Saturday Night Live: Donald Glover, Childish Gambino
May 5, 2018 11:43 PM - Season 43, Episode 21 - Subscribe

Host: Donald Glover, Musical Guest: Childish Gambino

  • Michael Cohen Wiretap - Ben Stiller, Alec Baldwin, Martin Short, Kate McKinnon, Heidi Gardner, Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong, Leslie Jones, Beck Bennett, Scarlett Johanson, Jimmy Fallon, Stormy Daniels
  • Opening Monologue - Donald Glover
  • Courtroom - Cecily Strong, Mikey Day, Kenan Thompson, Donald Glover, Leslie Jones
  • Friendos - Chris Redd, Donald Glover, Kenan Thompson, Cecily Strong, A$AP Rockey
  • Raz P. Berry - Donald Glover, Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson
  • A Kanye Place - Cecily Strong, Beck Bennett, Kenan Thompson, Aidy Bryant, Donald Glover
  • Dirty Talk - Donald Glover, Melissa Villaseñor
  • Childish Gambino - Saturday
  • Weekend Update - Michael Che, Colin Jost
    • Pete Davidson
    • Leslie Jones

  • Lando's Summit - Mikey Day, Donald Glover, Kenan Thompson, Leslie Jones, Chris Redd

  • Barbie Instagram - Cecily Strong, Kenan Thompson, Heidi Gardner, Pete Davidson, Donald Glover

  • Childish Gambino - This Is Ameica

  • Prison Job - Chris Redd, Donald Glover, Kenan Thompson, Alex Moffat, Beck Bennett

posted by DizzyOnBugSpray (43 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
Lots of thoughts. One, is Pete Davidson ok? He doesn’t look well. Does he do anything anymore besides weird maudlin monologues on weekend update?

I also thought it was weird and gross how 90% of the show was Cecily, Leslie and Kenan. This show is so weirdly stodgy and old fashioned in some ways. Next week is two white ladies and I’m sure Kate will be back in every sketch again.
posted by bleep at 12:31 AM on May 6, 2018


And like why did it seem like the point of the monologue was that they were right not to hire Donald. It had a weird mean spirited & unfunny feeling.
posted by bleep at 12:35 AM on May 6, 2018


I also thought it was weird and gross how 90% of the show was Cecily, Leslie and Kenan.

I don’t get what’s gross about this.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:55 AM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]


There’s a lot of people in the cast. Why were only a few of them in every sketch?
posted by bleep at 12:57 AM on May 6, 2018


Pete Davidson is usually in sketches involving young people. He was an intern in the Barbie sketch.
posted by k8t at 6:24 AM on May 6, 2018


Pete was in a ton of sketches last episode. And maybe Donald just had especially good chemistry with Kenan, Leslie, and Cecily.

I love Donald Glover so I was really looking forward to this episode and it didn't disappoint.

Cold Open - I didn't hate it. In fact I really liked it. Kate McKinnon is a genius.

Monologue - That wasn't really backstage, so I guess they didn't have to get the llama.

Friendos - I loved this one. Also I have a huge (creepy old lady) crush on A$AP Rocky, so the end was great.

WU - I thought Pete's bit was hilarious. And he looks like he's doing much better to me. Also Michael Che's "...Pass." on Kanye was perfect.

Lando's Summit - That blue monster has a name and it's Max Rebo. That was some good Billy Dee'ing though.

This is America was amazing.
posted by elsietheeel at 7:56 AM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


I wonder if they timed the release of his new video until after SNL. Seemed like it dropped late at night after the show aired.
posted by Catblack at 8:00 AM on May 6, 2018


I'm always drawn to the closing to watch the actions & reactions of the cast & guests. Was it just me or did the female cast fairly literally cold shoulder Stormy? I saw a lot more of their backs facing her than random chance would suggest. She seemed to get short shrift from the men too but the women really seemed to make a point of it. The only actual hug I saw came from Martin Short. I will rewatch for sure.
posted by scalefree at 9:33 AM on May 6, 2018


Was it just me or did the female cast fairly literally cold shoulder Stormy?

My guess with Stormy in the closing was that she didn't really have much interaction with the rest of the cast during the show, so that might be why she was sort of standing alone at that point. Most of the women of SNL seem pretty progressive and anti-Trump so I can't imagine they'd have purposely shunned her. It looked a bit like she was standing around not quite sure what to do or who to talk to.

