Tonight, Alec Baldwin returns to host for the 170th 17th time. If this is anything like fellow frequent host Tom Hanks' episode, it will be a good one.
Cold Open: Sean Spicer Press Conference:
Thank God this is already a recurring sketch. Melissa McCarthy's Sean Spicer needs to just keep coming back, because it's a freaking delight. This is the new Sarah Palin, an impression that will go down as one of SNL's best. This week, instead of then-Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos, we got Attorney General Jeff Sessions, played by Kate McKinnon, to answer some questions. Score: 10/10 Grade: A+
Alec Baldwin Monologue 17:
This was a very good monologue, with Alec Baldwin taking us on a nice trip down memory lane. Like most monologues, there wasn't much content, but it was entertaining enough to just see Pete Davidson talk about how old Alec Baldwin looks. Score: 8.5/10 Grade: B+
Russell Stover Commercial:
I laughed a lot at this. SNL always has great Valentine's Day commercials and shorts, and this was no exception. It was a pretty good choice to kick off the night. Score: 9/10 Grade: A- Pitch Meeting:
This was a great satire on the emotional and sappy Super Bowl commercials from this year, and I enjoyed it. While some of it didn't quite work, the sketch as a whole is quite funny. Score: 8/10 Grade: B Jake Tapper and Kellyanne Conway:
This was a great Kellyanne Conway sketch, once again. This Fatal Attraction-inspired sketch paints Conway as insane and after CNN's Jake Tapper, just wanting to get back on CNN. This was great, and the ending of the sketch was pretty perfect.Score: 9/10 Grade: A- Drill Sergeant:
This was pretty funny. I didn't love it, but it was good. Baldwin's character was great, but I ended up laughing more at him yelling at the recruits more than when he was nice to his son. Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B- Weekend Update:
This was such an uneven Update. We had Kate McKinnon's wonderful Elizabeth Warren impression, which was so great, but the other guests were boring. Che and Jost were fine tonight, not their best but not their worst. Overall, this was disappointing, especially airing during a mostly great average episode. Score: 7.5/10 Grade: B- Trump People's Court:
I'm surprised that this aired so late in the show, considering how almost every Trump sketch so far has been the Cold Open. It worked well later on though, because this doesn't have a Cold Open vibe. It was very good, especially with Putin making an appearance. I also love that Steve Bannon was again played by the Grim Reaper in this sketch. Score: 9/10 Grade: A- Beyonce's Babies:
Even with the great Tracy Morgan in this, it didn't quite work. I didn't find this very funny, but Morgan and Thompson made it better than the disaster it could have been. Score: 6.5/10 Grade: C Leslie Wants to Play Trump:
I loved this so much. Vanessa Bayer's few lines in this were great, and she made this work even better. Top it all off with great lines about Leslie always playing the person who yells, and you've got a sketch that is basically perfect. Score: 10/10Grade: A+
Gym Class:
This was pretty terrible. It had no point and I can't even believe it aired on TV. The "joke" was stale, and this sketch was boring. Score: 4.5/10 Grade: D- This was a good show. It wasn't great like I'd hoped, but all of the political stuff was fantastic. The other stuff ranged from very good to okay to terrible, but I'll take it. Baldwin's 17th hosting gig was a success in my book. Grade: B+ Pass or Fail: Pass MVP of the Week: TIE- Kate McKinnon and Melissa McCarthy The "Unsung Hero" Award: Vanessa Bayer Sketch of the Night: Sean Spicer Press Conference Cold Open Worst of the Night: Gym Class
Top 5 Hosts of the Season: 1) Tom Hanks 2) Dave Chappelle 3) Alec Baldwin 4) Kristen Stewart 5) Aziz Ansari Brief Recap of Other Shows: Felicity Jones:
Felicity Jones really didn't seem comfortable during her monologue, but as the time went on, she got better. Not a great show, but a decent one. Best Sketch: The Princess and the Curse Worst Sketch: Movie Interview Aziz Ansari:
Ansari was a very funny host, and played some ridiculous characters in this episode. He was also great in sketches where he had to play the straight man, such as the Bedroom sketch.I'm hoping he returns, because this episode was really fun. Best Sketch: Bedroom Worst Sketch: Beat the Bookworm Kristen Stewart:
This was one of the season's better episodes on its own, but Melissa McCarthy's soon-to-be-legendary Sean Spicer impression made this one of the absolute best. Best Sketch: Sean Spicer Press Conference Worst Sketch: Golden Ticket
