‘SNL’ Recap: Trolling for Tweets

Saturday Night Live ended 2016 the way it began: delayed by an overlong football game. But that wasn’t the only similarity between the first and last episodes of this uniquely tumultuous year. They were also both hosted by a pair of ultra-mellow fellows. Back in January, the strenuously subdued Adam Driver made his SNL debut, fresh off his enshrinement in the Star Wars Hall of Fame as enjoyably whiny Darth Vader-in-training, Kylo Ren. (For what it’s worth, his Star Wars affiliation resulted in the best sketch of that episode, and one of the best of the entire year, “Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base.”)

Related: Vote for the Best ‘SNL’ Sketch of 2016

And this last episode before the world collectively bids a “goodbye and good riddance” to 2016 puts another quiet guy front and center: Manchester by the Sea star, Casey Affleck, brother of more boisterous Five-Timers Club member Ben. The younger Affleck — whose comedy background primarily consists of appearing the oh-so-’90s indie movie 200 Cigarettes, and directing the strenuously unfunny Joaquin Phoenix mockumentary, I’m Still Here — seemed to recognize the incongruity of his presence in Studio 8H.

“I kind of have to wonder, ‘Why me?’” he asked at the top of his monologue, posing the question running through the minds of the audience as well. “Why didn’t they get a classic host like Will Ferrell or Tina Fey or Jimmy Fallon. Or maybe someone cool like Bruno Mars or Miley Cyrus?” Eventually, though, he arrived at a satisfactory explanation, tying his presence to the magic of the holiday season. “I love Christmas… it makes me happy. The holidays have a way of renewing us, of reminding us of what we do have and the better future we can make.”

That sentiment was endorsed by ghosts of SNL hosts past, Alec Baldwin and John Goodman, who flanked Affleck on stage as a way to buck up his confidence and garner some easy audience applause. It also allowed them to take a victory lap for their appearance in the night’s killer cold open — as Donald Trump and his recently nominated secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, respectively — which seemed specifically designed to twiddle the eager Twitter thumbs of the nation’s president-elect. Every timely Trump reference was packed into the sketch, from a certain “unpresidented” spelling gaffe to his rumored bromance with Vladimir Putin.

Although, as Beck Bennett’s shirtless portrayal of the Russian president makes clear, Trump may be much more into Putin than vice versa. When Exxon CEO Tillerson strides into the room, Putin is all over the new guy, while Trump is left standing on the sidelines. “And then we destroy Vanity Fair, right?” he asks, haplessly. “Sure, buddy, sure,” Tillerson mumbles, briefly glancing up from the oil map he’s sharing with his pal. Strap in, folks: If SNL continues to tweak Trump like this in the new year, 2017 is going to be the opposite of mellow.

Best Sketch: Hillary, Actually

She’s baaack! Kate McKinnon’s Hillary Clinton returns to deliver a timely message to the members of the Electoral College in the form of a spot-on Love Actually spoof. Think it over electors, mmkay? You’ve got, like, two whole days.

Runner-Up: Jingle Barack

The dynamic trio of Kenan Thompson, Chance the Rapper and Leslie Jones get their Run-DMC on — with an assist from the real Rev Run and DMC — rapping about the last Christmas under the Obama administration. Jones’s passionate rap about Joe Biden proves that Leslie Knope isn’t the only Leslie who loves our outgoing veep.

Worst Sketch: Mrs. Claus

A lump of coal in the stocking of the person who thought that it would be hysterical to hear Santa’s elves talk about jamming things up their butts. Even Affleck appeared to be visibly cringing, no doubt worried he’d forever be placed on Santa’s naughty list.

Best Use of Casey Affleck: Dunkin’ Donuts

Affleck’s Boston background and bushy beard — which he claimed was for his next role — came in handy for his amusing role as the self-dubbed “Mayor of Dunkin,’” an ornery customer extolling the chain’s virtues, like delicious cruellers and a liberal bathroom policy, for an increasingly chaotic commercial.

Episode MVP: Kate McKinnon

It’s no secret that many of us have had a pretty rough year. Not so SNL’s go-to comic genius, who added “movie star” to her resume in 2016 thanks to standout turns in big-screen comedies like Ghostbusters and Office Christmas Party. But even as her career is exploding elsewhere, she continues to bring her A-game to Studio 8H. In addition to reprising her always popular Hillary, she brought back her weirdo from the famous “Alien Abduction” sketch, this time to describe a close encounter with Santa Claus or, more accurately his nine-foot-tall goat man friend, Kringle-Mouse. While Affleck kept a straight face during her nattering, poor Aidy Bryant almost pulled a Ryan Gosling… again.

Saturday Night Live airs Saturdays at 11:35 p.m. on NBC. Watch clips and full episodes of SNL for free on Yahoo View.