Saturday Night Live: Melissa McCarthy, HAIM
May 13, 2017 10:26 PM - Season 42, Episode 20 - Subscribe

Host: Melissa McCarthy, Musical Guest: HAIM

  • Lester Holt interviews Donald Trump - Michael Che, Alec Baldwin, Mikey Day, Alex Moffat
  • Opening Monologue - Melissa McCarthy
  • Just Desserts! - Mikey Day, Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Moynihan, Kate McKinnon
  • Amazon Echo Silver - Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Kyle Mooney, Aidy Bryant
  • White House Press Briefing - Aidy Bryant, Cecily Strong, Sasheer Zamata, Mikey Day, Melissa McCarthy, Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer, Alex Baldwin
  • HAIM - Want You Back
  • Weekend Update - Michael Che, Colin Jost
    • Pete Davidson
    • Cathy Anne - Cecily Strong

  • Film Society of Lincoln Center - Vanessa Bayer, Cecily Strong, Sasheer Zamata, Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy

  • Relationship - Kyle Mooney, Leslie Jones, Melissa McCarthy, Colin Jost, Lorne Michaels

  • HAIM - Little Of Your Love

  • Mom Animal - Melissa Villaseñor, Melissa McCarthy, Sasheer Zamata, Cecily Strong, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, Aidy Bryant

  • Lighthouse Features Logo - Beck Bennett, Cecily Strong, Bobby Moynihan, Melissa McCarthy, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat

  • Closing/Five Timers Club - Melissa McCarthy, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin

posted by DizzyOnBugSpray (38 comments total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
There is a frog figure hidden in every room of my house. That skit hit hard.
posted by Ruki at 10:36 PM on May 13, 2017 [1 favorite]


Ruki, I like your outfit.
posted by The Wrong Kind of Cheese at 10:42 PM on May 13, 2017 [2 favorites]


I just hope that that opening skit doesn't somehow end up with Stephen Fry getting beat up and abducted by thugs somehow.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:51 PM on May 13, 2017 [1 favorite]


My expectations were probably too high this week, especially because I love Melissa McCarthy in general, but I thought most everything fell flat. (But I fell asleep before the second song.) The Lester Holt interview was so hard hitting I was more OMG than LOL. I hope it makes Trump unleash a shitstorm of tweets.

I thought the Echo Silver ad was funny, and WU had a few moments, as usual, but I think the funniest thing was Keenan's off-camera "pie!" every time Melissa McCarthy got hit in the face. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but if you're going to cover MMc with food it's going to be hard to beat the Hidden Valley Ranch sketch.

Haim was new to me, but just not my thing.

Oh, and I don't think I got the Leslie Jones/Kyle Mooney bit.
posted by Room 641-A at 4:58 AM on May 14, 2017 [2 favorites]


I was at the dress, and watched part of the air show. I'll try posting late today on the differences/ overall experience.

(BTW It was a fun little treat to see Ryan Reynolds and Steve Martin in person on top of everything else.)
posted by NorthernLite at 5:10 AM on May 14, 2017 [2 favorites]


Michael Che as Lester Holt saying "absolutely nothing [evil that the president does openly and without shame] matters" killed me. If that was the only part of the episode anyone who didn't watch live sees Id be fine w it.

Este Haim's bass face was new to me and was. . . Really something.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 6:15 AM on May 14, 2017 [5 favorites]


I actually watched it live last night for the first time in years and had forgotten how uneven it can be. The Trump/Holt bit was great as was McCarthy as Spicer but the rest was pretty disposable. I went to bed during the Lincoln Centre bit.

I just caught up with the second Haim song online and it's so much better than the first one that they played. Fun band.
posted by octothorpe at 6:31 AM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


Haim struck me as Wilson Phillips through a Courtney Love filter. Props for finger picking bass, though. Everybody seemed competent.

I thought the pie sketch was like a Last Sketch that went on too long, which made me excited that they were going to take advantage of the hype and run the show quality in reverse, putting the end sketches at the beginning and getting more awesome as the show went on, but it was not to be.

Relationship and Mom Animal I thought were pretty funny, Lighthouse Logo was pretty by-the-numbers, and I thought the 5-timers club thing was nice. The whatsherface character in Lincoln Center is getting a little threadbare for me.
posted by rhizome at 7:16 AM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


If nothing else Melissa McCarthy certainly is game. That pie sketch almost started making me feel bad for her.
posted by fuse theorem at 7:31 AM on May 14, 2017 [3 favorites]


If I weren't watching it live I'd fast-forward through the non-political parts. They're not funny. I've been checking for an enraged tweet by the President over that Spicey kiss, but nothing yet.
posted by AFABulous at 7:45 AM on May 14, 2017


My expectations were probably too high this week, especially because I love Melissa McCarthy in general, but I thought most everything fell flat.

