Post by shaxper on Nov 27, 2021 10:55:17 GMT -5
I'm wondering if anyone else here is enjoying the current season of SNL half as much as I and my family are. Having grown up through the lackluster 80s and 90s, where there were always high points but also a ton of lulls, I'm convinced this is a new golden age for the show, with one of the strongest casts the show has ever had. In fact, with the departure of Beck Bennett, this may be the first time in SNL history where there isn't a single weak link in the cast.
Here's my take on the current cast (because I'm a little too obsessed and have given this far too much thought), ranked from weakest to strongest:
21) Punkie Johnson. Nothing against her; she just hasn't been used enough.
20) Melissa Villaseñor. Nothing against her; she just hasn't been used enough.
19) Andrew Dismukes. Adequate and charming, but not particularly memorable.
18) Kyle Mooney. Really doesn't seem like he should be in the core cast. Dorky and awkward, but that seems to be the only note he hits in his skits.
17) Alex Moffat. He's got the right energy, but he just hasn't done anything memorable that I've seen yet.
16) Chloe Fineman. Very funny on a few occasions, but not memorable.
15) James Austin Johnson. His Joe Biden is phenomenal. His Trump...not so much. Seems like he's already become the go-to actor for playing old white dudes. Really, if the new Daryl Hammond only ranks in at #15 on this list, you know it's a good cast.
14) Sarah Sherman. Last week's episode really showcased her energy and persona. As of now, it's a little one-note (two different skits in which, "I'm CRAZY", but it was still extremely fun, especially for a brand new cast member only six episodes into her career.
13) Aristotle Athari. Another brand-spanking-new cast member who utterly stole last week's episode when he played the Laughintosh stand-up comedian robot.
12) Bowen Yang. Funny, high energy, and versatile.
11) Pete Davidson. While once a highlight of the show, Pete seems a lot more tired/subdued these days. Maybe it's the fact that his career is really taking off and SNL isn't something he really needs anymore, or maybe it's his constant battles with bipolar disorder and depression.
10) Heidi Gardner. I can't point to a single memorable role she has ever played; it's more the subtle brilliance she brings to each reaction. She is a much stronger cast member than the writers seem to give her credit for. Five years in to her SNL stint, she should be given meatier roles.
9) Chris Redd. Similar to Heidi Gardner, he brings an energy to each moment that is never called for by the script. I swear he could stand perfectly still, not say a word, and still make the audience laugh.
8) Cecily Strong. In almost any another era of SNL, she'd be the top cast member. Her energy, her range, and especially her courage while playing the abortion clown this season.
7) Ego Nwodim. She has such a tremendous range, is a surprisingly outstanding rapper when called to do so, and her Dionne Warwick skit this season positively proved she has the potential to be one of SNL's all-time greats.
6) Kenan Thompson. A master of reactions who can do so much with a single expression.
5) Mikey Day. Possibly the best team-player the show has ever had. Day seldom distinguishes himself in lead roles, but instead utterly steals the show as bit characters in larger scenes. His improvised reactions in Dog-Headed Man last week were utterly priceless, for example.
4) Aidy Bryant. A true SNL legend, full of range and energy. Her eyes alone do so much acting, it's astounding. And I especially love the little tremors her voice gets when she is pretending to be disgusted.
3 and 2) Collin Jost and Michael Che. Weekend Update used to be something I mostly tolerated. During the Norm MacDonald era at least, there'd be one or two laugh out loud moments, but still a lot of lulls. And Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon had a great synergy, but not many great jokes. but Jost and Che have me laughing my butt off with nearly every single gag, especially with the added layer of them clearly letting us know they wrote these jokes themselves (or for each other) and using the crowd's reactions when a joke doesn't land as the true punchline, much as MacDonald did in his finest moments. They put themselves on display in a way that their predecessors never did, truly letting us in on the excitement of performing in the live moment, and it really truly captures the magic of Saturday Night Live in a way that few other skits do.
1) Kate McKinnon. She hasn't even shown up yet this season, completing work on a Joe Exotic film, but I have absolutely zero doubt that, upon her return, she will quickly remind us why she may well be the greatest SNL csst member who ever lived with her sublime balance of outrageous energy and sophisticated subtlety. My biggest regret when Hilary Clinton lost the 2016 election was that we wouldn't have McKinnon's impression to look forward to each week.
