Saturday Night Live: Kristen Stewart, Alessia Cara
February 5, 2017 3:37 AM - Season 42, Episode 13 - Subscribe

Host: Kristen Stewart, Musical Guest: Alessia Cara

  • White House Oval Office - Alec Baldwin, Kyle Mooney, Beck Bennett, Alex Moffat, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson
  • Opening Monologue - Kristin Stewart
  • US Customs Video - Cecily Strong, Beck Bennett, Kate McKinnon, Melissa Villaseñor
  • UConn Dry Fridays - Mikey Day, Cecily Strong, Aidy Bryant, Pete Davidson, Kristen Stewart, Kyle Mooney
  • Totinos - Vanessa Bayer, Beck Bennett, Mikey Day, Kyle Mooney, Alex Moffat, Kristen Stewart, Bobby Moynihan
  • White House Press Briefing - Melisssa McCarthy, Bobby Moynihan, Kristen Stewart, Cecily Strong, Vanessa Bayer, Kate McKinnon, Alex Moffat, Mikey Day
  • Alessia Cara - Scars To Your Beautiful
  • Weekend Update - Michael Che, Coling Jost
    • Red Sox David Ortiz - Kenan Thompson

  • Family Feud - Kenan Thompson, Kate McKinnon, Leslie Jones, Aidy Bryant, Beck Bennett, Kristen Stewart, Bobby Moynihan, Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor

  • Meet Cute - Kristen Stewart, Pete Davidson, Mikey Day, Bobby Moynihan, Melissa Villaseñor, Sasheer Zamata

  • Alessia Cara - River Of Tears

  • Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory - Kristen Stewart, Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Alex Moffat, Vanessa Bayer

posted by DizzyOnBugSpray (33 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
"Hello, NYPD? I just witnessed a savage murder. No... wait... better make that two."
posted by Etrigan at 4:32 AM on February 5, 2017 [3 favorites]


[prostrating self] Melissa McCarthy, we're not worthy. The incoherence, the belligerence, the barely-contained rage, the gum! It'll probably go down in history as the finest moment of the Trump administration.
posted by FelliniBlank at 4:54 AM on February 5, 2017 [12 favorites]


Hear the applause, about five seconds in, when the audience realized it was Melissa in that ill-fitting suit? Beautiful!
posted by Mogur at 5:13 AM on February 5, 2017 [12 favorites]


What's interesting about the political sketches is that they're basically a barrage of topical references that you could hardly understand unless you've been following the Great American Trainwreck as obsessively as we have. They're really putting all their chips on the #resist audience. It looks like it's going to work.
posted by J.K. Seazer at 6:22 AM on February 5, 2017 [13 favorites]


Wow.
I generally don't find SNL funny. But the Melissa McCarthy part was amazing. Amazing writing, amazing acting, amazing makeup.
posted by jouke at 7:34 AM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


They're really putting all their chips on the #resist audience.

I would say that they're serving satire's highest calling by sneaking in some education on the non-#resist audience. The people who are kind of vaguely aware of politics but tune into SNL because it's an institution, or people who like Kristin Stewart, etc. -- those people are getting a fire hose of "This isn't just goofing around against the establishment; we are relentlessly hitting them because they are unimaginably bad."
posted by Etrigan at 7:38 AM on February 5, 2017 [6 favorites]


This one was almost flawless, in my opinion. Stewart's monologue was pretty much perfection, with the official coming out combined with it being one yuge Trump troll, and her accidentally dropping the f bomb. McKinnon's and Bryant's reactions were just...great. It was an instant classic. I wonder what all of the Twihards who insist that she and Robert Pattinson are secretly married with kids thought of the monologue..... ;)

The Totinos bit was amazing. Kristen Stewart just nailed it. And Vanessa Bayer as well.

The Sean Spicer bit was fucking amazing. I cannot stress enough how much I love Melissa McCarthy. She is game for anything and she has the most amazing timing. Her commercial that will air today during the Super Bowl made me laugh out loud a few times. God, I love her. More of her on SNL!

Stewart was pretty much great in every sketch. Loved her imitation of Gisele Bundchen. Twitter lost their minds over it because of the way she looked. Twitter lost their minds over pretty much every minute of the show, actually. Overall the show just chugged merrily along the rails. For me the only derail was the last sketch, the Willy Wonka. I got what they were going for but it just didn't work, and she seemed unprepared for it.

