I know it's not the most popular opinion to have, but I like comedian Russell Brand. I think he's fast and funny and very much in on the joke that he's created around himself. Having said that, I strongly suspected that having him host this week's Saturday Night Live was an experiment that might fail, and I was mostly right. Sometimes, talented and funny people can be funny and talented but still not fit in with the kind of show SNL does, and that's exactly what happened with Brand. He never stopped looking out of place, and most of the laughs this week came in spite of him and not because of him (with the exception of his monologue). It's strange, sometimes, what works on the show and what doesn't. Brand might be too strong a personality to pull off a guest stint on a sketch comedy. That's too bad, because it gives further ammunition to the folks who claim he isn't funny.
On a more positive note, a few of the featured players have really been coming into their own in recent weeks and it gives me hope about some new blood on the show (not that I dislike the current cast, but it appears the writers have exhausted the possibilities of what to do with them). While Jay Pharoah and Paul Brittain are still struggling somewhat (and Nasim Pedrad might as well be a full-fledged cast member for as much as she does), both Vanessa Bayer and Taran Killam have been getting a lot of screen time and making it count. Killam, in particular, appears to be getting away from the gimmicky impressions and carving out a place for himself as a specific "type" on the show. Even during ok-to-bad weeks like this one, watching the progress of these two gives me something to look forward to.
Sketch Highlights
- "Cold Open: Bill O'Reilly and Barack Obama" - I get frustrated when Saturday Night Live finally takes on a target they should have been tearing into years ago and then does nothing with it. That's the case with this week's cold open, in which Jason Sudekis does a barely-there impression of Bill O'Reilly interviewing Fred Armisen's Barack Obama. There's a lot to make fun of when it comes to O'Reilly, but either SNL can't be bothered to think of what that might be or they aren't interested in making powerful enemies. Either way, I'm awfully disappointed in them. (Watch the "Cold Open: O'Reilly/Obama" video)
- "Russell Brand Monologue" - It's always a little jarring when an actual comedian hosts Saturday Night Live, because the writers clearly take a week off from writing the monologue and just hand over an extended chunk of time to let the host do a stand-up routine. I like Russell Brand and I thought his monologue was pretty funny, actually, even though he seemed out of place (he would continue to appear so for the remainder of the night) and the audience in 8H didn't really sound like they loved it. I get why people would have a distaste for Brand --he's not for everyone -- but I thought this monologue was funnier than he got credit for (laugh-wise) and was actually one of the high points of the night. (Watch the "Russell Brand Monlogue" video)
- "Spider-Man Lawsuit" - The funniest thing about this fake commercial was the little animated transitions that popped up between testimonials. Otherwise, it was amusing at best. Short, though, which I'll take on a week like this.
- "Vacation Giveaway" - I'm exhausted. I literally don't know what else to say about sketches like this, in which the host is asked to remain deadpan while Kristen Wiig barfs up a lung straining for laughs. As usual, there's no real joke -- just a succession of funny faces and noises. If you like funny Kristen Wiig faces and voices, this sketch is porn for you. If you're me, its kryptonite. It's as if the show realized they hadn't actually written any jokes, too, because they tack on Kristen Wiig getting hit with a gutter at the end. We should all be so lucky. (Watch the "Vacation Giveaway" video)
- "British Movie" - I so badly wanted to love this sketch, but it only halfway worked. The look and feel of it were just right, and Fred Armisen's cockney villain was funny early on, but it never reached the heights of absurdity I was hoping it would achieve. Russell Brand -- who is British -- was also the most disappointing British person. It's strange how out of place he seemed in so many sketches this week, considering the majority of them were based on the fact that he's British (shades of the Jennifer Lopez Latin extravaganza from last season). (Watch the "British Movie" video)
- "Royal Taster" - Did you know Russell Brand is British? Another piece that worked halfway, mostly because it let Bill Hader go nuts and showcased Taran Killam, who finally appears to be finding his place on the show and had lots to do this week. As is so often the cast these days, the premise was funnier than anything that followed. The writers are good with premise, but bad with sketch. Jon Lovitz pretty much said as much in a recent interview with AV Club). He's exactly right. (Watch the "Royal Taster" video)
- "Livin' Single" - I'm repeating myself, and I'm sorry. So many of the sketches suffered from the same issues this week (this season, really), so it stands to reason that these recaps would, too. I was somewhat excited when the sketch began, because I find Vanessa Bayer funny and interesting and because she seemed to have put her finger on a very specific type of TV personality. I also liked the slow(ish) reveal of Taran Killam's crush on the host. When Russell Brand came out, though, the sketch stopped being about anything but he and Bayer groping one another and having simulated sex. I liked the first part better. (Watch the "Livin' Single" video)
- "A Spot of Tea" - Russell Brand is British. A funny enough idea. A lame execution. It's the whole night in a nutshell. This sketch showcased another of SNL's bad habits though: introduce a single decent joke, then just repeat it two more times. No build. No variation. Just repetition. I, for one, am happy to see the show is taking a much-needed break -- not for them, but for me. (Watch the "Spot of Tea" video)
- Original Air Date: 2/12/11
- Host: Russell Brand
- Musical Guest: Chris Brown
