'SNL' Recap: March Madness With Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill is on his way to being your next Saturday Night Live five-timer, and he’ll do whatever it takes to get there. The Oscar-nominated Wolf of Wall Street actor made a fourth visit to Studio 8H last night, kicking off his stint by sharing his opening monologue with musical guest Future.
Hill didn’t have much to tell us before Future and his fur hoodie took over the stage. In his opener, the actor updated fans on what he’s been up to lately, like the fact that he saw Deadpool and starred in the trailer for Hail, Caesar! After SNL player Kyle Mooney asked Hill what it’s like to be a big movie star, (“Could you ask one of your friends?”), the actor decided to give his opener a jumpstart. Future showed up to join him in an impromptu performance of “Jumpman,” where Hill got to play Drake. (Future later took the stage for two much better performances, including a duet with The Weeknd for his song “Low Life,” and a rendition of “March Madness.”)
Hill ended his stint on the show by saying how the entire SNL cast always makes him feel like family. But this family reunion was a little dysfunctional — read, unfunny — this time around.
Best Sketch: Voters for Trump Ad (above)
It would be impossible not to address all of the headlines Donald Trump has made this week, so this faux political ad made short work of the divisive candidate’s campaign. After acknowledging all the negative things that the media has been saying about Trump, the ad gets to the bottom of what “real Americans are saying.” But the “real” Americans — a housewife at the ironing board and a working class house painter — who think of The Donald as “authentic” and a job creator, turn out to be a Ku Klux Klan member (she’s ironing her KKK robe) and a supporter who’s actually painting “White power” on the side of a building. There’s also a swastika-wearing Nazi who raises his arm to show us how high Trump will take the country. And while another supporter is burning a cross, he finds time to admire the billionaire’s knack for big business.
Worst Sketch: Fond Du Lac News
Not gonna lie, there were a few worst sketches to choose from, but this one was the worst of the worst. (The creepy-gross “School Auction” was a close second.) Here, Hill and Cecily Strong are chatty-casual Wisconsin newscasters who wear down vests and… have funny Midwestern accents. Yep, that was the whole of the joke. Making matters worse, no one involved in the sketch does a particularly good Wisconsin accent. It’s true, you betcha.
Best Use of Jonah Hill: The Champ
Hill had no problem playing the biggest loser in this sketch about a high school wrestler, Nate, who’s tricked into thinking he beat the town’s wrestling champ. Newly crowned champ Nate gets unlikely adulation — and an invite to a beer party — from the school’s most popular cheerleader (Kate McKinnon), but when he gets home he sees a local news report and finds out the real town champ allowed himself to be pinned by the school loser “as an act of charity.” Turns out everyone feels sorry for Nate “because he sucks so hard.” Hill nailed the role of the high school outcast who’s humiliated by the news report, which is such a big story that it kicks a double murder (allegedly committed by Will and Grace star Eric McCormack) out of the headlines. Tigers forever!
Episode MVP: Jay Pharoah
While we were ready to give this spot to Jason Sudeikis, who returned for the SNL cold open to play Mitt Romney (“That’s right, America. I’m back. You didn’t ask for it, but you’ve got it!”), but he gets knocked out by SNL regular Jay Pharoah, whose Weekend Update segment about a “secret black comedians’ meeting” showcased a series of spot-on impressions. In quick succession, Pharoah gave us Kevin Hart, Katt Williams, Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Hannibal Buress, and the late Bernie Mac.
Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. on NBC.
