‘SNL’ Recap: John Cena Goes Bananas
When the Rock hosted SNL in 2000, professional wrestling was huge, but it still carried a tremendous stigma. The surge in popularity made it briefly visible in mainstream culture, but it remained something that only a certain segment of the population (including kids) took seriously. Flash forward to today and wrestling is so mainstream that host John Cena’s day job as WWE champion barely rates a mention.
While Cena may not have the range of the Rock or of the very best SNL greats — Hanks, McCarthy, Goodman — he is better than absolutely every other athlete host and about a third of movie star hosts. It would be interesting to see him given a second shot at this; this time around the writers limited him mostly to smiling doofus roles, but in the one sketch where he played a jerk, Cena showed us that there might be more to his comedic arsenal than we’ve seen.
Related: Vote for the Best SNL Sketch of 2016
The monologue segment was mediocre and proved that the over-the-top nature of pro wrestling is no longer that weird considering we have a president-elect in the WWE Hall of Fame. It teased a song from John Cena, but instead delivered some weak wrestling gags elevated by Leslie Jones being Leslie Jones. Maybe we’ll see her next April at Wrestlemania?
Best Sketch: “Science Presentation”
Can Cena do more than just play big and dumb? Absolutely. But it’s what he does best. He’s got killer comedic timing and a genial good nature that makes you want to root for him even when he’s playing skeevy characters (see “The Karate Teen” below) or, in this case, when his big dummy’s success means the genuinely bright students get dumped on.
Worst Sketch: “Romance Bookstore”
A sketch like this — where the joke is everybody’s heightened emotions — only works when the emotions are genuine. The convoluted plot — Aidy Bryant as a randy bookstore clerk flirting loudly with Cena’s Fabio-esque boy toy — did not make much sense. Should Cena rip off his shirt at some point in the episode? Absolutely. Could they have come up with a better excuse for him to do it? Absolutely. That being said, if you don’t incorporate the phrase “grab your ghost butt with my 10-pound hands” into your lovemaking routine after watching this sketch, then you’re doing sex wrong.
Best Use of the Host: “The Karate Teen”
The sketch is a minute too long considering how thin the premise is, but Cena does a high-pitched teen villain from the ’80s voice shockingly well, and it kind of makes you want to see Sammy Knox’s life more than you do the hero, Jeffy Le’Hart. It’s an interesting reversal because Le’Hart is played by newcomer Mikey Day, who is almost always cast in the smarmy jerk role that Cena plays here.
A Modest Proposal:
The cold open got a great cameo boost from Bryan Cranston, playing Trump’s appointee to head the DEA, Walter White. Why is he not hosting this month? He’s got a movie to promote, and he hasn’t hosted since 2010. Not that he needs an excuse to host; just being Bryan Cranston should be reason enough.
Episode MVP: Kate McKinnon
She didn’t miss a beat when her Clinton impersonation became dated; her Kellyanne Conway is now the go-to in the cold open when Alec Baldwin isn’t available to be Trump. Her lackluster Angela Merkel – usually a high point of the show – was made up for with another ridiculous Dyke & Fats, which always feels like both women are on the verge of breaking at any moment.
Saturday Night Live returns on Dec. 17 with host Casey Affleck and musical guest Chance the Rapper. It airs Saturdays at 11:35 p.m. on NBC. Watch clips and full episodes of SNL for free at Yahoo View.
