Original Airdate - 2/1/14
Melissa McCarthy is the first repeat host from last season to come back for Season 39, and it is one of the last ones I wanted to come back. McCarthy's turn hosting in Season 38 was possibly the biggest disappointment of the season. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this episode. Then she goes and does something like this ... and TOTALLY REDEEMS HERSELF!!! Everything that came off as stupid and juvenile last time around worked for the most part this time around.
Cold Opening
This episode originally aired on the eve of the Super Bowl, the first New York City Super Bowl in fact.
SNL couldn't resist commenting. In their hypothetical situation, Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers got caught in traffic on the way to the Super Bowl and couldn't perform at the halftime show. So they brought in some Broadway talent that didn't quite understand the essence of football. What follows is a Super Bowl themed Broadway number that causes one to drop their jaw in utter shock. It also includes a rare appearance by the host in the cold open (something that has been happening more and more recently).
Monologue
Although this episode was a lot of fun, the monologue was pretty stupid. Bobby calls Melissa out on a disagreement they had the last time she hosted, and they fight to the death Japanese style while suspended from the ceiling. It was pretty pointless, but at least it's interesting.
Weekend Update
This was it. This episode marked the end of Seth Meyers's run on
SNL. They tried to play it off as just another Weekend Update until the end. Several people came by to bid Seth farewell and good luck on
Late Night. Cecily was moved almost to tears. It was a great moment for one of the show's standards over the last decade.
Best Sketch
February is Black History Month so
SNL decided to take advantage of their latest push for diversity on the show. The show's three black cast members play three students in a high school history class that are asked to give a special report of their ancestry. They sing a song called "28 Reasons," giving 28 reasons why African Americans should be celebrated during the 28 days of February. Believe or not, the list was easier to come up with than you might think.
Honorable Mention: Kyle Mooney hits the streets to interview people about the upcoming Super Bowl. You couldn't write this stuff.
Worst Sketch
The worst sketch from this episode was the one repeat offender from her last turn as host. This time around, the abusive Sheila Kelly has become a US Senator as she terrorizes reporters passers-by and cops. I didn't particularly find it funny when she did it the first time as a basketball coach, and it wasn't funny this time either.
Dark Horse Sketch
There are few hosts that can come in and be truly featured like one of the cast members. This sketch shows that Melissa McCarthy is one of those hosts. A women's group is meeting to talk about their passions and dreams. Well, there's one that doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the group, and she really doesn't fit in.
Grade
Melissa McCarthy really shows why she is such a popular comic personality in this episode. Not every sketch hit perfectly, but like I said, it went so much better than her last effort. Add to that the end of the Seth Meyers era, and this really turned out to be a pretty solid effort.
***B***
Watch the full episode here:
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