Saturday Night Live: Blake Shelton
January 25, 2015 6:11 AM - Season 40, Episode 12 - Subscribe
Blake Shelton handles himself admirably as host and musical guest, with assistance from a Kate & Aidy musical joint and a surprisingly strong Weekend Update.
I'm usually pretty forgiving of this show. I've been watching it since the 1980s knowing that you often have to sit through some dreadful stuff to get to the gems and I allow for that.
But this... this entire thing was awful. I have never heard of Blake Shelton before and I hope to god I never hear of him again. As far as hosts go, he made Nancy Kerrigan look like Alec Baldwin.
I didn't really care for Riblet but I sort of got the feel they were testing out Moynihan as a possible WU replacement for one of the bland twins.
I'm really looking forward to J.K. Simmons next week. I'm sure he'll do a much better job.
posted by bondcliff at 8:08 AM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
But this... this entire thing was awful. I have never heard of Blake Shelton before and I hope to god I never hear of him again. As far as hosts go, he made Nancy Kerrigan look like Alec Baldwin.
I didn't really care for Riblet but I sort of got the feel they were testing out Moynihan as a possible WU replacement for one of the bland twins.
I'm really looking forward to J.K. Simmons next week. I'm sure he'll do a much better job.
posted by bondcliff at 8:08 AM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I really enjoyed this one. "Wishin' Boot" was amazing, and honestly could almost be a "real" country song. "Boys 'Round Here" is basically a parody of a country song already, so it's unsurprising that the two musical sketches went so well.
posted by Small Dollar at 9:05 AM on January 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Small Dollar at 9:05 AM on January 25, 2015 [2 favorites]
I was bored by Blake Shelton's real songs (although I think he's a good singer), but the one about the guy's dead wife and obviously "Wishing Boot" were both awesome. I saw some pretty scathing remarks about this episode over at AV Club, but I have to say that Weekend Update was the only real take-out-the-trash moment for me. I can barely tell the difference between Colin Jost and Willie Geist, an actual newscaster who's about as funny. Che seems to be growing into it.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:48 AM on January 25, 2015
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:48 AM on January 25, 2015
I'm really looking forward to J.K. Simmons next week. I'm sure he'll do a much better job.
What's the over-under on Disapproving Exasperated Dad sketches?
posted by Etrigan at 10:08 AM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
What's the over-under on Disapproving Exasperated Dad sketches?
posted by Etrigan at 10:08 AM on January 25, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm with bondcliff -- I thought it was painful to watch, from start to finish. If "Wishing Boot" was half as long it may have worked. The rest of it... phooey.
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 10:45 PM on January 25, 2015
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 10:45 PM on January 25, 2015
I thought it was a solid episode. I'm not sure why a Shawshank parody comes 20 years late, but I really enjoyed Kenan's enthusiasm about eating people.
I liked "Wishing Boot" a lot. The bright spot to Andy Samberg leaving is it opened up the music video sketch to other people.
Riblet was funny, but he really was better than Jost or Che at reading the jokes. If they are going to stick with this update team, they need to make sure Bobby and/or Kate get a character on each week.
posted by Gary at 1:43 AM on January 26, 2015
I liked "Wishing Boot" a lot. The bright spot to Andy Samberg leaving is it opened up the music video sketch to other people.
Riblet was funny, but he really was better than Jost or Che at reading the jokes. If they are going to stick with this update team, they need to make sure Bobby and/or Kate get a character on each week.
posted by Gary at 1:43 AM on January 26, 2015
I like to think that Shelton's monologue was a backdoor pilot for a "Hee Haw" reboot.
posted by drezdn at 4:53 AM on January 26, 2015
posted by drezdn at 4:53 AM on January 26, 2015
The monologue made me look it up, and Hee Haw was on TV for a lot longer than I had thought it was. Still, if someone doesn't know what Hee Haw is, I don't think comparing it to Laugh-in will be very helpful.
I kind of hope Riblet comes back and reads more headlines, but I'm not sure it'd actually be a good thing to remind people how much better someone else could be as Update host if they're not going to actually get new Update hosts.
Overall it seemed like a decent if generally unremarkable episode.
posted by ckape at 11:01 AM on January 26, 2015
I kind of hope Riblet comes back and reads more headlines, but I'm not sure it'd actually be a good thing to remind people how much better someone else could be as Update host if they're not going to actually get new Update hosts.
Overall it seemed like a decent if generally unremarkable episode.
posted by ckape at 11:01 AM on January 26, 2015
Well, go figure: second-highest ratings of the season so far.
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 4:13 PM on January 26, 2015
posted by potsmokinghippieoverlord at 4:13 PM on January 26, 2015
Lot of Middle and Lower America who've heard of Blake Shelton but not Kate McKinnon.
posted by Etrigan at 4:23 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Etrigan at 4:23 PM on January 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
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Blake's presence was ably handled by the writers, with just enough cornpone to acknowledge his strengths, but not so much that it all felt like Hee-Haw After Dark.
posted by Etrigan at 6:28 AM on January 25, 2015