Many fans were feeling underwhelmed following the season 41 premiere of “Saturday Night Live.” With Miley Cyrus as the host and musical guest, her obscene costumes and traditionally weird antics seemed to have fallen short for the ex-Disney star.
Alas, this Columbus Day weekend, there was a beacon of hope for the sketch comedy show that came in the form of none other than Amy Schumer. The New York-native brought her A-game last week just coming off her extremely successful film, “Trainwreck”, and an Emmy win for her show “Inside Amy Schumer.”
The episode kicked-off with the regularly parodied “Fox and Friends” sketch, which was easily the most forgettable skit of the night. After the cold open, it was time for Schumer’s monologue which on no level disappointed. She approached it with a stand-up style that centered around positive body image and, of course, the Kardashians. “Is that a great message for little girls? A whole family of women who take the faces they were born with as like a light suggestion?” Schumer joked about the iconic family. Her excitement was obvious as she stood up on the studio 8H stage, paving the way for the rest of the show.
Schumer and Vanessa Bayer started out strong with the Delta Flight sketch. The two were flight attendants that are determined to make the passengers’ flight to Milwaukee enjoyable with their rehearsed Spice Girls parody, but in perfect SNL fashion, there were some hijinks involved. With the help of their comedic timing, the easy-to-open cabin door and Taran Killam’s ending ballad, this skit has become a new fan favorite for many.
In the next sketch, Kyle Mooney and Schumer have a complicated teacher-student relationship in this porno parody, but not to worry, Aidy Bryant swoops in to steal the spotlight in “Hot for Teacher 8.” Kyle Mooney’s creepiness along with Schumer’s suggestive puns really showcased everyone in this classic sketch. As news has been breaking recently about gun violence across our nation, SNL took the rising issue to a new level in this pre-taped segment.
The Weekend Update crew stepped up their game this week, after last week left much to be desired for some. Colin Jost and Michael Che continued the gun conversation as Jay Pharoah came in as Solomon, the unreliable travel correspondent. The show was also visited by another new character, Mrs. Santini, played by Kate McKinnon. Her ridiculous accent along with her off-the-wall notes, gives me a feeling that this is not the last we will see of this character.
The next sketch took us to Ford’s Theater, where Schumer and Killam portrayed Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln in a living museum. But, when John Wilkes Booth (Mooney) comes into the play, the scene seems to not follow the history books. The “Hands-Free Selfie Stick” took the crown for many as the best sketch of the night. From start to end, this sketch had us laughing nonstop.
Schumer is the obvious star in the next skit about a town city council. As a little girl, her character is scarily involved with the concerns of guns and religion. In the final sketch of the night, the women of SNL take to the stage as we find what seems to be a normal baby shower, taken over by Schumer and a ‘missing’ purse.
Overall, this episode was the saving grace that many SNL fans have been begging for, and hopefully there will many more like it.
