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Shane Gillis brings ‘SNL’ back down to Earth in post-anniversary episode

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If “Saturday Night Live” has recently celebrated 50 years of comedy and music with numerous star-studded live events over several weeks, how would one approach planning the first routine episode that follows these grand celebrations?

In an unexpected move, “SNL” lowered the hype by inviting back Shane Gillis, a comedian who was initially hired and later dismissed last year. The initial excitement of seeing him on the show that previously rejected him has faded. Now it’s interesting to see what Gillis, famed for his controversial streaming show “Tires,” can offer.

It appears that Gillis, despite having numerous chances to portray diverse characters in live skits, commercial spoofs, and “Please Don’t Destroy” videos, primarily stuck to playing a subdued version of himself. In contrast to Nate Bargatze, another successful comedian who’s hosted shows twice, Gillis doesn’t seem drawn to clever or unexpected humor. The sketches written for him (presumably with his input) often revolved around sexual acts, boorish men, or crude scenarios, such as the disheartened father on a PBS Kids show titled “Dad’s House” or an ex-boyfriend who disrupts a woman’s wedding to demand a specific, explicit act he believed was promised in a coupon from her.

Gillis featured in a comedy skit depicting a local news program where the anchors engage in a contest attempting to determine the racial background of crime report suspects, portraying characters such as a frustrated boyfriend snapping photos of his overbearing girlfriend (Heidi Gardner), an advertisement spokesperson promoting beers and cocaine as antidepressants, and a man questioning if his physician (Emil Wakim) could still perform oral sex as he did when they were younger.

Although not every sketch was poor, performers like Gardner, Wakim, and the pairing of Kenan Thompson and Ego Nwodim managed to salvage a few, but unfortunately, nothing could rescue Gillis from an episode that generally seemed rough and inappropriate.

In “Please Don’t Destroy,” Tate McRae made an appearance and sang “Sports Car” and “Dear God.” A remembrance for David Johansen, the lead singer of New York Dolls who recently passed away, was displayed at the end of the program. Additionally, a commercial promoting CeraVe anti-dandruff shampoo featured Sarah Sherman and Bowen Yang in a punk band during “SNL.

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This week’s opening scene focused on the contentious meeting in the Oval Office involving President Trump (portrayed by James Austin Johnson), Vice President J.D. Vance (Bowen Yang), and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky (Mikey Day). Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández) kept his distance. In the meeting, Trump and Vance criticized Zelensky for his casual “Star Trek” attire and accused him of failing to thank the U.S. and not complimenting American leaders as “handsome.” Yang had a chance to shine with his spot-on Vance impression, reminiscent of a hopeful on the “Real Housewives of Potomac.” Johnson’s Trump portrayal was typically precise, but the unexpected revelation was the debut of a new Elon Musk, played by “SNL” veteran Mike Myers, who replaced Dana Carvey. Myers successfully captured Musk as an excitable, bouncy, hyperactive South African toddler or malfunctioning robot.

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As a dedicated cinephile, diving headfirst into my opening banter, I couldn’t help but poke fun at the comedic antics of our former Commander-in-Chief, Trump, during his tenure. I even threw in a jab about the humorous side of our current President Biden that left his face looking like it was stuck between teleprompters. However, the audience seemed to be less amused when I followed up with, “I get it… you guys are pretty liberal here…. Now I’m gonna lose you even more.”

The remainder of my monologue took an awkward turn as I addressed a sensitive topic – race. I confessed to asking women on first dates if they had ever been intimate with a Black man, acknowledging that it was an inappropriate and strange question. I even admitted to doing it myself, expressing my regret but not my pride. The monologue took another dive when I added a Bill Cosby “tip.” Unfortunately, things didn’t improve from there.

Best sketch of the night: It’s not a competition, but suddenly it is

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In this comedy skit depicting a midday news broadcast on local television, four panelists (Gardner, Gillis, Nwodim, and Thompson) engage in conjecture regarding the racial identity of the criminals mentioned in various news items they’re discussing. For instance, when speaking about a methamphetamine ring, Gillis’s character suggests it’s likely to be someone resembling Walter White from “Breaking Bad.” When discussing looters, he wagers that the culprits are of Black ethnicity. An incident at a barbershop is speculated to be connected to Shaboozey, while TSA agents are assumed to be involved in some form of mayhem. As the skit progresses, Nwodim and Thompson skillfully maintain its coherence through their dynamic performances.

Also good: You look better in photos with an egg in your mouth

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The initial scene in the show displayed Gardner and Gillis as a couple touring a vineyard with his parents, played by Andrew Dismukes and Ashley Padilla. The young lady persistently requested her boyfriend to snap photos of her beside an orange tree. She then embarrassed him in front of his family by making excessive photography requests and insisting he not capture images that resembled Michael Cera. This sort of character could be typical for Gardner on “Weekend Update”: quirky, particular, and extremely dislikable. However, it’s her dedication to the act that truly shines in the sketch.

‘Weekend Update’ winner: The trolley problem, but as a love song

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In this performance, Hernandez portrayed a character resembling a film enthusiast, however, he admittedly hadn’t watched many of the Academy Award-nominated films he was discussing. Jane Wickline stole the show with her unconventional dating advice delivered through melodies about the trolley problem – a moral dilemma where one must decide between saving an individual on a track or five others from a runaway train. As “Update” host Colin Jost expressed that the song wasn’t romantic enough, Wickline took an unexpected turn into a chilling depiction of domestic life, which ultimately led her back to the trolley tracks. Despite her songs being clever, Wickline excelled at conveying the emotional depth within them, even in absurd situations such as a love ballad centered around the trolley problem.

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2025-03-02 11:31

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