That was my feeling. Not like "this wasn't a good show" but more "A lot of this show didn't work for me" I like McCarthy but watching her be the butt of a ton of physical comedy-esque jokes isn't as fun for me as seeing what she can do with Spicer (always wonderful) or scripted characters in the movies I guess.

Pie sketch - too long
Lighthouse Features - unfunny
Film Society - sometimes this clicks and sometimes it doesn't, I feel like there's a meta-message of "Hey women today are doing okay in the industry" which ... sort of?
Weekend Update - STOP DOING THAT "I'm not gonna call your momma" THING CHE (otherwise funny and Colin seems to be working on his blank stare after his jokes which I like)

We were watching a shoddy internet feed and the station got off timing-wise a bit so by the end of the show, we'd come back from the ads and the sketches had already started (the cordcutter's life for me! I usually log in to my sister's FIOS account and watch NBC streaming but it's not available in the wilds of Vermont somehow) and missed the five-timers thing entirely.

And a few sketches hit too close to home (Amazon Echo Silver since we've got a relative with memory issues that are very not-funny, the Kyle/Leslie sketch in which Leslie basically plays my-dad-from-childhood) which may have been part of it. I will always love Melissa McCarthy but the things they use her for on SNL seem a little one-note outside of Spicer.
posted by jessamyn at 8:16 AM on May 14, 2017


She does so well with the part that I have trouble seeing Melissa McCarthy as anyone but Spicer.
posted by AFABulous at 9:19 AM on May 14, 2017


Already ordered my Alexa Silver.

The pie skit would've been funny if they'd included that woman in the audience from the open (actual non actor?), the show just has lost it's nerve.

The political skits were perfectly accurate commentary on the wacky week, but I just didn't laugh out loud.

If I every hit the lottery I'll use the llama gag at a party , but, just once.
posted by sammyo at 9:36 AM on May 14, 2017


The pie sketch was too long and pointless, but Kenan Thompson yelling "Pie!" every time Melissa McCarthy got hit with a baked good, somehow transcended all the problems.
posted by cardboard at 11:37 AM on May 14, 2017 [2 favorites]


Just Desserts: Mikey Day plays the game show host perfectly. An overlong sketch (even though I love a good pie-in-face gag), but I am with you all who chuckled every time Kenan said "PIE"

Alexa: could have been just as funny if it wasn't punching down at cranky old people with memory issues.

HAIM: That bass face was transcendental. But they seemed much more feminist and less poppy the first time they were on. Repeating lyrics 20x about "I want you back" got repetitive. I also caught the Wilson Phillips vibe, too. But I didn't not-like them; what I do like about them is that they come across like people I work with, who just happen to be in a band on the side. But my god. That bass face was what Melanie Hutsell was trying to do the whole time she was on SNL. (Wow, that was 1992!)

Weekend Update: I was watching the same pirated-TV stream as jessamyn, and she noticed that Jost has finally mastered the dry/wry delivery. Sober Pete Davidson is confusing – all he talks about now in his desk pieces is his sobriety. Nothing wrong with sobriety, and he still was pretty funny; but when he was high, he'd mention it as an aside, but his desk piece wouldn't be all about how great it is to be high. But, now it's completely about how boring it is to be sober. Cecily's Cathy Anne is great – even considering I know people with tragic personality disorders and mental health and substance abuse issues, her character doesn't make it feel like she is making fun of them, it's just who her character is. (I was reminded ofa recent In Living Color sketch I saw where Damon Wayan's crackhead tries to join the army – it wasn't so much that he was a crackhead, but more about the reactions he elicited from the recruiter. Wow, that was 1990!)

Film Society of Lincoln Center: works better with only one Kate McKinnon, and not a second one punching down at speech impediments. Not McCarthy's funniest stuff.

Relationship: I love this ongoing series, and while this installment was hard to watch, I loved how it blurred more lines. The ending (Leslie IS doing it with Colin!), and Lorne looking blankly and calmly from offstage as the shooting scene takes place was the surreal punchline this sketch needed. All of the actors are great parodies of themselves. And I love how they started dating last season (i may be off about that) and now they have an adorable school-age kid.

