SNL Review: Guests of Liev Schreiber, Best Sketches – Watch

In a way, this is only the first time that Liev Schreiber presents "Saturday Night Live". And it's not for a big movie – say what you want about "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", but how did it come alive at that time? – but supposedly to promote the next season of "Ray Donovan", a show that is not necessary to promote for people who still watch "Ray Donovan" to know she is coming back.

Host: Liev Schreiber

While cold opening is more or less the standard "Saturday Night Live", taken from the monologue of the week, "SNL" does things a little differently and thrives. After all, Liev Schreiber is perhaps the most virgin canvas host that "SNL" has had for a long time; Although there have been many other newcomers (like Awkwafina this season), they have also come up with a particular style or sense of humor that can be measured / synchronized rather well in an episode even if the show does not do it. work to highlight their strengths in the episode. At least before "Ray Donovan," Liev Schreiber was attached to a kind of strange strangeness. This is partly why his work of Cotton Weary in the "Scream" movies works so well (at least the first two). And that's something he has the right to bring with him in almost every sketch he's an integral part of. Moreover, if he fails, as he notes in the monologue, he remains a very famous actor with a lot of money and a very nice apartment.

This "SNL" does not try to do its usual monologue tactics with an actor of this type – a "public" Q & A, casting interruptions – says a lot about how the series chooses to approach its animator . This episode fully plays on Schreiber's strengths as an actor and now host of "SNL", never asking him to do anything outside his comfort zone while allowing him to be really funny.

And it's really for the better, because it is clear from this monologue that Schreiber suffers a lot of nerves. Even if it is not sincere that this dream becomes reality, it is still so far from its usual domain that it could be the absolute disaster of an episode. The guy stumbles a little here, then makes sure to speak as slowly and as measurably as possible, which is the antithesis of the monologue "SNL". And this is repeated at the end of the episode, unfortunately hitting an otherwise solid sketch.

With no connection to himself or the episode himself, Schreiber also points to the record turnout of voters and thanks the Americans. No jokes, no sarcasm, no judgment – the real sincerity of this monologue is so unfamiliar to "SNL".

Ah, this is more familiar for "SNL". (Literally, basically.) This episode is hot with strangeness, and blesses his heart to keep this strangeness that lasts all the time. But seriously, it is quite daring (Cotton) to make the first official sketch of the night ("Invest Twins") a long incest joke. The live audience does not expect it either, because the "oohs" who think clearly that the skit goes too far do not become bigger than when the sketch goes on. (That's what this audience gets for their long "wooo" and applaud the session for the return of Robert De Niro as Robert Mueller, although this season has been honestly better until here for cameos celebrity.) The skit is about one level in terms of jokes, but it improves as soon as Heidi Gardner introduces himself to form the "sister sandwich". "INCEST FAMILY:" Our sister joins us sometimes. "

Unlike Debette Goldry, this recurring character of Kate McKinnon (the unfortunate character of supernatural experiences of Colleen Rafferty, who always stars Cecily Strong and Aidy Bryant) actually allows other members of the cast to be funny and to make jokes. In fact, Liev even has some unforeseen in this sketch. ("It was magical, like watching" Honey, I narrowed the kids' for the first time. ") The skit also seems tailor-made for everyone to break , and it takes a moment to do it, but once Kate stands over Liev, to demonstrate the proper upper deck technique, open gates. You can even hear Aidy cracking when she's not filmed, just because she has to let him out one way or another.

This is one of those "very specific" skits, which clearly stands out from the audience who does not react to the first joke of the whole skit, "the theater of the English". If you listen to podcasts quite often, even if you do not listen For the type of podcasts, it is mocking or "series", the first podcast *, you probably liked this skit. You probably wondered why Marc Maron Alex Moffat was wearing a bad suit Milo Ventimiglia (on "This Is Us"). (Alex Moffat is doing very well on this series and this episode, but it's a strange choice).

* "Series" is not really "the first podcast". It's a Bang comedy! Stroke! joke.

But the stars of this sketch are really the graphics (which culminates with Heidi Gardner in the category "Best nerve white girl in a place where she does not belong") and gags of the sight (the photo of Aidy Bryant in the seat ), as well as Ego Nwodim's ALF ASMR (which will probably exist if it does not already) and Kenan Thompson's Rhames-Cast (because it's Kenan, of course, Ving Rhames's impression is barely …) but the graphics department is hitting again).

In conclusion: that's why it's better to listen to humorous podcasts.

Someone receives Liev Schreiber in an adult infomercial, or something of the sort. Honestly, that's about what it's about.

Best sketch of the night: "brothers"

This sketch is perfect. Let's hope that Beck Bennett and Kyle Mooney never reproduce it again.

In this sketch, Liev Schreiber shines not only by its strange strangeness: it must be in an infomercial or adult show: Beck and Kyle channel in one way or another the 90s (their humor anyway) anyway. different from their usual sketches. In fact, when you look at this sketch, you get the impression that you see rocking channels and landing on a "SNL" sketch of the Sandler / Spade / Farley years. Maybe that's the set, Stoner's "Space Jam" shirt suits, but it's mostly the weird physical comedy that "SNL" does not really fit anymore. There is the smashing of the plate, of course, but especially the crash through the wall; this show does not really make pieces like that on a regular basis. So, watching it play here is cool and out of the ordinary. Plus, seeing Cecily, Aidy and Kenan lose the lead in front of Liev Schreiber watering their co-stars is very urgent.

