Splitsider

In the world of improv comedy, there is a popular show format in which an ensemble improvises scenes inspired by a true story told by a guest monologist. The inclination during these shows is to reenact scenes from a new comedic point of view, or to riff on a specific detail from the story, for example the monologist getting a fact wrong or mispronouncing a word. However, the show seems to be the most successful when the ensemble mines the monologist’s story for deep-rooted emotions, themes or personality traits, and then uses the scenes to collectively “respond” to the monologist. The scenes become a thematic statement about the kind of person the monologist is.

SNL, as a show with a new guest host every week, often reflects this format. We tend to see it especially when there is a host with a particularly specific persona. At times the resulting show is irritating — for example, sketch after sketch exploiting Channing Tatum’s background as an exotic dancer or Elton John’s homosexuality — while in others, we’re left with a pleasant sense of wholeness — for example, last season’s Jesse Eisenberg episode as a case study of “awkward humor,” and past episodes exploring Donald Trump’s narcissism and Al Gore’s always-a-bridesmaid curse.

Last weekend’s episode, hosted by the aquirkable Zooey Deschanel, fell in the latter category for me. Perhaps I have succumbed to Deschanel’s charms, but I sensed a through-line during the night that painted an interesting picture of the actress’s vintage style and soft-spoken nature. While her ukulele song may have surprised no one, nowadays I think it’s less important for SNL to surprise us than it is to serve as a cathartic snapshot of our cultural icons.

This episode was my favorite so far of 2012, with several original sketches (and with recurring pieces that actually worked, for the most part), and an excellent host who brought her signature quirky charm to the show.

What Hit:

Monologue. Zooey Deschanel, wearing a season-appropriate dress, strummed her uke and crooned a number called “You Forgot It Was Valentine’s Day.” There was nothing edgy or dangerous about the song, and most of jokes could have been lifted from an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. But hey, I kind of liked Raymond, and if SNL must address the upcoming holiday at some point in the evening, I’m glad they did so with something that was at least fun to watch and to listen to.

Clint Eastwood Runner. Supporting this episode’s sense of wholeness was the existence of a successful runner – a series of ads parodying the Chrysler commercials during the Superbowl starring Clint Eastwood, which some conservatives complained contained a left-leaning political message. Bill Hader’s Eastwood is always a delight, and his complaints about America’s laziness and the GOP candidates became as uncomfortable as his waistline must have been. The ads also had some fun with what each ad was selling exactly, giving us a nice twist at the end of the third.

Les Jeunes De Paris. While this was not the funniest incarnation of Taran Killam’s bizarre French dance party sketch, the choice to transpose it into a silent film musical number ala The Artist — featuring Jean Dujardin, no less — might make it my favorite. The choreography was the most impressive yet, and the sketch overflowed with the charm that made us love both the movie and this concept.

Newspaper. In this well executed period piece, Jason Sudeikis and Kristen Wiig played fast-talking, sharp-witted newsmen from the 1940s, whose quips soared far above the head of an easygoing, down-to-earth Zooey Deschanel. I enjoyed this twist on the clash of context structure, and the writing that went into the script and timing of the performers was impressive for a three-minute sketch. I do wish Deschanel didn’t read her lines directly off the cue cards — a problem that seemed to plague her in the earlier sketches of the night — but the studio audience more or less forgave her.

Weekend Update. While I was a bit let down by Nasim Pedrad’s well delivered but underwritten Arianna Huffington segment, Seth Meyers delivered with some great one-liners, and I had nothing but “high praise” for the two Nicolas Cages. Now, normally I find the real-celebrity-versus-impersonator stunts annoying, but every once in a while the gag is justified. Andy Samberg’s Cage is so deliciously bizarre and self-obsessed, seeing him describe his clone’s smell as that of a “silverback gorilla in a form-fitting leather jacket,” and the real Cage suggesting a three-way with the Declaration of Independence, just feels right, in some strange way.

Bein’ Quirky with Zooey Deschanel. The highlight of the night came in this self-explanatory talk show hosted by Abby Elliot’s Deschanel — a strong impersonation from an underused actress. Joining her were Killam’s pitch-perfect Michael Cera, Deschanel’s Mary-Kate Olson, who came to the show after she and Deschanel “both tried to pick the same wildflower,” and Kristen Wiig’s Bjork, who knitted a sweater for an octopus, leaving “one extra hole for its dreams and ideas.” The writers tapped into a largely unexplored comedic territory, resulting in nonstop punchlines. As it turns out, the haters of the Deschanel quirky girl movement have none other than Mayim Bialik to blame.

Verizon Ad. I can’t say this sketch was necessary — complex phone plans isn’t a topic that’s exactly ripe for parody. But I have to give SNL credit for honing in on a clear concept and executing it well.

Technology Hump. I was happy to see this sketch return (they did it with Emma Stone earlier this season), just because I have the sense of humor of a 13-year-old and have fantasies of my gadgets doing the nasty to each other. The studio audience wasn’t as warm to this go-around, but I enjoyed they lengths they went to humanize a label maker, the 80s-look of the Duck Hunt gun and pager hookup, and the image of a tape recorder wearing a ball gag.

Victorian Ladies. Not the strongest 10-to-1 sketch by any means, I still appreciated the freak-flag nature of it, with 1860s pen pals dishing about their deformed suitors, including an heir to a pile of manure, one who imagines crows attacking him at all times, and one who declared war on the moon and throws logs at it nightly.

What Missed:

Cold Open: Mitt Romney Primaries. Another bland and unnecessary recap of the latest updates from the GOP primaries was almost redeemed by a hilarious third beat in which Romney’s dog furiously barks when he tries to pet him. I could have watched Sudeikis play off that dog for the entire sketch, but instead, we had to endure a few minutes of election results and Gingrich sad trombones.

Piers Morgan Tonight: Super Bowl Halftime. I suppose it makes sense that SNL placed this sketch so early in the show — there was a lot to like about it, with Deschanel as a hilarious angry woman from Ohio and Samberg as that guy who bounced around on the tight rope in a toga. But overall the sketch depended too much on impersonations for me and felt like an excuse to make some week-old jokes.

Patio Party. Deschanel and Wiig played party hosts repeatedly promising their impatient guests delicious crab… which never came. Sketches in which the pattern is a big build-up are always risky, and my guess is that the physical gag of teasingly walking back into the house received a warmer reaction during dress rehearsal. This sketch could have gone either way, but unfortunately it just didn’t pay off.

I loved the creative decisions that went into the sketches this week — the tie-in with The Artist in Les Jeunes De Paris, the choice to make the Clint Eastwood ad a runner, Zooey’s straight character in the Newspaper sketch, the two Nicolas Cages, the entire Bein’ Quirky sketch, and the dog in the cold open. Zooey Deschanel seemed to gain confidence as the night went on, relying less on cue cards and more on her instincts as an actress. I enjoyed the cameos by Nicolas Cage and Jean Dujardin, and I appreciated the quick tribute to Whitney Houston with a lone still of the singer with Mary Catherine Gallagher.

What did you think? Did you find Zooey Deschanel’s quirkiness off-putting, or did you like how SNL embraced her personality throughout the night? Will Bill Hader ever not hit an impersonation out of the park? Should Mitt Romney’s dog be a recurring character?

I’ll see you next week, when Maya Rudolph will host with musical guest Sleigh Bells.

Erik Voss is a writer and performer living in Los Angeles. He performs with his improv team Natural 20 at the iO West Theater. He once proposed to Zooey Deschanel, but she rolled her eyes, said, “I mean…” and never answered the question. Is that a yes, Zooey?