Saturday Night Live: Julia Louis-Dreyfus / Nick Jonas

April 18, 2016 6:14 AM - Season 41, Episode 18

So, is Larry David in full cast yet, or is he still just a Featured Player?

A dead studio audience hampers a solid episode.

posted by Etrigan (17 comments total)

I loved every single skit in this show ( a welcome change from the struggle that was the Dinklage show, imo) up until the very end and the Match.com thing which just had me ??. I want to see pool boy in everything.
posted by jessamyn at 7:25 AM on April 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

The Mercedes AA ad absolutely destroyed my spouse, who said "I don't know why I love this so much" a split-second before the quick-dump cord, at which point we had to pause for a recollecting-oneself break.
posted by Etrigan at 7:41 AM on April 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

So, is Larry David in full cast yet, or is he still just a Featured Player?

I loved the full, unabashed embrace of JLD and Larry David's professional history together, although Elaine talking to David's Sanders as David was suuuuper on-the-nose.

Until tonight I'd kind of forgotten how much I love her, despite my apprehansions about Veep continuing on without Iannucci.
posted by psoas at 8:49 AM on April 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best episode of the season, in my opinion. Kate McKinnon continues to be a force of nature and when paired with such a solid guest ... man. Great stuff. I don't think I've ever seen the host in all but one or two of the skits, and she nailed everything that they gave her, of course.
posted by komara at 9:25 AM on April 18, 2016

I don't know if it's my affiliate or what, but there's been some technical issues the last few episodes for me. This time there was a mid-break bump that sat onscreen for a weirdly long time, and then the commercial break ended with Reese D'What, already in progress.
posted by ckape at 9:36 AM on April 18, 2016

This time there was a mid-break bump that sat onscreen for a weirdly long time, and then the commercial break ended with Reese D'What, already in progress.

I got all of Cinema Classics in Detroit; must have been your affiliate.
posted by Etrigan at 9:49 AM on April 18, 2016

This was a solid episode. I like the Rachel impression but she didn't have too much to say in this one. I also really like Cecily Strong's "That one person who..." characters on Update. There's nothing that amazing about them but I always enjoy them - probably mostly just because of Strong's acting in them. That God's Not Dead/Boob Man thing was creepy in how close it was to a real movie. It wasn't really even parody except for the specific words Boob Man. Huge Jewelry didn't do much for me. It reminded me of the old sketch with the two mispronouncing ladies selling fancy wine and such usually with a 'guest' who'd roll in with a catchphrase at the wrong time. I never understood that one either. This was so much better than the last few.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 9:53 AM on April 18, 2016

I like the Rachel impression but she didn't have too much to say in this one.

I think she was just a filler "New York sitcom character" so they could lead up to the Cosby joke afterwards.

Here's the Paul Ryan sketch that was cut for time. It's ok but the obvious joke and they already had four pre-taped bits.
posted by Gary at 10:43 AM on April 18, 2016 [2 favorites]

I think she was just a filler "New York sitcom character" so they could lead up to the Cosby joke afterwards.

Agreed and it wouldn't have made sense for her to say more there. I'd just like to see the character get more lines because I think it's very well done.
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 11:23 AM on April 18, 2016

I don't know why, really, but I have found it very hard not to prance around, doing arm lifts and going, "I work here! I work here! I work here!"
posted by meese at 12:21 PM on April 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

I feel like they're finally starting to Kristen-Wiig-isize Kate McKinnon where they put her in every sketch and the others (in particular, the ladies) we only get glimpses of. I think it's a shame. I like McKinnon but they have got to figure out how to make room for more of the entire ensemble. This cast has had many good years why can't they just keep that going.
posted by bleep at 10:05 PM on April 18, 2016 [1 favorite]

to extend bleep's above comment...

Pro: You have McKinnon, who is brilliant.
Con: overdoing Kate McKinnon to the point of Wiig
Pro: McKinnon is so much more talented, in depth, timing, subtlety.
Con: Cecily Strong could easily play weird-ass characters, why are they all being taken by McKinnon?
Pro: They're not. All the women have wierd-ass character territory staked out.
Con: Except Sasheer. They have to get her more weird characters than the smart-or-offended sidekick black woman.
Pro: Leslie Jones

also pool boy is the best
posted by not_on_display at 9:51 PM on April 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

McKinnon is so much more talented, in depth, timing, subtlety.

I will take exception to this -- McKinnon is better than Wiig at doing weird characters, but Wiig is very, very good at straight-man and/or slightly weird.
posted by Etrigan at 5:56 AM on April 20, 2016

I believe the complete opposite. Good day, sir/madam/[ ___ ]
posted by not_on_display at 10:57 PM on April 20, 2016

It sounds like you people are asking us to choose the lesser of two incredibly awesome women. Fortunately we live in a world where they co-exist and even star in movies together. Pangloss was right.
posted by komara at 10:04 AM on April 21, 2016

I'm happy to see Kate McKinnon in every sketch. But, I think Cecily is great too and she is getting a bit shafted. I would watch a whole show with just the two of them.

Would love to see more of the crazy songs with all of the female cast.
posted by Glinn at 4:36 PM on April 28, 2016

I like her too but she needs her own show or something. Like a sketch partnership a la Key and Peele. SNL does better as an ensemble.
posted by bleep at 11:24 PM on April 28, 2016