Woody Harrelson enters the Five-Timers Club on an enjoyable SNL
Harrelson's "redneck hippie" persona has something for everyone
TV Reviews Woody Harrelson
After a season dominated by first-time hosts, Saturday Night Live veteran Woody Harrelson returned to Studio 8H to join the esteemed “Five-Timers Club” by hosting for a fifth time like illustrious members Tom Hanks, Dwayne Johnson, and Drew Barrymore, among others. Harrelson’s accomplishment is all the more astounding that it occurred over 33 years. The length of time is a testament to Harrelson’s enduring popularity in American culture. He is a well-liked performer who straddles the line between leading man and character actor. He possesses humor, seriousness, and versatility well-suited for sketch comedy. Harrelson is having a banner year after appearing as the Marxist captain of a luxury yacht in the Palm d’Or winning and Oscar-nominated Triangle of Sadness and his upcoming leading role in Champions as a down-on-his-luck minor league basketball coach court-ordered to lead a team of players with intellectual disabilities. Harrelson’s unique persona makes his chaotic and rambling monologue something charming.
Best sketch of the night
“Weekend Update” isn’t exactly a sketch, but the first half ranks as the best part of the episode. With political sketches becoming more and more like exaggerated reenactments, like the tonight’s “Cold Open,” the hosts of “Weekend Update” get to concisely summarize our contemporary hellscape week after week. The first hals was particularly strong by tackling the train disaster in Ohio. The best joke, as dark as it is, has to be the double whammy comparing the toxic chemical to something Trump recommended for treating Covid. Trump is coming out of semi-retirement and gearing up for another presidential campaign. It is potentially dangerous for the world, but good material for SNL.
Worst sketch of the night
“Slingshot” isn’t offensively bad and honestly “The Hippo” is probably worse I just cannot articulate why at the moment. The issue with “Slingshot” is that it just feels lazy. It smacks of the writers awake at 3am and unable to come up with a concept and decide to recreate a 6-year old compilation video of people passing out on amusement park rides. The sketch never escalates the comedic consequences. There is potential in the idea that he continually confesses secrets in-between passing out, but the sketch fails to develop that concept. While Kenan Thompson’s physical comedy is funny, it will never eclipse the reality of original videos. The worst part of the sketch is that after he screams he’s peeing they don’t provide a visual of him wetting his pants. Don’t tell me, show me (that is comedy 101).
Why not put her in a sketch
Another high point of “Weekend Update,” is Hedi Gardner’s Gina Bianchi. As good as it is, it begs the question: Why not build a sketch around the character. Last episode Ego Nwodim’s Lisa From Temecula turned out to be a massive hit on social media and even prompted a Vanity Fair Oral History about its inception, near cancelation, and impact. Over the past few seasons the program has drifted further and further away from recurring characters. Furthermore, casting seems to focus more on stand-up comedians over improv actors, which feels unfitting for sketch comedy. Gardner’s character who obsesses over a deadbeat son instead of her accomplished doctor daughters is so specific and identifiable. Like Lisa From Temecula, it is easy to imagine Gina Bianchi in various situations such as holiday dinners, family vacations, or better yet pair Gina and Lisa in some situation. The main point is that SNL should invest in and spotlight more character work for sketches.
A showcase for the male cast of SNL, “Submarine Launch” is stupid fun. Maybe it is all the yelling, but the ridiculousness of this sketch earned its runtime. The juxtaposition between the austerity of the American military and the absurdity of internet culture makes this sketch work. It also touches on how institutions engage with audiences on social media and how social media can undermine those institutions. The underlining commentary on the democratic potential of social media against the democratic danger of social media captures something in the zeitgeist.
MVP of the night: Woody Harrelson
He’s not a tabloid fixture, part of the Marvel universe, or on a hit streaming sitcom, but there is something special about Woody Harrelson that is instantly identifiable and relatable. Harrelson is a contradiction—as he said, a “Redneck Hippie”—and has a little something for everyone. His country good ol’ boy stoner persona worked wonderfully as a prison inmate, himself in a colon cancer commercial, or even against type as a fancy gay gym member. Harrelson’s best quality is that he seems so at ease in each sketch, which creates a flow conducive to the comedy.
Stray observations:
- The host and musical guest photos were some of the best of the season.
