'SNL' Recap: A Poor Showing for Peter
So can we blame Tyrion Lannister for the cold front that blew into New York this weekend? It certainly can’t be a coincidence that on the same weekend Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage made his debut as a Saturday Night Live host, winter-like temperatures came back for the Big Apple, ceasing the spring thaw.
And the Emmy-winning actor wasted little time answering the biggest question GoT fans have as the blockbuster HBO series prepares to kick off its sixth season on Apr. 24: What’s the deal with Jon Snow? Is he dead? Alive? Pining for the fjords? Unfortunately, his answer was a strenuous, “I don’t know.” Despite the fact that he’s had ready access to scripts for months now, as Dinklage himself said, “If I’m not in the scene, Petey no read-y.”
Related: ‘Game of Thrones’: 11 Classic Tyrion Lannister Insults for Every Occasion
The only other person in Studio 8H who might have known the answer was the creator of Westeros, George R.R. Martin, but he wasn’t talking either. Largely because it wasn’t the real Martin, but rather cast member Bobby Moynihan impersonating the author, who we can only hope is chained to his desk in New Mexico finishing that overdue sixth book. Moynihan’s Martin joked about writing Dinklage’s monologue, and the terrible jokes he came up with — “How many Lannisters does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None, because they only screw in their parents’ bed!” — sadly set the tone for the rest of the night.
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Blame it on the weather, or the fact that SNL has been on a multi-week hiatus, but frankly this episode was the comedic equivalent of the Red Wedding. Bad idea followed bad idea, and even initially promising sketches quickly went south. What’s weird is that Dinklage is one of the funniest characters on Game of Thrones, and has also scored big laughs when guesting on shows like 30 Rock. Unfortunately, what plays in Westeros simply didn’t play in Studio 8H.
Best Sketch: “At This Hour”
SNL clearly didn’t have any idea how to write for Dinklage, but by now the writers are experienced at going after former host-turned-favorite target, Donald Trump. In this cold open, Cecily Strong nailed the increasing desperation of Trump spokespeople tasked with making sense of his bizarre utterances, and Kate McKinnon’s baffled reactions were an endless source of amusement. The sketch climaxed with the night’s funniest punchline: “Clearly, that man had a bee on his face, and Donald was just trying to punch it off for him. Ten times.” It was all downhill from there.
Worst Sketch: “Trendy Restaurant”
Too many to choose from, but this sketch — set in a restaurant that used to be a sex parlor — reduced Dinklage and Aidy Bryant to fellating lengthy loaves of bread being shoved out of a hole in the wall.
Worst Fan Service: “Game of Thrones: Sneak Peek”
How could the writers screw up a Game of Thrones sketch when they had the real Tyrion in house? Here’s how: By apparently skipping the Season 5 finale. If they had watched that episode, they would have known that Daenerys is no longer anywhere near Tyrion, having been deposited in Dothraki territory by Drogon…the very dragon that Moynihan played (badly). Call us nerds if you want, but it helps to actually watch the show you’re spoofing.
Best Use of Peter Dinklage: “Mafia Meeting”
How bad was Dinklage’s material? So bad that only a nonsense, Devo-esque song about space pants inspired a smile and semi-chuckle. The sketch around it — which involved Moynihan, Pete Davidson and John Rudnitsky playing Jersey mooks, for some reason — was even more nonsensical, but Dinklage was able to tune them out by blurting lyrics like, “Space pants, space pants, I am wearing space pants!”
Episode MVP: Kate McKinnon
Last night may have revealed that Dinklage wasn’t a particularly great SNL host, but on the other hand it showed that McKinnon is a fantastic substitute Daenerys. Can she play the Aunt of Dragons in Season 7?
Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:35 p.m. on NBC
