Live from the Cottage, it’s Saturday Night Live (SNL)! Heated Rivalry’s Connor Storrie made his SNL debut last weekend, so let’s go over the highs and lows of the sketches in the episode.
HIGHS
One of the biggest highlights of Saturday’s show was the Update Desk. Colin Jost and Michael Che are always sharp behind the desk, but they weren’t pulling any punches on Saturday. The punchlines were subversive and unexpected, which played really well with the in-studio audience.
I think the best jokes of this update cycle were the “kids grow up so fast” joke and the recurring “What are we, Iran?” bit that Che kept turning to.
Another major highlight was the two characters featured on Update.
Veronika Slowikowska made her “Update” debut and knocked it out of the park. Using the setup of a bridesmaid speech to report on major news seems like it wouldn’t play well, but it absolutely did. Slowikowska’s delivery, coupled with the catchphrase “No, but seriously,” made for a relatable and funny character.
The other character feature of the night was Sarah Sherman as the mother of the viral monkey Punch. Sherman delivered a wacky twist to a heartwarming trend, and in her true fashion, took multiple shots at Jost whilst doing so. The cherry on top for this feature was Marcello Hernández coming out as Punch, stuffie and all.
The other highlights included some sketches featuring Storrie. The first sketch of the night to really hit for me was the “Gentlemen’s Code” sketch. The sketch featured great acting from Storrie, and the heightening of the sketch was perfect. It gave us a taste of what sketches Storrie would thrive in throughout the night, which were exaggerated physical comedy sketches with character acting.
The following sketch, “Ice Skating,” was also a major highlight. The staging of the sketch allowed for some silly hijinks and high energy delivered from Storrie, Ben Marshall, and Mikey Day.
The serious situation presented by Tommy Brennan and Slowikowska was contrasted so well with the physicality of the situation behind them. This sketch was just pure silly energy, and of course, I have to mention the Hudson Williams cameo.
Another major highlight came at the end of the show, with a sketch featuring Storrie as a stripper. Not only did we get to watch Storrie strip, but we also got an incredible physical comedy performance from him. The premise of this sketch was simple, but Storrie absolutely delivered on it and heightened it through his performance.
His physical delivery on the twist of the stripper being hit by a bus was pitch-perfect and brought the sketch to new heights. I almost wish this sketch were earlier on in the lineup of the show, because it landed so hard and played so well.
The “Office Dance” was another high for me. The sketch featured a lot of fun ensemble work from the extended cast, and Storrie once again delivered on a wacky premise. The rest of the office gradually agreeing to the dance, and the addition of different props and decorations to the sketch really made this one work for me. Again, it was a simple concept, but it was executed well.
The final highlight of the show for me was the “Leg-Lengthening” sketch. This sketch had a very fun performance from Hernández, and his physicality on the stilts was hilarious. The heightening of the sketch was great, and the reveal of Storrie’s tiny little legs was the cherry on top.
LOWS
The Cold Open felt a little lackluster, especially with everything that’s been going on in the news lately. It felt just like every other Trump Cold Open we’ve gotten this season, and it failed to set itself apart. While Jost brought some much-needed energy with his portrayal of Pete Hegseth, it lacked an overall punch.
Another low for me was the monologue, unfortunately.
Storrie has a lot of natural charisma, but it was rarely present here. The monologue lacked an overall direction and some serious momentum. While it was a nice touch to bring out Olympic hockey players (and poke fun at the President’s comments about the women’s team), it felt a little tacked on.
Another unfortunate low was the “Mr. Fronzi” sketch. I wanted to love this sketch, because Hernández almost always delivers when it comes to wacky characters, but the sketch lacked direction.
Hernández’s Mr. Fronzi was funny, but everything else in the sketch was lacking. The ensemble of students could’ve been utilized more, as well as giving Mr. Fronzi more to do.
The last low for me was the “Tutoring the Cool Kid” sketch. This is a weird one. It wasn’t bad by any means; it had a fun concept and a great performance from Marshall, but it just played really awkwardly. I feel like it would’ve hit harder if it were a digital sketch, instead of a live one.
I think digital would’ve suited the direction of this sketch more, and made it play more confidently.
OVERALL
Despite the lows of the episode, I’d say this was a great SNL debut for Storrie. He seemed to thrive when he was given wackier characters and more physicality-based sketches.
He brought great energy and interacted well with the cast. I really hope we get to see more of him on SNL in the future, because he has the potential to be a great recurring host.
SNL is back next week with host Ryan Gosling and musical guest Gorillaz. Make sure to tune in at 11:30 p.m.!
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