I had mixed feelings about seeing her in the cold open. I'm glad she's out and doing things and making fun of Trump, and I think she's pretty smart and funny, but it really felt like it's just going to give ammunition to the people claiming she's doing it for money or to boost her career. I mean, fuck those people, sure, but I'm not looking forward to seeing what the Trumpers have to say about the appearance.

I didn't even recognize Martin Short. I knew it was someone playing Trump's doctor, but I couldn't figure out who it was.

I thought the monologue was awful. One of the worst in recent memories. It felt half done.

The rest of the show was ok. Not terrible, but nothing really stood out. I really liked Frendos. If that was a parody of something or someone it went over my head, but it help up on its own. "Lambo!"

Agreed, saying "pass" about Kanye is really the absolute best reaction. It's what we should all be doing.

The Leslie Jones segment in WE was spoiled because I knew it was going to end up with Colin.

With all the guests in the cold open it felt like a season finale.
posted by bondcliff at 9:53 AM on May 6, 2018


Friendos was incredible! Note that African Americans are historically reluctant/distrustful of therapy, so the premise of this bit is pretty subversive.

Alex Moffat resembles Giuliani the most, so that reinforces my sense that (at least some of) the white male castmembers prefer not to do political characters, or NYC political characters maybe. Point being, I think it's political that McKinnon is doing all of them. Great as she is, this was not a good fit.

Ras P. Berry was a parody.

Barbie Instagram was quite underwritten, hopefully not to pacify Mattel.

"This Is America" was the best musical performance on the show so far this season, and maybe last season too, and perhaps some seasons before that.

Lots of Chris Redd! This was also probably my favorite Leslie Jones on WU appearance ever. I thought she nailed it, and she doesn't always nail it. I don't want to be harsh on her because she's so great and Jimmy Fallon was always, always flubbier, but last night was so much better than usual.

I thought the timing was pretty rough throughout the episode, but I think it's obvious Glover is much better with a script. For example, I assume Dirty Talk is all improv, and it was pretty stilted. I don't begrudge him this, he's got a lot going on and he can't be great at everything.
posted by rhizome at 9:55 AM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]


McKinnon brilliant again, this time as Giuliani. I had doubts about Fallon as Jared until he opened his mouth.
posted by porpoise at 10:02 AM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


This is the first time I've ever watched an episode of SNL and thought, damn, I wish there was another musical performance. (I am not going to lie, the fact that Donald Glover started with an open shirt in the first, then removed his shirt in the second, played a small part.)

Other than that, I really dug the cold open, Friendos, and "pass." I also liked how A Kanye Place hammered the message in.
posted by Ruki at 11:33 AM on May 6, 2018 [5 favorites]


And like why did it seem like the point of the monologue was that they were right not to hire Donald. It had a weird mean spirited & unfunny feeling.

There was a longish profile of Glover in the New Yorker a while ago which I thought portrayed him almost delusionally confident in his omnicompetence. Like, there as an anecdote about how he spent a single afternoon as a teenager turning himself into a good basketball player. There were allusions the burden of being so variously talented. He really is an extraordinary guy, but the article was kind of weird.

I thought the monologue might have been somewhat informed by that.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 11:55 AM on May 6, 2018 [4 favorites]


Yeah, I took it as Glover riffing on his rep as being both multitalented and sort of full of himself.

I don't know, it wasn't the strongest-scripted episode ever but I find Glover charismatic enough that I really enjoyed watching it. It's interesting, even though he produces and stars in a comedy show, his persona is so straight-man-verging-on-clinically-depressed, which is not the best dynamic for SNL (where goofy or up-for-anything tends to work better for hosts). I remember hearing years ago that he wanted to shed the Troy (from Community) persona and I wonder if that's still at play. But I enjoyed it.

Also, I really liked how he featured black women and girls in his musical performances. They were great dancers but not there to be sex objects.
posted by lunasol at 12:11 PM on May 6, 2018 [4 favorites]


MeFi thread on This is America, fyi. I really like Donald Glover despite how there's a kidding-not-kidding aspect to his omnicompetence (great word!) I thought this was a super-solid episode, he was good in most things, they highlighted different cast members than usual (not a lot of Mikey Day who has been a work horse lately, not a lot of Moffat, a lot more Redd who is one of my favorites). Did not know A$AP Rockey but thought Frendos was hilarious and set a great tone for the rest of the show. I also like ensemble openers because I think they've been a bit too heavy on "Trump's an idiot, amirite?" so it's good to see stuff with more parts to it.