- “This gym is so classy it should be called a James,” might be the best single joke of the night.
- The best joke of the Cold Open is, “They’ll elect anyone. I started that.”
- I wonder what the contingency plan is for a possible Biden-Trump debate. Will James Austin Johnson play both parts somehow, or will he be forced to make a choice?
- The Five-Timers Jacket joke at the end was kind of sweet.
- The best set design of the night has to go to the NAVAL or GYM. It was nice to see the recycled restaurant set in the last episode.
- Were a few cast members missing from any sketches? Punkie was present at the end, but didn’t appear in anything.
- I’m very glad that they decided to use puppetry in the colon cancer sketch.
136 Comments
I wonder what the contingency plan is for a possible Biden-Trump debate.Kinda hard to remember Woody played Biden.
I don’t think it’d work now.
Of course, the best part of that, given how things turned out, is Kamala Harris rooting for him to drop out.
Dana Carvey played both Bush and Ross Perot in a debate sketch in 91/92 era. They could make it work, but hopefully Trump won’t be a serious candidate by that point.
And apparently they had Spade plat Perot in the long shots. He was pissed.
Speaking of Dana Carvey… His Mickey Rooney stories on a recent episode of the Smartless podcast were some of the funniest things I’ve heard in ages.
Trump is going to be the Republican nominee unless he dies. And even then who knows with that electorate.
My guess is JAJ does Biden and some other cast member does Trump. It won’t be a celebrity unless both guys are played by celebrities. Or Biden is played by the celebrity.
Baldwin isn’t really available to play Trump once again, fortunately. JAJ is one of the few Trump imitators, along with Anthony Atamanuik, who nails him perfectly. There are more people who can do an adequate Biden, but Trump requires more finesse than you’d assume, so the weird logic and the insecurities are upfront instead of just the loud words and the insults.
I actually liked his Biden. I wasn’t close to the real Biden voice but it was funny. They gave him good lines.
I loved his Biden.It’s just that Biden’s changed a lot since then.He sounds way different now.
Were they rocking that fake ride back and forth?
Cause if they weren’t, and Kenan was doing that all by himself, that was impressive.
Yeesh, that opening monologue was bad. “Haha, weed” is a pretty flimsy thing to build anything on, let alone a 6-minute monologue.
You know, I think one of the symptoms of long-term weed consumption is believing that cliched weed jokes are still funny.
They’re the Dad Jokes of middle-aged stoners.
He played Carnage, dumb ass.
….in a movie which is not part of the MCU proper, since the Venom films are produced by Sony (as part of their film rights for Spider-Man; they collaborate with Marvel for the titular character, but are free to do as they please with the related characters. This is why there’s a Madame Web film in production).
Making one person play both Biden and Trump actually sounds way more interesting than the normal political fare on SNL. If he can figure out a way to quickly change between the two and they set up the cameras like Smeagol/Gollum, I could see it working pretty well.
Except, knowing SNL, it’ll be for the lazy “both of them are the same I am smart!” jokes.
I found this episode to be the worst of the season, save for Weekend Update, the short film and Jack White. Every sketch was too long by double, lazy and repetitive. I fast-forwarded through Woody’s monologue and the Hippo sketch. Not impressed.
Mikey Day… the premise shouter.
If Dana Carvey could play both Ross Perot and George Bush in a 1992 sketch about the Bush-Clinton-Perot debates, they can find a way to have James Austin Johnson play both Trump and Biden.
Yeah but with Perot being the third participant they could at least have Carvey and Hartman on at the same time for much of the sketch. The two of them looking at Perot and seeing an umpa loompa was priceless.
Actually it was the Mayor of Munchin City
What makes even more sense.
While I didn’t watch yet… the rest of the internet is up in arms over Woody’s anti vax BS in his opening monologue… which is not even touched upon here
Seriously, what the fuck? I totally expected AV Club to be all over that?
He’s a good anti-vaxer though right? lol
I think it went over the audience’s head because it wasn’t that explicit. And it seemed more silly weed-guy affectation than a right wing talking point.
It went over my head watching at home…I kind of see it now though.
It was a weed joke. It was a joke about weed. I have no idea how people have managed to turn it into an anti-vax statement.
