SNL Review: Daniel Craig

After two episodes, SNL finally delivered an episode one might refer to as "above average," even with the ample references to James Bond, as Daniel Craig was host.  Musical guest Muse got down with their new songs "Madness" and "Panic Station."  The Cold Open was a cute lampoon of the first presidential debates earlier this week.  Using real footage for cutaways, Jason Sudeikis delivers a hilarious stare as Obama (Jay Pharoah) speaks. Frankly, Sudeikis has never been better as Romney. While he talks, there's a voice-over narration from Obama. Moderator Jim Lehrer (Chris Parnell cameos) interrupts Obama's high-elevation-induced slumber with "Governor Romney has just said he killed Osama Bin Laden, would you care to respond?"  Conservatives are going to hate it, because it goes light on a lethargic Obama.

In the Opening Monologue, an amiable Daniel Craig holds an In Memoriam ("or all the people I have killed") for all of the onscreen deaths he has been responsible for.  The Weekend Update with Seth Meyers was better than usual, with lines like,"Well, you have to hand it to Mitt Romney, because President Obama sure did," and a Pretty in Pink reference to Michelle Obama, "You went in thinking you were with Blane, but then you go home with Ducky."  Big Bird was special guest commenter, as well as Cecilia Gimenez, the Spanish painter who raised controversy by modifying a fresco of Jesus.  McKinnon did a swell job and it's clear that she is one of the major players to rise from the new crop of talent.  Meyers also offered a new segment called Winners/Losers. 

Cecily Strong did Rachel Maddow (after the recently departed Abby Elliott) in an MSNBC special with guests Chris Matthews (Sudeikis), SC Kupp (McKinnon), and Al Sharpton (Kenan Thompson).  Sudeikis and McKinnon were the best here. Strong just made me miss Elliott, whose Maddow was one of her best characters.  It reminds me when they tried to wedge Nasim Pedrad into Hoda Kotb, after Michaela Watkins mastered the morning show host during her first and only season.  There was a repeat of the satire on independent voters from a few weeks ago.  

There was a commercial for the DVD set that is a satire of Bond women who didn't make the cut, including Annie Hall and Molly Ringwald (played by Vanessa Bayer), Jodie Foster and Ellen Degeneres (a quite shrewd Kate McKinnon), and Penny Marshall (Fred Armisen).  In another pretaped piece, McKinnon played Long Island Medium Theresa Caputo.  Like, McKinnon and Strong, Aidy Bryant also got more airtime. She was in a skit with Craig as Carl, who is dating Regine (Fred Armisen channeling Edith Head); as a couple, they act very inappropriately much to their friend's chagrin.  In BBC's A Sorry Lot We Are, Craig plays Danny, who can't seem to catch a break.  In a construction site skit, Craig plays an Italian-American knucklehead who just can't seem to master the art of heckling.  In an Alien-like skit, Bobby Moynihan plays Kirby, who misses his "little kitty cat," Fuzz Aldrin, in what's sure to be a repeat skit (I'm calling it). He fondly details his many forms of cuteness like sliding across the floor "like a little Tom Cruise cat in Frisky Business."

All in all, this SNL was in reasonable form (I'm trying to be less critical, if you noticed).  Next week offers the promising Christina Applegate.  Two weeks from now, Bruno Mars will take on hosting duties.  See you then!