Bringing the Bitchy
Speaking of awkward, the series presented a clumsy changing-of-the-guard during the cold open when Fred Armisen introduced Jay Pharoah as the new voice of President Barack Obama. Does Lorne Michaels know something we don't about Election Day? Seems a bit presumptuous to recast a role that may expire in six weeks. I won't hide that I'd vote for Obama over Mitt Romney, but, in such a close race, I wouldn't count my chickens before they hatched either (remember 2004?). Besides, it appeared Jason Sudeikis was still hanging around (after he was misreported to be leaving at the end of last season along with Wiig and Andy Samberg) to only do a Mitt Romney impersonation--perhaps in a two month extension? If they were going to do the Armisen/Pharoah switch (which seemed inevitable), it would have been poetic, shrewd, and quite brilliant, to have done so the very first episode post-Election sketch, if Obama were to have won. New term = New impersonator. Duh. Simple. Instead, it was just clunky and rude. Pharoah, who is mad-talented, especially with impression-work, whipped out a short Obama riff early on during one of his first SNL skits (if not his first appearance) two years ago while shooting off a flurry of different characters. It was disrespectful to Armisen, who, at the time, "owned" that character. I would never had described Armisen's rendition as bad; passable, at the worst. To have another actor do the character, even briefly, was just in poor taste. So, I shouldn't be surprised the hand-off wasn't going to be handled that professionally. Oddly, Pharoah's take seemed toned down from his first aired attempt (But, then, so was Obama at the recent DNC).
Frank Ocean, who has made news for recently becoming one of hip-hop's first openly gay artists performed two songs.
I don't recall the episode, as a whole, being particularly bad, but the writing was pretty average. They have two new female castmembers. Along with the pretty fresh (and little used) Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong joined the show (Tim Robinson was also added as a featured player, and received more airtime than Bryant). Bryant, who may be the first heavy-set woman to join the cast (if you'll note, all of the overweight castmembers thus far have been male, I believe), had a thankless walk-on and Strong had featured character Mimi Morales on Weekend Update. She played a 17-year-old opinionated Latina character who spouted off political thoughts, while getting molested by her silent boyfriend (a shifty-eyed Pharoah). It was marginally tolerable, which is more than I can say for their take on Ryan Lochte, Honey Boo Boo Child and Mama. Naturally, Hader did a bit with Clint Eastwood and "the chair," along with other politically-themed jokes. A skit called Wooden Spoons never made it to air on the West Coast. (Or, maybe it did; I went to bed before curtain). In Rodger Brush, we got some border-line uncomfortably bad gay jokes. MacFarlane played a drill sergeant with a stutter. Kenan Thompson offered a horrible interpretation of Steve Harvey (which probably could have been saved by Pharoah). Because I'm out of touch, I had no idea what was going on when a youtube sensation and athletic shoe store collide in Lids.
The episode could have been worse. I'd give it a C- only because of moments from MacFarlane, Hader, and some political jabs which didn't entirely sink. But, as a season opener, it paled in comparison to Alec Baldwin last year. With Hader being the only old pro to rely on, and Pharoah, Taran Killam, and Bayer because varying degrees of dependability, I'm not sure I can invest too much confidence in this new cast. No wonder Wiig got such a send-off at the end of last year. Her departure was a lament on varying levels.
I don't recall the episode, as a whole, being particularly bad, but the writing was pretty average. They have two new female castmembers. Along with the pretty fresh (and little used) Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant and Cecily Strong joined the show (Tim Robinson was also added as a featured player, and received more airtime than Bryant). Bryant, who may be the first heavy-set woman to join the cast (if you'll note, all of the overweight castmembers thus far have been male, I believe), had a thankless walk-on and Strong had featured character Mimi Morales on Weekend Update. She played a 17-year-old opinionated Latina character who spouted off political thoughts, while getting molested by her silent boyfriend (a shifty-eyed Pharoah). It was marginally tolerable, which is more than I can say for their take on Ryan Lochte, Honey Boo Boo Child and Mama. Naturally, Hader did a bit with Clint Eastwood and "the chair," along with other politically-themed jokes. A skit called Wooden Spoons never made it to air on the West Coast. (Or, maybe it did; I went to bed before curtain). In Rodger Brush, we got some border-line uncomfortably bad gay jokes. MacFarlane played a drill sergeant with a stutter. Kenan Thompson offered a horrible interpretation of Steve Harvey (which probably could have been saved by Pharoah). Because I'm out of touch, I had no idea what was going on when a youtube sensation and athletic shoe store collide in Lids.
The episode could have been worse. I'd give it a C- only because of moments from MacFarlane, Hader, and some political jabs which didn't entirely sink. But, as a season opener, it paled in comparison to Alec Baldwin last year. With Hader being the only old pro to rely on, and Pharoah, Taran Killam, and Bayer because varying degrees of dependability, I'm not sure I can invest too much confidence in this new cast. No wonder Wiig got such a send-off at the end of last year. Her departure was a lament on varying levels.
I know. God, I sound like a bitch.
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