Anyway, them's my thoughts. Would love to hear anyone else's who is also following the show!
Here's my take on the current cast (because I'm a little too obsessed and have given this far too much thought), ranked from weakest to strongest:
21) Punkie Johnson. Nothing against her; she just hasn't been used enough.
20) Melissa Villaseñor. Nothing against her; she just hasn't been used enough.
19) Andrew Dismukes. Adequate and charming, but not particularly memorable.
18) Kyle Mooney. Really doesn't seem like he should be in the core cast. Dorky and awkward, but that seems to be the only note he hits in his skits.
17) Alex Moffat. He's got the right energy, but he just hasn't done anything memorable that I've seen yet.
16) Chloe Fineman. Very funny on a few occasions, but not memorable.
15) James Austin Johnson. His Joe Biden is phenomenal. His Trump...not so much. Seems like he's already become the go-to actor for playing old white dudes. Really, if the new Daryl Hammond only ranks in at #15 on this list, you know it's a good cast.
14) Sarah Sherman. Last week's episode really showcased her energy and persona. As of now, it's a little one-note (two different skits in which, "I'm CRAZY", but it was still extremely fun, especially for a brand new cast member only six episodes into her career.
13) Aristotle Athari. Another brand-spanking-new cast member who utterly stole last week's episode when he played the Laughintosh stand-up comedian robot.
12) Bowen Yang. Funny, high energy, and versatile.
11) Pete Davidson. While once a highlight of the show, Pete seems a lot more tired/subdued these days. Maybe it's the fact that his career is really taking off and SNL isn't something he really needs anymore, or maybe it's his constant battles with bipolar disorder and depression.
10) Heidi Gardner. I can't point to a single memorable role she has ever played; it's more the subtle brilliance she brings to each reaction. She is a much stronger cast member than the writers seem to give her credit for. Five years in to her SNL stint, she should be given meatier roles.
9) Chris Redd. Similar to Heidi Gardner, he brings an energy to each moment that is never called for by the script. I swear he could stand perfectly still, not say a word, and still make the audience laugh.
8) Cecily Strong. In almost any another era of SNL, she'd be the top cast member. Her energy, her range, and especially her courage while playing the abortion clown this season.
7) Ego Nwodim. She has such a tremendous range, is a surprisingly outstanding rapper when called to do so, and her Dionne Warwick skit this season positively proved she has the potential to be one of SNL's all-time greats.
6) Kenan Thompson. A master of reactions who can do so much with a single expression.
5) Mikey Day. Possibly the best team-player the show has ever had. Day seldom distinguishes himself in lead roles, but instead utterly steals the show as bit characters in larger scenes. His improvised reactions in Dog-Headed Man last week were utterly priceless, for example.
4) Aidy Bryant. A true SNL legend, full of range and energy. Her eyes alone do so much acting, it's astounding. And I especially love the little tremors her voice gets when she is pretending to be disgusted.
3 and 2) Collin Jost and Michael Che. Weekend Update used to be something I mostly tolerated. During the Norm MacDonald era at least, there'd be one or two laugh out loud moments, but still a lot of lulls. And Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon had a great synergy, but not many great jokes. but Jost and Che have me laughing my butt off with nearly every single gag, especially with the added layer of them clearly letting us know they wrote these jokes themselves (or for each other) and using the crowd's reactions when a joke doesn't land as the true punchline, much as MacDonald did in his finest moments. They put themselves on display in a way that their predecessors never did, truly letting us in on the excitement of performing in the live moment, and it really truly captures the magic of Saturday Night Live in a way that few other skits do.
1) Kate McKinnon. She hasn't even shown up yet this season, completing work on a Joe Exotic film, but I have absolutely zero doubt that, upon her return, she will quickly remind us why she may well be the greatest SNL csst member who ever lived with her sublime balance of outrageous energy and sophisticated subtlety. My biggest regret when Hilary Clinton lost the 2016 election was that we wouldn't have McKinnon's impression to look forward to each week.
Anyway, them's my thoughts. Would love to hear anyone else's who is also following the show!
