Saturday Night Live -- Jonah Hill / Mariah Carey -- a Review 3/15/08

Rating -- 7

The concept of Eliot turning into a lawyer for sleazeballs is funny, but the sketch's timing seems off. Still, I laughed, and Kristen's facial expressions were priceless.

MONOLOGUE -- JONAH HILL

Rating --- 5

A song and dance with mildly amusing lyrics. Doesn't bode well for the rest of the episode.

MACGRUBER

Rating -- 7

Yes, they're beating this one to death, but there is something that still makes me laugh about MacGruber's delays in saving the day.

WHAT'S YOUR SITUATION

Rating -- 7

This one didn't strike me as that funny until the isolation booth, when Jonah gets in with her. Probably would have been funnier with someone else doing the bit, but it was still funny.

BENIHANA

Rating -- 9

Jonah Hill playing a 6 year old obnoxious insult comedian struck me as funny for some reason. It was funny and didn't overstay its welcome.

MACGRUBER

Rating -- 8

Could MacGruber really turn over the reins to his companion and have HIM disarm the bomb? Nah, but the timing of the explosion was funny. I laughed in spite of myself.

SUZE ORMAN SHOW

Rating -- 7

Kristen Wiig does an almost perfect Suze Orman, which is what makes this amusing.

SNL DIGITAL SHORT -- Dating Andy's Dad

Rating -- 7

As silly as ever, with a lame premise that still had me laughing.

MARIAH CAREY

Rating -- 7

Is she singing? She looks pretty good compared to the last time I saw her, but the song sounds like it's being pumped through a radio. Why in the hell does she have to use her hand to hit notes? At least she's not oversouling her performance.

WEEKEND UPDATE

Rating -- 9

Perhaps the best WU with Amy and Seth ever. The homeschooling joke about one homeschooling parent saying, "This is just like what the Nazis did to the Eskimos in the 1850's" cracked me up. It was nice to see them bring back "Really", which is "really" the only thing that Amy and Seth do that they can call their own. Even Tracy Morgan's commentary was funny.

TARGET

Rating -- 4

Yes, I know people like this sketch, but it has always left me cold. It's the same joke every time and never that funny.

SPECIAL REPORT

Rating -- 8

Darrell Hammond does a great McCain. The proof that McCain is old was funny, as was the sketch.

CLANCEY AND JACKIE

Rating -- 6

Silly enough to make me laugh, but this is a typical episode ending goofy concept sketch. The over the top performance of the final song with the flags and fireworks was inspired though.

MARIAH CAREY

Rating -- 5

Pedestrian song . Mariah doesn't look as good in this one.

FIRST DATE

Rating -- 7

For an ending sketch, it was funny, with Jonah's increasingly silly references to his man parts.

OVERALL SCORE -- 8

This is the best show since the Writer's Strike. Not a home run, but a very funny episode that was anchored by one of the funnier Weekend Updates in forever.