SNL: Josh Brolin/Gotye

COLD OPEN
ZOË RICE: One of the better GOP candidate opens this election season. Getting them away from the debate podiums helped. Fun scenario and good work by all.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Generally fine, though I renew my objection to the song as filler between decidedly ordinary patter as skit template. Lot of dead time in that format.

MONOLOGUE
ZOË RICE: The only thing I remember is how forgettable it was.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Feels like Jay Pharoah’s impressions, to SNL, are frequent flier miles about to expire. Got to use them somewhere.

GAME OF THRONES
ZOË RICE: An amazing impression by Killam, but the sketch worked because of how well the actual Game of Thrones clips were incorporated.

HOWARD MEGDAL: And Andy Samberg as anyone awkward is just so funny. Really enjoyed.

THE CALIFORNIANS
ZOË RICE: As a native New Yorker, it’s possible I think people in LA are just like this. I found this sketch to be hilarious. Hader seemed to agree.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Dissent. So long. And a rinse-and-repeat skit with no build. Pass.

AMERICA’S NEXT TOP EMPIRE STATE OF MIND PARODY ARTIST
ZOË RICE: Kudos to Moynihan’s dancing, which was the highlight for me. Not a bad sketch, some fun musical comedy, but Jay Pharoah still just isn’t breaking through.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Ah, but those miles just disappear at the end of the season!

DIGITAL SHORT
ZOË RICE: I love Laser Cats. Add in the Speilberg spoofing? Silly and yet also cinematically relevant. Nice.

HOWARD MEGDAL: The best “7″ of any series, ever.

GOTYE
ZOË RICE: Really? That’s how you spell his name? I like this cool, trippy song. It sounds like college meets Northern California.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Or if you went to UC Santa Cruz, just college.

UPDATE
ZOË RICE: Some cute stuff from Seth as always, but only the Buffett rule joke really hit hard. Garth and Kat are just not the same anymore without the element of surprise. But I still have a soft spot for the early days.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Also loved the German animation joke. But holy cow, Garth and Kat should go to the same place as Gilly and never darken my TV again.

PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT
ZOË RICE: Some awkward moments here, but overall I liked the solid sociopolitical spoofing of Florida and Ozzie Guillen.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Yes, light cultural zeitgeist humor, well done and not overly stretched out. The great Piers Morgan impression, alas, is only as usable as Morgan’s career is durable.

SLO MO HALLWAY
ZOË RICE: A quirky concept that felt original and so was welcome.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Agree- offbeat, entertaining and fast, ironically enough.

ANOTHER DIGITAL SHORT
ZOË RICE: A digital deucey! Even before I went and googled the Gotye video, this was pretty adorable. And I agree with Andy and Taran – great video.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Simply perfect.

GOTYE
ZOË RICE: I dig this song and will probably download it. Guy Who’s Name Isn’t Actually Gotye also looks like he’s got too nice a torso to be an indie rocker. I’m kinda crushing on him all around.

HOWARD MEGDAL: I can see a generation of guys having to pretend to like this music for the sake of people they are dating, like Sting. This is obviously his upside.

BOOKER T WASHINGTON PROM
ZOË RICE: I want to like Jay Pharoah more than I do, but this character isn’t going to get me there. Josh Brolin did well with the material, though.

HOWARD MEGDAL: Another in a long line of SNL skits I presume look on the written page like this: Everyone be some weird character! We have ten minutes to fill!