Ras P. Berry hit me sort of funny because even though the guy's clearly a weirdo, there's a lot of Cecily's character being demeaned which I guess presses some sort of button for me (I watched two different standups earlier in the evenings who had aspects of their bits being calling their female parters a bitch and one of them was Mullaney so this may be a thing in SNLs DNA that I just have to learn to roll with better). Could have gone harder on Barbie, I agree. And the Dirty Talk thing, i feel like they did that recently? Oh yeah here with Aziz and it's sort of funny because the setup is almost word for word the same and she's wearing the same shirt.
posted by jessamyn at 12:18 PM on May 6, 2018 [3 favorites]


(I don't think you have to roll with it better. I think it needs to stop. That bit in Mulaney's special rubbed me the wrong way and I really really love him.)
posted by elsietheeel at 12:24 PM on May 6, 2018 [3 favorites]


Ras P. Berry hit me sort of funny because even though the guy's clearly a weirdo, there's a lot of Cecily's character being demeaned which I guess presses some sort of button for me

A little extra context for those who aren't as familiar with the 32 year old music video this is parodying. Oran "Juice" Jones sees his girlfriend out with another man and then confronts her when she gets home. But it goes from a "typical" 80s stalking song to a one minute long ranting humiliation of his girlfriend. He steals her jewelry, closes out their joint account, packs up her belongings and kicks her out of the house at the end. He's trying to come off as a tough guy and righteously angry, but he's just an asshole. This takes up approximately 1/3 of the video. A ton of details in the sketch are taken from the video; they're dressed the same, he's wearing a similar watch, his girlfriend's name is Jade, he tells her that he almost murdered them "Rambo" style (although he was going to shoot them) and mentions Trix cereal.

If you have had several conversations with friends over the past few years about this terrible video, then you feel justified that finally somebody else realizes how messed up it was. If you and your friends still occasionally break out into a chorus of "I saw you and $FRIEND'S CAT'S NAME, walking in the rain." Then this sketch was possibly made for you.

On the other hand, maybe most people weren't waiting for a take down of a 32 year old Night Track.
posted by ActingTheGoat at 2:21 PM on May 6, 2018 [21 favorites]


Friendos! alone made the episode worth watching. thanks for that deep reference, that old video is scary weird
posted by eustatic at 2:45 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


I also think that at this point, the amount of characters Kate McKinnon plays with increasingly involved makeup/prosthetics reads almost like an ongoing metajoke.

Also also, with some of the people in the administration that she's played, I like to think it gets their goat to be played by a woman, and doubly so a gay woman.
posted by Ruki at 2:57 PM on May 6, 2018 [4 favorites]


This takes up approximately 1/3 of the video. A ton of details in the sketch are taken from the video; they're dressed the same, he's wearing a similar watch, his girlfriend's name is Jade, he tells her that he almost murdered them "Rambo" style (although he was going to shoot them) and mentions Trix cereal.

The original video is so amazing and I can't stop watching it! I'd seen it when it was new and forgotten somehow. I wish SNL'd sprung for three tuxedoed men dancing in unison in a doorway. And more mentions of $3700 lynx coats, which are spoken of but unseen in the original.
posted by mochapickle at 4:26 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


This is kind of a fundamental misunderstanding of how the show works

Possibly, but I don't think McKinnon's Rudy was all that great, and Moffat could conceivably work it out. I don't think Rudy's really a tough impression, especially if the look is down. Moffat's Eric Trump is not much of an impression, though you're right that it qualifies as a little bit of politics in his (and Day's) repertoire. That said, this isn't a hill I planned on dying on!
posted by rhizome at 5:27 PM on May 6, 2018


Oh, lynx coats. I had heard that as Lynx coupe and it struck me as an odd thing to reference in a song even considering the state of American cars at the time.
posted by ckape at 5:35 PM on May 6, 2018


This episode seemed so charged with energy, and had such a great live-tweeting response, I was surprised at the "Meh" in some of the comments here. Even sleep-deprived and not getting some references, I enjoyed it.

I was concerned that the amount of screen-time Cecily got signals this was a Farewell Month for her. I hope not, I think she's, um, a strong cast member. (And Melania asking if a wife CAN testify against spouse was one of the cold's highlights for me.)

I didn't know that the Raz P. Berry music vid was a parody - but I was actually liking the musical vibe (not lyric premise). Evidently Cecily co-wrote it.

Agree, the monolog was one of the weakest things, although I always enjoy a walk through the studio or behind the scenes.

