Home » Tv Series » Paul Mescal’s Star Power Tested on a Mediocre SNL Episode!

Paul Mescal’s Star Power Tested on a Mediocre SNL Episode!

Photo of author

By Avery Sandridge

Paul Mescal’s Star Power Tested on a Mediocre SNL Episode!

Photo of author

By Avery Sandridge

Is the actor new to comedy sketches, or does the Church Lady need more practice?

Paul Mescal might not be a household name unless you’re deeply entrenched in pop culture discussions. He’s currently starring in the top non-musical film in the U.S., skillfully filling a role that could easily have gone to Russell Crowe, and he recently received an Oscar nod for his poignant performance in Aftersun—the standout movie of 2022 which, despite its acclaim, grossed less in North America than Pierce Brosnan’s The King’s Daughter. Additionally, he appeared in a popular book-adapted streaming series. Surely, everyone’s seen Normal People, right? However, his first time hosting Saturday Night Live this week felt a bit underwhelming. It seemed like even those familiar with his work couldn’t quite place him as he ventured into comedy, leaving viewers puzzled and asking, “Who is this guy, exactly?”

It’s not that he didn’t deserve to host; he’s clearly a talented actor, and he hinted in his opening monologue that he hadn’t yet had a chance to explore his comedic side. He definitely brought a charming earnestness to his roles in the sketches, but many of them fell flat, casting him either as the straight man enduring bizarre situations or as the odd one out. Whether he was the college kid baffled by his parents’ (Heidi Gardner and Emil Wakim) overreaction to his new earring, or the defendant whose lawyer (Andrew Dismukes) had some questionable tactics for winning his case, Mescal was always on one side or the other of the “this-guy-is-acting-strange” setup. In other sketches, like the one where he played an actor annoyed by a co-star’s cheesy improv in a pasta commercial or a Spotify user with an odd top artist, he was the source of the weirdness, though not particularly memorable.

Not all the sketches were disasters. In fact, some were genuinely amusing. However, Mescal rarely seemed to fully embody his characters, except maybe in the pasta commercial, which unfortunately wasn’t as sharp, succinct, or hilarious as other sketches. He performed adequately as the straight man in the earring sketch, but playing a character nearly a decade younger than his real age didn’t quite work, and in the odd Spotify sketch, he was overshadowed by Bowen Yang’s latest absurd antics. (Yang, as funny as he is, is starting to resemble the less impressive efforts of Melissa McCarthy, relying heavily on a collection of quirky behaviors sold through sheer force of personality.)

See also  Inside Out Spin-off "Dream Productions" - A Meta, Slightly Muddled Must-See!

Although the level of fame a host possesses doesn’t usually impact the show significantly—the fun of SNL is seeing celebrities in a new light—this episode seemed to struggle with defining Mescal’s celebrity status beyond “undeniably skilled” and “charming accent.” In a spoof commercial for a musical version of Gladiator II, we saw a flash of the opposite: briefly, for this pre-recorded bit, Paul Mescal shone as a seasoned star, earning laughs by playfully mocking his dramatic persona and attempting a Wicked-style vocal run. It was an absurd, not particularly clever segment, but it felt more aligned with what Mescal was likely aiming for than much of the rest of the somewhat enjoyable, slightly off-kilter episode.

Highlights

Apart from the initial earring sketch, brilliantly sold by Heidi Gardner and Emil Wakim, I was quite entertained by the all-male pirates revue. A group of bachelorette party attendees (think Domingo Minus Domingo) were bewildered by the unexpected historical accuracy of what they assumed would be a simple excuse for a strip show. (Except for Ego Nwodim, who genuinely appreciated the educational aspect.) After numerous sketches featuring men behaving oddly, it was refreshing to see a classic ’90s-style sketch serve as a platform for Chloe Fineman’s Timothée Chalamet and James Austin Johnson’s contemporary old man Bob Dylan to intersect. Some might not be fans of Fineman’s Chalamet, but I find it enjoyable, and Johnson’s portrayal of Dylan is crafted with far more care and affection than nearly all other Dylan impersonations out there (possibly including Chalamet’s own?).

What Missed the Mark

I generally don’t dwell on SNL cold opens; they seldom rise above mediocrity, serving more as a bonus when good than a letdown when not. However, transforming this week’s essential political impersonations into “Church Chat,” re-introducing Dana Carvey’s famed character, was a welcome change from the usual Trump fatigue. Yet, has Carvey’s Church Lady truly resonated since he last performed it regularly back in 1991? Oddly, as the concept of a gleefully chastising, smug arbiter of sin has become more common in various forms (though different from the ’80s televangelists), “Church Chat” hasn’t evolved accordingly, succumbing to the same drift that affects many of SNL’s more likable political sketches: Are we laughing at the Church Lady’s prudish superiority, or is it satisfying when she rightly declares someone like Matt Gaetz as doomed to perdition? The sketch could have succeeded in both regards if it were funnier, but Carvey doesn’t seem as invested in this character as he does in others. (Interestingly, Sarah Sherman was the one nailing the Church Lady Dance at the sketch’s conclusion. And she doesn’t have a Matt Gaetz impersonation, which, hopefully, she won’t need.) David Spade’s guest appearance as Hunter Biden, relying solely on physical resemblance, was underwhelming. If we’re going to have these semi-reunion appearances each week, shouldn’t Spade be allowed to play to his strengths? And shouldn’t a new Church Lady sketch be significantly funnier than a mildly amusing ad where the Delicious Dish ladies promote Capital One? It might be entertaining to periodically revive major recurring characters throughout Season 50, especially given the current shortage of such characters on the show. But if this is the best they can do, perhaps it’s better to limit signature characters to brief commercial parodies instead. Speaking of Carvey: It’s surprising they avoided having him crash the Dylan/Springsteen sketch as Paul McCartney.

See also  Top Netflix TV Shows Streaming Now: What to Watch!

Underappreciated Talent

Between her roles as the anxious mom of a college freshman, the thrilled mother of a newly famous football player, and the proud, tipsy mom from a sketch cut last month, Heidi Gardner is quickly becoming the go-to SNL mom, a title that certainly deserves recognition.

Looking Ahead

Next episode, Chris Rock will make his fourth hosting appearance, while Gracie Abrams continues to represent the tiny club of popular singers with filmmaker parents.

Additional Notes

  • I was only familiar with Shaboozey from “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” and his role on Cowboy Carter, but I enjoyed his performances of both his hit single and the lesser-known track. Also, it’s rare to hear the audience get as excited as they did during “Bar Song.”
  • • The Please Don’t Destroy team managed to air their segment this week. It started off slow but got funnier as it progressed, though sticking to one video a month still seems like a good pace.
  • • Minor joy, part one: Jane Wickline’s Gladiator II song about the soldiers approaching with torches, who she assumes must be friends of her husband, ended with a perfectly timed, albeit predictable, cut.
  • • Minor joy, part two: The makeup for the not-really-octogenarian James Austin Johnson as Bob Dylan was impressively accurate.
  • • Many people overly criticize SNL for not being as current as a daily show or the constantly refreshing social media feeds. However, choosing what to satirize in your fake news segment actually has its merits. That said, by the time Colin Jost covered the United Healthcare CEO assassination, social media had already seen about 200 sharper takes. I did appreciate Jost and Che debating the intelligence of certain jokes. After all, it feels like the ’90s again.
  • • If you think these recaps don’t focus enough on Weekend Update, don’t worry; I might just lose it and write an entire piece on the Jost/Che dynamic, which relies on both flattering the audience and avoiding outright disdain for them.

Similar Posts

Rate this post
Share this :

Leave a Comment