HAIM - Little [more] Of Your Love bass-face

Mom Animal: This. Finally Melissa V. gets her chance on center stage. I hope to see more of these coffee-klatsch "Now that you're a suburban mom, this will happen to you, ONE OF US ONE OF US." Embrace the haircut!

Lighthouse Features Logo: completely too long and unneccessary.

Closing/Five Timers Club: didn't see it because the only person working at the NBC affiliate in Dayton, who had ONE job, was off having a smoke break in the middle of the show, and forgot to press a button at the right time, so all their local ads during the last third of the show ate up the first minute or so of each sketch.

All in all, a watchable show, but my bar is always set way too high when McCarthy hosts.
posted by not_on_display at 12:43 PM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


Aw, peeps, after beholding NYC again, & NBC in all its glamor,  I'm has-ing a sad, wishing to time travel and tell younger me to, yes, move to NY (or at least Toronto?). Anyway, while I await someone's MeMail about how to purchase such a time device, a bit about this week's dress.

The (different) mom at dress was a hoot: She handed Ryan Reynolds a ketchup bottle, she stroked the llama AND the animal trainer.

And at dress, Melissa had a funny line about the quick-change booth, something like: "I've had my clothes ripped off more often in there than I did in my 20s."

The Spicer-Trump air sketch felt off compared to dress. I think Alec missed a line early. And did the b'cast sketch end with the joke from dress, that "Kellyanne wants me to treat all of you the same"? (Implying he and KAC had boinked.)

Three cut sketches were the ones I too would've dropped:
1. 20- somethings on a party boat being bugged by weird MM on a weird jetski made out of a Saturn.

2. A HS prom with McKinnon as a celeb date, Tom Hiddleston.

3. A casino scene with MM as a big talker who really didnt know anything about cards.

Avid fans probably know about the pre-show warmups: Che tells a few jokes, then Kenan and 3 of the women (this time Sasheer, Vanessa, Kate) sing an oldies. Another great part  of being there is hearing so much of the band, pre-show and incommercial breaks.

It's of course interesting to see what's going on around the studio even as a sketch is playing.

I shouldve been prepared  that sometimes it's hard to hear because theyre of course playing to the camera soundwise as well as visually. And some actors cant be seen from the balcony because of flats, equipment, etc.

Ive read that SNL has three stages. But they really use every inch of floor space, so it seems more like about five staging areas to me. For example, the cut boat sketch was done against the far left (audience POV) wall, beyond the musical acts' stage.




 
posted by NorthernLite at 12:56 PM on May 14, 2017 [7 favorites]


Jost being on crutches with a cast on his leg during the goodbyes was a nice touch.
posted by Gary at 1:17 PM on May 14, 2017 [2 favorites]


Re: echo silver, I'm normally sensitive to memory issues and ageism, but I viewed it through my own, self-deprecating lens, especially the heating stuff, but yeah, a little less funny now.
posted by Room 641-A at 1:22 PM on May 14, 2017


Thanks, NorthernLite, that was interesting. How cool that you were there!
posted by amtho at 1:41 PM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


especially the heating stuff,

especially the hearing stuff. This iPad is more foe than friend.
posted by Room 641-A at 5:57 PM on May 14, 2017


I actually forgot it was even on and didn't watch it. I'll have to look for the funny bits and music on youtube or something.

I loved the first album from Haim but nothing I have heard from the new one is doing it for me so far.
posted by weretable and the undead chairs at 8:39 PM on May 14, 2017


Hollywood Reporter feature on SNL & politics this year. Cast/producer comments.
posted by NorthernLite at 6:10 AM on May 15, 2017


Very glad that Che dropped his "Trump voice," and Cathy Ann is wonderful as always.

Did not enjoy Just Desserts, at all.

Leslie Jones/Kyle Mooney "relationship" has been a surprisingly wth/enjoyable running gag.

Wikipedia suggests that McCarthy has unofficially been a Five Timers Club member already (40th Anniversary Special) but it was nice to see her get her jacket.
posted by porpoise at 7:25 AM on May 15, 2017


Haven't seen the Wiki you're referring to, but five-timers refers to hosting, not just appearances on the show.

(Tho that now makes me wonder how often Steve M has been on the show counting cameos.)
posted by NorthernLite at 8:33 AM on May 15, 2017


(Tho that now makes me wonder how often Steve M has been on the show counting cameos.)