That wasn't really backstage, so I guess they didn't have to get the llama.
I just realized that Lincoln and the Llama would be a good band name. Maybe?

And yes, during WU I noticed Davidson's face looked to be bluish around his eyes, maybe the temples. (I was distracted trying to think what health condition could cause that.)

I didn't really know much about Glover's music career. So I'm still pondering what I am learning since last night. (I also didn't recognize Zoe, but did know Daniel.)

Was it just me or did the female cast fairly literally cold shoulder Stormy?

Well, you admit we didn't see any male cast members greeting her either, so perhaps don't read too much into those few awkward non-acting moments we glimpse at the end.
posted by NorthernLite at 5:37 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


I don't really think you're going to get on the cast of SNL if you're going to let your political bias affect your writing or which sketches you appear in. If we were currently in The Good Timeline you'd have all these same cast members playing members of the Clinton administration.

Some cast members are just better at impressions, is all. I don't think we need to read too much into anything they do on the show, really. Lorne has said before that they're only goal is laughs.

Honestly, I'm here for Kate playing just about anyone. I enjoyed seeing her play Rudy and I'm sure it pissed off members of the Trump administration. I seem to recall when Giuliani hosted he did at least one character in drag so maybe he's not as bothered, I dunno. He didn't seem as awful back then, at least to those of us who didn't have him for a mayor.
posted by bondcliff at 6:12 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


@jessamyn, if it helps you feel less uncomfortable. Cecily seems to have been the brain child/lead writer on that sketch
posted by Brainy at 6:22 PM on May 6, 2018 [2 favorites]


I didn't think too much about Stormy Daniels not getting a lot of cast love at the end - she only had the one cameo and she didn't share the scene with anyone. I think letting her join the cast in the closer was a favour to her. Martin Short definitely made an effort to give her some attention/ share-a-successful-end-of-show thing, like a gentleman.

I don't think I even noticed Scarlett Johansson (nor Fallon) in the closer - maybe their scenes were filmed remotely.

Besides, it seemed like Glover was more/ generally popular and was getting mobbed a little bit.

Thanks paper chromatographologist for a little insight on Glover. I was aware that he's been praised for being beyond merely a jack in all the trades that he pursues, but I didn't realize that he's a legit polymath (onmicompetent is more accurate, I admit). At least he's aware enough to poke fun at himself a little during the monologue.

I really did not like his persona on The Late Show, but did love him as Troy (with Abed) in Community.

I think that Glover not getting hired by SNL may have left him in the better position that he's in now, with other opportunities paying off more handsomely.

Yeah, Davidson was not looking (*edit: nor acting) healthy. Given his Crohns and supposedly not taking Cannabis anymore, there might be some anemia (iron deficiency) or other nutritional deficiency going on.
posted by porpoise at 6:22 PM on May 6, 2018


I really enjoyed the cold open. It was such a team effort without a single weak link, right down to having Stormy Daniels play herself, and the bemused FBI agents listening in on the conversations.

The monologue was really lame.

Courtoom, A Kanye Place, Prison Job, and Raz P. Berry were kind of amusing. I felt like I didn't really get Frendos.

The Dirty Talk sketch had me laughing. I think we've seen Melissa Villaseñor do that sketch before -- I have an idea it was with Kumail Nanjiani -- but it was a funny enough premise that it was worth revisiting, and Melissa is so good at it. But then as someone who once thought it was hilarious to start singing "Every Sperm is Sacred" to my (Catholic) partner, um afterwards, perhaps this is just especially up my alley.

I didn't find anything else particularly funny or worthy of comment. This was a pretty mediocre episode.
posted by orange swan at 8:31 PM on May 6, 2018


I thought this was one of the best episodes in recent memory. I thought every sketch was really funny. Usually, even in a good episode, there's one or two notable duds that just aren't funny but I didn't feel like that with this one. I like weird humor and almost all of the sketches were suuuuper weird and hilarious.

After, I said pointedly to my husband, "SEEE what happens when you get different, fresh voices in even an old show like SNL. GOOD THINGS HAPPEN."
posted by Aquifer at 9:16 PM on May 6, 2018 [1 favorite]


> I really liked Frendos. If that was a parody of something or someone it went over my head, but it help up on its own. "Lambo!"

Since a quick CTRL-F for 'migos' turned up nothing: I think the fastest in to the reference would be the MIgos track Bad and Boujee - if you watch that I think you'll see pretty much everything that Friendos was aiming at.