Honorable Mentions: "Unity Song" / "Permission" (Booty Kings)

If Liev Schreiber's opening monologue adopts a non-partisan political approach, this is not an indicator or a guarantee that the rest of the episode will be the same. But in a way / for once, the opening monologue really sets the tone / scene for the rest of the episode. The strength of shared dislike / hatred of the most trivial things is, of course, what will truly unify this country after all. This and the realization that Ego Nwodim will do very well on "SNL" because she already shares clip-art sketches with Cecily Strong and Beck Bennett.

In addition, at the end of this season, Chris Redd will have created the entire mixtape "SNL". Seriously, Future and Lil 'Wayne are on this track and, even though she has jokes, she also has legitimate bars. ("This booty has insurance / this loot has become progressive" this is the art.) The turn of this sketch is excellent, especially since the real point of the sketch is very difficult to understand before that. (Even though the "apple" / "grunt" nursery rhyme is pretty accurate, pre-twist.) Plus, The Uncle Butt Grill joke that ends on the beat "No fucking teeth" continues the weird series of this episode .

On a puppet background, although this skit is really smart and fun, it also ignores the fact that the hip-hop industry has not really been touched by the #MeToo movement and it's actually a really big problem.

The worst glimpse of the night: "Outside the women's bathroom"

A sketch must have this designation, and it's not even a bad one or even a week; It's just that Liev Schreiber has the nerves of his best during the episode home, and he stays above his lyrics all night and tries to avoid reading memory cards. all the time and failing, all of this leads to the timing of the sketch being extinguished, at the very least. (He almost This could intentionally be part of the game because it's a driver of a character who has no business to do that.) And it's really great once Heidi Gardner gets present as his girlfriend who worries about his stupid bathroom show – this skit is the humor incarnation of the bathroom – will make him very famous and rich, because honestly, Gardner already feels like an old pro when it comes to "SNL" and make the guests more comfortable.

In addition, it's amazing how this sketch is pure and innocent.

Best male performer: Beck Bennett / Kyle Mooney

They deserve it for "Brothers". They deserve it.

Best female performer: Cecily Strong

Cecily Strong is everywhere on this episode – crack a lotalso – but she should still be part of Weekend Update characters. This week, she plays the role of trainee at the White House in the situation of Jim Acosta. In addition to playing perfectly at this clumsiness, she also adds a strange physical comedy that is unexpected (and often invisible), but simply incredible. Like the way she continues to dodge behind the table or the roll that she has to do (with only her legs showing) at some point. Moreover, she steals Colin Jost's pencil and deserves it without a doubt.

Also, because of the rest of the sketch content, it's easy to get lost a bit, but its desperate anchor role tries to prevent the series from skidding into the "Invest Twins" sketch. is absolutely an integral part of the sketching work. This episode is also a subtle reminder of the depth of Cecily's characters, as it's the first time she's been stripping away from her glamorous approach to Sarah Koenig since the series's Serial skit in 2014.

Last thoughts

This is one of the few sketches where Mikey Day, Alex Moffat's Don Jr. and Eric Trump escape the world of Weekend Update and, although they are not at the center of the skit, they use their part . Also, is it too much to hope that it is really the end of Kate McKinnon's Jeff Sessions? In addition to being a very good start, it seems to me now that all sessions will be useless and that there will be nothing left to do. A bit like Robert De Niro in the role of Robert Mueller.

These critics do not usually focus on musical guests, but with the second performance of Lil Wayne (his first performance with Halsey, who does not really know what to do in the background when she's not singing, is there ), it's hard not to think that the series made a return to the past in the early 2000s. Because it's really the only thing that explains what Swizz Beatz (SWIZZY!) is preparing and the pace, really . None of this is a bad thing.

Honestly, Pete Davidson as a member of the "SNL" cast is doing well. Pete Davidson as Pete Davidson in "SNL" is already a puzzle, and it's just five episodes of the season. This weekend's appearance is at least its best of the year, even if it only exists thanks to the stunned head of its episode last week, which featured a very jaded criticism of the corvette captain elected at Congress, Texas, Dan Crenshaw, and his eye patch. (Maybe Pete Davidson should not be making political speeches, since most of the passages basically involve telling him, "I'm not qualified to talk about that.")

Once again, it's the episode that takes a non-partisan approach to things, which leads once again to finding common ground to hate things together: in this case, it's Pete Davidson. But aside from that, Crenshaw is leaving the public with "SNL" a genuinely decent message to convey over the weekend of Veterans Day. And then there is also the song Ariana Grande, which is funny … but again, it's part of Pete Davidson as Pete Davidson on "SNL". The funniest part is the 'Martin Short in' The Santa Clause 3 '"comparison.

Finally: not surprisingly, there is no sketch "Ray Donovan" on this episode of "SNL". Despite everything, despite the obvious din for the first time, Liev Schreiber leaves an impression here.

Grade: A-

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