Saturday Night Live hit a massive high note with guest host Lin-Manuel Miranda. With his opening monologue, aka opening musical number the toast of Broadway literally could have ended his open with a mic drop.
The show was on top form, much like last week’s, which featured Margot Robbie as guest host. Alec Baldwin reprised his “Donald Trump” and the show’s cold open had Cecily Strong, Baldwin and Kate McKinnon doing their bit to poke fun at the latest “Trump trash” to hit media streams.
(For those who missed it, Trump proved to be even more misogynistic and sexist than anyone could have imagined. Speaking like a 14 year-old in a sports locker room on an open mic.)
It was Lin-Manuel Miranda, however, that shone in every skit he participated in. The hot, hot, hot star was in every sketch and skit, sans the very short Melania’s Dream gag.
Just to show how it could not really get any better than that opening monologue, watch Miranda just kill it in the video below:
There were three standout sketches in the show. Stranger Things was hilariously spot on and featured a star turn by “new girl” Melissa Villaseñor who did a spot on impression of Winona Ryder in the Netflix series.
McKinnon also knocked it out of the park as Eleven, as did Leslie Jones as Lucas’ never before seen mom.
On a sidenote, Sasheer Zamata was great as Lucas and actually got a lot more than just “face-time” on the show. Miranda played Dustin and Kyle Mooney was Mike.
The skit addressed the issue of Lucas’ parents never being seen on the Netflix favorite. (For that matter we never saw Dustin’s folks either…) This was almost on par with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s open and that political cold open.
The pre-recorded spot, “Day Off” with Kate McKinnon was brilliantly funny. She played Kellyanne Conway, the spokesperson for Donald Trump. Set up primarily as a montage of how Kellyanne was enjoying her day off it veers off into comic gold.
Conway is torn away from her day off every time Trump opens his mouth. It was funny and McKinnon sold it as only she can. If nothing else has been learned from the 2016 political race, it is clear that Donald Trump will provide fodder for comic routines for years to come. This skit proves it.
Clearly Lin-Manuel Miranda was the draw of the evening. Even Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon wrangled a spot on Weekend Update in order to share stage space with Miranda.
The Wells Fargo skit was funny “We’ll even open an account for your dog.” Although the highlight may well have not been Miranda’s portrayal of a banking Harold Hill.
It was Mooney’s lisping Winthrop Paroo who took that honor with his rejoinder to Aidy Bryant’s character: “Thay that to my faith bith.”
The Crucible Cast Party was a laugh for anyone who took drama classes and remembers those rather tame cast parties. All the SNL ladies rocked it in this one although it was only really funny if the viewer had “been there” so to speak.
Musical guest Twenty One Pilots was a crowd pleaser whose music was catchy although the lyrics were a bit eclectic. While not everyone will rush out to purchase their latest tracks the songs were impressive; despite those quirky song lyrics.
So far SNL have rocked it out of the park season 42. Two for two. Out of the “new kids” Villaseñor has shot out of the starting gate like a rocket. We cannot wait to see more of this talented performer.
SNL airs Saturdays on NBC. Tune in and catch this brilliant start to the season.