Watch it again, you were clearly higher than Woody. It absolutely was an anti-vax statement.
Because it was.
His little story is based around a pretty well known Anti-Vax conspiracy theory that the COVID lockdowns were a conspiracy by pharmacetual companies (aka “the world’s biggest drug cartels”), who bought up all the media and politicians to force people to take their vaccines if they want the lockdowns to be lifted.
It’s weird when people get an inkling that capitalism is bad for human health, but then only blame some specific industry instead of the entire institution.
“So the movie goes like this,” he said. “The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes. And people can only come out if they take the cartel’s drugs and keep taking them over and over.”…and then… “I threw the script away,” he continued as the audience chuckled uncomfortably. “I mean, who was going to believe that crazy idea? Being forced to do drugs? I do that voluntarily all day long.” So, yeah. Anti-vax/weed hybrid joke. Neither part of that was funny at all.
That seems to be 90/10 anti-vax/pot. The very end of that, I think, feels like a fig (not pot) leaf covering.
Because he’s shared Covid conspiracies before.
It absolutely was not.
No it wasn’t. You must be a fucking idiot if you honestly believe that.
Are you high? There was a covid lockdown anti big pharma message there.
It was a weed joke. It was a joke about weed. I have no idea how people have managed to turn it into an anti-vax statement. Because people have no chill and too much fucking energy.
Bullshit!It was a full-on anti-vaxxer screed thinly veiled and disguised as a movie pitch.Stop treating people like idiots for getting the “joke” the way he intended it.This has been his position in the past before so there’s nothing out of character here.
It was terrible. Like “Do we need to cut to commercial and pull him off the stage” terrible. Anti-vax statement aside*, it was a long rambling trainwreck that wasn’t funny and was barely coherent. One of the worst openings I’ve seen in some time.*I’ve seen people start to debate whether it was anti-vax or some kind of weed joke. While I personally tend to think its more anti-vax (the timeline of it being late 2019 is a clearly a covid setup to whatever the “joke” is suppose to be), the entire thing is so haphazard it almost doesn’t even matter what the intended payoff was.
I thought it was hilarious.
I didn’t hear any anti-vax stuff. What was it?
Learn to (read) code.
His career seemed finished before Triangle of Sadness. It is well over now. And I *really* liked him. Since he joined Cheers in 1985. Bye Woody. You are not welcome in Hollywood any longer.
I am jabbed and boosted. Aren’t we all? Woody is not a Doctor…he’s Woody.
You mean the weed joke?
Very helpful – this meant I could watch a half-decent SNL via YouTube clips while skipping the monologue.
I didn’t even pick up on that. My guess is that few did. I mean, it seemed like self-deprecation/weed joke more than any sort of sincere vaccine message. Plus, anyone taking medical advice from Woody fucking Harrelson on SNL at THIS point… who cares.
It’s because he was making a weed joke. The punchline is that he was taking an “anti-drug” position while simultaneously admitting he habitually uses drugs. It was very self-aware, yet most of the clips I’ve seen of the monologue omit the punchline — almost like they are just as guilty of pushing a narrative as old Woody here.
I wonder what the contingency plan is for a possible Biden-Trump debate. Will James Austin Johnson play both parts somehow, or will he be forced to make a choice?So we’re still pretending Trump is actually going to run, rather than being in prison? Okay, then.
Lol people have been promising he’s gonna end up in prison for the past six years
he’ll never see the inside of any type of cell unfortunately
Including a Brain Cell
He’ll run just to bilk even more campaign funds off his gullible MAGA chuds.
Lmao. You think Trump will ever have to face consequences? That’s not how the USA works.
He’s going to run because at this point it’ll be easy for him to delay any trials by filing a shitload of motions and appeals of denied motions.
Oh Trump is absolutely going to run and it’s taking forever for him to get indicted so he probably won’t be in jail.
You sweet summer child. Rich people don’t go to jail, especially if they have millions of rabid followers who aren’t afraid of violence.
Sketch idea: Trump runs from prison, participates in debates via Zoom; moderator makes frequent use of Mute.
I wish Beck Bennett was back. He’d make a great DeSantis.
Much as I’d love to see it happen, there’s no way Trump actually goes to prison.
