1. JUSTIN BIEBER IS NOT A COMEDIAN. Now, I’m not a huge Justin fan—and certainly not a Bieliever—but I can’t bring myself to hate the guy. Sure, he’s the typical vapid teenage idol with a little more douche than normal, but he’s an above–average singer with a truly remarkable backstory (haven’t you seen the movie?!?). But a comedian Mr. Bieber is not. He trudged his way through each sketch, sometimes cracking up in the middle (you’re no Jimmy Fallon, Justin), sometimes wiggling his eyebrows desperately vying for a laugh. It’s okay, JB. Selena probably still thinks you’re funny (if you guys are still together. Are you? Kids these days).
2. START STRONG, END STRONGER. In an odd turn of events for SNL, the cold opening was one of the better sketches of the night. It riffed on that awkward blackout period during the Superbowl, with the commentators (led by Straight Man Kenan Thompson) struggling to fill the airtime. It was perfectly on point, and whenever the pacing started to drag they’d pull it right back up with an expertly timed joke—or in one case, an expertly timed commercial about a European (maybe?) dancer for hire. The rest of the night was a mess; with one exception, everything felt low–energy.
3. STUPID FACIAL EXPRESSIONS DO NOT EQUAL JOKES. Kate McKinnon! Yes, you, Ms. “30 Under 30!” Stop exaggerating your overbite! You did it during the Grease sketch, you did it during The Californians (which I’ll get to later), you do it all the time. You’re going to be the next Kristen Wiig, we get it, but you don’t have to rely on the “pretty girl–ugly face” meme. In fact, everyone was making this goofy face during The Californians sketch. Which brings me to…
4. THE CALIFORNIANS NEED TO BE RETIRED. It fell hard tonight. Funny the first time, but there’s a huge disconnect between the increasingly–specific California references and the NYC live audience. Please recognize this so we can all move on with our lives.
5. COMMIT TO YOUR CHARACTERS. The best performance of the night, bar none, was by Taran Killam as a loser older brother threatened by his sister’s new boyfriend (The Biebs). Killam was roaring, shaking and gave his heart into his performance. He made a stupid joke—we get it, SNL writers! “Glice” is not a word!—into one of the best of the night. Unfortunately, Bieber was just not a good enough actor to commit entirely to the sketch; thankfully, Oscar award winner Christoph Waltz is. See you next week!
