Emmy Episodes: Saturday Night Live

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the sixth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

Saturday Night Live: Season 46, Episode 11 “Dan Levy” (B+)

Now here’s a host I can get behind. As anyone who reads this site regularly knows, I wasn’t the biggest fan of “Schitt’s Creek,” but I do like Dan Levy and I’m happy to see him portraying a role other than the one that he played on that show. I didn’t even realize until the episode ended that there wasn’t a sketch featuring David, and I think that’s a testament to how funny Levy is and how he didn’t need to rely on a character he had already done enough with, instead fully ready to be part of whatever sketch fit better with this show. His opening tour of the studio wasn’t all that spectacular, but it was peppered by humorous social distancing policing from the hilarious Aidy Bryant, who had a few other great moments in this episode, and an appearance by his father Eugene Levy, who was apparently confined to a box since he had just gotten off a plane. The studio lot tour where he was constantly telling inappropriate anecdotes was pretty great, and he paired perfectly with Cecily Strong for the Broadway sports song sketch. I also enjoyed his participation in the It Gets Better anniversary sketch, though Kate McKinnon talking about her iguana was probably the highlight of that. The two of them were superb praising the bride and then refusing to actually object during a wedding, and I like that the bit ended with them being attracted to the groom for finally standing up to them. The toddlers getting cancelled on Weekend Update was a bit random but entertaining, and the SuperBowl sketch with everyone getting together and getting COVID was pretty on-point and amusing.