'SNL' Showcases Chance the Rapper, Chance the Hockey Guy, Chance the Porn Star...
On rare occasions, SNL will have a musical guest double as host; rarer still is to bring a former musical guest as just the host. It’s a gamble (no, we will not say they “took a Chance” — that sort of punning is beneath us) that paid off handsomely as Chance the Rapper proved not just likable, but versatile as well — playing a porn star, a teenage relative of Steve Harvey, and yes, some musicians.
The last two weeks have been very good for the African-American members of the cast. Last week’s host, Tiffany Haddish, seemed to light a fire under the writers when she hosted — or at least opened their eyes to the possibilities of sketches with more than one or two black people at a time.
This week, they even dragged Michael Che out from behind the Weekend Update desk to do a sketch featuring Steve Harvey and his “extended” family. Will the show remember that they have four black cast members in two weeks when Saoirse Ronan hosts?
Best sketch of the night: “Wayne Thanksgiving”
With Justice League out this week, it’s the perfect time to give some side-eye to the Batman mystique — and this sketch nails it. Along with the fun and weird specifics of hanging criminals off of gargoyles by their underwear, there’s a stealth critique of urban policing policies as well. Also, for those uber-nerds who take issue with Beck Bennett as Bruce Wayne: They talked trash about Michael Keaton — previously known as a comic actor — in the ’80s too.
Best use of the host: “Family Feud: Harvey Family Thanksgiving”
There are so many things to love about this sketch. The Family Feud format is usually a dumping ground for the cast’s second-rate impressions, so it’s nice to see it played fairly straight for once. It adds a fun backstory to a recurring character desperately in need of a new take. There’s even just the teeny tiniest bit of pathos and redemption in there — perfect for the holiday.
But far and away the best thing here is Cecil Didrickson, played by Chance doing his best Steve-Harvey-as-a-teen impression. As an actor, Chance has charm to spare, so there’s really no need for him to dive into big characters like this — but he does, and he nails it.
Best viral video play: “Come Back, Barack”
It’s got all the requirements for blowing up online: a pitch perfect pastiche of a ’90s R&B slow jam, a video that nails the aesthetic visually, and a political sentiment that half the country will be falling over themselves to repost tomorrow morning. Oh, and a smooth baritone talking over the record like he’s making love to your subwoofers.
Line of the Night: Pete Davidson on Colin Jost winning Sexiest Joke Writer from People magazine. “[It’s] a really specific category. It’s like being the world’s smartest horse.”
Second-best musical genre parody: “Rap History”
The audience for parodies of late ’70s rap crews is much smaller than for ’90s R&B, but on a lesser episode of SNL, this could have been the sketch of the night. It’s nice to see that the generation gap can be bridged, though — even if that bridge is crack.
Worst facial hair: Kate McKinnon’s beard in the Julian Assange/Wikileaks cold open
It looks like she has mange.
Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on NBC.
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