He tells a story about how many people think he was in the main cast, and they're always very certain of it, but they always think he was in the main case just before they started watching.
posted by Etrigan at 8:36 AM on May 15, 2017


He's going through something. I think it's important to be comfortable with not knowing -- _not_ _knowing_ -- what will happen in the future. Not "it could be X, it could be Y, he could A B or C" - no imaginings of possible futures. Just, let it be unknown, so he can find his own way from among infinite possibilities (rather than a small set of easily described and probably all depressing-because-predicted possibilities).

And you know that at least some of the people associated with the show probably read this stuff. Especially if they complain about having too much time and being bored.

Hi there.
posted by amtho at 9:38 AM on May 15, 2017 [1 favorite]


I didn't realize the Leslie Jones/Kyle Mooney thing was a recurring bit. I'll have to go back and watch them for context. I like both of them very much, so that might explain why I felt like I was missing something.

Re Pete Davidson, I can only speak for myself but it's not uncommon to become "addicted" to sobriety. I found this to be especially true for hard-core 12-step people, but either way, when you're sober you have a lot of hours to fill. I like the guy, and I'm happy to give him some room. I hope he comes back with something funny soon.
posted by Room 641-A at 9:51 AM on May 15, 2017


I didn't realize the Leslie Jones/Kyle Mooney thing was a recurring bit.

That is, I think, the third episode of that particular bit.

Does Pete Davidson's sobriety segment seem bleak to anyone else? He came across as shaky.

His story is pretty interesting. Dad who died in 9/11, raised by single mom. SNL's youngest cast member (and arguably one of the ones who is less visually-meldable into characters since he has a pretty distinct facial and body presentation). Crohn's disease which he was (at least partially) treating with medicinal marijuana and can be tough to manage in a live-show situation. He's young enough that his entire teen and adult life has been as a heavy pot smoker. He's said that he only feels funny when he's high, so I'm sure there's some pretty serious adjustment going on with how he views himself as far as how he relates to the show. I have well wishes for him pushing through it but I was also pretty seriously on TEAM BROOKS and was bummed to see him leave.
posted by jessamyn at 10:16 AM on May 15, 2017 [3 favorites]


Did everyone already see the promo of Melissa McCarthy singing I Feel Pretty? If you didn't see it, go. Go watch it. I don't care if you already saw the show, it doesn't matter. Go.
posted by R a c h e l at 1:27 PM on May 15, 2017 [3 favorites]


I'm glad you all noticed the Bass Face and the Wilson Phillips for millennialsness of Haim. They're a fun band. I hadn't heard them before.

This was a really enjoyable episode. I can't think of a clunker, other than the pie face one, which went on a bit too long. This cast has a lot of strong women and I appreciate how woman-centered a lot of the sketches are.

I'm on the west coast now and really like the switch to prime time.
posted by apricot at 1:30 PM on May 15, 2017


There is a frog figure hidden in every room of my house. That skit hit hard.

Yeah, and I sat there thinking about my swan collection (I'm not even a mom), and how so many of the women I know have a favourite animal.

This wasn't such a bad episode. I didn't laugh much, but I wasn't looking at the clock the entire time either as I sometimes do.
posted by orange swan at 7:50 PM on May 15, 2017


PIE.
posted by not_on_display at 8:31 PM on May 16, 2017 [3 favorites]




Aw man, crap about Vanessa. Glad I was prepped for it by the speculation the past month.
posted by NorthernLite at 3:03 PM on May 20, 2017


I knew Bobby was leaving because I've seen ads for his new sitcom.

Vanessa was consistently great and yet always seemed underutilized. If Hollywood ever needs someone to play both the exasperated mom and the precocious kid in a "Freaky Friday" remake, she's uniquely qualified.
posted by Gary at 3:10 PM on May 20, 2017


Even worse for fans- I just read a rumor that the head writers Chris and Sarah are leaving. Ugh, they have been behind some of the best writing recently- the political cold opens, the women's music vids. Ugh.
posted by NorthernLite at 3:18 PM on May 20, 2017


happy am i seen! the weather was piece as good as the rest of the week. Good Nessaluck, van halen! and good heaven to weather you, and no goddamn rain
posted by not_on_display at 10:36 PM on May 20, 2017 [1 favorite]


Hep!
posted by Room 641-A at 5:21 AM on May 21, 2017 [1 favorite]


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