SNL - "Mick Jagger"

Season 37, Episode 22

I don’t want to make it seem like I have something against host who pull double duty by also serving as the musical act. I mean, do you remember when Justin Timberlake did that – you know, before he began only serving as host? That was always pretty enjoyable. However, do you remember when Taylor Swift did the same? And what about Elton John? That was certainly a weird one, wasn’t it? These are the fears that are bouncing around my head as I prepare for Mick Jagger to host SNL tonight – that he’ll be awkward, and that the sketches will have to try really hard to cover up his lack of acting ability.

Cold Open – The Lawrence Welk Show: Have I mentioned in the past how much I dislike “Lawrence Welk” sketches? (It turns out, I have.) Because I really don’t like them. They are one-note sketches that are really just about being mean to a deformed woman. They’re not funny, and I don’t understand they’re popularity with the audience. That being said, Jon Hamm did help to improve this iteration somewhat (the show’s bringing out the big gun cameos early, huh?), and I appreciate this one ending differently than the others.

Monologue: Blindingly colored jackets aside, this monologue helped to ease a lot of my fears about Jagger. The “FAQ” monologue is an old hat, but at least Jagger’s delivery of it was effortless and charming. Let’s hope this is a positive omen for the rest of the episode.

Secret Word: And just like that, the show went and killed any positive hopes that the monologue had built. I know I’ve mentioned in the past how much I hate “Secret Word” sketches, and this one was no exception. Sure, Jagger was charming aging, but his actor character being gay is just painful. This sketch does get at least one point for having a bit more fun with the joke (the canal/anal mixup), but that doesn’t really do much deter this one-note sketch. (By the way, between “Welk” and this, this episode is obviously turning into a stealth goodbye episode for Wiig. Hey, aren’t there other people who are leaving as well?)

(That bumper showed Jagger dressed in that golden jacket again. Why? Wasn’t its appearance in the monologue enough?)

Jagger Karaoke: Hey everybody, it’s SNL’s favorite – and easiest – meta joke: the “it’s funny because this person IS So-And-So!” gag. It’s perhaps the oldest and easiest meta joke in the book, and the show could do better than this. What makes this sketch particularly frustrating is that there were some good ideas here. Once the sketch got past the initial conceit, it wasn’t afraid to make the horrible Jagger impressions really weird (YMCA dance moves! Falling asleep!) and this was good for a few chuckles. So too was Jagger’s Kevin doing a terrible rendition of “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction”, which was at least a more surprising ending than where I though the sketch would end up, with Jagger singing a Stones’ song well. Unfortunately, these gags too few and far between, and the sketch failed thank to a lazy central idea.

Digital Short – “Lazy Sunday 2”: Even though many thought that last week’s 100th Digital Short marked the end of the Digital Short era, apparently the show had at least one more to go, and given that it’s a return to the DS roots, it also appears to serve as Samberg’s goodbye to the show. It many ways, this is a pretty smart move – the retrospective 100^th short certainly was a winner, and Lazy Sunday seems like it’s ripe for reusing. However, the lyrics here felt a bit, well, lazy, as the song not only recycled old jokes on the hope that nostalgia would take over, but also used a recurring chorus. It’s that last move that robbed the song of the opportunity to make other jokes, and that’s perhaps the saddest part of it all.

Politics Nation: I didn’t really care for the first iteration of “Politics Nation” when it aired, and though the writers at least seemed to mix up the formula this time (or maybe that a reflection of the change of formula for the actual Politics Nation – do I look like I watch MSNBC?) it’s still just as unfunny as ever. Thompson’s impression of Sharpton still manages to pick the least mockable things about the man, and this sketch couldn’t even both to stick to one topic.

Weekend Update: In addition to Seth Meyers doing his usual shtick, we also got…Stefon, and only Stefon. While it makes for an awkwardly paced and unusually short WU, I at least appreciate the show giving us one thing that can make us laugh tonight. Because the rest of the episode hasn’t really done that so far.

So You Thank You Can Dance At An Outdoor Music Festival: This is one of those sketches where the title gives away most of the laughs, and the sketch itself is sort of blowing in wind. Of the supposedly humorous dances, only Bobby Moynihan’s wasn’t remotely funny, and I can’t even explain why. Everything else though? A total snooze.

The Californians: At this point, I don’t even have the energy to rant about this sketch. Especially considering that we saw this just a few weeks ago. Frankly I’m surprised the show decided to repeat this one. (Oh, and Steve Martin showed up, in the worst use of guest cameo ever.)

Tristan: Well, we might not know for sure who else is leaving the show, but now it’s certain that Wiig isn’t going to be around. But in all seriousness, this sketch was pretty adorable, and a great way to send Wiig off. I’ve long said that SNL shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with its sketches more and branch out beyond doing straight comedy. And this was exactly that. So long, Kristen. I hope Hollywood gives you the movie career you so richly deserve.

For the second week in a row, I’m forgoing do a best/worst sketch breakdown, because well, you saw the episode, right? The breakdown would pretty much split with “Tristan” and a Stefon appearance on the positive side, and everything else under the negative. I’ll have to admit that this has nothing to do with Jagger, who was effortless and charming tonight, provided that the sketch gave him the right material. Unfortunately that didn’t happened enough, and even when it did, the sketches were still fairly weak overall.

Quotes, Etc.:

“You know what they say about the Finger Lakes. If you only fit in one finger on your first visit, relax and maybe next time you’ll fit in two.”

“I love that brunch more than McAdams loved Tatum.”

“Though I don’t know if you can put a price tag on watching your high school friends slowly get fatter.”

“Nothing causes southerners to change their ways like criticism from a Jewish New Yorker.”

“Is it Ryan Seacrest? No, it’s a drowned albino that looks like Axl Rose.”

“You can build a bear, but not the one you usually do.”

“With a special appearance by evil chef Wario Bertelli. He’s just like his brother, except he doesn’t wear crocks.”

“Are you going to keep quoting your song ‘Smooth’ all season?” “You name another one of my songs.”

“I’m Dave Matthews, and thanks for putting me on all those mix CDs.”