He is 100% not going to prison. He’s guilty as hell, but all he’s got to do is hold on until he can either pardon himself or get one from DeSantis.Your assumption is predicated on the idea that justice will actually be served against Trump, when all of his history has proven otherwise.
People have been saying for 7 years that he’ll lose, he’ll be removed from power, he’ll be arrested, etc. Sorry, it would be really funny if he was arrested but I just don’t think it’s gonna happen. Seems extremely unlikely lol
I hold on to the vision that Trump will be dead by 2024.
They’ve done it before with Dana Carvey. He was Bush, Sr. live and a pre-tape of Ross Perot. For the wide shots David Spade was the Perot stand-in on stage.
well, im not going to get snooty, but trump is a rich man who still draws audiences for the networks of rich men, so will he be in prison? will he? guess i have had my hopes up too many times, to see him pop out like the road runner. plus, him running is more likely to split the republican vote with his hardcore trailer park followers, while desantis is more the corporate fave, so im thinking the likelihood is he loses the primary and runs third part out of narcsisstic spite and carries the mtg and matt gaetz followers.
Very weird choice to not even mention his antivax statements
Woof. That monologue was rough.
Zero mention of his rambling almost incoherent opening monologue? Are you anti-vax too, Trae?
So was that Colon Guard sketch one of those SNL stealth ads? Because for a sketch about shitting in a box I feel like they still had the kid gloves on. As someone with family history of colon issues, those “shit in a box” companies are at best a scam to get money out of people. They are basically designed for people to scared or “manly” to get a colonoscopy but their result rates are terrible. Basically no matter what the result say, if the doctor suspects a problem they are going to tell you to get a colonoscopy. All you are doing by shitting in a box is delaying how long it takes to get actual treatement for a disease. Sorry I’ll get off my “shit in box” soap box.
I don’t know, giving him the option of a horny female box (similar to the brown M&M) and having all of the boxes sexually aroused by being shat in was a bit more than SNL is usually willing to do.
The box ought to be fine if the patient isn’t actually bleeding out rectally and only ate a giant bag of Doritos or can of beets.
“All you are doing by shitting in a box is delaying how long it takes to get actual treatement for a disease.”
That should be on billboards nationwide.
As another person with an history of colon issues and colonoscopies, nothing beats installing the TV set in a position where you can see it from the bathroom while the door is open, and spending the eve of the procedure drinking the solution and doing your business in front of I Know Who Killed Me, some late Steven Seagal vehicle or the back half of Prime Video’s Hunters (any season).
In college one day, there was a box on the dorm’s 2nd floor landing. There was a message written on it. “Shit under box. Do not lift.” So we had a fun afternoon listening to people shouting in horror, and the responding cries of “it said not to lift it” from all the guys on that floor.
They straight up ripped off a Youtube video from the Zebra Corner channel.
It actually has great detection rates (especially compared to the FIT card test) but is absolutely not recommended for certain people (family history of colon cancer) because in that case the colonoscopy is the better option since if you have a polyp they can remove it right then. Not everyone can get a colonoscopy not just because of justified anxiety. Some people have heart conditions for example so they can’t be put under (and although you can do it awake who wants that). Anyway, I think you should research it more and if this was a stealth ad it was not great because it just reinforced what people find weird about it.
Having had bowel cancer myself, I’ll happily cosign the “just get the colonoscopy, now” statement.
As a female with colon problems in my family, I have learned that ColoGuard is a good way to pretend you got a questionable result to get insurance to cover a colonoscopy so there is that! Insurance companies refuse to budge on covering things for women despite change demographics.
Worst monologue in recent memory. Worse than Kim Kardashian or Elon Musk. And I love Woody in general… that was just terrible.
I hate the Kardashians but the famous-for-nothing, silicone woman’s monologue jokes landed, repeatedly. You might not like her – me neither – but considering the level of dross on modern SNL, how can hers possibly be one of the worst? Musk? Absolutely.
She was just savvy enough to realize repeatedly zinging herself and her family was the only way to go.
I don’t remember it that well, but I mean, yeah, you’re probably right; she did a decent monologue. I guess I was just picking hosts that I don’t personally like who did better monologues than Woody, who I do like. It just popped in my head. But yeah, you’re right.
I do agree that, her performance notwithstanding, she’s a terrible choice for it. Just like Musk.
