Well, it has been a long journey but the time has finally come.  Saturday Night Live topped off Season 42 this past weekend with its season finale hosted by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.  This review is being posted a tad late due to my preparations for exams throughout this week, but overall, Johnson’s episode was average.  There were funny parts and cringe-worthy parts, but it was not an episode that will be remembered for years to come.   This past weekend marked the final episode of SNL for some cast members, including Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer, and Sasheer Zamata, who will be leaving the show.  None of these departures are really a surprise as they have not had substantial roles in the show throughout the course of this season.  So, without further ado, below is my review of this past weekend’s episode of SNL.  

“SUPERSTAR!” (The Best Sketch of the Night)

“Gemma with Dwayne Johnson 2”: There was absolutely no point whatsoever for this sketch.  However, that did not matter.  It was hilarious to watch Vanessa Bayer get soaked with water over and over again while Kenan Thompson ducked out of the way.  Cecily Strong’s Gemma character is annoying and the chemistry between her and Johnson was off, but that did not ruin the quality of the sketch.  I could watch this same bit numerous times and still laugh as hard as I did.

“I gotta have more cowbell!” (Good Sketches)

“Dwayne Johnson Five-Timers Monologue”: Congrats Dwayne Johnson for being inducted into the elite Five-Timers Club! What an awesome accomplishment.  This monologue was actually really solid.  Johnson was so comfortable on stage and he interacted with Tom Hanks flawlessly.  Let’s just say that if Johnson and Hanks were to run for President in 2021, I’d vote for them.  I mean, it cannot be much worse than what we have already, right?

“Rap Song”: Once again, there was no point to this sketch whatsoever but it was funny to watch.  The best part about this digital short was the names of each character in the music video, coupled with the characters’ outfits.  This was a solid sketch that included so many faces that will be leaving after this season.

“Weekend Update”: Colin Jost and Michael Che sealed off their season of Weekend Update spectacularly.  The jokes said and the banter delivered between them was very funny to watch.  Both Jost and Che were not as tight-leased as they were last week.  It was great to see Drunk Uncle  again and Bayer’s meteorologist character was slightly humorous as well.  I hope that Che and Jost stick around together next season.  They definitely have brought back life to the Weekend Update segment, something that was lost after the departure of Seth Meyers.  

“WWE Promo Shoot 2”: This sketch was very, very funny.  The dialogue exchanges between Johnson and Moynihan were perfect.  I honestly do not know how both the writers and those acting in this sketch managed to keep a straight face.  The stuff that Johnson says is so cringeworthy and funny that I would be laughing so hard if I was trying to deliver these lines.  Then again, I’m not a hired comedian.

“Well, isn’t that special” (Hit or Miss Sketches)

“Cartier Ad”: Fidget Spinners are the absolute worst.  They are distracting to look at and are an unnecessary thing to have in one’s possession. To be honest, within five months, they will probably be obsolete.  But, Bayer’s lines were funny and were delivered excellently by her.

“Hallelujah Cold Open”: I liked it better when Kate McKinnon performed this back when Hillary Clinton lost the election.  Her performance was heartfelt, bittersweet, and passionate.  Although I understand what SNL was trying to do, I wish that they had not redone this sketch and done something different.  But, it was well put together and I liked the continuity between both performances.

“RKO Movie Set”: SNL really likes sketches that involve excessive farting probably because it brings out the kid in all of us.  When I watched this sketch with my mother she could not stop laughing.  I tolerated the sketch but did not think it was anything extraordinary.  To be honest the joke was drawn out for too long.

“Buh-bye” (Bad Sketches)

“Enhancement Drug”: Ha. Ha. The prescription that Johnson wants is actually an illegal drug.  There is no reason to make a sketch out of this.  Plus, it was not even funny and the plot associated with it was too long.

“Scorpio”: I could see the intent that the writers had when writing this sketch.  They wanted to go against the same structure of all superhero films and the heroes’ relationships with bystanders.  However, there was no reason to have this sketch go on for as long as it did, especially since the same joke was basically repeated constantly.  

“Senior Video”: I fast-forwarded through this sketch after the first joke about meatloaf since the joke made me cringe.  This sketch appeared at the very end of the show, so that is a sign that it is not one of Lorne Michael’s favorites.  So, I won’t belittle this sketch too much.

“Wingman”: I also fast-forwarded through this sketch.  I actually did not understand what was going on here.  The first part of the sketch was so boring that I actually just glossed right over it.  

“World’s Most Evil Invention”: This sketch was going so well and then they had to pull the extremely bad felony card with the invention that Johnson talks about.  Nope.  It is not necessary to form a whole sketch around this concept.

Dwayne Johnson’s episode of SNL was average at best, but marked the end of Season 42 of Saturday Night Live. Season 43 returns this fall.  Be sure to look for my wrap-up article for Season 42 and my preview article for Season 43 that will be posted soon!  Thank you to all who read my reviews throughout this season.  I hope that you enjoyed the show just as much as I do!

Dylan’s FINAL Ranking of the Episodes in Season 42:

1. Dave Chappelle
2. Emma Stone
3. Tom Hanks
4. Scarlett Johansson
5. Kristen Stewart
6. Kristen Wiig
7. Melissa McCarthy
8. Jimmy Fallon
9. Aziz Ansari
10. Lin-Manuel Miranda
11. Casey Affleck
12. Louis C.K.
13. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
14. Alec Baldwin
15. Margot Robbie
16. Octavia Spencer
17. Felicity Jones
18. John Cena
19. Benedict Cumberbatch
20. Emily Blunt
21. Chris Pine