(speaking of which, should I assume 'friendos' is a play on '(a)migos'?)
posted by komara at 9:32 PM on May 6, 2018 [5 favorites]


> I think the fastest in to the reference would be the MIgos track Bad and Boujee

or if I had my head on straight I would have recommened MotorSport but whatever you get the point by now.
posted by komara at 9:41 PM on May 6, 2018


A little extra context for those who aren't as familiar with the 32 year old music video this is parodying.

Yeah, as soon as he says "with HIM" I started laughing, it's straight from that video. Including the creepy monologue where he doesn't' let the girl speak (because the whole thing is in the recorded track and there's no female voice in the track) and talks about killing her "Rambo style" and the dress she's wearing (which she leaves without in the original video, implying that Asshole Boyfriend kept that too.)

They pretty much made it less creepy by having it be a misunderstanding. I thought that video was creepy even in the 80s...
posted by mmoncur at 11:06 PM on May 6, 2018 [3 favorites]


Surprised by the comments here. Wife and I thought it was the funniest episode in a long time, but I guess it depends on your cultural references / how many rap blogs you read. But overall nice to see Glover shining.
posted by iamck at 8:48 AM on May 7, 2018 [5 favorites]


Surprised by the comments here
Yeah, I thought it was the best episode in quite a while. Even the groan-worthy sketches or the "okay there's the joke, now repeat it 5 more times" sketches were enjoyable just to watch Donald Glover deliver. What a talented human. First time since I don't know when that I sat through both musical numbers and actually enjoyed them.
posted by chococat at 9:50 AM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]


Surprised by the comments here.

I just felt like a couple of the sketches fell flat or had bad endings, and I thought the monologue was kind of week. I've generally enjoyed everything I've seen Donald Glover in so maybe I was expecting more? I dunno. As I said, it wasn't a bad episode, it just wasn't a stand out, IMH(umble)O.
posted by bondcliff at 9:57 AM on May 7, 2018


Yeah, the only real criticism I have is for tendencies I've been whining about all season, with a soupçon of omnicompetency disappointment, which was probably inevitable.
posted by rhizome at 10:06 AM on May 7, 2018


You know, it's a damn shame what happened to Oran "Juice" Jones. After that one hit, his career kind of drifted sideways for a while. But he was on the verge of a major comeback when OJ Simpson suddenly murdered his wife "Rambo style" out of jealousy, just like in the song, and pretty much ruined not only the song "The Rain," but the whole concept of people named after orange juice.
posted by Naberius at 10:42 AM on May 7, 2018 [7 favorites]


I remember reading an extensive profile of Jones in the February 1987 SPIN Magazine (clickable link in the table of contents) that goes over his criminal history and whatnot. He came up in the early days of gangsta-everything.
posted by rhizome at 10:51 AM on May 7, 2018


The musical performance of This is America that was not put up by NBC's YouTube channel this weekend, was just put up a couple of hours ago on Donald Glover's channel. The rollout has been masterfully planned, his website updated this weekend to give his upcoming tour a name, and to list the yellow tshirts worn on SNL in the Merch section.
posted by sweetmarie at 12:51 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]


to list the yellow tshirts worn on SNL in the Merch section.

Oh good. I spent so much time being like "Who is Mimi?"
posted by jessamyn at 1:24 PM on May 7, 2018 [1 favorite]


I did notice that it seemed dark around Pete's eyes, but I eventually assumed that was a makeup issue (although given that Pete wasn't in much tonight I guess they wouldn't have needed to do a rush job on it so I dunno)

Overall, I thought it was a good episode. Not really any bad sketches. Dirty talk was a bit of a repeat and kinda predictable, but still funny. Cold open was overstuffed, but hard to avoid given, well *gestures vaguely at everything*
posted by ckape at 11:19 PM on May 7, 2018


If nothing else, Glover must have set the record for host participation. That man is non-stop.
posted by whuppy at 10:34 AM on May 8, 2018


That's a weird thing to say. He didn't even manage the most basic of hosting duties: introducing the musical guest. I mean, sure Garth Brooks never introduced Chris Gaines either, but I don't think that's an example anyone wants to follow.</hamburger>
posted by ckape at 11:39 AM on May 8, 2018 [2 favorites]


They didn’t even have Tracy Morgan come on to talk trash about Childish Gambino the way he did about Chris Gaines to Garth Brooks .
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:26 PM on May 8, 2018 [1 favorite]


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