I think Submarine Launch was worse that the Slingshot one, only for the fact I think the sketch went on way too long. Slingshot was bad, it had no real excitement.
No SNL skit will ever beat the absolute bomb the real Trump dropped on the mayor of East Palestine during his press conference/infomercial when he said he was “very easy to find.”
Historically terrible episode. I have no idea which SNL writer paid this AV Club reviewer to say this fawning garbage.
Call me an optimist but I feel like this show might finally get cancelled after this season
Why would it ever be cancelled? It’s cheap to make and has the most Emmys of any show. And if it weren’t on most stations would just run infomercials.
Plus they’re nearly at 50 years, they’re going to at least be around for the 50th anniversary special.
laughing imagining dennis perkins trembling in anger as he prepares to unleash the hounds on anti-vax woody. AV club why did you deny us
christ you’re stupid
How did a reviewer on a media coverage site not get that the submarine sketch was an extended riff on the iconic opening scene of Crimson Tide? Where Gene Hackman gives a speech and asks what the name of the boat us. It’s not really an obscure movie…
I’m semi-convinced this was written by an AI
I’ve been 90% convinced of this for weeks. At this point, I’m actually hoping someone is generating these with an AI and there isn’t an actual human being churning out this lifeless slurry week after week. I don’t know who “Trae DeLellis” is or whatever he had going on before this spiritual cul-de-sac, but if they’re not an AI, I sincerely hope that they get the fuck out of this gig and into something more fulfilling.
Seriously, WTF? It’s 100% the point of the sketch, combining Hackman’s rah rah USS Alabama launch speech with the absurdity of Boaty McBoatface.
Enjoyable? That episode was awful. We’re talking grades in the D range, maybe C- if we’re generous. The only thing saving it were the filmed pieces. The Please Don’t Destroy video and the Cologuard filmed piece were solid, but the live sketches were terrible. Harrelson, from his nonsensical rambling monologue and thru the show, was clearly fucked up on something and stumbled through a couple of sketches. The writing itself of the live sketches was middling at best. WU was pretty decent, but mileage will vary depending on how well you know Bill Walton (JAJ nailed the impression)
Came here to say the same thing. The bar for SNL is usually pretty low to begin with, but this was a remarkably unfunny and boring episode.
Yes, something weird is going on here — this reviewer has been super hard on okay to middling decent episodes and then slams this recent one which was pretty bad overall (and Woody was way worse than I expected him to be — he was pretty good in the fat suit sketch though.)
God, I was hoping someone would say this so I didn’t have to. This whole episode felt like it was written in a rush by middle-schoolers. And it gives me no pleasure to say it but Woody’s monologue felt like he was concussed or something. Special exception for the gym sketch joke “What’s that you’re playing?” “A big piano, sir”, which was somehow dumb enough to soar over the rest of the show.
Was there really not an Opioid Bear sketch? I’m not willing to watch the whole thing to find out, but I was really expecting one…
You’d think with Harrelson of all people hosting they’d figure something out, right?
“Harrelson’s unique persona makes his chaotic and rambling monologue something charming.”
So you found an incoherent ramble that lands on a massive anti-vax sentiment to be charming? Where is the change.org petition to get back to writers on this site that weren’t complete shills?
^^^^perkinscell spotted
shhh dont make the AI CHatbot writers angry, they may go all sentient on us
I’ve only watched the monologue, largely because I was clicking around on Youtube and the livestream of it popped up in my suggestions. I’ve never seen that version before, and it was technically fascinating to watch. It uses alternate cameras so you’re watching the very efficient set breakdown of the open, listening to the band warmup the crowd, getting a full view of the audience, and saw Harrelson backstage getting back rubs (he did look a bit stressed), and then the AD getting him on stage (and hauling him off after in a run.) I’d love to see a full show version of this.But the monologue was just one of the absolute worst I’ve ever watched; I’d have turned it off if I hadn’t been so interested in the camera angles. The only part that had some real potential was the lack of a 5 timer celebration (waiting with arms out just screamed for someone whispering to him and a temper tantrum), which could have worked but was essentially ignored. The weed bit should have been a brief acknowledgement and could have been funny as such, but just got worse and worse as it went on and on and detoured into tangents like “I’m purple because I think everyone should have squirt guns!”About the only good part was the manager being named as his transcon flying, federal law breaking drug mule, which he then added on to by spontaneously embarrassing the guy for being recently single. And the punchline of the whole rambling mess was a joke about a ridiculous script he read while baked in Central Park about everyone being forced to take drugs at home by a cartel. Even without the anti vax implication, it wasn’t funny, and the babbling, meandering setup was a disaster.
