'Saturday Night Live' Recap - Tracy Morgan & Demi Lovato

Last week we had a very solid show, in fact it’s a show I gave too low a rating on its original airing (Seriously, I gave Guns 4 stars?) The writing was unusually sharp and Amy Schumer was a great Saturday Night Live host in her 8H debut.

Tonight, we get the opposite with the return of prodigal son Tracy Morgan. Truth is, Morgan isn’t one of my personal SNL favorites. I like Brian Fellows as much as the next guy, but my admiration of Morgan’s work really comes from his brilliant work on 30 Rock. Seriously, the scene where Morgan sits in a rundown NYC stairwell and recounts the horror of his childhood makes me laugh just thinking about it.

His return to SNL will be interesting for a lot of reasons. Obviously, it’s a miracle that Morgan is even here to host at all. After surviving a horrific car crash and multiple life-threatening injuries including a TBI, it’s so heartwarming to have Morgan back doing comedy. The sheer amount of goodwill for tonight’s show is nearly unprecedented. But sometimes event shows like this mean more obligatory callbacks, guest stars and weak writing. Or not. Jordan was an SNL cast member for many years so maybe he’ll be able to do excellent ensemble work.

Like I always do, I’ll be writing the recaps “live,” meaning I’ll watch a sketch and immediately write a short blurb reviewing and recapping it. For each segment, I’ll rate it on a scale of 0-5 stars. At the end of the piece, I’ll share some quick overall thoughts and the best/worst sketch of the night.

--

Democratic Debate Cold Open: * * * * ½

Right off the bat we got guest stars galore. But it’s Larry David playing Bernie Sanders so I don’t freakin’ care one bit. Now that’s a genius bit of casting so obvious I’d never think of it. Playing off McKinnon’s always-brilliant Clinton, David’s Sanders was a brilliant mash-up of his Curb caricature and the Vermont politician. Was the material itself hilarious? Does it even matter? This is a sketch that defies rating, that’s more of a cultural moment than anything. Sometimes that’s an insult; in this case it’s a big fat compliment.

Opening Monologue: * * * * ½

I love 30 Rock. So, material aside, this gets a very high rating from me just for bringing back the TGS gang. Yes, it relied a bit too heavily on nostalgia and We Love You Tracy goodwill, but I enjoyed every second, down to that wonderful Smash callback.

Family Feud: * * * * *

When I saw the Family Feud set I let out an annoyed sigh, as the recent Celebrity Family Feud sketches were dull and lazy. But this wasn’t your typical Family Feud sketch; this was the first Capital G Great sketch of the season and the best game show sketch since Black Jeopardy. I don’t want to say too much – there’s a couple reveals in this skit that had me laughing out loud – but it’s hilarious and smartly written and just dark enough.

Brian Fellows: * * * *

And here we are, the return of Morgan’s most famous SNL character. Brian Fellows is such a wonderfully unique and strange SNL and it’s great to see him back. Something about this sketch felt rushed and a bit unfinished (a few more actual jokes beyond “I’m Brian Fellows” would have been appreciated), but we got Brian Fellows and a real camel (who doesn’t understand camera blocking), so I have nothing to complain about.

Fake Cocaine: * * *

Perhaps another night this faux commercial about the lengths a guy will go as to not admit to pooping at a party would play better. Everything’s been so great so far, this can’t help but feel just very, very ehhhh.

Weekend Update: * * * * ½

This was a wonderful Update. We got a much more relaxed Jost/Che, more gun control humor and Tina Fey doing a fantastic bit about Playboy modeling that featured the line “girls need to know coding and arm butts.” I’m not generally a fan of Thompson’s Willy, but tonight his set was funnier and darker than usual (was that an animal autoerotic asphyxiation joke?!).

The Loveliest Kingdom: * * ½

What would happen if Tracy Jordan was a character in the world of Disney’s ‘90s multicultural Cinderella? You’d get this wildly uneven sketch. While I like the idea of an uncouth simpleton interacting with storybook villagers, it took a weird turn and then abruptly ended. I like weird, I like dark, but this was two skits smashed together and neither of them really worked.

The Standoff: * * * ½

I really like the concept of this sketch, it’s solidly funny and timeless in the way many great, pre-taped SNL skits are. But while I admire the performances and the look this short pulled off, I’m not sure it really went anywhere memorable.

Yo, Where Jackie Chan At Right Now?: * * * *

I would watch a Morgan and Thompson TV show every week, the two play off of each other show well. This sketch, however, has all the makings of a overly long dumb sketch that relies too heavily on impressions. But the concept was so wonderfully dumb and the impressions so random (the Carmen Sandiego lady!) that I laughed through the entire thing. I don’t understand why this was a sketch, but I do know it was very dumb and very entertaining.

Astronaut Jones: * * *

I get it, a sketch like this is pure nostalgia. But, along with Brian Fellows, it was a needed part of tonight’s show. The best part? They used the original late ‘90s credit sequence and Tracy hasn’t aged a day.

Best Sketch:

Worst Sketch: Loveliest Kingdom

Musical Guest: Demi Lovato

I really want to like Lovato’s music. I’m a fan of hers since recapping X-Factor for this site. She really comes across as a very sweet and talented performer with a admirable sense of self and vulnerability. But, to me, her music often comes across as bland and unmemorable. Like, I just listened to both of her performances and can’t remember anything about the songs themselves.

Overall Thoughts:

This was a truly great SNL episode, one of the best I’ve reviewed in my three years writing about the show. It wasn’t just the nostalgia factor or the beyond admirable fact that Morgan is back and in perfect form. The writing and performances and energy were all top notch.

Next Week We Got:

Donald Trump & Sia