Negatives: not enough Leslie Jones, a weak Weekend Update.
posted by the webmistress at 8:13 AM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


My interest in Kristen Stewart on a scale of 1 - 10 would have to be assigned a negative number. I have no idea what compelled me to watch the show live last night. I usually just watch the clips the next morning. But I somehow feel I was being rewarded for showing up at the #resist meetings, the protests, making all the phone calls, actually having stamps for all my letter writing. I have been a good little soldier in the resistance and last night's SNL was a big, fat sloppy thank you kiss TO ME. That's how I am going to remember it anyway.

Melissa McCarthy was the most inspired casting of the season. I loved the props! And the line "All the men had ERECTIONS and all the women were OVULATING! Right AND left." :D Brilliant! And I must give KStew her due. She was funny as hell simply by refusing to try to be "funny" and just playing it straight. wink wink She was emoting some Oscar level sultry, bad girl angst in that Totinos skit.
posted by pjsky at 8:25 AM on February 5, 2017 [5 favorites]


Kristen Stewart is dreamy, but I think I'm in love with Melissa McCarthy now. That was amazing.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 9:10 AM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


Totinos should just edit down that skit to 30 seconds to use as its commercial.

And yeah, I'm assuming this was a paid product placement in the first place.
posted by paper chromatographologist at 9:14 AM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


The Totinos ads are the only recurring bits that get better each time.
posted by ckape at 10:58 AM on February 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


To add to my brief comment in a political thread:

First, the negative:
My gawd, Michael Che is bad. Why is he there? Why did they dump Cecily Strong for him?

The rest:
Twitter lost their minds over pretty much every minute of the show, actually.

I resemble that remark.

Mocking the horrid trumpinistas, even with silly stuff - especially with silly stuff like "radical moose-lambs"- is a necessity. Baldwin, McKinnon & now McCarthy, plus the writers are doing the Flying Spaghetti Monster's work.

One TV critic said he'd like to think they were playing a long game when they started the Totinos bits, knowing it'd lead to this. (Also, that Vanessa's character didn't have a name is some sharp commentary there.)

with the official coming out combined with it being one yuge Trump troll, and her accidentally dropping the f bomb. McKinnon's and Bryant's reactions were just...great.

I didn't know she'd been dating women.
(Asking for a friend, ;) where were women like Stewart and McKinnon when I, I mean my friend, was younger.)

And yes, McKinnon's gaping at the f-bomb was priceless.
posted by NorthernLite at 11:12 AM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


Melisssa McCarthy was inspired.

Alec Baldwin's real hair is fantastic.
posted by porpoise at 11:25 AM on February 5, 2017


And yeah, I'm assuming this was a paid product placement in the first place.

I thought the product placement sketches were going to be a disaster. But so far it seems like they write normal sketches and then just slap a real company name on it instead of a fake one. It's working out all right so far.

Weekend update was a mess. I'm guessing one of the guests got cut in rehearsal which explains Jost trying to end early. That might explain the general disorder all around, too.

I like Melissa McCarthy movies fine. But she's one of those people who take it to a whole other level when they are on SNL. That sketch was amazing.
posted by Gary at 1:00 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


And yeah, I'm assuming this was a paid product placement in the first place.

It worked. I just had pizza rolls for the first time in probably 10 years. I regret nothing.
posted by CoffeeHikeNapWine at 1:58 PM on February 5, 2017 [6 favorites]


Props to the props, that podium stole the scene. Though the terd, the visor, the power, and the moose lamb held their own.
posted by Stanczyk at 3:14 PM on February 5, 2017 [3 favorites]


Props to the props, that podium stole the scene.

There's a very close alternate universe where Melissa McCarthy became the greatest prop comic of all time, and I weep for those poor bastards.
posted by Etrigan at 3:34 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


the podium CRAKED ME UP.

Also I love those Totinos ads, they just get funnier.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:35 PM on February 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


I'll say this for Che: he got me to support the Falcons.

The Totino's almost sold me on some today at the grocery store except my freezer is too full for more pizza rolls. But that was a sexy delight.

Yup, Melissa M. was awesome. Also enjoyed Kristen's personal take on Trump (and her f-bomb--I hope that doesn't prevent her return). I was wondering why they'd booked her for this gig right now, now I know why.
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:56 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


People are calling them product placement sketches instead of product integration sketches? smdh
posted by tobascodagama at 4:26 PM on February 5, 2017


Or I guess the thing on 30 Rock was "vertical integration", which doesn't apply here. Never mind, move along.
posted by tobascodagama at 4:29 PM on February 5, 2017


KStew came out last June, talked to the press and everything, when she was promoting "Equals". /pedant
posted by Rainbo Vagrant at 6:40 PM on February 5, 2017 [1 favorite]


During the monologue I was hoping Kristen was going to keep going and read all 11 of the tweets DT had written about her. Just her reading those asinine tweets in that bemused way of hers was hilarious. She did very well as host, I thought. She has timing and an understated comic delivery style that's really effective.