I’d be very curious as to how the whole thing made it through the writing process.
The five timer sketch is by far the least funny thing SNL does but if they insist on committing to the bit, keep it in the goodnights like they did tonight or for Melissa McCarthy. Don’t blow a whole cameofest like John Mulaney got. PDD continues to not be funny at all. A gay reveal in 2023?
To me, the main thrust joke wasn’t the gay reveal, it was the extent of the life the other two were leading and hiding from the third guy, but seemingly only from him. That said, two men kissing on television is still pretty damn rare so I would agree that it’s a cheap/lazy guaranteed crowd reaction stunt for the writers.
I agree with your “Please Don’t Destroy” take. That bit mined the standard, “ick, they’re doing gay stuff” revulsion-humor that really shouldn’t cut it these days. I’m sure they’d use the cop-out “oh no, we’re spoofing homophobia” – but obviously the gag was rooted in a shocking/gross/laughable vantage point of 2 men hooking up. And don’t try and argue it was the “surprise” of friends/familiars being intimate, because we’ve all seen workplace hookups and they’re not SNL funny.
Gotta say, I didn’t get any revulsion to it at all. I thought it was just supposed to be an exaggeration of “my friends are hanging out without me” to the point where not only are they hanging out, they’re married with kids and a whole life.
Right. If the reveal had been him making out with a woman who was part of the troop, would it have gotten the same reaction (or at least intended reaction?) No way. Things like that were still maybe edgy 20 years ago, but…
Yeah, it was funny thirty years ago when Tom Hanks got his jacket and they packed a bunch of cameos in, but they’ve really watered down the concept since then. The only person who got less fanfare than this was Will Ferrell, who was shown in the opening wearing his jacket and it was never mentioned again.
Woody Harrelson Spews Anti-Vax Conspiracies in Rambling ‘SNL’ Monologuehttps://www.thedailybeast.com/woody-harrelson-spews-anti-vax-conspiracies-in-rambling-snl-monologue?ref=home?ref=home?ref=home
I read that article in mounting horror this morning between the classes I teach, like seriously, Woody? Et tu? Universe is gonna ruin him away for me like it did Loretta Lynn and James Caan (both hardcore Trumpers).
We must have watched different shows, that was one of the worst episodes that I’ve seen this season. Even disregarding building his opening monologue around an anti-vax conspiracy theory, Woody was clearly inebriated most of the night. Show was an absolute mess tonight.
Perhaps I’m in the minority here, but I actually enjoyed the “Hippo” sketch. Yes, it was nothing but them repeating the same joke over and over— the star basically ruined his life for a movie role while the other actors were mildly inconvenienced— but Woody’s reactions really made it. One of the only times I laughed out loud the entire show was his reaction to the fat suit idea (“That was an option?”) And I assume Woody was high the entire show– every other sketch seemed to mention his love for weed– but were Che and Jost high too? They always find themselves more amusing than anyone else but tonight was extreme– Che in particular was almost giggling like a schoolgirl the entire time and even seemed to mistime a few punchlines.
Damn, I thought this whole episode was awful. Woody was rambling incoherently for that monologue, the cold open seemed like James Austin Johnson was just improvising, everything felt very rushed and unfunny.
Hard disagree. I’ve seen Johnson improvising as Trump and the man is brilliant at it; if you want very rushed and unfunny, you need the SNL writers’ room.
If the A.V. Club needs a part-time proofreader, I’d be happy to help. Oof.
