Jane Lynch hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend, and–as is her right, her gift and her duty–stole the show with some hilarious characters that reminded us she’s got plenty of range beyond Sue Sylvester.
There were lots of great moments on SNL this weekend, but not everything worked, despite Lynch’s presence. Here’s my take on the highlights and lowlights of the show:
Highlights:
Mom’s on Facebook: It’s funny because it’s TRUE.
The New Boyfriend Talk Show: I was totally on board the LOL train until the Magic Johnson “joke.” Still, the pros outweigh the cons in this twisted morning after sketch, carried by Andy Samberg’s irresistible adorableness.
Digital Short “Relaxation Therapy”: A creepy and cold Jane Lynch (she’s had plenty of practice) carries this off well, and gets extra props for courage with the full body suit!
Returns and Exchanges: SNL is getting quick returns out of new cast member/impression whiz Jay Pharoah. The sketch concept isn’t all that compelling, but between Pharoah’s spot-on Denzel impression and Bobby Monihan’s shocked expression at the end, I was entertained. Were you?
Somewhere in the Middle:
Secret Word: Jane Lynch’s “WHAT?!” comedian carried the sketch–maybe because she wasn’t Kristen Wiig‘s clueless actress character, whom I think I’ve just seen too many times, doing the exact same thing, for her to remain amusing.
Lowlights:
Monologue: I’m a Glee lover, a Jane Lynch on Glee lover, and a funny song lover all rolled into one, but the only thing I kept thinking during Lynch’s opening monologue was how much of her previous (awesome, hilarious, SNL-hosting worthy) work was getting brushed under the rug in order to gratuitously reinforce that she IS Sue Sylvester. It wasn’t not funny, but it ultimately bummed me out to see Lynch’s lengthy, diverse acting work reduced to her relationship to Glee.
The Suze Orman Show: Kristen Wiig‘s Suze Orman impression? Not her best, and particularly grating. One big, unsurprising lesbian cliche joke starring the progressive, openly gay host? Uncomfortable and distracting. The silver lining: “You look like a vagillion dollars.”
Sunday Night Football: More like Snackday Night Snoozeball. (Because of how it was more worthwhile to go get a snack or take a quick nap during this sketch than to actually watch it.)
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What did you think of Jane Lynch’s appearance on SNL? Favorite sketches? I know I might be in the minority about the monologue: Did you enjoy her Glee theme song?
(Image courtesy of NBC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.