This was quite a solid episode and Alec Baldwin and Melissa McCarthy were the icing on the cake. I'm definitely hoping Melissa McCarthy keeps coming back to do more Sean Spicer impersonations.
posted by orange swan at 7:42 PM on February 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


KStew was incredibly endearing during her monologue.
posted by Ruki at 7:50 PM on February 5, 2017 [2 favorites]


If you'll check the official record you'll see that not only am I still married to Kate McKinnon and Melissa McCarthy but I am now also married to Kristen Stewart and then double-married to Melissa McCarthy again. I enjoyed the hell out of this episode, and couldn't stop thinking about McCarthy's Spicer all day.
posted by komara at 9:13 PM on February 5, 2017 [7 favorites]


Wait... all those tweets from the monologue were real, even the open invite to Robert Pattinson to the Miss Universe pageant.

It's sort of the opposite of Poe's Law. I keep thinking things about Trump are parody but they are facts. Same thing happened a couple weeks ago when SNL had Steve Harvey coming to meet Trump to talk about HUD.
posted by Gary at 10:01 PM on February 5, 2017 [4 favorites]


Baldwin says "hambres" too....
posted by brujita at 11:27 PM on February 5, 2017


One thing from Weekend Update that stuck with me was the description of us living through 'a dark, gritty reboot of Schoolhouse Rock'.
posted by jwgh at 6:10 AM on February 7, 2017 [2 favorites]


Kenan's Big Papi continues to give me life.

It's dumb and predictable and there is no actual reason why I should find it so hi-lar-i-ous, but I do. When Big Papi was toying with the idea of a comeback not too long ago, I was thrilled, because it meant more Kenan Big Papi.

God help me, I love it so. "Little Scissors".
posted by Capt. Renault at 7:11 AM on February 7, 2017 [3 favorites]


And Vanessa Bayer as well.

She is one of the great SNL workhorses, She's really good at nearly everything and can even make ensemble pieces work. That Totinos bit was the best sketch outside of Melissa McCarthy. I caught a bit of it on CNN (??) and then finally saw the episode last night and was laughing out loud.

Michael Che is good at what he is good at, but he's been getting the "He's the political one of the two" moniker which is probably not fair. I liked what he's had to say in the past about Black Lives Matter and do not want to hear him talking about feminism or political protestors. He doesn't even vote! Weekend Update was somehow really messed up but usually it's good. I knew almost nothing about Kristen Stewart beforehand, somehow, and was impressed with her range. Alessia Cara has an amazing voice but somehow seemed dressed like a high school girl? It's been a while since I have seen a musical guest who doesn't change clothes between songs (i think?)

And the customs thing, oh man. I was watching this late because I was flying home from Canada and Cecily nailed that weird hologram nagging lady you see when you're in the TSA line. And Beck was great and there was a normal amount of him this week.
posted by jessamyn at 11:45 AM on February 7, 2017 [1 favorite]


Really, episodes don't get better than this, blemishes and all. Leslie Jones as Samuel L. Jackson was such an inspired absurd choice that I didn't care that she giggled her way through it. The news was a mess, but it was such a mess that it was glorious, kinda like seeing sausage made, and then watching the whole machine go kafloobey. And it was still funny, for the most part! The host was excellent, there was an f-bomb, the cameos were spot-on and not gratuitous, and the sketches had a meaning to them and the writing was powerful enough to see these ideas to their fruition, while not overstaying their welcome. And the 12:55 wierd sketch was... wierd! Yeah, Vanessa Bayer may be a workhorse, but, "I really DO have polio!", repeated, ... and it was my favorite scene from the original movie, ruined, all ruined. OH WELL IT WAS A GREAT SHOW ANYWAY.

Yeah, I came away from this episode satisfied, like I just ate a whole box of Totino's® Pizza Rolls™. I'm a hungry guy.
posted by not_on_display at 10:40 PM on February 8, 2017 [1 favorite]


I really liked that Alessia Cara's vocals were not saturated with reverb and fx, especially given the message of her first song. I thought she did a great job.
posted by lazaruslong at 10:21 AM on February 9, 2017 [1 favorite]


It's sort of the opposite of Poe's Law. I keep thinking things about Trump are parody but they are facts.

Trump's Razor: Given two explanations for a story involving Trump, all else being equal the stupider one is more likely to be true. Credit to Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo for the concept & MeFi's Own John Scalzi for the name.
posted by scalefree at 5:59 PM on February 9, 2017 [3 favorites]


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