I found the monologue to be hilarious. If anyone was expecting something else from Woody Harrelson, I’m not sure what it was. And to everyone getting offended, do yall know you’re watching a comedy sketch show? People are going to be made fun of, that’s the point. Unless it’s you they’re making fun of, then it’s “offensive “. And I’m vaxxed and tripple boosted before anyone comes at me with that mess.
all the more astounding that it occurred —> all the more astounding in that it occurredlenght —> lengtha well-liked performer, who manages to straddle —> a well-liked performer who manages to straddlePalm d’Or —> Palme d’Ora down on his luck minor league basketball coach —> a down-on-his-luck minor league basketball coachlike the tonight’s —> like tonight’s“Cold Open” —> Cold Openhals —> halfwas particularly strong by tackling —> not how language worksCovid —> COVIDisn’t offensively bad and honestly —> isn’t offensively bad, and honestlyprobably worse I just cannot articulate —> probably worse; I just cannot articulateunable to come up with a concept and decide to —> unable to come up with a concept and deciding tothe idea that he continually confesses —> who?in-between —> in betweenhigh point of “Weekend Update,” is —> high point of “Weekend Update” isHedi Gardner —> Heidi Gardnerbegs the question —> raises the questionWhy not build a sketch around the character. —> Why not build a sketch around the character?cancelation —> cancellationis so specific and identifiable. —> you forgot to finish the sentenceThe main point is —> the piece itself should make your points, with no need to say this repeatedlyunderlining commentary —> underlying commentary (?)tabloid fixture, part of the Marvel universe or —> tabloid fixture, part of the Marvel universe, orlike he said a “Redneck Hippie” —> like he said, a “redneck hippie”NAVAL or GYM —> seems left over from a previous draft, although I can’t believe there were previous drafts of thisWas the author on horse tranquilizers? This was obnoxiously bad even for *gestures*
You know, the main reason I keep coming back to these lifeless, zombied-out SNL reviews every Sunday is to figure out whether or not this column is auto-generated by an AI. Every single review reads like the same basic review template, with names and titles switched out and a “thumbs up/down” assigned randomly (since no one review has any discernible point of view). Your proofreading services are the best evidence yet that this content is in fact written by a human, since ChatGPT normally produces much cleaner text than this. So in all likelihood, there is an actual human being churning out this perfunctory drivel week after week. Which I find inexpressibly sad.
“seems left over from a previous draft, although I can’t believe there were previous drafts of this” – this made me laugh.
“Zombies eat brains and she ain’t got none!”
Fuck Harrelson. Fuck SNL. And fuck this site for not even mentioning his antivax horseshit in his opening monologue. He should’ve been booed off the stage.
Is there any chance Woody Harrelson was trying to channel his inner Mark Twain with a shaggy dog style monologue? Yeah it rambled, and meandered, and didn’t really go anywhere. Maybe that was the point, and Woody just couldn’t pull it off?
Could be
“Slingshot isn’t offensively bad and honestly the hippo is probably worse I just cannot articulate why at the moment.”I wonder if a person who gets paid to articulate why something is good or should admit this. “The issue with “Slingshot” is that it just feels lazy. It smacks of the writers awake at 3am and unable to come up with a concept”To follow up that admission with this critique is just *chef’s kiss* beautiful.
“I wonder what the contingency plan is for a possible Biden-Trump debate. Will James Austin Johnson play both parts somehow, or will he be forced to make a choice?”SNL has done this before with the magic of splitscreen (I can’t seem to get the video to play for some reason): https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/bush-clinton-perot-debate-cold-opening/n10302
I believe they only had Dana play both parts once. While I think they can do it, I think it’s a lot harder to facilitate without a third candidate in the mix.
I wonder what the contingency plan is for a possible Biden-Trump debate. Will James Austin Johnson play both parts somehow, or will he be forced to make a choice?Too young to remember Dana Carvey playing both Ross Perot and Bush Sr? We’ve had the technology for 30 years.Edit: eh, ninja’d
I’m guessing the usual Steve Martin, Tom Hanks five-timer thing didn’t happen because of his anti-vax nonsense. Scarlett Johansson coming out at the credits to give him the jacket seemed like she was doing a favor for the show and her head writer husband to try to smooth it over. I 100% think that’s how it went down.
So, that monologue was originally scripted for Grandpa Simpson, right? It just rambled and rambled.So did the Cold Open, which made me say “how is this still going,” with only one or three good lines. Also, the submarine sketch jussssssst keppppppt gooooooiiiing
Harrelson’s unique persona makes his chaotic and rambling monologue something charming.I’m admittedly a little late to the party, but wasn’t this the anti-vax monologue?