Whew. Despite his fears that he was going to totally bomb, and his incredibly heartfelt empathy for a still-struggling New York City, Louis C.K. did a pretty great job on Saturday Night Live last night. Though we were surprised by the show’s light treatment of the upcoming election (we got a tiny bit of Mitt Romney on Weekend Update and no Obama at all — it’s the weekend before, people!), we were less surprised by the fact that Louis C.K. shone — at least most of the time. Dress him up in furs and put him on a crowded stage, he gets a little flustered. But somehow, that only makes us like him better. Click through to watch the best and worst segments from last night’s SNL, and let us know if you agree with us (or think we’re blind) in the comments.
The Best:
Louis C.K.’s Monologue
This is exactly what we were hoping for: uninterrupted, unmarred standup from one of the contemporary greats. No special effects, no one else on stage, just Louis C.K. talking about accidentally acquiring an old lady. And it’s hilarious, obviously.
Lincoln
Okay, okay, so this sketch was basically a mini-episode of Louie. But as far as we’re concerned, that’s a great thing — SNL finally playing to its host’s considerable strengths.
Last Call
This is the typical train crash skit, where things go from awkward to hide-your-eyes in a matter of a few minutes. These are usually hit-or-miss for us, but boy, did Louis C.K. and Kate McKinnon sell it last night. That’s commitment, people.
The Worst:
Australian Screen Legends
Wait, what? Maybe we’re just totally ignorant, but we weren’t aware of any stigma about Australian films being full of wooden acting. Animal Kingdom was pretty damn good. So, if this is “stereotype” is just manufactured, allow us to ask… why? It’s not like it came out with any good laughs, no matter how many bug eyes Kate McKinnon makes.
Kylarian Mountain Pass
We’re going to qualify this one and say right off that we kind of liked this sketch. Not because of the sketch itself — although it had kind of absurdist logic that always appeals to us — because of Louis C.K. and his adorably bashful bungling of the whole thing. We’ll take laughs from wherever they come.
Girl You Wish You Hadn’t Started a Conversation With at a Party
Oh no, they’re trying to turn this into a recurring character. It’s okay, we guess, but we really don’t want to see it every Weekend Update. Cecily Strong is great and all, but she’s no Stefon.