'SNL' Recap: J.K. Simmons
- sarahkloepple
- Feb 1, 2015
- 4 min read
It literally took me a year to get there, but yesterday I finally saw "Whiplash." Yes, you read that correctly, it took me a year. I remember reading about the film's insanely good reviews all the way from last year's Sundance Film Festival, and it's been on my radar since.
So I found myself intrigued when I learned that that very same day, one of the film's leading men would be hosting "Saturday Night Live." It was fate, I tell you. Sure, I could write a review on "Whiplash" instead, but all you really need to know is that it was insanely suspenseful, beautifully shot and the performances unforgettable.
But this episode of "SNL," you probably guessed, is much less clear-cut. Normally, I don't recap this show unless I absolutely love it (i.e. Bill Hader's episode); but after reading Mike Ryan's scorecard, where he dubbed the episode disappointing, I felt compelled to do my own ranking. Here are the sketches from worst to best.
10. "Totino's Super Bowl"
Something about this sketch just didn't sit right with me. Maybe because it featured the first of many of J.K. Simmons' terrible wigs. But I think it was the fact that plenty of women are legitimately interested in watching the Super Bowl (OK, not me in particular, but still) and this sketch assumed no women are. Maybe I'm reading too much into it. Maybe that was the whole point of the joke. But I totally laughed when Vanessa Bayer no-so-discretely in the background slapped one of those sticky hand toys against the refrigerator.
9. "Teacher Snow Day"
I'm not sure if it was just my TV, but I couldn't decipher one word from this pseudo-rap song, other than those titular three words. And what always made those Lonely Island songs so great were the unnecessarily descriptive verses ("Last week, I saw a film. / As I recall, it was a horror film.") This just completely missed its mark.
8. "Miss Trash 2015"
Cue J.K. Simmon's second terrible wig. I'm not sure why this was the first live sketch after the monologue; it seemed more like one that should be put in the last five minutes. But even if the jokes fell flat, you can't deny that the women of "SNL" can clearly own the stage during any sketch. Also, Kate McKinnon's New York accent is pretty great.
7. "Career Day"
Another bad wig, but I'm rolling with it now. Yes, this sketch was uncomfortably weird, but J.K. Simmons completely sold me on it. Hey, everyone's gotta make a living somehow.
6. "Super Bowl Shut Down Cold Open"
OK, I'm not as invested in football as some people are, but I know enough about Richard Sherman to know that Jay Pharoah delivered yet another killer impression. And Kenan Thompson can do no wrong. But what really made this sketch for me was Pharoah's line about the underwhelming snow storm in New York: "I've seen bigger blizzards at Dairy Queen."
5. "J.K. Simmons Monologue"
I'm still disappointed that Miles Teller didn't drop by for a cameo. But other than that, J.K. Simmons' monologue was pretty great. It was a given that the show would parody his Oscar-nominated role in "Whiplash" as a sadistic music instructor. I still flinch whenever I see that hand in the air. But Kyle, Aidy and Pete were great as the unsuspecting cast members ("I miss Blake Shelton!") and Fred Armisen (!) can, who knew, really play the drums. It was a fun start to a solid episode. Watch it here.
4. "Casablanca"
J.K. Simmons nailed playing Rick Blaine, but I think Kate McKinnon deserves the sketch's MVP award. Her not-so-conflicted-about-leaving version of Ilsa was hilariously convincing ("Is there a hose or something I can help with?"). And her "Sophie's Choice" reference was spot-on, even if, as Rick pointed out, Ilsa doesn't have any children: "I know, but they might make me choose for someone else. Nazis are weird like that."
3. "Weekend Update"
The "One-Dimensional Female Character From A Male-Driven Comedy"! Jebidiah Atkinson! Even though I cringed through Michael Che's rough beginning, he came out strong in the end, especially with his mini monologue about stamps for Black History Month. But nothing uttered on "SNL" will ever be more true than Jebidiah's sarcastic line about the Grammys: "Who wouldn't be excited for a night-long tribute to the Spotify playlist of a 12-year-old girl?"
2. "The Jay Z Story"
Aw, I miss Mike O'Brien. He definitely brought his A-game with "The Jay Z Story," where he himself plays the titular rapper. From the way he played Jay Z like a fan girl, to shutting down Jay Pharoah's real impression, to Jason Sueikis' cameo as Kanye West, this sketch was nearly flawless. And J.K. Simmons' looked like he was legitimately having fun as Nas.
1. "Microsoft Assistant"
I don't know why no one thought to dress Bobby Moynihan like a giant push pin before this. Sure, this sketch didn't feature J.K. Simmons at his best during the show (although now that I think about it, he more or less played a solid supporting character throughout the episode for the rest of the cast to really show off their strengths), but it was such a great concept; I had nightmares about the Microsoft Paperclip. And the sketch had such heart! The weird skits that wrap up sweetly are always the best (see: this season's second addition of Puppet Class with Bill Hader). Also, the way Bobby Moynihan dramatically goes from annoyingly enthusiastic to severely bitter about his almost-murder is just great. Watch it here.
