The Best Part of Seth Rogen's 'Saturday Night Live': Uh, Taylor Swift?

By Dustin Rowles | TV | April 13, 2014 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | April 13, 2014 |

Cold Open — The ‘new” Republican party (Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush) take the stage at Coachella in an attempt to win over young voters. The sketch essentially extends the season-long slump with terrible cold opens. This cast of “SNL” may be slightly more esoteric than previous casts, but it really whiffs when it comes to political sketches.

Seth Rogen Monologue — Rogen reads his journal, “My week at SNL.” There’s an amusing bit where Rogen’s family — sister, mother, father — show up, and they all have the same obnoxious ideas. Lots of weed jokes, a good-natured joke at James Franco’s expense — who shows up for a cameo — and then Taylor Swift and Zooey Deschanel makes a cameo with her ukelele, for good measure. Amusing! Not great. (Score: 6.5/10)

Shallon — A recurring sketch so unmemorable that I don’t believe it has a name (Shallon?). Anyway, Rogen plays someone in D.A.R.E. warning students away from substance abuse, and I think the humor in this sketch is in that irony. Anyway, Shallon twists the narrative, blab blah blah crack! (Score: 4/10)

CNN Take Home Pregnancy Test — A pregnancy test with constant, meaningless breaking news alerts. Uh, I appreciate the joke, but it’s more of a throwaway line in a better sketch than an entire sketch/ad itself. (Score: 4/10)

Helen and Alan — Aidy Bryant plays a wife who broke both of her arms, and Rogen plays her put-upon husband who has to tend to her every need at a restaurant. Basically, it’s a good excuse for some decent physical comedy (and a fart joke). (Score: 6.5/10)

Monster Pals —- Well, it’s a weird sketch and way too long, but the payoff is totally worth it. (Score: 7/10)

Blue River Dog Food — A married couple melts down after discovering that their old dog food with the chicken on the package has only trace amounts of chicken. It’s comedy of overreaction, and it’s pretty funny, thanks to Cecily Strong. (Score: 7/10)

Weekend Update — The headline jokes were easily the best since Colin Jost took over, and he delivered a couple of winners, including a killer dig at Katherine Heigl. (Score: 7/10)

Big Papi — I don’t know what this is, but it’s terrible. (Score: 2/10)

Jacob the Bar Mitzvah Boy — Why, God why? “Weekend Update” would’ve been so much better had the segments not ruined it. (Score: 3/10)

Engagement Party — A man’s cousin wreaks havoc on his engagement party by telling an embarrassing story from the past. It’s supposed to create awkwardness at the engagement party, and it mostly creates awkwardness in the audience. (Score: 4/10)

Undercover Sharpton — *crickets* *so many crickets* (Score: 1/10)

420 — Kyle Mooney whiff. Ugh. (Score: 2/10)

Herman & Sons — A family-owned sperm bank is closing and everything must go. A funny premise, but not a funny sketch (although, the phrase “hobo sperm” is pretty great), although the turn is amusing. (Score: 5/10)