Joseph Gordon-Levitt had some gigantic comedic shoes to fill after Seth MacFarlane’s appearance on SNL’s season premiere last week.
But after stripping, cross-dressing, playing the son of the world’s most interesting man and even an overly enthusiastic urban fashion designer, the Gordon-Levitt powered edition of SNL provided more than ample laughs.
The show didn’t depend on political satire as much as it did last week, especially after this Thursday’s Weekend Update prime-time special. Those who needed their political humor fix still got what they needed. The few politically-charged sketches, involving republican funded tampons, ill-informed voters and a lengthy Weekend Update provided the show with a solid balance of material.
The prime-time edition of SNL’s weekend update on Thursday covered many of the political goings-on of the week, but Seth Myers had plenty of new material. The republican presidential campaign was Meyers’ main target; Mitt Romney’s gaff on Spanish television, Ann Romney’s “this is hard†comments and Paul Ryan’s speech for the AARP were all highlighted.
Myers also had a message to president Barack Obama. Meyers told the president to pull a Queen Elizabeth and “just wave.†Kate McKinnon’s Ann Romney finished up the political coverage with a bang; she channeled her inner-Beyonce Knowles and showed the crowd her “totally awesome hair.â€
Weekend Update wrapped up covering the inadequate play of the New York Jets. Channeling ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Jay Pharaoh exclaimed, “Tebow’s arm is proof there is no god.â€
Gordon-Levitt was a natural as host. His opening monologue poked fun at Channing Tatum’s “Magic Mike†and got the frenetic pace of the show going. Gordon-Levitt’s energy was simply contagious.
Musical guest Mumford and Sons provided a musical showcase with tracks “I Will Wait†and “Below My Feet.†Much like Gordon-Levitt, they had an undeniable energy and audience-wide appeal. Their appearance as a Beatles cover band during one skit got a huge rise out of the crowd.
Much like last week, the cast was stellar. Pharaoh was hilarious in the season premiere as Barack Obama, but his Michael Strahan and Stephen A. Smith impersonations were equally laugh inducing. Bill Hader’s Robert Pattinson and caricature-drawing private detective spots were also charmingly silly.
Behind the energetic hosting of Gordon-Levitt, an enjoyable second Weekend Update segment this week and great music, SNL didn’t lose any of its momentum after a fantastic season premiere.
Read more about SNL’s 38 season from Patrick Hickey Jr. @ NBCNewYork.com.
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