.
Beck Bennett as Mike Pence and Kenan Thompson as Ben Carson tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
Back in 2016, Jay Pharoah played Carson.
Fred Armisen returns with his so-so impression of Mike Bloomberg.
(FellowSNLer Jeff Richardsrecently debuted his own Bloomberg, which is more accurate.)
Guess Jason Sudeikis and/or Woody Harrelson werent around this week so, oddly, Mulaney plays Joe Biden.
Fresh off his South Carolina victory, the show still isnt able to capture the former VP.
Have they given up trying?
Weathers says he thinks their debate sketches are hilarious.
His favorite Democratic candidate impression?
Larry [David], of course.
Monologue
Mulaney comes out in standup mode.
Hes got nothing to promote, so we get some of his routine.
He lands jokes about friendless dads and March, if winter had spring.
He compares middle-aged men striving for friendship and male bonding to Jesus and his disciples, which is great.
He also riffs on the Founding Fathers and their poor structure for the amendments.
In summary and summation, Mulaney concludes his monologue talking about a Make-A-Wish child who sought to meet him.
He brought her toSNL, where she met first choice, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Sound of Music spoof
Cecily Strong gets to demonstrate her musical chops again.
So this is a warm-up.
Mulaneys her older, Nazi boyfriend, Rolfe.
Beck Bennett does a solid Christopher Plummer, as is Kate McKinnons Maria Von Trapp.
Patrick Weathers performed musical sketches on the show, and throughout his performing career.
His advice on premises like this are to keep it 45 seconds and under.
Mostly this is an opportunity to share silly memes of Mulaney.
I am guessing the show is hoping to generate what it is making fun of: going viral.
This sketch ends with Davidson posing with a nose ring?!
So he decides its time to get fit, with the hope it will lead to more onscreen appearances.
I love Mooney calling out his awkward dork persona.
He brings in Justin Theroux as his trainer.
I put in the work and became less interesting.
Lorne Michaels shows up in this one fun to see him back on-air.
Beck Bennett plays his second closeted gay character in this episode, which is curious.
(Bennett is getting a lot of airtime tonight!)
Mulaneys Julian has returned from war gay-hot.
Bennetts admiral is smitten, and McKinnon and Bryant are jealous.
Theres like three ideas circling each other in this one, with no real progression.
Back in season 4, Talking Heads performed “Take Me to the River” and “Artists Only.
In 1989, he performed Dirty Old Town and Loco De Amor.
This is monumental truly one of the great modern songs about suburban milieu.
And Byrne is quite agile jamming through this.
you’ve got the option to certainly hear his influence on Arcade Fire.
Some of you will recall Rich Hallonce played Byrne on theSNLFashion Report, complete with that iconic suit.
I love that, like Mulaney, Byrne isnt necessarily pushing a new project at us.
I loved that place, remembers Weathers, who lives outside New Orleans.
Weekend Update
Colin Jost goes after the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus.
Michael Che is less keen.
This is not how I care to be remembered, says a distraught Che, removing his clip tie.
He acknowledges his distaste for covering politics and jokes about having a drinking problem.
I know its a gag, but theres some pathos and genuine self-loathing here.
Chris Redd shows up with acommentary on Black History Month.
He had a bad February Cory Booker dropped out so he wont be in anymore debate sketches.
There are some brutal lines here: look at these White House negros is especially savage.
Jost and Che are clearly loose here, trying different things.
Maybe that means they see an exit?
Airplane Mart Sushi
Ah, theyve done it.
They returned to the Lobster Diner motif.
Cecily Strong sings for a second time this episode.
Mulaney jumps in with some West Side Story, and Kate McKinnon shows up as Auntie Orphan Anne.
This is so surreal we have Bennett dressed as a giant baby.
Jake Gyllenhaal who appeared in MulaneysSack Lunchspecial cameos as the guy who wears pajamas to the airport.
He previously hosted in 2007 and made cameos in 2007 and 2011.
Hes having fun chewing the scenery and disappears into the ceiling.
“Profiled Asian” Bowen Yang belts a solid Suddenly, Seymour too.
No, I wasnt in Parasite…
Finally, David Byrne wraps things up with a joyous Road to Nowhere that spills into the audience.
Kenan gets the baton here as Terrence Washington, the first black man to boo Jackie.
Washington has an enlarged heart and is embittered against Robinson because his ex-wife called him handsome.
He just wants the right to boo whoever he wants, regardless of race.
He would fit in well on Twitter, wouldnt he friends?
Final thoughts
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